I checked my reflection again. ¥18,500. Stronger than I looked. And about to go on a date with Nami.
Okay. Deep breath. Let's see how this goes.
It was just past 12:30 PM. Nami said 1 PM at the cafe near the school. About a twenty-minute walk. Time to head out.
I grabbed the small bag I'd chosen, checked my phone one last time, and pocketed the AI device. "AI," I murmured, just loud enough for the AI's internal mic to pick up, "Environmental scan status?"
A soft blue glow from the device in my pocket was my private signal. "Scan protocol active. No anomalous energy signatures or relevant bio-signatures detected within five-kilometer radius. Entity 'Lee Yuri' remains within designated park area. Kinetic energy signature stable."
Still exercising. Good. At least the universe wasn't ripping open right now.
Stepping outside, the late afternoon sun felt warm on my skin. My legs still ached, a familiar dull throb, but it felt less debilitating than yesterday. Every day the pain was a little less sharp, the fatigue a little less crushing. Progress. Measured in muscle soreness and fractions of a second on my run time.
The walk to the cafe was a mix of mundane observation and internal chaos. Other people were just... walking. Living their lives. Completely oblivious to the spatial distortions, the AI helpers, the pirates and manhwa characters walking among them. It was surreal, seeing the normal world continue its spin while my own reality felt like it was constantly on the verge of imploding.
My mind kept circling back to the date. With Nami. Nami. Of all the people in this messed-up world, she was one of the most... her. Vibrant, sharp, kind, and capable of incredible feats. And she wanted to go on a date. With me.
Okay, think. What's the protocol here? My old self had actively avoided dating. His mental library was filled with gym routines, not romantic etiquette. And this wasn't even a standard date. It was... this. Nami. Me, who was actually a guy. In a girl's body. On a date with a girl. It was layers upon layers of 'What The Hell'.
Maybe she didn't mean 'date' date? Maybe it was just... a hang out? A 'girls' day out' as she'd called it, where she just used the word 'date' casually? That felt slightly more plausible. Less terrifying. But the blush still hadn't completely faded since I read her text.
And the money. ¥18,500. Gotta be smart. Maybe suggest splitting something? Or just order something small for myself and hope she didn't order the entire menu? The anxiety was real. This was high school money, not pirate treasure.
I arrived at the cafe at 12:50 PM, ten minutes early. It was a popular spot, buzzing with students and a few adults. Finding a small, relatively quiet table near the back, I sat down, pulling out my phone to look busy. My eyes darted towards the entrance every few seconds.
The ten minutes stretched into twenty. 12:50... 12:55... 12:58... The anxiety was building again. Was she going to show? Did I misunderstand?
Then, just as the clock on my phone flipped to 1:00 PM exactly, the bell above the cafe door jingled, and the world seemed to momentarily brighten.
Nami stepped inside, and whoa.
She wasn't wearing her typical high school uniform or even the casual shorts from the courtyard. She was wearing a light, summery dress. It was a bright, cheerful yellow, sleeveless, fitted just enough to show off her figure without being overtly revealing, but definitely hugging her curves in a way that... well. My old guy brain was officially struggling. Her orange hair was down, cascading around her shoulders, and she'd traded the sunglasses for a simple hairband. She looked... stunning. Like she'd just stepped out of a high-definition anime frame and into real life. She was a total beauty, radiating confidence and warmth.
For a second, I just stared, feeling utterly out of my depth in my AI-approved 'smart top and trousers'. This wasn't just a casual meetup. She'd actually... dressed up.
She spotted me, her bright eyes lighting up, and a wide, genuine smile spread across her face. "Chi-chan!" she called out, her voice carrying slightly over the cafe chatter, waving as she threaded her way through the tables.
My face felt hot again. Chi-chan? And the way she said it, so bright and friendly.
She reached the table and slid into the seat opposite me. "Sorry if I'm right on time!" she chirped. "Didn't want to keep you waiting, though!"
"N-no, it's fine," I stammered, mentally slapping myself for the awkwardness. "You look... uh... you look really nice, Nami-chan."
She preened slightly, tossing her hair back. "Hehe, thanks! Thought I'd dress up a little! It's a date, after all!" She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "But you!"
Her gaze fixed on me, scanning me from head to toe. Not just my clothes, but me. My posture. My build. And then her eyes widened, just slightly.
"Whoa, Chi-chan," she breathed out, her voice dropping a little, suddenly serious beneath the cheerful tone. "You are getting buff!"
My internal monologue froze. She noticed?! After just a few weeks? Even in these clothes?
She leaned further forward, her eyes practically glued to my arms, then my shoulders. "Seriously! Your arms look way more toned! And your shoulders! Amazing! You're really hitting that program hard, huh?"
Her enthusiasm was genuine, palpable. It was the kind of excitement I'd felt with my old gym buddies when one of us hit a new PR or saw visible gains. It was recognition for the brutal effort I'd been putting in. And from Nami, who clearly valued physical capability.
But then she extended a hand, her fingers hovering just above my forearm, and her bright gaze met mine, completely earnest.
"Can I...?" she asked, her voice full of pure, unadulterated curiosity and amazement. "Can I touch? Please? Just... just wanna feel the muscle! That's seriously cool!"
My heart stopped. Touch? Feel the muscle? Me? As Chizuru? With my old guy brain reeling from her looking stunning and calling this a date and noticing my (enhanced, rapid) gains? And asking permission to touch my arm?
It was too many layers of weirdness, awkwardness, and unexpected flattery all at once. My face felt like it was on fire.
"Uh..." I started, my voice squeaking slightly, my brain short-circuiting. How did I even respond to that? Deny it? Lie? Let her? What would Chizuru do? What would I do?
Nami waited, her expression open and eager, her fingers poised just inches from my skin. The cafe chatter faded away. The silent AI in my pocket felt useless for this specific, utterly bewildering social minefield.
"Please?" she asked again, her eyes wide and hopeful.
And in that moment, frozen between cosmic anomalies and a high school girl asking to feel my biceps, all I could manage was a single, strangled sound.
"Uh... okay?"