After this, we perused around the town's plaza a bit, talking and joking about as we usually do. Still, the air felt... sweeter, and I caught myself feeling a lot more at ease than I thought I'd be. Actually, wasn't I planning to be annoying so he'd come to hate me on this date? That's certainly how I felt like last night, but now I'd really feel bad if I did go through with it. After all, he tried his best to accommodate me and all...

"I'm in a bit of a bind." He stopped in between two establishments, "Do we go for coffee or food?"

"The boyfriend makes the calls." I thought to tease him at least a little bit, "Choose wisely though, if you mess this up, the date's over."

"Eh?!" He whimpered.

Geez, did that really scare him that much? Hahahah, Gods, look at how goofy he looks like, standing there looking like it's the end of the world as he tries to gauge what I want!

"...Food." I muttered, "I could grab a bite to eat."

"Oh." He looked down, "Sorry, I should've known..."

"Chin up, the hell?" I flicked him on the forehead, "Did you seriously take me seriously just now? Of course I'm not gonna leave midway through our date!"

"Y-Yeah, ha-ha..."

Seriously, don't make such a sad face. It doesn't sit right with me. It's like we'll never see each other after this again, that's the kind of face he's making. Dude, after this we'll be returning to Simpleton, you know? So why does he look so anxious?

"In any case, a family restaurant like Arthur's seems like the perfect place to grab a bite to eat." Lem composed himself again as he grabbed his menu, "Honestly, Cardina cuisine is kinda meh though."

"Really? You're gonna say that after eating so much at the banquet a few weeks ago?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, it's way too meaty." He explained, "And everything looks like shit."

"That's a bit rude."

"No, I mean literally—It all looks like turds." He said with a serious face, "Ćevapis are just turdlets, burek is turd pie, sarmas are turds rolled up in leaves or something... It really ruins your appetite when they serve that stuff to you on a plate."

"It's mad tasty though." I shrugged.

"That's true." He joked, "Guess I should learn to eat with my Eyes closed."

Just then, the waiter had made it to our table, sporting the classic Red apron the Arthur's brand is known for. His name tag, Larry, looked a tad crooked, but no one wanted to point it out.

"You guys decided on what to order?" He asked.

"I'll have a cheeseburger." Lem handed him the menu.

"Same for me, also lemonade." I followed suit.

"Ooh, not gonna represent the Cardina cuisine after defending it so avidly?" Lem jeered after the waiter left.

"Honestly." I smiled, "After you mentioned it, I really couldn't bring myself to order it now. It feels kinda weird."

"I didn't just ruin all that good food for you, did I?"

"Probably not, I just felt like eating Entropic today is all."

"Are cheeseburgers Entropic?" He tried to recall, "Man, I don't remember any Entropic dishes, now that I think about it."

"We're both from there, aren't we?" I giggled, "Seriously, the odds are crazy that we both ended up in Simpleton somehow. Even more so that you came here with me, even if it's just for the summer."

"About that..." He looked like he wanted to ask something, "Actually no, that's a bit..."

"What? Come on, spit it out."

"Can I..." He twiddled his thumbs uncomfortably, "Rather, could I come here next year as well?"

Oh? Next year? I guess he really likes getting worked to the bone for money. He might be a masochist. Just kidding, of course I know he hates working on Issei's house. Plus I doubt we'll be getting any new neighbors anytime soon. He wants to come here because of me.

"Cene is..." He heaved a heavy sigh, "I'm gonna miss the little guy."

"Eh? Way to ruin the mood!" I pouted.

"Of course, I've gotten used to your mom's cooking too." He kept going, "And your dad is a godsend, surprisingly. I thought we could never get along, but I guess I was wrong."

"W-Wait, but...?"

"I don't really like Slanted-Eyes and Goldie Locks, but I'm sure I'll come around." He continued, "In essence, I've really come to like everyone here. They're good people, and I really cherish my time with them."

"But what about me!?" I slammed the table, "Ah."

"Oho, is that so?" He teased once he saw my reaction, "Is someone getting jealous? Don't worry, I'll spoil you lots too~!"

"You...!!!"

And so, the date had slowly come to a close. After we had gotten and eaten our food, Lem paid for it and we left. We walked around town a bit more, but we didn't really have anything else to do, nor could we go anywhere because it was already time for us to head back. Mama insisted on us coming back before sundown, so that was that, I guess. Still, it's not a satisfying conclusion at all, this just feels like any normal outing we'd have as friends!

"I had fun." He smiled warmly as we walked down the path to my house, "Sadly, I doubt I managed to convince you today, but I'm still grateful you even gave me the chance."

"Yeah, one day really does feel like way too little time to prove yourself." I quietly spoke next to him.

"...Mn."

In just one day... In just one day, I went from wanting to ruin this date to not wanting it to end. He's a friend, and if I were to date him, I'd be throwing Meil away. Well, I'm sure he wouldn't mind, since he probably doesn't consider me a romantic interest at all. Still, I cherish Lem a lot, so it really has me torn. Heh, to think I'd actually end up like this. Dammit...

"Which is why..." I once again heard my vocal chords speak on their own, "I'm fine with extending the tester period."

Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"Huh?"

"Y-Yeah, we've got a week left, right?" I kept talking, "Until we go back home to Simpleton. That's fine, right?"

"Y-Yeah! Absolutely!" His face brightened, "That's awesome news! Thank you!"

"Heh, no problem."

"Can I hug you?" He asked out of the Blue.

"Bueh? That's... sure?"

"I love you!" He hugged tightly without remorse.

"Gack! Y-Yeah, love you t-!"

Whoops.

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***

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"Lem, Nelly!" Meil waved from the dock, "It is good to see you again."

"Meil~!" I hugged him with all my might, "I missed you so much!"

"As did I you." He patted me on the head, "How was Cardina? Is your family alright?"

"They're doing just fine." I smiled, "Lem helped the guys build Issei's house with his Command."

"Ah, a non-destructive use of your talents?" Meil chuckled, "That is good to hear. I am glad you had fun."

"...Heh." Lem smirked smugly, "Where're the others? Don't tell me you're the only idiot that showed up to carry our luggage?"

"Lem!" I shouted.

"They are in the transport wagon." Meil pointed, "They told me not to tell you, because it was a surprise."

"Meil, you just told us..." I sighed.

"In any case, lend me your suitcases." He took them from us and started walking to the wagon, "We must not keep the driver waiting."

Making it out of the dock and to the transport wagon, Lem and I both agreed it'd be for the best to act surprised when we saw them anyways. You can't blame Meil for being his usual pragmatic self, after all.

"Surprise!" Shouted Kevin, Kiria, Javi and Jelena.

"Oh wow! You guys came too!?" I smiled.

"But Meil said he was the only one!" Lem followed my lead.

"You must not have heard me correctly, Lemmy." Meil gave a confused stare, "I told you they were all waiting to surprise you in the wagon, no?"

"Ugh, Meil..." They all facepalmed, "In any case, how was your little duo vacation?"

"We had a ton of fun!" I went to explain everything from the start, "My family was really happy to see me and..."

"Nel and I are dating now." Lem announced with a smug smirk and arms crossed.

"EH!?" They all jolted, though Meil of course had his usual aloof stare.

"Explain it properly!" I smacked him, "Ha-ha, listen guys, it's really not that..."

"Simple." Lem shrugged, "I confessed, she said we could go on a few dates, and she said she loved me after the first one."

"Wow, after just one date?" Kevin felt a tad inferior, "In comparison, Kiria sure took her sweet time. It took 11 dates before I got to hear those words..."

"You counted?!" Kiria looked surprised.

"You guys are obviously missing the joke here." Javi reclined, "They're just screwing around like they usually do. Seems a month away from them really did make you forget they like to pull pranks."

"It's real..." I muttered.

"Pardon?"

"W-Well, what Lem said wasn't a lie, yes!" I hastily tried to explain myself, "But there's more to it! He didn't mention that I only agreed to date him until we got back here to Simpleton! Yeah, it was only for vacation!"

"So it was a month long fling?" Jelena looked a bit peeved.

"Week long, all this happened a week ago." Lem corrected her, "That being the case, I don't mind playing the long game."

"There's no game to be had, you know." I pouted, "You got your wish, and that's it. Honestly, I was hoping to keep this under wraps cause I just know we're gonna get made fun of because of it, but you just had to gloat."

"I'll proudly wear that fact as a badge of honor!" He sat up straight, "Just imagine—A badge on my uniform that says "This man has the most adorable girlfriend in the world!"

"Had." I frowned.

"...Pookie." He worriedly held my hand.

"None of that!" I yanked it out of his grip, "I hate when you call me that!"

"Pumpkin pie."

"That too!"

"Cutie Patootie."

"That's a new one, but I hate it the most nevertheless!"

Somehow, the wagon was lively, yet even though I was surrounded by friends, I still felt kind of annoyed. I knew this guy was gonna spill the beans one day, but I didn't expect it to be the moment he got everyone in one place. That's something of a habit for him, to suddenly announce stuff without shame. But the worst part of all this—Meil doesn't seem to be fazed at all. He could've looked a little sad, at least...

"Nelly." He suddenly asked with a serious expression.

"Yes?" I jumped up all excited.

"Your parents have informed me of the situation through letters." He sighed, "I understand teenagers are rash with decision making, but please do cherish your body a bit more and think about who you are engaging with intimately."

"Whoa Meil, bud!" Kevin patted him on the back strongly, "Ha-ha, you know, just cause two people are dating doesn't mean they're doing "that"! They're still kids, you know?"

"We almost did, but their parents heard about it and stopped the fun." Lem yet again said with a poker face.

"What the hell!?" They all ganged up on him.

"By the way—Her idea." He pointed the attention over to me.

"Ah, ha-ha..." I looked around anxiously, "I-I was curious... ha-ha..."

Geez, already off to a horrible start. We didn't even reach the campus before starting all this drama. Seriously, what the hell, Lem... Sigh, I guess I should explain everything from the start, but it's gonna really make me sound like a horny succubus after. Tch, damn that guy, I'm so gonna annoy him on our next da-! ...Oh right, we're not dating anymore, sigh...

"What's wrong?" Lem noticed me staring at him, "Already regret breaking up? I don't mind extending the period to say, one or two lifetimes?"

"Ambitious as always!" I hissed back, "That's two lifetimes too many!"