Introduction (7 oct 2020)

After the 'complications' of the previous chapter, both with writing and the events in the story, it sure felt like it was time for some 'feel good' moments. A little change of pace can be refreshing for both writer and reader, right? So, what has Kazuya been preparing for Ruka? Let's find out!

Update 15 feb 2021: fixed an error where I typed 'Raku' instead of 'Ruka'. No storyline changes were made.

Note: If you want to comment on this story, or any of my other stories, you're welcome to leave a review, preferably as registered member, as this allows much more interaction between writer and reviewer. If there are parts you felt lacking, or disliked, please let me know this as well. Things can appear amazing in my perception, while others might think very differently. I'm eager to hear such feedback as well, since praise is always nice, and can confirm being on the right track, criticism is often what helps more to improve.

Note 2: You may notice the date of this prologue is set before chapter 3 was finished. That is because I had already started working on this for a bit, while still being busy with the previous chapter.

Story Prologue:

After Kazuya had been spending most of yesterday afternoon planning a special surprise for Ruka, to make up for forgetting her birthday, and also for some other things he did, today was the day to set the plan in motion. Will all of this work out as Kazuya had in mind?

The Perfect (?) Date – part 1

"Kazuyaaa!" Ruka yelled, waving her arm while she came running in his direction.

"Ah, there you are," Kazuya sighed, as he was checking the time on his phone.

"Sorry I'm a little late, but I just couldn't decide on what to wear today..." Ruka explained. "… since you've been preparing something special, I figured I should be looking special too, right? So, what do you think?" she added, while turning around to show off her outfit.

"Sorry, but there's no time for that now…" Kazuya said, as he grabbed Ruka by the hand, and pulled her along, "…we've got to hurry, or we'll miss the train!"

"Huh!?" Ruka said, trying to keep up with Kazuya, while he was running towards the station.

Luckily, they were able to get on board just in time. After catching her breath again, Ruka looked around to see what exact train they were on.

"Wait, isn't this the Yamanote line?" Ruka asked; "So you remembered…" she added, referring to a story she had shared with Kazuya on her first birthday they had celebrated together, when she was still his 'trial' girlfriend.

Kazuya nodded, while smiling.

"That's sweet of you…" Ruka said, "… wait, is that the big surprise already?" she added, looking slightly disappointed.

"Oh no, this is only the beginning…" Kazuya reassured her, "… just you wait and see. For now let's sit back, relax and take a look out the window, to enjoy the view. I think we should already be quite close to that station you told me about."

"Uh, ok…" Ruka replied, meanwhile wondering what other things Kazuya had planned for her.

Now Kazuya had the time to take a closer look at Ruka's appearance. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless dress, with a colourful flower pattern. The neck piece was v-shaped, very mature, but not too revealing. The fabric seemed like silk, as it appeared to be very soft, and followed the shapes of Ruka's body in a very natural way. The ribbon in her hair was made from the same fabric as the dress and matched the rest of her outfit seamlessly. 'Wow!' was all that Kazuya could initially think.

'She's just as pretty as Mizuhara, or maybe even prettier!' Kazuya further pondered. 'Wait, what am I doing!? I really should stop comparing Ruka to Mizuhara all the time, like it's still some battle. Ruka is definitely in a class of her own, I should consider her more like an "R-class beauty", I guess…' Kazuya thought, smiling.

"Kazuya, look!" Ruka interrupted his thoughts; "It's those cherry trees I've told you about! They're just as pretty as I remember it!"

"You were right, these really do look beautiful!" Kazuya said, as he leaned forward, to get a better view, bringing his face closer to Ruka's at the same time.

'She smells so nice, I could just kiss her right here, and then…' Kazuya pulled the 'emergency brake' on his thoughts. 'Get a hold of yourself, Kazuya, this is her day, don't focus on what you want to do!'

"Huh? Kazuya…?" Ruka said, as she turned her head, and looked straight into his eyes.

"Uh, I-I'm just enjoying the view, and got a bit lost in thought, I guess…" Kazuya explained.

"You are a silly boy at times, you know…" Ruka said, smiling, as she winked at him.

"That's just what my grandma keeps saying," Kazuya replied, with a smile on his face as well.

"Well, she knows you a lot longer than I do, so she must be right," Ruka confirmed; "How about we order something? Because I was running late this morning, I didn't get to eat much before I left…"

"I can get something for you…" Kazuya suggested, "… what would you like?"

A little later Ruka was eating a sandwich that Kazuya had gotten for her. Meanwhile he was looking outside, again lost in thought. 'I haven't even told grandma yet about these recent events. She still thinks I'm dating Mizuhara, and that Ruka is just her friend…' he pondered. 'I even told my parents and grandma that Ruka is a pathological liar. Why did I make up that crazy story, just to cover up my own stupid lies!? It won't be easy to explain to them how things really are. Especially since grandma had basically already given her blessing to Mizuhara…'

"Hey, what's with that worried look on your face?" Ruka wondered; "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, there are some things I've got to set straight, back home…" Kazuya replied, "… but it's nothing for you to worry about, and… ouch! What was that for!?" he added, as Ruka slapped him on the arm.

"Will you stop acting like you have to do everything on your own?" Ruka said, giving Kazuya a slightly angry look, "I am your girlfriend, remember!? So, whatever it is, we can handle it, together!"

"R-Ruka…?" Kazuya stuttered, baffled by the young girl's resolve.

"I've told you a few times before that I am serious about you!" Ruka continued; "I may be younger than you or Mizuhara, but I want you to know I meant what I said back then, in the hotel, and a few more times since then! I'm there for you all the way!"

"Uh, s-sure… I promise I'll try not to do it all by myself, from now on," Kazuya gave in, seeing the look of commitment in Ruka's eyes; "Besides, you're actually part of the whole situation anyway. But we shouldn't be discussing this right now, today should be all about having fun together."

"Ok…" Ruka agreed, "… so, where are we going anyway? Are we nearly there yet?"

"We should be at Shinjuku Station soon. From there we will take the Express Line to Fujikyu-Highland station," Kazuya further explained.

"Are we going to make a trip around the country?" Ruka wondered.

"You'll see..." Kazuya replied, with a mysterious smile on his face.

Not long after that, they arrived at Shinjuku Station. Because Kazuya had made reservations, they got a private cabin in the Express Line. A little while after the train had departed from the station, Ruka started to get a bit tired, as it turned out she hadn't been able to get much sleep last night, from all the excitement over going on a special date with him. Soon Kazuya felt Ruka's head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed. 'Is she really sleeping now, or just pretending?' he wondered. 'It doesn't matter, I mean, how can I object to a cute girl like Ruka using me for a pillow? Especially since she now really is my girlfriend…'

After a while, Ruka's breathing changed somewhat, revealing she must have actually fallen asleep now. Kazuya watched the landscape passing by, while thinking about the talk he was soon to have with his grandma. Till a little later he dozed off too, his head leaning against Ruka's…

"Attention, please! We are currently approaching Fujikyu-Highland station. Thank you for using our railway services and we wish you all a very nice day!" the announcer's voice suddenly sounded from the speaker, waking up Kazuya.

"Ruka? We're almost there," Kazuya whispered.

"Huh?" was Ruka's first reaction, as she was awakening from her slumber. She stared at Kazuya with big dreamy eyes; "I wonder… is this how it feels to wake up next to your boyfriend?" she whispered.

'Waking up next to… wait!? What is she hinting at?' Kazuya wondered, as he struggled to keep his mind from thinking about spending the night with his super cute travel companion.

The two youngsters gathered their things, and a few minutes later, they were standing outside the train station, facing a large amusement park.

"Is that… where we are going?" Ruka asked, as her eyes grew bigger.

"Yes, I've got tickets for Fuji-Q Highland for the both of us," Kazuya replied, smiling.

"You do?" Ruka cheered, "I've always wanted to go there! What are we waiting for? Come on!" she added, while running towards the entrance.

After passing the ticket check at the entrance gate, Ruka spun around, to take a quick look at the park's highlights, her eyes shining brightly.

"Kazuya! Look at all those roller coasters!" she cheered; "Oh! They also have a Ferris Wheel! And there's a vertical drop thing! Where should we go first!?"

"Well, since it's your day, you decide," Kazuya replied, with a smile.

"Really? That's so sweet of you!" Ruka said, her face beaming. "Wait, I'll first make a selfie, then we'll have a look at the park map, and make some plans."

Ruka struck a pose in front of the park entrance gate, to take a picture. A few boys noticed her and started to comment on her appearance like: "Look at that cute girl!", "Dude, I'd totally die for a date with her…" and "Really hoping that's her brother she's with…"

After posting the picture, Ruka walked back to Kazuya and quickly grabbed his hand, causing the boys that had been watching her, sigh with disappointment, before moving on. 'Is it just me, or does Ruka look even better than usual today?' Kazuya wondered. While she was usually bright and bubbly, with a positive attitude, Ruka seemed to be shining more than ever before…

"You are so incredibly cute…" Kazuya thought out loud.

Ruka instantly stopped walking but didn't say a word.

"Wait, did I say something wrong?" Kazuya asked; "It just slipped out…"

"Do you realize… this is the first time you made me a compliment without me asking for it?" Ruka countered his question with another one.

"Uh… it is?" Kazuya replied, surprised.

'Have I been that inconsiderate all this time?' he wondered. 'But I guess it's true. Usually, for instance she'd ask how a new dress looked on her, and then I'd comment on her appearance. Just like during our trial period, she's always been the one to take the initiative, and I was just reacting to it, mostly tagging along, or even backing out of it at times. So, it's no wonder it's such a big deal for her to suddenly get a spontaneous compliment from me…'

"Better late than never, I guess…" Kazuya said, while nervously rubbing the back of his head, "…sorry about not being more…"

"Stop!" Ruka interrupted him, as she turned around to face Kazuya, while still holding his hand; "How many times do I have to tell you I don't look back at what you did in the past? Let's just have fun together now, ok?"

"Eh, s-sure, that is what we came here for," Kazuya admitted; "You're totally right."

"Ok! And I think I know now where I want to go first," Ruka said, with her usual happy voice; "Let's try that one!"

She pointed towards a big roller coaster, that towered above most of the other attractions in the amusement park.

"Are you sure?" Kazuya asked, as the attraction seemed pretty 'thrilling' to him.

"Yes! I've wanted to do this for such a long time…" Ruka replied, while they started walking in the direction of the ride she had chosen.

Ruka thought about how in the past she had also been to an amusement park with some girls from her class. She hesitated to call them 'friends', as she had always felt this distance between her and the other kids, due to her heart condition and not being able to really relate to how others were feeling. Ruka remembered how back then, after riding a roller coaster, her classmates would be all hyped up from the thrill of being on that ride, while Ruka had felt nothing, like she was some kind of robot. 'This time it will be different, it just has to be!' she thought.

'Takabisha: The steepest roller coaster in the world! Amazing 121 degrees angle drop! Certified world record! Sudden rise while looking at the sky' were some of the things Kazuya could read from the description on the sign near the attraction's entrance.

"D-Do… you really want to do this?" Kazuya asked again.

"Oh yes!" Ruka assured him, her eyes shining bright and fiery.

The youngsters joined the queue, to wait in line, and a while later they were seated in a single cart that could hold 8 passengers, getting ready for departure. Ruka had insisted on sitting in the front row seats, because these would provide the best view. The signal went to green and the cart slowly started moving, then suddenly entered a totally dark section, made a roll and accelerated outside fast, pressing the two back in their seats. Next up was a series of various twists and loops, causing Ruka to scream with excitement, before arriving at a flat and more docile piece of track again.

"Everything still ok?" Kazuya asked Ruka, while looking at her.

"Yes! This is just so awesome!" the dark-haired girl cheered, with a beaming face; "And the best part is yet to come! Woohoo!"

"What do you mean by th…?" Kazuya wondered, when suddenly the cart got pulled forward, because it got grabbed by the elevator chain.

'Shoot! I forgot about the second part!' Kazuya thought, as the cart quickly got pulled up vertically and they found themselves looking straight up at the sky. At the top of the ramp, the cart rolled forward just a little, and then suddenly came to a full stop, leaning forward!

"Look, Kazuya! There's Mount Fuji!" Ruka cheered, clearly enjoying the view.

But before Kazuya could look around as well, the brakes got released, and the cart initially plunged forward slowly, before accelerating rapidly, as if it was falling! Ruka grabbed his hand and screamed at the top of her lungs. 'Is that my own heart I feel beating now, or hers?' it flashed through Kazuya's mind, while he felt Ruka's body pressing against his, as the cart hurled further down the ramp. After another section of spiralling loops and twists, they arrived at the station again.

"You ok?" Kazuya asked Ruka, who was standing with her back turned towards him, after they had gotten out of the cart.

"That… was totally amazing!" Ruka cheered, as she presented her phone to Kazuya, the display showing '100 bpm', a new record. "By the way, I hope I didn't hurt your hand too much…"

"Nah, I'll be fine…" Kazuya assured her, "... and seeing you having so much fun makes it all totally worth it anyways."

"Thanks for taking me here!" Ruka said, as she gave Kazuya a quick kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush slightly. "Now, let's see where we should go next," she added.

"Eh, how about we get some lunch first?" Kazuya suggested, as his eyes had noticed the words 'Food Stadium' on the building next to the Takabisha roller coaster.

"Well, I am kinda hungry…" Ruka replied, "… I was so hyped up about going on a trip with you, that I couldn't eat a single bite this morning. That sandwich you got for me, back on the train, was basically my breakfast…" she admitted, while shyly looking down.

"And you are the one telling me I need to make sure I am eating right?" Kazuya said, laughing.

They went inside the restaurant and looked over the menu. Ruka ordered the Stadium curry, because she liked how the rice was shaped like Mount Fuji, while Kazuya decided upon ordering another local specialty, the Star Bowl dish. After they had finished eating, Ruka wanted to get up, to go to the next attraction, but Kazuya suddenly held her back.

"Huh? Kazuya?" Ruka asked, as she sat down again, wondering what had gotten into him.

"Not so fast, I've got something for you…" Kazuya said.

"But… I thought this trip was already your gift to me?" Ruka wondered, really surprised.

"Guess I can always take it back to the store if you don't want it…" Kazuya teased her.

"Oh no! Too late, mister!" Ruka objected; "Now you already made me curious."

"Well, in that case…" Kazuya started.

He reached into his backpack, and took out a big, flat parcel, then handed it over to Ruka. She quickly ripped off the gift wrap, revealing a stylish shoulder bag.

"Wow! It's just the one I was saving up for," Ruka cheered, with a beaming smile on her face, as she held up the bag to look at it from all sides; "How did you know I wanted to get this?"

"Let's just say I had a little help here and there…" Kazuya explained, "… so, you do like it then?"

"I love it! Thanks!" Ruka replied, with a big smile on her face; "You're really spoiling me."

"Isn't that what a boyfriend is supposed to do?" Kazuya asked.

The blush appearing on Ruka's cheeks clearly revealed how she felt about this. She started to move the contents of her 'trusty' kid-chic bag over to the one she had just gotten from Kazuya. Once Ruka had finished doing that, she put the old shoulder bag away in Kazuya's backpack.

"Can you take a picture of me?" Ruka asked, as she stood up and turned around, swinging the new shoulder bag along with her.

"Sure," Kazuya replied, and he took out his phone, made a few pictures, then handed the phone over to Ruka, so she could send the best photos over to her smartphone, to post these on her blog.

"All done!" Ruka started, after having updated her social media account. "Here you are again…" she said, while reaching out her hand to return Kazuya's phone to him.

But before he could take it, Ruka suddenly felt Kazuya's smartphone vibrating…

"Oh, I believe you just got a new message…" Ruka added, just as Kazuya wanted to take the phone from her hands, "… huh!?"

'We need to talk about us!' it read on the screen, sender 'Chizuru Mizuhara'…

(To be continued…)

Epilogue (17 oct 2020)

This chapter overall felt very relaxing to write. The change of pace and overall vibe, but also doing some background research, such as checking out videos of Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, almost felt like being on a trip myself. Though I'm not sure I would dare go for a ride in that Takabisha 121 degrees vertical drop roller coaster… The loops and the other track moves, I can probably handle, but that 'hang time' moment, I'm sure my heartrate would easily surpass 100bpm, lol.

But… the question remains; Did Ruka read the message that appeared on Kazuya's phone? And if she did, would this ruin her special day with him? I guess we'll find out in the next chapter…

Please let me know what you think of this story and leave some feedback in the form of a review. If you are logged in on this website, and post a review as registered member, I can even reply to your comments. Looking forward to some more interaction with the people who read my fanfics!

Btw, since I am not a native speaker, there will likely be some silly mistakes in this story. As for the punctuation, maybe I made the same mistakes as in previous stories, or even made some new ones. Hope you can bear with me and see through that. Helpful tips and suggestions are welcome.

Stay safe, and maybe until soon!