—

  —

  The scent of saltwater, dim lighting, and low hum of conversation filled the air as we stepped into Kaiyukan Aquarium, one of the largest in the world. I’d always wanted to visit since arriving in Osaka, but I was either too busy or lacked company. I was excited, and although I had somebody here to accompany me, I wouldn’t say he was my first choice.

  Hiroaki Konno. A Class 3 member. He was an eccentric individual and an anime fanatic. On the way here, he rambled about how this was “”, where some anime couple supposedly had their first kiss or something. Not that I wanted that to happen.

  How he scored this date with me on Valentine’s Day could simply be summarised as him winning a bet. He knew that and still insisted on going through with it so I didn’t feel too guilty. I’ll give him credit for choosing this place. I figured he got the idea from Mariah or Yuka, since they were the only ones who knew I wanted to come here.

  “Isn’t this just like the aquarium episode in ?” he whispered excitedly as we reached the first exhibit.

  “Um, yeah, totally!” I lied, having no clue what he was talking about. I wasn’t big into anime, having only watched some of the popular ones like , , and when I was bored. They were fun, but the whole genre never hooked me.

  The moment my eyes landed on the glass, I forgot all about everything. The massive tank stretched from floor to ceiling, deep blue hues painting themselves on everything and everyone in the exhibit. I was amazed and stunned.

  Schools of fish shimmered as they swam by in hypnotic patterns, and then there it was: a whale shark gliding through the water like a creature from a dream.

  “It’s pretty incredible, isn’t it?” Konno said and I glanced over. He was closer than before, equally enraptured by the sight. I smiled, then turned back to the spectacle.

  “Yes. It is.”

  After what felt like a beautiful eternity, we moved to the next exhibit—sea otters bouncing around playfully.

  “This reminds me of a show where a sea otter confesses to his soulmate,” he said.

  “What kind of show were you watching?” I asked, smirking. He scratched his head sheepishly.

  One otter bobbed to the surface, blinked its wide eyes, and rolled over like it was performing just for us. I laughed before I could stop myself and to my surprise, Konno laughed too.

  “Okay, okay,” he said, grinning. “Even if it’s not like the show, this is still awesome, right?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted, and for the first time, I felt myself relax a little.

  “You’re really into this, aren’t you?” he teased.

  “Who wouldn't be? They’re adorable,” I replied. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to mind that I was more interested in the animals than in him. Then could it be that he just likes my company?

  We wandered deeper into the aquarium, where it grew darker. The tanks were nearly black, with the only light coming from the bioluminescent fish. Strange, glowing creatures flitted in and out of shadow, casting an eerie, beautiful glow across the room. I shivered, a small thrill of excitement running through me.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “It really gives off a mysterious vibe,” he whispered.

  “Ah, you are right about that,” I said.

  I felt his arm brush against mine and I didn’t pull away. There was something intimate about the darkness, the quiet, and the strange glow of the tanks that made it feel like we were alone in a different world.

  Finally, we reached the jellyfish room. Soft pink and blue lights bathed the tanks as jellyfish drifted like floating stars, their tentacles trailing like ribbons in the current. I couldn’t look away.

  My gaze drifted to him, catching his silhouette in the faint light.

  “Thanks for today,” I whispered.

  “My pleasure, though I don’t think I did much besides bring you here,” he said.

  “But you…” I found myself unable to describe what I wanted to say. “Never mind. Just know I loved everything about today.” I smiled and turned back to the tank.

  “It’s just... I always thought this would be a ‘date with destiny’ kind of place.”

  I held in my laughter at his statement, but I smiled. He was a complete dork but he brought me here, and for that, I was grateful.

  —

  —

  The shelves stretched high, rows of manga spines forming a kaleidoscope of colours and titles. My fingers skimmed the covers as I tried to find the ideal present. A hidden gem—that’s what I needed. Something obscure but undeniably good. Not the mainstream stuff he’d already devoured, but something that would surprise him.

  “Think he might be into horror?” a familiar voice asked. I turned to see Mariah standing nearby.

  I’d dragged her along even though anime wasn’t really her thing. Her suggestions weren’t always helpful, but her company made the hunt less daunting.

  “I doubt it,” I replied, crouching to check the lower shelves. “He doesn’t seem like the type.”

  She smirked, leaning against the shelf. “You hang out with him enough. Surely, you’ve picked up on his taste by now?”

  I sighed and picked up a volume with a vibrant cover, flipping through it. “I do, but that’s not the problem. The challenge is finding something that’s right. You know, something he wouldn’t expect but would still love.”

  A title on the next shelf caught my eye: . I reached for it and as I flipped through the pages, my interest piqued.

  “What’s that one about?” Mariah asked, leaning closer to peek at the pages.

  “Not sure,” I said, turning the book over to read the blurb. “Looks interesting, though. Can you check if it’s popular?”

  Mariah pulled out her phone and started typing as she knelt beside me.

  “It’s by the author of ,” I added, noticing the name. “That’s promising.”

  “Well, according to the reviews, it’s supposed to be really good,” Mariah said, still scrolling through info on Sayonara Eri. “Think he’s read it already?” she asked, glancing at me.

  I let out a small sigh, my fingers resting on the final panel. “Maybe.”

  Mariah grinned. “You know, for a simple thank-you gift, you’re putting a lot of thought into this. He took you to Kaiyukan, sure… but don’t tell me you’ve caught feelings.”

  She gave me a playful shove as I scoffed and closed the book, standing up.

  “It’s not like that,” I said, tucking the manga under my arm. “I just want to properly thank someone who went out of their way for me.”

  “Uh-huh. Cute,” she teased, hugging me from behind. “So, going with that one?”

  “I think so,” I said, giving the cover one last glance. “Let’s just hope he hasn’t read it already.”

  —

  —

  I had only just realised Hiroaki was an anime watcher, not a manga reader. I’d assumed the two went hand in hand, but now that I thought about it, he’d only ever talked about shows. Where had I even gotten the other impression?

  Not that it mattered now.

  We stood across from each other in heavy silence. My lips were slightly apart and my eyes were wide, still processing what he’d just said.

  Did he really just…?

  “Natsumi?” His voice pulled me back.

  I blinked twice. “Sorry, I… I didn’t quite catch that, Hiroaki.”

  His eyes dropped, and he shifted uneasily, fingers twitching at his sides. He was more nervous than I’d ever seen him before.

  “There’s no need for—” I began, trying to break the tension, but he cut in.

  “Natsumi,” he said again. “Would you be my girlfriend?”

  

  The words hit like a jolt, and before I could stop myself, my gaze dropped to the ground. Heat rushed to my cheeks, my fingers tightening slightly at my sides. Hearing it once was overwhelming but hearing it again made my heart stutter in a way I couldn’t ignore.

  Why was that?

  Did I… actually feel something too?

  My thoughts tangled together, my mind racing for an answer, but nothing felt certain. Taking a slow breath, I looked up and met his eyes.

  “Hiroaki,” I murmured, pausing as his name lingered on my lips.

  “I…”