Because Shizuka sensed that Madoka genuinely meant every word that he said, she was rendered speechless.
After a while Shizuka smiled somewhat peculiarly and commented, "You're quite the romantic, Madoka."
Madoka smiled. "Am I?"
You were wrong, Satoru-kun, I'm not a good person. What I'm doing now is completely unlike what a good person would do.
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When the school day ended, Shizuka and Madoka were finally able to walk home together for the first time.
Vividly coloured leaves continuously swirled around them and eventually landed on the ground, lining their path as they walked. Yet, Shizuka remained oblivious to it all.
From the time that they had left the classroom, to the time they walked out of the gates, Shizuka had been uncharacteristically silent as she internally wrestled with her conflicting thoughts and feelings.
"Is something bothering you, Shizuka?"
You. You're what's bothering me.
Shizuka shook her head and smiled weakly. "I'm just thinking of what we should do for our date."
Madoka pursed his lips. "If it's stressing you out that much, you don't have to worry about it. I can take care of it. I don't like seeing you troubled."
"No, I want to organize it. It's just..." I need to steel my resolve. Being this half-assed isn't like me.
"Hm?"
In an otome game, once you begin on a route, you can only stick with that route until the end of the game. Whether or not the ending you get is the best ending or the good ending or even the bad ending is entirely up to your own choices. So don't wimp out me! Losing isn't an option anymore.
With new-found determination Shizuka boldly confessed, "Madoka, I want to know more about you."
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything. Everything. Tell me something about you that I don't already know. It doesn't have to be anything earth-shattering. I just realized that I don't know you all that well and the only way I thought of getting to know you is through asking you a lot questions."
Madoka let out a small smile. "Didn't you do some research on me already?"
In the next moment, Shizuka found the notebook filled with information about Madoka from her bag and began to ruthlessly tear out pages from it. The sounds of paper being fiercely torn out of the notebook disrupted the otherwise quiet and serene setting. When she finished removing the pages from the book, she started to shred each individual page into bits. When all the pages were confetti sized, she tossed the debris into the nearest recycling bin.
Turning back to Madoka, who had been silently observing her bizarre actions with a puzzled expression, Shizuka stated, "Now...it's all gone. Again, I'm sorry that we snooped around and infringed on your privacy rights. I of all people know firsthand how annoying it is when people dig around into your personal information. You don't have to tell me anything if you're not comfortable but I don't want to only know about you from data compiled on the sly anymore...I want to hear from you, yourself. I said I'd find out more about the "real Madoka" so if you're even the least bit willing, please tell me about yourself."
For a while afterwards Madoka silently gazed at Shizuka's face seemingly searching for an answer. Then, it seemed that he came to a decision. "Okay," Madoka began in a subdued voice. "What do you want to know?"
"Um, to start, why not something like your birthday?"
"The 21st of December."
"You're born on the winter solstice?"
A sardonic look flashed by Madoka's face and disappeared almost as promptly as it had came. "Uh huh, the darkest day of the year."
"...It's coming up. I'll keep that in mind. How about hobbies?"
"I like to listen to music...watch movies...read."
"What kinds?"
Madoka thought for a moment. "I don't really have a specific music preference but I like watching and reading thrillers and dystopian fiction."
"Oh, we have that in common! I like dystopian fiction too. The term mega-Helen came from a dystopian book series I read."
Madoka grinned. "I'll have to trouble you for more recommendations later."
"Sure, if you'd like. Some of them are really weird though, even for the dystopian genre," warned Shizuka. "How about your favourite colour?"
"I don't really have a preference in colours."
"Favourite season?"
"I don't really have a seasonal preference either..."
"Okay...how about your biggest pet peeve?"
"...I can't think of any at the top of my head..."
Shizuka frowned as she racked her brain for more questions to ask. This is more difficult than I expected.
"Alright, how about your favourite foods?"
"Hmm I'm not picky about food...I can eat almost anything."
Shizuka raised an eyebrow. "The other stuff I understand but there has to be something you like to eat....or maybe something you can't stand?"
Madoka thought about it again then eventually said, "I guess if I had to say maybe...cake?"
"You don't like cake?" As a big lover of sweets Shizuka was truly taken aback that someone could hate the magnificent creation that was the cake. "Is it because you don't like sweets when they're not yours? Was that actually a true account?"
"You've heard of that, huh," said Madoka whilst looking somewhat awkward. "I don't like accepting handmade sweets because I know how much thought and effort gets put into them and I don't want to accept them when I can't return the person's feelings. As for cake, I'm just not really fond of purposely getting a cake for special events."
Shizuka pouted. "Ehhh but I was looking forward to having cake on your birthday."
"I don't mind having cake if you want it though. I'll bake some for you but remember to have them in moderation." You could hear how much Madoka doted on her with these two sentences alone.
Shizuka grinned at the promise of cake then scrunched up her nose when she thought of something. "I've been wondering about this for a while now but is it widely known that I like sweets? You're always nagging me about it. I don't think I've had that many at school."
Madoka appeared perplexed for a while then smiled. "People often bring you little gifts, right? I've seen you accepting them in the hallways every so often. Since the gifts always consisted of chocolates, cookies, and the like, I figured that you must've been a sweets person."
"Really? I didn't think people paid attention to that. I like receiving gifts for the most part but sometimes I receive really strange stuff too. Ooh but there was a period of time last year when someone left little boxes of sweets in my desk."
"Is that right?" Madoka asked after a beat. "How did they taste? Did they suit your tastes?"
Recalling the sweet and fragrant baked goods that she had mysteriously received made Shizuka smile widely. "I loved them! I'm just a little regretful that I never got to personally thank whoever it was that sent them. I tried asking the president of my school fan club if she knew anything about it but she said that the sweets weren't from someone in the club so I didn't know where to go from there."
"I'm sure that person would've just been happy that you to enjoyed them," assured Madoka gently.
Shizuka's expression became a bit sorrowful. "But they stopped arriving after a while."
"Didn't you get a toothache around then?" pointed out Madoka casually.
Shizuka stared at Madoka in shock. "You knew about that too?"
"I remember someone asking about your swollen cheeks during a student council meeting."
"Ah right. Yeah...I got a cavity from slightly overindulging..."
"See, this is why I tell you not to go overboard with the sweets consumption. A toothache is painful but there are a lot more serious complications that can arise from maintaining an imbalanced diet."
At Madoka's mother-like scolding Shizuka stuck out her bottom lip in sulking manner. "Your argument isn't very convincing when you basically admitted to being dependent on ready-made food."
Under her breath she added, "Besides, I feel like right now, being around you is what's making my health decline the most."
Madoka was startled but before he could string a coherent response together, Shizuka continued with, "Constantly thinking of you hurts my head while all of your astonishingly direct confessions and caring actions are bad for my heart."
Sighing dramatically, Shizuka remarked, "So if you're really worried for me, you'd be less nice to me."
Madoka remained still for a moment before he grinned cheekily. "Don't wanna."
Shizuka exaggeratedly crosses her arms in a show of irritation. "Why you—Do you want me to have an early death? Is that your end goal, Semi Madoka?"
Madoka beamed. "Of course not. Who would I feed, accompany, debate, and walk with, if you weren't around?"
Shizuka turned her nose up into the air with a defiant bearing. "Hmph, you've lived almost 18 years without me in your life so I'm sure you'll manage just fine."
Having learned this move from Shizuka herself, Madoka leaned over and began to pat Shizuka's head in a fawning manner, "But I really can't remember my life that well before you entered it."
This guy is back at it again with the fastballs to the heart!
Shizuka's cheeks warmed up as she tossed his hand aside. "You—you! You're doing this intentionally aren't you? How do you spit out all these cheesy otome game like lines all the time? You're actually a womanizer aren't you?"
Madoka blinked innocently. "I only ever speak from my heart and I wouldn't say these things to anyone but you."
Shizuka threw up her hands in frustration as she stepped away from Madoka. "Ah geez, I can't win against you. If you said this stuff to any other girl she'd have assumed that you've been in love with her for years."
"But you don't?" questioned Madoka with an arched brow.
Shizuka shrugged. "I'm not that egotistical. I don't think every guy who says nice things to me is madly in love with me."
"I didn't ask about just any guy though?"
Shizuka sent Madoka an impish grin. "Why? Are you saying you're in love with me?"
Madoka imitated her shrug from earlier. "Hm, I think that's something you'll have to figure out on your own."
I guess it wouldn't be that easy huh.
"Ah-but I thought of a pet peeve."
"What is it?"
"When normally observant people become clueless in front of painfully obvious conclusions."
Shizuka narrowed her eyes. I can't help feel as if I'm being made fun of but I can't quite put my finger on it.
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The following day, after helping her mother out with a company led charity event all morning, Shizuka went home and began to research typical date courses.
He said he likes movies...Is there anything currently showing that he might like?... But do people still like watching movies at the theatres anymore? Ahhh this is really difficult.
While Shizuka was seriously searching for places to visit, her phone vibrated.
Ah, it's the group chat.
Shizuka enlarged the app and saw that Fuyuki had just messaged the group.
Fufufuyuki: [Shii-chan, Mii-chan, let's go shopping! ( º﹃º ) The weather's getting colder but all of my fall coats are all soooo old and out of style! ＿|￣|○]
Mikachu: [Okies! (｀・ω・')]
4zuka: [Can't. Planning for date.]
Fufuyuki: [DATE?!?!?!?]
Mikachu: [(ﾉ'ヮ')ﾉ*: ･ﾟ]
Mikachu: [How exciting!!!!!!!]
Fufufuyuki: [\(★ω★)/ When? What will you be doing? What will you be wearing?!]
4zuka: [Don't know. Undecided. Haven't thought about it yet.]
Fufufuyuki: [................]
Mikachu: [................................]
Fufufuyuki: [Are you really a high school girl?]
Fufufuyuki: [It's decided then! We'll be over soon.]
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Ahhh, I feel refreshed. A warm shower after a long day is really the best.
After Fuyuki and Mika had came by earlier, the three girls had brainstormed for a long while on the components of an ideal first date.
Shizuka glanced at the meticulously selected outfit that was now hanging on her door.
Earlier, Mika had called people to bring over various outfits for her to try on despite Shizuka insisting that she was fine with wearing clothes she already owned.
Mika loves giving her friends new things even though she herself enjoys using worn out stuff. She's always talking about how awesome vintage stuff is and how only second-hand items have histories and stuff...Maybe it's a quirk of rich people.
Reaching for her phone, Shizuka texted Madoka.
Shizuka: [Tomorrow meet me downtown by that well-known crepe cart at 1 PM sharp]
Almost immediately, she received replies from Madoka.
Dimple Prince: [That works for me]
Dimple Prince: [I'll be waiting in anticipation until then]
Dimple Prince: [<(￣︶￣)>]