"Hey, Jenn. You got anything planned for this Saturday?"
Jihee asked me when we were just leaning by the window and enjoying some cool drinks after lunch.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Ah, ok. I was gonna ask if you wanted to do something together"
"How about Jiho?"
"He's visiting his grandparents in the countryside or something this weekend. So he'll be gone for the whole weekend"
"That's a pity"
"Well, I'll ask some others if they are free. I might wanna go shopping or something. Jiho hates coming along to those anyways"
"Hah, good idea"
"What have you got planned anyway?"
"I'm going to some otaku event, let's just leave it at that"
"Haha. That's a really unexpected side of you. You were singing all that last time at the karaoke too"
"Te-he, I don't exactly advertise it but I figured I don't have to hide it from friends"
"You are right. You going alone?"
"No, with Minsu"
"Huh? Minsu?"
"Yeah, you know Minsu. We were at Karaoke together remember?"
"Duh, Minsu, Jiho, and I went to the same middle school. Of course, I know Minsu! I haven't met the other guys from there before but I knew Minsu"
"Oh, really?"
"So just you and him?"
"I… think so?"
"Woot, it's a date! You are going on a date with Minsu!"
"Whoa-, hang on -"
"Man, I gotta tell Jiho about it-"
With that, she took out her phone and started to write text so I had to stop her quickly.
"Hold it there-. Don't say a thing to Jiho"
"Ah, don't be so shy"
"Come on, it's not a date"
"It's just you and him meeting up outside school all by yourselves, not telling or inviting any of us. It IS a date"
"It's not like that. It's just some voice actress' meet-the-fans event"
"What difference does it make what kind of an event it is? It is still a date"
"Stop teasing me. You are gonna make me feel really conscious about it now. I did not think about it that way at all before you mentioned"
"I bet he did and he's over the moon that you accepted!"
I was like really confused and studied Jihee's face to see if she really meant it or if she was just pulling my leg. She did look very amused, but I could tell she also really meant it.
"Oh my god, do you think it's really like that?"
"100%"
"Really?"
"200%"
"Jesus, what do I do now? He must have the wrong idea"
"What's wrong with it? Just give it a go. He's a bit of a dork but a nice guy"
"You do realize 'dork' is a… certain part of a whale?"
"What?"
"Never mind. Anyways, should I call it off now?"
"No, just go and enjoy. Give him a chance"
"I'm not giving anyone any chance whatsoever"
"What's wrong with dating a boy?"
"Er… I'm just not into that kinda stuff…"
"Come on, Jenn. What are you, a grade-schooler?"
"I don't know. Now it's gonna be all awkward. I was really looking forward to it before…"
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to make things weird for you. Don't mind what I said, ahem- I still do think it's a date though, but still, just go and enjoy the otaku event. You like that stuff don't you?"
"Yeah… that's why I was happy to go, and that I actually had someone to go with…"
Jihee then looked at me like a mother looking at a child. We are the same age, but what is this, does being in a relationship really make one more mature? I felt like she was way more mature than me and was trying to comfort this inexperienced lamb.
"Just go and have fun, Jenn. I'm sure it will be fine. Minsu is a nice guy and he won't do anything out of line"
"You really think it's ok?"
"Yeah, date or not, you should go do what you want to do"
Jihee gently patted my head as she said this.
"Well, you are right. I do feel like a grade-schooler, but thanks. I think I will go"
"Good girl"
When the day came, I was waiting nervously in front of the venue where the meet-the-fans event of Yamura was going to take place. There was already quite a crowd queuing to get in. I thought about queuing up first before Minsu got here so we'd have a shorter wait, but I was worried he would not be able to spot me if I was mixed in with so many people.
Also, I always got paranoid in these situations when I went somewhere with my family because I just couldn't stop thinking and worrying "What will I do if it becomes my turn to get in and my family has not come yet?". I guess I'd let the people behind me pass through first, but then what? Do I go to the back of the queue again? Or do I just hang around at the front waiting for my family to turn up and we go in together as soon as they arrive? Wouldn't that look like we are jumping the queue? Is it gonna make other people angry?
I was always worried about such things.
I looked across the road and there was Uncle Tan and Hana waiting inside a parked car. I couldn't see through the dark windows but I'm sure they were looking around the area as if they were waiting for someone to come pick up a ransom or something.
Things just got a bit out of hand thanks to Hana, but I didn't really have many other options. I was so nervous after Jihee claimed that this was a date that I asked Hana for advice on what I could do to make it absolutely clear to the boy I was gonna meet that this was not a date.
Just as Hana was giving me a few tips while we talked in the corridor starting from how to dress, my dad somehow overheard the word 'date' from god knows where and came running to the scene to inquire what was going on.
I freaked out as I thought he would be those types of dads who would make a big fuss about their daughter going on a first 'date', but luckily he was content 'just' to have Uncle Tan and Hana tail me during the whole 'date' (which is what he kept on calling it regardless of how many times I corrected him it was not).
So there I was, dressed rather embarrassingly in a full-on otaku outfit.
When Hana told me that what I wear and the first impression the boy will get when he sees me would be crucial in setting the tone, we figured that making sure I wasn't dressed nicely would be essential. This meant going out of the way to wear something as unattractive as possible, but now I was starting to think whether we went a bit over the top after having bought the necessary articles from the online shops throughout the week.
I was wearing baggy jeans with an oversized t-shirt that had a big picture of Mamoha printed on it. I did consider the possibility that Minsu might turn up wearing something like that too, but I was quite sure that being a typical boy if he wore such a t-shirt it would be with the picture of Kate, the other female MC of the series. So we definitely won't be wearing a matching t-shirt. I was also wearing a baseball cap with the Ginseng Impact logo printed on it, and a badge featuring Kiki's face pinned on my t-shirt. This should do it.
:Bzzzz:
I fished out my phone from my pocket as I received a message thinking maybe it was Minsu saying he would be late, but to my puzzlement, it was from Hana.
"Your boy's here :D"
Huh, how does she even know what Minsu looks like?
Then I looked around and when I saw Minsu I couldn't help but do a mental facepalm because he was dressed almost identically to me, but with just a little variation, which actually made things worse.
"Hi, Jenn, sorry I made you wait"
"It-, it's ok... I didn't wait too long.."
"You look fantastic!"
"Er....thanks.. you too, I guess?"
I went out of my way to make myself look like an over-the-top otaku fool but no matter how you looked at it we were dressed like a couple with matched cloth. The minor difference was that his T-shirt had a picture of Kate as I expected, but it was obviously from the same brand that I bought from so it made for a matching look. He also had a Ginseng Impact baseball cap, while mine was pink, his was kinda baby blue.
Instead of the Kiki badge I was wearing, he was wearing a Navida badge but in the exact same spot. I would have died from embarrassment if I was ever seen wearing what I was wearing now, but being seen with him together now would be a disaster.
:Bzzz:
What is it again?
I glanced at the phone I was still holding in my hand and it was a laughing with tears emoji from Hana.
Man, she's enjoying this way too much.
"Shall we go now?"
Minsu asked me casually. He definitely looked like he was happy to see me but I couldn't tell what he was really thinking. Is he really thinking that we are on a date? Or is this really just some genuine comradery of our fandom?
"Ye-yeah, let's go"
I didn't know why I was fumbling my words but I was probably blushing a little too judging by how hot my face was feeling suddenly.
Gees, hold it together. This is nothing. Just remember what Jihee said. Go enjoy what I like. That's all there is to it.