Enjoying the moment

"You coming with us? We're going to go to the bowling alley today." Asked by Kibe.

"Nah. Maybe next time, I still have an Elective today for English.

"Okay dude. Next time then.

After bidding farewell to his friends, Kazuya checks his phone for tomorrow's class schedule.

This semester, he has around 16 credit hours and is managing well as his core Business Administration courses are proving to be manageable.

It appears that the tough love and high expectations from his grandmother are paying off.

As the sole Kinoshita-heir, they already have decided to let him take up the mantle of the liquor business in the future.

Included with that were the best practices that his grandma learned all her life from singlehandedly upholding the whole Kinoshita family when his grandpa died.

In order to arrive early and have more time to review, Kazuya takes a shorter path that one of his friends recently made him aware of.

Upon entering the recreation hall, he noticed a familiar sight.

"There's actually a gym here at the campus. I didn't know that."

Wondering if he had overlooked any details in the student handbook, Kazuya decided to enter the gym facilities to get more information.

Noticing pamphlets at the entrance, Kazuya takes a moment to grab one.

He notes down the gym's operating hours and facilities, and quickly scan it for any useful information before heading to his Elective class.

"Alright. So, it's free. It has most of the equipment I use. There's even a shower and a locker that can be requested to the facilities for temporary usage."

Calculating the time he could save everyday, he decided to come here instead when he has classes during weekdays.

"I should make time finding a suitable mat and a few weights I could use at home. That way, I could save from the membership I paid earlier in the local gym."

He plans to come back later to check this place out more thoroughly.

Afterward, he exited the recreation hall and noticed a shortcut through the back of the library. He quickly checked the map on his phone and saw that it was a more efficient route to his next class.

As he walked through the shortcut, he appreciated the scenic view of the campus gardens that he never noticed before.

It was a refreshing change of pace from his usual route and it made him feel energized for the rest of the day

Soon, he finally arrived at the lecture hall. He went upstairs and got into the room where his class will be held.

A few students are already inside, reviewing and minding their own businesses. And there he saw the familiar blonde figure he is avoiding all these past weeks.

'Was she taking this class too? I thought she was taking German.'

After selecting a seat towards the back, he nervously stole a few glances along the way.

Then his heart skipped a beat when he realized she was gazing at him too. He panicked, looked down, and steadily made his way into his seat.

Kazuya felt uneasy whenever he caught Mami's gaze, so he would try to avoid looking in her direction.

However, today he couldn't resist stealing a few glances, and he wasn't sure why.

Perhaps it was her cute hairstyle or the way she carried herself today.

Couldn't focus on the review he initially planned today; he subconsciously stole a few glances again.

*sigh*

'This is why I was avoiding her all the time. I always lose focus.

Unable to focus on his laptop, Kazuya's thoughts further drifted while stealing glances occasionally.

'She's always attractive and has this aura that makes you want to protect her. Her mysterious yet gentle blue eyes makes you want to stare at her all the time.

Dating a woman with such a caliber made me always lose my composure when interacting with her.'

As he continues to daydream, Kazuya's eyes involuntarily move down to her body, and he compliments in his mind how Mami always dresses fashionably and in style.

Kazuya's eyes further drifted downward, but gets blocked due to the angle of where he's sitting from.

Due to this, he could only continue thinking with his imagination. This made him began to start thinking lewd thoughts about Mami.

His mind wandered into a lustful scenario, causing him to have an involuntary physical reaction.

He suddenly woke up and tried to regain clarity of what just happened. Realizing his inappropriate thoughts, he used both of his hands to try to slap his cheeks regaining focus.

However, this draw attention of some of the students, including Mami. A little bit embarrassed of what just happened, he made his resolve to just focus on his laptop. However, not being in the right mindset made his mind fickle.

'Maybe that's why I lost her. Maybe I am acting always weird. I am trying to change that though now, but I guess it's too late...?'

This time he daydreams and imagine winning Mami back. Despite being heart-broken, there's still this hidden desire that exists in the depth of his heart.

He imagines multiple scenarios where the two of them would reconcile, and he would win Mami's heart back.

He knows it's not right to dwell on the past, especially since he has made an effort to move on from Mami. But deep inside, he also knew that he promised himself that he'd make her happy.

For what it's worth, he can't just leave it like this. It would be too shallow if he throws that feeling away so lightly. Especially when he feels that it was his fault to begin with that he got dumped.

(Author Notes: Manifestation of Kazuya's somehow fickle mind. Sometimes it stems from his caring attitude. Sometimes due to plots that Reiji is making)

He couldn't help but daydream. He imagined himself writing her heartfelt letters, sending her thoughtful gifts, and even planning romantic surprises for her.

He thought about how he could show her that he had changed and was ready to be the man she deserved.

Formulating a plan on how he would do all of this, the professor arrived, and the lecture started. He decided to postpone it and try his best pay attention to the class.

He knew how to converse in English, so he's taking this class to make sure his skill wouldn't get rusty. He's been very active in online forums in the past.

Joining various forums relating from topics about western music to topics about marine life. He fell in love with English

Music as it sounded so different than Japanese and has this mysterious tone and feels to it. The lyrics are sincere and most of the times, more straightforward than Japanese ones.

The lecture felt monotonous so occasionally, he would daydream of scenarios on how to take Mami's attention.

He realized earlier that his lustful attitude may have been the cause, so he's making a conscious effort to avoid appearing overly excited in public. Anything that might make someone think he's weird or a creep.

But he's not doing it perfectly yet as there are times that he easily gets flustered. He stole another glance and saw she is seriously paying attention to class.

'Would striving for a better GPA help? I dunno.. perhaps tagging along to parties if she's there?

'But I don't know anyone from her circle. Maybe they might even think of me as a creep if I proactively approach and ask.'

'Man, this is hard.'

Kazuya's tendency to overthink is yet another one of his traits.. It often occurs when his back is against the wall or when he's not focused by not doing anything.

That's why he finds relief from this tendency by sticking to his workout routine, playing the guitar, and staying up-to-date on the latest trends online

'Is there any way?'

'I hope we get into the same group in future team projects.'

Without any solid plans, he could only jot down this idea for later. As the class ends, he steals one final glance before leaving the room.

He left the lecture hall and decided to take the longer path this time, walking around the block, seemingly looking for serenity with being alone in the cold windy night.

He looked up at the sky and wonder what's in store for him in the future. Sensing his phone vibrating, he grabbed it from his pocket and saw that his friends are out drinking and asking if he would catch up.

[Save me a seat next time.]

He preferred going alone, so he searched the web for small/not much known Izakayas. Big/famous ones mostly cater to groups, and he thought it may look weird if he's out there drinking alone. Now's not the best time to draw attention to himself for no reason.

While walking in the university's main path, he found one that seemed fit his choice. He wore his AirPods and made his way to the station.

As he sat on the train, he listened to his English playlist, he opens Amazn JP to look for workout mats.

Included in his search are adjustable dumbbells sets, foldable weight bench and a standing mirror ensuring he could see himself maintaining the right form when doing sets.

As most of the items are storage friendly, he's confident that there should be enough space at his living room if he places them accordingly. He could also store them in the future if the situation calls for it.

After a while, he got off the train and walk towards his destination with his Maps app opened.

There were several turns he needed to make but he reached the destination after a 10-minute walk. Though the place looks a bit old, it's not shabby. The place has a historic feel to it.

Kazuya entered the 2-storey establishment that looked like it just came out from Edo period. He looked around inside and even though it looks traditional, it has style.

'A pretty well-maintained establishment. Not bad and it has the perfect ambience. I wonder why this spot isn't popular given the good attributes it has.'

He chose a discreet seat, and asked the staff if there is seating charge. There is. He placed an order for several yakitori dishes and his favorite drink, Sapporo black.

Within a few minutes, his order arrived, along with a complimentary appetizer that came with the seating charge.

(Author Notes: typically, if you paid for a seating fee you will be given free appetizers)

"Going solo seems not so bad.." He mumbled as he drinks another mouthful.

He looked around the establishment. There are only a few people here as it is not much known for some reason.

Relishing the chance to be alone and not dwelling on his recent breakup, he finally felt some calm and peace he's craving for.It may be temporary, but it is considered a luxury for his situation.

After quite a while, he paid, thanked the staff for the amazing food and drinks, then told himself he should come back next time.