"Not as outdated as that, just as old as the Heisei era."
(Even though I was just trying to tease her into laughing, why do I have to receive insults like this?)
Yuu rolled his eyes covertly. His hand pressed down on Iroha's swaying little head, and he said irritably: "Alright, enough laughing. If you laugh anymore, your hair arrangement and makeup will get messy, and that rare beauty aura of yours will disappear."
"It won't! I've been carefully preparing it since morning... Oh no!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Iroha immediately covered her mouth with both hands. Her face that had been cheerful from laughing quickly turned red. Her brown eyes secretly glanced toward him at a speed of five centimeters per second.
"Damn, what did I just say~"
She pouted, stamped her feet as if embarrassed and annoyed, and said coquettishly: "Senpai, quickly forget it! I wasn't looking forward to this date at all!"
Yuu couldn't help but look at the girl's feet—being stomped hard with those geta, it must hurt a lot, right?
While shaking his head, he chuckled: "Your acting also belongs to the Showa era."
"Huh? Try saying that once more?"
The girl's face changed rapidly, and her voice was as cold as Siberian frozen wind.
"I said, it's time for us to leave."
Yuu chose to act wisely to protect himself, and following the direction of the crowd, walked toward the festival location, which was the nearest shrine.
While glaring at his back, Iroha snorted coldly. Her geta seemed to want to compact the riverbank embankment, stepping on the ground forcefully.
When she walked closer, Yuu finally spoke slowly:
"This is the first time I've gone to a temple fair festival with a girl. If I do anything inappropriate, please understand."
"Ah, vice versa." Because Yuu used formal language, Iroha also reflexively answered respectfully, "This is also the first time I've gone with a man. Before, it was always with friends—Wait! This is Senpai's first time?! Even though you're so popular!?"
The sharp turn speed in her tone could perhaps only be matched by the legendary driver of Mount Akina.
"Don't shout loudly, do you want me to die socially?"
Yuu smiled at her. A vein twitched on his forehead. He endured many curious and amused stares, and spoke in a very friendly tone.
"Da-Dangerous." Iroha's face went pale. Feeling her life might be threatened, she hurriedly patched it up with a loud voice: "I-I mean, so this is your first time going with a girl, Senpai?"
If she hadn't said this, it might have been fine. Once she said it, several people beside them couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Pfft, so it's a first date... So funny."
"Even though he looks like a Riajuu, turns out he's an innocent little virgin..."
"Don't tell me he hasn't even touched a girl's hand, haha..."
Iroha naturally heard all those whispers, but she didn't dare step forward and tell them to be quiet. After looking around somewhat helplessly, she stared at Yuu with teary eyes full of regret and complaints, and said weakly:
"Um, I really didn't mean it. I was just surprised... Ehe?"
"Ehe your head!"
(How dare you tilt your head and act cute at a time like this? Do you think I'll forgive you just because you stick your tongue out a little?)
With a smile that looked like facial cramps, Yuu extended his finger and poked her forehead hard.
"Why? Were you so excited about dating me that you forgot to bring your brain when leaving the house?"
"I-It's not like that!" Iroha shrieked when poked, but because she felt guilty, she didn't dare dodge. She could only choose to squat while holding her head, muttering full of complaints: "I still brought my brain! This is all because of Senpai..."
"So, this is all my fault?"
Yuu raised his eyebrow, signaling with friendly eyes for Iroha to provide a reasonable explanation, otherwise he would poke a third eye on her forehead today.
Iroha didn't dare look at him. She held her forehead and closed her eyes, muttering full of complaints: "You suddenly told me to be careful so seriously. I have no experience, how should I be careful... So I panicked..."
"That was just disinfecting first (a polite expression). Actually it can be categorized as polite words. Why did you panic..."
Yuu slapped his forehead helplessly. Seeing her pitiful appearance, his embarrassment and anger had long disappeared.
Most importantly, because there were now many people around, it wasn't appropriate to continue teasing her.
He sighed, casually rubbed her smooth forehead that had turned red from his poking, then deliberately tidied her messy bangs, letting the cute return to cute, and the graceful return to graceful.
"Forget it, let's go."
"Eh? Is it okay?"
As if surviving a disaster, Iroha raised her big lively and cunning eyes. She recovered very quickly, as if all the complaints earlier were just acting.
Yuu said helplessly: "Otherwise, what else? Spank your bottom here?"
Iroha immediately covered her bottom, her face flushed, and she pouted. Her moist and soft eyes invited fantasies: "Pervert, so Senpai likes games like this? If we're alone it's fine, but impossible in public!"
(Wait, so if we're alone it's okay?)
Yuu silently complained, then sighed long: "Relax, I don't intend to make an issue of it with you anymore. If we don't hurry to the temple fair, I'll leave you alone."
"Ah, that way of speaking has no common sense! Senpai is a big insensitive block of wood!"
Iroha immediately chased after him. Her guilty expression disappeared, and she returned to being chatty as before.
However, the girl's voice was truly melodious. Even if she talked a lot, it wasn't annoying. Sometimes bright, sometimes whining coquettishly, just like her changeable personality, probably would never be boring.
"Oh right, Senpai, let me treat you to yakisoba as an apology, okay?"
"No need. If you really want to apologize..." Yuu glanced briefly at the crowd, and suddenly said to her, "Hand, extend it."
"Eh? Don't tell me you're going to hit my palm..." Iroha couldn't help but shrink her shoulders. She observed his expression somewhat fearfully, slowly extending her palm between anxiety and fear, and ready to pull it back anytime.
Yuu didn't care about her overly fearful behavior. He directly grasped the girl's soft and cold hand, then waved it toward a certain direction, his eyebrow raised high as if deliberately challenging.
Slightly shocked by this development, Iroha was pulled by him toward the shrine, and asked confusedly: "Se-Senpai, this is..."
"Earlier someone laughed at me, that I probably haven't even held a girl's hand." Yuu said with a cold face and low tone, "I have to let that bastard know that not only have I held a girl's hand, but the girl I'm holding hands with is a hundred times more beautiful than his date!"
"Ah, ahahaha... Senpai is actually very vindictive..."
Because she never expected there would be such a reason, Iroha couldn't help but twitch, and complained while laughing dryly.
As for the sweet words about being a hundred times more beautiful, that meant nothing compared to the current situation.
"By the way, Senpai, your hand..."
Yuu said without turning around: "Who said this was a date?"
"It seems, me?"
"Then, is holding hands on a date a problem?"
"Uh, i-it's not..."
Yuu turned around, seeing her somewhat dazed appearance, as if still in a dream, he couldn't help but curve the corner of his mouth, and said happily:
"Hurry up and walk. The festival has just begun."
"Ah..."
Iroha opened her eyes wide in confusion. Her pupils were like the surface of a lake, reflecting his smile completely.
As if the twilight light penetrated the waves, warmth that was bright but not blinding went straight to the bottom of the water.
Lanterns shaded the streets, the atmosphere was very lively. Several couples walked side by side.
After becoming aware, she tightly grasped the warmth in her hand, as if never wanting to let go.
She squinted like a crescent moon. Her cheeks flushed as if reflecting firelight, and she laughed.
"Okay, Senpai!"