When Kouhei finally managed to grab the stuffed monkey, both he and Aria let out excited exclamations, their cheers mingling with the sounds of the arcade.
The stuffed monkey dropped into the prize chute, and Kouhei quickly retrieved it, turning to hand it to Aria.
"T-Thank you, Okumura-sama…" Aria said, clutching the stuffed monkey tightly in her arms. Her cheeks were tinged with a soft blush. "But are you sure you want to give this to ?"
"I an, the whole reason I went for it was so you could have it, Aria-san," Kouhei replied with a smile. "It's all yours now. Completely."
Aria bowed deeply, her gratitude evident in her delicate movents.
anwhile, two figures were trailing behind them, keeping their distance. Both were in disguise, albeit poorly. One had a bandana tied over her head, attempting to conceal her unmistakable white hair, with oversized sunglasses perched on her nose. The other wore a large hat and a face mask, hiding her features but drawing just as much attention.
Nagisa and Hina were on an undercover mission, shadowing Kouhei and Aria's date under the guise of protecting Kouhei. Despite their efforts to remain unnoticed, their peculiar attire only made them stand out more, earning puzzled glances from passersby.
"They look like they're having fun," Hina said, her gaze fixed on the pair ahead.
"Yeah, they really do," Nagisa agreed. "Aria genuinely loves being with Kou-kun. It's sweet how he won that stuffed toy for her. For so odd reason, I kind of wish he'd get sothing like that too."
"We could easily get one if we just walked over there," Hina teased, smirking. "Kouhei would absolutely grab one for us if we asked."
Nagisa shot Hina a glare. "We agreed not to interfere with their date, rember? The President specifically told us to watch from a distance." Her tone was sharp, her words like a reprimand.
Hina pouted but wasn't done yet. "Co on, Nagisa, aren't you even a little jealous? I an, this is technically Kouhei's first one-on-one date with a girl. Before this, he's only gone on group dates with us."
That much was true. Kouhei's previous dates had always involved at least two or three of them together. If Yuuna wasn't busy running the Sarushima group, she'd usually be part of the mix. But this ti, it was just him and Aria.
"O-Of course, I'm jealous," Nagisa admitted, her voice softer now. "But that doesn't an I'm going to break our promise to the President. I don't want to ruin their date. And let's be honest, if it were just you and Kouhei on a date, you wouldn't want soone barging in, would you? It'd completely kill the vibe."
Hina sighed, relenting a little. "Yeah, you're right. Aria probably wouldn't mind, though. Still, I get it. Guess we'll just have to sit back and watch for now. Maybe I can take notes and copy their date when it's my turn for so alone ti with Kouhei. I'd love for him to do sothing sweet like that for too."
Nagisa rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Just don't get too carried away, Hina. We've got a job to do, rember?"
"Yeah, yeah…" Hina muttered, though her focus was already back on Kouhei and Aria, her mischievous grin betraying her thoughts.
The two followed the others and eventually found themselves in a restaurant. It was about ti for lunch, after all. Their date was planned to last 10 hours, starting from 9 AM and ending at 7 PM. Of course, whether it actually ended at that ti or extended further would depend on how things unfolded. Yuuna, for one, seed eager for the pair to skip ahead and end up in a love motel or sothing. Kouhei, however, felt it was too early for things to escalate to that level just yet.
By this point, they'd already spent about two and a half hours on the date. The local restaurant seed like the perfect spot to grab a bite and refuel.
Strangely, Hina and Nagisa ended up entering the sa restaurant. They'd taken precautions to ensure they wouldn't be noticed, but it begged the question of why they didn't just go to the place across the street. Demons or not, they still got hungry, so eating was a necessity.
The two hid their faces behind nus, their efforts to stay undetected surprisingly effective. Kouhei and Aria, absorbed in deciding on their als, didn't notice them at all.
Kouhei opted for sothing reasonably priced but filling, mindful of the fact that he was footing the bill. As the man on this date, he felt it was only natural to take responsibility for the expenses. Aria had offered to split the cost, but Kouhei had insisted on paying.
Once Aria chose her al, Kouhei placed their order at the cashier. Shortly after, he returned with their food and set it down at the table.
anwhile, Hina and Nagisa had their own mini-drama unfolding. They spent a considerable amount of ti debating what to order, drawing attention with their chatter. Their antics earned them a scolding from the waiter, though he couldn't help but note how stunningly beautiful the pair was.
Kouhei and Aria, on the other hand, ate their als in quiet comfort. Their conversation was light and occasional, but the silence wasn't awkward. Kouhei felt completely at ease in the mont.
I never thought Aria-san was such a sweet tooth, Kouhei mused as he watched her.
In addition to her lunch, Aria had ordered a generous serving of dessert. It wasn't just the act of ordering dessert that caught his attention—it was the sheer amount she'd picked. Kouhei had told her to get whatever she wanted, confident he had enough money for the date, but the staggering pile of sweets was unexpected. Despite indulging in such sugary excess, Aria's fit and toned appearance gave no hint of her love for sweets. It was a contradiction that Kouhei found oddly endearing.
"What is it, Okumura-sama?"
Aria noticed Kouhei staring at her, and a soft blush crept across her cheeks.
"Ah, nothing," Kouhei replied, shaking his head. "I just… didn't expect you'd have such a sweet tooth, Aria-san."
"I-Is that strange?" Aria asked, her voice a bit flustered.
"It's not strange at all. If anything, it's surprising," Kouhei said, a small smile forming on his lips.
It really was surprising. Aria always carried such a serious deanor, her expression rarely betraying any softness. She was easily one of the most intimidating mbers of the Sarushima group—if not the scariest. Yet here she was, indulging in her desserts with an almost childlike enthusiasm. Seeing this side of her, Kouhei couldn't help but admit she might be one of the most adorable girls he'd ever t. At this mont, she looked nothing like the fearso warrior he was accustod to. She looked just like a normal girl.
Actually, all the girls in the Sarushima group were just that—normal girls. They might have been demons, but they had the sa quirks and charms as anyone else.
"Surprising?" Aria tilted her head slightly, her curiosity evident.
"I an… I never would've expected you to be this adorable, Aria-san." Kouhei's words ca straight from his heart.
Everything about Aria today—from her clumsy monts to her determined efforts and her insatiable sweet tooth—was making Kouhei realize sothing. Despite being demons, she and the others weren't all that different from human girls.
Aria's cheeks flushed a deeper red, and she averted her gaze. She'd blushed more tis today than she could rember.
"I can't believe Kou-kun could say sothing like that…" Nagisa whispered, eavesdropping from her hiding spot.
"Kouhei's gotten surprisingly good with his words," Hina added, clearly impressed.
Kouhei had never been the smoothest with his words, so seeing him like this was both shocking and delightful for the two of them.
Once they finished eating, it was ti to continue their date.
The next stop was the mall, where they did a little shopping.
"The clothes you're wearing are already super cute, Aria-san," Kouhei said as they wandered through the stores. "But it doesn't hurt to add a few more, right? Do you have a lot of outfits like this one?"
Aria glanced down at her outfit. She wore a frilly blouse with sleeves and a snug, modern pencil skirt in a rich brown that hugged her waist perfectly. It was a well-coordinated ensemble and an ideal choice for the date.
"Yuuna-sama picked this out for ," Aria admitted. "She wanted to look as cute as possible for you, Okumura-sama. But… even with these clothes, I don't think I can really be cute."
As a warrior and a swordswoman, her body bore the strength and muscle of soone accustod to battle. No amount of frills could fully disguise that, and it made her doubt her ability to appear delicate or adorable.
"That's not true at all," Kouhei said firmly. "You're actually very cute, Aria-san."
He said it with such a serious expression that even Nagisa and Hina, still listening from nearby, couldn't help but be impressed. Kouhei seed so natural at this now.
"T-Thank you," Aria stamred, her blush deepening.
Determined to make the most of their ti, Kouhei began looking for clothes he thought would suit her. Aria did her best to try them on, uncertain if she could ever et Kouhei's standard of "cute." But she wanted to, more than anything. She wanted him to see her in a way that made his words feel true.
After picking out a few outfits and making their purchases, the two moved on to their next destination—a movie theater.
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