Then immediately Akane’s and Hanako’s impressions changed back to how they were being rude to Yuri.

The brief flicker of sympathy that had appeared on their faces vanished in an instant, replaced by sharp, cold hostility once more.

Akane’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she stared daggers at the gothic girl, her arms crossing tightly over her chest while her lips pressed into a thin, displeased line.

In her mind, the thought burned hot and bitter "What trick is she trying to play asking Rin a question like that?"

The jealousy surged through her like fire, making her shoulders tense and her fingers dig harder into her own arms.

She shifted her weight uncomfortably, leaning slightly away from Yuri as if her mere presence was irritating. Hanako’s reaction was equally immediate and intense — her previously softening expression hardened again, brows furrowing deeply as she gazed at Yuri with clear, undisguised dislike.

Both girls exchanged a quick, knowing side-eye filled with mutual frustration, their bodies language screaming territorial defense.

The warm, satisfied afterglow they had shared with Rin only minutes ago felt completely erased, replaced by the same rude, competitive attitude they had shown toward Yuri from the very beginning. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The hallway suddenly felt colder and smaller, the air thick with renewed rivalry as both girls glared at the innocent-looking girl who had once again stolen Rin’s attention so effortlessly.

Then after all the pestering and back-and-forth, Rin finally agreed to take Yuri on a date.

Yuri had been relentless in the sweetest, most innocent way possible.

She stayed glued to his side the entire time, gently tugging at the sleeve of his shirt with both hands while looking up at him with those wide, starry red eyes that sparkled with pure hope and longing.

Every time Rin tried to deflect or change the subject, she would tilt her head cutely to one side, give him that small, adorable puppy-like pout, and whisper softly, "Just one date... please?" Her voice was gentle but carried undeniable sincerity, her black chokers shifting slightly with each eager movement of her throat.

She didn’t raise her voice or demand anything aggressively — she simply persisted with quiet, heartfelt innocence, following him step for step down the hallway while occasionally brushing her fingers against his arm in a light, pleading touch.

Her starry red eyes never left his face, shining brighter with every passing second as she repeated her request in that soft, hopeful tone.

The combination of her bright, genuine excitement and vulnerable persistence slowly chipped away at Rin’s resistance until he let out a long, defeated sigh, rubbed the back of his neck, and muttered reluctantly, "Fine... alright. We’ll go on one date."

Yuri’s entire face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds.

A bright, radiant smile spread across her lips as she bounced once on her toes in pure, uncontained joy, her starry eyes sparkling with happiness.

They chose a modest but cozy café-restaurant called "Moonlit Petals," located in a peaceful side street just a few blocks away from the school.

The area was lined with cherry blossom trees that were beginning to bloom, their soft pink petals occasionally drifting down in the gentle breeze.

The restaurant itself had a warm, intimate atmosphere with wooden interiors, soft lantern-style lighting, and only about ten tables, most of them empty at this hour.

It was tucked away enough to offer privacy without being overly expensive — exactly the kind of low-key location Rin hoped would help him control the cost of the date.

They got there and were seated at a quiet corner table near the window.

Rin sat down first, immediately ordering just a simple glass of plain water for himself. He sipped it slowly, trying his best not to spend much, his posture a little stiff and careful as he scanned the menu with narrowed eyes. Then he told Yuri, "What are you getting?"

Yuri sat across from him, staring at the menu with visible confusion.

She held the laminated pages carefully in both hands, her starry red eyes scanning the words without really understanding what most of the dishes meant.

She had never been to a place like this before in her life.

Her previous existence as a being of void had been one of endless vigilance — always standing guard with weapons and armor, never experiencing normal human activities like sitting in a restaurant and choosing food from a menu.

Her head tilted slightly as she flipped the pages slowly, looking lost and a little overwhelmed, her black jean-clad legs shifting slightly under the table.

Rin noticed her struggle and said with a small, awkward smile, a single drop of sweat falling from the side of his head, "Look through the menu for a nice but cheap meal."

He tried to sound casual, but the nervous smile and the sweat drop betrayed his internal panic about the potential bill.

But Yuri was still confused, not knowing what to do.

She kept glancing between the menu and Rin, her black chokers moving as she swallowed nervously, clearly out of her element in this ordinary human setting.

Her starry red eyes showed genuine bewilderment as she tried to make sense of the options in front of her.

Then Rin called a waiter to their table.

The waiter, a polite middle-aged man in a neat uniform, approached with a professional smile.

"Hello, you two. Trust you’re doing well today.

How may I help you today?"

Rin told the waiter to bring the cheapest thing they had that would be okay for a lady.

The waiter’s expression shifted for a brief second — a subtle raise of one eyebrow and a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth that clearly said "Hmm, stingy fellow" — before he quickly recovered and smiled politely again.

"Right away, sir," he replied smoothly, bowing slightly as he walked away, though his posture carried a hint of hidden judgment.

Yuri, on the other hand, was just sitting there quietly and observing everything around her.

Her starry red eyes wandered curiously across the restaurant — watching how other customers smiled and chatted softly, how the waiters moved gracefully between tables with trays, how the soft lighting reflected warmly off the wooden surfaces and glassware.

She was comparing it all to her previous life, when she existed as a being of pure void, always standing guard with weapons and armor, never bored in the conventional sense but also never truly experiencing peaceful, everyday human moments like this.

The quiet joy of simply sitting in a warm restaurant, the gentle clink of glasses, the soft murmur of conversations, the faint aroma of food drifting from the kitchen — it was all new and fascinating to her.

A small, soft, almost wistful smile played on her lips as she absorbed the atmosphere, her black jean-clad legs shifting slightly under the table while her fingers traced the edge of the menu absentmindedly.

For the first time in her existence, she felt a quiet sense of normalcy, and it made her starry eyes shine with quiet wonder.

The date had barely started, but the contrast between Yuri’s innocent wonder and Rin’s careful attempts to keep spending low already created a unique, slightly awkward but strangely warm atmosphere between them