In the end, Aoi finally managed to suggest a coffee shop, to which Izumi agreed.
He was patient when he was suggesting the places that Izumi rejected, knowing he had to tolerate her actions after making fun of her.
Furthermore, he already knew which coffee shop Izumi loved to spend some time with, for, in the past, Izumi used to invite him to the coffee shop to study together.
However, as dumb as the past Aoi was, eagerly wanting to play games as soon as possible, he repeatedly rejected Izumi.
Now, he could not waste any more chances to learn more about Izumi.
As they were about to part way on the gate of their school, Aoi suggested at first to accompany Izumi towards her home before going to his house to change, but Izumi declined, saying there would be someone to fetch her anyway.
Aoi finally realized Izumi was rich to begin with, so much so that she had a personal driver for her transportation to school or any place she wanted with friends.
If Aoi recalled correctly, Izumi's father owned a business corporation, and it made their family one of the richest families in the prefecture.
Izumi's house was near the school, which was why her father, as well as Izumi, had chosen to enter the Katsuo Highschool.
Furthermore, Katsuo High School was not at all bad when it came to academics; in fact, they were one of the best in the Yakumatsunai Prefecture.
At this point, when Aoi saw a black sedan car stopping before them.
Izumi whispered, "For now, I can't face Father if he knows I have a boyfriend. I will let him be in the dark for now. Don't worry about the driver, I can trust him. Father is just too busy to have an interest in my life at school, anyway.
As long as I tell him I'm doing well, that all matters to him."
Aoi stared at the black sedan, and a person in a suit walked out on the other side, intently staring at them through his sunglasses, as his body below his neck was covered by the top of the car.
Aoi calmly stared at him, seemingly having a staring contest, even though the other had his eyes totally covered by the sunglasses.
Aoi said, "I know. I'll respect it. Before we can officialize our relationship, I also want to work on myself – enough for your father to recognize me as your future husband."
When he blurted out the last word, Aoi almost hesitated.
After all, the guilt in his heart, dating a girl a decade younger than him - mentally - was still lingering.
Thankfully, it was not apparent – Izumi totally believed the firm words and tone Aoi had said, causing her heart to melt even more.
"Mhm!" She replied with a nod.
"Miss," called the driver, sauntering towards them by moving around the front car.
He stopped before them. Aoi and Izumi faced him as he asked, "This?"
He faced Aoi, pointing at him with a hand gesture.
Izumi was about to answer when Aoi beat her into it.
"Her friend. She's my classmate. Her friends had long left since they had something to do. So, I decided to accompany her while waiting for you."
Aoi's face remained nonchalant, saying those words without stuttering.
The driver stared at him for a while before nodding.
He replied in a polite tone, "Thank you." He faced Izumi and continued, "I'm sorry, Miss, for making you wait for me. I will not waste your time next time."
Izumi shook her head, causing her lovely, short, coal-black hair to flutter.
"I only contacted you five minutes later, and you are already here. That is already fast enough. Furthermore…" She looked at Aoi, failing to stop staring at him with eyes pulsing with love. "There is Aoi to accompany me. I didn't even notice the time that passed by."
The driver's eyes twitched, but it was totally hidden by the sunglasses anyway – however, all Aoi had to do was to grasp what the driver was thinking the way Izumi was staring at him.
Instead of trying to explain, he was inwardly delighted -- discerning Izumi was not concealing her love for him, so he kept quiet about it.
The staring contest lasted for a while until Izumi broke the silence.
"Uncle, let's go now. You also have to send me to my favorite coffee shop. You know where it is. So, let's go now."
Izumi did not even let the two men, having a silent contest, open the door, opening it by herself, sitting on the back of the seat, closing the door with a light thud.
The driver and Aoi were speechless, staring at the closed door, and instinctually stared at each other again.
The driver suddenly made a gesture by pointing at both of his eyes and then directing it to Aoi's eyes repetitively.
Aoi's face remained impassive, appearing to be frozen in shock, but internally, he was indifferent.
There was no reason for him to deny anyway, for the sake of the driver misunderstanding – actually not – the relationship between him and Izumi.
After all, he would prove it in the future.
Even if it was not fated for him – to be the husband of Izumi – he would make it a reality.
No one would be able to stop him, not even a mere driver, an uncle, one who witnessed Izumi's growth, possibly since she was a child.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have shown Egoistic Thoughts! You have been rewarded with 2 Ego Points!]
Watching the driver open his door and enter inside, Aoi remained in his position until the black sedan car left where it came from.
Aoi watched it in the distance, lightly exhaling, and then his eyes suddenly changed.
It became more pertinacious, as though no words or actions could alter his mind.
Once he settled his thoughts, he turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction.
His house was not that far anyway.
Probably five minutes after Izumi arrived at their house, he would have finally returned to his house.
However, he did not worry about Izumi arriving earlier than the decided time, for he gave her thirty minutes to be there, while he could arrive at the place in fifteen minutes.
Unlike girls, boys could change their clothes in an instant.