I hope you enjoy this update!

The day finally came for Nao to confess his feelings for Umeko. He is extremely nervous as he prepares for his big date with Umeko. Luckily, he had people that he could depend on when it comes to preparing for his date. The people who were helping out were Asuka, Eri, Hana, and Takashiro. The four of them were helping Nao in making sure the date will go without a hitch.

Currently, Nao is in the kitchen with Asuka and Hana talking about the music the two girls made for his date. As they were talking, Nao was cooking the meal for his date. Asuka was standing beside Nao while Hana was sitting on the kitchen counter.

Hana had a boombox on her lap with a CD in it. It contained the music the two made. "Hey, I made the arrangement while Roxanne sang and played the instrument. I hope you like it." Hana said. She pressed play and the music immediately played.

As soon as Nao heard the song, he stopped cooking and listened to the song. The music made his heart flutter. It made him think of the date he will be having. It felt like he made it. It encapsulated what he was feeling for Umeko.

He looked at Asuka and Hana and said, "That was beautiful! Roxanne, you can sing like that?"

"Yes but I don't normally do it but Hana over here…" Asuka said and stared at Hana intensely.

"Thank you! It was brilliant!" Nao said.

"Of course! I made it!" Hana jokingly replied.

"No, seriously! It is amazing! It will be perfect for the date! I can't thank you two enough!" Nao said.

"It was nothing Nao! After everything you have done for us, especially in the trials, this is just our way of saying thank you." Hana said.

"Don't mess this up Nao! You two belong with each other! It would fucking suck if you two don't end up together after this date." Asuka said.

"I know… I just hope everything goes according to plan…" Nao said as he goes back to cooking.

"It will! Just be confident! Be like your regular self! Be the Nao she fell in love with." Hana said.

Hana jumped off the counter and put the boombox on it. After that, she and Asuka took the seven packed dinners. "We will be handing this out to everyone and tell them about the date so they don't do anything stupid during your moment with Umeko." Hana said.

"Thank you!" Nao said.

The two left leaving Nao alone. This made him think of what might happen during his date. Everything needs to be perfect. I need to make sure Umeko knows how I feel for her. She deserves a clear response from me. I can't make the same mistake again.

Nao continued cooking in silence. He stared at the pots and pans as his mind felt like it is boiling from the pressure of making the date perfect. It was starting to feel too much. He needed to take a breather to relax. Nao, stop overthinking. You stay like this, you will be the one who will sabotage your date.

No matter what he did, the pressure kept on eating him. It felt like he was sinking. He grabbed a ladle to stir a pot but he did not really know what he was doing. Nothing was in his mind other than the immense pressure he has, that he put on himself, to make sure the date goes well.

He was starting to panic. Suddenly, the door of the kitchen opened. It was Eri and Takashiro. Seeing the two immediately made him calm down. The two went to him. Eri was the first to speak.

"Uhmmm…Your gift for Umeko is already in the cart 1 of the Ferris wheel." Eri said.

"Thank you Eri and Takashiro!" Nao said.

"It was nothing!" Takashiro said.

Eri looked at Nao with a worrying look. "A-a-are you okay?" Eri asked.

"I am fine! Don't worry about it." Nao answered.

Eri was not satisfied with this answer.

Takashiro immediately said, "Don't bother lying to her. She will eventually make you admit you are not okay. That is what she does when she sees I am down."

Nao was surprised to hear this. Hearing this, he immediately told Eri the truth. "I am sorry for lying. I am not fine. I feel like I will crack under pressure any second now. I want this date to be great and I feel like I will be the one who will mess up everything."

Eri immediately hugs him and says, "E-e-everything will be perfect. You just have t-t-to trust yourself." After that, Eri let go of him and gave him a warm smile. This calmed him down.

"Thanks! I needed that!" Nao said.

Eri smiled hearing this. After that, Takashiro said, "If you need more help, just let us know!"

Nao smiled at the two as they leave the kitchen. Nao was all alone in the kitchen again. However, this time, he is in a more relaxed condition than he was earlier. He was now thinking about the date as something to be excited about rather than something to be pressured by.

He continued cooking the meal for his date. It was only a couple of minutes left before Umeko comes by as she would usually do. After finish cooking, Nao immediately plated the dishes and brought them out.

He went into the cafeteria and saw on a table the things he needed to prepare for his date. He first covered the table with a red tablecloth. Then, he put two candleholders on the table. The candleholders had intricate designs. Each candleholder was coated in gold and can hold three candles. After that, Nao put the petite candles on the candleholders. He lit the candles using the flame torch from the kitchen. When the table was ready, he put the plates and utensils on it. Lastly, he put the dishes on the table.

After that, he turned off some of the lights to make it feel like a romantic candlelight dinner. He went back to the kitchen to get the boombox. He played the music on a loop and sat down at the table and waited for Umeko to come.

Nao knew Umeko might come any minute. He was readying himself. He was practicing in his mind what he will tell her when she comes in. "Hi!" No, that is way too short! What about "Hey there!"? Nope! That is worse! Maybe I should just compliment her. "Hi! You're beautiful!" That is so cringy! I totally suck at this.

Suddenly, the door slowly opens. Nao's heart started to beat faster and faster as the door opens wider and wider. After a few seconds, Nao saw who it was. It was only Samuru. False alarm. Nao let out a sigh after seeing him.

Samuru greets him. "Hi! I am just here to get a bottle of water."

Samuru immediately goes to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. He comes out of the kitchen with one in his hand. Looking at Samuru, Nao immediately thought about how Samuru had been unusually calmer lately.

"Samuru…" Nao said. This stopped Samuru on his tracks.

He turned around to look at Nao and said, "I am sorry if I am bothering you during your date with Umeko. I heard everything from Roxanne. I will leave now."

"No, it's not that! I was just wondering about something." Nao said.

"What is it?" Samuru asked.

"I was just wondering about why you are not taking the lead for the past few days." Nao straightforwardly said.

"I see. Well, I don't have any issue with Norio taking the lead. To me, he seems like a great leader and that is enough for me." Samuru answered.

"I just assumed, after Reyes' death, you would naturally take the lead." Nao said.

"I think I would have if Norio did not join the group." Samuru answered.

"Do you think Norio will handle the role well?" Nao asked.

"I think so. From what I am seeing, he has the natural ability to lead without knowing he is already leading the group." Samuru answered.

After that, Samuru wished Nao good luck and went out of the room. After that, he was distracted by the current situation of their group. So far, everything seems peaceful. Norio is unknowingly leading us. There have not been any major fights. No one is isolating themselves, even Mako who lost their best friend and lover at the same time. I hope this continues so that no murder will happen again.

Nao's mind was completely occupied by the state of the group when the door suddenly opens. This time, it was Umeko who entered the room. Umeko was shocked to see the room. She looked around and saw Nao who was sitting at the table. The two locked eyes. This completely surprised Nao.

Nao immediately stood up and said, "Hi…" Seriously!

"Uhmmm… Hi, Nao!" Umeko said.

Nao immediately went to her and said, "Take a seat." Nao motioned her to sit in front of him. Umeko sat down. After that, Nao took his seat and went with the plan.

Umeko was confused with what was happening. "Nao, what's going on? I have to cook dinner for everyone."

"Everyone has there dinner already. I think it is only us two who has not eaten yet." Nao said.

Umeko looked at the plate of food in front of them. Nao described what the dishes were. "In front of you is a salad made with arugula, cranberries, cucumbers, parmesan cheese, and pecans dressed with balsamic vinegar. We also have a lasagna made with eggplant, fennel, and spinach. And for desserts, we have mint chocolate soufflés. For refreshments, we have a pitcher of mixed berry juice. Everything is vegan."

"They all look delicious." Umeko said.

"Thank you! I cooked everything myself." Nao said.

"Well, you did a great job." Umeko said.

Umeko started serving herself with the food. While she was doing this, she asked Nao, "So, what is this all about?"

Nao suddenly froze. Uhmmm… What should I say? Nao immediately, "I just thought we might hang out like this. For the past few days, I noticed we've been so distant from each other. I thought it would be fun to talk to you again like before."

"Like before huh…" Umeko whispered to herself.

Nao did not hear her clearly because of the music. The two were silently eating dinner. It was starting to feel awkward again. I need to start a conversation with her. I can't let this date go to ruin because I can't talk to her properly.

"So… What have you been up to?" Nao asked. Not the best conversation starter but it will do.

"Not much really. Whenever I am not the kitchen, I am usually by myself in my room or with Mako." Umeko answered.

"With Mako?" Nao asked.

"Yeah… We've been talking about a lot of things." Umeko answered.

"Things like what?" Nao asked.

"You know…" Umeko said.

"I don't know…" Nao said.

Umeko let out a sigh and shook her head. "Nevermind…"

After a few seconds, Umeko made comment about the music. "What song is this? It's beautiful!" Umeko said.

"I asked Hana and Roxanne to make a song for this. Hana did the arrangement while Roxanne played the instruments and sang." Nao said.

"Roxanne is the one singing?" Umeko was shocked to hear this.

"I know, right? I was shocked to hear her sing something so soft like this. I never thought she could do that!" Nao said.

"I did not know Roxanne has a voice like this. Knowing Roxanne, I never thought someone would be able to make her sing like this." Umeko said.

"It was all thanks to Hana. She must have done something to make her agree in singing this song." Nao said.

"I wonder what it could be?" Umeko asked.

"Hana might have threatened her or something. It is the only way she would have agreed to do this." Nao answered.

"What could have Hana threatened her with?" Umeko asked.

The two continued talking. They were laughing and smiling as they talk back and forth. The two had matching energy to make the conversation lively and never-ending. The two talked about a lot of things. Their topics changed from time to time but they would not realize it because of how much fun they were having. The two continued talked to their heart's content.

Eventually, the two were finished eating.

"Thank you for a great dinner! I had a lovely time eating with you." Umeko said. She stood up and was about to leave when Nao stopped her.

Nao grabbed her by her hand and said, "Where are you going?"

Umeko answered, "Both of us are done eating. I'm going back to my room. Isn't this, whatever you call it, the end of it?"

"Who said it's the end? The night is still young and we are not done yet." Nao said.

Umeko's curiosity was piqued. "What are you planning?" She asked.

Nao stood up and went to her. "Follow me."

Umeko nodded.

Nao started walking while Umeko followed him. The two were silent, unlike Nao's mind. His heart is beating fast. His mind is filled with endless thoughts. He could not believe what is happening right now. So far, everything is going according to plan. Don't mess this up Nao.

The two climbed the stairs to the second floor. There, they went inside the theater. As the two entered the room, they immediately saw a coffee table near the entrance. On it were several snacks. There was popcorn, chips, and candies.

Umeko turned to Nao and asked, "What are these for?"

"Our snacks when we are watching the movie. Don't worry, everything here is vegan." Nao answered.

"We're watching a movie?" Umeko asked again.

"Yes, any movie you want, we are going to watch it." Nao said.

Umeko suddenly looked around the theater. "It is only the two of us. Is this some kind of movie date?"

"If that is what you want to call it, I guess this is a movie date." Nao answered.

"Earlier, was that some kind of dinner date?" Umeko continued to ask.

"Again, if that is what you want to call it, sure, it is." Nao answered.

"Is this a date?" Umeko asked.

"Sure if that is what you want to call it." Nao continued to answer. Umeko smiled thinking about it. Nao saw this and was happy. Okay, I should not let this moment go to waste.

Nao asked her what she wanted. "What do you want?"

"Popcorn please." Umeko answered. Nao took the two buckets of popcorn. The two were about to go find a seat when Nao saw a note on the table. He took it and read it silently. The note contained, "I asked Monokuma to make the room colder so you can offer your jacket to Umeko. DON'T WASTE THIS OPPORTUNITY! –Hana"

Nao crumpled the note and put it in his pockets. He quickly caught up with Umeko. She found a perfect spot for them to watch a movie.

"This spot should do it." Umeko said. The two sat in the middle of the chairs. It was perfect. They were close enough to the screen that they can watch clearly but far enough that they don't need to look up all the time to watch.

The two sat down. Nao turned to Umeko and asked, "What are we going to watch?"

Umeko thought about it. "I want to watch something scary."

"A horror movie… What horror movie?" Nao replied.

"Do you know 'Hereditary'?" Umeko asked.

"I have heard of it." Nao answered.

Umeko suddenly made a huge smile. "We are definitely watching that."

Nao quickly called Monokuma. "Monokuma! We want to watch a movie!" Monokuma quickly appeared. He jumped to the front of the two with a big grin.

"Hello, you two lovebirds! What do you want to watch?" Monokuma asked.

Umeko was surprised by what Monokuma called them. She started blushing. Monokuma snickered quickly continued to tease them. "Are you two on a date? So romantic! I bet you want to watch something as lovey-dovey as you two are right now. I suggest you two should watch 'After' or 'Fifty Shades' to get you two in the mood if you know what I mean. Hihihihihi!"

Umeko was beet red at this point but Nao was not bothered by him at all. He told Monokuma, "We want to watch 'Hereditary'." Nao said.

"Hereditary? Really? Sheesh! Way to pick a movie for a date!" Monokuma commented.

"Could you play the movie already?" Nao calmly asked.

"Weird choice… I guess teenagers are really weird these days. 'Let's watch a horror movie. It will be romantic.' Probably just some weird kink of yours. But since this is a school of no judgment, of course, I can play that movie." Monokuma said. He suddenly disappeared.

"Monokuma really is something." Nao said as he laughed off what just happened.

After a few seconds, the screen opened and the movie started playing. Umeko was excited to watch while Nao was content with watching Umeko enjoy the date. Umeko flinched and screamed and covered her eyes like how a typical person would watch a horror movie. At one point she almost dropped her popcorn.

The movie might have been really scary but Nao did not know. He did not watch the movie. All he did was watch Umeko enjoy the movie. I wish we met earlier before this shit happened to us. We could have been like this outside this school. Nao was just happy to just sit there and watch her as time passed by.

While Umeko was watching the movie, Nao noticed she was starting to get cold. She was rubbing her hands and fixed her fabric to cover her more. I guess this is what Hana was expecting to happen. Nao took off his jacket and gave it to her.

"Here, wear this." Nao said.

Umeko was surprised by this. "It's alright. I am fine. Plus, you might get cold if you take off your jacket."

"It's alright. The cold doesn't bother me that much." Nao said.

Umeko took the jacket and put it around her. "Thank you!" Umeko said. The two continued with watching the movie. After a few more minutes, the movie was over. The two sat in silence after the movie ended.

Umeko turned to him and said, "Did you enjoy it?" Umeko asked.

Nao answered, "Of course!"

"Good! I thought you were bored because I didn't hear you scream or feel you flinch on your seat. I was thinking I should have picked a better movie." Umeko said.

"I doubt my reaction would have been different if we watched a different movie." Nao said.

"Wow, you must be into horror movies to be immuned from the suspense." Umeko said.

Whatever movie you picked, I would have just watched you enjoying it. The two continued talking as they finished their popcorns. Once they were done with their popcorns, Nao stood up and said, "Are you ready for the last part of this date?"

"What is it?" Umeko asked.

"Follow me."Nao said. The two got out of their chairs. Umeko gave Nao his jacket back and took their trash. Nao grabbed the tumbler of candies and chips and went out of the theater. The two were walking. Once they saw trash can, Umeko threw their trash.

Nao led Umeko down to the first floor. They made a few turns to go to Monokumaland.

"Where are we going?" Umeko asked.

"You'll see." Nao said.

The two entered the carnival. Nao quickly pressed the button to call for the train. Immediately, the train appeared with Monokuma as the conductor. He hopped out of the train to greet the two.

"Hello again! It looks like your date is not yet over. Where are you two going?" Monokuma greeted the two.

"Will you take us to the Ferris wheel?" Nao asked.

"You mean the Eye in the Sky?" Monokuma asked.

"Yes, that one." Nao answered.

"Sure, get in." Monokuma said.

The two went aboard the train. In five minutes, they were able to reach the wheel. The got off the train. The wheel just ended a round. It was going to start loading again in a few seconds. When the doors of the cart 1 opened, the two immediately went in.

The two sat beside each other. Nao felt like his heart is about to burst. This is it, the ending. I can't mess this up.

The two looked at the interior of the cart. It was white. Even the seats were plain white. Because of that, Umeko quickly noticed something wrapped in a pink Japanese paper on the other seat. Umeko took it and looked at it. She noticed there was a note on it. She took it and read it out loud.

"I hope you will love this. –Nao." Umeko said.

She quickly and carefully unwrapped it. It was a small cube with a spinning handle. Each side was painted with different sceneries of nature with two animals cuddling with each other. On top was a lake with two swans forming a heart. On another side was painted with a scene on a tree where two squirrels are sharing an acorn. There were also two bats upside down cuddling in a cave. The side with the handle had two penguins with a baby penguin looking at the aurora. It also had a painting of two sea turtles all alone in the ocean. At the bottom were two dogs napping on top of each other. The corners of the box were plated with gold. It was made of wood and the handle was color brown.

Umeko turned to Nao and said, "What is this?"

Nao simply said, "Open it."

Umeko slowly lifted the top. On the other side of the lid was a circular mirror. Inside the box were two swans forming a heart.

"Is this a music box?" Umeko asked.

"Turn the handle." Nao said.

Umeko wound up the handle. After a few seconds, the music box started playing. Umeko immediately recognized the song. "Is this 'You're Still The One'?" Umeko asked.

"Yes! Do you remember anything when you are hearing the song?" Nao asked.

"We sang this together." Umeko said.

After that, Umeko joined the music box and sang the chorus. "You're still the one I run to. The one that I belong to. You're still the one I want for life. You're still the one that I love. The only one I dream of. You're still the one I kiss good night."

Umeko looked at Nao and asked, "How did you get one of this?"

"I asked Eri for help." Nao answered.

"She is really great at what she does." Umeko said.

"Do you like it?" Nao asked.

"I love it! It is amazing! I will definitely treasure this. I will make sure nothing happens to this." Umeko said.

"I am glad to hear you like it." Nao said.

Suddenly, it became silent. Umeko was looking at Nao waiting for him to say something. Nao suddenly felt nervous. He knew it was time. I have to tell her now. This is the perfect time to say it. Just relax. Just say what you have been wanting to say to her Nao. Let her know how much she means to you.

Nao calmed himself down. He took deep breaths before speaking.

"Umeko… I want you to know…" He was starting to stutter because of his nerves. Just calm down!

"What is it?" Umeko asked.

"I just want you to know that… that… that…" Nao stumbling with his words.

"You want me to know that?" Umeko continued.

Nao closed his eyes and calmed himself. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and only stared at Umeko's eyes and said, "I have deeply, madly, truly fallen for you."

Umeko was shocked to hear this. She started blushing. Her happiness was too much to hide. Her lips formed a smile. She was silently listening to Nao.

Nao continued, "I have fallen for you. I cannot explain how or why. I just know I did. When you were ignoring me, it felt like I was stabbed in the heart. All I wanted to do is talk to you and tell you how I feel. I want to shout it and make you know that it is not just a one-sided love."

Hearing this, Umeko looked at him in the eyes. "Is this true?" Umeko asked.

"Yes! When you kissed me that night, I did not know what to do. I did not know what to say. All I could do was watch you leave. You did not deserve that so I did all of this to let you know how much you really mean to me." Nao answered.

Umeko suddenly hugged him. "I can't believe this is real! Thank you for all of this!"

Umeko let go of him and the two locked eyes. Nao did not know what he was doing. He let his emotions control. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. The two shared a passionate kiss as they sat in the Ferris wheel.

After they kissed, they just sat in silence. Umeko put her head on his shoulder. She played the music box as they enjoyed the ride. Nao was extremely happy and held her hand. It was silent but it wasn't awkward anymore. It was the silence of two people enjoying each other's company.

Eventually, the ride stopped. The two got off the wheel and went out of the carnival. The two walked down the hallways holding each other's hand. When they reached their rooms, the two said good night to each other and went into their rooms.

As soon as Nao closed his doors, he jumped in happiness and screamed, "Yes!" He was extremely happy. Everything went well. He was still processing everything that happened. He could not believe it really happened.

He sat down and thought about it. I was able to tell her how I feel for her. She enjoyed every minute. Then, I kissed her. I can't believe what just happened. I would not be able to do this without everyone's help. I need to thank all of them properly tomorrow.

After a few more minutes, Nao changed into his sleepwear and lied down on his bed. He stared at the ceiling thinking of what happened. Because of what happened, he was still full of energy that he could not sleep. All he could do was think of what could happen in the future.

He wanted to fall asleep but he knew it was impossible. Thinking of ways to make himself fall himself, he got up and sat down. What should I do? I think I need to let all of this excitement out just to get some sleep. But how?

He took out his tablet and opened some files. He immediately stopped when he opened a certain file. I think they can help me. He got off his bed and went out of his room. He walked to a room and knock on its door. After a few seconds, someone answered the door.

Nao went to Mako. Mako was wearing their sleepwear. However, it was obvious that he has not slept yet. Nao greeted him. "Hey… Can I talk to you?" Nao asked.

"Sure, come in!" Mako said. Nao entered their room. He quickly sat on the floor in front of Mako's bed while Mako sat on their bed.

Mako quickly asked, "What is it?"

"I can't sleep because I just have to let everything out." Nao answered.

"Sure, go ahead! I'm all ears." Mako said.

Nao took a deep breath and told Mako everything that happened. After hearing Nao's story, Mako smiled and said, "I am so happy for you two! You two deserve each other."

"Thank you! I just have to share it with someone and I knew you would be the best person to listen to me." Nao said.

"You two are a couple now?" Mako asked.

"Yes!" Nao quickly answered with a smile.

"I am so happy for both of you but at the same time envious." Mako replied.

"Why?" Nao asked.

"I just can't help but wonder what if Jitsunori and I were able to tell each other how we feel for each other. Would we be just like you two right now? Would I be as giddy as you are right now? Will I be able to fall asleep after hearing Jitsunori confessing to me." Mako said.

"You two were so perfect for each other. Jitsunori really fell for you. I promise you that. We talked about how he fell for you a couple of times and every time he talked about you, he was emitting the feeling I am feeling right now. I could just see in his eyes how much he liked." Nao said.

"Thank you! Nao, now that you two are a couple, make sure to make Umeko happy all the time. That is now your responsibility." Mako said.

"Don't worry! That is what I have been planning to do for her, make her the happiest woman I know." Nao said.

"Good!" Mako said.

Nao stood up and said, "I think I was able to let out everything I needed. Thank you for listening to me! I really appreciate it."

"Anytime!" Mako replied.

Mako went with Nao. They opened the door and let Nao out of their room. Nao said good night to them. Nao went back to his room feeling much better. He lied down on his bed again and stared at the ceiling. I can't wait for tomorrow. After a few seconds, Nao fell asleep having a pleasant dream for the first time in a long time.

That is it for now! I hope you enjoyed reading it!

What do you think of Nao and Umeko's date? I really loved writing it!

It has been a while since a murder happened. I think it is time for another murder to occur. Who do you think will die next? Tell me by answering the poll on my profile.

If you want to talk about this story, join the discord server for this story. The link is on my profile.

Anyway, that is it for now!

Good luck to all of us!