V4 â Episode 30 â Ice Cream
The morning of the fourth day of the holidays.
It was Yuzuru who woke up first.
After stretching widely, he looked next to him.
There was his fiancée, looking as lovely as ever in her sleep.
Her eyelashes were very long, which could be clearly seen when she kept her eyes closed.
Yuzuru poked her on the cheek.
She let out a small whimper.
She began to squirm and move her body.
Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.
The jade green eyes caught Yuzuru.
âMu~⊠good morning.â
Rubbing her eyes, Arisa got up.
It seemed that she was still delirious from sleep.
âAh⊠good morning.â
Yuzuru said and kissed her cheek.
Her face instantly turned bright red.
She seemed to have woken up properly.
â⊠Um, about what I said and did last night.â
Arisa began to squirm and writhe as she said this.
Her cheeks were tinged with a hint of red.
âPlease pretend you didnât hear that.â
When Yuzuru said that, Arisa had a relieved expression on her face.
But it soon turned into an anxious one.
âUm⊠Itâs not that I donât like it or anythingâŠâ
She fumbled with her words as if to make an excuse.
Yuzuru said this in as calm a voice as possible.
Then he spoke slowly so as to calm and reassure Arisa.
âLetâs continue having a platonic relationship like high school students.â
Arisa gave a small nod to Yuzuruâs words.
That day, they had another swimming practice for Arisa.
The rest of the challenge was butterfly swimming, breath-holding, and wading in the water.
âYes, you swam well.â
After getting out of the water, Yuzuru replied to Arisaâs question.
And Arisaâs face broke out in happiness.
Itâs no wonder since she had good motor skills. Once she got the hang of it, Arisa improved as quickly as she could.
Now she could swim about half of the twenty-five metersâŠ
âIf you go through this one more time, you will be able to swim properly, right?â
âYes⊠now, Iâm relieved that my classes are going to be okay.â
At Yuzuruâs high school, students are required to take swimming at least once out of every three years.
Arisa seems to be planning to finish it in her second year.
âIâm sure youâre tired today. Letâs take a bath.. and then go home.â
âThatâs right. Letâs do that.â
The two of them took a bath to warm up their cold bodies (although they were not completely cold since it was a heated pool) and then got out.
ââŠI feel a little peckish after that.â
It was true that Yuzuru was also a little hungry.
It was almost dusk, so it would be time for dinner soon⊠But it wouldnât be a bad idea to grab a bite to eat before thatâŠ
âDo you want to get an ice cream or something?â
âAre we going to stop at a convenience store?â
âNo, I was thinking of getting some there.â
Yuzuru pointed at the vending machine.
They sell ice cream that costs about 200 yen or less.
âAh âŠI see. Thatâs good.â
Arisa said in a slightly excited voice.
âWhatâs the difference between this, this, and this?â
Arisa asked, looking at the picture on the vending machine.
As expected, it was the first time she had ever bought one.
âThis one is on a stick, and this one has a cone. This one looks like a tube. Is this your first timeâŠ?â
âYes, it is. I havenât had a chance. Do you eat a lot, Yuzuru-san?â
âNah⊠itâs been about a year since Iâve had one.â
He doesnât go out of his way to find a vending machine to buy itâŠ
But when he sees one, he buys it.
Especially after a workout.
Itâs a very good business idea, Yuzuru thought as he watched Arisa push the button.
After they finished buying the ice cream, they decided to eat it side by side on a bench.
Yuzuru chose grape flavor.
It tasted⊠like a normal grape sherbet ice cream. There was nothing special about it.
âYuzuru-san, Yuzuru-san.â
Arisa tugged on Yuzuruâs clothes.
âDo you want to try?â
When Yuzuru offered her his ice cream, Arisa opened her mouth a little.
She bit into the ice cream with a crunch.
âWould you like to try too, Yuzuru-san?â
âThen, I guess Iâll try.â
Since there was an opportunity, he decided to get some of Arisaâs ice cream.
He took a small bite of the ice cream.
It tasted âŠlike regular chocolate.
The two of them finished the ice cream while feeding each other.
âIt tasted even better than I thought it would.â
It seemed that Arisa liked her first vending machine ice cream.
âIâd like to try a different flavor next time.â
âThatâs right. I think they sell it at the general entertainment center we visited before âŠLetâs try it when I get a chance.â
They are also sold at train stations.
Surprisingly, they can be found if you look for them.
âShall we go home then?â
In the setting sun, the two of them began to walk hand in hand.
And suddenly⊠Arisa raised her voice.
âToday is the anniversary of our engagement, right?â
âEh?ăâŠAh, thatâs right.â
As Arisa mentioned this, Yuzuru remembered.
This was the day that Arisa and Yuzuru had gotten engaged.
Technically, it was a âtemporaryâ engagement, though.
ââŠYou forgot, didnât you?â
When Arisa complained, Yuzuru scratched his head.
Will she be mad at me for this?
When Yuzuru was a little worried, Arisa giggled.
âWell, itâs okay⊠Itâs not nearly as important as Christmas or birthdays.â
As for Arisa, she didnât seem particularly interested in celebrating the anniversary of their engagement.
âA sleepover is enough to celebrate⊠Iâm just happy that we can be together like this.â
Then Arisa squeezed Yuzuruâs hand.
It seemed to be an indication that she didnât want to return yet.
âI have a place I want to stop by, is that okay?â
Arisa asked Yuzuru, giving him an upward glance.
Yuzuru squeezed her hand back tightly.