Chapter 108: Chapter 107 – Disastrous Practice Date

LAkari came across that magazine by sheer luck.

Or maybe she told herself that.

The cover was brightly colored, extremely dramatic, and dangerously pink.

"ROMANCE GUIDE! HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LOVE LIFE!"

Akari stared at it in shock for about ten seconds.

Then slowly picked it up.

Then wished she hadn’t.

---

One thing inside caught her attention.

"Practice Dates Make You More Confident!"

Akari read it three times.

Thought it over for a second.

Nodded.

"This is it." And started planning right away.

---

The next morning, Kuro was calmly enjoying his tea when Akari suddenly appeared in front of him.

Too excited.

Too suspicious.

Too early.

"Akari?"

"What?"

"Kuro."

"What?"

"Akari?"

"Yes?"

"Come with me."

"Why?"

"Town."

"For what?"

"Training."

"What kind of training?"

"For life."

Silence.

"...Akari."

"Yes?"

"I feel I need to be worried about this."

"You shouldn’t."

She did not sound very reassuring.

---

Still, somehow, Kuro went along.

Because, most often, resisting Akari proved to be even worse than agreeing with her.

This mistake cost him dearly.

---

First Stop: Bookstore

Akari stepped into the store in her most serious demeanor.

"This is a cultural immersion."

"It’s a bookstore."

"Yes."

"That’s all?"

"Yes."

Silence.

"...This is all?"

"Yeah."

"I see..."

"And?"

"I’m choosing books."

"What does it have to do with your immersion?"

Akari ignored him and went on picking random books and observing Kuro’s reaction carefully.

"Do you like this genre?"

"It’s a dictionary."

"Interesting answer."

"It’s a dictionary, Akari."

---

Second Stop: Arcade

Akari’s attitude improved.

"This is where you and I will connect emotionally."

"We’re not doing that."

"Shush."

Akari threw some coins in and started playing crane machines.

Failed miserably.

Moved to rhythm games.

Failed spectacularly.

Kuro remained indifferent throughout the process.

"You suck at these."

"I’m learning."

"But I keep seeing you wasting my money."

"It’s called an investment."

Kuro decided not to argue.

---

Third Stop: Shopping District

Akari walked ahead, behaving as though nothing out of ordinary was going on.

But in reality, she was fully aware of everything.

Especially of Kuro.

Especially of his reaction.

Especially because he seemed to have no idea that something extraordinary was taking place.

A couple walking past them exchanged a few words, then smiled kindly.

"Oh, they look cute together."

Akari stopped dead in her tracks.

Kuro, oblivious as ever, kept moving ahead.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing important."

"Okay."

He kept walking.

Akari burst into flames almost instantaneously.

---

Fourth Stop: Café

Finally, Akari felt like herself.

"This is my relaxation time."

Kuro seated himself.

"You’ve been acting oddly all day."

"No, I haven’t."

"You have."

"How come?"

"You called today training."

"That’s correct."

"For what?"

Akari paused for a moment.

"...Social skills."

Kuro looked at her suspiciously.

"That sounds so fake."

"It’s not."

"You said it does."

"It does."

"It doesn’t."

"It does."

"It doesn’t."

Akari’s eye twitched violently.

---

They stayed quiet for a little while.

Akari stirred her drink vigorously.

Kuro looked out of the window.

Peacefully, nonchalantly, without a care.

---

Then came a disaster.

A couple sitting next to them turned to look at them, smiled, then whispered something between themselves.

"You look cute."

"They’re definitely on a date."

Silence.

Akari’s spoon froze halfway to her mouth.

Kuro barely reacted.

"Hm?"

The woman spoke a bit louder.

"You look cute together."

Akari’s spirit left her body immediately.

---

"NO!-"

She jumped up too quickly.

"-I meant that this-is-not-a-date!"

Kuro looked at her.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

Akari was malfunctioning now.

Totally broke down.

"I-I-"

The couple waved gently and left.

"Have a nice date!"

And walked away.

---

Silence.

---

Kuro drank some of his tea.

"Oh, they misunderstood."

"Not at all."

"Then why were you so shocked?"

"Because they were totally right."

"They misunderstood something."

"They did not."

"They did."

"They DIDN’T."

Kuro looked confused.

"...Okay?"

---

Akari slowly lowered herself to her seat.

Blushing madly.

Brain overheating.

Dignity in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, Kuro looked around.

"This was your training?"

Akari nodded awkwardly.

"Yes."

"Did I pass?"

"...No."

"Why not?"

Akari glared at him.

For a moment.

Then whispered:

"You’re too calm."

Kuro tilted his head sideways.

"I take it as a compliment?"

"It’s not."

---

On their way out, Akari moved slightly ahead, trying to regain herself after the shock.

Kuro went after her casually.

Still a bit confused.

Still the same.

Stil totally clueless.

---

Akari glanced behind her briefly.

Then focused on the road ahead.

Her heart raced.

Not in embarrassment.

In something much more terrifying.

Unfamiliar.

Unacceptable.

---

"Next time," she said.

"I’ll do better."

Kuro heard her.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

---

Behind them, that couple kept giggling, convinced that they’d seen young love.

Almost killing Akari again.

While Kuro remained completely clueless.

As always.

When they left the snack stand, the sky was beginning to turn from the warm colors of day to the cool colors of night.

Streetlights began to turn on slowly, one at a time and provided long shadows on the pavement below. Akari was still walking next to Kuro but she was much quieter than normal. This made Kuro suspicious.

Really suspicious. Kuro glanced at Akari, just for a moment and said,

"You are thinking again."

Akari shot back with, "I am not."

Kuro responded quickly with, "You are."

She repeated, "I am not."

Kuro quickly responded, "That’s what people say when they are thinking."

Akari clicked her tongue in annoyance and said, "Stop analyzing me."

Kuro replied, "It is very easy to do."

Akari responded, "That is rude."

Kuro stated back that it was accurate, and the result was that Akari popped her cheeks out a bit and turned her head away from Kuro to break that awkwardness.

She told him that he was annoying. Kuro admitted that he has been told that comment before.

Akari then said that wasn’t something to be proud of, Kuro said he was not proud of it and then there was a brief silence between the two of them.

It was not uncomfortable but it was as if that was an expected moment. They also noticed that they were passing on a small bridge over a shorter canal.

They stood at the edge of the bridge looking down at the water that reflected the city lights as well, as the orange sky above.

Akari slowed down again and Kuro knew it but he said nothing to her. So, he just leaned on the railing while looking down at the water below .

Akari gradually followed him to that same position of leaning up against the railing next to him. Again, neither said anything at this time.

Only the distant sound of vehicles driving along the roads and the wind blowing past them can be heard.

Finally, Akari spoke.

"Hey," she said.

Kuro didn’t respond.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think about the future?"

Kuro looked towards her.

"Sometimes," Kuro said.

Akari nodded her head.

"What type of things do you think about?"

Kuro thought for a minute.

"Just normal stuff."

"That’s too vague," Akari said.

"That’s what makes it vague," Kuro said matter-of-factly.

"That’s not fair," Akari said, frowning.

"How’s that unfair?" Kuro asked.

"Because you didn’t include me in your thoughts," Akari replied.

Kuro blinked only once.

"I didn’t exclude you from my thoughts either," Kuro pointed out.

Akari froze.

Akari looked away quickly.

"That’s not what I was saying," Akari replied.

Kuro slowly nodded and said "Okay."

Kuro’s tone implied that he wasn’t completely understanding.

This caused Akari to become more embarrassed.

Akari kicked a small piece of gravel off the railing of the bridge.

"If I wasn’t here would it be quieter?" Akari asked.

Kuro answered before thinking, "Yes."

Akari dropped her shoulders.

"I see," Akari said.

Kuro continued, "But, it would also be worse."

Akari stopped in her tracks.

"Huh," she said.

Kuro leaned back against the railing.

"It’d be so quiet," he said, looking up the street in a daze.

Akari was confused by Kuro’s response.

"That sounds like a bad thing," she stated.

Kuro was still leaning on the rail, losing his place in the moment.

"It’s not," he said with a laugh.

"It is," Akari insisted.

"It isn’t," Kuro replied.

Akari squinted her eyes in an ultra-confusion and responded, "You’re a sucky explainer."

"I’ve been told," Kuro stated as a matter-of-fact.

"That’s happened to you before?" she asked.

"So I have been told," Kuro replied again as if it were second nature.

Akari sighed in disappointment but was able to smile due to Kuro’s use of a joke that she’d been a part of previously.

After he stood still, Kuro added: "You’re loud but that’s okay."

Akari once again froze.

"...Is that a backhanded compliment?"

"It isn’t."

"...Yes, it is."

"It isn’t."

"...Then, what is it?"

Kuro had to think before he answered.

Then, spoke;

"I’m used to it."

Akari then went silent.

So silent, in fact.

Kuro noted as soon as he saw it.

"...What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You’re doing that thinking face thing again."

"I’m not doing a thinking face."

"Yes, you are."

Akari quickly turned her head away from him.

"...Idiot."

Kuro exhaled.

—

The two resumed walking.

Side by side.

Closer together than they meant, simply due to drifting closer to one another.

Akari continually stole glances at him and was convinced he couldn’t see her.

Kuro clearly never saw her looking.

Or he pretended not to see.

Hard to say.

—

After a while, Akari spoke.

"...If I wasn’t your sister, who would I be?"

Kuro stopped for about half of a second before walking again.

"Still Akari."

"That’s not what I meant."

"I know."

"...Then answer me right."

Once again, Kuro paused to think.

After he thought about it, he shrugged.

"I don’t know."

Akari was not pleased.

"That’s pointless."

"Most probably."

"But?"

Kuro looked up at the street light.

"It would still be annoying if you weren’t here."

Akari stopped in the middle of a step. She turned sharply.

"That still sounds like an insult."

"No, it’s not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it’s not."

Akari stared at him for a long moment, then looked away and said,

"You are impossible."

"Yes, I am."

"Of course you are."

The street quieted down as they got closer to home.

The family house came into view with warm lights on inside and familiar voices faintly coming from within.

Normal life awaited them. Akari slowed down again. Kuro noticed.

"Tired?"

"No."

"Then why are you walking like that?"

"I’m thinking."

"You are again?"

"Yes."

"About what?" Akari hesitated and then said in a low voice,

"Nothing that matters."

Kuro immediately accepted what she said, which made her even more mad.

Before stepping in, Akari stopped at the gate. Kuro turned around to ask her what was wrong.

She gave him one second of eye contact before quickly looking away from him and saying,

"Today was fine." Kuro blinked at her.

"It was fine?"

Akari nodded her head and immediately added,

"But don’t you dare create a habit out of being fine to me."

"I won’t," Kuro replied.

"That’s good," Akari said.

There was silence for a moment while she walked in the front door first very quickly as if to escape.

Kuro stood there watching Akari walk away until he finally followed her into the house. As he entered, Akari was arguing with Aoi about something meaningless in the hallway like normal chaos, noise, and home. He let out a small sigh.

He has a slight grin on his face (a smile of amusement).

Akari looks at him for a quick second.

But she quickly turns her head away again.

Although her face is slightly smiling, the smile disappears a little slower than she wanted.