"...." - A character's dialogue

(....) - A character's thoughts

{....} - Ddraig speaking in Issei's mind

[....] - Ddraig speaking openly to his surrounding

-----

"...I came too early."

Looking at the clock showing 10:30 A.M. as clear as day, Hyoudou Issei could only let out a wry laugh at his idiotic choice. There are still 30 minutes for the promised time. When Passerby looks at him waiting for a few minutes already in casual fashionable clothes, they chuckle knowingly at his predicament.

Two days after Yuuma's confession, many things have changed in his surroundings.

Firstly, his parents were over the moon. Correction, they still are to this very moment. Issei was even terrified when his mother, Hyoudou Miki stood abruptly during his announcement about going on a date with said girl. Then, after a few seconds of rummaging in her room, she declared to her beloved son and her future daughter-in-law(?) by taking a photo together(where did she even get that high-quality one!?) to commemorate this wonderful moment with bloodshot eyes. Not only Issei but even Yuuma herself felt overwhelmed in front of her...passion.

Luckily, Hyoudou Goro, the one Issei inherited his maturity, immediately pacified his long-life partner.

"Don't ruin our son's date, dear. Let's give them space so the young ones could enjoy themselves, alright?"

To this day, Issei was never more grateful for his father showing such understanding and wiseness by pacifying the matriach of their family just with a few words.

....It was a secret that Gorou was fabulously proud of his son for snatching such a drop-dead gorgeous girl when he brought her yesterday.

(As expected of our son!)

If he could proclaim it to heaven loudly, then he'd scream it without restraint all day long. Watching their happy face and exaggerated reaction, Yuuma giggled cutely at the time, while her heart was filled with melancholy.

---He truly has wonderful parents, unlike her.

Secondly, when Yuuma also accompanied him to school yesterday, Issei's circle of friends experienced a huge shock too. At the school entrance, when Matsuda and Motohama see such a gorgeous babe walk with their bro like a couple, they immediately kneel and wail in despair.

"NOOOOO!!! ISSEI LEFT OUR SACRED BROTHERHOOD! GOD!! WHY ARE YOU THIS CRUEL!!!???"

"MOTOHOMA!! DON'T BE SAD! WE BOTH EXPECTED THIS MOMENT COULD COME ANY TIME!! *HICK*~~UWOOOOHHHH!!! ISSEI, YOU LUCKY BASTARD!! CONGRATULATIONS!! I HOPE YOU DIE IN A DITCH SOMEWHERE!!!"

"COULD YOU GUYS STOP!!? IT'S FREAKING EMBARRASSING TO ME, OKAY!? HELL, ARE YOU CELEBRATING OR DISSING AT ME, YOU FUCKING BASTARDSSSSSS!!!!!"

...It was an impactful moment in many, many senses.

Really, Issei was happy that his friends congratulated him earnestly but couldn't these two idiots know the word restraint? For all day long, his classmates look at him strangely while the teachers just sigh looking at him and muttering, "Ah, Youth".

When Issei becomes an adult a few years later, it will be his black history following him for his entire life. 

(...Well, at least they pushed my back instead of dragging me into the mud. It shows they really matured, huh.)

Reminiscing that time, Issei heaved a very long, long sigh filled with exasperation and gratefulness. If Matsuda and Motohama never changed their ways, the first thing they do is probably diss the riajuu, then speak this and that toward Yuuma to lower his image. 

(Author's Note: Riajuu is a popular guy/girl in their school moment who has mostly everything teenagers desire. I think OregaIru expresses it clearly if you know the anime. Good stuff.)

Them, supporting his back is the greatest sign of their growth and friendship toward Issei.

He really has great friends. .....If he ignores their stupidity, which is almost incurable at this point.

Luckily, Yuuma didn't get weirded out much by his friend's extreme quirks. In fact, she even snickered slightly as if it reminded her of something similar.

All things were positive considering everything,

----Except one last thing.

"...Hmm, her reaction was a bit weird, wasn't it?"

Cupping his chin, Issei frowns perplexedly remembering her close female friend. When Momo and Yuuma met each other, Issei was understandably worried. 

After all, he's not that stupid to notice his schoolmate's lingering and longing looks in these few months.

Yes, Issei realized that Momo had a crush on him. At the very least, she did show signs of goodwill far more than just a normal friend usually does. At that time, Issei was also flustered, but happy a plain guy like him could get attention from such an attractive girl like her. Personally, he could see a possible future of having a flourishing relationship with the white-haired girl.

So he tried to take the bullet and take action. At the very least, he wanted to try before giving up.

However, when Issei tried to bridge said grip, it felt like Momo was conflicted. Not in a sense of being disgusted with Issei trying to make a pass (her face looks like Christmas has come early), but in a way that her circumstance doesn't allow her feelings to bear fruit.

The high schooler was confused and a little bit hurt by her reaction. But seeing her react this negatively but very reluctant, he gave up cleanly and apologized for his actions. After all, if she was this troubled just by him making a pass, Issei would bury the hatchet resolutely. Romance was fine and all, but to him, it wouldn't be worth it if it ruined their friendship. 

Noticing Issei's consideration, Momo immediately rejected the notion Issei was at fault. Rather, she even explicitly stated that she couldn't date anyone at this moment.

She didn't describe what or why the reason was, but Issei didn't dig deeper. Everyone has their secret, and Momo is the same. While Issei felt a bit sad, he threw away any kind of lingering attachment and regrets wishing for the impossible. Instead, he always felt grateful Momo still wanted to be friends with him.

Although, while he was fine, maybe there was still some lingering feeling from Momo if he didn't read it wrong. At least, he thought so from his point of view.

(I become popular without noticing it, huh.)

A bitter laugh unconsciously comes out. His position could be considered as envy for most men, but experiencing it directly truly puts it into perspective.

In any case, Issei thought that Momo may look at Yuuma in a bad light after considering her feelings. Looking at her crush taken by another woman from sideway without a preamble, the pain will be unimaginable to him. Issei would be impressed if Momo could support his trial girlfriend sincerely for flourishing results without scathing remarks or sarcasm.

And yet, reality surprised him in a way he couldn't expect. 

She was in disbelief looking at the raven-haired girl.....and wary. Extremely so.

Not in the sense of a thieving cat stealing her man (she's not that delusional), but in a way that Yuuma was NOT supposed to be here at all.

While he did expect trouble when these two girls met, he didn't expect Momo's reaction to be that strong in a weird direction. Sadly, when the boy who received the two girls' affection (indirectly and directly) kicked his two idiots to stop the stupid shit they were doing, he missed the chance to inquire about her weariful reaction.

Last but not least, his trial girlfriend. Amano Yuuma, the girl who caused all of this.

(At that time, her expression---)

"---Excuse me."

*Flinch*

"Wha!? Oh, uh...Hello?"

His hands had been folded unconsciously while he was thinking this and that. Though, It awkwardly returned to his side after being called by a cutesy, but mature voice of a woman.

Focusing his gaze on the said woman, Issei blinked repeatedly at her...attire.

It was revealing, so much that it could be labeled as public indecency if she walked into the wrong district in this town. While the boy admits her two-piece outfit highlights her generous figure, He won't leer at her shamelessly. He has that much decency for a man waiting for his date. However, her pair of black bat wings sticking in her back leads him to conclude that she's a cosplayer servant.

Of what kind, he didn't know. The nearest comparison would be a vampire familiar.

Seeing her stretching her slender hands while handing a flyer toward him, Issei immediately realizes she's a worker of some kind.

"...For me?"

Pointing at himself while asking curiously, the woman nods cheerfully.

"Yep! If you have a wish of any kind, imagine it strongly in your head while grabbing it. Who knows? Maybe it'll come true."

(Ah. She's THAT kind of worker.)

He doesn't need to imagine what her occupation is. Hell, it's even polite to even consider it as a proper job!

Slowly but surely stepping back from the strange lady, Issei politely smiled at the dangerous woman while grabbing the flier slowly as if it could bite him anytime.

"Thanks. I'll consider it if I'm in trouble. Please have a nice day."

"O-Oh. Umm, I haven't fini---"

"Please. Have. A. Nice. Day."

If there's a contest in being polite while shooing a person, Issei would win in a landslide. From the woman's side, she shivered slightly from the polite but absolute tone used by the boy. Following her instinct, she stiffly smiled at the unassuming but very, very threatening guy and decided to retreat quietly.

(How could a smile look so terrifying!!?)

"Th-then, have a nice day~~"

"You too. Have a nice day."

It was just a repetition of the same line, so why does it sound very different to her!? With trembling steps, she walks back to her workplace. Her job is done anyway, she walks at a faster pace than normal while crying in her mind.

(Master~~~ he's scary~~~)

What a poor, poor familiar cosplay servant.

Sighing slightly while confirming at her retreating back, he checks out the flier given to her. Not to actually use it, but to take a note so he could warn his friends of a new type of scam.

Young and green he may be, naive he is not.

"...A magic...circle?"

Frowning at the...unique design of the flier, he flipped the back side for any contact details. To his surprise, there's nothing. It really was just a weird design of a magic circle.

(...Was she serious?)

Even for a scam, not leaving a contact detail for further communication is just plain weird. Hell, if he's bluntly honest, it's just a waste of paper.

Scratching his head confusedly at the supposedly weird girl, he decided to keep it in his pockets. Tomorrow he could show it to his friends if they know anything for further clarification.

In the near future, when he reminisces about this scene, he does not know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity of everything. If anything, maybe it's really just fate playing cruel tricks on him.

While it could solve his problem, it also brought further troubles to him. No, trouble may not be an apt word. It's something far worse to conclude it as just a hassle.

A one-sided contract that doesn't take consideration of his opinion.

"...What are you thinking so deeply?"

Hearing the familiar but melodious voice for these two days, a bright smile unconsciously appears on his face. It looks like 30 minutes have passed after thinking about the stupid scam.

When he turns his back to greet the girl,

"Hey, Amano-san. It's this ma...---"

Hyoudou Issei froze.

His jaw dropped to the lowest point possible. His widened eyes would make one hallucinate whether it'll pop out. There's a saying that a girl could transform with the right makeup.

Amano Yuuma is the personification of that saying. 

Time stops. No, everything is stagnating except for one person in front of him. Anything looks so meaningless and colorless except her.

She was dazzling.

Wearing a long white one-piece dress that covers until her knees, brings out her sense of youthfulness. Her face which was unblemished has a bit of pink color in it from makeup. While her upper shoulder is bare, her long glossy black hair contrasts the white dress and her shoulder. The outfit leaves a bit of window cleavage but it's on the conservative side highlighting her slender neckbone.

Looking at the boy's dumbfounded reaction in front of her, Yuuma giggled slightly at his honest, but adorable side. At least it's worth dressing up a bit for the occasion.

"Hehe, am I that beautiful to you?"

"Yes."

It was a teasing remark, but his answer was spontaneous. He blushed a bit for his accidental faux pas but didn't try to retract it. Instead, he took one deep breath and made eye contact with her shining amethyst eyes while smiling softly.

.

.

"Out of all the girls I looked at until now, there's truly nobody that could outbeat you in looks. You are truly beautiful, Amano-san. I'm the luckiest man on the planet to have you as a date."

.

.

There was no stutter, fluster, or embarrassment for the usual teenage male. Instead, the man just gives a full-blown counter that expresses his feelings wholeheartedly with an admiring sigh. The two M&M idiots would clap their hands leader strongly for that straight delivery.

As expected, their bro is made of different levels.

For a moment, Yuuma blinked repeatedly as if she couldn't understand him. Then, when she digests his comments one by one, her pink face is slowly covered by colored red from blood flowing through.

....Her face is hot. So much so that it makes her lightheaded.

She couldn't look straight at him.

"---Are you okay, Amano-san!?"

"Uh!? Wha!? !!?!?!?!?"

When she lowered her head unconsciously from embarrassment, two rough palm hands gently but strongly grabbed her face. Then, her view is filled with her date's face looking at her.

There's no admiration in that gaze anymore. Maybe she could handle it if it's just that.

Instead, this boy looked at her with an intense gaze of golden brown eyes filled with care and worry.

How could a guy like him be a virgin having his very first date!?

(Th-this is a scam!)

Ironically, that word should be described to her and that cosplayer girl.

Yuuma panicked inwardly, but her faster heartbeat and rational mind in the corner of her brain confirmed that this was very real. Additionally, the latter even cynically says that what a pathetic excuse of a woman for being flustered this much by a boy age less than the twenties.

(Shut up, you!)

Bitchslapping her stupid side to the very deep of her mind, she gently but slowly pushed Issei back with her slender hands. Then, she forcefully raised her still-blushing face to make eye contact with the boy. 

"I...I'm fine, Hyoudou-kun. J-Just a bit of heatstroke, okay?"

"A...heatstroke?"

It was still in the middle of spring with cool air blowing though? 

He tilted his head for not understanding her confusing remark. When trying to inquire more, he finally realized her still blushing but now sweating face with a stiff smile.

(....Oh.)

Again, his bad 'habit' strikes this moment.

Understanding the situation now, Issei scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for being insensitive, Amano-san. I shouldn't grab you suddenly like that without permission ."

"N-no, it's okay. No harm done."

....Except for her womanly pride.

Coughing once to regain her dignity(which is almost nothing), she faces her date properly with a more natural smile on her face.

"Thank you for the compliment, Hyoudou-kun. You're not so bad yourself."

On that, Issei shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. On most occasions, boys will always have less impact in a change of outfit. 

"Well...I did my best but I guess it got overshadowed by your dazzling appearance."

"...Are you really not doing it on purpose?"

If not, she has to reevaluate her assessment of this supposedly innocent boy. Not to her(she's fooling nobody), this boy is already dangerous in a certain way but he'll be more fearsome after giving him a few years of experience.

To her comment with the tone "Are you bullshitting me right now?" and a haggard face, Issei could only shake his head amusedly with a wry smile.

"Heh, I'm just a guy with a girl way out of his league. Then, the least I could do is to be honest to you and myself."

...What a stupidly naive answer.

With a tiring sigh, Yuuma facepalm at this boy's pureness. Coincidentally, it also covered her bashful expression hearing that.

(...I guess I need to be careful.)

To what, nobody could know except her.

"By the way, just how long did you wait here? There's still 10 minutes before designated time, you know?"

"Eh, really?"

Looking at her nodding, he looks at the pole clock near him. The longer finger of the clock clearly points to the number 10, which tells the time of 10:50 A.M. at the current moment.

"...Huh. Guess it's worth it to wait 30 minutes before."

"....You are here at 10:30???"

Looking at her amused but disbelief expression, Issei shyly scratched his cheek. Even he knows how silly he sounded right now.

"....It's my first date. I was so excited about it, hoping I could meet you every second earlier."

"!?...We-well...I guess Y-you did?"

"....Yeah...."

A boy's honest compliment made himself shy and pink-faced, while the lady who heard it blushed again while ducking her face downward embarrassedly.

The people who watched this scene suddenly felt so sweetly stuffy in their chests. Some girls who heard the boy's comment even giggled at those smooth and yet cute lines.

It looks like black coffee will sell well.

Shooking his head from the shyness, he smiled slightly at his date. Today, it'll decide whether this relationship could go well or not. So he needs to put a hundred twenty percent of his effort.

Nothing for the best of his date.

"Then...let me escort you, my lady."

Blinking at the unexpected action, Yuuma stares at Issei lightly bowing while stretching his hand toward her. Understanding and flattered at the same time, the raven-haired girl gently smiles back in response, taking his hand slowly.

"Hehe, please guide me well, my knight. I'm not so easily pleased, you know?"

"Heh, then it makes it more worthwhile to see your real smile, fair lady."

Snickering at the cheesy lines but appreciating the words, the giddy Yuuma smiles more brightly. However, her heart is feeling more heavy with guilt and remorse.

....She'll know the only possible ending of this date. No matter how much Issei impressed her or would try to beg her, it wouldn't change.

It wouldn't change anything.

It wouldn't but---

(...Just a bit.)

---She wants to savor it as long as possible.

Not as a disguised agent jaded by life and time,

"....You already impressed me more than I can count."

But as a 'girl', disguised as she may be, to enjoy this beautiful but fleeting moment for her.

----

Author's Note: And cut. How is it? I never have much experience with dates, so I tried to cram as much as cheesy comments from a certain Dowd Campbell rizzman, LOL.

Jokes aside, I'm almost at the starting line. Ten thousand words written. Not bad, me. The next chapter will be the climax of this story and the rebirth of MC in many senses.

He will lose a lot, cry a lot, be 'betrayed' badly, and be used forcefully by certain heiress. He really can't take a break, doesn't he? (Who am I to say that?)