Hello everybody!
I wrote this for Koumi Week (23rd-29th September 2017) on Tumblr. I decided to upload it here as well.
Hope you enjoy it :)
Prompt: First Date
- So, how was it? – Sora asked excitedly – I've been dying to hear it since I saw your text last night.
Facing her from the other side of her futon was a very happy Mimi Tachikawa.
- I'm sorry, I might have misled you, Sora-san – Mimi said smiling happily.
- What do you mean? Look at the smile on your face!
- Well~~
- Come on, come on! – Sora said, clapping her hands - Spill it already!
- We went to a fancy caffe and had tea with sweets.
- And…?
- Nothing. That's all there is!
- Mimi-chan~
Mimi clasped her hands together – I know, it was really simple, but I was really happy!
- It's true you've been trying to go out with him for weeks now, but… You worked so hard, you deserved a better first date! – Sora crossed her arms in annoyance.
- It's okay! I know it's not the most romantic date ever, but I'm happy with it. I think it only happened because I wore him out during the past weeks, though – she giggled.
- Did he say anything to you since?
- No, not yet. I'll see him on class next Monday.
- Are you nervous? – Sora asked expectantly.
- Not much…
- It'll be okay! – Sora smiled, crawling next to her friend to hold her hand – things will go smoothly… now that you two had your first date!
- What do you mean, first date?!
A very flustered red-haired boy jumped from his seat at his office, causing his brunette friend to step back in confusion.
- What do you mean, "what do you mean" ...? – his friend tried to make some sense of things.
- Taichi-san! – the red-haired boy yelled impatiently.
- Koushiro! – he retorted.
- This is serious. If Mimi-san hears you saying those kind of things...
- Mimi told Sora you two went on a date yesterday afternoon – he casually stated.
- W-What?!
- Didn't you?
- We didn't! Are you playing with me? I got a lot to do, I can't deal with you right now, Taichi-san – Koushiro sat down at his desk again.
Taichi let himself fall on the couches nearby and stared at his friend in confusion.
- What really happened, then?
- Mimi-san came here every day for the past two weeks – Koushiro told him with a sigh.
- To your office? Why?
- I don't know. She'd spend every afternoon there - Koushiro pointed at Taichi's spot on the couch - where you are now seated, doing homework and studying, while I was here on my desk.
- Did you two speak at all?
- Occasionally she'd ask for my notes on some subject.
- That's all? – Taichi grinned in amusement. Imagining his two friends interacting was always somewhat fun to him.
- Eventually I would ask her if she didn't want to go home.
- You'd ask her that? Koushiro!
- I was worried she had some problem and didn't want to go home. But she'd always smile and say no.
- Wasn't she as lively as always?
- Yeah, that's what confused me the most. How could she be so joyful while spending her afternoons locked in here?
- Aww, Koushiro. You can't be that dense! – Taichi laughed heartily.
- What do you mean? – Koushiro asked.
- Nevermind that! Then, how did you two ended up going out?
- Yesterday she had a gloomy aura around her, I was really distressed by it! I couldn't concentrate at all. She spent half of the afternoon sighing, staring blankly at her notebooks, and throwing occasional glances at me. So, I asked her if she wanted to go out to eat something sweet.
- Why something sweet?
- I looked online and girls apparently like to eat sweets when they're feeling down.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Nice to know... – Taichi made a mental note to always carry Hikari's favourite candy with him from that point on - Then what?
- That's pretty much it. We went to a caffe and had tea and sweets. Suddenly, she was being Mimi-san again – Koushiro smiled at the recollection.
- Well. Something must have happened there for her to consider it as a date.
- I-I don't know about that. She behaved normally and I… Uh… It was an ordinary day.
- Excepting for the fact that you two were out alone.
- That has happened before – Koushiro retorted annoyed.
- If you say so - Taichi grinned.
- What do you think I should do now?
- If Mimi really considers it as a date and you don't… You should definitely run.
- I'm serious, Taichi-san!
- Fine! Would it kill you to consider it a date as well?
- T-That's….! – Koushiro blushed – That's not- I can't! I haven't asked her out yet!
- Yet? – Taichi was trying his best not to laugh at his friend's resolve.
- I mean… It didn't really happen, right? The way it should be. That's why… I can't consider it valid.
- Then, you either run from her or you ask her out quickly.
- She'll definitely kill me, won't she?
- Yep.
The weekend passed and it was school day again. While Mimi was excited to meet Koushiro, he dreaded that moment. However, trying to escape it was hopeless as they were classmates, and soon enough Mimi was jumping right in front of Koushiro in the middle of the schoolyard.
- Hey, Koushiro-kun~ - she waved her hand - You're early today!
- Hello, Mimi-san… - he tried to act normal, but somehow his normal was never enough for Mimi.
- You're not happy to see me? – she pouted.
- I have a feeling you're always asking me that.
- That's because you always seem annoyed when meeting me. Even though you were so nice last Friday~
- Ahm… That's… Mimi-san… - Koushiro blushed and tried to articulate his thoughts in a coherent form of speech – We…
- Can we go again?
- Huh?
- To the caffe.
- Ahh. Yes. Should I talk to Taichi-san and the others?
- Goukon? – Mimi asked puzzled.
- N-No! That's not it – Koushiro started moving in the direction of the school building, he thought that the sooner he found himself surrounded by people the better. And that alone spoke volumes about how uncomfortable he was feeling - I just thought it would be more fun if there were more people around this time.
A hand suddenly grabbed his shirt and Koushiro met Mimi's piercing honey-coloured eyes. 'She has such beautiful eyes' he allowed himself to digress for a moment.
- You mean you didn't have fun with me?
Reality suddenly hit him.
- I didn't say that!
- Then what are you trying to say? Say it at once!
Koushiro inhaled deeply, preparing himself for what was to come out of his mouth the next moment, and Mimi's possible, no, probable, outburst.
- I had fun last time, of course! But, since it wasn't a date and we had fun I thought…
Mimi received his words as a death penalty. She slowly let go of Koushiro's shirt.
- I thought we could make a meeting with more people this time… - being unable to properly convey his feelings he quickly adverted Mimi's gaze – That would be nice, right?
He giggled nervously.
- You…
- Mimi-san – Koushiro immediately regretted his words.
- It's okay. I thought-... – she shook her head and took a deep breath – I'm sorry, it's my fault. Shall we go to the classroom?
- What about the meeting at the caffe…?
She turned her back to Koushiro and followed the path leading inside. He stood there baffled for a moment before making his way to class.
The next few days Mimi made so few conversations with Koushiro that he felt his ears itching due to the lack of laughs. Mimi had also stopped going to his office. The afternoons there were boring, and the silence he once cherished was now negatively affecting his work productivity. He decided it was time to take the first step and make truce with Mimi. However, talking to her at school was nearly impossible, as she was always with someone he didn't know very well. So, one afternoon, he decided to wait for her after classes had ended.
- Mimi-san! Here! – he waved at her at the school gate.
- Koushiro-kun – she walked to meet him - What's the matter?
- D-Do you want to go home together? – Koushiro asked while looking away.
- Are you going home already?
- Well, to the office actually.
- I don't think so…
- Please, come – he murmured – It's been quiet without you.
Mimi blushed a little and conceded – Just for some time then.
They walked together in comfortable silence. When they arrived at the office, Mimi rushed to the improvised kitchen facilities to make some tea, and Koushiro grabbed some chocolates from the cupboard. He joined Mimi on the couches and they both started working on their homework. Mimi was humming something that he recognized as an anime song.
- Mimi-san's cheerful today, I'm glad. – he blurted out loud.
Mimi stopped humming and stared at him for a few seconds.
- You know… - she started – I have to apologize to you, Koushiro-kun.
- Why is that?
- I've been acting selfishly again.
Koushiro put his pen down and stared attentively at Mimi.
- When you invited me for tea I was really excited. But the funny part is that I was also feeling down because of you.
- W-What did I do then?
- Nothing. That's exactly it. I was expecting you to… - she paused for a second and looked at him from the side – Ask me out...
- EH?
- Sorry if I was being selfish – she continued - I also wasn't sincere with you from the beginning, imposing my presence here every day for selfish reasons…
'Is this… Some sort of confession?'
- So, every expectation I might have had it's really my own fault. I'm sorry, Koushiro-kun – she smiled fondly at him and started thumbing through her notebook.
- That's not right.
- Hm?
- You shouldn't apologize for that. Or, rather than that, I should also apologize for my lack of touch.
- What do you mean? – she giggled – I'm kind of used to that already~
- No, no – he made a sign with his hand asking her not to interrupt him - I think this all escalated so much because I also wasn't being sincere from the beginning. I didn't convey my feelings properly. So-
- Why? – she interrupted anyway.
Koushiro sighed. This was even more difficult than he thought it would be.
- I stand by what I said before, I invited you to have tea as a friend. I wanted to cheer you up that day. That's why I don't consider it as a date…
- Do I really have to go through this again? – Mimi murmured upset.
- For it to be a date I'd have to properly ask you out, I wouldn't do it half-heartily – he stated as someone states the rules of a new game they've invented - I'd also need to be 100% sure of it.
- And you're not, I get it.
- I wasn't, until you put your feelings out in the open two minutes ago.
- I didn't…! – Mimi blushed deeply.
- I'm sorry you had to do it first. Please know that I fully reciprocate those feelings – said an even more flustered Koushiro, who was trying to avoid eye contact at all costs but didn't manage to hide his smile.
Both of them paused to let those last words sink in. It was Mimi who broke the silence.
- What are you saying? That's too formal! - she laughed while hiding her face in embarrassment - That's no way of telling a girl you like her, baka~!
- I'm really bad at this.
- Japanese society has too many formal norms and costumes to follow. If you like me you should just ask me out, there's no need for a confession.
- Should I remind you who confessed first…? – Koushiro retorted.
- I wasn't trying to! I didn't think those kinds of things were really necessary. Although I'm no example since I passively waited for the guy to do the job – Mimi let out an exasperated sigh – I'm sorry about that. Putting the pressure on you.
- I didn't really feel pressured. So, it's okay, Mimi-san.
- Yeah, you should apologize for that, don't you think? – Mimi pouted – Geez, I worked so hard!
- I-I… I guess it worked out in the end?
- Did it really? Even though you're 100% sure now, I'm still waiting to hear it from you.
- Right! Erm… Do you… Erm…
- Do I also have to do it first~? – she teased him.
- Please go out with me – Koushiro quickly blurted out.
- Hm hm – she conceded - Let's go to the park, Koushiro-kun – she stood up and straightened her skirt.
- W-Wait! You want to go on a date now? In our uniforms?
- Let's call it the rehearsal date of the magical date you'll prepare for us next weekend.
- Magical- really? Any more requests?
- Can I hold your hand?
Koushiro blushed bright red and stretched one arm out for Mimi whilst the other covered his flustered face.
In the end, no matter how much time passed, neither of them would remember their unofficial date at the cafeteria nor the magical date Koushiro planned, as their real first date. Instead, they would remember the warmth of each other's hands during a special walk in the park.