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“So you see, father, I really like Miss Tsurugi,” Adrien said to Gabriel at dinner one summer evening after he’d asked Kagami out. “And I want to impress her for our first date.”
“I see.” Gabriel patted his lips with his cloth napkin. “I understand that you have a plan.”
“I do, and it’s--”
Gabriel held up a hand, and Adrien quieted. “If you really want to impress Miss Tsurugi, here’s what you should do…”
***
When Kagami woke up on Saturday, the day of her and Adrien’s first date, she did not expect to be greeted by two dozen roses and a candy arrangement. The flowers had been accompanied by instructions to go to a women’s boutique, Lydia Courteille, and ask for Jessica.
“Ah, yes, miss Tsurugi!” Jessica had said, her enthusiasm overwhelming. “Please, come this way.”
Adrien had apparently instructed Jessica to help Kagami pick out a fancy outfit and some paid-for jewelry, which Kagami refused on principle.
He wants me to change my clothes? Kagami thought as she exited the store, having received instructions from Jessica as to what restaurant Adrien was holed up in. How over the top.
She entered Tatsu and told the car to travel to MotorVillage, a famous Italian car showroom. Inside was NoLita, touted as the most romantic restaurant in Paris.
Kagami’s mind whirled. She would have been happy with ice cream; she did not expect to eat lunch at a place fancy enough to require an outfit change.
NoLita was, indeed, beautiful, with a modern, black-and-white interior, but Kagami saw neither hair nor hide of Adrien. She frowned.
A host approached her with a beaming smile. “Miss Tsurugi?”
“Yes?”
“Right this way.”
The host escorted her to a table overlooking the Champs-Elysées and with a view of the iconic Eiffel Tower. “Mr. Agreste has asked that you order a drink while you wait for him,” the host said as she sat on the curved chair. “We have plenty of non-alcoholic wines if the lady would--”
“Those won’t be necessary.” Kagami cut the air with her hand, shutting the host up. “I appreciate your concern, but I will be fine with water.”
The host nodded and left, and another impeccably-dressed employee showed up with her water and apologies on behalf of “Mr. Agreste.”
Kagami shooed them away and waited, stewing. She liked to carefully phrase her words so she thought before she said them, but she couldn’t come up with what to say to Adrien now.
He didn’t have to go to all this trouble, for one.
She sipped her water and took in the view from the window, which was stunning. Just when things were starting to get awkward with her being alone at the restaurant--she was on her third glass of water--Adrien made a dramatic entrance.
He was wearing a black, three-piece suit which probably cost more than the room. His hair was slicked back, and on his wrist was a watch she’d never seen before. He smelled of money.
Kagami gaped at the boy who’d made a complete transformation from the humble person she knew into this… buffoon who threw cash around to impress a girl.
“Who are you,” she asked, pursing her lips, “and what have you done with Adrien Agreste?”
“Hi, Kagami.” Adrien stopped by her table, offering his hand. “I’m here to escort you to our private room!”
Kagami furrowed her brow. “We need a private room? Is this table not good enough?”
“Not for royalty such as yourself!”
“Adrien.” Kagami made no attempts to take the hand he’d offered to help her up. She wrinkled her nose as his expensive cologne wafted over to her. “You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”
“Nonsense!” Adrien beamed at her, a smile no less dazzling for being nervous. “You deserve the best, so I wanted to give you the best. Just wait until you see the skywriter!”
Kagami’s jaw dropped. What message could Adrien have to write out in the clouds? “You’d better not have paid the pilot to write ‘I love you.’ We’re not ready for that.”
Adrien’s cheeks pinked. “Errr… Maybe?”
Kagami jabbed the table with a finger. “Sit. Down.”
Adrien, used to being told what to do, obeyed her command. His eyes were wide; the whites were about to swallow up the irises. “Kagami?”
“Adrien.” Kagami regarded him coolly, her impassive gaze examining everything that was wrong about him. “I did not need to be impressed. You impressed me already. That’s why I wanted to date you.”
Adrien’s brows rose. “But…”
“You don’t need to go all out on a first date.” Kagami sighed, wondering how best to explain to him what he’d done and how uncomfortable she was with it. “I don’t need a new outfit, I don’t need lunch at the most romantic restaurant in town, and I definitely don’t need a skywriter.”
Adrien ducked, his hand finding his neck. “Then you probably don’t need the scavenger hunt either?”
“No.” Kagami narrowed her eyes at him. “I would have been happy with ice cream or something equally small, just as long as I got to spend time with you.”
"Oh." Adrien bit his lip. "You really don't mind if I just be myself?"
"Absolutely not." Kagami pushed her water aside. "In fact, I'd prefer it."
"Really?"
"Really really." Kagami took his hand in both of hers. "Who put you up to all of this?"
"My father--"
Kagami held up a hand, silencing Adrien. "Say no more."
Adrien shut his mouth with a clack, looking at her expectantly.
Kagami chuckled. "You can speak. What I mean is, if my mother had planned a date for us, the result would have been the same."
Adrien let loose a titter Kagami found endearing. "Good thing you didn't let her plan our date."
Kagami smiled. "I'm glad we agree. Now, what do you say we exit this establishment and find a more casual place to spend time together?"
"You mean you want to blow this popsicle stand to go hang out?"
Kagami tilted her head. "Colloquially, yes."
Adrien beamed. "Definitely."