I became Althea’s boyfriend.

It sounded surreal just thinking about it. I had sworn off all relationships and never believed that a woman would want to begin a romance with me. Yet, here I am in the middle of a romantic relationship with my neighbour.

However, unlike most romances, our relationship didn’t start out with a romantic kiss or a heartfelt confession. Our relationship came with a contract. Provisionally, I would be Althea’s boyfriend for a month. Incidentally, the weekend was the start of the month, and Althea had planned our first date for this Saturday.

Just one month… One month of dating. After that, we would return back to normal.

It was the perfect setup for us.

Althea would get to learn that romances were stupid, and I wouldn’t have to move away to avoid her anymore. The awkward stalemate we were in would be broken, and we could return to the way we were.

At least… That’s what I’d thought…

“Desir, are you ready?”

“Y-Yeah...”

I did my best to reply, but my mouth involuntarily dropped into a stutter. Althea noticed that chink in my armour and instantly closed the distance. Her right arm slid through my elbows, and her body became glued to my own.

In most circumstances, I could brush it off as a bit of mischief by my young neighbour. However, her thin camisole blouse that revealed her collarbone and most of the skin above her bosom directly touched my arms.

As a gentleman, I didn’t know where to look or touch. If I wanted to look at Althea, my gaze would naturally glance down at her cleavage. It wasn’t because they were drawn to them, but because of how we were positioned. Also, my left arm was held hostage. If I made one small move, they would reach dangerous areas that my sanity couldn’t endure.

Is this how men always feel when their girlfriends clung to them in public?

No, no! I shouldn’t be thinking about this!

I see no evil… Hear no evil… Smell no evil… Touch no evil…

Hmmm? What is this soft sensation?

NO!!! Touch no evil…

“Desir?”

“A-Althea? W-What is it?”

“No, you seemed spaced out...”

And whose fault do you think it is?!

I wanted to shout that out, but my voice got muted by Althea’s distinct smile. However, instead of letting go, she tightened her grip on my arm and slithered her hands down to meet mine.

“I have planned out a long day ahead for us today!”

“Oh? What do you have in mind?”

“Well, first things first...”

Althea brought out her phone and navigated her apps to the page that she’d frequented the most. The first thing I saw was the images of adorable little puppies and kittens. These younglings would make any grown man squirm at how lovely they were.

“This is...”

“Our first destination of the day! We’re going to the petting zoo!”

“Petting zoo?”

That’s… random. Why would Althea bring me to a petting zoo on our first official date?

As if reading my thoughts, the beauty added: “I know that you like animals, but our apartment building doesn’t allow pets. Also, we’ve been under some stress as of late… So, I’d thought that we could let off some steam at the petting zoo.”

“Oh… That sounds nice...”

Althea was right. With the constant back and forth, both of us were mentally drained. To reset, it made sense to fool around in a petting zoo. However, if Althea was coiled around me in public… How was I going to mentally reset?

“I-If that’s the case… Althea, could you let go?”

“... Why?”

“J-Just… It’s just distracting...”

If our goal was to mentally recover, Althea should learn to keep her distance. Especially in public. Since it was our first date, Althea had dolled herself up as skillfully as any other makeup artist on the market. She applied a plum blusher that highlighted her acute cheekbones and a mixture of subtle eyeliner and rosy lipsticks to perk up her already beautiful face.

Her choice of wardrobe was also quite bold. The beige camisole blouse she chose highlighted her supple yet firm upper body. For her bottom, she went with a pink flare skirt that just about covered her knees.

Althea was already a gorgeous girl before, but after working out with me for over a month, she’d quickly lost any form of excess fat on her body. Her body became leaner as her muscles became more defined. And her change was most apparent if you looked down at her legs.

The snowy, white limbs of hers became toned down throughout the weeks. While it was nowhere near the level of Sienna’s or any other athletes, Althea’s spotless legs could give any model a run for their money.

Before I knew it, the breathtaking girl I’d known had morphed into an exquisite young lady.

As much as I hate to admit it, having her stuck to me for the whole day would be more than distracting. It might even bring out naughty thoughts that I’d subconsciously sealed just to appear gentlemanly.

Alas… Althea didn’t care for my mental dilemma. Instead…

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Desir… You promised that you’re going to be my boyfriend for a month, right?”

“T-That...”

“And a boyfriend is someone who escorts the girlfriend around, right? Even if it means lovingly holding her hand without arguments.”

“...”

“Or are you going to renege on your promise to me?” Althea asked with confidence in her voice.

“No...”

“Then it’s settled!” The girl beamed before leaning her body closer into mine. “Let’s go then! The puppies are waiting for us! Let’s not keep them waiting!”

“... Okay,” resigning to my fate, I held my breath as we walked side-by-side towards the train station.

❖❖❖

As expected, while we were headed towards the petting zoo, there was an ocean of eyes looking at us at every turn. It was as if they were all trying to burn a hole through our very existence.

I was long accustomed to people fearing me whenever I walked out. After all, as much as I hated to admit, I was an intimidating and unattractive-looking creature. However, on this day, there was another emotion other than apprehension in their eyes.

The colour of jealousy.

I had a dazzling flower in my hands, one that was sticking so close to me that it almost seemed like she was trying to merge with my body. As she’d declared, Althea was doing her best to behave like a girlfriend, a loving one at that.

There were even times where she would shoot an unpleasant look at all the eyes judging us like a mother lioness protecting her cubs.

It was a refreshing experience. Having a girl almost half my size protecting me. Maybe that’s how it felt to have a sugar mummy.

Nevertheless, the jealous and judgmental eyes were just an afterthought of our morning journey. The main problem was…

“I’m sorry, we’re at capacity. We won’t be able to let any more people in.”

“W-What? What do you mean you’re at capacity?”

“I’m terribly sorry. Due to the pandemic, we’re only able to allow a third of our normal customer size. We had also implemented a ticket system where customers can wait for their time slots. Unfortunately, the last ticket has been given out.”

The receptionist apologised to Althea while offering a bow.

“B-But… We’d come all this way...”

“We’re terribly sorry! Please come back another day, perhaps a little earlier. Our ticket system works on a first-come-first-serve basis, so the earlier you arrive, the higher the chance you’ll get in.”

“T-That… But...”

Althea dropped her head down in disappointment. Evidently, she was looking forward to this day. She had prepared a gorgeous outfit, topped off with the expensive makeup that she’d put on her face and yet... Her first plan of the day had gotten off to a terrible failure.

“Althea? What do we do now?”

“D-Don’t worry! I can salvage it!” Althea brought up her phone and clicked on the next item on the list. “There’s an apple garden nearby! I was planning to go there after we’re tired and hungry, but we can push up the schedule!”

“Okay then...”

I had nothing to do with today’s date plan. It was all Althea’s hard work, so I could only nod my head and follow.

Unfortunately…

“Why is it closed?! It clearly says that it's open on the app!!!”

Althea bellowed out in exasperation as we came face-to-face with a ‘closed for business’ sign. Peering through the gates, I could see rows upon rows of verdant apple trees, each one outfitted with a horde of juicy apples.

It did seem like a nice place to visit, and one can only imagine the delicacies that would emerge from such a beautiful garden. Perhaps that was Althea’s motive? Combining nature and fresh ingredients for a perfect date location…

Combined with the petting zoo from earlier on… It really was the perfect date for me.

Where on earth did this girl learn all this cunning from?

“If the apple garden is closed, then let’s go to the gym convention downtown!”

Gym convention? There was something like that? After some probing, I’d learnt from Althea that there was an expo fair showcasing new and innovative gym equipment nearby.

Alas, when we’d reached there…

“What?! Didn’t the advertisement say that it was open from 1st May to 3rd May? Why isn’t it open?!”

“... It says it’s open from 1st June, Althea.”

“I-I’d misread the date?!”

Frustration welled up in the young girl’s heart as she faced her third failure of the day. The first two weren’t her fault per se, but this third mistake of hers was definitely on her. However, Althea didn’t give up. She still wanted to make this first date of ours memorable.

“T-There’s still the video game exhibition!”

It was postponed.

“F-Food market?”

Closed due to the pandemic.

“A-Arcade centre?”

Needed an appointment to get in.

Each one of Althea’s date plans had some sort of hiccup. As we continued from location to location, the bright blue skies of the afternoon slowly bled into the orange embers of dusk. In the end, none of Althea’s plans were successful, and we’d spent most of our first date travelling around on the train.

Fortunately, the dinner location that Althea had selected didn’t have any sudden cancellations or dining limitations. We entered the restaurant and were led to a luxurious outdoor dining area with a breathtaking view.

The final destination that Althea had brought me to was a great steakhouse. It had dry-aged steak, prime ribs, bacon-wrapped shrimp… Everything that my heart desired.

For me, it was like stepping into a heavenly palace where pristine, holy angels worked the grill to please my soul.

Alas, Althea didn’t share my enthusiasm. While I gorged down my prime ribeye steak, Althea played with her mashed potatoes like a patient that had lost all of her appetite.

Ever since our failed attempt at the gym convention, Althea’s uplifted mood had been slowly deteriorating. And well… Who could blame her?

The girl had planned a day to remember for our first date.

First, a petting zoo to soothe my soul. Followed by an apple garden that mixed fresh produce with a gorgeous natural backdrop. Then the gym and game conventions, both places that I would love to be at. Not to mention the food market and arcade centre…

And to top it all off, we were at a famous steakhouse that provided some of the best steaks anywhere in the country.

Just imagining such a day brought a smile to my face. And if I had lived it out…

My god, I might have proposed to Althea before we’d left the restaurant.

“A penny for your thoughts?” I asked politely, even though I could guess her emotional turmoil.

“... Desir, you must think that I’m a failure.”

After a brief pause, Althea replied with a saddened tone. Since she was seated right beside me, I was unable to see the look on her face. However, there was no need for visual confirmation. The girl… she was mere seconds away from crying.

“Why do you think that?”

“Today was supposed to be the perfect day. A full twenty-four hours of fun that was tailored just for you. And yet… I screwed it all up.”

“Althea...”

Screwed it all up? Most of the plans failing weren't even her fault. It was just pure misfortune, that’s all.

“Althea, you’re too hard on yourself.”

“No! I was supposed to make this the perfect first date! One that we can remember for the rest of our lives! But all we did today was walk around the entire town! I wasted so much of your time and effort! I’m such a moron...”

Dejected, Althea dropped her spoon and fell back on her back. There was a hint of despondence in her voice as well.

“Yes, you’re a fool, Althea. You’re a fool to think that this date was a failure.”

“H-Huh?”

My first sentence further brought Althea into depression, but my second one brought her back to life. Smiling, I continued: “This is your first time planning a date, right?”

“How did you know?!”

“It’s obvious,” I chuckled. “A beauty like you must have always been invited to dates. It would be odd if you planned dates before.”

“T-That...”

Judging from how red Althea’s face turned, it looked like I hit the bullseye.

“And yet, you had planned out a superb date plan, customised to all my likes and habits. Not many people could do all that.”

“B-But… We didn’t go on any of them...”

“Haha, it’s the thought that matters, Althea.”

I smiled and gently stroked the girl’s head. Ah, this brings back memories. Before Althea got confused by her feelings and was goaded by Len to do something about it, it was common for me to stroke her hair. However, ever since she’d confessed her feelings, I had been holding myself back.

Honestly, for some reason, I felt more familiarity patting her head than ever before. Perhaps I had been trained by Althea the same way that I had trained her with spicy food.

“Desir, you… Do you think that I’m a child?”

“Hahaha! You’re forever a child in my eyes, Althea!”

“... That can’t do,” Althea declared with confidence. She grabbed onto my outstretched hand and held it tight with both her hands.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Desir… You know… I’m a selfish girl.”

“H-Huh?”

“Although you’re going to be my boyfriend for a month… And although I will do my best to change your mind about relationships… I don’t have confidence that we will truly become a couple at the end.”

“...”

“So… If at the end of the month… You choose not to continue our relationship… I want to have confirmation.”

“Confirmation?”

“Yes,” Althea responded sweetly. She brought my left hand close to her chest, so close in fact that I could feel her racing heartbeat. “I want to have confirmation… Even if it’s fake… I want to have confirmation that… That you were once my boyfriend.”

“...”

Althea… That’s cheating…

If you look at me with that lovestruck expression and that accelerated heart rate…

At that very moment, the distant moonlight shone down on the veranda where we were at. Illuminated by the transcendent lunar entity, Althea became the embodiment of the moon goddess. Her ebony black hair reflected its holy light and her emerald eyes shone brighter than the stars in the sky.

“And this date… Is proof that you were once mine.”

“Althea...”

As the night continued, both of us ate our dinners in silence.

However, neither of us could deny the heartburn that we suffered throughout our meals.

Whether it was from the food or our emotions…

Time will tell.