───● Going on a Date with My College-Age Childhood Friend ●○●
It was a weekday in early February.
With university classes out for the winter break, Koumi and I had planned to go on a date together.
After all the chaos surrounding my ex-girlfriend, Okano-san, settled down, I ended up inviting all five girls out on individual dates during February.
As for why I would do such a thing, there was really only one reason.
I needed to figure out for myself who I truly loved in a romantic way.
To reach a decision by March, I had to face each of them one-on-one and discover where my heart genuinely lay.
Today marked day one of that effort—my date with Koumi.
I woke up early, washed my face, picked out my clothes, and styled my hair.
Standing in front of the full-length mirror near the entryway, I paused to check my reflection.
…Yeah, this should look fine next to Koumi, right?
When the time finally came to leave the apartment, I realized I was surprisingly nervous.
It had never really hit me before.
Going on a date with a girl who openly and passionately confessed her love for you…
…was a nerve-wracking affair, as I was only now realizing.
We agreed to meet at our usual spot: the station nearest to our university.
Since I was in charge of planning the day, I put a lot of thought into putting together an itinerary I hoped Koumi would enjoy.
I arrived about ten minutes before our scheduled time, but according to her text, Koumi was already there.
Because we were heading straight to our destination without exiting the turnstiles, we decided to meet up directly on the train platform.
I glanced around the platform, and I spotted her instantly.
She wore a cozy brown winter coat over a beige high-neck knit sweater, paired with a sleek black mermaid skirt.
The flaxen-haired girl, dressed in an unusually mature outfit, broke into a bright smile and waved the moment her eyes met mine.
“Masato! Good morning!” Koumi called out cheerfully.
“…Yeah, morning,” I replied, still a bit stunned by how stunning she looked.
Honestly, she’s ridiculously cute.
Seeing her like this made me realize all over again just how high Koumi’s potential really was.
If a stranger passed her on the street, they’d easily mistake her for a model or a celebrity.
“Look at you, Masato—handsome as always!” she praised, beaming at me.
“No way, you’re the one who looks really…”
Since Koumi had beaten me to the punch with her compliment, the thought I had been holding back slipped out before I could stop it.
The moment I realized how incredibly embarrassing my next words were about to sound, I froze mid-sentence.
“…Really what?” Koumi prompted softly, looking up at me expectantly.
The way she peered up into my eyes was so breathtakingly adorable that—
“…Really cute,” I blurted out, unable to hold it in.
“Yay!” she squealed with delight.
With a joyful leap, Koumi latched tightly onto my right arm.
“Well then, shall we get going on our date?” she chimed in happily.
“Yeah… let me lead the way,” I agreed, chuckling awkwardly.
There were still things I needed to sort out and think through.
Even so, I genuinely hoped that, above all else, Koumi and I could simply enjoy every moment of today together.
I had reserved a spot at a stylish café near our destination, where we enjoyed a light lunch together.
After finishing our meal, Koumi and I arrived at the main highlight of the day.
After purchasing our tickets at the counter, we walked inside side by side.
“Woah~! It’s so gorgeous!” Koumi gasped, her eyes widening.
Stretching before us was a breathtaking world painted in brilliant shades of aquamarine.
Vibrant, colorful fish glided gracefully through massive glass tanks.
An aquarium.
Since one of Tokyo’s most famous aquariums was located near a station not far from our university, I had chosen it as the spot for our date.
To be honest, I had been worried whether she would actually like it since I wasn’t sure of her preferences.
“It’s been so long since I last visited an aquarium!” Koumi exclaimed.
Seeing her eyes sparkle with excitement eased my anxiety, confirming my worries had been completely unfounded.
As we followed the visitor path, Koumi clinging tightly to my right arm, she tilted her head to peer up at me.
“Have you ever been here before, Masato?” she asked.
“No, actually… this is my very first time at an aquarium,” I admitted.
Truth be told, I had never visited a place like this in my life.
I had been a little concerned about picking a spot I wasn’t familiar with for a date, but I had always wanted to visit one, so I decided to take the leap.
“…Hehehe, is that so?” Koumi giggled softly.
Her grip on my right arm tightened just a little bit more.
Seeing how happy she was made every bit of effort worth it.
“Alright then! I’m going to enjoy today to the absolute fullest!” she declared enthusiastically.
“That’s the spirit!” I agreed with a smile.
Koumi pumped her fist in the air with energy, and I followed right alongside her.
Since it was a weekday, the aquarium was surprisingly uncrowded.
Considering how popular this place was in Tokyo, visiting on a weekend would have made strolling around at our own pace virtually impossible.
“Don’t you think it’s mysterious how jellyfish even survive?” Koumi mused aloud.
“When you put it that way… yeah, I guess so,” I replied, pondering it.
Together, we stood watching the translucent jellyfish float weightlessly through the water.
“I mean, I think they’re cute, but my curiosity gets the better of me. Sea angels are super mysterious too, aren’t they?”
“Thinking about stuff like that is just so like you, Koumi,” I remarked with a small grin.
“…Wait, is that supposed to be a compliment?!” she pouted, giving me a suspicious glance.
“Definitely a compliment,” I assured her, laughing.
The cute little pout she wore was undeniably endearing.
Koumi was undoubtedly an adorable girl, but she also had this subtly intellectual side to her.
That serious, introspective side of her that randomly surfaced was one of her best qualities.
…Going out together like this really lets me see all over again what makes her so special.
It helps me realize how I truly feel about her at the same time.
Asking her out on this date was definitely the right choice.
“Hey, isn’t that guy super handsome?”
“Whoa, you’re right.”
A pair of college-aged women who walked past us glanced in our direction and began whispering to each other.
I had gotten used to this kind of attention lately, but…
“…Making eyes at my Masato, are we…?” Koumi muttered, a dark shadow passing over her face.
“Koumi~,” I warned softly, sweating a bit.
“Present! Koumi at your service!” she snapped right back into a bright, innocent demeanor.
Even the way her dark, possessive side occasionally popped out was… well, maybe part of her charm too.
After that, we fully enjoyed every moment of our aquarium date.
“Whoa, incredible! It feels like we’re standing right under the water!” Koumi marveled.
“It really does…!” I agreed, taking in the view.
We marveled at the underwater tunnel exhibit, surrounded on all sides by the breathtaking ocean world.
“Look, penguins! They’re so cute~!” she squealed.
“Man, there are so many of them,” I noted.
I watched with a heartwarming smile as Koumi happily doted on the penguins up close at the viewing deck.
“Wow~! Masato, look! Dolphins!” Koumi shouted excitedly.
“Koumi, if you lean over that far, you’re gonna—”
“Eek!!” she screamed as splash water rained down.
From cheering like kids at the dolphin show to taking in every exhibit, we thoroughly enjoyed everything the aquarium had to offer.
After checking out every exhibit and browsing the gift shop, Koumi and I headed off to a restaurant for dinner.
It was a stylish Italian restaurant with lovely interior decor, located near the same station as the aquarium.
“That was so much fun~! I can’t remember the last time I let loose like that!” Koumi beamed.
“Come to think of it, I don’t see you get that excited very often,” I noted.
“Well, whenever Mizuho’s around, she’s always the hyper one,” Koumi explained with a laugh.
“True enough,” I agreed.
Mizuho was so full of energy that Koumi usually ended up playing the straight man to keep her in check—a dynamic I had witnessed countless times.
Taking a bite of her pasta, Koumi chewed happily, and I watched her enjoy her meal.
She really is such a lovely girl.
It still amazes me to think that this is the same girl I used to play catch with when we were kids.
Even back then, she had been kind, bright, and warm as sunshine.
And after I was brought into this world, Koumi was the very first person I became close friends with.
If I hadn’t met Koumi, my college life probably would have been completely dull and lonely.
After eating a bite of the tiramisu she ordered for dessert, Koumi set her spoon down and gazed over at me.
“Hey, Masato,” she called out softly.
“Yeah?” I responded.
“There’s somewhere I’d really like to go after this… Do you have time?” she asked.
To be honest, my planned itinerary ended right here.
I hadn’t decided on anything for after dinner, so it was no problem at all.
“Sure, that sounds fine,” I replied. “Where do you want to go?”
“That’s a surprise for when we get there!” she teased with a cheerful wink.
Koumi gave me a playful wink that looked undeniably charming.
She really pulls that off so naturally…
I wonder where Koumi wants to take me?
Musing over the possibilities in my head, I popped the remaining piece of catalana into my mouth.