Chapter 10: First Date

I was walking towards Sakura's house as I already dumped all my nervousness for today in the trashcan back home or the author finally remembered he had fanfic for Horimiya and decided to write this chapter.

Anyways, after 100 google searches and asking Sengoku for some date ideas, I finalized...nothing.

Sakura loves nature, and going to an amusement park or beach wouldn't be a good choice. Also, going trekking on a date sounds...rather uncommon. I have literally no idea but how about I ask her about it? 

Wait, does that makes me look lazy? does it makes me look that I don't look forward to this date?!

While I was thinking all this, I had already arrived at Sakura's house. Now, should I ring the bell or...

The door opened up while I was trying to solve this dilemma I was stuck in revealing a Sakura that I'm pretty sure I was drooling looking at. She wore a black jacket on a t-shirt and a skirt with shoes.

As she closed the door behind her, her eyes met mine as I saw her cheeks getting scarlet red and even my heartbeat increased looking at that.

"G-Good morning. Ko-ko-koichi-kun" She said with a smile as she gently walked towards me. 

"Morning...Sakura" I replied with a smile of my own.

As we both took a bit of pause, trying to hide our embarrassment which we collectively failed in.

"Let's go-"

"Let's go?" 

We both said at the same time, our faces went from embarrassed to smiling to a little chuckle. 

"We should get going" I replied chuckling.

"haha, yes" She added.

As we began walking the INTENSE tension near my hand next to her began to rise, I wanted to hold her soft and warm fingers but...you know what, i'd not be shy today.

I went for the opportunity as I gently placed my palm over hers as I matched her pace and not to my surprise, her palms rotated as her fingers intercrossed mine. 

I looked over her who was already looking me with a heartwarming smile, "Still a bit nervous aren't we?" she chuckled.

"I know right, hey uh-do you have a place you'd like to go?" I asked.

"We'll pretend you didn't try hard yesterday night to think of place okay?" She chuckled.

"You knew!?" I exclaimed.

"Well, Remi told me...." she started.

"Man, Sengoku is so dead" I said.

"No-now don't go fighting...I was really happy when I heard you were trying really hard to find a suitable location" she added.

"Wh-why's that? I mean, I couldn't find one" I replied.

"It made me happy...that you'd go to all that trouble so we could have fun, I was really looking forward to this day aswell so...seeing so pour so much of effort made me skip a beat" She replied shying away as her voice lowered ever so much while her face became a red mess.

I'm pretty sure I'm blushing hard right now as this girl has just almost given me a heart attack, "I-I see...I was pretty confused, as you really love nature so I wanted to go somewhere that you really like" I replied.

"Oh...Uhm, you really know how to make me happy don't you?" she blushed at first before punching me on my shoulder as she tried to hide her face.

GOD SHE'S SO CUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

"You know what, I know where we're going!"

[Time skip]

Sometimes my genius...it's almost frightening. 

Or so I thought, picking this location for a date as we were standing in the queue to get tickets to get in.

Seriously Koichi, A Botanical garden? how worse can you make this date any further? But- wouldn't Sakura love a place like this? A quick peek at her face just confirmed the idea to me. 

Her eyes sparkling looking around with a huge grin on her face was enough proof to me to clear my doubt.

After 5 minutes we had tickets in our free hands, dreams in Sakura's eyes, curiosity in my eyes, and each other's warmth of hands which was still intervened. 

We started walking down this paved path along with one of the most beautiful flowers I've seen not to forget the butterflies roaming around on them.

"Koichi-kun look at those lavenders, they're so well maintained!" Sakura said pointing at the purple weed-I mean lavenders.

"Are those the same ones that recently got destroyed in our nursery back at school?" I asked.

"Oh yes, they are. But in a place like this, they tend to grow beautifully" She said as she ever so gently touched the plant.

Luckily I had my phone in my hand with camera open as I quickly clicked the photo of Sakura smiling as she touched the flower, god...can I laminate this photo? She's just so cute-

"Eh!? Di-did you just take a photo?" she asked as she heard the camera shutter sound.

"I did, look" I showed her the photo as she looked ever so cute in that.

But for I could see her embarrassing rising from the bottom of her face, "Delete it!!!!!!" she exclaimed.

"Not happening" I chuckled.

"I'll make you delete it later, by the way I think these lavenders are much bigger than the ones we had back at school" she sighed before looking at his flower again.

"Makes sense, at least they are in hands of someone who cares for them properly" I replied.

"Yeah..." she sighed.

Our little adventure in this garden continued as we saw many other types of flowers, something that really caught my eye was this small artificial pond that was set up with water lilies and other plants afloat on it something else that really grabbed my interest was the Koi and other fishes in the bottom swimming around freely.

"I wish I had one of these back home" Sakura said looking at the pond.

"Well, good luck with the maintenance" I chuckled.

"I know right? this thing probably requires constant maintenance" She started.

"Dirty water could accumulate much more danger, like dengue and malaria mosquitos make this their breeding ground. It's really bad to have a stored dirty water source" I added.

"Not only that, but the maintenance to fishes. Regularly changing water, adding chemicals, food...ugh, it's too much work" She replied.

"Seems so" I chuckled.

Walking a bit further there was a small hut-like stall nearby selling food, particularly juices. What stood out was even this small outlet was completely covered in greenery, vines and grass?!

"Are you thirsty? Cause I sure am" I asked as we both began walking towards the outlet.

"I was about to ask you that, it's really sunny today aswell" Sakura replied smiling.

[Time skip]

Having a soft drink and egg roll in our hands was not much of a problem as was finding an empty bench to sit and eat them on was.

"Koichi-kun! here!" I heard Sakura's voice from behind as she was pointing towards a bench a couple of walks away. 

A empty bench...plus point. 

Surrounded by flowers too?....plus hundred points.

NATURAL SHADE FROM TREES?!!?!?!?!........A MILLION-

"You just landed a bingo!" I said.

"Right? this place is perfect" she replied.

And so we began chomping on our feast finishing it almost in an instant because being the lazy fuck that the writer is, he doesn't wanna spend much time in this part.

Throwing our garbage in a trash can nearby, "That hit the spot" that's what she- I said letting out a satisfied sigh.

"You can say it again" she repeated my actions.

"Hey-Sakura...Uhm, I'm really sorry if this date is not that good of a date-" I began saying.

"Wha-no no no, I'm really enjoying and the fact that you thought about this place is just too good for me to believe I was meaning to come here since a few months now. Also, Uhm I..." she said as her voice lowered down towards the end.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I...uh...would've had fun anywhere. If I'm with you...you know" she said shying a bit as she scooted closer to me on the bench as our arms touched.

I swear this...girl, "I uh-don't really know how to react to it but...I got butterflies in my stomach listening to that" I managed to reply.

"I'm actually really glad, that we understand each other you know...I uhm" she began.

"I'm glad too, although it felt like I was gonna lose you before, It's gone now. I actually really meant my confession. I really, am in love with you" I blurted it out, someone please fucking control me.

"Eh!? Out of nowhere?" she got a bit surprised.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized.

"I mean, it's nothing to apologize...rather it makes me...happy," she said as she scooted closer to me again resting her head on my shoulder.

Yeah okay, I felt like my heart is gonna explode any second now. 

[Time Skip]

While we were about to head out, Sakura went for a quick washroom break while I luckily found a small shop selling bouquets from the flowers of this garden as I was quick enough to buy one of the few lefts along with lavender planted in a small plastic pot. 

Now all we wait for is Sakura-

"Koichi-kun" I turned around to meet a blushing mess of a cutiepie trying to hide her embarrassment by looking away.

"The-these are for you-wait you already bought some?" she said offering me a pot aswell full of sunflowers, before she looked at the pot in my hand.

"Oh, i-uh...bought it for you" I said offering it forward.

"Guess, we both bought each other a flower to take care then" she chuckled.

"I guess so" I joined on her.

"Ah, to be young again" The shop lady passed on a remark making both of us break out of our trance as we hastily exited the premises.

Both had each other's gift in their hand, "I was confused with what flower to buy you but then the lavenders just caught my eye as you really liked the ones in the garden" I said on the way back home.

"S-same. I was thinking what flower can I give to you that you can take care of" she spoke.

"Id take really good care of something as long as..." I began.

"as?" she asked.

"As long as you're the one giving it to me" I smiled.

Her eyes widened as the blush on her face got eminent and her pace slowed down a bit.

"Uhm, did I say something weird?" I asked.

"No-nothing...I'd really take good care of these lavenders too" she composed herself as she shot a heartwarming smile towards me.

I joined in on her smiling as we both continued walking towards her home which already wasn't that far from her house.

Soon enough though, we were already near the gate of her house, "Thanks a lot for today Koichi...I really enjoyed it and thanks for these" Sakura said as she gently smelled the lavenders.

"No, thank you! for these too! I'm really gonna take good care of them" I smiled pointing towards the flowers, "So uh-see you in school tomorrow?" I ended.

"Yea-yeah, also-" she said before it felt like the time slowed around us. 

A soft and warm sensation was felt on my right cheek as Sakura just pecked it, "A thankyou gift" she said as she immediately rushed inside her house.

*Heartbeat increases exponently*

It took me a second to get back my composure, "By-bye" I said as she was closing the door.

"Bye" I heard her voice ever so low and even in her voice I could tell she was embarrassed.

With a hand on the cheek she just pecked me at while holding the pot in other, I began walking back home. 

I'm never washing my face ever again.

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"Oh look he's alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"