Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
After returning home, Tatsuo, Kasumi, and Ayane went back to their rooms and got ready for school before heading to bed. After that, nothing really happened for the next couple of days. Though, Chiho did tell Tatsuo and Yakumo that there would be an earthquake. Then, only two minutes later, it actually happened.
Luckily, the earthquake was not very strong, so no one was hurt and there was no serious property damage.
'I guess I'll have to add some magic circles that protect against earthquakes when I build the house this weekend.' Was Tatsuo's only thought after the event.
On another note, Emi had also begun her surveillance of Sadao, trying to make sure that whatever nefarious schemes he was plotting would never be completed successfully. Though, all that resulted in was her spending the better part of each evening squatting outside of Villa Rosa Sasazuka with nothing to show for her efforts.
Finally, Friday arrived. Meaning, after the school day ended, Tatsuo would have to make a trip to Shuchi'in Academy to perform at their Welcome Party. And to his surprise, when he invited Yakumo to be his guest Thursday morning, she actually agreed.
And because of that, Tatsuo spent most of the two school days leading up to the performance overthinking things.
'Does this mean she's accepted me?' Tatsuo thought to himself more than once over the two-day period.
Yet, no matter how much he thought about it, Tatsuo could not come up with an answer. So, he decided to ask the members of the [Dimensional Chat] for their opinions on the matter during Friday's afternoon classes.
{[Dimensional Chat]
James: Yo!
James: Tatsuo's here
Violet: Shouldn't you be in class right now, Tatsuo-Kun?
Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah, it's the last period of the day
Tatsuo (Admin): But this couldn't wait
James: Oh, something on your mind?
James: Well, let us know what you got
James: I'm sure we can come up with an answer to whatever is ailing you
Lici: Stop trying to sound all profound
Lici: But James is right
Lici: We'll help however we can
Violet: That's right
Violet: Aletia-San probably won't be able to help, though
Violet: She's in the dungeon right now
Tatsuo (Admin): That's fine
Tatsuo (Admin): She probably won't be much help anyway
Alfonzo: Girl problems, huh?
Alfonzo: Yeah, she's really possessive
Alfonzo: So, she probably would just tell you to leave the girl alone
Sakura: I want to say the same thing, honestly
Sakura: But since I'm the other girl at this point, I don't have any room to say that
Violet: Don't say that, Sakura-Chan
Violet: As long as Tatsuo-Kun doesn't create a hierarchy, then we shouldn't either
Zelretch: Young Tatsuo's situation reminds me of the many dalliances I wondered through in my youth
James: Yeah, yeah
James: You can take a stroll down memory lane later, Zelretch
James: For now, why don't you tell us what's going on, Tatsuo
Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah
Tatsuo (admin): It's like this}
From there, Tatsuo went on to explain the situation with the welcome party and Yakumo's acceptance of his offer to be what boils down to his date.
{[Dimensional Chat]
Tatsuo (Admin): So, I was wondering if that means she's accepting my… well, you know?
Lici: Probably not
Violet, I agree with Lici-San
Sakura: Me, too
Alfonzo: Damn...
Alfonzo: That was a clean sweep of all the women present
James: Yeah, it's kinda depressing looking from the outside in, isn't it?
Alfonzo: Definitely
Lici: Stop trying to knock down the boy's self-esteem
Lici: It's not like we're saying there's no chance
Lici: Rather, it's probably the chance he's been looking for
Violet: Indeed
Violet: Tsukamoto-San is probably using this opportunity to probe Tatsuo-Kun's feelings
Sakura: They're probably right
Sakura: Though, I'd rather she just shut the door and was done with it
Violet: Be nice, Sakura-Chan
Violet: From what I saw, Tsukamoto-San is a really nice girl
Sakura: And that makes it even worse
Alfonzo: Anyway
Alfonzo: What they're basically saying is…
James: Just treat her the way she should be treated tonight
James: And everything will fall into place
Zelretch: I couldn't have said it better myself
Tatsuo (Admin): I see
Tatsuo (Admin): I suppose that makes sense
Tatsuo (Admin): Even if she chooses not to be with me, she'll still be someone I treasure either way
Lici: That's the spirit
Lici: Now, go forth, young man
Tatsuo (Admin): Yeah, you're right
Tatsuo (Admin): I'll just treat her the same as I always do
Tatsuo (Admin): I don't know what was so hard about that
James: it's because you're an emotionally stunted teenage boy
James: And teenage boys already suck with handling their emotions
James: hell, I ran away from any relationship talk for years before the girls broke down my walls
Alfonzo: Yeah, those days were something else, weren't they
Alfonzo: Anyway, you got this, T
Alfonzo: Just do what you need to do and let the rest happen
Tatsuo (Admin): Right
Tatsuo (Admin): will do
Tatsuo (Admin): Well then, I'll get going
Tatsuo (Admin): Class is almost over
Violet: You should pay more attention in class, Tatsuo-Kun}
Chuckling internally at Violet's last message, Tatsuo closed the [dimensional Chat] mentally.
*Ding!* *Dong!* *Dong!* *Ding!*
Then, less than a minute later, the bell signaling that the day was ending rang, causing all the students to exhale a sigh of relief.
"It's finally Friday~." Chiho said while stretching her arms over her head. "On top of that, I don't have to work today. So, I can have some fun tonight."
After saying that, Chiho turned around in her seat and smiled at Tatsuo and Yakumo, who sat in the two seats behind her.
"Hey, Tatsuo-Kun, Yakumo-Chan, wanna go out for karaoke, or something tonight?" Chiho asked. "It's been a while since we did something like that, hasn't it?"
"Sorry, Chi-Chan, I have to work tonight." Tatsuo replied while packing his school bag. "I gotta play at Shuchi'in tonight, remember? I thought I told you about it yesterday."
"Oh, that's right." Chiho replied, her enthusiasm forcefully tamped down. She then tilted her head to look past Tatsuo at Yakumo. "You'll come with me, won't you, Yakumo-Chan?"
"Sorry, I can't come either, Chi-Chan." Yakumo said softly, her tone rather apologetic. "I decided to go with Tatsuo-Kun tonight."
When she heard Yakumo's apology, Chiho's expression was filled with disappointment. However, when Yakumo said that she would be going with Tatsuo tonight, her eyes lit up with the hunger for gossip.
"Oh, is this a date?" Chiho asked excitedly.
Instead of answering, Tatsuo turned to Yakumo, putting the ball in her court. Yakumo, on the other hand, lowered her head with her cheeks dusted a light shade of pink.
"Maybe…" Yakumo said, her voice as quiet as a mosquito, while putting her school supplies in her bag as quickly as possible.
'Hmm… So, they were right.' Tatsuo thought to himself after seeing Yakumo's reaction. 'Well, that really doesn't mean too much. I just need to keep doing what I do, and things will work out the way they're supposed to, I guess.'
"Ooh! You better tell me all the details tomorrow, Yakumo-Chan." Chiho said as she jumped out of her seat and rushed towards Yakumo, causing the raven-haired beauty to blush even harder.
After that, Tatsuo, Yakumo, and Chiho left the classroom, making their way down to the shoe lockers. When they arrived, they found that Kasumi and Ayane were already waiting for them.
"Good afternoon, Chi-Chan, Yakumo-Chan." Kasumi said in her characteristic gentle tone. "I hope you had a good day."
"Yeah, today was great." Chiho replied energetically. She then lowered her voice as she got closer to Kasumi and Ayane. "And finding out that Tatsuo-Kun and Yakumo-Chan are going on a date tonight made it even better."
Luckily, Chiho had the self-awareness to lower her voice so that only their group of five would be able to hear her. Otherwise, had she said the last part at her normal volume, everyone in the school would have known about it before the gates closed for the evening.
"It's quite sweet, isn't it?" Kasumi said with a giggle.
"Mai is gonna be a pain when we get home today, though." Ayane muttered in annoyance.
Thinking of the glare she received from Mai the first time she came to Tatsuo's apartment, Chiho could not help shuddering. Luckily, she only had to deal with it for a short time, as it was clear to anyone with a pair of eyes that she was not romantically interested in Tatsuo. What really surprised her was the way that Yakumo was able to just shrug such a scary glare off, though.
"She'll act right if she knows what's good for her." Tatsuo muttered. "I really don't have the patience to deal with her completely irrational jealousy. And if she brings up that damn promise one more time, I'm just cutting her off."
"Promise?" Chiho asked curiously as she blinked in confusion.
"A promise she made up one-sidedly." Tatsuo replied while waving dismissively. "Don't kill any brain cells thinking about it."
"I… See…" Chiho replied, her tone making it clear that she was still confused.
"Anyway, we should get going." Ayane said, cutting through the strange atmosphere. "Sumire-Sama hired some stylists and makeup artists to help Yakumo get ready. And I'm sure she'll throw a fit if ewe take too long to get back."
"Huh?" Yakumo exclaimed, her embarrassment immediately blown away by the revelation.
"Well, you can't show up as Tatsuo's partner for this event without it." Kasumi said gently. "This is more or less a high society gathering. Though, only for the younger generation. So, it makes sense that Sumire-Sama would go this far."
"Ooh! I wanna see Yakumo-Chan all made up!" Chiho cheered excitedly. "Is it okay if I come over to watch, too?"
"I don't' see why not." Tatsuo replied with a nonchalant shrug. "But that's only if it's okay with Yakumo-Chan."
"I… don't mind." Yakumo said carefully. "In fact, I'd like if you were to come, as well, Chi-Chan."
It was clear to Tatsuo, Kasumi, and Ayane that Yakumo was feeling out of her depth when she heard about the professionals who would be helping her get ready. So, it only made sense to the trio that she would feel more secure if one of her friends were there.
"Okay!" Chiho exclaimed excitedly. "I'll just call my mom and let her know I'll be home late today."
"I'll get Mai-Nee to give you a ride home after she drops us off at Shuchi'in, too." Tatsuo said with a smile. "That way, you won't have to ride the subway alone."
"Thank you, Tatsuo-Kun." Chiho said with a smile of her own as she pulled her smartphone out of her pocket and started to call her mother.
With that, the quintet left the school together, chatting all the way back to the apartment building. When they finally arrived on the top floor, Sumire, Mai, and Tio were waiting for them at the elevator. And before they could even utter a greeting, Sumire pointed her right index finger at Yakumo with a solemn expression on her face.
"Tio, get her!" Sumire ordered.
"Yes, Sumire-Sama." Tio replied like a dutiful soldier.
Then, before either Yakumo or Chiho could register Tio's movement, she appeared next to Yakumo, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her towards her own bedroom.
"Come with me, Yakumo-Chan, the stylists and makeup artists are waiting." Tio said in a friendly tone. "And there are quite a few dresses for you to try on. So, we don't really have that much time."
"Huh?" Yakumo, completely confused by how quickly things were moving, could only exclaim in confusion. She then looked back at Tatsuo and Chiho with pleading eyes.
Seeing the expression on Yakumo's face, Tatsuo felt sorry for her. However, there was nothing he could personally do to help her. So, instead of moving to follow her, he simply patted Chiho on the back, snapping her out of her own confused state, and pointed in the direction where Tio was dragging Yakumo.
"Oh, right." Chiho said in a slight daze. She then shook her head vigorously to get back to the here and now before jogging to catch up with Yakumo. "Hey, wait for me!"
Seeing Chiho scurry off after Tio and Yakumo, Sumire turned her attention to Tatsuo next. However, before she could say anything, Mai enthusiastically stepped forward and tried to grab Tatsuo by the hand.
"Come on, Tatsu-Kun." Mai said happily, a sly glint flashing in her eyes. "We gotta get your makeup done, too. Come with me, and I'll take care---"
"Stop right there." Tatsuo said while pulling his arm away from Mai's outstretched hand. "Don't think you're slick, Mai-Nee, I know exactly what you're doing. You're still on punishment, remember?"
"Tch!" Mai clicked her tongue in response while looking away in frustration.
"Kasumi-Neechan, can you help me with my hair after I take a shower?" Tatsuo asked with a pleasant smile as he turned to look at Kasumi.
"Of course." Kasumi replied with a gentle smile.
Tatsuo then turned to look at Ayane and continued. Though, he was not quite as sure about this decision.
"And Ayane-Oneesan, can you help do my makeup?" Tatsuo asked in an uncertain tone.
"What's with that tone?" Ayane asked with a slight frown.
"Because I'm afraid you'll do something to get back at me for all the times I've messed with you since you got here." Tatsuo replied honestly.
"*Sigh* As much as I'd like to…" Ayane said in an exasperated tone. "If I messed around like that when you're going to work, Sumire-Sama would make me regret it during our next sparring session."
Tatsuo had not actually thought about that. Under normal circumstances, he would have let Mai take care of his Hair and makeup. However, because she was trying to be sneaky, he decided that she needed to be reminded that she was on punishment. As a result, he asked Kasumi and Ayane to help him. But as previously mentioned, he also thought that Ayane would take the chance to exact a little revenge on him, as well.
Yet, when he turned to look at Sumire, the way she nodded her head at what Ayane said let him know that Ayane would be in for a world of hurt if she tried anything at a time like this. So, he let his guard down and nodded to Ayane in understanding.
"Well, in that case, let's get started." Tatsuo said with a smile as he led Kasumi and Ayane towards his bedroom.
Time passed quickly after that. And before anyone knew it, it was almost time for Tatsuo, Mai, Tio, and Yakumo to leave. Chiho would then be picked up by Mai after she dropped the others of at Shuchi'in. And just as Sumire called them to let them know that, Tatsuo and Yakumo stepped out of the rooms they had been getting ready in and saw each other immediately.
Stepping out of his bedroom, Tatsuo was wearing a black tuxedo. Under the jacket, he wore a midnight purple vest over a white, mandarin-collared dress shirt, and a pair of polished, black leather shoes. Meanwhile, Yakumo wore a long, black, backless, silk evening gown with a hip-high slit on the left and a pair of matching black high heels. And when the two caught sight of each other, they both froze with expressions of stunned infatuation on their faces.
Yet, before either could comment on the other's outfit, they were rushed out of the door because time really was getting tight. And with the amount Tatsuo was getting paid for this performance, it would not look good for him to be late.