Volume 7 Chapter 14 Date With Ex-Girlfriend
After the day Yuusuke dating Lisha, it was time for Tsukiko.
"Going out like this, just the two of us, it's been a while."
Upon seeing his face as he said that, Tsukiko realized that she had made the wrong choice.
The night when the four girls had talked, Lisha had hoped to spend the first day with Yuusuke, and that wish was granted. Tsukiko also wanted to sort out the situation with Eris' story, and she knew that going out just the two of them required some preparation.
So, she chose the second day.
"Where are we going today?"
Yuusuke's face was unusually cheerful.
This man, for better or worse, wore his emotions on his sleeve. This aspect of him was surprisingly endearing - no, that's not it. It was different.
In other words, he seemed to have reconciled with the situation after spending a day with Lisha. Perhaps he had already prepared himself, as Sharla had suggested.
It's easy to find solace in the passing of time. However, this was different.
From the moment they returned home, Tsukiko could tell that Lisha's efforts had played a significant role in Yuusuke's recovery.
'Why did you go about it that way? Yuusuke has always been kind. Why did he have to get hurt? It's not right for the end of someone who fought for us without any connection to us to be like that!'
That night, only Lisha had shown anger. She did so because she was only concerned about Yuusuke's feelings, without weighing reasons or circumstances.
Tsukiko couldn't do that.
Lisha was just too straightforward, too honest, and she shone so brightly that it was unbearable to watch.
Now, Tsukiko held her phone in one hand and muttered softly,
"...an aquarium."
"Eh? Where are we going?"
"...the aquarium."
"Is it the Sunshine Aquarium?"
"..."
Tsukiko couldn't answer, but that was to be expected.
The Sunshine Aquarium was the first place Tsukiko and Yuusuke had gone to when they started dating. In other words, it was their first date spot.
Going around to places filled with memories with an ex-boyfriend...
(Idiot. Am I an idiot? But I had no choice. I didn't have time, and I didn't know of many places to go. It's a failure, a complete failure.)
Tsukiko's head kept spinning in circles.
She had used yesterday to sort out her thoughts about Kougarou, and then she had been agitated by Lisha and her friends' behavior at night. Finally, she had made a reservation for tickets to the aquarium, which was the safe bet.
But she only realized after making the reservation.
Could this be what they call a minefield?
But Tsukiko, who had lived her life dealing with magic and the supernatural, was unfamiliar with that sort of information. As a young woman, she knew of famous date spots, but this time, she was the one being hospitable. She didn't have the courage to suddenly jump into unfamiliar territory.
The result was this.
She couldn't laugh at Ayaka's choice of a haunted spot for a date.
"I'm sorry, this is..."
"No, it's fine. I'm looking forward to the aquarium. It's been a while."
Yuusuke said that with a smile.
Seeing that face, Tsukiko couldn't say anything anymore.
Six months ago, she had been prepared for never seeing that smile again.
"...right."
Tsukiko looked away and stared at the ground.
She didn't want him to see her smiling face.
She didn't know who this time was for anymore.
...
...
Tsukiko and Yuusuke entered the Sunshine Aquarium.
Even though it's a weekday, there are quite a few people, as expected of Ikebukuro.
"Oh, there's something about aquariums that gets you excited, right?"
"Yes, even though I'm not particularly knowledgeable about fish."
"I think everyone feels that way."
While they were talking, they watched the fish swimming in the water.
Actually, Tsukiko was not good with aquariums or zoos. She felt like the animals living in small boxes were somehow similar to herself.
However,
"Hey, I've always wondered, why can moray eels live together with other fish in aquariums?"
"Probably because they are being fed properly."
"But aren't they scary? Are they properly trained?"
"Well... I wonder if moray eels can even be trained in the first place."
"It seems difficult judging by their faces."
"It would be sad to judge based on appearances."
Yuusuke laughed and looked into the face of the moray eel.
Although Tsukiko didn't understand what was enjoyable about it, the moray eel and Yuusuke continued to stare at each other.
Finding their interaction amusing, Tsukiko secretly glanced at Yuusuke's profile multiple times.
Without a doubt, it was thanks to Yuusuke that Tsukiko began to think of the aquarium as a fun place.
But Why can he be so full of smiles?
From what Yuusuke himself and the people around him say, his life in another world has been harsh.
Bloody battles. Glory in the grand cathedral where no one knows his name.
And parting ways with his comrades.
It's amazing he hasn't become misanthropic.
Perhaps it's precisely because he's lived through such a brutal reality that he can find joy in anything.
And the one who has supported him in becoming that way is Eris.
She is Yuusuke's hope incarnate.
With Eris by his side, Yuusuke could find light even in the darkest despair.
Just like Tsukiko can now.
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's just that your face looks like a moray eel."
"Why are you suddenly dissing me? The moray eel's nickname, I know it. It's a gangster of the sea."
"Yeah, I think it suits you perfectly."
"I had a calm expression though, right?"
Yuusuke started rubbing his cheeks.
I wish he would stop doing that; it makes her smile.
If he's recovered, that's all that matters. After all, they had come to have fun together.
Tsukiko decided that, and in an instant, she wiped her sweaty palms with a handkerchief, then took Yuusuke's hand.
"T-Tsukiko."
"Next is over there. There's still a lot to see."
"Ah..."
Tsukiko couldn't bring herself to look directly at Yuusuke's face. No, she didn't want to see her own face right now, and she didn't want him to see it either.
She felt her heart race at the uneasiness she sensed in Yuusuke. He was still acknowledging her as a woman. She felt embarrassed about entertaining such a convenient fantasy. With that in mind, Tsukiko hurried to the next tank.
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