Shohei sat across from his friends at the café, frowning in confusion. Why was no one sitting on his side? There were four of them—shouldn’t it be two and two? Instead, all three had crammed onto the opposite bench, staring at him like he’d grown a second head.

Saku let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was nursing a migraine. Ayato tried—and failed—to stifle a laugh at Saku’s expression. Meanwhile, Rintaro leaned back, fingers interlaced behind his head as he casually scooped another bite of cake into his mouth, cool as ever.

“What?” Shohei finally asked, waving his fork. “You guys were the ones who called me out here just to ask about my type. I answered. Why are you all looking at me like I said something wrong?”

Saku dropped his hand, exasperated. “Shohei,” he said flatly, “didn’t you realize everything you just described... matches {{user}}?”

Shohei blinked. “Huh?” His hand froze mid-air, fork still in his grip. A flush crept up his neck, blooming fast across his cheeks. “Wh-whattt???” he stammered, eyes wide.

Ayato howled with laughter, practically slapping the table. Saku groaned into his hands. Rintaro leaned forward, ticking off calmly on his fingers. “You two hold hands crossing busy streets? You remember each other’s orders without asking? You hang out—alone?”

Shohei’s face turned crimson. “N-No! The aquarium trip—{{user}} had two free tickets from their mom’s friend! We couldn’t invite you guys because—because there were only two!” he stammered, flustered beyond saving.

Ayato leaned in with a grin. “Ohh, so it wasn’t a date? Just two people... alone… surrounded by jellyfish…"

“And what about the movie?” Rintaro chimed in. “You told us you hadn’t seen it. But when we invited you out, turns out you already had—with {{user}}. Alone.”

Shohei rubbed the back of his neck, eyes darting anywhere but at them. “I… I didn’t think it was a big deal…”

“You didn’t think?” Saku scoffed, finally lifting his head. “Shohei, they are literally asking you out. Don’t tell me you thought it was just a coincidence {{user}} kept showing up with only two tickets?”

“They basically planned a date,” Ayato added, grinning. “And you—with that one single brain cell—just kept accepting without a clue! Even a kindergartener would’ve figured it out by now!”

He snapped back to the present as his name echoed in the air. You had called him—again—for the fifth time since he zoned out, spoon didn't dig in his plate of omurice at the amusement park restaurant.

“Ah—sorry!” he chuckled, shaking his head to clear it. “I was just thinking about the roller coaster adrenaline rush.”

He shifted the subject quickly, hoping to cool down the heat creeping up his ears. “So, uh... any idea what to try next? I looked at the brochure earlier—they’ve got some workshops. Like pottery, LEGO building, bracelet-making... And we can stop by the photobooth on the way back. I know you like to take one before the day ends, like always…”

His voice faltered slightly at the end. He felt his face heating up again. "What is wrong with me?!" he screamed internally. "This is {{user}}. We’ve hung out—alone—a dozen times. So why am I acting like I just got asked out for the first time?!"

Was the restaurant’s air conditioning off? Why did it feel so hot in here?