─ ─ ─ ─ ─ [Part 1].
Classes had ended by then.
By that time, it was already past noon.
I had asked Manabu-kun to let me go home before we left together. That way I could have a chance to change into clothes more appropriate for going out.
I decided to wear not-so-tight jeans, a black shirt under a lumberjack-style T-shirt. I'm not really into girly clothes, after all, but I still wear sexy lacy underwear, just in case.
I let my hair down, so I won't be mistaken for a boy. Although I'm wearing a cap, this is because of the sun.
Truth be told, I feel a little uncomfortable from the sights of people passing around. Even if I can feel a little more relaxed since it's Manabu-kun who I'm going out with, it's not like I can get rid of my complexes so easily.
My uncle came back from his trip this morning, and seeing me dressed up and ready to leave the house so easily, he gave me money to enjoy myself.
I count 20,000¥ in all, I think that's more than enough to have a good afternoon's fun.
I guess I could let go of my wallet a bit, haha....
Suddenly a cold feeling attacked the back of my neck.
─Hyah!
I shouted out of reflex, turning to look at the person behind me.
Then, aside from leaving a stupid expression on my face, I was completely blocked looking at this person. He's wearing black jeans, along with a rather sloppy pair of black and white sneakers, he's wearing a white t-shirt with the design of some famous video game logo on it, and as an outer garment, he's wearing a simple black and green jacket.
Nothing fits too big or too tight, it is the ideal size. Him color scheme is monochromatic, but it has quite a high contrast with the green color part on that jacket.
─Manabu-kun.
─I hope I'm not late.
I call this guy by name, ignoring the terrible behavior I had a moment ago. Well, it's not like you came late either, maybe I was the one who came too early.
I pull my smartphone out of my pants and open the camera app from the quick access.
─Can I take a picture of you?
At my question, Manabu-kun tilts his head a little to the right, maybe he's confused.
Well, I have to explain.
─I want to save in my memory and in my phone this epic moment, you look too cool wearing that in my opinion. So I was wondering, can I take a picture of you?
Manabu-kun said, "Ah, so that's it."
First of all, he passes me a can of orangeade. It's so hot and he's quite considerate, I really like him.
After handing me the can, he strikes a model pose while smiling and looking at the camera.
Ugh...!
I almost went into cardiac arrest, I don't know if I'm going to be able to take this for long!
─Didn't you want to take a picture? Go ahead, I'll let you take as many as you want to take.
─Uuuuuuu! I love you, Manabu-kun!
─Ah?
Huh?
What did I just... say...?
...
I almost fall to my knees thinking about the careless words I mentioned out of the emotion of the moment.
I see that I'm unable to suppress it... but it's simply not the time or situation for something like this.
It's obvious that Manabu-kun heard me, I can't help it anymore...
Or at least I can try...
─I-It's not what you think, I said it unintentionally, I got over excited! What I meant... is that I've always loved how you're so nice to me... that you let me do selfish things, like that time I forced you to introduce yourself by name at the hospital.
This may be stupid.
I said it clearly...
But...
─So that's what it was... well, it's okay. Just don't say such things carelessly, you completely confused me for a moment... silly.
!
I'm sorry, I'll really tell you in all seriousness another time! I love you, Manabu-kun! You're so understandable!
After that brief misunderstanding, I took a good amount of pictures of Manabu-kun. So many to get to masturbate home with every single one of them.
─ ─ ─ ─ ─ [Part 2].
Ignoring my deplorable behavior, Manabu-kun and I went to a not-too-expensive family restaurant to eat some pizza. We decided to order pepperoni and ham pizza with extra cheese and crispy edges.
As an intermission before the meal... we're doing something stupid.
─We paid 500¥ to have the unlimited drink bar? Therefore! We must prepare the most disgusting drink imaginable for each other!
Manabu-kun declares as if it's a competition and I play along.
I'm not able to see what he mixes in the glass, but I think they're such different drinks that it'll make me want to vomit just tasting it.
I have to make a concoction of the same magnitude?
But with what?
If you ask me... I would mix lemon tea with a flavored cola drink, then disgustingly add sugar to the wretched thing and finally pour black coffee.
The restaurant employees looked at us funny, but not bothered by them, we returned to our seats in silence.
We stared at each other.
Manabu-kun, through his black eyes I can see myself reflected, I guess it's the same with me.
We have the most serious faces, as if we have been sentenced to death.
─That couple is too strange...
─No doubt, they mixed the worst things from the drink bar into one thing...
─What, they're not going to get poisoned?
Both Manabu-kun and I are ignoring their stupid comments, sorry filler workers.
I see the drink Manabu-kun prepared for me now.
It has a weird dark color... although the one I made for him is also dark, his is too scary looking.
I swallow saliva, looking at the concoction in the glass.
I'm not very good at going by smells, but this stuff definitely has grape juice in it.
This fucker... he knows I don't like that shit and yet, he forced it into the drink.
But relax, Manabu-kun, I know your weak spot when it comes to drinks. I didn't mix those flavors in vain, since I know what such a combination will taste like.
Manabu-kun, who looked just as worried as me, raises his glass just as he raises three fingers.
Oh, we'll do this on the count of three, huh...
Fine, so be it.
I grab my glass with both hands, and the most determinant countdown of my miserable life begins.
One...
Two...
Three...!
We both bring our glasses to our respective lips at the same time, and begin to drink gulp by gulp the disgusting drinks we have made.
Ah, yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck! This isn't a full concoction, he just added small amounts of random stuff, but about 90% of it is grape juice!
My tongue feels disgusted!
But it's not just me who's in hell.
I can tell from Manabu-kun's expression that he's not enjoying it at all either, there are tears at the edges of his eyes too. He's probably resisting as best he can so as not to vomit up what he takes.
Indeed, Manabu-kun's weakness is too much sugar. Other than Japanese food, he is not capable of consuming foods with large amounts of sugar. It causes him enormous disgust to do something like that.
At the same pace, we both finish our drinks.
A black cloud hovers over our heads...
─... let's consider... this a draw...
─... yes...
We gave truce to this stupidity, as we won't get any benefit from doing this again.
I hope that whether in the near or distant future, we will never do this again in our lifetimes.
So, the pizza arrived. So did two baskets of fries we had ordered.
To us disgusted by our drinks, we received this six slice pizza our salvation.
We went for (normal) drinks one more time, so we would be able to enjoy our meal.
─Manabu-kun, pass me the tomato sauce.
─All yours, after that shitty drink I don't want anything that's sweet.
─Oops, it slipped.
─Ah!
By playing such a disgusting trick, I might have been able to get an extra slice of pizza, but Manabu-kun took some of my fries instead.
I guess it's an equivalent exchange, pure alchemy!
Talking about trifles, playing with food, laughing at any silliness. I'm happy that it's my first manic episode after a long time.
After all, I really am in love with Manabu-kun.
─ ─ ─ ─ ─ [Part 3].
After lunch, Manabu-kun and I moved to a [Cyber-Coffee], where we found ourselves destined to play a newly famous FPS (First Person Shooter). He on my left, handles the controls like... A complete novice!
How can anyone be so bad at video games! He's incapable of shooting perfectly, if we're talking about it, his shooting rate is 10%! One out of ten times he can hit a shot! That makes it ten in a hundred, a hundred in a thousand, a thousand in ten thousand, and so on and so forth!
Besides, I wouldn't mind if he was just bad, but in his face I see the determination to keep going until he's mastered it.
But with so little command of the computer's controls, this guy is undoubtedly being jerked around by the computer.
He is not very adept at the character's movements, in fact, he doesn't even seem to remember all the actual controls. This makes him a waste of time and money.
Mm? I'm probably too good?
Nah, I just spent a lot of time playing this kind of video games, that's why I show a decent level of skill at this kind of thing, haha.
...
No, I'm really too good at this.
It adds to the list of things I'm an expert at...
But well, I don't mind losing over and over again as long as I play with Manabu-kun. After all, as I said, I really like Manabu-kun.
─This is a completely unrelated question, how many video games have you completed in your life? ─. Since we're playing, it's good to bring it up, isn't it?
I still haven't quite mastered this conversation thing, although I owe most of my growth to Manabu-kun.
He continues to miss shots non-stop like the rookie he is in this video game and responds to me:
─I completed FF7. ─. His answer is calm.
But to me...
─FF7 only? ─. It caused me a certain sense of pity.
Manabu-kun turned his face away a little...
You're hiding your guilt, aren't you?
You feel like an idiot, don't you?
I think I'm able to understand what's going on in your thoughts, you feel like you're in a mess for not being able to play a game other than FF7.
─Well... I've played a lot of visual novels too...
─The correct verb is "read", not "play".
─Whatever... the most extravagant thing I've played is Melty Blood and Super Smash N64, my fighting game experience boils down to that.
─You've only played what you felt like playing... Manabu-kun, you don't have a console at home, do you?
─My doctor says I shouldn't be exposed to excessive sounds and violent scenes, and most games fall into that category, so I don't.
─Ah, right. You even said your room is suicide-proof. But... How are you currently playing?
─I don't have a single percentage of volume.
...
This is sad, dude.
It might also explain part of why you're so bad at it. Hearing is a reliable way to identify the location of shots and is the first thing to warn you if you're actually being shot at.
I apologise to all CS:GO players, seriously...
But, wait.
─If you've read a lot of visual novels, that means you like porn, right?
─Wait, stop right there... Do visual novels have scenes in that category?
─Pfft! Hahahaha!
What the fuck?!
This guy only plays the [Non-Ero] versions of the games?! Haha, that's hard to come by but it's a long shot!
I'll bet anything now.
All the visual novels you've read are by [Type-Moon], am I wrong?
I consider myself a great connoisseur of the [Type-Moon] universe, and my answer is yes.
─HAHAHAHA, just what I was expecting!
I can't help it, this makes me laugh out loud non-stop.
Seriously, what the hell with this guy?
He's definitely the Manabu-kun I know, the one who has only a little knowledge about love and sex, hahaha!
I love this innocence of his!
─Just what you were expecting? What are you talking about?
─You're still just as innocent as before, silly! You act like someone your age, but inside you know nothing at all, silly Manabu!
I keep laughing out loud with no sign of stopping.
Seriously, he's too cute!
Ha, ha...
Huh?
I didn't notice because I was laughing like stupid, but suddenly, Manabu-kun came up to me...
─... Manabu-kun...?
My heart started pounding.
-----Shrug.
I feel my face start to burn with embarrassment.
This feeling, every moment that passes, no matter how short and insignificant it may become, also begins to overflow from my heart.
Instinctively, I close my eyes and lift my face slightly.
Well...
This feeling went to shit not long after.
Why?
An alarm starts to go off and...
─... shut up... Please... I didn't... I didn't do anything...
I had forgotten, almost completely.
I didn't remember Manabu-kun's condition, nor what he told me regarding the programming I had set for it myself.
I prioritised my selfish desires and overlooked Manabu-kun's suffering.
This is definitely not the time for romantic things... not for a while, until we can figure out a way to cure Manabu-kun's schizophrenia.
I don't care how hurt he gets by this.
I want to do everything I can to help him, after all, I'm the one who's in love with this guy.
As I watch tears escape Manabu-kun's eyes, I can only think...
"Damn, that was almost my first kiss."
I just prefer to keep it as a thought, rather than expressing it as words.