Today's itinerary is simple: a day out with Kasumi. Everything else is a mere footnote whenever I'm with her. Even if today is just a day where we take a stroll through a mall, it's still special. Things really feel so different ever since we've been together. For instance she's decided to do this date of sorts for my birthday, and for someone who usually has to plan his own celebrations that's sweet.
Finally, someone rings the door. I rush out to open it, but it's someone else entirely.
"Jun Kakuji?"
"Yeah?"
"Here's your order, I'll need some proof."
I sign on the paper and take the package, the man quick to take a picture as soon as my hand makes contact.
The courier leaves just as Kasumi arrives.
"Who was that?" She asks me.
"Delivery. Well, come in, Kasumi."
I set the books I bought aside and close the door. She makes herself comfortable on the sofa.
"So, are you ready for today?"
"Of course." I say with a smile, tugging my t-shirt down.
Kasumi is wearing a frilly blouse and a wide skirt, still pretty as ever.
"Are we going yet?" She teases.
"Why wouldn't we? Let me get the keys."
"What's that you bought?"
"Chess books, they're for the team. Had to buy them online so they're all in English." I come back from my room, keys in hand. "Let's go."
-----
Based on the directions my GPS is giving, the mall we're about to visit is in a fancier district, a place Kasumi will know more than I do. Getting a parking spot proved easy
"So why this specific mall? This is my first time here, are you familiar with it?"
"I read online there's some places here you might like, but last time I was here it was so long ago."
"Only here?"
"Yes, one of them is a big magic store, I thought of you when I saw it."
"Let's go there first, then!"
Magical is already a given when describing the shop: it took up two floors, but is lit like a furniture store. Decor consists of posters and abstracted pieces of magic equipment, while the store shelves and tables themselves are undecorated.
"Good morning," A guy with wild hair greets us by the door, then looks at me from head to toe. "you look kinda familiar, do you do magic?"
"I used to."
"Do you have any tricks you can do right now, at least?" He hands me a deck of cards.
"Here's one only I can do." I take my head off and hand it to Kasumi, who is eager to carry it.
The guy stands stunned. "Wait... is your name Jun?"
That made me grab my head back and reattach it. "Yes."
"There were stories guy who can do such a realistic head removal, even though he only did card tricks."
"Yeah," I rub the back of my neck. "it's realistic, cause it's real."
"Real real?"
"Real real. Just try to copy this." I take my head off again and hold it out before me.
"Would it be right to say it's an honor to finally meet you?"
"It's fine, I'd rather not be known solely as that guy."
"Can you still do a trick, though?" He offers the deck again.
"I still have something up my sleeve." I smile and take the deck. "I'll need someone else for this."
There's someone reading one of the books for sale close by. The clerk approaches her and after a bit she follows him back to us, all the while I do my preparations. With a volunteer on the ready, I make her pick a card, sign it, return to the deck and with some extra maneuvers I conclude with the prestige of my hand gripping the deck falling off, revealing a lone card stuck between, the chosen one, signed with an image of an orchid. The trick was impressive enough for the guy to give me the deck, which is no joke: it's from a top-tier brand. I did buy a few other things, though that required that I put them back in the car.
-----
"So where do we go next?" I ask as we return inside from the parking lot.
Kasumi scrolls on her phone. "I remember this one thing on this article, it should be close by."
"Let's stop here for a while." We stand just before a store that's yet to open. "Wait, what's the store called?"
She scans through the text on screen. "Annie's Coffee Place." is her answer.
"Yeah, about that..."
We look at the storefront: Annie's Coffee Place. The sign on the door says it will open next week.
"The pictures looked so pretty." She peers through whatever the glass doors will allow.
"This is a big mall, we'll find something else we'd like." I assure her.
"I should have planned this better." She frowns.
"It's okay, it's still a date." I embrace her and she leans in. Then I catch sight of a certain blond boy.
"Huh?" She notices my letting go. "What is it, Jun?"
"I think I saw someone I know. Hey there-"
"Shh!" The boy turns around and counters. "Sensei?"
"You know Kei from Nakushonen?" Kasumi's definitely surprised.
"He's in my other school."
"I don't want too get attention, sensei!" Keisuke tells me in the loudest whisper yet.
"You're not doing a good job if I saw you."
"But you're a teacher, not a fan, you don't count." He turns to Kasumi. "Oh, hi, miss."
"Nice to meet you, Kei."
"Oh, Keisuke's fine. Are you with Kakuji-sensei?"
"Yes, we're out on a date, actually."
Keisuke's eyes widen. "Didn't know you have a girlfriend, sensei."
"I'm still amazed at that fact myself." I say.
"Nice to meet you then, miss..."
"Hanada, Kasumi Hanada. My students keep talking about you and your groupmates."
"Really? That's... great."
"Speaking of, are they also here?" I ask.
"Yeah, we're scattered so no one will notice us." He looks around warily.
"Don't you guys have any security detail?"
"That's overkill, though."
"I don't know, you seem worried to death over fans seeing you."
He looks at me, then down on the floor. "I guess you're right, sensei."
"How about this, I can cover for you."
"But what about your date?"
"We have nothing planned, this is to make up for the fact that she can't come with me to the beach this weekend."
"You can still have that kind of date here."
"As in this place?"
He nods.
"How is that possible?" Kasumi asks.
"I can lead you to where it is, if you want."
"You can, why not?"
"Alright, follow me!" He says with restraint, so are his steps when he starts apace to where this place is."
We follow Keisuke down some obscure areas right onto an elevator. Once the door opens we get in and I notice an ad posted on a wall. It's for a lounge that you use only if you can afford to splurge.
"Does this thing require a membership?"
"You don't need one, sensei."
"We didn't expect this, you know. If we knew we would have brought something."
"You'll get something up there, there's nothing to worry about."
The elevator stops and the doors open up. There are more stores up here, and a few of them sell swimwear.
"Do you want to see it first?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Great!" Keisuke smiles, goes and we follow him to the lounge entrance. He shows a card to the receptionist and waits by the side.
It's our turn to ask the oracle. "How much is overnight for non-members?"
"1000 yen per person." He answers, the disinterested aura overpowering the tone of his voice.
I pull out my wallet and pay for us two. The guy hands us a couple of keycards and points us to the turnstile close by. "Have a good stay."
With three of us inside, it's time to check the place. The lounge proper is as large as my apartment, with a table full of amenities circled by a couple of sofas and a row of computers behind it. To the left is a glass door with a view of the skyline, while on the right is a door leading to more rooms.
Keisuke naturally leads us leftward, and behold—beyond the walkway is an open-air pool, with the view of the city ahead. On one side is a waterfall and a row of nozzles flanking it.
"It's my little secret; this is where we would hang out when we don't want any cameras on us."
"This wasn't here last time I went, that's for sure." Kasumi comments as she looks around.
"What's next, that this building used to be shorter?" I ask.
"Don't be silly, Jun."
"So for years this part only had concrete on top?"
"I guess so. I remember when some elevators are only accessible by keycard."
"Yeah, the used to be offices." Keisuke answers. "They're hotel rooms now. Anyway, I should let you two have your time together. I gotta meet my mates, see you later!" And he leaves.
We head back to the lounge room then outside to the rest of the rooftop. Since this is a quick purchase we enter the first swimwear store.
"Are you looking for something?" Someone asks as I stand still in the middle of an aisle.
"Just some swim trunks, but these ones are a bit too... professional."
"This is more of a sports store, actually. If you're going for a casual dip this isn't the place." She leaves and crosses paths with a returning Kasumi.
"This store is a bit on the technical side, isn't it?"
"Yeah, let's go to the other one."
The other one is just a couple stores away, and it's more fashion-oriented, with shirts, pants and dresses for any occasion but most of them are breezy and casial, fit for fun and sun. While Kasumi checks the sundresses I grab a few trunks that I find wearable. After a few minutes I head to the dressing room.
"What's the point of the beach if I have to get a shirt?" I hear from not too far off.
"You're not going back down to the mall in only swim trunks, Viktor, please get something decent too."
"Isn't this decent enough? Fine, I'll find a shirt, Naomi."
I resume taking my shirt off when the same female voice speaks up again.
"Miss, who's inside this room?"
"My boyfriend, he's trying out what he'd wear to the pool."
"Oh, you're also staying at the hotel?"
"No, this is just a date. He's going out for a beach party tomorrow for his birthday and I can't come so this is to make up for that."
"How nice, but you didn't get any clothes for the pool yet?"
"This was a sudden recommendation, so we didn't really prepare for it."
"Speaking of beach parties, we're actually on our way to one, and we don't want to bring too much baggage so we'll wear the clothes on the way." A few seconds of silence. "He didn't bring another shirt."
"Kasumi?" I call out
"I'm here."
I found the trunks I'll get. Tell me if you like it." I exit the dressing room, forgetting my shirt snagged my head and is currently inside.
"Um, Jun..."
"You're dating a mannequin?!" The Victor guy exclaims. "Where's the voice coming from?"
I back into the room and retrieve my head. I come back out holding then reattaching it.
"Ooh, you're boyfriend's cute." The lady comments.
"Uh, thanks?" I answer.
"Yes, you should get that."
"Sounds good to me." I disappear once again into the changing room and come back with my usual clothes on. "Your turn."
With Kasumi in the changing room, it's my turn to strike up a conversation.
The man looks at me sternly. "Viktor." He extends a hand.
"Jun." I return the favor.
"Never seen someone like you. I bet you have an interesting job."
"No, I'm a teacher."
"Your students know?"
"Yeah."
"Are you born like that?"
"No, something happened to me that led to this." I fall silent. "Let's not talk about that. What's your job?"
"I'm a writer."
"Books, magazines?"
"Yeah, those."
"Jun, does this look good?" Kasumi shows herself wearing a yellow shirt and a shorter skirt. The shirt features a logo of a bear on the center.
"Yeah, it's great."
"And the bear is so cute! I don't think I've seen this before. I'll take it!"
-----
After a quick change at the loung locker rooms, we're off to the pool proper in our proper pool clothes. The afternoon sun lights up the busy scene below as we watch it from above.
"Do you plan to swim?" Kasumi asks.
"Yeah, but I don't want to get my hair wet; it would still be wet by dinnertime if it does." There's only one good answer to this: I take my head off and give it to Kasumi. "Don't let anyone else get this, we're a hundred feet above ground." Into the pool I go.
Weirdly enough, without a head I don't have to worry about having to breathe underwater. I rarely ever do this, though theoretically I can stay below the surface for as long as I want, if I don't mind getting out of it all wrinkly.
Somehow, we're not the only couple in this pool today, as there's another pair just by the edge of the water. Terrible time and place to come out of the water without a head on.
"Ah!" The girl flinches at seeing my neck above the water, my struggle to get to the ledge not making this situation any better as they get up on their feet.
Kasumi rushes in carrying my head. "Sorry!"
"Wait, that's his head?" The crimson-tinted girl asks.
"Yes." She answers as she hands me my head, which I reattach to my body.
"But they look so different apart."
"What's that supposed to mean...?" I stare in confusion.
"Nothing. Actually, you piece together well, I just wouldn't imagine someone with that body having that face."
"Thanks, I guess. Didn't mean to scare you, by the way, not that I need to try when I don't have my head on."
----
"Do you want to get something to eat?" Kasumi asks me after a while. I turn to see her reading some brochures.
"Maybe we should just have the dinner for our meal, I don't even think soda's sold here cheap." I get my head and reattach it.
"The cheap soda is outside just next to the pizzeria, sir." Someone answers.
I take my wallet, wrap a towel around me and walked out to take a look at what it is: a vending machine. Eager to get some cool beverage, I scan the prices on the box; the rates aren't any different from the other machines back home. I get myself a bottle of soda and iced tea for Kasumi. I open my bottle and drink it, but someone sitting outside the pizzeria stares at me while I do so.
"Is there anything on me?" I ask.
Surprised I noticed, she takes a second to recover, still clutching hard at her pizza. "How the... I thought it would just leak out of your neck..."
"Don't think too hard about it," I smile. "even I don't know." I guess she saw me a while ago at the clothing store.
On my way back, someone greets me a "Hey!" from behind, it's Juro.
"Hey to you, too." I greet back.
"I heard Kei led you guys here?"
"He did, nice of him to do so."
"Yeah, it's such a cozy place." He looks at me up and down. "Darn, I didn't know that's what's under your sweater."
"Uh, thanks?"
"Well, gotta go, see you-" Before he can finish, the girl from the pizzeria approaches and asks for an autograph.
-----
For all it's worth, it is a cozy date, with my body enjoying the pool while my head is on a bench, with Kasumi hitching up some casual talk while she reads a book I bought from the magic shop. We stay until the sun begins to set, where we conclude, after changing to our old clothes, with some cake offered at the main lounge for a decent price.
Back to the main mall we go, no seeming sign of having been in water at all. Rather than spend any more time looking for a fitting dinner place since we're starving, we settled on a burger restaurant. I get myself a double bacon cheeseburger while she settles for a burger steak. We hear a yelp from a distance and turn to see Takahiro flustered while he talking to a girl wearing an eyepatch. We look at each other again and chuckle at the sight. Not
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