In front of the electronics store, Haruto, who should have been back at his apartment resting by now, was quietly waiting for someone. He observed the people coming and going around him, not sure why he had agreed to meet Mari here.
At first, he had rejected her offer, thinking she was just joking. However, when she mentioned paying in advance and reimbursing her later once his royalties came in, he thought it wasn't such a bad idea and agreed.
He checked his phone and saw it was already about 40-50 minutes past the time she had said she'd arrive. Just as he was starting to feel like he had been stood up, he spotted a familiar figure at the street corner.
She was wearing the same professional attire from their last meeting: a deep black suit jacket paired with a tight-fitting skirt that highlighted her delicate figure, and black Stocking that added a mature, elegant vibe. He looked at her for a moment, before noticing she had spotted him in the crowd. Her stern face softened into a rare, gentle smile, and she slowly walked over to him, stopping right in front of him.
"Sorry, I had planned to arrive right after work, but I got caught up with some things and it took longer than I thought. Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"It's fine. I didn't have anything urgent to do anyway. So, shall we head inside now?"
Seeing her in front of him, Haruto smiled and asked. Her gaze softened as she was captivated by his smile for a moment before quickly snapping back to the present and nodding.
"Alright, let's go inside."
Not sure what to say, Mari didn't mind his suggestion. So, in the eyes of the bystanders, the young man in a school uniform and the woman in professional attire made a slightly unusual pair as they walked into the electronics store. The young man led the way while Mari followed closely beside him.
"Have you already looked at anything inside?"
"Yeah, I came in early since I figured you'd still take some time to get here. I took a look at some of the computers."
"What kind of computer does Miyamizu-sensei need?"
Hearing the title "sensei" made Haruto feel a bit awkward. He glanced at Mari, his eyes lingering briefly on her legs before quickly shifting to her face.
"The book isn't even out yet, so 'sensei' seems a bit too early. Plus, in this setting, being called 'sensei' feels a little off. Just call me 'Haruto'."
"In exchange, you can call me 'Mari,' it's fine. I remember... Haruto, you're 16, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, the age gap between us isn't that big, so calling me 'Mari-nee' is fine."
Looking at her smiling face, Haruto, understanding the hint, didn't press her for her age. He gave a slight smile and called her "Mari-nee," noticing the pleased look on her face as they walked into the section with computers for sale.
"I'm planning to buy a laptop for work. It needs to have better performance for handling documents than a regular laptop, and it should be a bit more affordable."
"Do you already have a model in mind?"
Mari wasn't very familiar with computers. To her, as long as the computer worked, it was fine. She mostly used office computers, which were stable and didn't cause problems, so she didn't have much deeper knowledge or interest in the specs.
Haruto glanced at the array of computers in front of him, then walked to the model he had already noticed earlier, stopping in front of it.
"This one should be fine."
Even though it was a business laptop, it was still rather bulky compared to the slim models he preferred for the future. The thickness of the device, almost two fingers high when closed, made Haruto's eyes widen slightly. If he could, he'd rather choose a thinner one.
But he didn't have many options right now.
The processor was an Intel i5 from the 3rd generation, with 4GB of DDR3 memory at 1600MHz, expandable to 8GB, a 500GB hard drive, and a 2GB independent graphics card (630M). The six-cell lithium battery had a six-hour runtime.
The price, including tax, was ¥99,750, which was a bit pricey. However, for the current era, it was still considered to have above-average performance. Though positioned as a business laptop, it could handle entertainment tasks well too.
The laptop was released in August 2012, which made it nearly two years old, but it still had decent specs.
Mari didn't know much about computers. She just noticed the price and looked a bit surprised. After a glance at Haruto, she considered his royalties and figured the price wasn't too unreasonable. She nodded and asked the staff member nearby about any discounts or additional services. After a brief discussion, she quickly paid for the laptop and handed it to Haruto.
"Here's your laptop."
"Thanks."
Haruto took the laptop with both hands, feeling the weight. Fortunately, the box had a handle, or it would've been awkward to carry.
"Anything else you need to do?"
Mari casually asked, noticing Haruto seemed deep in thought as she handed him the receipt.
"No, nothing much. I'll probably just head home, check out the new laptop, and then sleep."
"Well, since I don't have anything planned either, how about we grab dinner together before heading home? It's a hassle to cook for one, and it's already this late. I'll treat you, how about that?"
"Isn't that a bit much?"
"It's fine. If you become a big author in the future, I'll call it an investment!"
Since she'd already helped him buy the laptop, Haruto didn't feel comfortable refusing. Looking at Mari, who seemed happy with her suggestion, he hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
"Alright, I'll contact my family first."
"Okay."
Leaving the electronics store, Haruto found a quiet spot to contact Mai, informing her that he'd be late tonight. This made Mai somewhat concerned.
"Are you going to the Saionji family's place?"
"Huh? Why would you think of the Saionji family?"
"I was just asking. Since you're not going there, is there something else going on? It's getting late, and you're not heading home?"
Having just finished work and almost home, Mai was curious about Haruto's whereabouts. She had already met with his mother and didn't want him to get into any trouble or encounter any problems.
Even though they usually had a relaxed dynamic, she couldn't ignore her role as a guardian, especially since Haruto was living in Tokyo on his own.
"I'm meeting with Mari from Sakura Publishing. We're discussing some publishing stuff, and she helped me with a favor. We're having dinner together, and then I'll head home afterward."
"Just the two of you?"
Mai seemed a bit sensitive about this, especially with it being just the two of them—an older woman and a younger man.
"Yes, just the two of us. Once I get home, I'll contact you."
"Alright."
Mai thought about advising Haruto to be cautious, but she knew he wasn't a child and, in many ways, was more mature than some adults. She didn't feel the need to give a lecture. She simply said she'd inform Setsuna and ended the conversation concisely.
"Ahh—"
Relived that Mai didn't object Haruto relaxed feeling reassured, stepped out of the quiet corner and joined Mari, who was waiting for him by the street.
"All set?"
"Yeah. Where are we headed next?"
"I know a good restaurant near Otemachi Station in Chiyoda."
"Then lead the way, Mari-nee."
"Leave it to me!"
At the sound of Haruto calling her "Mari-nee," Mari smiled, her serious expression from their publishing discussion now replaced with a more typical, carefree look.
Together, they left the electronics district, took the subway, and arrived at Otemachi Station. Haruto, unsure where they were going, quietly followed Mari as they walked to a high-end hotel.
"Here?"
Haruto was a little surprised. He looked at Mari, wondering if they had come to the wrong place.
It wasn't that he doubted her intentions—he just thought that eating at such a high-end hotel would be quite expensive. He was concerned if Mari could actually afford it.
"Yes, this is the place. It's a bit pricey, but no worries, I can get it reimbursed by the company."
"..."
Haruto eyed Mari with some skepticism but seeing how excited she was, he didn't say anything and quietly followed her into the hotel. They were shown to their table by a server.
The restaurant was busy, and there were various kinds of people. But there was one odd thing—Haruto, in his high school uniform, was sitting with an adult woman. This pairing inevitably drew some curious looks. Some mature women glanced at Haruto, while men were eyeing Mari, subtly speculating about their relationship.
Both Haruto and Mari noticed, but Mari, accustomed to such glances from her work, didn't pay it much mind. Haruto, too, could guess what others were thinking but wasn't bothered by it.
Not paying too much attention to the stares, the two of them opened the menu.
As expected, the prices were high. Haruto had anticipated this, and he noticed that Mari didn't react at all—she seemed to know what to expect. That put him at ease.
"Work is really exhausting. I wish I could take a break, but my boss keeps piling on more work without thinking about how we feel..."
What had started as a simple conversation about their daily lives and future creative goals soon turned into a one-sided complaining session from Mari.
In her white shirt, slightly tipsy, Mari's eyes grew distant as she swirled her wine glass.
"Work, work, work... All my friends have boyfriends now. Every time we meet, they show off the gifts their boyfriends gave them, and here I am... I don't have a boyfriend or any gifts..."
A hiccup escaped her lips, and her eyes landed on Haruto. Her face flushed even more.
"I really... really want a boyfriend..."
She muttered softly, before putting down her glass and slumping over on the table as though falling asleep.
Haruto, watching her drunken state, couldn't help but sigh. While he had suspected this would happen, seeing her like this made him feel helpless.
As a server approached, Haruto looked at the bill and felt his wallet lighten. With a steady hand, he tucked it back into his pocket, grabbed the receipt, and awkwardly carried the laptop box in one hand while supporting Mari back to the door.
The closeness of her figure made his heart feel strangely calm. Without a word, he flagged down a taxi and gave the driver his address, taking Mari back to his apartment.