So the entire household noticed that Mai and Oliver were together within the space of about five minutes. Primarily because Luella had phoned Gene — in the middle of a lecture — to demand the full details and Gene had then been on Yasuhara and Masako's cases to find out more.
Yasuhara watched the new couple out of the corner of his eye all evening. Nothing much had changed, but he spotted the little smiles they sent each other when they thought no one was looking. He found himself pouting at them, he wanted someone to send him little smiles.
Masako sidled up to him as he ate his dinner that night.
"You know the solution to your little problem is quite simple, right?"
"I don't have a problem," Yasuhara muttered.
"Sure you don't," Masako replied.
"Why don't you worry about your own love life?"
"I already have the cinema tickets bought and the reservation at my favourite italian restaurant for this Friday, not much else I can do," Masako said. "Besides, I never said your problem was about your love life, you made that connection all by yourself." She sighed. "And to think you're training to be a lawyer."
Yasuhara scowled as Masako slunk away. This was the second time that someone had affected his ability to reason — and lie — effectively.
"Damnit."
"You alright in there?" Mai called from the kitchen.
"Uh, yes! I just… Burnt my tongue!"
"Be careful!"
Yasuhara finished eating his food and joined Oliver and Mai in the kitchen, where they were cooking their own dinner. He washed up his plate and dried it, idly wondering what to do.
"Say, Mai?"
"Yes?" Both Mai and Oliver turned to face Yasuhara. "What is it?"
"Say I, hypothetically, wanted to take someone on a date, where would be a good place? If I have limited money and need to do it before Saturday?"
Mai smirked.
"Hypothetically?"
"Yes, a purely hypothetical question," Yasuhara insisted.
"Spoons is cheap," Oliver provided.
"Spoons isn't exactly romantic though," Mai argued.
"Yeah, but Gene wouldn't care," Oliver said. "He'd be happy that Yasuhara was showing even a modicum of interest in him."
"Well, true, but—"
"But Gene would go halves on a meal out," Oliver went on. "So could go somewhere a bit nicer."
"Yeah, but Masako is going to that italian on Friday, so they can't go there," Mai said.
Yasuhara watched them go back and forth, deciding it was best not to interrupt.
"Yes, it's not big enough to be not weird," Oliver agreed. "That gourmet burger place isn't too expensive. I think they do a student discount too."
"True, and eating something messy could be an ice breaker. And the milkshakes are good."
"They have a good vegetarian selection too, but Gene wouldn't care about that."
"The korean barbeque place? Or the indian opposite it?"
"Barbeque is a possibility," Mai agreed. "But curry can be a laxative which is not attractive if Yasuhara wants to take Gene home with him."
"They live together," Oliver pointed out.
"Read between the lines," Mai advised.
"Oh."
"Thank you! For you suggestions!" Yasuhara interjected. "I'll take your suggestions into account for my hypothetical potential date."
He hastened from the room, embarrassed that Mai thought he would put out on the first date. Not that it wasn't true, but to be called out on it like that… If the date went well he would totally put out…
Yasuhara shook his head and tried to rid himself of those thoughts. He locked himself in his room and attempted to sort through his various notes for the week. He needed to start packing to go back to his parents. What materials did he need for revision?
After a little effort, he managed to focus on this task. That is, until someone knocked on his door.
"Come in?"
Gene stuck his head through the door.
"Hey, Mai mentioned that you were thinking of going to that gourmet burger place with some friends? I've got this voucher for a free milkshake there if you want it?"
"Gene, I…"
"It's okay, I'm not offended you want to take someone out, honestly, it's fi—"
"I want to take you out," Yasuhara blurted.
He looked up to see Gene's face reddening.
"R-really?" Gene hid his face behind his hands then peaked out from behind them. "Really?"
"Yes," Yasuhara mumbled. "If you want to that is…"
"I do!"
"Well—"
"Let's go now!" Gene suggested.
"What? But—"
"Just out for a drink, nothing more. It'll be less stressful than a whole meal. And if things go… Well then we're just two mates going out for a pint or whatever," Gene went on.
Yasuhara bit his lip.
"But I haven't had time to get ready or anything!"
Gene frowned.
"Get ready? You look fine as you are, though?"
"I don't know, just, give me five minutes?"
Gene shrugged.
"Okay, meet you by the door in five then."
Gene left. Yasuhara grabbed his hair in his hands and stared manically around his room. What on earth did he wear? Did his hair look okay? Where was his aftershave? Did he smell? Five minutes definitely wasn't enough time to shower.
"Shit!"
Yasuhara grabbed a can of deodorant and refreshed his armpits. He then grabbed his nicest jeans and pulled them on. The t-shirt he was wearing looked okay. Okay enough, anyway.
His hair. Where was his hairbrush? Did he even own a hairbrush?
After rummaging around in some drawers, he found a comb and his aftershave. Yasuhara forced the comb through his hair until it looks semi-respectable and then squirted his neck with aftershave.
Jacket. It was winter. He needed a jacket.
He ignored his waterproof. Waterproof coats were great. But they weren't attractive. He needed to look good. Leather jacket. That looked good, right?
He pulled it on and checked himself out in the mirror. Yasuhara signed.
He looked—
"Fine."
Yasuhara jumped a foot in the air and spun around.
"Mai! Jeesh! You gave me a heart attack!"
Mai giggled from where she stood, just inside his doorway.
"You look fine," she said.
"I look like I'm trying too hard."
Mai rolled her eyes.
"Gene is already smitten with you," she pointed out. "He's already seen you in your pyjamas and when you've stayed up too late studying and stuff. And he's still into you. So just relax, will you?"
Yasuhara took a deep breath.
"Sorry."
"Don't be. Oliver had to go and calm Gene down so I thought I'd check on you."
"Calm him down?"
"I think he was having the same panic as you were," Mai said, giggling again. "Now get out of this room and go and enjoy a night out."
Mai frogmarched Yasuhara out of his bedroom and into the hallway. Gene was being followed down the stairs by Oliver. Mai beamed at the pair.
"Right, now, off you two go," she said.
Yasuhara moved towards the door, Gene followed in his wake, both of them too embarrassed to speak.
Just before the front door closed behind them, Mai called out Yasuhara's name.
"Yeah?" he said, turning back.
Mai stepped outside, wincing as the cold pavement hit her toes, and darted up to the pair. She pulled something from her pocket and tucked one in each of Gene and Yasuhara's own pockets.
Yasuhara frowned, pulled his thing out, and his face promptly went scarlet. He pocketed it again.
"Be safe!" she teased and ran back inside, shutting the door promptly behind her.
"What on—" Gene pulled his own thing out of his pocket. "Oh my! Mai! I'm not! We're not!" He turned to Yasuhara. "I didn't ask her to do that!"
Yasuhara did the only thing that he could do. He laughed.
Gene gaped at him, then laughed too.
Yasuhara offered Gene his hand. Gene took it. They walked together in the vague direction of the nearest pub.
"Why… Why did you agree to come out with me?" Gene asked after a few minutes silence.
"Honestly?"
"Hmm."
"Because you're affecting my performance."
"What?"
"I can't lie properly any more! I'm studying to be a lawyer Gene! I can't be a decent lawyer if every time I think about you I get all muddled!"
"And you think dating me is going to help?" Gene asked.
"I bloody well hope so! But if I am doomed, I'd rather…" he trailed off.
"Rather what?"
"I'd rather be muddled with you than without you…"
Gene looked away, his face reddening again.
"You're really cute," Gene mumbled. "I'm glad we're trying this."
"Me too, if only because I need to be able to lie by this weekend."
"Why?" Gene asked.
"I've got to go home!" Yasuhara explained. "Go home and pretend like I want to be there."
"You don't?"
Yasuhara groaned.
"Well, I don't mind going back to my parents for a few days, but it gets tiring after a while. They live in a tiny village with nothing to do. That's why I chose to come to this town for university. It's big enough that there are things to do! And enough public transport that I can get to them!"
"You could come visit me! Mai is staying over! It'd be just like being here… But Mum will feed us all!"
Yasuhara grinned.
"I'd like that, but I think my own mother would complain…"
"Yeah, fair. She probably misses you. I know I would."
Yasuhara blushed. Gene blushed. And together, they walked into the night.
Author's note: These two are the worst. The last chapter is more like a little epilogue than anything else! Then maybe I should start putting out this new regency story... What do you think? It's mairu arranged marriage... Sort of?