Chapter 177: Ichinose Honami: If We Do This, Won't We Be Doing a Disservice to the Senpais?
As Shimizu Akira was leaving the boxing club, Captain Sato suddenly remembered there was one more thing he hadn't mentioned—his girlfriend had already arranged a date for the two of them, and the other person was none other than Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B.
The Captain's girlfriend had asked when he would be free, hoping to find a time convenient for both of them to go out together.
Shimizu Akira thought about it. He wasn't particularly busy lately, so he replied that any time after school would be fine.
Captain Sato then enthusiastically imparted some dating wisdom: for instance, always be proactive about paying the bill, absolutely do not be late on the day, and don't stare at the girl for long periods.
As long as he behaved naturally in other aspects, there might be a second date.
Finally, Sato didn't forget to give him a reality check: "But don't go thinking that just because she agreed to go on a date with you, she actually likes you!"
Shimizu Akira was perfectly aware of this in his own heart.
What normal person would immediately decide to become a couple after going out just once?
To put it plainly, it was just two people who didn't know each other well but had a decent first impression, willing to go for a walk to see if their personalities, habits, and values aligned.
If a girl agrees to an appointment—as long as the guy's performance isn't too terrible and the girl isn't the type to intentionally "lead people on"—she will usually subtly reveal at the end of the date whether she is willing to have a second meeting.
If she proactively invites the guy to meet again, it means his performance passed the test, and there is potential for further development. If there's no follow-up, then one can only say the fate wasn't there.
Of course, it was never a one-sided affair.
The guy could also use the date to observe the girl's daily actions and speech to judge if she was truly a good fit for him. If he didn't find her appealing, he naturally wouldn't proactively propose a second meeting—if he couldn't even stand certain behaviors during a casual outing, they wouldn't be able to get along well in the future.
In a sense, a date was more like a "litmus test" before formal dating, similar to a blind date.
Determining a relationship based on a single date was extremely rare. Generally, it required several interactions where both parties felt comfortable and compatible, eventually feeling that "this is the person," before they could truly come together.
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.
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By the time Shimizu Akira returned to the dorm, Captain Sato's message had already arrived—the date was set for tomorrow after school.
"Another Wednesday! Another date arranged by someone else! Why does this feel so familiar!"
This immediately reminded him of what happened last month.
He remembered clearly that his date with Kushida Kikyo was also on a Wednesday. He didn't expect that just a month later, his dating partner would be replaced by Ichinose Honami.
Last time, the ones pulling the strings were Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji; this time, it was Captain Sato and his girlfriend. There certainly were a lot of "kind-hearted" people around him.
Speaking of which, he had now come into contact with both of the most popular beauties in the first year.
Ichinose Honami's popularity was beyond question; he occasionally heard classmates mention that she was the universally recognized "No. 1 Beauty" of the first year.
As for Kushida Kikyo, to be honest, her popularity was slightly inferior to Ichinose's, but she was still quite popular in other classes. For example, even the bunch in Class C, who usually had a thorn for everyone, would put on a flattering expression when talking to Kushida.
After all, they were high schoolers—who wouldn't want a cute girl as a girlfriend?
Even so, Shimizu Akira didn't think these two girls were actually interested in him.
Again, Kushida Kikyo had only agreed to the date to maintain her reputation as someone who keeps her promises; it was purely out of necessity. As for Ichinose Honami, she was likely pestered by Sato's girlfriend for too long—after all, this had been mentioned since last month. Given her personality, if she were truly willing, she wouldn't have dragged it out until now.
She had clearly been politely declining for a month and finally gave in, likely because she couldn't save face anymore.
However, Shimizu Akira was very open-minded: regardless, Ichinose Honami's personality and appearance were top-tier. Being able to go out with her was a happy thing in itself.
So, it was best to just keep a relaxed mindset. He would treat it as going for a walk with a normal friend.
Just then, the phone "dinged" again. Shimizu Akira thought it was Sato sending more dating precautions, but when he picked it up, the name jumping onto the screen was Ichinose Honami.
Ichinose Honami: Shimizu-kun, um... I seem to have received a text from a senpai. Did you receive one too?
Shimizu Akira was a bit surprised. He had just been thinking she might not be attending of her own volition, yet she had specifically sent a message to confirm.
Shimizu Akira: Yeah, I received it too.
Ichinose Honami: You should be free tomorrow after school, right?
Shimizu Akira: After finishing dinner, it'll be about 4:30 PM. Shall we meet at 5:00?
Ichinose Honami: Um... can we skip cafeteria dinner? I heard about a conveyor-belt sushi place from several senpais; its reputation and reviews are really good. Do you eat sushi?
Shimizu Akira stared at the screen for two seconds. He felt she was being quite attentive; it didn't look like she was being forced into this at all.
Shimizu Akira: Of course, I quite like sushi.
The phone vibrated again quickly.
Ichinose Honami: Great! Then can we meet tomorrow at 4:00 PM at the flowerbed by the school gate?
Ichinose Honami: Also, for the costs of this date, let's split it.
Shimizu Akira: I should be the one to pay the points. Captain Sato specifically warned me that if he finds out I didn't treat you, he'll definitely make me do extra training.
Ichinose Honami: Eh? Does Captain Sato often make you do extra training? Should I... mention something to his girlfriend?
Shimizu Akira couldn't help but chuckle at the screen. He had intended to proactively treat her, but he didn't expect her to think he was being bullied with extra training. This person was way too considerate of others; a normal person wouldn't even care about such a detail.
Shimizu Akira: No, no, Captain Sato takes good care of me. I usually only show up two or three times a week; it's not strict.
Ichinose Honami: Oh... I see. Then I'm really sorry, I misunderstood Sato-Senpai.
Ichinose Honami: Um... discussing this privately like this, won't we be doing a bit of a disservice to the senpais? They seem to think we don't know each other at all and are trying to help us connect.
Ichinose Honami: I just feel... it's a bit strange for us to be like this.
Shimizu Akira thought about it, and she was right.
In the eyes of those senpais, they probably truly believed the two were total strangers, which is why they went to the trouble of playing matchmaker. But in reality, there was no need for the senpais to bother building a bridge; the two of them had already agreed on a meeting place and the shop they were going to on their own.
Then again, last month Hoshinomiya Chie had said that if he performed well, she would let Ichinose Honami go on a date with him. Looking back now, it seems things didn't go at all according to her expectations.
He hadn't done anything this month, and yet someone had already arranged everything for him
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