Special Chapter: My Cute Older Girlfriend Can't be This Cute!

-Part 2-

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"What? You're going to date Rias after all? Bah. That's lame."

"Now don't sulk, this is a happy occasion. Be nice and give him your blessing."

In the empty classroom at lunchtime, Sasuke chided a grumpy-looking Asto and looked at me.

"Congratulations, Naruto. I'm proud of you."

"Yeah."

"Good grief. Seems us looking out for you only ended up lighting a fire under you. Well, I figured it'd turn out this way one way or the other."

He shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile.

"Sasuke, Asto, thank you. It's all thanks to you guys."

I gave thanks from the bottom of my heart; Sasuke gave me a beaming smile while Asto snorted.

"Geez. What a slave driver, making me play around in the sand at my age."

"Stop being tsundere, Asto, you're the one who had the most fun building that sand castle. You worked so hard for Naruto."

"Wh—th-that's not true, i-idiot! It's just that I like precision work, and I couldn't stand how awkward you guys were! Th-That's the truth!"

I got a lot of help from Sasuke and Asto when I built that sandcastle. I brought the Christmas tree lights from home. During the daytime it looked pretty shoddy, but at night it ended up not looking so bad, so I'm happy.

"If you two hadn't been there, it definitely wouldn't have gone so well… though your timing with the lights was a little too fast."

"We couldn't help it. It was so dark we couldn't see your signal."

"…I think that timing for the lights was actually best, Naruto. If we went with your original plan of waiting until after you said 'I'll put a spell on you,' reciting your poem, and then snapping your fingers… I really think it would have bombed."

Really? Huh… I thought that would look cool. I worked really hard on the poem too…

"Well, after we hit the switch on the lights, Asto and I went straight home, so we don't know just how poetic you got after that."

"Is that what happened?"

"Yes. We thought that the result of your confession… was something that should belong to just you and Rias-san."

"Hmph. I thought about recording it or whatever, but I figured I'd respect your privacy."

"…Seriously, thank you."

I really am blessed to have friends as great as these two.

"Even still, I felt like I was watching something super romantic from the sidelines. You and Rias-san haven't even known each other for two weeks, right?" Sasuke smiled with a touch of sarcasm.

"It's just like Romeo and Juliet. Even the part about the forbidden love."

"…Shut up."

I didn't have a real comeback, because he was right. Since that day— since meeting Rias-san cosplaying as a high school girl on the train—it had only been two weeks. It felt like an unrequited love that went on for a long time, but we hadn't even known each other for a month.

A long time ago, when I found out that Romeo and Juliet's whole affair was only a little bit over two weeks long, I was like what the hell?However, I guess I can't make fun of Romeo and Juliet anymore, can I? I've realized that it doesn't matter how much time has passed when it comes to love.

"…Hey, Naruto," Sasuke suddenly said with a serious face. "You're probably really happy now that you've finally gotten to date the person of your dreams… but from here on out is where it gets really tough, you know?"

"…"

"When it comes to love in the real world, the epilogue is the longest part."

"I know."

It doesn't end with dating. It doesn't end like a romcom where two people finally get together, time jumps forward, they get married, and it's the final episode. Neither is it like a fairy tale where it wraps up with "And they both lived happily ever after." This is where it begins. It all starts from now.

A fifteen-year-old and a twenty-seven-year-old dating definitely isn't normal. From here on out I can't even imagine the types of obstacles we'll encounter. It's my intention to be resolved, but the resolve of a kid like me might not mean much. Despite that, for the time being, I want to be happy and focus on enjoying this.

As I was losing myself thinking about the miracle of my love being requited, I found myself looking out the window. Out there is the company that Rias-san works at. Right now, she's probably eating lunch. I wonder what kind of lunch she made today. Or maybe she's enjoying lunch with her friend I thought about these things, I pulled my smartphone from my pocket and took off the cover.

(◕ω◕✿)

"Rias-san… what are you smiling about?"

As I was eating my lunch in the office rest area, I was called to by a passing Toujou-san who had a slightly repulsed look on her face.

"Eh? W-Was I smiling that much?"

"Yes, a lot."

"O-Oh…"

"You're just staring at your smartphone cover… is it that interesting?"

"N-N-No, it's nothing! It's just that I was thinking, 'It sure is a nice cover!'"

Even for me, that was a pretty weak lie. Toujou-san had a puzzled look on her face, but she didn't pursue it any further. She then bought a drink from the vending machine and left.

I let out a deep sigh. I have to get it together. I have to hide my relationship with Naruto-kun from those around me. If it became public knowledge that I'm dating a fifteen-year-old high school student, there's no telling just how much I'd be frowned upon by society—more than anything though, it would cause trouble for Naruto-kun.

We're both in love with one another, but we have to keep our dating a secret. I can't get too overjoyed and let down my guard to people around me. Still…

"…Heh heh."

It's the day after we just started dating, so of course I can't help being overjoyed!I can't even count how many times I took off my cell phone cover and gazed at it. On the inside of my cover, where it touches the phone, I stuck the picture that me and Naruto-kun took when I was dressed as a high school girl.

Apparently, Naruto-kun held onto the one I dropped that entire time, and yesterday we placed them on the insides of our phone covers. I love how lovey-dovey it is. I'm so happy… It's embarrassing because it seems like something a junior-high schooler would do, but I don't even care. For someone like me who's fallen in love and gotten a boyfriend for the first time in their life, my love experience is on par with a junior-high schooler, after all.

Naruto Namikaze-kun. My boyfriend who's twelve years younger than me.

When I suggested putting the picture on the inside of our cell phone covers, I said:

"When I was a student, there were a lot of girls who put picture of their boyfriends on the inside cover of their phone's battery case. How about you, Naruto-kun?"

"…Sorry. I've never used a flip phone."

"…Y-You're from the smartphone generation?!"

The worlds we live in are so different that occasionally I'm given tastes of shock like that—still, he managed to overcome those barriers and grabbed hold of my heart. From here on out I don't know what's going to happen, but for now I want to enjoy this miracle.

I found myself looking out the window. Out there is the school that Naruto-kun goes to. I wonder what kind of lunch he's eating today? Is he together with his friends Asto and Sasuke? Maybe I could make a lunch for him sometime?

As I thought about these things, I wondered about how great it would be if he was thinking about me as well.

(◕ω◕✿)

It was an early Saturday morning, and I was having a dilemma while sitting on my bed. I feel like if I call at the exact promised time then that would be kind of annoying, but being too late or too early is out of the question. So, let's do it about a minute after then—is what I thought I would do, but I realized it was three minutes past the promised time of 6 a.m., so I pressed my smartphone's call button in a panic. Before the first ring could even finish, she answered.

"H-Hello?"

Her voice was faintly high-pitched and sounded so cute. Getting to hear such a cute voice in the morning; today is starting out great.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun."

"Good morning, Rias-san. You answered really quickly."

"Eh… Y-You think so?"

"Could it be that you were already awake?"

"…Yes, actually. I woke up about 30 minutes ago."

"That's so early."

Rias-san asked me to give her a wake-up call last night. I woke up 10 minutes early so I wouldn't oversleep, but it looked like she was the one who was the early riser.

"When I thought about how Naruto-kun was going to wake me up… I got nervous."

"The morning call didn't really matter then, huh?"

"Th-That's not true!"

She refuted my half-joke in a panicked voice.

"If I didn't know that you were going to give me a phone call, I think I would have gotten careless and overslept. Besides…"

"Besides?"

"…I'm g-glad. Because I get to hear your voice in the morning."

She sounded so embarrassed she could die, and hearing her I got so embarrassed I thought I could die. Like, I mean… what is this? What is this situation? Is it okay for me to be getting these kinds of feels this early in the morning?

I felt like I was going to go crazy from this indescribable embarrassment, so I tried changing the subject.

"Y-You have work today, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Having to go to work even on a Saturday sounds rough."

"Yeah, it happens sometimes. But tonight I'm going to go drinking with Akeno-chan, so I have that to look forward to to get me through work!"

"Oh yeah, I remember you told me that."

"And today you're going to hang out with Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah. I think we're going to go shopping or something at the station building."

I want to keep talking, but she probably still has to get ready, so I'd better hang up the phone.

"Well, I should be going."

"Yeah. See you later."

"Okay. Later."

A few seconds of awkward silence later.

"…H-Hang up, Naruto-kun!"

"You too, Rias-san!"

"But… I don't like being the one to hang up first… You go."

"I don't want to do it either."

"Okay… together on the count of three, then?"

"G-Gotcha."

"Here I go? One, two…"

"Three."

Yet another few seconds of awkward silence later…

"You didn't hang up at all!"

"Neither did you, Naruto-kun!"

"This time's for real."

"Y-Yeah. It's almost time to go."

"One, two."

"Three."

With that, the phone call really did end. This time I properly hung up, but I don't know if she did. I mean you probably would the second time, right? Though I wonder if we should have done it again. I'd feel bad if Rias-san hadn't hung up when I did… What's the correct etiquette for this situation?

I let out a deep sigh and lay down on my bed. I was tired. Really tired. Of course it wasn't that I was unhappy. It's like… I was so happy that I was really feeling fatigued.

This is the third day of us dating. When we find a chance we phone and text each other, but I'm still not used to it. I get nervous from every casual text and it's exhausting me mentally. I'm really tired, stressed, and emotional, which makes me happy all the more—

"Man… girlfriends are no joke."

That was the best I could do with my poor vocabulary. As my head felt like it was going to reach its boiling point, I left my room and headed to the bathroom. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and as I was using wax to fix my hair—

"What are you humming for? You're kinda freaking me out."

My litlle sister Naruko had come into the bathroom and started speaking to me through her reflection in the mirror.

"You sure are in a good mood so early in the morning."

"Eh? Was I really humming?"

"You were. You were all like 'hm hm, hmhm.'"

Really? I totally didn't realize it. I got too excited from my phone call with Rias-san and started acting out of character.

"Hey, I'm gonna use the mirror, so scoot."

As my sister said this, she pushed me aside and stood in front of the mirror.

"What the hell? I was just about to get my hair the way I wanted it."

"Why bother? No matter how much you mess with it, it still won't make a difference."

"I mean, I figured it'd be worth a shot, since I know how much work your makeup puts in for you…"

"Hah? What's that?"

"…Nothing."

She stared me down with her terrifying eyes, so I lowered my head while quickly taking a step back. Thus, in the blink of an eye, the bathroom was taken over by our home's youngest daughter. I had no choice but to back off with a contemptuous look as my sister began to curl her hair with a warmed-up hair iron.

Naruko Namikaze, my little sister by two years. She goes to a junior-high school close by and is also working as a part-time model for various fashion magazines. She has a tyrannical and does-as-she-pleases type of personality that I fear may be genetic.

"Hey, Niichan."

With a practiced hand she curled her hair and called out to me as I was about to leave.

"Did you find a girl you like or something?"

"…!"

My surprise completely showed in my demeanor. "Wh-Why are you asking me something like that?"

"It's just that lately you've suddenly been worrying about your hair and clothes and stuff. I see, I see, looks like you're finally reach puberty, huh?"

"…Leave me alone."

It was really embarrassing and pretty rough getting made fun of for something like this by a family member.

"Is the reason you've suddenly become so enthusiastic about helping Ojiichan with work that you've got your eyes on some girl? He was so happy too. He was all, 'Has Naruto finally decided to be my successor?'"

"Being a high school student comes with a lot of expenses… that don't have to do with women."

I mean it actually completely does have to do with a woman.

"If you like, how about your cute lil' sis gives you some love advice?"

"You're the last person I'd take advice from."

I pushed off my sister who was getting way too chummy and wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

"Hahaha. Well, if you get lucky and get a girlfriend, introduce her to me. I will take good care of her."

As I felt my sister's laughter at my back, I closed the door to the bathroom behind me and let out a small sigh.

"'If you get a girlfriend, introduce her to me,' huh?"

Truth is I already have one. That introduction's gonna be a ways off, though. Rias-san and I both want some time to prepare emotionally.

"I mean…"

I wonder how she'd react if she knew her older brother's first girlfriend was twice her age, twenty-seven years old at that?

(◕ω◕✿)

"Hey, Naruto. This looks good, doesn't it? Try it on."

I was in a men's clothing store with Sasuke in the station building. He picked up a light jacket and handed it to me. Listening to Sasuke, I took off my jacket and tried it on. He nodded and appeared satisfied.

"Yep. That's nice. Jackets do look good on you, after all."

"I wonder. Don't you think it looks kind of plain?"

"It's not plain, it's chic. It's mature and looks good, I think."

"Hmmm… since I'm going to buy a whole outfit, I wanted to try on something like those cool kinda dirty clothes you've got on."

"…Dirty? This outfit is supposed to look grunge."

I wanted to compliment him, but it was clear on his face that my comment shocked him a little. Sasuke's outfit was a slightly oversized knit sweater and damaged jeans. It was a really vintage outfit, but it paired oddly well with Sasuke's air of pleasantness, and it gave off a nice look of unbalance. It was the kind of getup where you could tell he was trendy with just one look. Moving on from my failed attempt at a compliment, Sasuke gave a sigh and continued.

"This type of outfit only looks good on a handsome guy like me, so you should give up on it, Naruto."

The fact that Sasuke can boldly call himself "handsome" without sounding detestable is amazing.

"I think it'd be best if you went for a more adult look. You have to think about what you're wearing when you're walking around with Rias-san, after all."

I was caught off guard by his nonchalant comment.

"I don't know what type of clothes she wears, so I can't say too much. But I'll be sure to choose some clothes for you that won't embarrass her when you're walking together."

"…You've been thinking that far ahead?"

"Of course. When it comes to fashion, you have to be conscious of the person you're with."

He said it so matter-of-factly. Also, I get the feeling that the difference in our romantic experience is being thrust at me… When buying date clothes, I figured you just have to get something kind of trendy and you're done, but… that's right, you have to think about the person you're with when you're choosing. I was so caught up thinking about myself that I wasn't thinking about that.

"Well, I said that like a know-it-all, but… even I still don't have experience dating an adult. My oldest was a college student. I'll give it my best shot and try to come up with something, but I'm not that confident, so don't get your hopes too high, okay?"

"Don't be so modest. You're really helping out just by giving me advice like this."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Anyway, when is your date?"

"We still haven't…"

"Huh?"

"We still haven't… decided, like, when and where we're going to have it."

"…You came to buy clothes for a date you haven't even planned yet?"

"Sh-Shut up. It doesn't matter, right?"

"No, you're right… it doesn't matter. It's just so pure how you're getting so into this… Hahaha."

He tried to keep it together, but in the end he couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Hey now, don't make fun of me, Mr. Popular. It's my first time and I'm desperate."

"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry, don't get mad."

"…How do you invite someone out on a date, anyway?" I inquired in the midst of my embarrassment. Hearing this, Sasuke was taken aback.

"How? You should just ask her, right? Like, to a movie, or dinner, or something. You two are already going out, so there's nothing holding you back, right?"

"You say that, but I think about it a lot. She's not a student like me who has a lot of free time; she's an adult who works every day. Besides… when we do go on a date, we have to make it a place where we won't run into anyone we know."

Adult and student. A twenty-seven-year-old and a fifteen-year-old. We formally started dating, but unfortunately our relationship wasn't one where we could just be bold and proudly walk outside together. I can't let it get out to my school or her company.

"Maybe you're overthinking it? If you did end up running into someone you know, you could just say 'This is my friend' or 'It's my relative.' I'd think there'd be a ton of ways you could talk your way out of it."

"Hmm. I guess so."

"Although, holding hands, walking arm in arm, or just showing off how lovey-dovey you are is out of the question."

"…"

He's right. I mean that's not the only reason I want to go on a date… Well, I'm lying. I do want to do that type of stuff that couples do. She is my first girlfriend after all.

"Having to hide from people while you're dating, it's kind of like you're committing adultery."

"…Come on, cut it out."

Even if he was just poking fun at me, I didn't have a strong comeback. I didn't think we were doing something bad like adultery. However, there were always these feelings of guilty pleasure and anxiousness stuck inside my heart.

After parting ways with Sasuke and getting home, I received an invitation to play video games from Asto. "Let's go hunting!" was what he said.

"You spent 10,000 yen on clothes? That's so stupid. How could you be so wasteful with your money? Do you have any idea just how many gacha rolls you could do with 10,000 yen?"

"Gacha is what's a waste."

I mean, this kind of thing is up to the individual's sense of value, so it's probably useless arguing about it.

Even though we were playing together, it wasn't like one of us was going to the other's house. We were voice chatting while we were both playing the game at home.

"Gah, dammit! It didn't drop any gems."

"Oh, hey, I got another one."

"Crap! Why only you?! We're going to keep hunting until I get a drop!"

I responded "Roger" to his bellowing, and we gave the same quest another go. Come to think of it, I wonder if Rias-san is also playing this game? Considering her age, could it be that she started with the series' first title on the PS2? First title… I started playing from 4, so that's a world beyond my imagination. If I remember correctly, 1 doesn't have my favorite weapon, the Switch Axe—

"Hey, Naruto!"

"Ah."

I zoned out and aimlessly kept attacking, and before I realized it my character's health dropped to zero. I could see my hunter being carted back to camp on the screen.

"You bastard, don't just zone out like that!"

"Sorry, I got careless."

"Geez. Were you thinking about Rias?"

"H-How did you know?!"

"…So I was right," Asto muttered, flabbergasted.

Oh no. I've dug my own grave.

"Good grief. Not only Sasuke, but now even you've turned into a worthless, lovesick fool. What's more, it's your first girlfriend. No matter what you do or who you do it with, you're only thinking of her. I guess this means you're in heat 24-7, 365. Blegh. Drop dead."

"Hey come on, I said I was sorry. I'm heading back so just hold on."

"…Hey, Naruto."

While bathing in Asto's verbal abuse I was frantically preparing my hunter to head out again. Then suddenly Asto, in a very small voice, murmured:

"It's not like I'm against you dating Rias, you know. But… you know… it's…"

His voice was so low I could barely hear it.

"Even if you have a girlfriend, make sure you still play with me, okay?"

"What? What did you say? Your voice is too low. I couldn't hear anything."

"Bah. I didn't say anything."

"Haha. Yeah, I know. I'm still going to play with you, so you don't have to worry."

"W-What…?! You could hear me! Idiot! Die!"

We kept going on hunts after that, but before the item we were looking for dropped, it was time for my part-time job, so I had to stop playing with Asto. I say part-time job, but I was basically just helping out my grandfather.

My grandfather's carpentry shop is located next to my house. The ones who run it are my grandfather and two other employees, and though it's not too large, we have a lot of returning customers, so business is going well. Last year we renewed the interior and exterior of the shop, and recently we got some modern equipment. I started actually helping out back when I got into high school, but lately I've been putting more effort into working.

If I'm being honest, it's because I wanted money. Dating is expensive, and in order to enjoy it to the fullest I wanted more cash. Probably any high school boy with a girlfriend would think the same thing, but in my case, my girlfriend is twelve years older than me. She works at a famous company and is a twenty-seven-year-old office worker. Naturally, I haven't asked her anything about how much she makes or how much is in her savings, so I don't know the specifics, but it wouldn't be unusual if she has a bit tucked away.

If I'm going to date a girlfriend like that—if I want to stand on equal footing with her, then no matter how much money I make it won't be enough. After only dating three days I was probably getting ahead of myself, but a vague sense of uneasiness and impatience drove me to manual labor.

I feel a little bit sorry for my grandfather who's happily thinking to himself, "My grandson has finally decided to take up my business." However, it's not like I'm actually lying, so please forgive me, gramp.

After ending my part time job and eating a slightly late dinner, I returned to my room at around 8 p.m.—when suddenly I got a call to my smartphone from Rias-san.

I wonder what's up. Did something happen? Well, even if it isn't anything special, I'm still glad she called. We are dating after all!

Could it be she's gonna tell me "I wanted to hear your voice"? Haha. Yeah, right. As if.

Well, it'd be mean to keep her waiting, so I should probably pick up soon. Good grief. Truth is, I'd like a little more time to myself, you know? Being a boyfriend and having a girlfriend sure is exhausting.

"Hello. What's wrong, honey?"

I jovially said that, but almost immediately I was overcome by an intense feeling of regret and embarrassment. Geez… what am saying?! Even for me that's too gross. No matter how you look at it, I got way too cocky. I mean, with a face and personality like mine?

"…"

The line was silent. Oh god, did I mess up?! Is she creeped out?! The shame and awkwardness were so great that a weird sweat started to burst from my whole body. However, in the next moment I was given a shock so great that it made me draw it all back in.

"Ah, I see, you're more of that kind of guy than I expected, Rias's boyfriend."

The voice that finally came over the line was one that I had never heard before. It was peaceful and quiet with a touch of coldness. Also, it wasn't Rias-san.

"Eh… Wh-What?!"

In a panic, I checked the screen of my phone, and sure enough it said, "Rias Gremory."

"From what I'd heard I thought you'd be a bit more straitlaced and innocent."

"U-Um… with… whom am I speaking?"

"I'm Akeno Hyoudou. Rias Gremory's friend."

"Y-You're Akeno-san?"

"Oh, so you know about me?"

"I've heard about you a couple times from Rias-san."

Apparently, she's been Rias-san's friend since high school, and she's a beautiful wife and mother. Come to think of it, wasn't Rias-san supposed to go out drinking with Akeno-san tonight?

"So… Akeno-san, why do you have Rias-san's phone?"

"Well, you see the reason I'm calling you from your 'Honey's' smartphone…"

"?!"

Her joking was going to make me faint from anguish. I've really done it!

The hell is this awkward situation?! Is this divine punishment for me getting too full of myself?!

"Hey, are you listening? Listen properly, because I'm going to explain… I'm gonna tell you all about why I'm holding onto your Honey Dearest's phone."

"Ugh…I'm sorry. Please, seriously, have mercy… you're killing me."

"Now now, don't die on me yet." Akeno-san playfully laughed.

"Your name is Naruto-kun right? Is it possible for you to come here? The truth is… Rias is in a bit of a pinch."

(◕ω◕✿)

Not sure anyone besides me cares, but let me pause for a sec and explain what's up with Rias-san's glasses. Apparently, she doesn't actually need them.

"Yeah, my eyesight never gets any worse. I guess playing tons of video games all these years made my eyes stronger?"

I honestly couldn't tell whether she was joking or not with that one.

Point is, her eyesight for both eyes is 20/10, and the glasses she wears are actually fake. She worries about her baby face, so she uses them to try and look a bit more mature. Apparently she only wears them during work and usually just takes them off at her locker when she gets ready to go home.

That's why it was no surprise that when I saw her at the pub with her suit on, her glasses were off. Her glasses weren't the only thing about her that was off though.

"Oh~ it's Naruto-kun~! Yoo-hoo!"

Riding to the pub on my bike took about twenty minutes. I told the person up front that I was here to pick up a friend, and they let me in. After they showed me to the girls' private booth, I came upon Rias-san, who started to chat me up while obviously sloshed.

"Hey, sit down Naruto-kun. Sit right here! Sit right next to me!"

"Um, I…"

"Aww, come on, Naruto-kun~ pull up a chair!"

She made me take a seat. This is bad. You're totally wasted, Rias-san.

Her face was bright red and her eyes looked heavy, but she was oddly hyper.

Rias-san, is this what you're like when you're drunk?

"Ehehe~ it's Naruto-kun, it's Naruto-kun… eheheh~"

She dragged her seat over and started to snuggle against me with a drunken smile. Our shoulders touched, and suddenly she was really close. Hold up hold up hold up, we haven't even held hands yet!

While I was getting flustered by the unusually friendly Rias-san, the woman sitting in the opposite seat smiled at me like she was trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry for calling you out here at this hour."

This person seemed to be Akeno-san. Just like I'd heard, she was super pretty, and she definitely didn't look like she had a kid. In contrast to the bright-red Rias-san, her skin was white as snow.

"Your family didn't say anything about you going out this late?" Akeno-san asked.

"No. My family is pretty forgiving when it comes to that sort of thing." My parents were apparently really strict with my sister, but I guess they weren't worried about making me follow a curfew because I'm a guy. I just said I was heading out for a bit, Dad said 'okay,' and that's all it took.

"Grrr, Naruto-kun! Why are you only talking to Akeno-chan?! You'r cheating on me, you cheater!"

Rias-san pouted and puffed out her cheeks. About thirty percent of me thought it was cute that she was so jealous, while the remaining seventy percent thought it was just kind of annoying.

"Geez, I might just blow my lid!" Rias-san said, clearly very upset.

What should I do? I can't take watching this anymore.

"You've fallen in love with Akeno-chan because she's beautiful, haven't you~?"

"That's not true."

"Really? Okay, who's cuter, Akeno-chan or me?"

This extremely bothersome question was thrown at me as Rias-san glared with scornful eyes. I took a quick glance over at Akeno-san who, with her eyes and a hand gesture, said Don't worry about me.

"O-Of course it's you, Rias-san."

"Really?! Really for real?!"

"Yes."

"Do you love me? Do you really really love me?"

"Yes."

"Ehehe~. Me too… I like you too. I love you, Naruto-kun~"

After confessing her love with a sweet smile, she fell forward and grabbed onto me. I managed to catch her by reflex, but she slid down my body until her head rested on my thigh.

"Huh, wai—…Rias-san?"

She didn't answer; she'd already fallen asleep. Her breathing sounded cute as she slept.

"…It looks like Rias-san fell asleep."

"I'll bet. That girl falls fast asleep when she gets drunk." Akeno-san spoke like she was comforting a child as she brought her sake cup to her lips.

"Does Rias-san always get like this when she's drunk?"

"Well, normally she won't get this drunk because she knows she's a lightweight and she holds back. But today she messed with some sake she wasn't used to."

"Why did she do that?"

"I, uh, kind of overdid it when I was making fun of her."

She laughed a little and brought the cup to her lips again. This lady sure can hold her liquor…

I looked down and saw Rias-san's cute face on top of my thigh, fast asleep. She didn't seem like she'd wake up anytime soon, but she kept squirming around and it tickled a little. Her face was on my thigh—in other words, close to my nether regions… Calm down! Don't think about it. If you think any more about it, you'll go past the point of no return.

Akeno-san suddenly spoke up like she had remembered something. "By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I'm Akeno Hyoudou. I've been friends with Rias since high school."

"…Pleased to meet you. I'm Naruto Namikaze. I have… had the pleasure of dating Rias-san since three days ago."

For some reason, my greeting was as formal as it would have been if I were meeting my girlfriend's father. Akeno-san laughed cheerfully and took another drink.

"I'm sorry to ask, but could you take Rias home? I'll tell you Rias's address, so take a taxi. I'll pay for it."

She already told me over the phone that Rias-san is drunk and that she wants me to take her home. Well, I guess this counts as boyfriend work. Something like this wouldn't happen if my girlfriend were in high school though…

"…Is it okay if I learn Rias-san's address without her permission?"

"It's fine. You're her boyfriend, after all."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I mean, I could take her, but… well, I just wanted an excuse."

"An excuse…?"

"I mean an excuse to call you here. I wanted to meet the prince who won over the Princess of Pushing Thirty."

After she got her licks in, she stared at me with intense curiosity.

"Who would've thought the two of you would actually start dating? I was shocked when Rias called and told me about it."

Rias-san said Akeno-san has been giving her advice this entire time. She probably has a good grasp of our situation.

"I told Rias that she should give up on you."

"You did?"

"Of course I did! There's no way I could support her being in love with a teenage boy."

"…So, are you opposed to us dating?"

"Who knows?" She dodged my timid question.

"It's not like I don't have any thoughts on the matter, but I'm not going to butt in after the fact. It's not like my own love life has been all perfect romances I can brag about. In the end, I think the most important thing is how you both feel. Besides, what can you say to people who are already in love?"

She gulped down her drink and stared off into the distance. She then placed her empty cup on the table and looked straight at me.

"Take care of Rias. That girl's a good friend of mine. If you make her cry or anything like that, I'll friggin' electrocute your ball."

"O…Okay." God, this woman is really scary. I nodded firmly and Akeno-san smiled in satisfaction.

"Man, life sure is strange sometimes, isn't it? I can't believe this whole crazy situation started with my school uniform."

I guess Akeno-san's uniform was basically the quest-giving item that started Rias-san's and my story arc… it's not really the kind of item I want to hold on to though.

"Um, actually, I've kind of been wondering this whole time. When you were drinking with Rias-san, why did you have your high school uniform anyway?"

If they were drinking in the house she grew up in that would be one thing, but I heard that her current house was built a year ago. Why did she have her high school uniform in her new house with her child and husband?

"That's…"

Until now she was calm and indifferent, but for the first time since we'd met Akeno-san hesitated to speak.

"The thing is… it would infringe on the privacy of my dear husband's and my nightly affairs, so I really don't want to explain."

"I-Is that so…?"

You've pretty much explained the whole thing! I figured it out instantly! Damn it I shouldn't have asked. I didn't want to hear all that.

"Ufufu, when your husband is younger than you, you have to take a lot of things into consideration. Like, our first night as married couple he's been having shy in that area… Besides, after I had our child, I feel like he's treating me less like a wife and more like a mother."

"No, that's fine! You really don't have to explain specifics!"

"You don't have to worry! We never went all the way when I was wearing that uniform, so please relax. I wore it thinking 'You don't know if you don't try,' but my husband was put off so I took it off right away. It didn't seem to be his thing."

"You really don't have to say anything! I don't want to hear about it!" Hyoudou Akeno, Rias-san's friend. How should I put it? She's a lady who possessed an indescribable fierceness. Her husband must have it rough, I thought as I mentally distanced myself from what I'd just heard.

(◕ω◕✿)

I can't drink much, but I recover relatively quickly. Even though it only takes a couple sips of alcohol for me to get drunk and sleepy, if you give me an hour I'll pretty much sober up. You might say my capacity for alcohol is low, but my metabolism is high; if you were to compare it to a video game, then it'd be like I have a small health bar, but I also have HP regen. Or something like that, I guess.

"—-san."

My body was swaying and I felt totally out of it. I had this strange feeling like I was hovering in mid-air, as though my feet weren't touching the ground. Despite that, my body was oddly warm, and not just because of the alcohol. It was the kind of warmth you'd feel when someone gently wraps their arms around you—

"I said, 'Rias-san!'"

"…Wha—?"

I opened my eyes and saw a worried Naruto-kun looking down at me.

"Thank goodness, you finally woke up."

"Naruto-kun…? Why… Wh-What?! What's going on?!"

I finally became aware of my situation. My body was suspended in mid-air. Naruto-kun had passed his arms under my shoulders and knees and held up my body. That's the reason it didn't feel like my feet were touching the ground.

Is this what people call a "bridal carry"?!

"Wh-Why?! Why am I being carried by you?!"

"Wait, hold on… don't squirm! I'll put you down."

He slowly and gently lowered me to the ground. I'm kind of sad he put me down… No! That's not the issue right now. I need to figure out what's going on.

I looked around, and I saw that we're actually in the hallway in front of my apartment. It's unit 303 on the third floor of the apartment building Maison Heim Heights. It's a studio apartment for 60,000 yen a month. I'd been living here ever since I started my job five years ago.

"What's going on here? Why are you in front of my apartment, Naruto- kun…?"

"…You don't remember anything?" he asked, sounding a little exasperated.

"Um… I distinctly remember up until the point I was drinking at the pub with Akeno-chan."

I clearly remembered falling into despair after I had my old lady peace sign pointed out to me. Why do I have to remember that…? I'd be happier if I didn't. After that, I tried to drown my sorrows by drinking a sake with a name that sounded like the last boss from a video game. From that point on I basically had no memory.

"Akeno-san called me. She said you were totally blitzed, so she wanted me to come pick you up."

"So that's what happened…"

"I had her tell me your address, and we took a taxi from the pub to here, but you wouldn't wake up after we arrived, so… I didn't have any choice but to carry you here."

He seemed embarrassed telling me all that, but that was nothing compared to how embarrassed I felt. On top of getting dead drunk, I was carried home… Just how much of a mess could I be?!

"I'm sorry for bridal carrying you."

"N-No, it's fine… Actually, I'm sorry! I was heavy, wasn't I?!"

"No, I wouldn't say you were heavy."

…'wouldn't say you were heavy'? What does that mean? Not 'heavy,' but still a decent load? Geez, why did things turn out like this? It's not like I hate it, but the fact that he bridal carried me before we've even held hands gives me some really complicated feelings…

"I'm glad you woke up. We were kind of stuck out here since I don't have a key to your place. I didn't want to fish through your things to find one, either."

"I'm so sorry, I've caused you so much trouble. Hey, why don't you come on in and have something to drink?"

I can't just cause all this trouble and be like 'Okay, bye!' I have to show some hospitality and make up for my blunder. I hurriedly pulled out my key and put it into the lock, but suddenly my hand stopped. I had just remembered: my room was an absolute disaster.

"S-Sorry, can you wait a minute? I'm just going to clean my room."

It's not that it's really dirty… I think. I clean it regularly. Still, it's not in a state that I want to show my boyfriend. I'm pretty sure the video games I was playing yesterday are scattered on the floor, and my underwear is still hung out to dry… Ah, wait, it's my plain beige granny panties! I mean, it's not like it'd be better if it were sexy underwear, but I can't show him my granny panties no matter what!

"Wait for five… no, ten minutes. I'll be done—"

I put my hand on the doorknob in a hurry, but my field of vision abruptly swayed. Suddenly I was dizzy and had a headache. My feet got tangled up and I lost my balance, but Naruto-kun supported my shoulders.

"Please take it easy. You still haven't gotten any of that alcohol out of your system, you know?"

"…Yeah. It seems that way."

I'm perfectly conscious, but my head is still dizzy. Also, I'm really really tired. If I could, I'd just lay down here and go to sleep.

"I'm worried, so I'll carry you to your bed."

"N-No! Everything's all over the place, so if I don't clean up, um… well, you know."

"…I get it."

In response to my frantic appeal, Naruto-kun gave a small sigh and nodded.

"I'll go home without going inside your apartment, so please don't force yourself to clean and just go straight to bed, okay? Understood?"

"…I understand." I responded to him formally, as if he were the one older than me.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun… I've really been a mess tonight."

Geez, what am I doing? Just how pitiful can I be? I'm already twenty- seven years old, what the hell am I doing?

"I don't always get this drunk, you know? I usually drink in proper moderation. Today I just accidentally drank too much, that's all."

"I understand. Besides, it wasn't a big deal, so please don't worry," he said with a cheery smile.

Naruto-kun really is kind. But right now that kindness is making my heart ache. The more splendid he is, the more pitiful I become.

I thought for a second, and I realized there was something I still had yet to ask him. "Um… hey. When I was drunk, did I say anything weird?"

"…Not really."

"Why did you look away?!"

I did say something! I goofed up after all!

"Tell me, Naruto-kun! What did I say?! What kind of bombshell did I drop?!"

"I told you i-it's fine. You didn't say anything terrible. It's just…"

'It's just'? 'It's just' what? What did I screw up?!

"…I was happy," Naruto-kun said, embarrassed. Happy?

"Before, at the pub, you—you told me 'I love you' for the first time."

"…What?"

"I think you said it because you were drunk and over-excited, but… well, even so, I was happy."

"…"

I was at a loss for words. It wasn't because I said 'I love you' while I was drunk; I was shocked by the fact that I hadn't said it until then.

I hadn't said "I love you" yet.

I thought the words so much in my heart that I totally believed I had said it sometime. But thinking back on it, I probably haven't actually expressed those feelings. Even though Naruto-kun properly confessed his feelings to me…

He built up the courage to put his feelings for me into words. I should have been more appreciative of just how much that proper expression of "I love you" made me happy and chased away my deep-rooted insecurities.

"Okay, I'm going home now. Please don't overdo it and get some proper rest."

"W-Wait!"

Just as he was about to leave, I grabbed onto Naruto-kun's sleeve and called to stop him.

"I love you, Naruto-kun… I truly love you, so…"

I said it. I properly gave form to my feelings.

At first, Naruto-kun's face looked dumbfounded, but after that he quickly turned red.

"H-Huh? Why are you saying that now?"

"It's just… I don't like it. The first time I said 'I love you' I was drunk, and on top of that I don't even remember saying it. So I want you to ignore what happened in the pub and make this 'I love you' our first one… if that's okay."

"…Hahaha."

"Wh-What are you laughing about?!"

"No, it's just… I was just thinking about how cute that was."

"Gah, I don't care anymore! I'm not counting this 'I love you' either!"

"Ah! I'm sorry. I won't laugh anymore."

"At any rate, that one just now was our first. You got it?!"

"Yes. Understood."

Even though he said he wouldn't, Naruto-kun laughed a little. I ended up laughing too.

We told each other good night and ended our farewell. He told me to go straight to bed, but I leaned against the hallway's handrail and gazed at Naruto-kun until I couldn't see him anymore.

"Oh… my face is warm."

My whole body was flush, and the reasons were crystal clear: obviously there was the alcohol, but… also the fact that I loved my boyfriend so much. A lot happened today, and I suddenly became tired. However, somehow it seemed like tonight I would sleep well.

(◕ω◕✿)

Honestly, there was one regret I had from that day when Rias-san got drunk and I took her home. Frankly, I had wanted to go inside her apartment. I tried to show off and play the gentleman by saying "Today I'll go home," but on the inside I was really curious.

Just what kind of apartment is Rias-san living in? I want to know. I really want to know. Is it a girly kind of room, or a game addict's kind of room? Is it true that girls' rooms smell nice like they say in manga? … Even though she's a girl, I wonder if she's hiding any porn books… Don't they call those types of things "Ladies' Comics"? My curiosity knew no bounds.

I think the best choice was not forcing Rias-san to let me in and just going home, but… I really did want to go inside. If I went inside her apartment, I thought that there'd be, you know… a lot of happy and embarrassing moments for us to share.

A few days passed as I stewed in my regrets. But then, in a way beyond my expectations—in a way beyond anything I could have ever possibly imagined—an opportunity to go to her apartment presented itself.

"What?! Naruto-kun, you've played Kirby Super Star?!"

It happened on a Thursday night, during one of the phone calls we always make whenever we have a spare moment. Rias-san had puzzlingly latched onto a random comment I made.

"H-How?! How have you ever been able to play it?! That's a game for the SNES, you know? The one where you blow into the cartridges before you play, you know? Your generation doesn't know about it, right?!"

"I don't know about the SNES version, but there was a remake of it for the DS. That's the one I played."

"Oh… yeah, that's right. Now that you mention it, I remember that remake! I played it too! The DS version is great, you never just randomly lose your save data."

"…The SNES version is different?"

"Umm… yeah. But sometimes it's a good thing. Since your save data will suddenly disappear, you can be like 'Okay, I guess I'll just play the game over from the beginning' and enjoy the game over and over again."

I don't really understand that feeling. I guess this is what you'd call a "generational gap."

"Naruto-kun, we should play Kirby Super Star together sometime!" Rias-san said, really excited.

"Actually, I recently bought the SNES Classic Edition! Do you know about it? It has a bunch of SNES games built into it, so you can play them all just by getting a single console!"

"Oh yeah, I've heard about that. I've seen people calling it 'flypaper for the older generation.'"

I realized my mistake as soon as I'd said it.

"…Yeah, that's right. I'm one of those older people who walked right into the trap."

Sure enough, you could hear how depressed she became over the phone's receiver.

"Anyway! Let's play some games together, Naruto-kun!"

Wow, just as I was thinking of what to say to make her feel better, she recovered on her own. Just how much does she want to play video games?

"Let's do it together at my house."

"At your house?"

"Yeah! On top of apologizing for the other night, please let me show you some hospitality. This time I'll get everything ready so that it's okay for you to come inside, Naruto-kun."

"If that's the case, then I'd be happy to come over."

"Yay!"

I can hear how she's actually happy. I'm the one who wants to say "Yay!" honestly. The two of us playing video games at Rias-san's house seems so fun!

"When it comes to two people playing games together, you really can't beat sharing one screen and being shoulder-to-shoulder, after all. Nowadays games have online play and matchmaking that let you play with your friends while you're all at home, but for someone from my generation that kind of thing feels so distant."

Honestly, I feel what she's saying even from my younger perspective. I play games with Asto a lot, but we've been playing over the internet more and more lately. Nowadays it's like, "Let's play some games dude" followed by "Sure, I'll call you when I get home." People don't really go over to their friends' houses to play games that much anymore.

"So, Naruto-kun. When do you want to hang out?"

"I'm good anytime."

"Okay, then tomorrow! Let's do it tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow… that's pretty sudden. Tomorrow I have school and you have work."

"We can just meet up in the evening!"

"I'm okay with that, but… we won't really have a lot of time."

"You should stay the night!" she said, unfazed and excited. What? Stay over?

"Since the day after tomorrow is Saturday, it's okay if you stay over, right? Oh, wait, are you the type who doesn't like sleeping away from home?"

"Um, no… That's not really an issue, but…"

"Really? I'm glad! Okay, then tomorrow it is! That's a promise!"

That's the way the phone call ended. I sat down on my bed and couldn't move for a while. C-Calm down.

Calm down. Let's calm down. I should calmly analyze the situation. First, Rias-san and I are dating. Yes, we're dating. We are a couple, and we are together. My super cute girlfriend is Rias Gremory. Just now, that girlfriend invited me to her home. Not to her parents' home, the home she is living in by herself. Furthermore… she said it was okay if I stayed over. In other words, is this "that" kind of situation?

"This is absolutely 'that' kind of situation," Sasuke declared without any hesitation.

I wasn't making any progress just thinking about it by myself, so I got in touch with my friend who knew the most about the relationships of men and women.

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do. Whenever you hear that a man and a woman who are dating 'spent the night together,' you think that they did that stuff, don't you? What else could it possibly mean?"

"…Yeah, but, there's a possibility that Rias-san genuinely just wants to play games."

"No, there isn't," Sasuke asserted. "Well, I've never met Rias-san, so it's not like I have any proof, but… if a girlfriend invites her boyfriend over to her house and tells him to stay over, nine times out of ten it means she's okay with that kind of thing.

" "…"

"If Rias-san were a teenager, there would be a possibility she just wants to play video games, but she's twenty-seven years old, right? She's already a grown woman. I'd like to think that she understands these types of unspoken rules between men and women."

She's an adult woman, twelve years older than me. She has twelve more years of life experience. I've never specifically asked, but… she might have also had a boyfriend in the past.

If she has had a boyfriend before, it would be odd if she didn't realize what she was implying. Which means, in other words—that phone call really was that kind of invitation after all…?

"…B-But she and I haven't even been dating one month, dude. I mean, I feel like it's too soon for that type of thing."

"Really? If you both consent to it, I think it's just fine. If you ask me, just because you're doing it earlier than other people might doesn't mean your feelings for each other aren't real."

"…Hmm."

"I have to say, I am jealous. Your girlfriend lives by herself. When you're a couple in high school who want to do that sort of thing, you normally have a hard time finding a place to do it. You can't do it at home because your family is there. Hotels cost money, and on top of that you can't go inside hotels wearing your school uniform. I've also had a lot of trouble with—"

As the conversation gradually became more graphic, I listened absentmindedly while I ran a simulation of tomorrow night through my head. Excitement and unease rushed through my body, and I felt an uncomfortable sweat break out all across my skin.

"Naruto. In closing, let me say this: no matter what you do, use protection."

(◕ω◕✿)

"Hey, Akeno, listen! Tomorrow night, I'm going to play video games with Naruto-kun! We're going to play Kirby Super Star! Naruto-kun said that he's played it before! Also, he's going to stay the night! The two of us are going to play games all night long! Oh wow, I'm so excited! I haven't stayed up all night playing games with someone since elementary school! Is it okay for me to be this happy? Boyfriends are awesome!"

It was after I had finished my phone call with Naruto-kun. In my state of boundless enthusiasm, I made a phone call to Akeno. I really had to let someone know just how excited I was. I wondered if it'd be a bother, but apparently her daughter had just gone to bed, so she answered the phone.

"I'm so looking forward to it. I was glad I bought the Classic, but I didn't have anyone to play it with. The SNES is something you should play together, after all! All right, we're going to do it till the sun comes up! We're going to get all the treasures in 'The Great Cave Offensive'!"

"…"

Akeno didn't say anything. She was silent the entire time.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything? …Oh, could it be that you wanted to play the Classic with me, Akeno? S-Sorry… You don't really play video games, so I didn't invite you. If you wanted to play, all you had to do was tell me—"

"…Rias. Do you understand what you've done?"

Akeno's voice was unusually heavy, and she sounded like she was really pushed to her wit's end.

"What? Did I do something?"

"What do you plan on doing tomorrow night with Naruto-kun?"

"Play games."

"Yes, well, starting off with video games isn't a bad idea. Then, what are you going to do after that? It seems like he'll stay the night, so what are you going to do when it gets late?"

"Play games."

What else would we do aside from play games? Is Akeno some kind of idiot?

"…Hold up. I'm going to lower the difficulty of this girl talk to a level you can understand."

She's being so ambiguous. Just what is she trying to say?

"Rias. Do you know how babies are made? When a wonderful thing happens with a man's and a woman's equipment, inside of the woman's body a baby—"

"Why are you bringing this up?!"

"Oh, sorry. I brought the difficulty down a little too low. I'll raise it a little."

It seemed like she was trying to make some fine adjustments. I feel like it's really rare to see her this bewildered.

"Look here, Rias. You and Naruto-kun are dating, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"You two are going out. You're dating. There're a lot of issues like your age difference and social position, but essentially, you're both in a normal relationship. You understand that much, yes?"

She deliberately and politely confirmed the obvious. Hmm. I don't get it. Just what is she trying to say?

"Rias. Calm down and try to think about it carefully. If a man and a woman in a relationship spend the night together, even you should understand what that means, right?"

"…"

I tried thinking about it carefully like I was told. I cooled off my brain that was about to boil over from my passion for games and thought it over. I thought and I thought—and finally, I realized the gravity of the situation.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!" I screamed despite it being nighttime.

Sorry, neighbors!

"You finally got it, huh?"

"Yes, um, wait… what?! It's 'th-that' kind of thing?!"

"Yes, it's 'that kind of thing.'"

"In other words, um… 'you-know-what'?"

"Yes, it means you'll have intercourse."

"D-Don't just say 'intercourse' like it's nothing!"

"I thought you might think it's more polite than calling it 'sex.'"

"It's not polite at all! If anything, it sounds dirtier that way!"

"…Well, saying 'you-know-what' over and over again is too cringey for me, so cut me a little slack, will you?"

My mind fell into a panic. Oh nooooo! Why, why, why?! Why did it end up like this?!

"Hold on. Just hold on… so I basically invited Naruto-kun over for sex?!"

"If you think about it objectively, yes."

"N-No! I didn't mean to do that at all! I just wanted to play games together, and only thought that because the next day is a day off, he might as well spend the night…"

"Even if that wasn't what you intended, if you asked basically anyone what's gonna happen when a man and a woman who're dating spend a night alone together, they'd tell you that couple are going to get intimate that evening."

C-Certainly. That's true. Even with no romantic experience, after living twenty-seven years I was able to understand basic romantic social norms. But today that basic knowledge didn't manage to come to mind at all. I was so happy knowing I'm going to be able to play video games with Naruto-kun that I didn't think about anything else.

I was filled with an intense feeling of shame. What have I done?! It's as if I told Naruto-kun, "Tomorrow night, let's do it!" I was so assertive! I was so excited! I'm so embarrassed! I'm a pervert!

"Wh-What should I do, Akeno?"

"'What should I do?' You two are going to 'do it till the sun comes up' aren't you? That's what you told me earlier, right?"

"Don't make fun of me! I'm in really, really big trouble!"

"Big trouble or no trouble, I don't think there's anything left for you to do except do it."

"No way… That type of thing is still too soon for us."

"You've been dating for almost two weeks, right? If there's ever a good time, I'd say this is it. Surely even someone like you has thought about doing this kind of thing before, right?"

"Wha…"

If I said I wasn't thinking about it, I'd be lying. I have embarrassing fantasies that I can't tell anyone else all the time. However, I can't help it! It's my first boyfriend! I finally got one after twenty-seven years on this earth! Of course I'd think about a lot of dirty stuff!

"Rias, I know you're thinking about a lot of dirty things—but Naruto-kun is thinking ten times that."

"'Ten times'?! That much?!"

"There's no doubt about it. You can't underestimate the sex drive of a teenage boy. They're like monkeys."

"Ten times"… Is that referring to rate? Level? Both? If Naruto-kun is thinking about dirty things at ten times my rate and ten times my level… he's a total pervert!

"Considering you invited him to spend the night, Naruto-kun is definitely under the false impression that you invited him over for sex. Right now, he's probably so aroused that he can't focus on anything else."

"No way—wait. Um… it's not like I don't want to do it with Naruto-kun, it's just so sudden, I'm not mentally prepared…"

It serves me right, though. Man, why did I say tomorrow? Everything is Kirby Super Star's fault. The fact that it's a beloved masterpiece that transcends generations is where the real problem lies.

"Well… If you were to say no, I'm sure Naruto-kun wouldn't force the issue. He's nice and really does seem like he cherishes you."

"Th-That's true. If I explain that it's all a mistake—"

"However, Rias," Akeno said in a serious tone.

"It'd be one thing if a teenage girl did it, but if a twenty-seven-year-old woman invited a man over to her house and said, 'No, that's not what I meant' right as things were heating up—well, if I were that guy, let's just say I'd be flipping out."

"…"

I truly had no idea what to do. As I sat there dumbfounded, I could hear a baby crying over the phone.

"Oh, sorry. It sounds like my daughter woke up."

"W-Wait, Akeno! What should I do?! Don't leave me!"

"You planted the seeds, Rias. Reap what you've sown."

"Ugh…"

"Who knows, depending on how you play your cards, tomorrow you might be the one having a seed planted in them."

"This isn't the time for jokes!"

"Well, as someone who's been around the block once or twice, let me give you one piece of advice: no matter what, use protection."

(◕ω◕✿)

I blinked, and suddenly it was time for the big night. It's all happening so fast, I'm not emotionally prepared at all. I had my hands full getting ready for the sleepover and, uh… family planning.

"…Let's calm down."

I stood in front of Maison Heim Heights Apartment 303. I momentarily pulled back the hand I was going to push the doorbell with and took a deep breath. Let's calmly think about this, one more time. Sasuke said all that, but… it's Rias-san we're talking about. She's a little different from your normal twenty-seven-year-old, or should I say, she's a little bit of an airhead and has a few immature tendencies. I wouldn't be surprised at all if she wasn't thinking about doing any adult stuff and genuinely wanted to play video games.

Yeah, that's probably what it was. I was at my wit's end cramming all night for nothing. I even made that embarrassing trip to the pharmacy, but no use complaining. We don't need to rush things. We should just go at our own pace.

Having calmly thought it over and regained my composure, I once again reached my hand to the doorbell. This time I pushed it and Rias-san opened the door.

"W-Welcome."

"…"

I was speechless as my thoughts evaporated and my body completely ceased to function. I felt my soul leaving my body as I stood shocked in the entranceway.

"G-Good evening. I was waiting for you."

She gave me a normal greeting, but I wasn't able to do the same; I was too busy trying to force my nearly departed soul back into my body. Once I regained control of my senses, I hurried inside the apartment and closed the door behind me in a panic. I wanted to close it as soon as possible because I didn't want anyone to see Rias-san while she looked like this.

"Wh-Why are you dressed like that, Rias-san?"

The outfit that Rias-san was wearing as she welcomed me in was see- through. At a glance, it looked like a frilly, black camisole… and the fabric was so thin that it barely hid anything. I had a full view of the underwear she was wearing underneath. Is this what you'd call a 'babydoll'?

"Wh-What? Is s-something wrong?" Rias-san's face was bright red and she sounded incredibly stiff.

"No, um, it's just that…"

"I-I always wear this when I'm at home."

Her acting was terrible. She always wears this…? As if! Just who is she trying to fool?

The Rias-san standing in front of me was overwhelmingly voluptuous and attractive. With how thin the babydoll's fabric was, the curves of her body that were normally hidden were now in full view. Her body was like a siren song that could drive any man on the planet crazy. The delicate contours of her pale neck, her slender shoulders, and her subtly defined collarbone left a dainty impression from the chest up; nonetheless, you could hardly say the same for the colossal breasts that were jutting out just below. They had tremendous volume, and the cleavage between them was unbelievably deep. With even the slightest of movements they swayed to and fro immodestly.

Of course, it wasn't just her breasts that were attractive. Her lower body, with the sensual curves of her waist and the plumpness of her thighs, was so wonderful that it's difficult to put into words—point is, everything about her body was first-rate, and that downright diabolical body was drawing my eyes in like a magnet.

"O-Okay, Naruto-kun! Please don't hesitate to come in," Rias-san said in a shrill voice while her face was comically red.

She walked down the hallway to her room. Since she turned her back to me, I caught sight of the beautiful line of her back and got to see her underwear from behind— It's a thong!

"…"

I had a sudden urge to crush my own eyes and burn this image into my retinas as the last thing I would ever see in my whole life, but I was somehow able to resist. At that moment, I was sure of it. The theory of "Rias-san just wants to play video games" has been completely debunked. I'm not so stupid that I could have all this laid out in front of me and not realize what's going on. There was no way that this outfit that made her look like lust incarnate was just loungewear. Right now, I am definitely being seduced.

Rias-san is totally raring to go! All that's left is for me to brace myself to cross the finish line.

(◕ω◕✿)

Ooooh nooooo! Th-This is so embarrassing! I could feel on my back— well, mostly on my butt—a red-hot gaze as I did my best to fake being calm. On the inside I thought I was going to die from embarrassment.

I'm going to die. I'm really going to die. Naruto-kun is looking at me so hard! He's just staring! Is everything okay?! I haven't messed up?! He isn't cringing?! He isn't thinking, "What is this woman doing at her age?" If I turn around, he's still going to be there and won't have gone home, right?! He's looking at me so much because… he's interested in my body… which means, everything is fine? I w-w-wonder if he likes it…?

After I got off the phone with Akeno the night before, I got on the internet in a panic, did a lot of research, and made a lot of purchases. Time's up, I'm at my wit's end, and I don't really know what I'm doing anymore… but I can't go back now. Having shown off this outfit, I'm already at the point of no return. All that's left is to go all the way…!

"W-Well, please come in."

After passing through the short hallway, the two of us finally entered my room. What should I do…? I'm already feeling dazed. I feel like I've used up all my mental strength just walking from the entrance to my room. It's like wearing this comically see-through babydoll is sapping away my dignity. Is it a cursed item or something?

"So, this is your room, Rias-san… It's cute. I mean, it looks so girly."

"R-Really?"

My response was calm, but I lightly clenched my fists. Phew, I did it, he complimented me. Normally, my room has video game controllers and strategy guides strewn all over the floor and isn't girly at all, but yesterday I bought a lot of things girls these days would probably decorate their room with, like some nice indirect lighting and aromatherapeutic oil.

"For now, have a seat." I urged him to sit down on a cushion, and I took a seat next to him.

"O-Okay."

Alright. The main event starts now. Now I just have to make sure everything goes according to the plan I spent all last night simulating!

"Naruto-kun, go take a shower."

"This soon?!"

Huh? Did I say something wrong?

"Wh-What's wrong Naruto-kun? You really don't have to hesitate."

"No, no, no—this is weird! Why do I have to take a shower three seconds after entering the room?!"

He was making total sense. However, I couldn't give in just yet. I mustn't deviate from my plan.

"F-For the time being, just go shower! I got you a towel and everything!"

"But… um, the truth is…" Naruto-kun was flustered and spoke hesitantly. "I… took a shower at home."

He took a shower at home?! You cleaned your body before you came to your girlfriend's house? Just how bad do you want to do it, Naruto-kun?! He's really excited for this! I mean, yeah, I suppose he would be. Oh, actually, his shampoo smells pretty nice, doesn't it?

"Never mind that, just get in there! It's not like showering again is going to hurt you. Make sure you wash yourself all over!"

"S-Sure…"

By forcing him, I managed to successfully get Naruto-kun to go to the bathroom. All right. It's time for the next phase of the plan.

(◕ω◕✿)

I took off all my clothes in the changing room, and then I entered the bathroom. I borrowed the towel prepared for me and wrapped it around my waist. This'll be my second shower of the day. The bathroom was completely normal, but when I thought about how Rias-san bathes and washes her body in here every day… an indescribable feeling welled up inside of me.

"…Guess I'll shower, just to be thorough."

Even though I washed myself way too much at home, I'll properly wash my whole body once again. I mean, I did sweat a lot after seeing how hot Rias-san looked in that babydoll.

Um, how does this go again? I think I read that you'll get laughed at if you go as far as washing your head? And you start off by gargling with antiseptic mouthwash and then warm the lotion bottle up in the bathwater— wait, no, that's wrong. That's what happens when you're in a brothel. Of course, I've never been to one, but yesterday on the internet I studied that type of thing as well… What the hell was I studying that for?

Unable to think straight, I reached my hand out for the nearby body wash—and that's when it happened. I heard the door being pulled open behind me, and what was waiting for me when I turned around was a goddess wearing only a bath towel.

(◕ω◕✿)

Naturally, I'm not the only one who's nervous. Ever since I opened the door to the apartment, I was made painfully aware of just how nervous Naruto-kun is… Well, I think me wearing that ridiculous babydoll was one of the reasons for that, but… that's probably not the only reason. Like me, he's thinking all about that kind of stuff. He's fantasizing about the adult activities that we'll do and feeling like he'll be crushed by the tension and anxiety of it all. If what Akeno said is true and a teenage boy really is ten times hornier than I am—right now Naruto-kun is probably suffering ten times as much as me. It's likely his tension and anxiety are ten times that of what I'm feeling. In that case, I have to do something about it. I have to take the lead, because I'm an adult and I'm twelve years older than him—

"R-R-Rias-san?!"

It was easy getting naked. I was pretty much nude in that outfit to begin with. I took off the babydoll and my underwear, wrapped a bath towel around me, and opened the door to the bathroom… and that's when I saw Naruto- kun naked. He was sitting on a stool in the bathroom with only a towel placed on his thighs. His important parts were barely hidden, but pretty much everything else was on full display.

My brain instantly felt like it was going to reach boiling point. The last time I'd ever seen a man naked was when I was a little kid, and it was either my dad or my brother.

"I'll w-wash your back." I felt like I could faint at any moment, but I concealed my embarrassment and offered to help him get clean. I was doing my best to act like an adult woman.

"Wh—…? N-No, it's fine! I'll do it myself…"

"Y-You don't have to be shy."

"It's not about being shy…"

"Never mind that, just show me your back!"

Naruto-kun hesitated at first, but at my firm insistence he went quiet and turned his back to me.

I gulped. In front of me was the big, wide back of a boy. I extended a shaking hand to the bottle of body wash. I squirted out the white liquid and rubbed it into a lather in my hands. Then I ran my hands over his back.

"Hey… Wh— You're using your hands?!"

"You d-didn't know, Naruto-kun? In this type of situation, washing directly with your hands is normal."

Probably. At least, that's what I read on the internet. "Guys like it when you touch them directly" it said. However, since I'm not using a towel, the body soap isn't really foaming up, and I'm just spreading slimy white liquid over his back. I could feel how warm his body was through my palms, and my heart was racing at an alarming rate. On top of that—

"…"

Naruto-kun is staring at me really hard through the mirror in front of him… He probably thinks that because it's through the mirror I can't tell, but he's so obvious. I could feel his burning gaze pierce my body through my towel. I felt dizzy as my body became hot, but at the same time I felt a pleasant tingling sensation. I was so embarrassed I could die, but… I was a little happy. My body is making Naruto-kun nervous—

"O-Okay. I'm done with your back."

"F-Finally…"

"Now it's time for the front."

"What?!"

Naruto-kun went from breathing a sigh of relief to yelling in horror. "Come on. I'll wash your front, so face this way."

"No, no! The front is definitely a problem!"

"It's f-fine! I'll do everything! You don't have to worry about anything Naruto-kun, so leave it all to me!"

The truth was it wasn't fine. I was so embarrassed I felt like my head was going to explode. However, I struggled to laugh, made a false show of courage, and did my best to smile erotically. I have to do this right. I have to properly take the lead.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, okay? When you're dating, this type of thing is normal. So, hurry up and—"

"—Rias-san."

Naruto-kun turned around. Instead of through the mirror, our gazes met directly.

"Are you… forcing yourself to do this?"

His eyes were totally different from the ones that were filled with desire just a moment ago. Now he seemed like he was only staring because he was worried about me.

"Wh—… N-No, I'm not forcing myself to do anything."

"But you've been shaking this whole time, from your hands to your voice."

"That's not true! I'm totally fine."

I firmly denied it while extending my hand to the towel hiding Naruto- kun's lower half. I tried to pull it off, but right before I could my hand was stopped.

"P-Please stop."

"I said leave everything to me! I'm fine with this! I mean, I'm used to it. I didn't say it before, but I have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. I've had tons of men eating out of the palm of my hand because of my technique!"

Of course, that's a lie.

"Rias-san…"

Naruto-kun looked at me nervously. I continued to be stubborn and avoided his eyes.

"Naruto-kun, you don't have to worry about anything! I'm really experienced, so if you just leave it to me—kyaa!"

As we were both pulling on the towel, my foot slipped on some body soap that had fallen onto the floor.

"Watch ou—"

Naruto-kun quickly reached out his hand to catch me. "Are you okay? Did you hurt your—?!"

"I'm fine, tha—?!"

We realized it simultaneously. The towel that had been concealing Naruto-kun's lower half and the towel I had wrapped around me had both fallen off from the impact, and there was no longer anything hiding our bodies. We were facing each other at close range while we were as naked as the day we were born. I should be ready. I should be completely ready to show off my junk and look at his, but—

"Ah… aah…"

I was feeling the embarrassment of being seen naked by a guy for the first time and the shock of looking directly at his nether regions. Also, I caught sight of his fiercely engorged manhood, standing tall like a symbol of his youth. It wasn't some cute thing adorably dangling off his lower body like a one-year-old boy's. This was a dangerous weapon made of flesh, exposed and standing tall like it were meant to pierce the heavens. Seeing this, the willpower I had only barely been managing to muster the entire time crumbled in an instant.

"Kyaaaaaa!"

As soon as I saw it, I pushed him away with all my might. His large body fell over in the bathroom and the back of his head hit the opposite wall hard.

"Ah! Ow…"

"Ah…"

Suddenly, I could feel the blood drain from my face. My body that had been feeling dizzyingly hot instantly became cold. I felt my vision begin to fade to black. As soon as I had done it, I ran out of the bathroom. Without putting my clothes and underwear back on, I all but flew out of the changing room as well. I jumped on my bed and hid myself by wrapping myself up in my futon. I knew that there probably wasn't a point in hiding in a place like this, but I couldn't help myself. My world became pitch-black and suffocating, and all I could do was feel ashamed.

I blew it. I failed, failed, totally failed. This whole thing has been one massive blunder. I thought I was prepared and thought I'd carefully planned it all out, but the moment things deviated I panicked. Even though I pranced around in that babydoll, washed his back, and showed how much I was in the mood—in the end I totally rejected him. Even though I acted like I was a seductive older lady, at the last minute I screamed and pushed him away. No matter how you look at it, I'm horrible.

I didn't do it right at all. Even though I'm older, even though I was supposed to have my act together, I didn't do it right at all. It's my fault that everything got this way today. I'm so embarrassed and ashamed of myself. I'm pathetic. I want to disappear—

"Rias-san…"

After a little while, I heard Naruto-kun's voice. It sounded like he had come out of the bathroom. I felt him come close and I firmly clenched the futon around me. I'm so embarrassed and sorry that I can't face him—

"…I'm sorry. Your head hurts, right…?"

"I'm okay. All I did was bump my head a little…"

"—It's my first time," I said without facing him and still wrapped up in my futon. "You see, I've… never dated a boy until now. Naruto-kun, you're the first boyfriend I've ever had. Before, I said that I'm experienced and used to it… but that's all a lie. In twenty-seven years, I've never had a boyfriend once. So… I don't have that type of experience either."

Like a dam bursting, the truth spilled out.

"When I invited you over yesterday, I wasn't thinking anything deep about it. I just thought it would be fun if we played a lot of games together and just said 'You should stay over.' I totally didn't understand what it meant for a man and a woman to spend the night together in the same room… I only understood it when Akeno finally told me. I'm such an idiot, right…?"

The self-hatred kept pouring out of me. I'm so embarrassed that I made so many mistakes and acted so disgracefully. I'm so sorry I raised his expectations when I can't actually do anything to meet them.

"I d-didn't want you to think I was inexperienced or feel disappointed… so I studied a lot of things and tried my best but… I couldn't do anything right at all."

This is the worst outcome I can think of. Even after being so proactive and trying to take the lead like an adult, just seeing my partner's privates made me scream and push him away.

"… I'm so embarrassing and weird, right? I'm already twenty-seven years old, but I have zero experience. I'm sorry for being so clueless when it comes to romance…"

Even though I'm twelve years older than him, I can't satisfy the person who's dating me.

"Please, don't hate me…"

I regretted it almost as soon as I said it. I'm so pathetic. Even after all that, I'm still only thinking of myself.

After a few seconds of silence, Naruto-kun said "…Rias-san, please come out," and grabbed the futon.

"Wh-…N-No."

"Please come out. Please show me your face."

"No way… I'm…"

"Rias-san."

"Mmm…"

I gave up and timidly poked my head out of the futon. He'll probably get mad at me. He probably hates me. He'll probably dump me.

I prepared myself and slowly opened my eyes that I had firmly shut in my uneasiness.

"You know there's no way I would hate you for something like that, right?" His smile was as calm and peaceful as sunlight.

"What…? Naruto-kun, you're not mad?"

"Mad? What would I be mad for?"

"I mean, I… didn't think about it when I told you to stay over… Also, I totally couldn't do anything right, and then I pushed you…"

"I'm not worried about that."

"You're lying…"

"No, I'm not."

"You are. I mean, you… wanted to do it right?"

He was startled by my question and stiffened up.

"No… n-not really…"

"You took a shower before you came over."

"That's because…"

"Just a moment ago… you got really big…"

"What?! No, that was just a normal bodily function that happens regardless of my own will, so…"

He was really flustered, but he took a deep breath.

"…I mean, I did want to do it. That's obvious, isn't it?" he said awkwardly. "I've been aroused since I was invited over. Today, when you wore that babydoll and that towel, you were so cute and pretty that I felt like I could die from how horny I was. If I'm being honest… even now I want to tear off that futon and go to town on you."

"…"

"But I don't want you to force yourself to do anything."

"I'm not f-forcing…"

"You really were, right?"

I don't have a reply. I worked hard to put on an act the best I knew how to, but I totally couldn't keep it up.

"…I-It's not that I don't like you, Naruto-kun. It's just that it's my first time, I don't have any experience, I was nervous, and I got scared…"

"I get it. I mean, it's my first time too. I was probably just as nervous and scared as you were, Rias-san."

"Really?"

"I thought about how since I'm the guy I have to properly take the lead and all that."

"…"

Naruto-kun was worried about the same things I was. He thought "Because I'm the guy" and I thought "Because I'm older," but we were both thinking "I have to get my act together." We were so hung up on those thoughts that, in the end, we were both just spinning our wheels.

"But Rias-san, have you really not dated anyone until now?"

"Yeah…"

"That's surprising. You seem like you'd be popular."

"I'm d-definitely not popular. I was so boring and gloomy when I was a student. Then when I became an office worker, my workplace ended up being a total henhouse, so I haven't had any opportunities to meet guys there. Plus, on my days off all I do is play video games anyway…"

As I explained my situation out loud, I gradually became sadder, and out of insecurity I asked, "Wh-What do you think?"

"What?"

"It's w-weird right… being twenty-seven and having zero romantic experience."

"I don't think it's weird. Everyone is different after all. So, 'what do I think?' Well, I mean, I'm honored."

Naruto-kun screwed up his face and awkwardly laughed. "I'm really honored that I'm your first boyfriend."

Seeing his warm smile, I suddenly felt much better. My insecurities and fears as a woman, my vanity and pride as an adult… his words and smile gently unwound my heart that had been tied up in those tiresome feelings.

"Um… how about we forget about adult stuff for today?" Naruto-kun said. "Let's take those mature types of things and save them for when we're both emotionally prepared. Today, let's just go with what you wanted to do in the first place and play video games together."

"…Is that okay?"

"Of course. I'll be with you all night."

Without making a face, he smiled kindly at me. I could feel tears starting to form, and I couldn't control my emotions. My feelings were overflowing from the bottom of my heart, and my chest felt like it was going to tear apart.

I love you. Naruto-kun, I love you. I really love you. I'm so glad that you're my first boyfriend—

"…Yeah. Let's do it! Let's play lots of games together! I have so many I want to play with yo—"

"Whoa! Rias-san, you're naked!"

I suddenly remembered. In my excitement I cast off my futon and jumped out of bed, but I was still naked. We just talked about a lot of really serious things, but the entire time I was completely nude…! In a panic, I returned to my futon.

"D-Did you look?"

"…I did, yes."

"Geez… Naruto-kun, you dummy."

"It's not my fault… Also, I had the same thing happen to me earlier, so now we're even."

"I only looked once, but you've looked twice, Naruto-kun."

"Okay… do you want to look again?"

"No!"

After that, I had Naruto-kun wait in the hallway while I cheerfully put on some clothes. What I changed into wasn't a babydoll or a thong, but my normal underwear and my normal loungewear.

(◕ω◕✿)

It seems that a comfortable-looking sweater and well-worn jeans are Rias-san's loungewear of choice.

"Hahaha… sorry for such a frumpy outfit. The real me always dresses like this when I'm at home."

Rias-san sounded sorry for changing but, on the inside, I was clenching my fist in a victory pose. Nice. This frumpy look is so good. I love how unguarded and laid-back normal loungewear looks.

"I'll bring you something to drink. Naruto-kun, do you put anything in your coffee?"

"I like it black."

With the Dolce Gusto coffee machine in the kitchen, Rias-san brewed coffee for the two of us. She placed two mugs in front of me as I sat on a cushion.

"Your Dolce Gusto sure does brew coffee fast."

"It's easy to use and take care of. Plus the taste is great. By the way, this is decaf, so it's okay to drink at night."

"Decaf… that's coffee without caffeine in it right?"

"Yeah. Those times while Akeno was pregnant and really wanted to drink coffee she used to drink this. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding are supposed to hold off on caffeine as much as possible, apparently. Since I was drinking decaf when I was hanging out with Akeno, I ended up getting hooked on it myself."

"Wow, Dolce Gustos can make decaf too. That's cool."

"Yeah, Gu-chan is amazing."

"Gu-chan?"

As I said it back to her, I could see that she regretted saying it.

"You see… Gu-chan is the name of my Dolce Gusto. You know, because of Gusto. Gu-chan. You get it, right?" she said, embarrassed.

As I looked again at the Dolce Gusto in the kitchen, I could see black and white eyes made of felt stuck to it. I wonder if she made those by hand. Also, it kind of looks like she was trying to make it look like a penguin.

Eventually, my silence was too much for her to take. "Is there something wrong with giving it a name?!" she yelled.

"I didn't say anything, did I?"

"You were thinking 'Women who live by themselves sure are lonely' weren't you?! Well, yeah, that's right! I do get lonely! Sometimes I even talk to him!"

"I wasn't thinking anything."

Well, honestly, I was thinking a little about how lonely it must be. That and how cute it was.

Honestly, I found this conversation relaxing. When I came to my girlfriend's apartment, the thing I was probably hoping for the most was, unexpectedly, these normal kinds of moments. Of course I was hoping for some erotic stuff too, but I was extremely happy getting to know a brand-new side of Rias-san.

"Naruto-kun, you're definitely making fun of me, right? I mean, you're smiling."

"No, I'm not. Hey, let's play some video games."

"Hmm…"

She seemed a little unsatisfied, but unable to resist her desire to play games, Rias-san brought out the console she had put away.

"Okay, let's get started. I'm not going to let you get any sleep tonight, Naruto-kun!"

"Go easy on me."

After Rias-san set up the console she came over and sat next to me. Suddenly she asked, "Huh? Naruto-kun, did you drop something?"

I looked down, and right next to me something had fallen on the ground.

Before I could even think, Rias-san reached out and grabbed it. As expected of an adult woman, she realized what it was in an instant, and her face became red like she had come to a boil.

"This is…"

"Th-That's not what it is! Um, I mean, it is but…"

Oh man, I've done it now! When? When did it fall out?! Crap. This sucks, we'd just moved on from all that adult stuff… It was a mistake to put it in my pants pocket so that I could pull it out quickly when the time came. Did it pop out by chance maybe? Is there a hole in my pants? With deep regret I put my hand into my pocket—

"…Huh?"

It's there. Inside of my pocket I can definitely feel a packed condom. I prepared two in case I needed a spare, but I confirmed that both were inside. Not really understanding what was going on, I looked at what Rias-san was holding. When I looked at it closely, I could see that it was a different brand than the one I bought.

"…I'm sorry. This is the one I bought," Rias-san said, speaking in a faint voice and seeming like she was going to die from embarrassment.

The mood became incredibly awkward. The silence was all too painful, but I somehow thought up something to say.

"Um… I mean, th-thank you for taking that into consideration."

"Y-Yes. Well… you have to protect yourself, you know… Um, t-today it doesn't seem like we'll need it, so I'll just go put it away somewhere, okay!" Rias said in a shrill, panicked voice as she stood up. However, she was in such a hurry she stepped on the hem of her pants, lost her balance, and fell onto the bed. The shock made the bed's pillow move from its place—and everything hidden underneath was exposed. I see. So that's where it came from.

"Rias-san…"

I couldn't just ignore it. Hidden underneath the pillow were a ton of rubbers. The number was well over ten. "…Just how many times were you planning on doing it?"

"Th-That's not it! I didn't know your size, so I bought a lot of different ones! Also, I thought having a lot on hand would be less stressful, so I placed them underneath the pillow so they would be easy to access… A-Anyway, that's not it!" Rias-san protested with tears in her eyes.

We just couldn't seem to move on from the adult stuff.

Yet finally, after all that, we started playing video games together. However, we were only able to actually play for about an hour. Rias-san was cocky and said that she wasn't going to let me get any sleep tonight, but she was the one who fell asleep first.

She probably didn't get enough sleep. Just like me, she was probably fantasizing and making a lot of preparations since the night before, and now her mind and body are worn out. The decaf coffee didn't seem to work as a pick-me-up either.

I could hear her breathe softly as she slept right next to me. Looking at her defenseless face, strangely, I didn't become aroused or anything like that. I only thought about how heartwarming this all was, and how my heart was at peace.

I fell asleep as I looked at her face, and the two of us slept soundly until morning. In a lot of ways, our first sleepover was a big mess where not a single thing went as planned. Still, in hindsight, it was a very special time that just the two of us shared together.

(◕ω◕✿)

A few days after our hectic sleepover, I received a message from Naruto-kun while eating lunch in my office break area. "Is it okay if I meet you after work?"

Before I could respond, another message came. "If you're busy, please don't worry about it."

I could tell that he was being really reserved from the contents of his message. I replied, "We can. I think I'll be able to get off work at five. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

His response came instantly. "No, nothing's wrong…"

Huh? Nothing's wrong? Even though nothing's wrong he's going to come see me? Hmm, I wonder why? He's coming to see me even though he doesn't have a reason, it's almost as if he's really dying to see me—Oh, that's it! He's dying to see me!

"… Hehehe."

You want to see me that bad, Naruto-kun? Are you having withdrawal because you miss me so much? Wow, do you love me that much?

Ahh, this is great. Boyfriends are great. Well, since we're dating, it's okay if we go meet each other without a reason. Though, "I missed you" is as good a reason as any. Ahh, I love him. I love you, Naruto-kun.

Alright, what should I say to him? Maybe I'll play a little hard to get and show him the types of love games that adults play! …Yeah, let's not do that. I can only foresee failure, and I learned my lesson when I forced myself to act sexy at our sleepover.

I decided to let go of my pride and my bravado and simply reply to him from my heart, "Thank you❤ I wanted to see you too so that makes me so happy❤ Sigh, I wish I could just skip out on the rest of work and rush to your side, my darling❤"

…Okay, maybe that's a little too from the heart! I might have thrown away my decency there along with my pride and my bravado. Wow, this is bad.

Even I'm cringing from it. I lovey-dovey'd too much and now it's just gross. There are so many hearts that my love just seems shallow. I have to be more careful about putting just the right amount of sour in my sweet-and-sour. Though if I did send it, I wonder what kind of reaction Naruto-kun would have… No, no, no I'm definitely not going to send this. Even a high school girl who's head over heels in love wouldn't send something this cringeworthy. I'd rather run a lap around my office building naked than send this—

"…Are you okay, Chief Rias?" Toujou-san suddenly asked.

"Wha—?!"

I thought I was going to have a heart attack, and I struggled to hold onto my phone that I had almost dropped in my surprise. When I raised my head, I could see Toujou-san standing in front of the vending machines.

"T-Toujou-san… how long have you been there?"

"For a while."

For a while?! She watched me riding that emotional rollercoaster, smartphone in hand?!

"Um, Chief Rias… Please don't take on your work all by yourself. I might not be of much assistance, but I'll help you."

She's worrying that I'm overworking myself. How emotionally unstable did I have to look for her to be this nice to me?

"I-I'm okay… I was just getting really into a mobile game."

"Ah, I see."

After Toujou-san left, I let out a deep breath. That was dangerous. Whenever I think about Naruto-kun I retreat into my own world. Okay, time to get my brain into work-mode. And I'm going to send a more mature, restrained message using my common sense, instead of that ditzy mess I wrote. Or so I thought, until I looked down at my phone and my heart sank into my stomach.

(◕ω◕✿)

It would have been unwise to meet in front of Rias-san's office building, so we chose to meet in front of a convenience store close by. She came just past five o'clock. Since it was just after work, she had her hair tied up, and she was wearing her suit without her glasses. I could see a look of deep, deep despair on her face. She was surrounded by a dark cloud, and her cheeks were stained a bright red.

"…So, I want to explain again that there's a complicated, bizarre, strange, and mysterious reason for that message… it's also possible that it was work of a ghost—"

"I-It's okay… I'll just pretend I didn't see it."

I struggled to cheer up Rias-san from her embarrassment. That weapons-grade lovey-dovey message… She probably wrote it without any intention of actually sending it, but accidentally did. Though, even if it was a mistake… the fact that she even wrote a draft of something like that is pretty embarrassing. Was she that happy she got to see me? Man, does she love me that much?

We walked with that awkward atmosphere for some time until I spoke. "It's been a while since I've walked outside with you like this huh, Rias-san?"

"That's right."

"If we run into anyone either of us know, go with the plan we discussed before."

Rias-san nodded her head in confirmation. "I'll say that you're my little brother."

This place is close to both my school and Rias-san's company, so it's good to be careful, just in case. Well, if we were really being careful, we wouldn't meet outside like this, but… well, them's the breaks. We really want to see each other.

We walked beside one another through the town bathed in the setting sun. We weren't holding hands or getting any closer than was necessary. Rather, as we pretended to be brother and sister, we maintained a moderate distance between one another.

"One day, it'd be great to be able to just walk around town normally with one another," Rias-san said. "

"…Yeah, it would."

Rias-san smiled. However, behind that smile I could see a slight loneliness, and I felt a small pain in my chest like I was being pricked by a needle. That pain urged me to speak.

"Um, Rias-san… would you like to go somewhere this weekend?"

"'Somewhere'?"

"Anywhere is fine, just… somewhere where no one we know will be there. If it's someplace like that, we won't have to worry about being seen…"

I thought it would be great if we could hold hands, walk arm in arm, and other couple stuff. While hiding those less pure motivations beneath some innocent words, I invited her on a date for the first time, and…

"S-Sure, okay," Rias-san said. She said yes.

"I'm happy you suggested it, because… I was also thinking that I would like to go somewhere together," Rias-san said with an embarrassed grin. Oh man, this girl is just too cute.

"Is there anywhere that you'd like to go?"

"I'm fine going anywhere. Is there someplace you'd like to go, Naruto- kun?"

"I don't really have anywhere I'd like to go, either…"

"Okay, let's have a strategy meeting."

"Let's do it. Oh, yeah, Rias-san, have you eaten?"

"No, not yet."

"In that case, let's go eat somewhere. Today it'll be my treat."

"What? No, I couldn't."

"Please, don't be shy. I just got paid for my part-time job. When I stayed over, you went all out and made me breakfast, didn't you? So today I want to pay you back."

Actually, that was my purpose for meeting her today. I wanted to use my earnings from my part-time job to treat Rias-san and do something manly even though I'm younger.

Rias-san hesitated, but in the end, she said, "…If you insist, I guess I'll let you treat me."

I felt elated; I was flying high thanks to the promise of a first date. "Is there anything that you'd like to eat? Feel free to say anything."

"Um, well. I'd like… I'd like to go for beef bowls." With a smile, she gave a suggestion that brought me crashing back to Earth.

The next day, I was hanging out with Sasuke and Asto in the empty classroom. When I told them what she said, Sasuke immediately understood the situation and let out a heavy sigh. "I mean, even if you tell a woman to say anything, of course she's going to hold back."

On the other hand, Asto didn't seem to realize what was going on even though he heard the same explanation. "What? I don't get it. Naruto said it's his treat. Rias wanted a beef bowl, so the two of them had beef bowls, right? What's the problem?"

"The problem is Rias-san purposely chose a reasonably priced option because was worried about Naruto's wallet. She probably couldn't bring herself to make her younger, student boyfriend treat her."

"Hmm, maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like he lucked out to me. He ended up not having to spend a lot of money."

"I mean, he did sort of luck out. As an adult lady and as an older girlfriend, Rias-san was exemplary in behaving with overwhelming consideration."

Sasuke looked at me with an inquiring eye. "However, you didn't like it, did you, Naruto?"

"…It's not like I didn't like it. Just, I feel bad for not being a good provider."

I should have come to terms with this before we started dating. My girlfriend is an adult, and I'm a student. I only pay tax when I buy something at the store, and I'm totally dependent on my family. What I get paid for my part-time job doesn't even really amount to much. I only wanted her to be happy, but that was probably just for my own self-satisfaction and actually patronizing towards her.

"Being a good provider? You're a student, so what's the point of worrying about that?" Sasuke said.

"Aren't you overthinking it? Rias probably wasn't thinking that deeply about it and just wanted a beef bowl," Asto chimed in.

"No, Asto. There's no way—"

"…Well, I think there's a strong possibility of that," I said.

Sasuke blinked his eyes in surprise. "Really? Rias-san is like that?"

"Yeah. She's a lot like that."

It hasn't been long since we started dating, but I've started to understand Rias-san's personality, or should I say, her peculiarities. Even though she's so cute, she has low self-esteem and a bit of a complex about her age and her lack of romantic experience, and she often worries about trivial things… and then there are times where she shockingly won't be thinking anything at all. Therefore, the possibility that she just wanted a beef bowl is there. It really seems that way. Actually, I'm starting to think that there's a high probability that that was the case.

"Well, we can only imagine what Rias-san was really thinking about, so there's no point in us thinking about it," Sasuke said. "Moreover, that's not the real problem."

(◕ω◕✿)

"No, Akeno! It's not like I was worrying about Naruto-kun's wallet! I just wanted a beef bowl, so that's just what I said!"

"Of course you did, just like I thought you would."

It was lunchtime at my office. I was concerned about how Naruto-kun looked a little down when we ate beef bowls together the night before, so I called Akeno for advice. We could usually talk if I called during her daughter's afternoon nap.

"Rias, you sure do love eating beef bowls." Akeno replied bluntly to my plea for advice.

"Wh-What's wrong with that?! It's quick, cheap, and delicious!"

"And you've never told Naruto-kun your favorite food?"

"…When he asked before, I thought saying 'I love anything and everything donburi' wouldn't seem girly, so I went with 'I like fluffy pancakes.'"

"You sure do pick some weird times to try and look girly," said a dumbfounded Akeno. "It's funny though. You were only saying your favorite food without thinking about it, but it looked like you were choosing to be considerate of his wallet."

"Consider his wallet…? Is that something every woman on the planet cares about?"

"Good women care. If their significant other says, 'I'll treat you,' then a good woman will choose something just right that's cheap enough to not hurt their wallet and expensive enough to fill their ego. Also, she'll act as if it's what she really wants to eat. Being easy to treat is one of the requirements of being a good woman."

A-Amazing… Good women are amazing. Do they really put so much mental energy into strategizing for a single dinner? It's like they're creatures living in a different dimension than I am.

"So that's what Naruto-kun was worried about. I totally thought he was mad that I ordered an egg with my large-size beef bowl. Like he was thinking, 'You're gonna get an egg with your meal because someone else is paying for it? What a shameless woman.'"

"Rias… From now on, if something happens you call me right away, okay? You trying to solve things by yourself will be completely futile," Akeno said kindly with a hint of rudeness.

"I'm glad I asked you for advice. Now if I just explain to Naruto-kun that it's a misunderstanding…"

"That's right. If you explain to him, I'm sure he'll understand. However, that won't solve the real problem."

(◕ω◕✿)

"The real problem here is that Naruto is feeling inferior to Rias-san because of their difference in financial strength and social standing. The issue isn't that he doesn't have money, it's that Naruto's lack of money is giving him an inferiority complex," Sasuke said. "Naruto wanted to be manly for her, so this probably came as a shock for him, but… if he worries and puts himself down every time something like this happens, then even Rias-san will be annoyed, I think."

"I'm not putting myself down…"

Asto decided to chime in. "Naruto's just worrying too much about stupid stuff. Rias-san knows you're a student and she's still dating you, right? She never expected you to have any money to begin with, so don't try to act like you have any. She has way more than you do, so really you should be the one getting treated."

"Asto has a valid point," Sasuke agreed with Asto for once. "It'd probably be best to just be yourself. No matter how much you try to look cool, you're a student for at least three more years, Naruto. In terms of money, Rias-san will have the advantage for a while."

"…"

"In this day and age, it's not unusual to find married couples where the wife is the breadwinner. There are even guys who are practically their girlfriends' pets. It really doesn't matter whether it's the man or the woman holding the financial advantage, as long as both of you are okay with it."

"'Both of us,' huh…?"

"That's right. In the end, the issue is how you deal with it together. If both parties can agree, then even big problems can be made small. And if both of you don't agree, then even small problems can become big."

"…"

What can I say? I imagined our relationship problems would be more extreme. Something like a rival in love appearing, or having our relationship found out by someone and getting threatened by them. Maybe Rias-san would be proposed to by some rich and handsome guy and I'd have to fight him for her heart. Or even worse, maybe the train molester I fought off would become Rias-san's boss or something like that.

Even if it meant facing such grandiose and dramatic obstacles, I made up my mind to fight them when I decided to date Rias-san. However, there won't be such cliché enemies. Exciting, movie-esque adversity that deepens our love for one another when we've overcome it doesn't really exist. Far from it, I'm here overthinking a single beef bowl. I'm being bogged down by my out-of-date values and vanity thinking that "If the man isn't the one with the money, it's disgraceful."

There is no enemy that I have to defeat. Everything is a matter of my own heart.

"…I wonder what came over me. I didn't know that I was such a small- minded person," I said with a heavy sigh, and Sasuke gave me a fleeting smile. He looked straight at me with his deep shining eyes, eyes that somehow seemed to be looking far into the distance while still peering into my soul, and he said, "That's what it means to be truly in love."

(◕ω◕✿)

"This time you asked for beef bowls without thinking about it, but you couldn't make a student like Naruto-kun treat you to an expensive dinner anyway, right?" Akeno said. "I thought you'd face this obstacle one day. A gap in financial power and different financial sense are among the top three reasons that people break up."

"I don't really care about the difference in our financial statuses."

"Even if you don't care, Naruto-kun does. The more upstanding he is, the more he's probably going to obsess over it. This is what it means to be out of sync: even though you do something for the sake of one another, in the end no one benefits."

"…"

"Unlike woman, it's easier having the man be the one who's older. Because he had financial power and social status appropriate for his age, he naturally covered all expenses for dates and marriage. "

"…Why do I have to be twelve years older than him, I wonder."

The "if only" scenarios I should have hidden in the bottom of my heart once again started to rear their heads. If only he had been born twelve years earlier. If only I had been born twelve years later.

"If only we were the same age… I wonder if we could have become more of a normal couple."

"There's no such thing as a normal couple in this entire world," Akeno said harshly yet supportively. "Humans can draw a perfect sphere inside of their minds, but in reality, a perfect sphere can't exist. A normal couple is just like that. Even though each and every couple has some imperfections, couples do their best while carrying their sadness and happiness, and each partner takes the other's hand as they walk forward together."

"…"

"It might sound cliché, but in the end, you guys have to work out how you'll deal with these things yourselves," Akeno said. "Sadly, love has no correct answers."

(◕ω◕✿)

There's one thing I finally understand about the truth of romance after getting my first girlfriend and experiencing the so-called mingling of the sexes. Well, it probably sounds like I don't know what I'm talking about since I'm a virgin who hasn't even been dating their first girlfriend for a month, but there's something I've confirmed.

It's that, for better or for worse, you can only talk about love subjectively. For example, if you're talking about someone else's love, you can say as much as you like with a level head. You can look over it objectively and talk about the risks and rewards as much as you want. The reason you can do it is because it's not you. Since you're just a third party, you calculate what's going on in the relationship from a clear point of view.

Before I met my girlfriend, I don't know how many times I talked about love like a smart aleck. If an uproar about a performer's affair or an idol's steamy romance was being shown on TV, I would act like I was being philosophical about it and think, "They're acting so stupid" or "They should think about their position."

Whenever I read a manga or anime romcom, I would coldly judge the story and think "These two are obviously in love with each other, so they should just hurry up and confess already." I've also gotten mad at indecisive main characters and said, "No way they'd have all this done to them without realizing what's going on. This main character is beyond dumb."

I've even looked at stories from a shrewder, more meta perspective and thought, "Right when it seemed like the heroine was about to confess, the story ended up leading into the next volume. I guess it looked like the series would sell well, so the editor probably doesn't want to end it, and the story will probably be padded so it lasts longer. A romcom ends as soon as the protagonist starts dating someone, after all."

If you're a third party, bystander, or viewer, you can be as level-headed as you like. However, when you become the person in question, it's laughable just how much you can't keep calm. With the slightest thing you become indecisive and worry, you endlessly think about things that you have no control over, and a wrong guess will have you utterly lost, wandering this way and that. To someone looking from the sidelines it probably looks hilarious. For instance, what if I were the main character of a romcom? A reader looking at my love life like it were a story could look at everything from on high and say "You should have done this" as they deduce the correct choice.

But because I'm the person living that love life, I can't be objective. I can't look down at the story. I can't change my point of view, and I am forever in the first-person perspective. I'll never be given the ability to read the heart of another. It's unbearable how I can only speak subjectively—

"Okay, then we'll meet at ten o'clock," I said.

"Okay. I understand," Rias-san replied. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Goodnight."

With that our phone call ended. It was a phone call to confirm our plans for tomorrow, but it felt a little fake. There was a strange feeling of distance between us, as if we were separated by a margin as thin as a hair. It's been like this since the day before yesterday when we ate beef bowls. It's not like we were fighting or anything. However, that's probably why it was so awkward.

Tomorrow is our big first date. The plan is to meet up at a slightly far away station that we don't normally use, in a place where no one we know will be, and enjoy our day off together.

"…"

I opened the closet in my room and looked inside. I looked at the thing that normally shouldn't be in my room and fortified my resolve. I decided to do something tomorrow for our date. To an outsider, it no doubt seems foolish. If you think about it from the level-headed perspective of a bystander, it will probably be a futile act, and it will be hard to tell if it has any meaning. However, it's my decision and my story.

(◕ω◕✿)

The time we agreed on was ten o'clock, but thinking that I wanted to be early, I had arrived at the station where we were supposed to meet thirty minutes beforehand. I got off the train and headed to the ticket gate. I was really worried about looks from people around me, and not because it was a station I'd never used before. I was incredibly anxious wondering whether I was getting strange glances or if I was naturally blending into the crowd.

As I worried about everyone looking at me, I passed through the ticket gate. When I texted her, I found out that Rias-san had already arrived as well. My heart was racing. I let out a deep breath and prepared myself. Relax, Naruto Namikaze. There's no going back now. You can only go with the flow.

I exited out into the station's plaza, and there in the middle of a multicolored flower bed was a floral clock. We were supposed to meet in front of this floral clock, and Rias-san was already there. Thirty minutes before our scheduled meeting time, our eyes met. Also—

"Wha—?!"

"Huh?!"

The moment we looked at one another, we were both shocked. Rias-san's eyes were wide, and she looked flabbergasted. I probably had the same look on my face, as it wasn't your average kind of shock.

"W-Wait… wait a second, please…" I managed to say as I tried to calm myself down. "Why are you wearing that school uniform again?"

She was wearing a shirt with a blue blazer and a brown sweater. She also had on a pleated skirt and loafers. The ends of her hair were styled like a young girl's would be. The Rias-san in front of me was dressed like she was before, in the high school girl cosplay that was the reason we met in the first place.

"Wh-What about you, Naruto-kun?" She made the same perplexed voice as me. "Why are you wearing a suit?"

I was wearing a silver white suit with a chic necktie and leather shoes. Also, my hair was combed back with wax. Right now, I was doing my best to look tall and mature.

"I, um, borrowed this from my dad." Well, it was more like I borrowed it without asking.

Last night I did my best practicing how to tie my tie. I've never closed the collar on my school uniform, and I had a hard time with the tie. Four-in-hand knots, Windsor knots, I totally don't get it at all.

"Not that, I mean, why are you so dressed up…?"

"Because… I thought that if I was in a suit then I'd look good walking next to you."

"…"

"I also thought that if I was dressed like an adult I could treat you without you having to worry about it."

When I thought everything over, I realized that the day that I treated Rias-san to beef bowls, I was wearing my school uniform. An adult woman in a suit having her dinner paid for her by a kid in a school uniform would naturally get some strange looks. It was inconsiderate of me.

So I thought I would wear a suit on our date. I abandoned the outfit that Sasuke had coordinated for me and pulled out my dad's suit. I don't know if it was the right choice, but… even though it might have looked really silly from the outside, it was the answer that I reached after seriously thinking about it. In spite of my consideration, however…

"Rias-san… why are you in high school girl cosplay again?"

"B-Because… I thought that it would be more natural if I was dressed like this when I'm with you, Naruto-kun," she said, still confused and teary- eyed. "And, um… as for getting those beef bowls the other day, it wasn't that I was restraining myself, you know? I really, from the heart, just wanted a beef bowl…"

"I knew it."

"…You did?"

"Well, I had a feeling. You looked like you were really enjoying it when you ate."

"Being found out like that is kind of embarrassing… A-Anyway, I thought that if you said you were going to treat me today, I wouldn't hold back and I'd let you treat me to something reasonable… I figured that wearing this high school girl uniform and pretending to be a student couple would be the easiest way to let you do that.

"…Why'd you have to go and show up in a suit, Naruto-kun?"

"That's my line. Why'd you go and cosplay as a high schooler again?"

"And here I thought up a whole plan for a student date!"

"Well, I thought of a lot of stuff and planned for an adult date!"

We both spoke firmly and glared at one another. However, after a few seconds—

"…Pssh."

"Hahaha."

We both laughed. It was so silly, and it was all we could do. Also, we were just so happy.

"Hahaha. Wow, we're always like this, huh?"

"We are."

We really are always like this. We try to be considerate of each other, but before we know it we become wrapped up in ourselves, fret over it, go nowhere, fall out of sync, and then end up having something weird happen.

It's always like this—

"But it's fun."

"…Yeah," I nodded, knowing what she meant.

This is fun. Really fun. Ever since I've met Rias-san, every day I feel like I'm going to burst from having so much fun. I love her so much that sometimes I hate myself—but somehow, I'll come back to loving her and myself.

"What shall we do today? You're wearing a uniform, so it doesn't seem like we can go to the place I was thinking of."

"Hmm. I don't really think we can go to the place I was thinking of either while you're wearing that suit."

"For now, let's walk around."

"Yeah."

"So, um…"

While doing my best to make it look natural, I gathered up my courage and took her hand. I could feel how warm she was. She straightened up like she was shocked, but she didn't pull away and squeezed my hand back.

Since the both of us were inexperienced, we struggled at first with the position of our fingers, but we somehow made it look nice.

"Th-This is the first time we've held hands, huh?"

"That's right… Even though we've already seen each other naked."

"D-Don't remind me that, okay?!"

It's been a little under three weeks since we started dating, and we've finally held hands. I don't know if it's late or too soon—well, I get the feeling it's late… considering that my girlfriend is an adult, this is probably kind of a slow pace. But still, I think it's best that we go this way, at our own pace.

"Naruto-kun, you look surprisingly good in a business suit."

"Really? It feels like this suit doesn't look good on me."

"You're tall, so it really suits you."

"Thank you. You too… that uniform looks g-good on you. You really look like how a high school girl these days would look…"

"Hahaha… I'm not exactly happy about that."

After an awkward smile, she let out a small sigh. "I wonder what we look like to the people around us?"

"Who knows?"

"An older brother and his little sister in high school?"

"No way. It'd be weird if a brother and sister held hands. Well, somewhere in the world there probably are those kinds of siblings."

"Maybe it looks like a forbidden relationship between a cram school teacher and his student?"

"Perhaps people think we're having a compensated date?"

"Or… maybe everyone already knows that we're a weird couple made up of a high school boy in a business suit and an old lady pushing thirty in high school girl cosplay…" Rias-san said and made herself depressed. However, she soon raised her face and said, "Well, it doesn't matter." Her smile was beaming, and she looked truly happy.

"That's right."

At that moment, I truly didn't care what society thinks or what the world thinks; I only thought about how this moment together was more precious than anything.

We held each other's hands and walked along. A business suit-wearing high school boy and a twenty-seven-year-old woman in high school girl cosplay. From the outside we must have looked like a strange and mismatched couple. Thanks to a mistake that could have come right out of some old fairytale, our first date ended up like this. From here on out we'll probably make mistakes like this time and again. We'll make tons of mistakes and probably sometimes even hurt one another. However, it will definitely be okay because it's us. I have no basis for it, but that's what I think.

Rias—Rias Gremory, twenty-seven years old. She's slightly older, but she's my super cute girlfriend.

.

.

.