Second Date

"So? What are we doing this time?"

I let out a sigh and just gave a tired smile as I looked down at the brunette that stood in front of me with her head facing the floor as if to hide it from the world.

But Takao didn't say a word.

"Heeeeey~" I prodded, looking down in an attempt to see her expression since her face was downcast and hidden. "We agree to meet at 5:00 in the afternoon on a Sunday afternoon since you said you would treat me to food and a movie. I decided to come along since it ended up not working out last time, but you're not even saying a word."

I just let out a very small chuckle that I tried to keep to myself as much as possible, and I looked her up and down while trying to ignore the strangely awkward silence that she was creating.

She was wearing the exact same clothes that she had been wearing the last time she'd invited me out. A white short jacket over a pink one-piece dress and a matching pink headband.

…now that I think about it, this is the same thing, huh?

I looked down at my own clothes, which were the exact same thing since that day as well. I had an orange jacket over a red shirt with a pink collar, along with dark gray pants.

"…now that I think about it, how was that game that you bought from that time before?" I asked, remembering the details of the day that kinda pissed me off a little bit. "What was it? Something about Mason and…well, not like I really remember the details of something like that?"

"It was great!"

I took a step back as Takao suddenly looked up at me with eyes so full of energetic, sparkling life that it was hard to believe she was looked so down and out of it a few seconds ago.

…every now and then, I forget that she's a game fanatic…

"The game itself may have had really different graphics, but the gameplay itself hadn't changed one bit!" She began to blabber, waving her arms around excitedly as she spoke. "In fact, it's been given additional content that blends perfectly with the game mechanics that rings true both with contemporary players and with old fans! It also has far more content and levels than the original games, so-"

"Well, before any of that, let's go and head over to find a good movie to watch." I decided to stop her in her tracks since I couldn't really take much more of that.

And just like that, just like the way she had exploded into a ball of energy a minute ago, she had turned silent again.

"…hey, let's go." I poked her in the shoulder, trying to coax a response out of her. "C'mon. If we don't go, we're gonna miss the movie."

Without another word, I walked behind Takao and began pushing her in the direction of town. "Let's go, c'mon. I wanna eat something soon, too. I know a good place, too."

Slowly, I managed to push her forward until we were walking past the lights of stores and trying to politely shove past people that were giving us slightly strange looks.

Takao didn't say a single word as we walked, even as we walked into the movie theater.

"…something here that you wanna watch?" I asked her as I removed my hands from her shoulders.

I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!

I felt like punching myself in the face, the gut and then the face again. I wanted to run away, curl into a ball and then drag my PS3 in with me so that I could play games forever and never have to come out!

Say something! Something! Anything, Takao! You invited him out yourself, so take the step and say something!

I looked up, past Kazama, and up at the movie posters that were framed up on the wall.

"…hey, how about that one?" I asked without thinking pointing at the first one in front of me. It was a poster of a bunch of people standing next to cars, along with a big 5 in the center.

"Ah, that one?" He replied, turning around and looking at the same poster. "Oh, I've heard about that one from Nagayama. He said it wasn't worth the money, but if that's what you want…"

"Oh?" I looked past it, nodding. "Then…"

There were only two choices left.

To the leftmost was a poster of a man holding a pistol in his hands and pointing it towards me as if he were breaking the fourth wall. Behind him was a large explosion that tore through a massive building along with cars and debris flying through the air.

And the other one was a picture of a man and a woman standing next to each other, giving each other a playful stare. The background was white, along with red letters that looked like something you would see out of a television drama series.

"…how about that?" I pointed towards the second poster.

And then I felt like hitting myself again.

What the hell am I doing?! I thought as I stared at the poster that my finger was directed at. I wanted to point at the action movie so that this would be easy! Why did I point at the romcom?!

"Ah, that one?" Kazama asked, cutting off my stream of nearly incoherent thought. "My sister wanted to watch that one. She says it was really good, even for people who don't really watch romcoms."

"Oh, then you should watch that one with Noe." I decided, nodding my head and waving my hands as fast as I could. "If you like, we can just-"

"Nah, she'd never come here with just me. She's too embarrassed." Kazama replied, sighing. "Man, to be embarrassed by hanging around her own big brother…she's growing up."

I just gave him a consoling smile and patted him on the back. "Don't mind it. I'm sure that she doesn't think any less of you as a brother."

"Hopefully." He just gave me a thankful smile. "Let's go get tickets, then."

I nodded, and the two of us walked towards the counter.

"Excuse me, two tickets for this one." He said, stepping forward and pointing at the white poster.

Wait, we're watching that one?!

Two and a half hours later…

"That one was better than I thought it would be."

I just sighed and took a sip from my cola, looking up at the orange haired, self-proclaimed delinquent as he said that while casting his gaze about the place.

We were already in the restaurant that we decided to go into, which was a very short distance from the movie theater. In fact, it was still in sight through the window to my right.

"Yeah. I didn't realize you were into those kinds of movies, Kazama." I replied, shooting him a teasing smile. "Do you have a soft side for dramas?"

"Like hell I do." He said, giving me an "Are you serious?" look. "I just chose that movie since you aren't interested in action movies."

I tilted my head, trying to ignore how surprised I was. "How did-?"

"You looked more interested in the romcom drama than you did in the action." He replied, not looking at me as he took a sip from his glass of water. "I just figured, y'know?"

He…actually noticed?

I felt my brain go a little fuzzier and my heart rate increased just a little bit.

He was right on the nose.

I didn't really care for the action movie. I was more interested in romcom dramas like the one we had just watched. Movies like that were right up ym alley.

But the fact that he had noticed that…

"You haven't been asking around about my interests, h-h-have you?!" I said in a panic, pointing my finger accusingly at him. "You spy! Pervert!"

"What makes you think that I would do something like that?" He shot back, almost standing back up. He sat back down, an irritated look on his face. "What kind of pervert do you take me for?"

"…sorry." I apologized.

I can only say these kinds of things. Things I don't really mean…

"Oh, food's here! Yes!"

I looked up at Kazama, whose face had become one of clear delight as the waiter appeared with the plates of food we had ordered earlier.

But I guess I only say those kinds of things with you, Kenji.

"Why are you staring, Takao? Let's eat."

"I'm not staring!"

"Ah, that was good~"

Kenji grinned, patting his stomach as we walked down the night street. It was already nighttime, with the sky dark blue and being driven back by the bright lights of the buildings around.

"Still, you don't really have to walk me home." I said to him, sidestepping an older man walking past me and sidling next to him.

"I can't just let you walk home on your own." He replied, laughing as he dodged past a few noisy children and kept pace with me. "Besides, I wanted to keep talking with you."

If you say lines like that, I won't be able to keep control of my thoughts!

"Oh, this is your house, isn't it?"

I looked up, and he was right. He was pointing at my house, where I lived with my mother and my sisters.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks for coming out all this way." I said as we stopped by my font gate.

"Sure thing." He said, and then he turned his back.

I stared at his back as he began moving away from me.

…say it, me!

C'mon, say it!

I forced my lips to move, even though they weighed like wrecking balls made of pure titanium. My throat and chest felt restricting, the words I wanted to say barely coming out like I had imagined them to.

But I managed to say it.

"…is it alright if…if we do this again sometime?"

He turned around, giving me a surprised look for a moment.

And then a smile spread across his face.

"Sure!"