Dating, huh?

It might be crazy to believe, but even in my fuck-you money days, I’d never actually fool around with women. Sure, they came to me, but I had more dignity than that. It’s totally not because I didn’t know how to act in front of them that I refused them all, absolutely not.

But the bottom line is, I don’t have any dating experience. And now I’m supposed to meet a girl purely for the discussion of marriage.

Yeah, I might have not thought this through with my plans.

I still have to hand it to Granny, though. For some miraculous reason that she pulled, every single one of them on the list accepted the proposal. Perhaps the money was too tempting for them? Well, it’s not like I’m living a long life with any of them, so sure, whatever.

I take a look at myself once more before the life-size mirror in the room. It might not be the most comfortable thing I’ve worn, but this tuxedo isn’t too bad. The newly applied starch makes it kind of stiff, but I have some experience handling only this much. The straightened hairdo is a bit too much, though. I never did enjoy the feeling of too much gel in my hair.

“At least I somewhat look the part…” I let out a sigh and follow Granny’s instructions on my phone to the designated location.

Still, I can’t believe traditional Japanese restaurants like the one before me right now still exist in Tokyo, let alone this crowded area of Shinjuku. Looking at the gracefully-dressed waitresses effortlessly moving about in their colorful, yet baggy kimonos make me wonder for a second if I’m really still in my hometown or not. And the lively green hue of this large garden, complete with pond and all, is certainly a sight soothing for the eyes.

At the same time, while I’m still marveling at the scenery, my phone rings once more.

“Young Master, are you here yet?” The sound of Granny Yaga’s voice shows up on the other side.

“Yeah, I’m here,” I answer, making my way through the entrance.

“Good morning, Sir,” inside, a waitress politely bows. “Do you have a reservation?”

“Is there a reservation under the name of Yaga?” I ask.

“Yaga…” After a minute of checking through the guest list again, the waitress nods at me. “Ah, yes, your room is on the second floor. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

My heart beats faster with each step up the stairs I take. And like a cruel joke of fate, only when my tension has reached its peak do I realize another crucial mistake that I’ve made.

I have never asked Granny Yaga who my partner for today is.

… Well, here goes nothing, the thought eerily crosses my mind as I take a deep breath and pushes open the door to the room that will decide my future.

Inside is a figure I could never forget for the rest of my life.

Despite her small stature, her presence is larger than anyone else in the room. Despite her eyes being closed as she blissfully sips on the high-quality tea, I can still tell that her eyes are sparkling with the kind of gift I can never achieve. All of that, combined with the bright-red kimono that she wears gives her the feeling of a dazzling sun.

So this is Hoshino Shiori, the prodigious author of modern Japan.

“Pleased to meet you,” she takes a light bow. “You are Fuutsuno Hakuen, my match for today, correct?”

If Natsume’s voice is the kind of sweetness that soothes your soul, then Shiori’s is the kind of sweetness that will choke you out of your life. And yet, it’s still incredibly mesmerizing to the ear, so much so that even if it would kill you for real, you’re still willing to take that chance.

“Uh… yes, I am,” I awkwardly scratch my head and nod in return.

“No need to be shy,” Shiori covers her mouth with her kimono sleeve, letting out a teasing giggle akin to a silver bell. “Come and take a seat. I haven’t been waiting for long.”

As I nervously settle in, the girl once again is the one to start the conversation:

“You must be wondering why I’m doing this at such a young age, right?”

“N-No! Of course not! Why wouldn’t you?”

Only after the words leave my mouth do I realize how much of a dumb thing that is. But as I stumble to cover my mouth, the girl before me only chuckles once more:

“You’re an interesting one, aren’t you? But it’s okay: I’m only going to see potential dating candidates after all. Marriage is still way too early for me.”

My face heats up to no end, to the point that I can even feel the red boiling on it. This is only the second time that someone has told me that, but my damn excitement is still there, fresh as new.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Looks like you’re still a bit tense,” says Shiori, “how about we talk about ourselves first?”

“Um… sure,” I reluctantly follow the suggestion, mainly since I don’t have anything else to say. “You won the Golden Page Award last year, right?”

“I’m surprised you know about it,” Shiori raises her brows.

Trying to get on her good side, I answer. “I-I mean, who doesn’t?”

“Not many, I assume,” Shiori remains unchanged in her expression. “After all, writing and books aren’t exactly topics that the young ones these days would be interested in.”

“... Not me it’s not,” I struggle to keep the facade up, but Shiori’s eyes seem like they’re piercing through my soul.

“Well, seeing that you’re so interested in the art, how about I tell you a bit about my new work in progress? It’s not every day someone gets to hear the inner workings of my mind, you know.”

“U-Um, sure.”

“Okay, so…”

Shiori’s story goes on. Immediately, I’m pulled into a trance. But this is not something that’s tempting for me to go in voluntarily. It’s like a swamp that drags in your everything, completely trapping you in and not letting you go.

But…

Why do I feel so bored by it?

I know she’s supposed to be a great prodigy and all…

But…

I don’t get it. Where is that spark that I felt… with her?

“I…”

Before I realize my own actions, I’ve already stood up completely.

“Pardon?” Shiori’s eyes now widen in surprise.

“I’m sorry. I can’t do this,” I take a bow to apologize. “I’ve no interest in books. The truth is, I’m only doing this so that I can get my inheritance back… I’m sorry.”

The girl sits there in silence for a moment. Even before what could only be described as the act of spitting in her talent, Hoshino Shiori remains calm as a river, without a lick of emotion on her face.

After a while, she stands up and takes a bow in return.

“If that is the case, then our date ends here; I have other business at the Golden Page Competition later, so I won’t take up more of your time. Goodbye, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”

As the girl steps out towards the door, my body falls to my seat in defeat, like a marionette with its strings cut off. However, before she leaves for good, the girl stays for one last word of ominous advice:

“Next time, if you want to trick innocent maidens into marrying you for money, then I’d suggest you keep quiet about your intentions.”

***

Even as I hear the sound of her elegant footsteps going down the stairs, as well as the rummaging sound of her car engine leaving the premises, I can’t seem to find the strength to stand up. What was I thinking? After all of that talk about getting back my inheritance, to finally get back the only value that I have… how could I have made such an idiotic remark? Why can’t I just keep my mouth shut and shoot my shot?

…

Don’t answer it, Hakuen. You know very well why it is that you sabotaged yourself like that.

You just can’t seem to admit it.

Of course, I can’t admit it. If I admitted it, then it would make my reasoning all that stupider. But…

Do I…

No, I don’t. I don’t deserve the chance. I’ve done many things wrong already. I can’t fall further than I already have.

But… if I don’t do it now, then there are no more chances. I don’t want to forever live with jealousy and regret anymore.

I leave the restaurant and make my way to the train station as fast as possible, dialing every number I can think of. Damn it, as expected - those two are still not picking up… It’s embarrassing, but I only have one choice left for help.

“Young Master?” Granny Yaga sounds. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the middle of your date?”

“I’ll explain later, Granny! But right now, I wanna ask something: do you know where the venue for the Golden Page Award is?”

“The Golden Page Award?” A brief pause of surprise, but Granny still manages to answer. “Their competition isn’t even over, you know. If you want to ask the venue for that, then it’s at Kiyama Girls High this year.”

“Okay, I got it!” I quickly hang up. Kiyama Girls High… it’s quite far from here though, in Minato, if I recall correctly. I have to hurry.

I blitz through the train station, still with a fire in my heart even as the scenery turns into a blur. And the clock slowly ticking can only serve to fuel my anxiety further and further.

Finally, the train stops at Minato.station, and immediately, I dash out to the roads like my life depends on it.

“According to the map…” I frantically open my phone to check for directions once more. “It’s to the west of here! Gotta hurry!”

My destination is right before me! Just a little closer… Please, make it!

Yes, finally! And without a moment’s notice, too! It’s her!

“Nat-”

I don’t get to finish my sentence. Between the disappointment, distraught mindset, and all the commute that I just did, I’ve forgotten another, very important thing.

“Hoshino… Shiori…”

There she is, clad in Kiyama’s signature yellow blazer and white skirt. But more importantly… there she is, talking to Natsume.

And as if fate couldn’t get any worse, the predator has already spotted her prey.

“Oh, and look who decides to show up,” Shiori, with a smile on her face, turns to me. “Hello, Fuutsuno Hakuen.”

“Do you two know each other?” Natsume asks in surprise.

I bite my lips. I know what she’s trying to do, but at this point, there are no excuses for me.

“Why, we were together just a moment ago,” answers Shiori, deliberately dragging the words “together” and “a moment ago” longer than normal. “On an arranged date, that is.”

“Arranged… date?” Natsume’s face darkens at the claim.

“Yup, arranged date,” nods Shiori. “This man is trying to use me to get his inheritance back.”

“Inheritance? Miss Hoshino, what are you saying?”

“You don’t know, Natsume?” A look of surprise shows on Shiori’s face. “His last name already says it all, doesn’t it? I’m talking about the Fuutsuno Construction Corporation, the largest company in all of Japan, of course.”

Please.

“Is… that so?”

Please stop.

“Uh-huh. But he lost all of his money, and he’s not getting it back unless he has to divorce someone. So Hakuen here has been going around asking girls out in order to do just that.”

Don’t say anything else. I beg you.

“As a rival and fellow competitor, Natsume, I’m giving you a piece of advice,” with a light pat on her opposition’s shoulder, Shiori concludes. “Best to stay away from guys like him. Well, I’ll see you later, and good luck with your work!”

Even as the main perpetrator has left the scene, I still can’t bear to open my mouth. For right in front of me is a Natsume bewildered beyond belief.

“Hakuen…” finally, she utters. “... Is all of that true?”

I don’t answer. However, that in itself is all the answers she needs.

“Then… when we first met… that whole thing was because…”

“Please, Natsume… don’t say anything…”

My face reddens and stars appear before my eyes, as my neck is forcefully turned by the slap of a lifetime.

“I’m disappointed in you,” Natsume grunts, her eyes welling with tears. “I can forgive you if it’s just some pranks… I can forgive you if it’s your childish way of trying to act cool… but this? This is too far. Our feelings aren’t some… merchandise that you can buy or sell for money.”

I can’t say anything. All of those are true. And it hurts that much more when she utters her final say:

“I regret being friends with you. Goodbye, and never appear before me again.”