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One hour was probably too early. Tomoe knew this as she shut and locked the front door of her family home behind her. She could try to reason through this; it was dull at home when Ako had already left to hang out with Rinko, there was nothing on TV to watch, and so on and so on. She was going to go out anyway, so might as well do so sooner than later, right?
In truth, she knew it was because she had been anticipating this day for the past several days. In fact, she might have been going crazy because of this. Was the late-morning Saturday sun always so bright? And was the shopping district always so full of saturated colors?
... Yeah, she was definitely going mad. Maybe her friends from Afterglow would have pointed out how deeply in love she was if they were there. Just the thought of the lighthearted but still embarrassing teasing made her face feel flushed. She argued with the versions of her friends in her head that it could not be helped. After all, today she was meeting up with Saya not just for hanging out; this was their first official date since they had gotten together.
Still, there was no need to rush since she had all the time in the world to head to the park in the area. She forced herself to keep to a normal walking pace and enjoy the lovely day. Saturdays usually were busier days for the shopping district, and other people seemed to also have the idea of being out in the pleasant weather. The cheery tune that Poppin' Party wrote was drifting through the air, seeming to make the atmosphere even more energetic. For Tomoe, just thinking that Saya and her friends in the band were the ones that created the song gave her a warm, giddy feeling that spread from her head to her toes.
"You're looking chipper today, Tomoe-chan!" a voice of a shop owner called out, causing Tomoe to pause and turn toward its source. "Did something good happen?"
Did her feelings show that much? Tomoe subconsciously touched her hand to her face, as if to adjust her expression. "Ah, well, I wouldn't say that. I was just thinking that today's a pretty nice day."
"I know what you mean," the shop owner chuckled. "Not even a cloud in the sky! Ah, but since you're here, would you like something to snack on? I just finished making some food, so it's all fresh."
If it was a normal day, Tomoe would have been inclined to agree right away. But this time, she bit back her tongue and her appetite. "... Thanks for the offer, but I'm saving my stomach for later today."
"Oh?" The surprised look on the shop owner's face was way too apparent. "That's unusual. What's the occasion?"
"Well..." Tomoe tried to restrain the wide smile that was threatening to form on her face. Saying it out loud sort of felt a bit like she was showing off. "I'm meeting up with someone for lunch today."
"So that's why you're dressed up!" The older person gave a laugh. "Well, I won't hold you up much longer then. Have fun today, Tomoe-chan!"
"Thank you!" Tomoe gave a slight bow of her head and a wave in farewell as she turned back and headed on her way. She may not have said out-right that she was going on a date, but the feeling of excitement was still there. If it was Saya with her, she doubted that she could ever not have fun.
Though when she thought about it more, the fact of the situation started to sink in; this was a date. Did that mean that she had to do date-like things today, or should she just spend time like she normally would with her friends? Hanging out like normal would make this not seem like a date at all, but trying to do official "date" things seemed too difficult for her to do naturally. For once, she thought that maybe Himari's shoujo manga would have been helpful for reference.
As she passed by the clothing store, Tomoe checked over herself in the reflective window, making sure she looked presentable. She had dressed up a bit more than she normally would have on a Saturday, but now she was wondering if her choice of clothing was alright. Did she look lame? Or was she too dressed for the occasion? The shop keeper had commented on her outfit, but she was not exactly sure if it was a compliment or not.
"... What am I even doing?" she muttered to herself with a sigh. There was no reason to be this nervous, she knew. After all, it was Saya. But the butterflies were building in her stomach, and they would just not calm down.
A flash of pink appeared in the reflection on the window's surface, and Tomoe's eyes drifted towards it until she saw that a familiar figure was stranding on the other side of the street behind her. Well, it never hurt to say hello to a friend, she thought to herself. With that in mind, she turned and waved towards the ever iconic bear. "Hey, Michelle!" She called as she crossed the street.
Michelle, who seemed to have just finished handing a balloon to a child, turned as Tomoe approached, giving a small wave of her own. "Hey there, Udagawa-san," came Misaki's voice from inside of the suit.
Once she had stopped by Michelle's side, she pointed at the bundle of balloons in her hand. "Handing out balloons today as well I see. You've been pretty busy."
"Yeah..." Michelle's shoulders seemed to slump. "Well, it's fine. It's work, and it makes the kids happy"
"Oh, spoken like a Hello, happy World! member," Tomoe chucked.
A sound came from inside of the suit, as if the other girl was about to say something. However, before so much as a word could get out, the high pitched hollering of a group of children pierced the air. Tomoe spun around to witness about a dozen children with beaming faces fast approaching. "Well, someone's popular!"
In no time, they were surrounded by kids as they all began speaking at once, likely asking for a balloon or admiring Michelle, though it was difficult to make out one child's words from another's. Misaki seemed to be trying her best to calm the children down, though even a person with extensive experience with a certain chaotic trio could not calm the wild, joyous energy of this group of little ones. Watching the girl inside of the suit struggle, Tomoe could not help but feel sorry for her.
"Alright!" Tomoe clapped her hands together and called in a voice louder and clearer than the children's. A few jumped in surprise, but they all turned towards her. "If you want a balloon from Michelle, you all have to line up single-file and wait your turn."
The children did not do as they were told right away. In fact, they hesitated greatly, some looking nervous, and two even burst out into tears, catching Tomoe off guard. "H-huh? Hey, what's wrong...?"
"Looks like you scared them." Michelle looked towards her, giving a slight shake of her head.
"Huh? How?!" Although she knew she had startled people at times, actually making children cry was not something she expected.
"Well, you were shouting just now, and you're tall and sort of tough-looking. I've even thought that you're intimidating at times."
"Do I really look that scary...?" Tomoe let out a breath. "Wait, in that suit, you're also pretty tall! How can it be that scary?"
"Yes, but I'm a cute and fluffy bear!" Misaki pulled her "Michelle" voice, holding her free hand up to her face in a pose that was admittedly fairly cute for a person in a bear suit. She turned back to the group of children. "Now don't worry about Udagawa-san, everyone. She may be loud, but she's also very nice! Follow her instructions and Michelle will give you your favorite color of balloon."
In time, the children calmed down and cheered up, allowing Michelle and Tomoe to guide them in a more orderly way. Soon, all of the children were handed balloons and were on their way, running off with giddy laughter. In a way, their happiness was infectious. "Good work!" Tomoe cheered.
"Thank you for helping, Udagawa-san," sighed Misaki. "It was a great help. Ah, sorry if I held you up from something."
"Uh, it's no problem, really." The reason behind the other's words were lost on Tomoe for a moment.
"Well, that's good. I was kind of thinking you might be late for something, since you look dressed up and all." Misaki motioned at her with her freehand.
It clicked. Shoot. Panicked, Tomoe yanked her phone out of her bag, checking the time. There was still plenty of time before the meeting. A sigh escaped her. "... No, I'm still ahead of time, thankfully."
"O-okay..." A sound came from the suit, as if Misaki was clearing her throat. "Well, I won't hold you up much longer. Thank you again for the help Udagawa-san."
"No problem, no problem!" Tomoe was about to turn and head back on her way, but she paused, a thought suddenly entering her head. "Ah, say Misaki, what do you... think about how I look?"
"Um, what?"
Tomoe felt her cheeks flush slightly; asking such a question was definitely out of her character. "Uh, well, I mean... Do I look too... dressed up? Or maybe not dressed up enough?"
For a very long second or so, Misaki did not answer, leaving Tomoe to metaphorically sweat. "... Aah, I see now." The bear's head bobbed twice. "Don't worry, Udagawa-san. You look perfectly fine if you're just going out."
"Really? That's good to hear." A sigh escaped her before she realized something. "Wait how did you know-"
Before Tomoe could finish her question, Misaki waved her off. "You better hurry along now. Wouldn't want to be late now."
"Uh... yeah." Well that left Tomoe with a few questions, but the other was right. Turning on her heels, she waved to Misaki. "See ya." As the girl in the bear suit waved back, Tomoe walked back on course to her destination.
Now that she did not have to worry about her appearance, the only thing she truly had to worry about was where she and Saya would go out to eat. Perhaps a ramen shop? Or maybe a trendy cafe akin to what Himari liked to visit? There was also a family restaurant... Well, she could sort it out with Saya once they met up.
This subject had Tomoe lost in thought, but she only realized this when a certain familiar voice called to her.
"Oh, Tomoe-chan!"
Her mind came back to reality, and it was then that she saw she was passing by the candy store. The voice that called out to her was the infamously chatty owner of the store. Oh boy...
Not wanting to be rude to this kind woman, Tomoe stopped and turned to her. "Hello, ma'am. How are you today?"
"Oh, I'm doing quite well! You seem to be doing alright yourself, Tomoe-chan. Earlier, you looked so cheerful as you walked."
"Ah, yeah-" Tomoe scarcely had time to feel bashful about being caught looking so cheerful since the candy shop lady launched herself into another long-winded talk of hers. Even at that point, Tomoe could feel the extra minutes she thought she would have slipping away.
Indeed, a very long time passed with the shop's owner chatting nonstop before Tomoe decided to cut in an tell her that she really had to leave for the plans she had scheduled. Being as sweet as she was, it was no surprise when the woman paused her chatter. And what was also very much not surprising was her insisting that Tomoe have some candy on the house to share with the person she was meeting with. Tomoe figured that Saya would not want to eat so much candy, but it was much easier to simply accept it before bidding farewell and hurrying away.
A quick glance at her phone sent Tomoe sprinting to the park. By the time that she arrived, her lungs were burning. Slowing to a light jog, she glanced around until she saw a familiar figure stand up from a nearby bench and head her way. When they were nearly face to face, Tomoe came to a stop, lurching forward and placing her hands on her knees as she tried to get some air.
"Tomoe! Geez, you look like you ran here. Are you alright?" Tomoe felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll... be alright," she wheezed out. Once she felt that she caught her breath, she looked up to Saya, seeing her worried face. "... Am I late? I thought I would be."
"Um..." Saya pulled her phone out of her bag, checked it for a moment, then put it back. "No, I think you're right about on time, actually." She let out a huff. "Wait, did you really run so hard just to make it on time?"
"Yeah..." Tomoe stood upright, rubbing the back of her neck. "Man, I nearly was late, ran all the way here, and probably left you waiting. I'm so lame..."
"C'mon, you don't have to think like that." Saya took out a handkerchief and gently wiped some sweat off her cheek. "I think it's really sweet that you worked so hard to get here. And I only arrived a few minutes ago. I mean, I'm early, anyways."
"Really?" Tomoe looked down at Saya, brushing her own fringe out of her eyes as she let out a breath. "If I hadn't passed by the candy shop lady, I could've been early with you."
That made Saya burst out in a musical laughter that made Tomoe's heart pick up the pace all over again. "What's with that? You're so silly, Tomoe!" She folded up her handkerchief before tugging Tomoe towards the bench she was sitting on earlier. "Here, let's sit down and rest."
Once they were both seated, Saya pulled out a bag from a shop that Tomoe knew well. "Here. I bought... well, it was supposed to just be something to nibble on."
Tomoe took the bag and opened it, the fragrance of hot, freshly made croquettes hitting her nose. "Whoa, smells good. But... this kinda looks like more than a snack..." She counted the fried goods, finding that there were more than one or two in the bag.
"Yeah..." Saya let out a sigh as she leaned back against the bench. "Hagumi called out to me earlier saying that her place just finished making some croquettes. Even though we're going out for lunch, I thought just sharing one croquette between us would be good while we walked to lunch. But then Hagumi threw in some extra, and she looked like she'd be sad if I didn't accept them all."
"I can imagine," Tomoe chuckled. "But man, there's a lot in here. I wonder if we'll be full if we ate them all."
"I wondered that too. But on the bright side, we can just sit right here and eat it. It'd be like a picnic."
"If I'd known that we'd be doing this, then I would've accepted some food from the side dish shop." What a missed opportunity.
"You actually refused free food? I'm kind of impressed." Saya playfully bumped her shoulder against Tomoe's.
It was difficult to tell if the flush Tomoe felt was from her earlier run or from the cute girl next to her. "Oh c'mon, you make it sound like I'm eating all the time."
"It's not such a bad thing!" Saya giggled.
Remembering something else from earlier, Tomoe produced the small bag of candy she received earlier. "Well, I did end up getting something, though it's just candy from the candy shop."
The other girl took the bag and glanced inside. "Croquettes and candy... Not the most nutritious lunch."
Tomoe slipped her arm around Saya's waist. "We'll have a better picnic next time."
In turn, Saya gave Tomoe a peck on the cheek. "Definitely."