"We finally made it!"
"You are right."
"Dolphin show! Penguin walk! I want to watch them! Let's go, Ishigami-kun!"
While it might be strange to be happy about this matter, with the limited space in Tokyo, many good places were close to each other, so it didn't take a long time for them to arrive at the aquarium where they would have their date.
Still, as Ishigami saw Chika's bright smile, he wondered how the date between Kaguya and Shirogane was. He had set up a date for them, and he believed they should be having fun now, so now, he should have just focused on his date with Chika since he knew well that it might be the last time they would go out like this.
Watching Chika, who held his hand, pulling him toward the entrance of the aquarium and still wearing his jacket, Ishigami said, "It says there's a dolphin show at one p.m. and then penguins go for a walk at 3 p.m. We still have a lot of time."
"Hmm..." Chika looked at Ishigami in surprise and asked, "You really excited about going on a date with me, huh?" If he didn't, then there was no way he would do such a detailed plan, watching the schedule, so they wouldn't be late to watch the dolphin and penguin.
"...isn't there a possibility that I am more happy about going to the aquarium?"
"It's fine. It's fine. You don't have to be embarrassed. I know well that you are happy to go on a date with a perfect heroine like me."
Chika knew well that Ishigami was a tsundere, and he must have been embarrassed that she had discovered how excited he was to go on a date with her.
"....." Ishigami.
Nevertheless, when they entered the aquarium, Chika proposed to pay for herself, even if Ishigami wanted to treat her.
This was a great point, he thought.
However, Ishigami decided to treat her since, while it was a bit petty, he wanted to regain his pride as a man, especially when Onodera kept treating him last time, making him unable to show his quality as a man.
While he knew that he was relatively old-fashioned, as a man, he needed to provide for his woman, but then again, they were a high school student, and Chika also didn't lack money, so there was no need to force himself to pay her if she had determined to pay for her own ticket.
Instead, he decided to respect her decision and also felt even more conflicted, wondering what he should do with their relationship.
"Look! Look, Ishigami-kun! They have a jellyfish exhibition! There will be a lot of jellyfish!"
Still, even this senior of his was a bit insolent occasionally, watching her sweet smile as she excitedly told him that they could watch many jellyfish; Ishigami only smiled and followed her whims.
"Let's go there too, but do you like jellyfish?"
"Hmm... I like spotted garden eels more."
"...dolphin, jellyfish, then a spotted garden eel. You sure jumped over the place." Ishigami looked at Chika speechlessly. "Then, next time, you say that you like tuna or crab."
"..."
Suddenly, Chika fell into silence, and some of the drool escaped from her pink, fleshy lips. "Should we eat tuna or crab later, Ishigami-kun?"
"...how about we go around first?"
"Let's go!"
As they held each other's hands, they entered the aquarium and watched the colorful fishes that were present, from small to large, from monotone to colorful; they saw everything.
"Ishigami! Ishigami!"
"What's wrong, Senpai?"
Standing on the side of the spotted garden eel aquarium, Chika put her hands together on the top of her head as she moved her body, squirming like the spotted garden eel.
"I am a spotted garden eel!"
"....."
Ishigami fell in silence, then took his smartphone quietly and took her photo.
"Ah!"
The sound of a smartphone taking a picture was impossible to mute, so when Ishigami took her picture, Chika naturally knew, which made her startled and shy.
"Hey, don't take my picture so suddenly!"
"It's fine. You look silly here."
"Shouldn't you say that I am cute?!"
Still, Chika felt that it was unfair for her only to be the one whose picture was taken.
"Ishigami, I will take a picture of you! Go and act like a fish!"
"No, it's embarrassing."
"Just once! Only once! I beg you!"
"No." Ishigami shook his head and definitely did not follow Chika's wish. If he was a girl, even if he didn't have such a silly personality, it would be fine since a girl could be forgiven no matter how silly they acted as they appeared cute, but he was a man, so it was embarrassing for him to do a silly thing like Chika.
"Please..."
Chika kept begging with an upturned gaze like a puppy.
"........"
Ishigami hesitated, but when he thought that it was the last time they would be together, he decided to follow her whim for one time.
Standing near the fish aquarium, he took a deep breath, making his determination, and pressed his hands together, leaning forward as one of his legs stretched, mimicking a fish's motion.
"Sakana!"
As he said so, Chika quickly took a picture of him with a laugh.
"Stop laughing!"
"It's so cute~!"
"Okay, okay. Let's go to the next place."
Ishigami didn't intend to stay any longer since they had attracted everyone's attention.
"Don't get angry, okay? I will delete it for you."
Chika quickly linked her arm against his arm naturally. If it had been before, she wouldn't have done it, but as they held each other's hand, this intimate action was so natural that she would have done it subconsciously.
"It's fine. You can keep it."
"Huh? Really?" Chika was surprised by how wide his heart was.
"Yeah, just keep it. Don't show it to anyone, though."
"Okay~!"
Yet, as Chika felt happy with his permission to keep his photo, she also felt a little anxious, as if this might be his way of compensating her as he couldn't answer her feelings.
However, soon, she shook her head, and such negative thoughts disappeared when Ishigami held her hand firmly.
'Let's just have fun today.'
Yes, have fun.
This is what they planned to do. Let's forget all the unpleasant things and enjoy their time together.
Still, as expected, it was fun when they were together. There was no unnaturalness or nervousness. When they were together, it felt like everything fitted together. His existence was like a missing puzzle that she needed in her life.
Watching the dolphin show together, sitting in the front as they wore a poncho, and being splashed by water, they experienced many things.
"Ah, I am all wet."
"Here, use this."
"Thanks."
Taking his handkerchief, Chika patted her waiting hair softly as she stared at his profile, who drank a ginger ale as he watched the dazzling, luminous corals under the dark light.
Yes, the scenery was beautiful, yet she just couldn't look away from him.
"Don't just look at me, Senpai. Look at those corals."
"W-Who is looking at you?! You are so narcissistic!"
Chika even pouted when she saw him laughing and lightly hitting him like a lover.
Everything was fun, and she loved this feeling.
His laugh was even more so.
"It's almost time for the penguin show. Do you want to watch it?"
"Okay."
The two stood up after they rested and walked toward the area where the penguin show would start.
As they walked, they passed the dome-shaped tunnel fish tank, which had a total length of 20 m and was named "Wonder Tube."
The blue world spread before them with a variety of fishes that made them unable to take their eyes away.
Chika's world was full of light, not just because of the light emitted by this aquarium but also because of "him" who appeared in her world.
Yet, as she thought that this would be the last time they spent their life like this, her world turned dim, like the end of this tunnel where only darkness awaited her.
Still, in that darkness-like ending, "he" pulled her, and even if she knew that this was wrong and he wasn't sure where the future would lead them, she had made up her mind.
"Ishigami."
"Hmm?"
"When we go back, send me home, okay?"
"Okay."
---
The date is a little short, but it is enough, I think.
By the way, Sakana!