Chapter Four: “The Princess Wants to Be Chosen by the Prince” — Part Seven

“Hey, which of these do you think is cuter?!”
“Aren’t they the same?”
“The sleeves are different shapes! And the length is slightly different too. Look!”

I pushed the blouse I was holding into Yuuri’s arms, and got nothing but a murmured they’re basically the same in return.
Unlike me, Yuuri has never cared about clothes. But she’s the only friend I have to ask.

“Actually, should I go with a dress instead? What do you think?”
“Either’s fine.”
“Either is not fine!”

After school, I’d dragged Yuuri all the way to Shinjuku to shop. Two hours of going from mall to mall, looking at potential date outfits.
Still no this is the one moment.

This was my first date with Senpai — I wanted to find something perfect, something that would make her think I was cute.

“I don’t think you need to stress this much, honestly.”
“Of course I do! It’s our first date!!”

I wanted her to find me a little cuter than usual. A lot cuter than usual.

“…And besides, looking cute is all I have…”

I had no idea what kind of girl Iori-senpai liked. I didn’t even know for certain that she liked girls.
But the only thing I could do was dress up as prettily as I could manage. I couldn’t pull off the cool look Senpai wore so effortlessly — my build only worked with skirts.

“…Fine. I’ll keep you company until you find something you’re happy with.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. I mean, I don’t know Iori-senpai’s taste either, but.”

Yuuri took her phone out of her bag and pulled up the website for the aquarium in Shinagawa, where our date was headed.

“Why not look for something that suits the venue?”
“Something that suits an aquarium…”
“Right. Since you don’t know her taste, having a theme makes it easier to choose.”

She had a point. And it wasn’t an angle I would have thought of myself.

“So probably something simple rather than a busy print — clean lines would fit better, don’t you think?”

As she said it, Yuuri picked up a simple white dress. Maybe too simple, but thinking about the aquarium setting, it could be exactly right.

“I’ll try it on!”
“Go ahead.”

Yuuri waved me off toward the fitting rooms, and her expression, just for a moment, was kind enough to make me a little shy.

☆★☆★☆★☆★

“Perfect. That’s the outfit sorted!”

After finding the dress, I managed to pick up shoes and hair accessories to go with it too.
It had been a fairly painful amount to spend, but thinking of it as an investment in my date with Iori-senpai made it nothing at all.

“Good.”

Looking thoroughly tired, Yuuri brought a spoonful of omurice to her mouth. We’d gone straight from shopping into a nearby restaurant.

“Now I still need to plan what we talk about, and look up lunch options nearby…”

Senpai had only mentioned the aquarium — nothing about lunch. But with a one-thirty meeting time, there was a real chance we could eat together beforehand.

Senpai had practice in the morning, and we were meeting at Shinagawa Station, so she wouldn’t have had time to eat a proper lunch on the way.

“What else should I prepare? And how many restaurant options should I have ready? Should I make a reservation?”
“I think that’s more than you need to do.”
“But I want Senpai to feel like there are real benefits to going out with me.”

For this date, I wanted to show off my good points while also making the case for what Senpai would gain from being with me.

“So I want her to be as comfortable as possible on the day.”
“You really do put the work in, Himena.”
“Obviously. There’s no reason not to.”

I was completely in love with Senpai, and I’d managed to get my hands on the biggest opportunity imaginable. Someone who couldn’t give it everything didn’t deserve to be Iori-senpai’s girlfriend.

“…I kind of respect that about you, actually.”
“You can respect everything about me if you’d like.”
“Absolutely not.”

Cold as ever, but she’d stayed out late with me today helping pick out a date outfit. As a childhood friend, I owed her proper gratitude.

“Yuuri.”
“What?”
“Thanks for today. I’ll help you when it’s your turn.”
“…I’ll pass.”
“Why?!”

I leaned forward, and Yuuri sighed quietly.

“I’m not planning to push myself the way you do. That kind of romance sounds exhausting.”

She said it coolly and drained her glass of water. I didn’t feel exhausted in the slightest.

“Don’t overdo it, Himena.”
“I won’t. But it’s fine — anything I do for Iori-senpai turns into something I enjoy!”

All this effort was connected to a happy future with Iori-senpai. Thinking about it that way, I could keep going indefinitely.
Sunday couldn’t come fast enough.
I was so, so looking forward to our date!!