Chapter 37

Iyori looked at herself in the mirror over and over again. It really wasn’t easy to dress prettily when it was still so cold outside. At least it wasn’t as bad as a few weeks ago, hopefully it meant the weather was changing and spring was approaching. 

For the first time in many months, she dared to put on a dress. It was long and she was wearing warm thermo stockings underneath, so she was sure she would be able to stay warm. She had a knitted cardigan to cover her and she even found her high heel boots in her closet. 

Just as she was about to gather all her belongings, the door to her room opened and she felt her heart stop.

“Iyori, do you have any plans today, because I was thinking of watching this movie and–” Hanako finally looked up and saw Iyori all dolled up in front of her.

“No,” said Hanako and Iyori took a step forward.

“Hanako...”

“No! No, Iyori, why do you do this? Didn’t you learn anything from last time?” said Hanako in a firm voice and Iyori diverted her eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I already accepted the date, I’m going.”

“You... You’re crazy!” said Hanako. “What if he comes after you again?”

“I won’t stay out as late this time, and I’ll always walk in the crowded areas, even if it means I take detours sometimes,” said Iyori. “I was careless last time, don’t worry, I did learn something, I’ll be alright.” Hanako let out a sigh.

“I can’t change your mind?” asked Hanako and Iyori shook her head. “Then I’m coming with you!”

“No!” yelled Iyori. “No, I don’t know if I’ll go on more than one date, I don’t want you to walk around Sapporo all day bored out of your mind. Just enjoy your day off, okay?”

“...Okay,” said Hanako finally. “But you gotta text me once in a while. Let me know you’re okay.” Iyori nodded her head with a smile.

“I promise,” said Iyori and walked to the door. Just as she was about to open it, she turned around again. “Thank you, Hanako.”

“Yeah yeah, just leave already,” said Hanako and Iyori chuckled before she disappeared out of the door, leaving Hanako behind. 

“Please be safe,” whispered Hanako as she watched the closed door.

When Iyori walked outside, she was happily surprised by the clear blue sky, making for a beautiful scenery. She breathed in the cold, fresh air and started making her way to the train station.

It looked like she wasn’t the only one who decided to go out and enjoy the weather, the train filled with people, and the streets of Sapporo just the same.

While walking to the designated meeting point, she quickly sent Hanako a text to let her know that she was safe.

When she arrived, she started looking around, trying to see if she could spot a young man looking confused and lost. That was usually the look her dates had when it was their first time meeting. They never really knew what to expect and usually looked a little nervous.

His profile didn’t say much, just that his name was Haruki Saito and that he was 20 years old. 

Iyori kept looking, and looking, and looking, but no one around that age seemed to be near her. She looked at the time and started pondering whether she was at the right location. She quickly opened her phone to check, but in the same moment, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Yuki?” Iyori turned around be the sound of her name being spoken in a questioning manner and she saw a young boy standing behind her. 

A very young boy.

“Yes?” said Iyori, a little confused.

“Hello, I’m Haruki Saito, your date,” said the young boy and bowed politely.” It’s nice to meet you.” Haruki looked at Iyori with a huge smile plastered all over his face. 

He was definitely not 20.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” said Iyori after a little while. She did her best to hide her worries and sent the boy a smile.

I already accepted the date, he should get what he paid for, thought Iyori and took in a deep breath.

“Did you wait long?” asked Haruki, trying to start a conversation, but Iyori simply shook her head.

“So, what were your plans for today?” asked Iyori. “Maybe we should go somewhere warmer, your cheeks and nose look really red from the cold.”

“Really?” said Haruki and reached out to his cheek. “Y... Yeah... I guess it’s the cold. Maybe we could go eat ramen at the restaurant around the corner?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” said Iyori, whereafter they started walking down the street together. Iyori sneaked a peak at the boy while walking. It looked like he was having some internal monologue while his hand kept swayed back and forth towards Iyori’s hand. While laughing to herself, Iyori quickly grabbed the boy’s hand in hers, sending a wave of electricity through his body and he quickly turned to look at Iyori in shock.

“You looked like you wanted to hold my hand,” said Iyori. “Or did I misunderstand?”

“No, no you didn’t misunderstand!” said Haruki immediately. “It’s... It feels nice and warm.”

“I’m glad,” said Iyori and they continued walking until they were standing outside the small restaurant. 

Thankfully, the restaurant wasn’t too full and they were quickly found their way to an empty table, a bit secluded, giving them some privacy. It was warm inside and the smell of ramen filled the air around them, nearly making Iyori’s stomach start growling. Somehow she was able to stop herself and quickly took off her jacket and scarf, hanging it on her chair. 

After sitting down she decided to unbutton her knitted cardigan as well, feeling warm enough already, and she suddenly noticed a pair of eyes focused intensely on her. Looking up and seeing Haruki staring at her, at first made her feel flattered, but when she realized just exactly where his eyes were focused, she cleared her throat to make him look at her eyes again.

“Say Haruki, can I ask you a question?” said Iyori and Haruki quickly nodded, looking at her with an innocent smile.

“How old are you?” The smile immediately disappeared from Haruki’s face and he diverted his eyes, looking down at the table. Iyori stayed still for a while, waiting for Haruki to speak up on his own. 

“If I tell you... will you promise me that we’ll continue the date no matter what?” Haruki lifted his head slightly, looking at Iyori with pleading eyes.

“My mouth is sealed,” said Iyori and zipped her mouth with her fingers.

“I’m 15,” said Haruki and let out a sigh, as if a stone had been lifted from his heart and he finally sat up straight again. “But I turn 16 in just three months!”

“I see,” said Iyori, having a hard time keeping a straight face. She already realized he would’ve been younger than his profile said, but still, 15. She never imagined she would find herself on a date with someone underage. 

“You don’t want to continue the date, do you?” said Haruki, again looking at Iyori with those pleading eyes. Iyori quickly shook her head without thinking twice and sent him a reassuring smile.

“Of course I do, I just wanted to know,” said Iyori, “let’s just forget about your age and enjoy the date instead." 

Haruki’s heart quickly started beating faster again as he looked at Iyori and his body turned warmer and warmer, letting it show on his face.

“Thank you,” said Haruki and Iyori smiled again. 

After putting their conversation aside, both of them decided on what to order and waited patiently for it to arrive. It didn’t take long and the warm soup had a soothing effect on both of them.

It wasn’t hard to keep the conversation going, Haruki was easy to talk to and he talked a lot, but Iyori didn’t mind, it made it a lot easier for her. After a while, she even stopped thinking about his age and just enjoyed their time together. It didn’t really feel like he was 4 years younger than her, he was sweet and funny and he behaved very decently. Only when she would touch his hand or look into his eyes did Iyori remember how young and innocent he was, seeing his cheeks turn beet red in the same moment.

After they finished eating and their time together was about to end, Haruki and Iyori stood outside the restaurant, about to say goodbye, when Haruki suddenly spoke up.

“Where are you headed now?” 

Iyori widened her eyes, wondering why he asked that.

“To the train station,” said Iyori, even though she hadn’t decided whether she would check in again and wait for another date, but that answer simply seemed easier at the moment.

“That’s wonderful, me too!” said Haruki. “We can walk there together.” Iyori swallowed, suddenly realized her error, but looking at his innocent smile, there was no going back.

“S...Sure,” said Iyori and opened her phone, extending their date with another 30 minutes to give them enough time to get there.

I can always check in after he gets on his train, if that’s what I want, thought Iyori to herself as she put her phone away again.

“Shall we go?” said Iyori and held out her hand to Haruki. He quickly grabbed it and both of them made their way towards the station.

Being used to walking hand in hand with Shuya so many times, she usually just followed along without thinking, and the same applied for her time with Haruki. It wasn’t until the streets started getting more narrow and it felt darker, the tall buildings making it hard for the sun to shine through, that Iyori started feeling a little uncomfortable.

“Haruki, aren’t we going in the wrong direction?” said Iyori carefully and looked at Haruki.

“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t the fastest way there,” said Haruki and looked up. “I just wanted to be with you for a little while longer. I promise you we’ll get there, it will just take a few more minutes.” Iyori held her breath for a second, before she put on her smile again and nodded.

“Fine, you can lead the way.”

They continued walking hand in hand, but this time, Iyori didn’t zone out. She was very conscious of her surroundings, and of Haruki most of all, watching every movement and blink of his eyes. They were walking on streets Iyori had never been to before, even after all her time in Sapporo, and the further they walked, the farther away from people the seemed. 

“Haruki?” said Iyori and stopped in her tracks, pulling her hand to her. “Are you... lost?” Haruki looked away for a moment.

“Maybe,” said Haruki and turned his face again, looking at Iyori with eyes more serious and intense than before. “But I just needed to get away from all the people.”

“Why?” asked Iyori and Haruki immediately walked closer to her.

“To do this.” 

In the same second, and before Iyori had the chance to draw away from him, Haruki grabbed her head and pulled her towards him, slamming her lips on his. 

Out of breath, and in shock, Iyori didn’t manage to do anything before Haruki had showed her against the wall of a building just behind her. As he continued to kiss her, Iyori felt Haruki hand sliding up her thigh and she finally felt like getting her senses back, and she tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge. 

Looking around, she thought about her options, but in the same moment, a person emerged from the shadows and landed a fist right on Haruki’s face. Haruki landed on the ground with a loud thud and Iyori watching in horror as the person ran towards him, continuing to hit him again and again. 

As the person moved slightly, the light from a streetlamp just above him, lit up his face and Iyori widened her eyes.

“Shuya!” yelled Iyori, but Shuya continued beating up Haruki. “Shuya, let him go! Let him go right now!” Iyori continued yelling as she ran to the two and pulled Shuya away from Haruki with all her might. 

Shuya looked at Iyori after she had pulled him away from Haruki, breathing heavily after the fight. Iyori looked at Haruki who was still lying on the ground, trying to sit up while wincing in pain. 

For a second, Iyori stayed still and just stared at the two, until she moved all her focus to Shuya and looked at him in anger, before slapping him across the cheek. 

“What are you doing? Are you out of your mind!” yelled Iyori while Shuya reached for his cheek in shock. 

“What am I... He was attacking you! I saved you!” yelled Shuya right back at her, still holding his cheek. “You should be thanking me.”

“Thanking you? I had everything under control,” said Iyori.

“It sure didn’t look like that,” said Shuya.

“Alright, maybe I didn’t have it under control, but that doesn’t justify you beating him up!” yelled Iyori. “You promised me you would never hit someone again.”

“I know... but how could I stay still? For all I know, this guy could be the stalker who has been harassing you,” said Shuya. Iyori looked at Haruki who still had trouble standing up. The thought hadn’t even hit her, she had been too preoccupied by everything that happened.

“But...” said Iyori without finishing the sentence. “Nevermind that, how did you even know I was here?” Shuya suddenly looked away.

“Wait a minute, have you been following me?” said Iyori and Shuya gulped. “You have, haven’t you?” Shuya just continued to look away.

“Unbelievable. After telling you to stay away from me and leave me alone, this is how you perceive it?”

“I was worried!”

“Well, you’re too late for that!” yelled Iyori and took out her phone. Shuya watching while she dialed in a number and put the phone to her ear.

“What are you–?”

“I’m calling the police.”

“...Yes... Yes good, turn him in for sexual harrassement, that’s good!” said Shuya and noticed Haruki about to sneak away.

“You stay here,” said Shuya and grabbed Haruki by the collar.

“Yes hello, this is Iyori Mikami,” said Iyori. “I would like to report 2 people, one for sexual harassment and the other for violence.”

***

“So you’re telling me that both of these boys are your boyfriends?” asked the policeman while holding his head in confusion after hearing Iyori’s very long and very thorough explanation. 

“No, not like that,” said Iyori with a sigh. “I work as a part time girlfriend you can rent, Haruki rented me for a date with him. Today is the first time I have met him.”

“Okay,” said the policeman and turned to Shuya instead. “And what about this guy?”

“Shuya... used to be my boyfriend.”

“Used to be?” said Shuya in frustration. “We never broke up, I’m your boyfriend, the one and only!”

“Easy there,” said the policeman as he watched Shuya getting more and more riled up.

“No, I will not calm down! Iyori is my girlfriend, and she has been harassed by someone at her workplace for a long time and now, finally, he showed his face!”

“What is this he’s saying? I thought you didn’t meet this boy before today,” said the policeman, looking at his notes that seemed just as scattered as the statement from Iyori.

“Well... yes,” said Iyori. “What Shuya is trying to say is... wait... I should probably just show you.” Iyori pulled out her phone and showed the messages to the policeman, Shuya watching from afar, while Haruki looked over in curiosity.

“That... that isn’t me!” said Haruki in fear when she saw the threatening messages on Iyori’s phone. “I’ll admit to the charges, I kissed her against her will, but I never sent her those messages, please believe me.” Haruki turned around and looked at Iyori.

“Yuki... I mean, Iyori... please believe me. I might be stupid, but I would never... that’s not...”

“Alright, calm down,” said Iyori. “So you admit to the charges? That makes things easier.” Haruki swallowed, realizing what he had done.

“Wait, can’t we make a deal, I mean, your boyfriend beat the crap out of me.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Yes I am.”

“Alright everyone would you please stay quiet!” said the policeman and all three turned silent. “Look, we’re never gonna solve it like this. I need all of you to call your parents.”

“What?” said both Iyori and Shuya in union while Haruki stayed silent, admitting defeat from the get go.

“Yes, and I don’t care if you already turned 18 or 19 or whatever. You’re both on high school, you live at home. We need to get your parents involved.”

Iyori and Shuya looked at each other, both of their faces filled with horror, knowing exactly what would happen when their parents arrived.

“I’m doomed,” said Shuya.

“Well so am I,” said Iyori. “I guess we really are going down together.”

Hello everyone!

While reading this again I suddenly realized something...

...Iyori sure is stupid! How many times is she gonna go into some dark alley? Man... people never learn.

It was a good thing that Shuya came to her rescue, even though it looks like it created more trouble than first anticipated. Let's see what happens when their parents are called in.

What did you think of this chapter? Please let me know in the comments down below. And as always, remember to take good care of yourself and stay safe!

Love, Annalise~