"Darling, were you blushing just now?" Mio asked with a beaming smile.
"Wh-who's blushing? I just wasn't ready for it, that's all."
Yumiko turned her face away, not daring to meet Mio's eyes. A second ago Mio had been the same as always, and the next her whole aura had shifted into something gentle and graceful—even her gaze and her tone had changed.
It was like watching a professional actor at work.
But credit where it was due: that version of Mio just now had been genuinely captivating. So much so that Yumiko couldn't help picturing, just a little, what married life with Mio might look like.
Some people plan out their kids' names after a single meeting. Surely imagining married life was nowhere near as bad as that.
"Fine, fine, you weren't blushing. So where are we headed now?"
"Shopping."
Normally, for a date with Mio, Yumiko would draw up a meticulous plan. But the night before last she'd been too busy cramming, and last night she'd come home and dropped straight into sleep.
So this date had no plan whatsoever.
No plan was fine, though. They'd just go with the flow.
"So, which… which mock date is this again? Whatever, doesn't matter. In any case—the date begins."
As her words trailed off, Mio deftly hooked her arm through Yumiko's.
Mio actually quite liked being around Yumiko, precisely because she didn't have to worry about a task involving her suddenly triggering—which made it easy to relax.
That said, even with Yumiko, a task could still fire off.
To avoid exactly that, she'd once again played her [Slacking-off Card] to let herself unwind.
Their first stop was a clothing store—not one Yumiko had picked, but one Mio had dragged her into.
Mio had spotted an outfit inside that looked perfect for her, so she wanted to try it on and get Yumiko's opinion while she was at it.
The impulse was a lot like back before she transmigrated, playing games—the second you saw a costume for your character, you couldn't resist trying it on.
Changed into the outfit, Mio stood in front of Yumiko and did a little spin. "Yumiko, how do I look in this?"
"Good. You look good in anything."
"???"
"I'm asking you a serious question. I didn't ask you to do a Hayama impression."
Yumiko nearly burst out laughing—she'd thought it herself, that the line sounded exactly like something Hayama would say.
Seeing Mio puff up her cheeks in a sulk, Yumiko let out a soft chuckle. "Don't be mad, I'll take a proper look. Mm—it suits you really well."
A thought struck Mio: maybe they ought to swap roles in these mock dates and let Yumiko experience playing her part. Otherwise, she worried that when Yumiko was on an actual date with Hayama Hayato, she'd blurt out something jaw-dropping.
With that in mind, Mio tugged at the hem of Yumiko's clothes and laid out the idea.
The moment she finished, Yumiko refused without a shred of hesitation.
"Eh!? Why? Wouldn't it be good to get used to it ahead of time?"
"M-maybe I'm just used to things this way. I think we're fine as we are now. If we swapped roles—wouldn't it feel kind of off to you?"
"Not really."
Mio pictured it: Yumiko clinging to her and acting all sweet and coquettish. Yeah… that did feel a little strange.
Have I really gotten so used to being on the receiving end that this feels weird?
Still, if Yumiko didn't want to switch, Mio wasn't going to force her.
Teaching her a few practical tricks through her own performance worked just as well.
"Oh right, I almost forgot to ask—a whole vacation's gone by, and there's really been no progress at all between you and Hayama?"
"None. Probably because I didn't have the time." Yumiko slid her eyes sideways. She said she'd had no time, but in truth she'd holed up at home the entire break.
Without Mio around, she didn't even have the motivation to leave the house.
"No time is definitely a problem. But it's fine—you just make up for the missed chances day to day."
Hayama Hayato seemed a bit knocked back by Yukinoshita Haruno lately. If Yumiko could seize the opening, there might actually be some slim possibility.
Although Mio still figured the odds were pretty low.
Just as she was wondering whether there was some other approach, Yumiko suddenly asked, "What would you think if I said I wanted to give up chasing Hayato?"
"What's there to think? I'd congratulate you on escaping the bitter sea, obviously."
Then, as if she'd discovered a whole new continent, Mio leaned in toward Yumiko and asked, curious, "Are you really ready to give him up?"
"Not just yet."
Mio assumed Yumiko was still torn over it, so she didn't push the topic.
What she didn't know was that the "just yet" Yumiko meant was this date. If she came clean about giving up Hayama now, wouldn't the date end early? She'd finally gotten a mock date with Mio. She didn't want it cut short.
"Whatever you decide, I'll support you."
"Thanks."
"No need for thanks. Just check whether these clothes suit me—that's plenty."
"Okay."
Watching Mio step back into the fitting room, Yumiko took a deep breath. She'd just made up her mind about something: when the afternoon date wrapped up, she was going to lay it all out for Mio.
She wasn't chasing Hayama Hayato anymore. She wanted to chase Mio—was that okay?
In the middle of changing, Mio suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her nose, then—unusually—spoke to the System. "If Yumiko were on the System Panel, how high would her conquest rating toward me be?"
"That, I wouldn't know either. But I can register Miura Yumiko onto the System Panel for you—is there a need for that, my dear Host?"
"There is absolutely no need for that."
If even Yumiko ended up registered on the System Panel, then her last patch of pure land would be gone too.
Reining in her scattered thoughts, Mio changed back into her own clothes before walking out, then bought the outfit she'd just tried on.
The instant she finished paying, Yumiko naturally reached over and took the bag.
"You don't have to. I can carry it myself."
"It's fine. Isn't carrying things for your girlfriend totally normal?"
"Don't get too into character. Remember, I'm the role you'll need to pull off later."
"I know."
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