Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me - Volume 4 - Chapter 1.2

Runa didn’t look unsatisfied at my reply and simply tilted her head in puzzlement.

Wanting to recover somehow, I racked my brains for any trivia I knew about jellyfish. A weird sense of pride prevented me from looking things up on my phone, as though doing that would count as a loss.

“Oh, by the way, there’s this thing I once read somewhere...” I said timidly, my internal search having finally hit upon something. “Apparently, jellyfish can’t swim.”

“What?! No way!”

I grew flustered, not having expected this random tidbit of information I happened to know to pique Runa’s interest so much.

“But wait, then what do you call that?” she asked, pointing at the jellyfish in the aquarium that appeared to be “swimming.”

“They just drift, apparently.”

“Whaaat?!”

“Supposedly, they’d sink if there weren’t any water currents...”

“I see...” Runa seemed to be genuinely surprised. “I thought it was completely different. Like I thought jellyfish could swim freely, and how great that was.” She gazed at the aquarium, hanging her head a little. “So they live their lives getting pushed around by the currents...”

“Disappointed?” I asked, wondering if I should’ve never mentioned this.

She shook her head slightly. “No. They just feel a bit closer because of it.”

“Closer?”

Was she saying that she herself lived her life getting pushed around by the currents?

Come to think of it...

“Akari’s funny like that. She’s not easily swayed by people and pushes forward to get what she wants.”

Runa had said that when Tanikita-san had parted with us the day we’d played airsoft. As she’d watched Tanikita-san leave, there’d been admiration in her trembling eyes.

Runa evidently didn’t think she was free to live as she pleased.

“I’ve always wanted to become free.”

I didn’t really get what she’d meant by that, but the sad look on her face afterward was still stuck in my mind.

“I’ve always wanted to go back to that house, where it was all five of us. Where I had Dad, Mom, my older sister...and Maria.”

It wasn’t clear to me why, but it appeared that the reason Runa didn’t feel free had something to do with the issues in her family.

I want to help you. If only I could set you free... But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

How frustrating... I was her boyfriend, and yet...

“Ryuto?”

Runa’s voice brought me back to my senses.

“What’s wrong? You’re making a serious face,” she said.

“Oh, it’s nothing... I was just wondering what jellyfish are if they really aren’t fish.”

“What? You’ve still been thinking about that for me? Thanks!” Her face lit up at my desperate reply. “Hold on, I’m gonna look it up! ...Huh? What’s a ‘Cnidaria’? Anyway, it’s that!” Runa frowned as she looked at her phone. “‘Cnidaria’ sounds like some kinda pocket critter!” She laughed innocently and was back to her usual cheerful self.

“Cnidaria is a phylum. It’s a level of classification in biology,” explained Sekiya-san. He had suddenly approached us and naturally had Yamana-san clinging to his arm.

“How long are you going to be stuck on those moon jelly? Let’s go already, lovebirds.”

“Lovebirds?!” I said.

“Well you’re one to talk!” Runa blushed as she’d said that to the pair sticking close to each other as they walked.

Yamana-san smiled at her with a blush on her face that was no less intense. She looked happy from the bottom of her heart.

“Gotta say, though, it’s unbelievable... Of all people, I never thought I’d see Yamana-san be like that...” I said, the matter dawning on me as we walked through the building.

“Nicole’s a totally innocent maiden when it comes to her senpai. She’s always been like that,” replied Runa.

“I-I see...”

It was really hard to believe we were talking about the girl rumored to have beaten up twenty delinquents on the banks of the Arakawa River.

“Anyway, isn’t Nicole’s getup pretty amazing today?” I asked.

Sekiya-san and Yamana-san were just a few steps ahead of us on the escalator going up, and I was once again taken aback by her looks.

Her tall boots with sharp stiletto heels made you think of a queen. The skin of her upper thighs peeked suggestively from under her denim miniskirt that looked like it was halfway torn to pieces. Her blouse exposed her shoulders and, to a large extent, her chest. Her black bra, one that looked like the kind a girl would wear to show it off, peeked out around her cleavage. A guy would have a really hard time finding where to look if his girlfriend wore stuff like this.

I did think I’d grown much more used to gyaru fashion thanks to Runa, but Yamana-san must’ve been so motivated when choosing her outfit today that I couldn’t help but do a double take.

“Heh heh, Nicole plans to seal the deal today,” said Runa with a giggle.

“Huh? ‘Seal the deal’...?” I asked.

“Well, you know. What else could it be? She even took time off from work for it.”

I see... So she wants to get him in the mood to spend the night with him, huh.

“Wait... Sekiya-san said he’s going to the study room after this,” I said.

“Whaaat, for real? He studies even on days like this?!”

“He does have exams coming up. While I have over a year left, his exams are early next year.”

“Makes sense... Poor Nicole.” Runa turned and looked dejected as though she was the one who’d be forced to wait. “She’s really been holding herself back these past two weeks. She avoided messaging him on LINE as much as possible so she wouldn’t distract him from his studies. She would even go wait in front of the station after work to see his face for just a moment when he left cram school.”

“Well, considering when they started dating... Those who have exams coming up are about to get to the most important part of the year. Sekiya-san says he studies thirteen hours a day, so I guess he wouldn’t have time.”

“No way! But wait, there’s twenty-four in a day... That means he’s studying for over half of it! There’s no way I could do that—I’d die!” Turning pale, Runa assumed the pose depicted in Munch’s The Scream. “Man... He should take a break every now and then! And today’s the day!”

Runa appeared to be set on supporting her best friend no matter what.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I replied. My heart was warmed by her cuteness.

The dolphin show was held several times a day at a large stadium that spanned both the first and second floors. There were more than twenty minutes until the next show, but quite a few of the seats were filled already.

“Wow, we’re off to a late start! I didn’t think it would be so popular!” said Yamana-san.

“But wait, there’s plenty of free seats in the front rows!” replied Runa.

“You’re right!”

“Hey, doesn’t it smell like caramel popcorn?”

“Ah, there’s someone eating it over there! Must be nice!”

“Looks delicious!”

As the two girls chatted about this and that, we made our way to the front seats. And as I followed them, something occurred to me.

“Do you think we might get really soaked in the front rows?” I asked.

Looking closely, I noticed that the floor, until around the fourth row from the front, was soaking wet. It might’ve been from the previous show. The other visitors seemed to be aware of this, and those sitting in the front rows looked fully prepared and were wearing what looked like transparent raincoats.

“Still, all the seats in the back are taken... I’ll go buy a few of those things people are wearing,” said Sekiya-san. He then headed to the kiosk in the upper area by himself.

The rest of us started looking for a place to sit.

“Hey, why don’t we sit in the first row while we’re at it?” suggested Yamana-san.

“You’re kidding! That’s scary!” Runa replied in high spirits.

“You might get a shot at touching a dolphin.”

“No way, right?!”

“You never know.”

As the girls excitedly sat in the first row, it seemed like my fate of getting drenched was set in stone.

Sekiya-san returned with four ponchos. “Wow, did you seriously go for the first row?!” he exclaimed in surprise.

“Ah, senpai, is that popcorn?!” Yamana-san asked.

Besides the ponchos, Sekiya-san also had two servings of popcorn with him.

“You were looking at someone eating it earlier and wanted some, so. Here you go.”

“Wait, is it okay for me to have some too?” Runa asked hesitantly as he gave her the other serving of popcorn.

“Ryuto paid for it. If you want to thank someone, thank your boyfriend.”

“Huh?” I uttered, having done no such thing. But as I looked over at Sekiya-san, he signaled me with his eyes and I got the hint. I would need to remember to pay him for the popcorn later.

“Really?! Thanks, Ryuto! Let’s eat together!” Runa innocently cheered.

We all sat down again.

“Thanks, senpai!” exclaimed Yamana-san, happily putting popcorn in her mouth. “Good thing we both have kind boyfriends.”

“Heh heh, you’re right!” Runa smiled bashfully too.

Wow, this really feels like a double date.

It still didn’t feel real that an introvert like me, someone with no hobbies other than watching gameplay videos, was on a double date with such good-looking people... It felt awkward and a little heartwarming.

Sitting in a line of four, we watched the dolphin show.

While I’d been prepared to get splashed to some degree, the reality easily exceeded my expectations.

“Ahh!”

“This is crazy! Seriously!”

Girls would shout when a dolphin would come near the crowd and dash off with its tail fin. We couldn’t really complain since we were sitting in the first row, but did those dolphins really have to get our faces that wet? If we hadn’t been wearing ponchos, we would certainly have been sopping wet all over.

Since this was held in a large stadium with many spectators, it was only natural that the flashy and exciting show with dolphins jumping and swimming in a coordinated manner was matched with music and water effects. The spectacle concluded without any mishaps, keeping the spectators entertained to the end.

“That sure was a lot of water. You okay?” I asked.

“Yeah! I’m glad I hid the remaining popcorn too,” replied Runa.

But as I was about to get up from my seat...

“Ah, I’m drenched!” cried a seductive voice from beside Runa. I could see Yamana-san taking off her rain poncho.

“Oh, wow, Nicole!” uttered Runa in astonishment.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Yamana-san’s torso was dripping wet. Her blouse stuck to her skin and you could see through the fabric. The lines of her body stood out clearly. Her outfit had been sexy even before this with her exposed shoulders and cleavage, but now that she was wet, the sight was even more erotic than if she wore a bikini.

“Hey, how’d you get so wet?! Weren’t you wearing the plastic thing?!” exclaimed Sekiya-san. He was surprised too.

“Well, it was hot, so I opened the front...” Touching her wet blouse, Yamana-san shuddered, looking cold. “I’m all soaked... Is there anywhere I can dry off...?”

As she looked at Sekiya-san with upturned eyes and flushed cheeks, even I couldn’t help thinking she was cute and sexy. If Runa said that to me, my lower half would explode.

“Oh wow, look at the time! Why don’t we call it a day here?!” Runa quickly suggested, checking her phone as though she’d just remembered something. She must’ve been trying to help her friend.

And so we all left the aquarium and proceeded to walk to the station.

“Hey Ryuto, what do you think they’ll do after this?” Runa asked.

“Well...”

Honestly, if I were Sekiya-san, I’d go to a place where my girlfriend and I could be alone together. If my girlfriend were to seduce me so openly, even an introverted virgin like me couldn’t keep myself in check.

However, Sekiya-san was a ronin. This was an important time for him, and he’d said he was going to study after this, so...

But as we got to the station and were about to go inside...

“Ryuto,” called out Sekiya-san from where he’d been walking behind us.

I stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”

He took a few steps toward me. “We’re gonna go now.”

“Huh? Oh...”

I realized what he was talking about.

I could tell from the serious, slightly angry look on his face that he was having a lot of trouble staying composed. Beside him, Yamana-san was hanging her head, her face red. She was wearing the loose jacket that he’d had on until now.

“O-Okay... Got it...” I replied, blushing too from the obvious implications of the scene.

I see. So they’re going to do it now... Must be nice...

“Okay, see you tomorrow, Nicole,” said Runa.

“Yeah,” replied Nicole.

After the girls’ brief goodbyes, we parted ways.

“She did it!” Runa said excitedly. When Sekiya-san and Yamana-san began walking toward the station again, she latched onto my arm with both hands. “It is what I think it is, right?”

“Yeah, probably...”

Even a virgin like me could tell from the mood that things were probably heading in that direction.

“I wonder where they’re going... Nicole would have to take a long train ride in wet clothes to get back to her place, so that would suck. Maybe they’ll just pick the safe choice and go to Shibuya? I wonder if there’s one of those nearby...”

For a moment, I wondered what she was talking about, but I then quickly realized she was talking about love hotels.

At times like these, I remembered that Runa was experienced—it made me a little depressed.

If Shibuya was a “safe choice”...perhaps that meant she’d gone to Shibuya’s love hotels before.

That mention of a “safe choice” lingered with me for a long time after that, coursing through my head. I had to keep squashing down any rising thoughts I had about her past like I was playing whack-a-mole. Eventually, I made myself stop thinking about anything.

It had been a full five months since we’d started dating, and out of all the boyfriends she’d had, I’d been with her the longest and was still with her at the present. Thanks to that, I’d developed a fair amount of confidence as her boyfriend. I didn’t get all spineless anymore like I’d used to.

However, the only thing that sometimes made me feel inferior to her exes was the fact I hadn’t done the deed with her yet.

“Ryuto. ♡”

As we walked, Runa nuzzled her face against my shoulder. The warmth of her hand in mine also served to both make my heart race and bring me relief.

Runa touched me often, but I’d yet to hear from her that she wanted to do it. Sometimes, that made me anxious.

Perhaps it wasn’t far off now. Christmas was a month away, so it would be an ideal time for us to have sex for the first time.

“Hey, Ryuto,” began Runa as we rode a train.

“Hm? What is it?”

I turned to look at her. The expression on her face suggested that she was a little unsatisfied.

“You know how you often fall deep into thought when you’re with me?” she asked.

“Oh, sorry...”

“It’s okay. I think that’s what makes you you. But, if you’re thinking about something that has to do with me, I wish you’d tell me about it right then and there...”

I felt a slight pang upon seeing the hint of sadness on her face.

“We’re completely different and all,” she said. “We might have misunderstandings, like the other day... So I think we should tell each other our thoughts so it doesn’t come to that again.”

Her words made me recall the recent cultural festival.

“Yeah...” I replied.

“I do think it’s the best when two people can understand each other without words, but even people like that probably didn’t start off that way. It’s not like there are any two identical people out there,” said Runa, hanging her head somewhat. “I think people form that kind of relationship by spending a long time together and coming to understand each other.”

“Right...”

Then, Runa lifted her face. “I want to become that way with you as soon as we can. So...let’s talk a lot, okay?”

Faced with her sparkling eyes fixed on me, I nodded. “Okay. You’re right.”

That said, I couldn’t say “Let’s have sex already” or anything.

“I was just thinking what we should do for Christmas...” I then said in a roundabout way, which prompted a look of realization from Runa.

“Ah, Christmas! Right, it’s next month.” She smiled a little bashfully. “I’ve been giving it some thought, and...wanna come to my place?”

“What?!” Shocked, I involuntarily raised a voice loud enough to make people nearby turn to look at me.

I hadn’t gone to Runa’s house since the day I’d confessed and we’d started dating, after which she’d suddenly suggested I take a shower. Since I had wanted to wait for her to want to have sex with me, I couldn’t just tell her I wanted to go to her room again, given what had transpired between us there. And, fortunately, Runa liked my house and my family—incidentally, my mother was fond of Runa too—so it had become a custom for her to come to my place to study and the like.

“I-Is that okay?” I asked timidly.

Runa nodded with a smile. “Sure. I’ll make the best Christmas meal I can, so let’s eat together! And I was thinking it’s a good time to introduce you to Dad.”

“Oh... R-Right.”

I’d been getting nervous, expecting that I’d be going there when her family was absent, but she’d had this in mind instead. While I felt guilty for being a little disappointed, we’d surely have opportunities to be alone together in her room if I went to her house. We might even... Maybe we wouldn’t have sex, but at least we could kiss and cuddle when we got a good mood going.

The thought of it made my breathing heavy again.

Runa, however, had a calm smile on her face as she gazed into the distance.

“Maybe I won’t feel sad this Christmas if I’m with you,” she said.

“Huh...?”

“My whole family used to spend Christmas together back in the day... I always end up remembering it at this time of the year,” replied Runa, still smiling. “Santa would come to our house and give us presents. I was so happy about it.”

“Wow...”

Had her family hired a professional Santa? They sure had gone far for the holiday...

Runa giggled. “It was my dad, though. Santa. I half believed it when I was little. My mom would tell me that Santa looks just like the father of the family he visits.”

“I see...”

“One year, though, I noticed that Santa wore the same socks that my dad wore. They were the panda socks that me and Maria chose for him when we went to a zoo with our mom. Even the parts on the socks that had faded in the wash were the same.”

“He screwed up there, I guess,” I commented.

“Yeah... Still, I was a little happy when I found out Santa was my dad,” said Runa with a smile before she put on a distant gaze again.

The Sunday evening train was moderately full of people returning from holiday resorts. In contrast with the scenery outside, which was growing darker by the hour, the mood in the car was cheerful.

“I loved my dad back then... Not that I hate him now, I mean.”

I could infer the complicated emotions she felt, considering her circumstances. Her beloved dad had betrayed her mom and cheated on her. That had ripped her family apart. It made sense for her to have mixed feelings.

“I wanted to patch things up with Maria by Christmas... That might be difficult, though. Especially now that the cultural festival is over.”

“Do you still plan to push on with the Friendship Project?” I asked hesitantly.

Runa gave me a deep nod. “Sure. I wanna go back to how we used to be with Maria as soon as I can.”

“I see...”

Considering my complicated feelings toward Kurose-san, I couldn’t say anything more and hung my head.

Kurose-san—Runa’s younger twin and my first love. She’d rejected me back then, and yet here Kurose-san was now, having feelings for me.

If Runa’s Friendship Project were to go on, it would mean I’d continue to be in contact with Kurose-san since I was helping with said project.

“Still, though... Heh heh...”

Hearing her giggle, I turned to look at Runa and saw a satisfied smile on her face.

“I’m really happy for Nicole,” she said. “Right about now, they should already be... Right?!”

“Y-Yeah, probably.”

As I recalled Yamana-san and Sekiya-san, my imagination veered in an indecent direction. I came close to dying from jealousy.

“Oh!” I suddenly said, recalling something at that point.

“What’s wrong, Ryuto?”

“It’s nothing.”

I’d realized I’d forgotten to pay Sekiya-san for the popcorn. Then again, I could just do it the next time we met, which would probably be the next day.

If he was at the peak of happiness, maybe he’d overlook it even if I never paid him back. With that in mind, I didn’t bother contacting him about it.

***

However...

The next day—Monday—Yamana-san came to school exactly as the bell that marked the start of classes rang, and anyone could tell that she’d cried her eyes out just by looking at her.

Runa ran to Yamana-san’s seat as soon as it was break time. “What happened, Nicole?! I was worried about you! You didn’t even read my LINE messages!”

With her upper half folded over her desk and her arms sprawled out, Yamana-san weakly opened her mouth. “I got dumped.”

I had been listening in since my desk was nearby. Yamana-san’s reply made me involuntarily jump from my seat.

“What?!” I exclaimed.

“You’re kidding, right?! Why?!” asked Runa, raising her voice as her face visibly changed. She clearly didn’t expect her best friend to have said something like that. “So, like, he was only after your body?! And he’s done with you after doing it just once?!”

As their conversation drew the interest of our classmates, I got closer to Runa to listen, mixing in with her hangers-on.

“No. We didn’t do it,” replied Yamana-san without lifting herself at all. It appeared that she didn’t even have the energy to do that much. “After we split from you at the station, he was like, ‘Let’s keep our distance for a while’...”

“Why?!” exclaimed Runa.

“He said he wanted to focus on his college entrance exams...”

“What about your clothes?! You were drenched!”

“He bought me new ones at the Uniqlo store at the station, so I got changed and went home...”

Runa was dumbfounded for a moment. Her anger had reached new heights in succession over the course of the conversation.

“B-But wait, then it’s not like he dumped you, right?” she pressed. “He just wants to put distance between you two, yeah?”

“Sure... But it’s just like being dumped, really... He said he won’t contact me anymore and won’t reply if I reach out. He also said it’s okay if I forget about him.”

“What...?! How can he say something so selfish?!”

While Runa trembled with rage, Yamana-san was spacing out. Her eyes were red.