"...Miku, lend me your chest."
"Eh? Do I need to..."
Under Miku's concerned gaze, Shinichi changed his sad expression and explained.
"Sorry, just kidding."
"The person who interviewed me happened to meet me at the exchange meeting, and a temporary worker there happened to resign, so they asked me to work as a handyman and learn on the side. It's up to me how much I can learn, so the working hours are very flexible and won't hinder my studies."
Miku tilted her head with uncertainty.
"So...?"
"Yes, I only need half an hour to get the job," Shinichi said, holding a french fry in his mouth and smiling proudly like a child.
"Incredible, right? I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. It didn't even give me a chance to hit a wall. Not very wise."
Seeing him so happy, Miku sighed while patting her chest.
"Really good... Congratulations, Shinichi."
"You also get a share of the praise. Thank you, Miku."
Miku shook her head and spoke softly.
"I can only cheer you on. Because Shinichi is Shinichi, you can succeed. It has nothing to do with me."
"As the saying goes, behind every successful man, there's a great woman," Shinichi replied with a smile.
"Because you supported me from behind, I could face the interviewer with great confidence. I have to thank you for your love and support."
"That's it... Well, I'll accept that, thank you."
Miku looked quite happy, with a blush on her white cheeks.
Then, she thought of something, placed her hand on her chest, and spoke hesitantly.
"So... the chest, do you still need it?"
"Chest..."
Shinichi reflexively glanced at Miku's chest, then quickly lifted his head to look at the sky, his expression very serious.
"No, there's no need to do that. Besides, there's no failure."
Miku stared at him and spoke firmly.
"You hesitate."
"I don't."
"You also looked at it."
"Accidentally."
Miku puffed up her ample chest with an expressionless face. Seeing her eyes glance down for a moment, a smile appeared in her innocent eyes.
"Shinichi, you're really naughty!"
"..."
If it weren't in a public place like a fast-food restaurant, Shinichi swore, he would definitely...
Shinichi pressed his hand, about to move under the table, and sighed.
△
With plenty of time left, they decided to go to the aquarium to continue their yet-to-start date.
After about an hour on the train, they arrived at Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa. Renovated three years ago, it not only had jellyfish pavilions and underwater tunnels but also various sound and light shows, as well as entertainment facilities like pirate ships and carousels to play on.
"There are so many people..."
Her face turning pale, Miku looked around at the crowd lining up to buy tickets and lowered her head in fear.
She wasn't used to crowded places.
Shinichi checked the website on his phone and suggested, "How about we go somewhere else? There's also a small aquarium nearby. It's the kind that's more interactive for parents and children and suitable for kids. It's small and not very crowded, should be quiet enough."
"Ummm..."
Her naturally shy character made people keep their distance, but what Shinichi said next made her hesitate again.
Miku pondered for a long time, then shook her head.
"We can go there later... It's just that there are fewer people, so it's nothing for me!"
"...Okay, let's buy tickets."
Shinichi didn't ask what she meant by "I'll go later," he led her to the end of the line and slowly moved forward with the crowd.
This is the problem with young people nowadays. Shortly after they started queuing, both took out their phones and occasionally exchanged words with each other.
The distance between their shoulders wasn't far or close, and their eyes rarely met.
But neither of them felt anything was wrong with this. They were comfortable with each other. Neither of them disliked this atmosphere.
Just as quickly...
Seemingly making a decision, Miku suddenly spoke.
"Shinichi, what you said earlier... Do you remember?"
Shinichi turned with confusion, "Which sentence?"
Puffing her cheeks, feeling a little unhappy, Miku said, "You promised me that we would date like a couple."
"That's right."
Shinichi nodded, shifting his gaze behind and naturally holding her hand hanging by her side.
Initially feeling cold, it gradually became warm.
After Miku carefully felt it, her fingers gripped his palm, and their ten fingers were tightly intertwined.
"Um... It seems nothing has changed."
A little confusion appeared on her face, and she glanced at Shinichi.
"Yes, from now on, you are my girlfriend," Shinichi calmly swiped his phone as usual.
"The change is on the inside. It's natural if you don't see it clearly."
"Yeah..."
Although there were no real feelings, because Shinichi said so, Miku nodded slightly and shook hands held between them. Her heart was filled with satisfaction, a smile appeared, and she didn't care about anything else.
"Come to think of it... couples holding hands are really amazing."
Shinichi listened to her sigh.
He didn't know if it was because he had done so many similar things, but now that he was dating Miku as a couple, his mood was surprisingly calm. Initially, Shinichi thought he would be more excited and enthusiastic, but he didn't expect to be so calm. He always felt a little sorry for Miku...
Forget it, there's absolutely nothing wrong.
Even if only for today, he would consider Miku as his only girlfriend and enjoy their private aquarium date.
Their first step was holding hands and going to the counter to buy a couple's package ticket.
Then, like the couple next to them, they took a photo at the entrance without asking anyone.
Since Miku wasn't used to taking selfie photos, one shot wasn't satisfying, so Shinichi used his tall stature to lift his phone and take several more photos.
"The feminine power of Shinichi is actually higher than mine..." Miku was surprised, holding her phone. Why is a man like Shinichi better than her at taking selfie photos, an activity most loved by women?
Is she too useless, or is Shinichi too strong?
But looking at the two faces close to each other on the screen, their chins touching their foreheads, their smiles slightly shy, seeing them like this alone made Miku's mood cheerful again.
Miku placed her phone on her chest and smiled calmly and satisfied.