Jhin had taken special care to groom himself today; he couldn't be careless about the first date of his life.
Grooming, for a guy, really just meant staying fresh and clean and not wearing strange clothes. He tidied his hair slightly, changed into some new clothes, and after a final check to make sure everything was in order, Jhin prepared to leave for his date.
Nymph was hopelessly engrossed in a soap opera, and Gabriel had gone to Vignette's place to copy summer homework. Excellent. No unexpected factors could interrupt this date.
Jhin arrived at the gates of Mihama Academy and didn't have to wait long before he saw the figure of Sakaki Yumiko slowly approaching.
When Sakaki Yumiko stood before Jhin, her attire, completely different from her usual style, made his eyes light up.
A white, asymmetrical bow blouse and a high-waisted denim 'flower bud' long skirt, along with black stockings that could have been either tights or thigh-highs, preserved her 'ice queen' aura without being too flashy.
"Yumiko, you have great taste in clothes."
Jhin's first words were a compliment on her outfit, but he didn't know that Kazami Kazuki had bought it.
"D-Does it suit me?"
"It's great. I like it a lot."
Jhin's straightforwardness made Sakaki Yumiko's ears burn. "I'm glad you like it."
Smiling, Jhin took the slightly nervous Sakaki Yumiko's hand. "Let's go. You like reading mystery novels, right? How about we make a bookstore our first stop today?"
"Is that more intel from your sister?"
Jhin paused for a moment. So they already knew. With no intention of hiding it, he answered her, "Half and half. I only knew you liked to read before, but I wasn't sure about the specific genre."
"I see."
...
After taking a bus to a bookstore in the city, Sakaki Yumiko began to get used to Jhin holding her hand, no longer as shy as before.
The bookstore was quiet. It seemed not many people chose to come at this time of day, which suited Sakaki Yumiko just fine, as she didn't like overly noisy environments.
Although the bookstore wasn't large, it was a case of 'a sparrow may be small, but it has all the vital organs.' It had all the necessary genres, and Sakaki Yumiko led Jhin straight to the mystery novel section.
Sakaki Yumiko's fair fingers slid across the spines of the novels she liked, reaching the top one. With a slight hook of her fingertip, she pulled a book from the neatly arranged row. In no time, she had several novels cradled in her arms.
Just as Sakaki Yumiko was about to head to the checkout with her chosen novels, she saw a book titled 'Love Metronome' in a prominent display, heavily advertised with a banner. Attracted by the name, she decided to buy this romance novel, a genre she didn't typically prefer.
The reason, of course, was the boy currently holding her hand, Jhin. Lacking any romantic experience, Sakaki Yumiko decided to learn a thing or two from this novel.
Jhin seemed a bit surprised. "Oh? This novel?"
"What's wrong, have you read it?"
"I have, but not in great detail."
"How is it?"
"Hmm…" Jhin hummed for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts. "When Gabriel and I read it, I got the feeling that midway through the story, the author clearly started writing with a specific person as the focus. The ending still hasn't come out, so I guess she must be having relationship troubles."
Sakaki Yumiko shot Jhin a reproachful glance. "I think if you mention other girls during our date, your emotions might suffer a setback too."
"Ahaha, sorry."
"It's fine. I was just joking."
"I don't think you were joking. By the way, you don't have your 'main body' on you, do you?"
"Main body? What main body?"
"The box cutter."
"…I do not!" Sakaki Yumiko seemed genuinely angry now and turned as if to storm off.
Jhin quickly pulled her into his arms with an apologetic smile. "I was wrong, don't go. Let's continue this conversation."
"Then tell me, why are you so sure the author is having relationship troubles?" Even while held in Jhin's embrace, Sakaki Yumiko stubbornly turned her head away, refusing to look at him. But her ears had already turned pink, looking incredibly alluring.
"Yumiko, you're an internet addict too…"
"Who's an internet addict!" To this day, Sakaki Yumiko didn't consider herself an addict. I go online every day and I'm not addicted, so how does that count?
"Alright, alright, you're a web-surfing expert. Let me ask you, if you keep clicking on a computer program and it says 'Not Responding,' what do you do?"
"End task, obviously. Isn't that common sense?" Sakaki Yumiko found this a bit strange. What did that have to do with the author's relationship troubles?
Jhin gave her the answer with a grin. "Exactly. So the author made the same choice."
Sakaki Yumiko understood now. Writing a story centered on a specific person, but the ending never comes—isn't that just like a program not responding, so you end the task?
Although Jhin had never been in a relationship in his past life, he had seen too many cases like this. "Unilaterally giving your all to someone, while they remain completely oblivious, and you're just patting yourself on the back for it—do you think that can lead to a good outcome?"
"Not to mention whether the other person even takes you seriously. Even for couples in a relationship, it has to be a two-way street to maintain the passion, right?"
As Jhin spoke, he thought of Miki Sayaka from 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.' For the sake of her crush, she made a wish to Kyubey to heal his hand, but he had no idea. After he was healed, he grew distant from her. Her self-serving method of sacrifice ultimately pushed her toward her own ruin.
All one can say is: I don't understand it, but I respect it.
Sakaki Yumiko raised a delicate eyebrow. She felt there was a hidden meaning in Jhin's words. Was he implying that she needed to give him something in return?
"Since you've studied this so much, why don't you tell me what you need me to give you in return?"
"Ahem…" Jhin nearly choked on his own saliva. He never expected his whole speech would end up shooting himself in the foot. "Uh, I was just speaking casually, I didn't mean it like that."
"But I do."
Jhin wasn't one to pass up such an opportunity. With the beautiful girl's invitation, how could he refuse? He leaned down and whispered a few words into Sakaki Yumiko's ear.
A blush slowly crept onto her cheeks, and a shy light flickered in her eyes. No longer daring to look Jhin in the eye, her gaze darted about as she replied with a single word, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.
"Mm."
"Then let's go."
Jhin cheerfully led a beet-red Sakaki Yumiko to pay and leave the bookstore. Behind the shelf where they had been talking stood a girl with a quiet and refined air. She had beautiful long black hair held back by a white hairband, a well-proportioned figure, and her wine-red eyes were fixed on Jhin's departing back.
As the author of 'Love Metronome,' Kasumigaoka Utaha, pen name 'Kasumi Utako,' had come out to clear her head due to a bad mood. She had subconsciously wandered into the bookstore and happened to overhear Jhin's critique and analysis of her novel.
Kasumigaoka Utaha had to admit that Jhin's analysis was spot on. The reason the novel's ending was delayed was because she had fought with a junior she had high hopes for, and he had refused to read the finished manuscript of the ending.
During their argument, information was accidentally revealed and overheard by others. Now, the news that she was a famous author had spread like wildfire, and it even implicated someone she had always considered a rival.
Disheartened, Kasumigaoka Utaha had chosen to take a temporary leave of absence from school since then to avoid the gossip. Her parents were planning to enroll her in a newly established school. It had very few students and was far from her original school, perfectly matching her desire for a quiet creative environment where she wouldn't be disturbed.
'Maybe I really am just patting myself on the back,' Kasumigaoka Utaha thought. She put down the copy of 'Love Metronome' she had been stroking. The moment her fingertips left the cover, the last trace of attachment in her heart dissipated.
Perhaps, this story deserves a new ending.
___
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