I'm still alive! Sorry for the wait. I hereby deliver the eighth chapter to you lovely readers!
ミ コ ト • Mikoto
Chapter 8: First Date
Previously:
"BED WETTER MOMO, I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!"
Renji frowned. "Is it just me, or does Nemu sort of remind you guys of a girl in a creepy horror movie?"
"Heehee, Momo-Chan, we did it! We managed to pass the first round!" Rangiku wrapped her arms around Momo.
Toshiro blushed slightly. "Happy birthday, Bed wetter Momo."
"Momo, listen to me, you're a good girl, brought up by lovely parents. However, they won't be able to see you for your birthday."
I remember that was the hardest time I'd ever cried in my life. Toshiro didn't say a word to me, until I calmed down. Granny looked after me, and Toshiro stayed by my side all the time, despite all the bad rumors about him. People blamed him for my parent's death. They all said he was bad luck.
Even though Toshiro was still there, I remember that was the loneliness time for me.
"Don't worry, Momo. I'll continue to support and stand by you, just like I've always done."
•
"Momo-Chan~!" sang Matsumoto.
"H-Hai…?"
"Are you excited for two days' time?!" grinned the orange-haired beauty.
"Um…no?" blinked Momo.
"What?! But in two days' time the second round starts!"
"Ahaha…is that so?"
"Yes! And guess what?!"
"What?"
"This time, they've set a theme for it. Again, it's about fashion though."
"What is the theme?" smiled Momo.
"The theme is-'What you would wear on your first date'! Sounds pretty simple, right?" winked Rangiku.
"I suppose so…"
The bell rang, signaling for class to start. Rangiku started to leave the classroom. "I look forward to going up against you, Momo-Chan! See you!"
"Something I would wear on my first date…?"
•
"And where did you get that ridiculous idea from?" muttered Toshiro.
"Please! Just this once, Lil' Shiro?" She grabbed his hands, and looked at his turquoise eyes.
"What-?! No way!" He shook his head. "And you still haven't answered my question."
She sighed. "It's for the contest. The theme is 'What you would wear to a first date'."
"Hah? Can't you just pick something out of your wardrobe?" Toshiro scratched his head.
"No! I just heard from some other girls, that they'll pair you up with a random guy, and you have to act as if it is your first time on a date!"
"So…you have to make it look like you two are the best couple for this round?"
"Hai. They'll ask questions and such. I also heard there's a photo shoot as well." Momo looked serious.
"Eh…I thought you didn't want anything to do with the contest…"
"I don't, but it's better to get this over and done with, right?!" She grinned.
"Even so, you could just fail and it'd be finished faster…" he sighed.
"I want a good reputation in this school! You know, like building up a good image!"
"…I don't think you need to build up a fake image of yourself. You're fine the way you are, Momo." He looked into her chocolate eyes.
Hinamori's cheeks tinged pink. "N-Nani…" she quickly broke the intense eye contact. "Anyways!"
"Hm?"
"Toshiro, please go on a date with me! I already told you the reason why!" she pleaded.
"Don't you understand the meaning of no? I'm not going on an intimidate meeting with the opposite gender!" he groaned.
"…That is the longest way of calling a 'date', I have ever heard." mumbled Momo.
"Hn." He shrugged it off.
"Demo…It'll be my first date, so it's perfect practice for the competition!" whined Momo.
"That's why I think it's pointless! You're doing all this for a competition. Someone's first date should be a meeting that's very special to them…Not experience for some petty competition." said Hitsugaya.
"You sound like you know a lot…" She folded her arms.
"Urk! No, I don't! It's just common knowledge!" he waved his hands.
"Well, I'm not giving up. Lil' Shiro, if you meet me at my house tomorrow, at 12:00 PM, then I'll stop calling you 'Lil' Shiro'."
"Just go ask someone else!" He flapped his hand in front of her.
"Like who?" she tilted her head to the side.
"Like…Kira, or even Abarai." He mumbled.
"Hmm…" she glanced at the two boys.
"?"
"Fine, I think I will!" she pouted, and strolled over to them.
"…She's actually going to ask?" blinked the snow-haired boy.
"Izuru-Kun, Renji-Kun! Do you two have a minute?" the peach smiled at the two.
They both looked up from their card game. "Sure?"
"Well, I was wondering if tomorrow…"
"She's actually asking…!" gasped Hitsugaya.
"And if one of you is available, then I was thinking, maybe…"
Hitsugaya grabbed Hinamori's wrist, and quickly pulled her away from the two.
"Eh? Lil' Shiro?"
"…I'll go."
"Ee to…"
"I'll meet you tomorrow, at your house, 12:00 PM, for your 'First Date'."
Hinamori brightened. "Honto Ni?!"
"Yes." nodded her childhood friend.
"Ureshikatta ~!" she hugged him.
"Aghh-Momo?! Oi-People are watching!"
•
Why did I agree to this…? Sighed Toshiro, as he looked at the time on his watch. He was exactly one minute early.
"Lil' Shiro!" called a cheerful voice.
He looked up, to see Hinamori waving at him from upstairs window. He waved lazily. "Hey."
"What do you think I should wear on a first date…?" asked Hinamori.
"Why are you asking me?!"
"Well, you know…I thought you'd know something…"
Hitsugaya groaned. "I'm coming up." he unlocked her front door with the spare key he received from her years ago.
Hinamori sat on her bed, looking at her closet thoughtfully.
He stood next to her, and also looked inside her closet. "Hm…"
"?" she looked at him.
"I'm not sure if this also applies to girls…but apparently, if you're going on a first date, the best style to go in is the casual look."
"The casual look…?"
"For example, what I'm wearing right now."
Hinamori examined him. He was wearing a dark blue short sleeved jacket, with a black shirt underneath. His pants were a light grey, and he had a simple silver chain around his neck.
"Wow…Lil' Shiro, you look great!" admired Momo.
"Erm…thank you, I suppose?" he turned his head away in embarrassment.
"You're welcome!" She stood up, and went through her wardrobe. "Hm…this one? Or maybe…"
Toshiro picked out a light pink cardigan. "How about this one? With…" he opened a drawer. "This." And handed her a white spring dress.
"A pink cardigan and a white dress underneath?" mumbled Momo.
"Yep. I think it suits you. It's pretty casual, and it's not overdone. Try it on."
She walked into the bathroom, and did so. Minutes passed, and she came out.
Toshiro looked at her, from head to toe. He then nodded in approval. "That'll do."
"But what about my hair? And shoes?"
He folded his arms. "I don't really understand why I'm helping a girl with fashion, but whatever. Show me your shoes."
She took out a few pairs of shoes. He put a hand to his chin. "You don't have much of a selection…"
"Hmph, sorry for not buying tons of shoes!" she pouted.
He chuckled. "I didn't say it was a bad thing." He picked up some white ribbon flats. "Wear these ones."
She put them on, and walked around.
"Comfortable?" asked the white haired boy.
"Hai!" she sat in front of her mirror. "Now…what should I do for my hair…?"
"I'm sure you can work this one out." He sat down on her bed.
After a small while, she decided to keep her dark hair down; and had a small clip held back some of her hair. She then stood up, and smiled angelically at her childhood friend. "Shall we go?"
He quickly blinked, realizing he was staring. "Uh…sure. Where to?"
"Um…"
"You asked me out, and you don't even know where to go?"
"T-That is…!" she tried to think of a place. No good; nothing came to mind.
He held his watch up. "Time is a vital part of a date."
"Eh? How so?" she glanced at his watch.
"Right now, it's 12:30 PM. Around that time, is when people eat lunch. So, the first thing you should think of is where to grab a bite."
"Ah! I see! Um…where should we eat…?" she put a finger to her chin.
Hitsugaya sighed. She really is clueless… "I won't suggest a place, because it doesn't work that way. I'll give you some tips though."
She tuned in. "Okay?"
"For a first date, never go to a fast food place. Never go somewhere that's close by, because it proves that you're lazy. Don't go to a place too far either. You shouldn't choose a cheap place, or else your partner may be disappointed in you. Don't choose an expensive place though, or else your partner may expect more expensive things from you. The only time you can ever choose a cheap place, is when you know the food quality is reasonably fine, and if your partner likes that type of food."
Momo scribbled all of that into a notebook. "That makes sense…"
"Why are you writing all this down?" he raised an eyebrow.
"So I will remember all this for tomorrow!"
He confiscated her note book. "You won't have the time to look at your note book. The best way to learn is to experience it yourself, and put yourself into a similar situation. Now, let's stop wasting time."
•
They walked through town together, side by side. "Hey, Lil' Shiro?"
"Nandayo?" he looked at Hinamori.
"How come you know so much?" she glanced at his face.
"Er…I don't! It's just…general knowledge! Everyone around here knows this stuff!" he avoided eye contact.
"Hm…really?"
"It's just because you only came back recently, so that's why you know so little!" he lied.
"If you say so~"
They continued walking. Hitsugaya felt a small tug on his sleeve. "?"
Hinamori pointed to their left. "Instead of sitting down and eating, why don't we grab something from there, and eat it while walking? That way we can still make it to the destination, with no delays."
"Good, you're starting to catch on." They headed towards the food stall.
They were selling freshly made crepes.
"I'll buy us both one…" Toshiro took out his wallet.
"Oh, okay then." replied Hinamori.
"Wrong!"
"Eh?!" Hinamori blinked, surprised.
The stall owner just looked at the two customers, like: 'What's going on?'
"You shouldn't accept your partner's offer so easily!"
"Nani? Doushite?"
"Because, they might start to think: 'Oh, so she just wants me to pay for everything.' What if they start to think that you're just a selfish little brat?"
"Ah, you've got a point!"
"We'll try that again." He grabbed his wallet again. "I'll buy us both one…"
The stall owner sweat dropped.
Hinamori gently put Hitsugaya's hand down. "No, I'll pay."
"Hm? Really?" questioned Toshiro.
"Yes, I insist." smiled Momo. "Excuse me, two crepes please."
"Correct, but sometimes, your partner might object. If that happens, just let them pay." nodded Toshiro.
"What flavors?" asked the stall owner.
"I'll have a strawberry with chocolate sauce. And he'll have…" she looked at her friend.
Toshiro looked at the stall owner. "Lemon and sugar, thanks."
Minutes later, they were walking the streets and eating their crepes.
"Now, Hinamori, where are we heading to? We've already gotten something to eat, so what next?" quizzed Toshiro.
She put a finger to her chin. "Um…let's see…"
"Here's a hint. The main part of the date is depending on what place you spend a lot of time at. Choose a place that you'd think would be fun for your partner and yourself." He whispered.
"Ee to…let's go to the amusement park!" she cheered.
"Haha, now we're talking!"
•
They soon arrived at the big colorful playground.
"What should we ride first?" smiled Toshiro.
"Hmm…let's ride that!"
"If you want to."
•
They queued up for the ride.
"This ride…I don't want to go on it. I'll just watch you…" mumbled Toshiro, as he backed away.
"Eh? Why?" asked Hinamori, innocently.
"To be honest…it'll harm my pride."
"…It's just the 'Merry-Go-Round'!" she pulled on his sleeve.
"That's the point! A 'Merry-Go-Round' is for children! Young children!" he pointed at the spinning ride, with kiddy music, and ponies going up and down.
"But I haven't been on it since I was small! Please, Lil' Shiro~?"
"No…!" he took a step back.
Hinamori gave him the puppy eyes. The irresistible ones. "Onegai, Toshiro?"
"…Fine."
"Yay!"
Hinamori got onto a white horse, and Hitsugaya took the brown one next to her. The ride started going around.
"Heehee, I haven't been on this for such a long time~!" the wind swept Momo's hair.
Toshiro couldn't help, but keep looking around. Just in case if there was someone he knew watching.
•
"What should we do next?" asked Momo, in a chirpy mood.
"My turn to pick…"
"Eh…the line is quite long." pouted Momo.
"Too bad, we're riding this." Toshiro stuck his feet to the ground. He wasn't going to move from this spot, unless if the line was moving forward.
"I think I'll pass…" murmured Momo.
"Hm? Scared now, are we?" teased Toshiro.
"What? No, just…I don't really fancy the roller coaster…" she trailed off.
The line started moving. Toshiro grabbed her arm, and dragged her. "You made me ride the Merry-Go-Round, this is revenge."
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo!" she shook her head, as the safety part of the chair came down, to secure them.
The roller coaster zoomed off. It was speeding, turning sharp corners, and Momo shut her eyes tightly, trying not to scream. Whereas Toshiro was just laughing.
It suddenly slowed down, and Momo opened her eyes. They were going uphill. Oh, well, this part of the ride isn't so bad… It stopped moving. "Lil' Shiro, is it supposed to stop like thi-"
The roller coaster went down at full speed.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" screamed Hinamori, as she clenched the safety part tighter.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Hitsugaya couldn't stop laughing.
•
"Ah, that was fun." Hitsugaya walked out, feeling satisfied.
Momo felt sick. "Ugh…"
He smirked. "Next?"
•
"Whoa!" Toshiro dodged some random white thing that could've hit him. "The heck…?"
"Kya!" Hinamori clutched onto Toshiro's arm.
"What's wrong, Momo?!" He looked at her.
"T-That thing…I swear, it moved…!" she was trembling in fear.
"Hah…why did you suggest the haunted house, if you're scared in the first thirty seconds?" mumbled Toshiro.
"Because…I don't kno-AGGHHH WHAT IS THAT?!" she screamed.
He shook his head. Sheesh…
They both froze to the spot, as they heard a low growl. They slowly turned around, and saw a ghost, coming straight towards them. Pale deadly hands, a gown stained red, long black hair hid the face, sharp nails piercing through the air.
Hinamori and Hitsugaya looked at each other, then immediately ran as fast as they could. It kept chasing them, and they accidentally ran into a labyrinth. "OH MY FREAKIN GOD, IT'S STILL CHASING US!"
•
They successfully made it outside the maze. They were panting heavily.
"I'm…huff…going to have nightmares…hahh…" puffed Hinamori.
"Phew…" Toshiro looked at his watch. "Hinamori."
"Yes?"
"Want to go to the bumper cars before we head to the Ferris Wheel lights?" asked Toshiro.
She nodded. "Hai!"
•
"I won't lose to you, Lil' Shiro!" grinned Momo, as she put her seat belt on.
"Ha, you're too confident." smirked Toshiro, as he buckled himself in. "It's on."
They both drove like crazy, and kept going around. Turning sharp corners at full speed, smashing into walls, and loud ear piercing screeches; it was insane.
Toshiro bumped into Momo's car on purpose. He then continued to crash into her car, and scraped her car against the wall. "Eek! Lil' Shiro, stop it!"
He laughed. "It's not Lil' Shiro, it's Toshiro!" he then retreated.
Few seconds later, he felt another car crashing into the back of his. "Oi!" he turned, and saw Momo smiling.
"You're asking for it!"
They both crashed into each other, and Momo soon managed to get Toshiro stuck in a corner. The two cracked up laughing.
It's been a long time…since I've been able to laugh like this. –thought Momo.
•
Hitsugaya grabbed Hinamori's hand. "C'mon, let's head over to the Ferris Wheel!"
"Okay!" she smiled happily.
The two hopped into a carriage. And they slowly drifted higher and higher. The stars were shining brightly, and the moon glowed over them. They looked down, and could see a night parade taking place. All of a sudden, beautiful colored lights flashed on, and they shone exquisitely.
Hinamori gasped in awe, as she pressed her face to the glassed window. "Wow!"
Hitsugaya smiled softly, as he gazed at his childhood friend. "Kirei, ne?"
"Yes, very!" Momo couldn't take her eyes off of the pretty lights.
Toshiro coughed.
She looked at him. "Something wrong?"
"Iie…Nandemonai." When I meant beautiful…I was talking about you, not the lights. But I won't tell her that.
•
"Today was all smiles." smirked a pleased Toshiro.
"Indeed! Indeed!" smiled Momo, cheerfully.
"I'll walk you home." And Toshiro did just that. After all, they do live in the same area.
Momo didn't even realize that she was holding Toshiro's hand. She just kept chatting happily away about today's events.
Once they had reached her house, Toshiro said his goodbyes. "Good night, Momo."
She nodded, and thanked him, "Thank you for today, Lil' Shiro!" that's when she realized she was holding his hand. She immediately let go, and felt her face heat up. Thank god it's dark…
He smiled. "You'll do fine tomorrow. All you need to remember is to have fun."
Hinamori couldn't wipe the smile off her face. "Yes, and I'll remember the things you've taught me!"
"You better." Toshiro patted her head. "Well, I'm off now. Sweet dreams." He walked off coolly.
I'm glad I ended up going on a date with her…
•
The next day…
"…And as you all know, you'll be paired up with random guys from the audience." finished Yoruichi.
Izuru mumbled, "So that's why all the guys had to write their name on a piece of paper before they entered the hall…"
Yosh! This is it! I'm ready! Momo was determined to score well.
"Rangiku Matsumoto, your partner will be…"
Matsumoto smirked confidently. I'll nail this!
"Student Teacher, Gin Ichimaru."
"What?! Teachers/Student Teachers count?!" exclaimed Rangiku, shocked.
Yoruichi smiled. "I did say any random guy in the audience."
Ichimaru walked up, with that same fox smile. "Treat me well, Rangiku-Chan~"
"Next, is Soi Fon. Your partner will be…"
"Hmph. Better not be anyone foolish." She folded her arms.
"Vice Chairman, Byakuya Kuchiki."
Everyone gasped. "The vice chairman?!"
Soi Fon blinked. "What?! Chairman/Vice Chairman counts?!"
Yoruichi smirked. "Well, I did say any random guy in the audience."
"Don't get any funny ideas!" glared Soi Fon.
"I won't, as long as you don't." replied Byakuya, coolly.
Soi Fon sighed. It wasn't going to be easy. Especially because Byakuya was practically emotionless.
Lots of the contestants were hoping they wouldn't get the chairman, Yamamoto. Just so happens he's sitting in the crowd.
A few more names were called.
"Momo Hinamori's partner is…"
Yoruichi unfolded the paper. "Toshiro Hitsugaya!"
Momo and Toshiro stared at each other. Did I hear that correctly?
He made his way up to the stage. Hinamori smiled at him. "Looks like my destined partner is Lil' Shiro!"
Toshiro chuckled. "Yes, except this will be our second date."
•
It was like a repeat of yesterday. They both had fun, despite all eyes watching them. Hinamori followed his advice, casual clothes, eating place depending on the time, and the main place which is fun for both.
They did the photo shoot together, wearing matching couple outfits. Toshiro was wearing an icy blue shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His pants were of the same color, but slightly darker. Hinamori was wearing an icy blue slightly frilly dress. Her hair was down, and she had a lighter shade of blue headband.
She had passed the round with flying colors, and it was probably the first time she ever enjoined the contest. And it was all thanks to Toshiro.
"Arigato, Lil' Shiro."
-End of Chapter 8-
Japanese Translations:
Hai-Yes
Ee to-Um, Uh, Er, etc.
Demo-But
Honto Ni-Really
Ureshikatta-I'm so happy
Nandayo-What is it
Nani-What
Doushite-Why
Onegai-Please
Kirei-Beautiful
Ne-Right, or something used to catch someone's attention
Iie-No
Nandemonai-Nothing, Never mind, etc.
Yosh-Yes, in an informal way
•
Aw, it was sweet~! Well, tune in next time everyone! :D
ミ コ ト • Mikoto
•
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