Chapter 24: Date Settlement

"I'm so sorry for the trouble I caused you last night."

Once the room was bathed in light, Yamabuki Tsuki chose to lower her head in apology. Now that the impulse and heat of the moment had faded, the process of brushing her hair had forced her to confront reality. Setting aside all other distractions, the simple fact was that she had been so drunk as to be completely unconscious, undoubtedly placing a heavy burden on Sugawara Ryuichi.

"I should be the one apologizing to you."

Seeing her guilty expression, Sugawara Ryuichi turned to the side and got out of bed, shaking his head in response.

"Eh?"

Having finally calmed herself down while grooming her hair and adjusting her clothes, Tsuki found her thoughts in disarray once more. She couldn't fathom what Ryuichi would have to apologize for. Had he taken advantage of her while she was passed out? She had heard plenty of rumors about women being molested when they were drunk. Moreover, with just a man and a woman alone, and one of them fast asleep, it was all too easy for improper thoughts to arise. For instance, she herself had wanted to sneak a kiss on Ryuichi just moments ago while he was sleeping; it was only natural to assume he might have made a mistake when faced with her drunken state. But what mistake? A stolen kiss? Or perhaps he had touched her?

"When I checked us into the hotel last night, they required identification for both people. Since you were completely out of it, I had no choice but to go through your bag, and I even used your money to pay for the room."

Before she could let her imagination run wild, Sugawara Ryuichi explained the reason for his apology.

"That's all?"

Hearing this, Tsuki, who had already concocted a dozen different scenarios in her head, was stunned.

"That's all. Isn't going through someone else's bag a very rude thing to do?" Ryuichi asked with a wry smile, noticing her shocked reaction.

"That's true, I suppose... but it's fine. You didn't have any other choice."

For a moment, Tsuki was at a loss for words and could only agree. Perhaps there was nothing shameful in her bag, but rummaging through someone's bag—or their phone—was an invasion of privacy.

"In that case, I suppose we're even." Seeing that she didn't mind, Ryuichi decided to close the matter.

"Ryuichi, is there anything else you did that you should be sorry for?" Although he had forcefully ended the topic, Tsuki, her emotions reignited, asked impulsively. Her earlier desire to steal a kiss had left her feeling incredibly self-reproachful and guilty, and she hoped he had committed a similar transgression. Beyond that, there was a sliver of unwillingness to let it go. She had been drunk and defenseless for so long last night; if Ryuichi hadn't had a single improper thought, did that mean she lacked charm in his eyes?

...

The sudden, direct question caught Ryuichi off guard, his gaze reflexively darting downward.

"No."

Before his eyes could linger, however, he pulled his gaze back and shook his head. While it was true that for a fleeting moment last night he had been captivated by the sight of Tsuki's exquisite feet, he had been startled back to his senses before he could do anything he might regret, so that surely didn't count.

Even though he responded quickly, Tsuki, who was watching him closely, noticed his brief hesitation and the way his eyes had subconsciously wandered. Seeing his hesitation, her mind began to race, a strange sense of joy bubbling up inside her. *He seemed guilty just now; he was clearly hesitating,* she thought. *What was he looking at? My legs? My feet?*

She traced his gaze, finding nothing but her dress and her bare calves and feet below her knees. Though she had never been in a relationship, she had several friends with plenty of romantic experience, and she had picked up a thing or two. For instance, while many men refused to admit it, the vast majority harbored foot or leg fetishes—like wanting their girlfriends to wear stockings for them.

[Yamabuki Tsuki's heart rate increases. Heart-throb value +1]

Seeing the notification, Ryuichi didn't know exactly what she was thinking, but it was likely positive. Even though the system's definition of a "heart-throb" was quite broad, it didn't count acceleration caused by fright.

As the conversation trailed off, a brief silence settled over the room.

"Come to think of it, it would be terrible if anyone found out we spent the night together at this hotel. Should we leave separately?" Eventually, Tsuki broke the silence.

"Indeed. I can go first." Ryuichi agreed.

"You haven't washed up yet. I'll go first," Tsuki said, shaking her head, not wanting to cause him any more trouble.

"Alright." Seeing she had made up her mind, Ryuichi chose to respect her wishes. "You can rest a little longer, there's no rush."

With that decided, Tsuki began to gather her belongings. She didn't have much—her phone, her bag, a mask, and a hat. Just as she finished packing and reached the door, her hand hovering over the handle, she stopped. She realized that once she opened this door and stepped out, this date would truly be over.

"Ryuichi, one last thing I forgot to say—thank you." After a brief pause, Tsuki turned around and bowed in gratitude.

"What for?" The sudden thanks caught him off guard.

"Thank you for pretending to be my boyfriend, for staying to take care of me after I got drunk, and for being so wonderful. I had a great time." Tsuki didn't want the date to end on the awkward note of her impulsive question, so she gathered her courage and spoke with honesty. Setting aside her embarrassment at the karaoke bar, the date had been truly fantastic. He had used his handsome appearance to make her friends give her looks of envy and admiration; he had handled Shogo's unfriendly attitude with effortless grace; he had regaled the table with vivid, charming stories of their "meeting," much to the delight of her friends; and he had stunned everyone at karaoke while covering for her when it mattered most. On top of that, the time they spent together before the party had been so wonderful that her heart, long since settled, had been pounding incessantly.

"I had a great time too." Faced with such a formal expression of gratitude, Ryuichi felt a bit bashful, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled back.

"Goodbye." Seeing his shy reaction, a smile bloomed on Tsuki's face, and she waved goodbye, feeling satisfied.

"Goodbye." Seeing her smile, Ryuichi's awkwardness vanished, and he waved back.

Once she had officially said her goodbyes, Tsuki opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind her. As she left, before Ryuichi could even move, a panel suddenly appeared before his eyes, with text manifesting upon it:

[The first date with Yamabuki Tsuki has concluded. Calculating...]
[Times heart rate increased: 19]
[Times heart skipped a beat: 3]
[Times heart fluttered: 1]
[Overall Rating: B — A Date Worth Remembering]
[Rating Reward: Beginner Treasure Chest opening count x2]