Chapter 45 A Date Focused on the Future

A Date Focused on the Future

Letting myself be led by Kanade, who insisted, “It’s not over yet,” I found myself heading home with her.

What did she mean by that, though?

Honestly, I didn’t have a clue.

I thought for sure something would happen on the way home, but… so far, it had just been our usual conversations—nothing unusual.

But as I watched her walking beside me, humming happily, my confusion started to fade.

As long as Kanade was enjoying herself, that was all that mattered.

I realized there was no point in overthinking it.

Besides, this situation didn’t feel bad at all.

The fact that I could even think that showed how much more relaxed I was. Being with Kanade brought a calm I hadn’t expected.

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed we were already close to my house.

“Kanade… are we almost there? Wasn’t there anywhere else you wanted to stop by?”

“Nope! I said we were going home, didn’t I?”

With a mischievous grin, she walked into my house.

After we took care of the usual handwashing routine, Kanade brought me a chilled glass of barley tea as I settled on the sofa.

“Did we have barley tea in the fridge?”

“I made sure to prepare it before we left. It’s so hot outside, right? After being out, a cold drink is just what you need to go, ‘Ahhh!’”

“Haha! That’s kind of an old-man thing to say.”

“Don’t call me an old man!”

Kanade puffed out her cheeks, looking displeased, so I poked them, making her cheeks deflate.

A soft “pfft” escaped her lips as the air left, and she quickly looked away, embarrassed.

Her face flushed slightly, and she averted her gaze.

That expression was so endearing that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Seeing my reaction, Kanade pouted and shot me a sidelong glare.

“Shin-ta-ro~?”

“Haha… Sorry, sorry. But, you know, there are just some faces that beg to be poked.”

“If you’re going to do it, at least be gentle. It’s embarrassing when a weird sound comes out, like just now.”

“I thought it was cute, though.”

“Geez… idiot.”

This time, instead of sulking, her ears turned bright red, and she nervously shifted her gaze.

Embarrassed, I scratched my cheek and looked up at the ceiling.

As I was about to shift the conversation and ask, “Was today okay as it was?” Kanade spoke first.

“Shintaro, what do you think a date is?”

“What do you mean? That’s kind of abstract… But now that I think about it, it’s hard to define.”

“Come on~! It’s not like there’s one right answer, so just tell me what you think~.”

“Hmm…”

When I think of a date, the first thing that comes to mind is “going somewhere together.”

With my ex-wife, dates were all about spending a fortune, but with Kanade, the laid-back time we spent today felt just as much like a date.

But I didn’t think Kanade would say that.

Honestly, I had no idea.

While I scratched my head, trying to figure it out, Kanade watched me, seemingly studying my expression.

When our eyes met, she grinned and poked my cheek, almost as if to get back at me.

“Seems like you’re really thinking hard about it, huh~?”

“Yeah, only cliché answers come to mind. But since it’s you, Kanade, I thought you’d give me something deeper, like a philosophical take.”

“Ahaha! Philosophy isn’t all that grand, though. It’s just my personal theory.”

“Personal theory, huh? Thinking about it, I can’t come up with something that would leave you speechless… Sigh.”

“Don’t sigh~. You’ve come this far, so don’t you think you can proudly say, ‘It’s because of me!’?”

“Haha, that’s not a bad idea.”

In the past, I used to share my theories to advise or scold others…

But now, it seems impossible. The roles have completely reversed.

“Well, then, I’ll share my thoughts… A date is when both people spend time with a special awareness of each other!”

“Spending time with special awareness? Is that what you consider a date, Kanade?”

When I asked, Kanade nodded energetically, a proud smile on her face.

“Yeah? But just nodding like that doesn’t really explain what you mean.”

“Is that so? I think it’s pretty straightforward!”

“Straightforward, huh? So, just being aware that it’s a date makes it feel special… Is that what you mean?”

“Oh dear, you don’t seem convinced, huh?”

“It’s just not clicking for me. It already felt special before, and I don’t see how that ties into going home…”

“Hmm, I see. Well then, let me teach you!”

Kanade puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips.

Then, she pointed directly at me.

“Simply put, if I were to get straight to the point, ‘if both of us enjoy our time together, we consider it a date’. That’s what a date is!”

“Both of us?”

“Exactly! Some people might say, ‘This isn’t a date!’ because they have different values. But not everyone sees it that way. Some people think a fancy, luxurious outing is a date, while others consider any day spent enjoying time together to be a date.”

“So, are you saying a date depends on the people’s feelings?”

“Yes! If I think of it as a date, and you’re happy with how we spent the day and consider it a date, then it’s definitely a date.”

“I see.”

“It’s just my personal theory, but it’s actually pretty important. You realize how different values come into play when situations like this arise. The idea that ‘because we’re dating, it has to be this way’ is just a stereotype.”

“Wow… that hit a little too close to home…”

“Right? The most important thing is spending time both of you enjoy!”

Kanade’s words really hit home. Maybe that was the key all along.

No matter how much money we spent before, it always seemed like she wasn’t in a good mood…

And every time we went on a date, I found myself filled with anxiety, wondering, “Is this okay?”

It felt like our values were never aligned.

I was overcompensating because we were married, because we were adults.

But a date should be fun, shouldn’t it?

When I sighed, Kanade patted my head, offering comfort.

Our eyes met, and she gave me a carefree smile that made me awkwardly smile back.

“So, with that kind of thinking, the date is still going even when we get home, right? And hey, there’s such a thing as a ‘home date,’ too, right?”

“Yeah, I think I read something like ‘How to Spend a Holiday with Your Girlfriend’ before…”

“See? So, the date lasts until the day is over. It’s a date until we say it’s over!”

“A date until it ends, huh? But don’t you think you’re still full of energy after today’s date?”

“Ahaha! Well, maybe so. But even if I’m playing outside, I’d probably still be full of energy!”

“Then, we could’ve stayed outside until night, right?”

“Nope. That wouldn’t have been meaningful!”

She made an “X” with her fingers.

Then, she and I shared a brief moment of eye contact.

After that, Kanade smiled softly, her expression gentle but tinged with sadness.

“Because, you know… I’m still a student, but you’re not, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but I don’t see how that affects the date…”

“That’s not it! If we spent the whole day out, we couldn’t say, ‘Let’s skip class tomorrow to rest,’ could we?”

“No, even if you’re a student, you shouldn’t skip class like that!”

“It was just an example! I always go to my lectures properly!”

She puffed out her cheeks, clearly annoyed.

It’s true that Kanade looked like a gyaru, but she was serious about her responsibilities.

In class, her attitude was far better than her sister’s.

As I recalled this, Kanade stared at me, seemingly wanting to say something. I cleared my throat and turned to face her.

“I think the way dates are viewed is different between students and adults.”

“Yeah, adults tend to spend money more recklessly, huh…”

“Well, maybe you do have more money now, but that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh? Not about money?”

“Nope.”

Kanade nodded before pausing, taking her time to gather her thoughts.

“When you go out, you can’t help but think, ‘I have work tomorrow,’ or ‘I need to make sure I’m not too tired for work,’ right? You’ve probably had that feeling, Shintaro.”

“Yeah, I have.”

“See? I’m not in that position yet, so I don’t fully understand, but… if I’m with you, I feel like I should. I want to understand that feeling.”

“So, you wanted to keep the date more relaxed today?”

“Exactly. I wanted us to enjoy our time together, no strings attached. I wanted to give you a glimpse of what it’s like when we spend more time together. I wanted to show you that a ‘relaxing date’ can be something like this…”

“Thanks, Kanade. I really appreciate you thinking of all this.”

“No problem. This is something I enjoy doing, after all. Honestly, I should be thanking you for putting up with it.”

She smiled and looked up at the sky.

“Today’s date was really great. I feel ready to tackle work tomorrow.”

“Really? Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

“Let’s do this again… but without overdoing it.”

“Yeah… it’s a bit embarrassing to say that seriously.”

“Y-yeah…”

“Anyway! I just hope my feelings came across a little! I’ll go ahead and make dinner!”

Kanade hurried to the kitchen.

When I glanced at her to call out, her face was red, and her ears had turned bright pink.

As soon as our eyes met, she crouched down, her voice barely audible as she whispered, “Don’t look at me! Just watch TV or something!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

It wasn’t just about the date… She had me thinking about the future too.

I really can’t win against her.

To think that she’d been thinking so much about all of this…

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

Then, just as she said, I turned on the TV.

I sneaked a glance at her, making sure she didn’t notice.

…She seemed so small, yet somehow so dependable.