Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me - Volume 4 - Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1

One Sunday in late November, when the air had gotten significantly cooler, I found myself at a family restaurant in Shinagawa.

We sat at a table for four with couches for seats. Runa was beside me, and across the table from us were Yamana-san and Sekiya-san.

That’s right—simply put, this was a double date.

“Man, I’m looking forward to the dolphin show!” said Runa in excitement, eating her chocolate sundae dessert. As usual, she wore a knit top with exposed shoulders and long sleeves suitable for autumn and winter. It was cute how they were basically “moe sleeves” since they were oversize.

We would be going to a nearby aquarium soon. We’d met up here to have lunch and make sure that all of us were ready for the dolphin show in the afternoon.

“Dolphins can jump even though they’re fish! Isn’t that crazy?” asked Runa in mild amazement.

“Huh? B-But dolphins aren’t fish—they’re mammals,” I replied.

“For real?! Wait, there are animals in the ocean that aren’t fish?”

“Well... There’s crabs and starfish and the like, right?”

“Yeah, I get that!” she said. “But, like, you know how dolphins look like animals? Why aren’t they fish?”

I did kinda understand what she meant, but it wasn’t like I knew a whole lot about animals myself, so I could only force a smile when she was expecting an expert answer.

“Wait, what are mammals again?” asked Runa. “I feel like we learned that in biology class, but I forgot...”

“Um... They’re animals that come from their mother’s stomach rather than from eggs...” I replied.

“What else?”

“Um, there’s also... Uhh, what was it...”

“They breathe using their lungs,” said Sekiya-san from across the table. “That’s why they come to the surface to breathe—so they don’t drown.”

“Is that why they jump?” asked Runa.

“Nah, it would be too inefficient if they jumped every time they needed to take a breath,” he said. “They do it for a different reason. Some say it’s part of courting; others think they do it for cleanliness.”

Without meaning to, Runa and I both voiced our impressed replies in unison. “Huh...”

“Do you like dolphins, Sekiya-san?” I then asked him.

“It’s more like my elective subject is biology.”

That explained things. He really was serious about college exams.

Meanwhile, somebody was staring at him with exceptionally high esteem.

“Senpai, you’re amazing...!”

It was Yamana-san. Sitting across from Runa, she’d already had a passionate gaze set on Sekiya-san for some time now.

“R-Runa... Are we really not getting in their way here?” I asked quietly.

Yamana-san hadn’t looked at anything or anyone except Sekiya-san for a while now. Her cheeks were constantly flushed, and her eyes were a little moist.

“It’s fine. Nicole was the one who suggested going on a double date,” replied Runa in an equally hushed voice.

“But isn’t this their first time properly meeting up since then?”

It had been nearly two weeks since the cultural festival, but since Sekiya-san remained swamped with his studies and Yamana-san had her part-time jobs, they apparently hadn’t had a proper date until today. Being new to double dates, I was worried if it was okay for outsiders to be present at such an important occasion.

“It’s okay, trust me,” Runa said. “Nicole and I have been saying that we should go on a double date when we both get boyfriends for forever now. She was even all excited about it on the phone last night, saying it would definitely be fun since Sekiya-san is your friend.”

“I-I see...”

Still, wouldn’t it have been better to put this off for later...? I couldn’t shake off that thought. It didn’t look like Yamana-san had any attention to spare for us at the moment.

“Ah!” Yamana-san suddenly cried out. Her voice sounded childlike and not at all like the one we’d grown used to.

“What’s wrong?” asked Sekiya-san.

Yamana-san pointed at her lap. “I got ice cream on myself...”

Just like Runa, she’d been eating a chocolate sundae. Apparently, some had melted and slipped off her spoon as she’d carried it to her mouth.

“Wow, you better wipe that quick. It could leave a stain.”

“My hands are all sticky. Could you do it for me, senpai...?”

“You can’t be serious...”

At that point, Sekiya-san glanced my way and our eyes almost met, so I hurriedly pretended I wasn’t watching.

“Fine...” he said.

Sekiya-san wiped Yamana-san’s lap with the moist towelette from the table that he’d previously used.

I couldn’t see it from where I sat, but today, Yamana-san was wearing long boots and a miniskirt. I could surmise that the ice cream had fallen on her zettai ryouiki... That is, that patch of exposed skin between two pieces of fabric that men find rather stimulating.

If Runa had asked me to do the same thing, I couldn’t imagine I’d be able to stay composed. That’s Sekiya-san for you, I guess.

“Ah!” came Yamana-san’s cute voice again. She was looking at him with upturned eyes, rosy cheeks, and a seductive expression.

“Wh-What is it?!” he asked.

“Senpai, it tickles...”

“I wiped it for you because you asked! Don’t go using that voice on me!”

It looked like even Sekiya-san couldn’t fully hide his discomposure when faced with this situation. He was blushing and his voice raised in pitch.

Runa giggled beside me. She clearly found the sight of the two heartwarming.

“It’s like they’re in their own world,” she whispered to me, bringing her face closer. Runa gazed at me with the eyes of a prankster. “Wanna be like them and act all sugary sweet today?”

My hand had been resting on the couch, and she placed hers on top of mine.

“Huh...?!”

I got flustered—Sekiya-san and Yamana-san were right in front of us. But then again, they were preoccupied at the moment.

I nervously looked at Runa. “O-Okay,” I replied with an awkward nod.

Runa smiled happily. “Yay! Love you, Ryuto!”

Like an off-season sunflower, her broad smile made my heartbeat distractingly loud for a while.

After we left the family restaurant, we headed to the aquarium.

When we got inside, we found ourselves in a jellyfish exhibit. The room had a romantic atmosphere as the illuminated aquariums shone fantastically in the dark. Runa and I held hands as we looked at jellyfish glowing blue and purple—the mood couldn’t get any more date-like. The atmosphere made me nervous and my heart raced. I really was an introvert through and through.

“Wow, that’s so pretty! It’s floating!” exclaimed Runa, her eyes glued to a jellyfish. My heart pounded as I was captivated by her lovely profile.

Then, glancing beside us, I saw Sekiya-san and Yamana-san standing in front of a different aquarium. Yamana-san had an arm linked with one of Sekiya-san’s and was clinging to it as though pressing her chest into it.

“Oh, senpai, you!” I heard her say.

I couldn’t hear what Sekiya-san said back to her, but Yamana-san’s voice was sweet. She pressed her breasts against his arm even more.

“Whoa...”

If Runa had done something like that to me, I couldn’t imagine retaining my sanity. I had a newfound respect for Sekiya-san—he appeared unruffled as he looked at the aquarium.

“I could look at them forever...” said Runa, bringing me back to my senses.

“Y-Yeah,” I replied. I’d barely looked at the jellyfish at all, so I focused on the aquarium in front of me in a hurry.

“Hey, are jellyfish fish?”

Her question took me by surprise and I had to think for a bit. “Huh? I don’t think so...”

“Then what are they?”

“Ehh? Well...”

I wished I could give a cool reply like Sekiya-san had, but it would only make me a liar if I said some crap I’d come up with on the spot just to sound like I knew a lot of stuff.

I had no other choice. “I dunno...” I replied.

“Yeah... Who knows...” added Runa.