[Although I roughly understand what you mean, will this method really work on Mutsumi?]
[If it were anyone else it definitely wouldn't, but since it's you, Tetsuya-kun, it'll absolutely work... After all, you've always been a genius at making girls' hearts flutter.]
[...What are you talking about?]
[I'm saying you're very good with girls. However, it's precisely because of this... if you go too far, it might actually make things troublesome instead... Mhm, it's decided. Before your date with Mutsumi tomorrow, I must first make sure you can't stand up!]
[Eh? I completely haven't understood what you've been talking about since just now, Sakiko... wait, even if we're going to continue, let me rest for a bit! Hey—]
...
"Sigh, just thinking about it makes my waist ache..."
"? Did you just say something, Chihaya-san?"
"It's nothing. More importantly... is there anywhere you want to go, Wakaba-san?"
Tetsuya unconsciously rubbed his waist as he asked Mutsumi.
Hearing Tetsuya's question, Mutsumi once again fell into hesitation.
According to Tetsuya's suggestion, since she couldn't make a choice right now, they might as well change their mood a bit, do something else, and come back to pick again when she had some ideas in her head.
But to Mutsumi, this was nothing more than changing to a different multiple-choice question. Essentially, it was still asking her to continue making other choices—
"Oh, right, I just forgot to state the most important prerequisite."
Just as Mutsumi was still agonizing over their next itinerary, Tetsuya suddenly spoke up to supplement:
"When you choose our destination this time, Wakaba-san, please absolutely ignore my existence and make a decision with the mindset of 'going out alone'."
"Huh?"
They were just talking about a date a moment ago, yet now he suddenly wanted her to make a choice based on the standard of going out alone???
Mutsumi felt like she couldn't keep up with Tetsuya's train of thought. However, seeing the expression on his face that didn't look like he was joking, Mutsumi finally swallowed the question that had almost slipped out.
"Chihaya-san must have his reasons for doing this!"
With this thought in mind, Mutsumi first turned her back, removing Tetsuya's figure from her field of vision. Not long after, she immediately voiced the place name that had popped into her head right away:
"Can we... go to an instrument store?"
The moment she voiced this answer, a feeling of regret immediately swelled in Mutsumi's heart.
Although she had indeed come up with a clear result, no matter how she thought about it, an instrument store held absolutely no value worth visiting for Tetsuya.
For a date, this kind of location that was only appealing to one party was arguably the worst possible choice—
"Of course we can!"
However, upon hearing this, Tetsuya immediately agreed.
"I remember we happened to pass by one on our way here. Let's head over there right now!"
"...?"
This proactiveness that exceeded her imagination left Mutsumi deeply puzzled.
For Chihaya-san, who had always focused solely on clothing, an instrument store should have been a completely irrelevant place to him. Why was he acting so enthusiastic right now?
...
Forget it. Regardless, it seemed she hadn't made Chihaya-san feel disappointed.
In this way, she should have safely passed the first hurdle of this impromptu date...
Carrying a hint of wishful thinking, she, as the initiator of this itinerary, followed behind Tetsuya and headed towards the instrument store with him.
...
Completely unlike the situation at the dress boutique, Mutsumi almost immediately found what she wanted to do upon entering the instrument store.
She first briefly browsed the arrangement and layout of the instruments in the store, then immediately arrived at the guitar section and subconsciously began picking one out. At the same time, a shop assistant also noticed this girl with a clear goal and approached her.
"...Can I test play it?"
"Of course you can. Which model would you like to try?"
"This one..."
Mutsumi casually pointed to an acoustic guitar, and seeing this, the assistant immediately took the guitar down from the display rack and handed it to Mutsumi.
"Because Sakiko seems to really like adding folk elements to her arrangements recently, so... I might need to get used to playing the acoustic guitar in advance."
As Mutsumi spoke, she placed her hands on it and began playing right away.
Soon after, the prelude to "Snow" by the [Red Hot Chili Peppers] bloomed from her fingertips—
"Ohhh..."
Her silent yet composed posture, the dense and complex layers of her performance, and her nimble fingering made both the shop assistant and Tetsuya let out sighs of amazement in unison. After Mutsumi finished this showy test play, the two of them lightly applauded her together.
"Could this customer be a musician from a professional band?"
"Mhm, that's right!"
Before Mutsumi could speak, Tetsuya spoke up first with a slightly proud tone:
"Although they're still just a rookie band for now, it won't be long before they definitely become well-known... So, are you going to buy this guitar, Wakaba-san?"
"...Not yet."
Whether it was because the guitar in her hands made her temporarily forget her original nervousness, even the tone of Mutsumi's response became much steadier.
"I want to try a few others first... is that okay?"
"Of course it's no problem."
Tetsuya smiled and nodded, then found the nearest stool and sat directly down on it.
"You can test play for as long as you want, Wakaba-san."
"It won't take that long... I just want to briefly listen to the tone of these few models-"
Mutsumi, who thought Tetsuya was only saying this to accommodate her, first subconsciously wanted to explain something. But soon after, when she saw that Tetsuya's expression genuinely lacked any trace of impatience and was instead filled with anticipation for her performance, she immediately stopped herself.
He didn't seem to be simply humoring her; he was genuinely very interested in her performance...
That's wonderful...
Thinking of this, Mutsumi suddenly felt the tension in her heart dissipate by more than half.
"Then, please let me try this one next..."
"Mhm, understood!"
Having witnessed Mutsumi's superb skill, the shop assistant also immediately and very attentively took down another acoustic guitar for her and handed it into Mutsumi's hands.
Then, under Tetsuya's gentle gaze, Mutsumi continued trying out new guitars...
...
"I'm really very sorry, Chihaya-san... Even though we came to buy a dress this time, I ended up buying something completely unrelated first..."
"You bought this guitar for the band's new songs, right? If that's the case, then it's absolutely not completely unrelated."
Tetsuya, who had just signed the order form, said:
"More importantly, is there anywhere else you want to go next, Wakaba-san?"
Hearing Tetsuya's question, Mutsumi's expression instantly became embarrassed again.
"Eh? You still want me to choose?"
"Mhm! This time, just like before, you must choose based on the standard of 'going out alone'!"
"Mmm..."
Mutsumi lowered her head, feeling somewhat guilty.
"Even if it's just in name, this is still supposed to be a date... Is it really okay to only consider my own opinion—Kya?!"
Before Mutsumi could finish her sentence, her vision suddenly plunged into pitch black. Soon after, a warmth that almost seemed to envelop her entire consciousness flooded in.
"You should understand too, Wakaba-san. There must be my own reasons for doing this. If you are willing to trust me, you don't need to overthink it."
Tetsuya gently covered Mutsumi's eyes with his hands while speaking into her ear:
"Just now, you made a choice when you couldn't see me, right, Wakaba-san? Then let's use the same method this time too!"
"H-how could you..."
With her vision deprived, Mutsumi only felt that her body's other senses were rapidly becoming activated.
Aside from the warmth covering her eyes and cheeks that made her heart race, the breathing she heard by her ear, as well as the voice that had become unusually alluring at such close proximity, caused Mutsumi to fall into an unprecedented state of agitation for a moment.
This was the first time Mutsumi had spoken with Tetsuya at such a close distance, and it was also her first time having such direct contact with him.
Under these circumstances, let alone ignoring Tetsuya, for a moment her entire mind could only think about things concerning Tetsuya—
"I-I understand! The next stop is the flower shop, the flower shop will do!"
In a panic, Mutsumi somehow dug out this completely unthought-out option from who-knows-where.
Hearing this, Tetsuya immediately let go of this pitiful girl whose ears had even turned a bit red.
"Mhm, that's right. Then the next stop is decided: the flower shop."
"Uu..."
Watching Tetsuya's unperturbed and composed posture, the heart-pounding Mutsumi only felt her heart fill with the frustration and shame of being teased.
But at the same time, she was also incredibly confused about the location she had just blurted out subconsciously.
Why had she just said the flower shop of all places?
Although she was indeed very interested in gardening and had indeed harbored the thought of wanting to check out a flower shop. But for Tetsuya, did he really have any need or necessity to go to a flower shop...
Thinking of this, Mutsumi turned her head to look at Tetsuya again. His expression right now still didn't show the slightest impatience or endurance. Instead, just like when he was listening to her test play the guitar at the instrument store earlier, it was filled with an anticipation and joy that made her feel at ease.
Geez...
If things went like this, wouldn't even she herself become unable to resist feeling happy?
Feeling the fluttering in her heart that had yet to settle down for a long time, Mutsumi quickened her pace and walked side-by-side with Tetsuya.