Yesterday, for the first time in her life, she experienced a group date.
She went to the fountain park with the members of the group when she was in 3rd year of middle school.
Yeah, I think you can call it a date, right?
Going out with a boy in a group⦠that āgroup dateā. Which has been featured many times in magazinesā¦
I never thought I would experience it myself!
āPark date with a boyā! Thatās not just an urban legend.
Really, yesterday was fun.
Makoto remembered what she did yesterday.
She did her best to prepare, and also paid more attention to what she was wearing on the day, more than usual.
Since the destination was a park, she gave up on elegant clothes.
She tried to be on the line of neatness at the limit where it wouldnāt look too neat but not too messy either.
Even the lunch box, she practiced for it many times.
More than once her mother asked, āAre you still on it?ā, but it didnāt go to her ear.
She felt that it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
So, she wanted to present the best memories to the boy she would go with, Taketo Souya.
Thanks to her hard work, the date was a great success.
At the end of the date, when he invited us to the fountain, I was a little sad to say goodbye.
But, then āthatā!
He gave us a surprise!
No matter how much I tried to hold it, but the tears flowed out and I couldnāt stop it.
When Makoto heard the words said by Taketo, a flood of tears was flowing out.
She turned her face away in a panic, but Taketo understood immediately.
He gently told, āItās okay to cry,ā
And it made the tears burst out without any sign of stopping.
Iāve never thought heād become so handsome in the short time I hadnāt seen him.
And the āFree Hug ticketā was handed over. It had each name written on it.
As long as I have the ticket, I have permission to hug him at any time.
Taketo-kun, were you trying to send me to die of a heart attack?
But⦠this is āthatā, right?
Proof that Taketo-kun chose me.
Of course, itās not just me, I know it. Yuuko and Rie got one too.
But, with this, itāll be easier later on, right?
I mean, Taketo-kun is popular. And probably from now on, itās going to beā¦
āHey, Makoto. Why are you grinning from a while ago? Canāt be without a reason, right? Or else, itās just creepy.ā (Low voice)
Mina Ashida, who was in the next seat, poked my side.
āWas I grinning that much?ā (Low voice)
Makoto was unconscious she was seen.
āYou⦠didnāt you notice it yourself? You were making all kinds of faces. Grinning, smiling, smirkingā¦ā¦ So, did something good happen? Must be right? What happened? Tell me.ā (Low voice)
āNothingā (Low voice)
āLieā¦. So?ā (Low voice)
āNothing! This is the end of the story. Letās focus on the class.ā (Low voice)
Yes, Makoto was in class now.
Just when she thought she had escaped the investigation by ending the exchange, Mina approached her again during the short break time.
āCome on, just confess already. Iāll not tell anyone. So be thankful.ā
āWhy are you speaking as if youāre in a higher rank than me?ā
āItās your fault for grinning like that in class after all. Now, spit it up!ā
Mina approached Makoto so close that their nose was close to each other.
āReally, nothing happe⦠Kyaaaaa!ā
Makotoās breasts were rubbed.
Why?!
āItās about a man, right? Must be so. That face was definitely caused by a man.ā
Sheās sharp, but no, I canāt give up here.
Thinking so, she shook Mina off, but the enemy gave no sign of giving up.
In the end, Mina kept chasing the story for the whole break time, even the next class time, she hadnāt given up.
āSo? Why donāt you give up now?ā
And now it was lunch break. As expected, Makoto was tired of being pestered.
She had a feeling that the same thing would probably happen tomorrow even if she dodged the investigation here.
āMina, donāt tell anyone, okay?ā
āOf course. So? Itās about a man, right?ā
The moment Makoto was asked with a smug attitude, she nodded.
āSeriously? Seriously serious? Itās, about a man? Tell me more!ā
āMina, your voice is too loud. Calm down!ā
Makoto managed to calm down the excited Mina.
It seems I gave up too early.
āBut, even if itās about a man. Must be the misunderstanding with the one who was in the same class when you were in middle school, right?ā
āMis, understanding?ā
āWell, a misunderstanding that you were still connected even though you both have become high school students.ā
āIs that soā¦ā
āSo who is it? As expected, the one who was in the same group, right?ā
āThatās right. Heās very kind and cool, and let me tell you, heās an unbelievably perfect man.ā
āYeah, yeah, whatever. So, why were you grinning? Thereās no point in hiding it now that youāve come this far.ā
Makoto knew she had to say it now that it had come this far.
That was why she showed Mina the card she kept in her student notebook.
āI got thisā
āHmm⦠let me see.ā
Mina carefully looked at the front and back of the card several times before handing it back to Makoto.
āWhat do you think?ā
āItās a well done. But, to use your weekend to make this kind of delusional thing, itās not good you know. Letās go to have fun around the central station next time, okay?ā
āItās not a delusion! I really got this from a man!ā
āSuch a story only happens in a manga or a novel, you know? Even if it really did happen, the man must be not that handā¦ā
āThatās not right! Heās so pretty, so handsome, that he got recommended to a co-ed school!!ā
Makoto showed Mina a photo on her smartphone.
āOh my gosh, what the hell! So handsome. No, does this kind of person even exist in real life? He must be someone who came down from Heaven, right? Right?ā
āLet me tell you, this person, he told me, to always be with him.ā
Makoto insisted on that, but Mina didnāt believe it until the end. Mina looked at her with warm eyes as if looking at children talking about their dream.
After school, when Makoto talked about it with Yuuko and Rie, they seemed to have done the same thing.
And like Makotoās case, no one believed it.
Leaving Rie aside, I canāt imagine even Yuuko, seems to have been in high spirits this whole day.
In any case, it goes without saying that our bond has become even stronger.
The question is when to use this card.
And even though the number of times is unlimited, who will use it first?
The moment Makoto thought that, the other two seemed to think the same thing, and their gazes crossed.