Kiyoko's New Image

The repetitive days of home-school, training-classes finally led to Sunday. Facing the long-awaited date, Hayato dug out a set of casual clothes, rarely used hair wax to style his hair, sent Kiyoko a message, and then walked out of his house.

Today, Hayato wore a short-sleeved shirt with sea-blue stripes spliced with pure white, a pure white undershirt, loose gray capri shorts, and a pair of white high-top flat shoes. He looked both sunny and handsome.

Not long after waiting at the front door, Kiyoko also came out of her house.

Her hair had clearly been styled, and she was wearing light makeup. Unlike her usual appearance, Kiyoko was wearing contact lenses today, and her crystal-clear, moist lips showed she had applied lip gloss.

She wore a white off-the-shoulder blouse with lace on top, paired with a black hip-hugging skirt that reached just above her knees. The blouse was tucked into the skirt and secured with a thin black belt. Her straight, fair legs were covered by sheer pantyhose, and she wore white lace-up high-heeled sandals.

She was even carrying a pink and white women's handbag.

Seeing Kiyoko looking completely different from her usual self, Hayato's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Kiyoko... Kiyoko-senpai??"

He stammered out Kiyoko's name, which made Kiyoko cover her mouth and smile. Her smile further captivated Hayato's heart.

"What, you don't recognize me?"

"N-no, it's not that. Why are you dressed up so much today? Also, Kiyoko-senpai, you can show your legs now?"

"Mhm, Mom helped me pick out my outfit today since she knew I was going on a date. How do I look?"

Judging by the rapid, pile-driver-like nodding from Hayato, Kiyoko's outfit was absolutely perfect. Seeing Hayato so satisfied, Kiyoko smiled and then explained.

"You said it yourself, my scar isn't ugly, so I decided to take your advice."

"You look great, truly great."

Kiyoko walked over with a smile and linked her arm with Hayato's.

"So, where are we going next? Do you have a plan?"

Hearing Kiyoko's question, Hayato quickly snapped back to attention and puffed out his chest.

"Of course! I made a detailed plan today, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

The boy and girl, arm in arm, walked towards the station.

Since it was Sunday, the train was very crowded, and Kiyoko was dressed so beautifully that she attracted quite a lot of attention. Fortunately, as soon as Hayato stood next to her, many people were deterred. No one wanted to challenge someone who looked like they could easily win a fight and was over 190 cm tall. After arriving at the aquarium by train, Hayato took out the prepared tickets.

First, he accompanied Kiyoko to view the various marine life in the aquariums. During this time, he used knowledge he had just learned to tell Kiyoko many interesting facts about the creatures, and Kiyoko listened with great enjoyment.

The dim lighting, combined with the faint glow from the aquariums, further enhanced the atmosphere between the two. By the time they left, they were no longer just linking arms but holding hands, fingers intertwined.

"This is so fun! Where to next~"

"How about we watch the dolphin show?"

"Really? Yes, yes, let's go!"

Kiyoko, excited, pulled Hayato towards the dolphin show arena.

After finding seats at a moderate distance from the stage, both of them eagerly awaited the start of the dolphin show. As for why they chose to sit in the middle, sitting too far back meant they couldn't see clearly, and sitting too close meant they might get splashed by the water waves when the dolphins jumped.

"Welcome, esteemed guests, to the aquarium's dolphin show! Today, we have three lovely dolphins performing for you~ They are~"

As the announcer called out each name, a dolphin leaped out of the water to greet the audience. After introducing the dolphins and their trainer, the show officially began.

From juggling balls to leaping through hoops, the dolphins and their trainer completed many impressive performances. Every time a trick was finished, Kiyoko would clap her hands happily.

The show concluded successfully, and Kiyoko was very satisfied. Hayato then took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and gently wiped away the water droplets on Kiyoko's hair.

"There's some water here from the splash, let me wipe it for you. There, all clean."

After wiping, Hayato gave Kiyoko a gentle smile. With the sun behind him, he seemed to glow in Kiyoko's eyes.

"Mhm, thank you."

Kiyoko fiddled with her temple with her finger, trying to hide her shyness.

After completing the first part of his plan at the aquarium, Hayato took Kiyoko to the nearest shopping mall. This time, they were going to buy some everyday clothes. Kiyoko hesitated when Hayato mentioned buying clothes.

"The clothes here are probably very expensive."

"Don't worry, after reporting to my dad, he specifically gave me some 'dating funds'."

Hayato jiggled his wallet, indicating he had no problem. His father, who worked abroad, earned a lot of money, so Hayato always had plenty for living expenses. When his father learned that his son was going on a date with his childhood friend, he had even wired him a sum of money specifically for future dates.

With several zeros instantly added to his account, Hayato felt very confident.

Salespeople, no matter the world, are pretty much the same. Seeing the handsome couple, Hayato and Kiyoko, enter the store, the salesperson's eyes lit up, and she approached them. If either of them showed interest in a particular piece of clothing, she would praise it extravagantly, making it seem like a huge loss if they didn't buy it. Kiyoko found such people difficult to deal with, and Hayato noticed this. He politely asked the salesperson to let them choose on their own.

The salesperson was about to say something else, but Hayato's height and his poker face when looking at people were truly intimidating. So, the salesperson could only leave them with a parting remark that she could offer them a discount if they found anything they truly wanted, before returning to her seat.

Amidst the dazzling array of clothes, Kiyoko picked out a black and red baseball jacket for Hayato. Hayato took it and looked at the price. It was very cheap, which showed that Kiyoko was indeed considerate of him.

Putting on the jacket, Hayato walked to the mirror and examined himself from head to toe. Then, he turned to ask for Kiyoko's opinion. Kiyoko was, of course, very pleased with her choice, and after seeing how it looked on him, she praised Hayato, saying he wore it very well.

However, when Hayato offered to pick out something for Kiyoko, she refused. Hayato then, using the excuse of buying couple's outfits, picked out two t-shirts printed with cartoon cat patterns: a white cat for Kiyoko and a black cat for Hayato.

After paying, they walked out of the clothing store with their paper bags of clothes, amidst the salesperson's bowing and welcoming them back next time.

"I won't wear these together with you right now."

"I get it~ It's okay, we bought them now, we can wear them later. I just saw you staring at that little cat two or three times just now."

Continuing to walk forward, playfully bantering, Hayato intended to take Kiyoko to a well-regarded sushi restaurant nearby for dinner. However, before they reached their destination, Kiyoko stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Kiyoko-senpai?"

As they walked together, Hayato always made sure to match his pace with Kiyoko's due to the difference in their strides. He noticed immediately when she stopped and stopped as well, asking his question.

"It's just… just…"

Kiyoko couldn't get the words out after a long pause. This was unlike her usual demeanor today; instead, she seemed like the shy, reserved Kiyoko from before they had opened up to each other.

Seeing that he couldn't get anything out of her, Hayato looked around. Then he noticed it: they were currently stopped in front of a lingerie shop. Guessing what Kiyoko intended to do, Hayato's cheeks also started to feel a little warm.

"Um, Kiyoko-senpai, you're not… you're not thinking of dragging me in here to buy… buy something, are you?"

Knowing that Hayato had understood her intention, Kiyoko decided to go all in, turning her head to the side so she wouldn't have to look at his face.

"Didn't you say before that my underwear wasn't cute enough? Well, now you can pick. You can choose the underwear you think is cute."