~ Day 10- Date ~

Sundays used to be the days where Takane got to play online games all day. They were spent in a room with closed shutters, air conditioning, locked doors, headsets, online calls and side dishes from convenience stores, as well as some overly sweet soda.

Sundays weren't meant to be spent outside, in the late spring sun, walking around and just doing things. It threw the girl off, and she didn't like being thrown off at all. Her already bad attitude got even worse, then.

But one particular Sunday, innocently as always, Haruka had asked her if she wanted to hang out together later on. Her better judgement had told Takane to just tell him she was busy, but her heart reminded her that this maybe even was a once in a lifetime chance. Also, the boy had no ulterior motives- because he was Haruka, and he was just too pure to get that this could have been taken as a date.

So, right after she told him that she would come meet up with him, she was facing a problem- she hardly had anything fancy to wear. It was quite warm out already, so she should wear a dress, but she didn't own one. Most of her closet's contents were plain shirts, hoodies and jeans of various lengths.

After digging around sometime, below her uniform skirts, she finally found a black cotton skirt. It was a little on the short side, but she'd just wear some leggings below. After hanging it over the back rest of her chair, Takane now had to find a fitting top. Giving up after a few minutes, she just pulled on a white tank with navy stripes on it and went for a somewhat matching blue hoodie with a zipper.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she sighed. Even if she wore the things she thought were prettiest, she still looked so... boring. Plain. Average. Even her uniform was cuter than this. She sighed as she untied her pig-tails.

This would at least look different from the usual, she thought as she ran her fingers through her hair which fell into the hood of her jacket and hung limply down to the beginning of her bosom. "This'll do", she muttered to herself as she went to pull on her skirt and leggings.

In the end, Haruka probably wouldn't even care how she looked. She just did that to satisfy herself. To make herself feel like all those other girls who went and got themselves boyfriends who told them that they were so cute. But she'd never get that from Haruka. She'd only get compliments on her skills as a gamer or her taste in music. Things like that. ... Not like they didn't make her happy, but... they weren't about her as a girl. They were about her as a person. And that was the issue- Haruka saw her as a person, as a friend. Not as a girl or a possible lover.

I'm an idiot, Takane smiled bitterly as she tied her sneakers and told her granny that she was heading out to meet up with a friend. Even though the old lady was confused at that, she just let her grandchild go without questioning it further. Takane was glad about that.

Haruka had said he wanted to go to the museum. He hadn't told her which one, but, knowing him, he probably wanted to go to the one that was hosting an exhibition on all those pre-historic things Takane didn't even know the name of.

But before that, they had agreed to meet up at a small park, one of those cliché ones with sparse greenery and a playground with a melancholy empty set of swings. Well, they surely would have been unoccupied if it wasn't for a boy way too tall to even get his feet on the ground properly sitting on one of them.

He didn't notice her until her feet were crunching on the gravel and her form cast a shadow on him. But when he looked up, Haruka smiled at her, though he seemed at bit confused. "Hi Takane," he said and pointed at her hair.

Immediately, Takane got self-conscious and started fisting at her limp tresses. "Ah, I just thought I'd keep it like this for the day", she replied awkwardly and forced herself to stop touching her hair.

Haruka shook his head. "No, it looks pretty", he smiled and Takane averted her gaze as a blush crept up on her face. "I didn't know your hair was this long, since you always keep it tied up."

"Well, it doesn't matter", she forced herself to say, flatly, and glared at the sun in the sky. As she found her tongue again, Takane looked down at the still sitting Haruka. "Didn't you want to go to the museum or something?"

He scratched his neck in embarrassment. "I would have liked going there, but", he said quietly. "Um, it seems they're closed on Sunday as of lately. So I'm sorry for having you come here for nothing."

Takane shook her head. "We can go do something else, can't we?", she told him in an annoyed tone as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "How about we go walk around to look for something?"

Haruka grinned up at her. "Is that alright?", he asked and got up, standing at his full height. For the first time that day, the ever-so-self-conscious Takane paid attention to the clothing her 'date' was wearing himself. Light green cardigan with a white shirt below. Dark jeans. Sneakers. Inside her head, a little voice told Takane that Haruka's choice of clothing revolved around his school uniform. She almost laughed at that.

Then, she was back to the matter at hand. Worry crept up on her, as she remembered her suggestion. "If you're... feeling up to it. We'll stop if you're exhausted", she said to Haruka and he nodded in understanding.

And so, they went off, walking around the city for the better part of an hour, looking for interesting things to do. Haruka suggested going to the cinema, but Takane didn't find that idea too appealing ("We're not doing that romantic stuff!" "Romantic?" "I said 'rubbish'! Are you going deaf?"). Then, Takane suggested they go check out the convention centre, which Haruka didn't find too appealing ("There's so many people there!" "Well, of course."). Afterwards, the boy tried getting Takane to do some of the strange activities that were offered at small booths all over the main piazza of the city. Takane was, however, disgusted by some of them ("Do you know how many people breathe their dirt into these balloons?" "But they're so cool!" "They're unhygienic."). Takane then suggested going to the arcade. Haruka actually liked that idea, but it was too crowded in there for them ("What's up with these people?" "Maybe they don't know what to do, either?" "They're hardly even good at these games!" "Only Lightning Dancer Ene can say that!" "What was that?" "You're too good, Takane.").

At four in the afternoon, after walking around some more, they setteled at a small family restaurant. Haruka seemed truly content at the prospect of food, so Takane went along with it. After all, she knew how much he ate. It was fine.

As the waitress came to their table, Haruka began going down a mental list, ordering about two whole menus for himself. The waitress thanked him after taking his order and was already turning away from them when Takane spoke up about how she wanted to order something as well.

"Ah, I'm sorry", the woman had said, then. "I thought that the young sir just ordered for you as well."

Takane rolled her eyes at that, quite subtly so. "No, no, we're eating and paying separately", she replied and gave an obligatory smile before placing her order. This time, the waitress went away for real.

It was quiet between them for a minute or so, before Haruka started a conversation again. "I think I'd like to pay for you too, Takane. Simply because you're spending time with me today", he told her seriously and pulled out his wallet, looking through its contents.

"No, I can't accept that", Takane consequently said and crossed her arms and legs. Mostly because the guy paying for the girl really would make this feel even more like a date. Though, frankly, Takane had been having fun thus far. Even though they couldn't decide on what to do. "I'd feel bad for that. And I got my own money, so keep yours to yourself."

"But-"

"No buts, Haruka", she interrupted him and, as if on cue, their food arrived. And so, they just dug in (well, at least Haruka did. Takane held back a little.), dropping their conversation entirely. That is, until they had finished eating and were to pay. Even as Takane had readied her money already, Haruka still managed to pay for her. She had glared at him for about five minutes after that, though her heart was fluttering madly in her chest.

"And now?", she asked as they stepped outside again, the sun not nearly as bright as it had been before. "It's about five already, so we can't go anywhere for too long anymore."

"Can we just walk around the park?", Haruka asked her (though it sounded more like he was wondering it aloud) and Takane, turning red, nodded stiffly. They were going to the park. Before sunset. Together. On something like a date.

She was about ready to die happily now.

As she fell into stride besides Haruka, they started talking again. About school, about games, about life and just about everything else. It was comfortable. And it remained that way until the lights in the park were slowly turning on and the sky was becoming blue and sprinkled with stars.

They sat down next to each other on a bench, then, Takane leaning back nonchalantly while Haruka was fiddling with the buttons of his cardigan. Silence fell between them and only the sounds of other people walking by and the noises of the city tried filling in the lack of conversation.

"I had fun today", Takane said after a while, sighing contented.

"Me too", Haruka laughed. "Though", he interrupted himself. "I think I'm to blame for not being up to date with the information."

"This was probably better than some stupid museum", she replied and looked Haruka in the eyes. He was blinking at her, yet didn't do or say anything. Her heart was beating rapidly. She felt urged to do something. Her fingers got tingly and before she knew it, she had craned her neck as far as she could and had pressed a timid little peck to Haruka's cheek.

The boy stared at her before going red. Matching my own facial colour, Takane thought as she then moved to hide her face in her hands.

Without commenting on it further, they bid each other farewell hastily, then, and parted ways.

Takane, for once, didn't get enough sleep because of the internet.

A/N: Argh. This is so long. Why is this so long? Well, one third of this done! And yes, they needed to smooch. Like, just a bit. Bitty bit.
As always, thanks for the reviews. You guys are so cute, you know that?