36 Chapter 17: Date I [4]

"Mmm!! This is great, Rei! Can you get me more of these later?" Tohka happily said as she started munching the kinako pan on her hands like some squirrel.

"...."

Rei however didn't reply immediately. If he were to give an answer though, he would probably say 'yes', but the fact that the store was on the verge of closing for the day was the problem. In other words, he couldn't agree to her request.

"That would be impossible for now..."

"Why?"

Pausing from her munching, she asked with a hint of disappointment in her tone.

This was probably the first time she ate food. Truly, this is something that Rei himself couldn't relate about for he had indulged himself to a lot of food ever since back then.

Thinking so, he replied with a wry smile on his face.

"The store where we brought that was closing for the day. In short, they won't sell bread up until next morning if I'm correct"

"Mm,... What a shame. Also, Rei"

"Hm?"

"Is this what a Date is? If it is, then it is surely enjoying!"

Saying so, she started eating the last kinako bread available that they bought. It wouldn't be surprising if she meant eating the kinako bread was the meaning of the date.

And to be honest, Rei's thought was not far from the truth.

Still, even if he knew that, Rei would just shrug at it indifferently. Misunderstandings and misconceptions are commonplace to the world after all.

So instead of answering her, Rei just asked.

"Is this what a date to you is?"

"Mm," Tohka nodded taking the last bite of the bread.

"If that's what you think, then there's more a date could offer"

"Eh? There's more kinako bread?"

"...." Rei just stared at her blankly for a moment before heaving a small sigh as he smiled. "Not just that. But I won't say it clearly because that would spoil the fun. So instead, just like what I said to you earlier, I'll let you experience and interpret its meaning yourself"

"Nn..." Tohka slowly nodded as she held her chin.

"So, what's next? There is more right?"

"Of course. Well, next move to our next destination shall we?"

"Mm!"

And with that said, they continued their date.

...

After walking for a while, they arrived on the game arcade.

Before coming here, they first had gone on a nearby restaurant as they ate their dinner.

And as expected, Tohka's reaction surely was exaggerated as both of them attracted the attention of the nearby people.

Thinking about this, Rei chuckled.

It was surely fun.

It was as if he was looking at some adorable exotic creature.

Back to the present, Tohka was now currently in front of a claw machine.

With her hands on the glass, she was stating intently on the prize within. Rei then approached her and asked, "Do you want to play that?"

"Rei look," Tohka muttered seriously.

Upon peeking on what the prize was, Rei just said 'Oh....' as his voice died down soon after.

The prize on the claw game was—

"—Rei, why do they keep this Kinako bread here? Wouldn't they spoil if left just like that?"

—a Kinako bread mini pillow.

Yes, that's it.

Somehow, Tohka herself was looking like she drooling over it. Rei chuckled at the sight of that as he then inserted a token.

"Hmm? Rei?"

"You want one, right?"

"Hm! They're delicious!"

"But this one isn't edible though"

"Eh?"

"These ones are not edible for they are pillows. You can't possibly eat them," Rei said as he started moving the controller.

"Pillows...?"

"Well, a thing that humans and even I use in their sleep"

"Sleep... Mm! It's great! This may help me in my sleep as well!"

"It definitely will... Gotcha"

"Oh!"

Tohka clapped in amazement as she watched Rei getting the Kinako mini pillow with ease. Rei then, took it out as he somewhat brushed something out of it before handing it to Tohka, who certainly was happy about it.

"Do you like it?"

"Mm!" Nodded Tohka as she hugged the mini pillow on her arms as she let out a bright smile.

This not only reached Rei but also the other people on the place. Her smile was enamoring to those who saw it.

*Ehem*

Rei then gave off a fake cough as he glared at some boys who were still mesmerized looking at her snapping out of their thoughts in fear.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Rei?"

"No, it's nothing important. Just shooing some unnecessary insects," Rei said as if it was a matter of fact.

If somebody else had heard this, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Rei was picking himself a fight over some guys. But even if that happened, Rei could surely wipe out the floor with them easily.

Seemingly oblivious to what Rei meant, Tohka just tilted her head before she spoke her next words.

"Is that so? Then Rei, how do you play this machine?"

Tohka then pointed on the nearby mini arcade machine in curiosity.

"Hm? Oh. This is how you do it..."

As he taught her the controls and some things, Tohka just nodded and kept silent until Rei finished.

"...Hm... So it's like a battle huh"

"It is. Want to play?"

"Mm!"

And so they played.... or rather, one side has been played and was destroyed... pitifully.

...

It was approximately 9:30 P.M in the evening.

After finishing playing in the arcade, which Tohka was still grumbling about due to her consecutive and devastating losses, Rei couldn't help but give a wry smile.

If Rei was to describe one of his 'petty' traits, one about that is that he is a very prideful person when it comes to games. That's how it is. In short, he could be also described as a sore loser in a sense.

That trait of his was petty indeed. Childish even. And he won't deny it.

So even in a date, he gave no mercy and crushed Tohka's will to play which made her hate the arcade for a reason.

"Rei... The arcade makes you evil..... It would be better for it not to exist...." Tohka's dangerous muttering made Rei's body flinch.

Surely, he had been merciless and he won't be surprised if Tohka were to get mad at him, but it was in the least of his expectations for Tohka to get this mad at the arcade itself.

"No. You can't do that," Rei affirmed in a serious tone.

Seeing this, Tohka pouted as she crossed her arms and said, "See! You are getting mad at me! The arcade needs to be destroyed!"

"Hold up. Wait a minute. This ain't right"

"What's not right? It makes you evil!"

"I think 'mean' would be the better word to describe it"

"A mean Rei is a evil Rei!"

"...."

This is really getting out of hand. At worst, she would blast the entire place off, and that was surely something he should prevent.

The aftermath on dealing with it would be troublesome.

"...well, okay. But don't get too mad at the arcade. Be sure to direct it to the very person, in short me"

"But I can't..."

"You can't..?"

"I can't get mad at Rei... That's just it..."

"...I see"

Rei gave a relaxed smile upon seeing Tohka who was turning her gaze away from him. If he were to see her expression right now, it wouldn't be surprising if he blurted out the words cute or adorable at the moment.

"Tohka, do you want to watch a movie?"

"Movie...?"

Now realizing that Tohka once again doesn't know these things, Rei shook his head as he said, "Well, let's go. This might interest you"

...

"That movie Rei... it was great..." Tohka softly mumbled as she brushed her hair.

"It is"

"..."

"..."

They watched a movie just as intended. It was a romcom movie which ended in a tragic ending.

In a nutshell, it was a movie that started where the girl meets boy and they started interacting with each other. As time passed, they became close as the boy has an outgoing personality while the girl was as cold as ice, but even so, there personality and hobbies compliment each other frequently.

So, as they spent more time with each other, they realized that they started having budding feelings from each other. It came to the point where the two started to bet in their minds on who will be the first one to confess their love.

So blah blah blah. Romance here and comedy there. Story challenges left and solutions right. The story overall was definitely engaging and interesting.

At the end of the movie, the girl and boy were separated there paths from each other as their circumstances prevented them from getting together.

Rei then looked up in the sky and thought.

'Romcom but with a somewhat sad nding... huh'

Remembering that Tohka was so quiet during the whole movie for she was deeply immersed on watching, she didn't notice the changes on her expression.

And to add, Rei expected her to react more emotionally in a sense. Well, they were the only ones in the theater watching the movie which was a pretty good coincidence.

As they left the movie, Tohka was visibly having small tears on her eyes. Though she quickly wiped it away, it didn't went unnoticed from Rei as he asked her if she was alright.

Tohka, being who she was answered, "I am okay and not okay at the moment"

Saying so, Tohka then led the way as they traversed the city randomly. Their pace was not so fast but not so slow either.

With that point, this brings them to their current situation.

The path they are walking was bright as it basked in the moonlight. The place was also certainly quiet, which was natural for the

As for how they ended up here? Rei could just say that it was a sheer coincidence for he just let Tohka decide on what path they would take.

As the night breeze brushed through them, none of them said a word.

So Tohka who could not bare the silence anymore fidgeted as her words got out from her mouth.

"H-hey, Rei..."

"Hm, what?"

Rei tilted his head questioningly. Tohka fidgeted her hair for a moment before she then held out her hand.

"Uhm, want to... hold hands?"

"Hands? Why?"

Without any ill will, as if a pure question mark had floated up, Tohka asked.

Somehow, it seemed to fluster her for a bit. She just wanted to somewhat re-enact to what happened on the movie that they watched. And Tohka surely didn't want Rei to know that this is her main motive.

But Rei being the Rei he is, Rei already knew what she was trying to do. As a form of respect on the matter, Rei just decided to play ignorant within this situation.

"...You're right. I wonder why?" Tohka grumbled with a pout.

In reality, it was not something that she could explain right in front of him. As she looked away, Tohka pulled her hand—

"Okay"

—back, but Rei's hand grabbed onto Tohka's hand.

"..."

"What's with that face. You were the one who said to hold hands, Tohka"

"A-ah. Mm. It is"

Lightly shaking her head, they started walking.

"Mm, this isn't bad, holding hands"

Saying this Tohka smiled, and she strengthened her grip slightly.

"...Good for you"

He realized that just by touching the small, soft, and slightly cooler hand, his aloof expression somehow had a crack in it as there was a faint tint of red on his face as he smiled.

As much as he could, he tried to avoid thinking about the feeling, as he walked while thinking about other things.

Then, after walking forward for some time, he saw a yellow and black sign ahead that symbolized an area under construction. There were numerable vehicles parked within which are mainly used in construction.

"Mm... we can't pass through here huh. Oh well, let's..."

Rei turned towards his right, but this time along that path a do not enter sign was placed.

"Ah?"

While thinking that it was suspicious, he reluctantly turned back towards the way he came from. But in fact, that would be a waste of time.

He was sensing a kind of Deja Vu right at this very moment.

"..."

Rei then turned towards the hill, and looked at the road that extended from his left. The only road they could take was that. To be honest, he knew this setting.

"... Seriously. To think that I would also take this path..." Rei mumbled as he heaved a sigh.

This path was the exact similar.

It was exactly was that on the novel. Up on the hill was a park, it was also place where Tohka would be sealed.

It wouldn't be surprising if they were being monitored by the crew of <Fraxinus> all this time. If you were to ask if he cared about this matter earlier, then no. He didn't mind it earlier for he was also quite immersed on their date.

'You wouldn't mind some small insects bothering you if there is a beautiful flower right on your hands, right?' Rei jested in his mind before his thoughts led into a pause.

'Wait...'

You should mind bugs, shouldn't you? After all, they may damage the flower if left to be.

With those thoughts, he can't help but make a slight frown.

Thinking so, he then summoned a bounded field within the perimeter. Conceptualizing a large amount of space to make a large domain still wasn't a thing that he tried, yet this situation called it to do so and there's no harm in doing it.

It was then, a faint violet light erupted a few meters around Rei and Tohka, and it continued to expand up at least 50 meters in the diameter.

Though not stable, he could say that he could already get the grasp of it if he did this again.

"Nu? What's wrong Rei?"

Tohka, who somehow felt a sudden change in their surroundings asked. She tried to find what was wrong but she couldn't. But she knows that 'something' is wrong.

Noticing her sprouting awareness, Rei then re assured her as he lightly tapped Tohka's arm.

"No, it's nothing. Let's try going this way"

"Mm, okay"

While making a face as if just walking like this is fun, Tohka affirmed.

"Now then, let's go Rei!"

"Mm. Got it"

In an calm manner, Rei followed next to Tohka as they held hands as they walked away.

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[A/N: Okay, just a short note.

I will be busy this week so expect longer updates than usual. I am sorry for those who r expecting faster updates.

UmU.

With that said, bye bye]