Date a Live Volume 18-22

Volume 18 Fragmentary Chapter/ 1: Memory

"──Eh, Mio, if it is possible, then──"

On a certain day.

Takamiya Shinji mumbled out a few words while his face was growing redder.

"Next Sunday, to go with me on, a da, da, da──"

Despite some stuttering, he took some deep breaths to adjust his heart beat before opening his eyes.

"Da.....eh, would you like to go on a date......!?"

While channeling all of the effort within his body, he did his best to speak while staring at the person in front of him with a neutral facial expression.

However, the figure that stood in front of him didn't respond back with a reply.

Yet, that was also the natural course of things. In front of him, there was a boy with the same facial expression──that was to say; it was only Shinji himself there. That's right. The current location was at Shinji's own room, where he was standing in front of a mirror in order to practice inviting a girl out.

"......Ha."

Accompanied by a large sigh, Shinji finally relaxed his shoulders.

......Although he didn't expected it to go well, it was even worse than anticipated. If he was already this nervous practicing in front of a mirror, it placed doubts if he could actually preform this when the time came.

Despite having said that, there was still no other alternative.

Shinji, who was 17 years old, had just turned into a second year high school student. However, perhaps due to his natural reserved personality, he had never had any major interactions with girls before, let alone conveys his feelings to one. ──Simply put, he lacked a natural immunity for such affairs.

"............"

No──Shinji tightly bit against his lips.

Indeed, Shinji had never invited a girl to a date before. However, the feeling motivating him right now was not the effect of some momentary infatuation.

Just thinking of her face caused his heart rate to soar to new heights.

Just calling out her name left him feeling breathless afterwards.

If it was for her sake, Shinji felt that he had the strength to do anything.

As a healthy high school student, there were at least one or two girls that have caught his attention up until now. There were even times where he felt a particular longing for a beautiful sempai or had his heart race unguarded by his fellow female classmates.

But thinking back, that sort of feeling could not be called love.

"Ah──but this must be, love."

Takamiya Shinji, at this very late age, was experiencing his first love.

"......Just need try a bit harder."

As he tried to encourage himself, he adjusted the angle of his position projected by the mirror.

"──O-oh, good morning Mio. Nice weather today. Would you like to go out for a bit?"

While spoken with more clarity than before, Shinji soon found that something was amiss.

This wasn't any different from the usual invitation to go out shopping. Apart from that, it wasn't as if Shinji and Mio had not already headed out together before. ......No, even if someone asked, Shinji also did not exactly know the difference between a date and two people heading out together. Although when compared to past examples, Shinji hoped that Mio would think that this was "a date with Shinji."