Sakura steadied herself, exhaling softly.
As they walked, she chatted with Satoru about daily life.
"You're… pretty good at snagging discounts, Kobayashi-kun."
"Yeah, 'cause I live alone."
In both his past life and this one, Satoru was a lone wolf.
Back then, he wasn't rich. Now? Broke as hell. Bargain hunting was a must, a skill he'd honed to perfection.
Sadly, online shopping shifted the game to internet speed, and his dial-up-level connection was no match.
"Eh? You live by yourself?" Sakura asked.
"Yup."
"Your family?"
"Overseas."
Satoru shrugged. It sounded like he was some rich heir.
Not exactly a lie—his only guardian was his aunt, slaving away in Hawaii.
Japan was chaotic. He wondered if settling back in Kagoku after adulthood would be better… but what if the NTR aura wasn't just Japan's? What if he returned and someone said, "A-Bin's high school grades were subpar"? That'd be the ultimate chaos…
"I see," Sakura said thoughtfully. "Then, want to come to my place for dinner? My mom's cooking is amazing, and my grandpa's a kendo master. He'd love to meet you."
"…?" Satoru stared. Do you hear yourself?
"…?" Sakura tilted her head, oblivious.
Satoru paused. "I've got stuff to do."
Sakura nodded, accepting.
They reached the subway station.
Their trains went different ways.
Handing over the eggs and groceries, Satoru parted ways with Sakura.
But watching her graceful figure fade, he pondered.
Damn, why's this senpai from Reihama so much more naive than I thought? Who invites a guy they barely know to dinner at their place?!
Without hypnosis skills, he'd be torn apart by the Miyajima men!
Sakura noticed his gaze but missed the mixed emotions, thinking he was waving goodbye.
She turned, waving enthusiastically. "See you, Kobayashi-kun!"
"…Yeah." Satoru raised a hand, giving a small wave.
Ugh.
On the train home, Sakura's scent lingered at his nose. He thought he was losing it.
Then it hit him—he forgot to return the scarf.
Phew. Not obsession, just a mix-up. He wasn't corrupted.
…
Sakura arrived home.
Her house doubled as a kendo dojo, its decor traditional and rustic.
Sliding open the paper door to the kitchen, she found her mother, Tsubaki, busy cooking.
Tsubaki and Sakura shared a striking resemblance—face and curvaceous figures screamed family ties.
But they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter.
"Sakura, you're back!" Tsubaki turned. "Wow, you got a haul! Were the discount crowds light?"
"No, pretty packed. But… my friend's a discount pro, so we nailed it," Sakura said with a smile.
Tsubaki blinked. "Friend? Not Ayaka?"
She knew Ayaka well—party girl, not a bargain hunter.
"Oh! Ayaka!" Sakura perked up, bowing to Tsubaki. "Sorry, Mom, I need to talk to her."
"Mm." Tsubaki nodded, musing. Sakura made a new friend? That's rare.
In her room, Sakura pulled out her phone, fumbling with Line. She wasn't tech-savvy but knew the basics.
Ayaka had asked for a live "date" play-by-play, but Sakura thought staring at her phone during a hangout was rude and declined. Now home, she'd update her.
Sakura: I'm home.
Ayaka: Yo!
Before Sakura could process Ayaka's instant reply, her phone rang.
The sudden ring startled her, nearly dropping the device. Her kendo reflexes saved it, and she answered. "Hello…?"
"You're home, right?" Ayaka's voice was rapid-fire. "I've been lounging in bed waiting for your update! So, that guy showed up on time?"
No way they'd be this late otherwise, Ayaka thought.
"Nope," Sakura said. "Kobayashi-kun was an hour late…"
"What?!" Ayaka's voice spiked. "That guy had the nerve to be late for your date?! And you waited?! Didn't we agree to bail at 12:30 if he didn't show?"
"Well… I waited, but he came," Sakura said, smiling. "If I'd left, he'd have shown up to nothing."
"Why was he that late? He didn't just… not explain, right? Total player move," Ayaka huffed.
"No, he was honest," Sakura defended. "He said he got held up."
"'Held up' is just a non-answer! He didn't say who! What if he was off with another girl? Seamless switch, total player!" Ayaka branded him, then asked, "So, how'd it go?"
"Well…" Sakura hesitated. She wanted to gush about him calling her nee-san but worried it'd tarnish his rep. "It was… nice. Really smooth. Kobayashi-kun's so down-to-earth. But… he seemed kinda upset when we parted."
"Upset? Why?" Ayaka asked. For Sakura to pick up on that was… odd.
"I invited him to our house for dinner, and he declined… Did I upset him?" Sakura asked cautiously.
"Pfft—"
Ayaka wasn't drinking but nearly choked on her spit. Sakura, you're that forward?! Who are you?!
Her pupils shook.
…
…