As the weekend arrived, Arisa's excitement grew. It was finally the day of her date with Zul. That morning, as she prepared to leave, her mother's voice echoed through the house.
Her mother called out.493Please respect copyright.PENANANieRs4AmgM
"Please don't return home too late, my dear."
Arisa’s cheeks flushed. "Understood, I won't be back late."
Arisa glanced around. "By the way, where's Eri-chan? I haven't seen her since I woke up."
"Eri-chan woke up early today. She said she was going to a friend's house."493Please respect copyright.PENANAf96qjHqyDE
A hint of curiosity crept into her voice. "I wonder what she's up to there."
Her mother gave a playful wink.493Please respect copyright.PENANAdVj8Av1EGL
"By the way, Arisa-chan, good luck on your date with Zul-kun."
Arisa’s face burned red. "Oh mom, this is so embarrassing!"
"Then, Mom, I'm leaving now."
Her mother watched her daughter leave. "Take care of yourself."
Once alone, Arisa's mother found herself lost in thought. I can't believe my daughter is dating now, she mused. Her mind then wandered to her other daughter. Come to think of it, where did the other one rush off to so early today? She couldn't help but wonder about Eri's mysterious departure.
Zul stood waiting in town, anticipating Arisa's arrival. Unbeknownst to him, Eri was hidden in nearby bushes, having followed him earlier. This explained her early departure from home. Disguised with sunglasses and carrying toy binoculars, Eri watched intently.
Suddenly, Arisa appeared. "Zul-kun!"
Zul waved. "Oh, Arisa, over here!"
Huh, onee-chan!? Eri thought to herself. What is she doing here? She's dressed so cute today, and Zul is looking good too. Is she the friend Zul mentioned earlier?
"Did you wait for me for so long?"
"No, I just arrived here too."
"Oh, you look so cute today, Arisa."
"Thanks, Miku prepared this for me. You too, Zul, you look so good in those clothes."
Zul blushed. "Oh, thanks."
Huh, she's hanging out with onee-chan today? Eri thought.
Eri mumbled. I knew it. Why didn't they invite me?
Suddenly, Miku appeared in the bushes beside Eri, also with toy binoculars and a disguise. Without noticing Eri, Miku adjusted her binoculars.493Please respect copyright.PENANA60SptRX9iG
"Of course they didn't invite you. They're going on a date today."
"Eh, date?"
Miku turned sharply.493Please respect copyright.PENANA1MBkTRUPH2
"Eh!?" "Eh!?"
They stared at each other. "You... you, what are you doing here?"
Miku stared.493Please respect copyright.PENANA0x683LsfiW
"You too, what are you doing here, with that getup?"
"I was following Zul today. He's been so suspicious recently."
"I was following your older sister today. I want to see how their date progresses."
Eri’s eyes widened.493Please respect copyright.PENANApyGV8ZUX9j
"Date... date, you said!? When did those two start going out together? I never heard about it?"
Miku smirked.493Please respect copyright.PENANAcVaI8NsebB
"You're so pathetic, Eri. You don't even know your sister is going out with Zul-kun? I think you're immature compared to both of them. Are you jealous seeing them together now?"
Eri’s face flushed.493Please respect copyright.PENANAGXacUcP2rR
"What did you say? Jealous!?"
Suddenly, Zul turned back to look at the noise they made, and both Miku and Eri immediately hid in the bushes.
"Umm, no one is there!? But I think I heard a voice earlier."
"What's wrong, Zul?"
Zul offered his hand to Arisa.493Please respect copyright.PENANAxnVAwxZ2xT
"Oh, it's nothing. Maybe I just misheard something. Let's go, Arisa."
Arisa, with a bright red face, took Zul's hand, and they started walking together, holding each other's hands.
Miku pushed Eri’s face aside.493Please respect copyright.PENANAiwDipaz6mR
"Hey, lower your voice. What if they see us, stupid?"
Eri pushed Miku’s face away. "Ah, you're not any better."493Please respect copyright.PENANA11f96oUMJl
"Ah, both of them are starting to move. Don't get in my way, Miku."493Please respect copyright.PENANAWdhHzkvecK
Eri followed the couple.
Miku chased Eri. "Hey, Eri, wait."
Zul and Arisa entered the mall. They went into a clothes shop where Arisa picked up a hat to try on.493Please respect copyright.PENANAnrfZOu5usr
"This hat is so cute. How do I look, Zul-kun?"
Zul smiled. "It looks good on you."
Arisa smiled. "Thanks, Zul-kun."
After that, they went to the arcade inside the mall. Zul pointed at a Taiko drum game.493Please respect copyright.PENANAleRDmdveYH
"How about we try playing that?"
Arisa hesitated.493Please respect copyright.PENANAcM7BUyEzej
"I'm not sure if I can play that."
Zul handed her a pair of drumsticks, keeping one for himself.493Please respect copyright.PENANADk13W67Adu
"Don't worry, let's play together." They started playing as a duo.
Arisa was impressed with Zul. "Wow, you're so good at this."
"Well, I always play this against Eri, but I never manage to beat her. After all, she's great at this."
Meanwhile, Miku and Eri were hiding behind a wall, stalking the couple. Overhearing the conversation, Miku turned to Eri.493Please respect copyright.PENANAMxBl0uygTT
"Oh, I didn't know you were good at that game."
Eri grinned.493Please respect copyright.PENANA2EyDYq9CMv
"Hehe, I'm always great at playing that. Even Zul accepts that I'm better than him."
"That's nothing to be proud of. It's just a game."
"Ah, they're moving already. Let's go."
Eri looked at the fighting game.493Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4O1pXbe8O
"Ah, why so quick? I just wanted to try playing this game."
"Ah, why should I be following you? I'm supposed to be following Zul only."
Zul and Arisa moved to the crane game section.
Arisa pointed at a teddy bear inside the crane machine.493Please respect copyright.PENANAe2HSySQCqI
"Ah, that teddy bear is so cute."
"You want it? I'll get it for you."
Arisa’s eyes lit up.493Please respect copyright.PENANAzb8D4IJGw3
"Really? Please, Zul, I'm counting on you."
Zul straightened up. "Leave it to me."
Zul inserted a coin and started playing. The crane managed to grab the teddy bear but dropped it suddenly. Zul sighed. "Ah, it was almost there." He tried again but failed once more.
"It's no use. This crane game is so hard."
"It's okay, Zul-kun, no need to force yourself for me."
"But you said you wanted it, right? I can't give up now."
Meanwhile, Miku watched.493Please respect copyright.PENANACF0SWkNEBi
"Wow, Zul is trying so hard to get the teddy bear, right, Eri?"
"Eri!? Where did that girl go?"
In her disguise attire—sunglasses, face mask, and a cap covering her hair - Eri approached the crane machine next to Zul and Arisa's. Hey, what are you doing there? You'll ruin their date! Miku thought to herself.
Surprisingly, Eri managed to get the same teddy bear on her first try. Both Arisa and Zul looked amazed. "Wow, this person is so great at this."
Both of them didn’t realize it was Eri.
Without saying a word, Eri gave the teddy bear to Zul.
Zul blinked. "Huh, you want to give me this?"
Eri just nodded before leaving and returning to Miku's location.
"What's up with that person?" Zul wondered.
He chuckled, handing it to Arisa.493Please respect copyright.PENANAFa5bJ9dD6p
"Anyway, here's the teddy bear. I failed to get it for you, but that person got it for you, haha."
Arisa smiled and hugged the teddy bear.493Please respect copyright.PENANAaAjgnVylYS
"Ah, thanks, Zul. I would've been okay even if you didn't get it, but you tried so hard for me earlier."
Zul replied with a smile.
Miku frowned.493Please respect copyright.PENANAz7DCChniJJ
"Hey, what were you doing earlier? You suddenly interrupted them. What if your cover had been blown?"
"I couldn't help it. I couldn't just watch them waste money and time on that crane game."
Miku smirked.493Please respect copyright.PENANAdMg3ESXcpc
"I see, you actually worried about them, huh!?"
"Ah, shut up. It's not your problem."
Suddenly, Zul's stomach growled. "Oh, this is so embarrassing. Why did my stomach suddenly growl at this time?"
"Hehe, you seem hungry, Zul. Don't worry, I brought some lunch for both of us today."
"Huh, you brought it? But I was planning to treat you to eat after this."
"Don't worry. Keep your money for something else later."
"If you say so, I can't help it. Let's find a place to eat this."
They moved to a park near the mall and found a bench with a table. Arisa unboxed the bento she had carried in her bag.
"What did you bring?"
Arisa smiled and showed her lunch."Here, my special homemade tamagoyaki."
"Homemade? You mean you made it, Arisa?"
"Yes, I made it with my mother's help."
"Wow, it looks delicious."
Arisa lifted her chopsticks. "Here, Zul, open your mouth and say 'Aaaa'..."
"Arisa, what are you doing? This is so embarrassing. What if people we know see this?"493Please respect copyright.PENANAeJ2BAtHQgS
Zul’s ears turned red.
"Don't worry. Nobody's here. It's just us right now. Let me feed you, okay?"
"If you insist, then... bon appétit." Zul opened his mouth.
"How does it taste? Is it okay?"
"Delicious! So delicious! What is this taste?"
Arisa smiled. "Hehe, I'm glad you like it."
"That's really delicious. How did you get the recipe?"
"Well, my mother taught me. She learned it from my grandmother, who learned it from her mother too."
"Oh, so it's a family recipe? That’s really nice."
Zul picked up his chopsticks. "Okay, Arisa, it's your turn. Open your mouth."
Arisa blinked. "Huh, you want to feed me too?"
"Of course. It's not fair if you're the only one feeding me."
"If you say so, then..."
Arisa opened her mouth.493Please respect copyright.PENANA3FYAMR8psR
"Aaa..." "Hmm, it's delicious..." She chewed, face bright red.
Meanwhile, Miku was watching them from nearby bushes. Oh, they're feeding each other. This is so romantic, she thought. Also, that tamagoyaki looks so delicious. I should ask Arisa to make some for me later.
Then Miku noticed Eri moving out from their hiding place. "Where are you going? Don't you want to watch them more?"
Eri sighed, her chest tight.493Please respect copyright.PENANAwNGDeBRJUH
"Watching them happy together was... confusing. Better to leave. Also, I'm hungry too. It's almost my lunchtime, so I'm going back home."
Miku smirked, "I think you were jealous watching at them."
" It's not like that, you stupid. I'm not jealous of them at all."
"See ya."
Eri left Miku alone and heading back to her house.
Geez, that girl doesn't understand dating at all.
Seeing both Arisa and Zul happy with their date is enough for me, she thought.
I think I'd better go home too. Their date is progressing smoothly, nothing to worry about.
She then decided to return home as well, leaving both of them alone together.
After Eri and Miku returned to their houses, Zul and Arisa continued their date. About 10 minutes later, a group of their classmates happened to pass by, unnoticed by the couple.
"Huh!? Is that Zul and Arisa over there?"
"You're right! What are they doing? They're feeding each other, and now they're about to move while holding hands."
"Are they going out now? Is it possible they're on a date right now? Ah, this is so romantic."
The group then left, still discussing what they had seen.
Meanwhile, back at home, Eri entered the living room. "I’m home."
She flopped onto the sofa.
Her mother looked up.493Please respect copyright.PENANANu9Uns8gOn
"Oh, you're back already? You left so early today. How was your day with your friend?"
"Oh, it was a good day. We played so much today."
She didn’t reveal the truth about stalking Zul and Arisa's date.
"Mom, I'm hungry. Do we have something to eat?"
"Please wait a moment. I'm still preparing lunch. But just take a look at the table, my dear. There are some tamagoyaki that your sister made earlier for you to taste. You left too early today, but she said it was for you."
Eri blinked. "Huh? Onee-chan made this for me too?"
Wait... this is the same tamagoyaki that Zul and Onee-chan ate on their date, she thought.
Eri took the tamagoyaki and began eating.493Please respect copyright.PENANA24r3cHzwRz
"Umm, delicious. As I expected, her cooking is so delicious."
Her mother smiled.493Please respect copyright.PENANA4xVCRD6yrh
"I see you seem to like it, Eri-chan. Your sister's cooking has improved recently."
At the same time, Zul and Arisa arrived at the aquarium.
Arisa watched the jellyfish swimming. "Wow, it's so cute."
"It may be cute, but it can sting us."
They then walked around the aquarium, looking at the various creatures in the water. "There are a lot of different animals in here."
"Yeah, pretty amazing."
Arisa pointed at a stingray, laughing. "Zul, look at that fish. It has a funny face."
Zul chuckled. "You're right. Its face does look really funny."
After that, Zul and Arisa continued exploring the aquarium, moving from one exhibit to another. They marveled at the vibrant colors of the coral reef display and the graceful movements of the sea turtles.
As they approached the large tank housing the sharks, Arisa’s eyes widened.493Please respect copyright.PENANAXZSyvaRcmc
"Zul, look at the size of those sharks! They're huge!"
Zul nodded in agreement, equally fascinated. "I've never seen sharks this close before. It's incredible."
Zul and Arisa then made their way to the gift shop. The shop was filled with all sorts of aquatic-themed merchandise, from colorful t-shirts to intricate seashell decorations. Arisa wandered around, her eyes lighting up at all the adorable items.
Zul noticed her pausing in front of a display of plush toys. Among them was a particularly cute dolphin plushie that seemed to capture her attention. Without a second thought, Zul picked it up and handed it to her.
"Here, this is for you."
Arisa looked surprised and delighted. "Oh, for me!? Thank you so much!" She hugged the plushie tightly, her face beaming with happiness.
She held it to her chest, her eyes sparkling like the ocean exhibits they’d just seen.
After that, Zul paid for the plushie for Arisa.
After exploring the aquarium, Zul and Arisa decided it was time to head back. Zul walked Arisa home.
As they were walking, Zul turned to Arisa. "So, how did you enjoy our date today?"
Arisa blushed.493Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9gQRlH0fq
"It was the best date ever! I had so much fun with you, Zul-kun."
Zul smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that."
After a moment of comfortable silence, Arisa spoke up again. "Zul, can I ask you something?"
"Of course. What is it?"
Arisa paused, gathering courage.493Please respect copyright.PENANAf0S3QmrYhy
"Well, I was wondering... Why did you choose me instead of my younger twin sister, Eri?"
Zul looked surprised.493Please respect copyright.PENANAbRwRUA8BwN
"Arisa, you have a certain feminine charm and calmness about you that Eri doesn't quite have. I've always felt drawn to that side of you."
Arisa said, "But Eri and I are twins. Aren't you closer to her in some ways?"
Zul shook his head.493Please respect copyright.PENANA3pFnU2yH5B
"It's true that Eri and I have gotten close as friends, but my feelings for you are different, Arisa. There's just something special about you that I can't quite put into words."
Arisa smiled softly, her heart fluttering at Zul's words. "I'm... I'm really happy to hear that, Zul-kun."
Zul and Arisa arrived at Arisa's house. Zul turned to Arisa.493Please respect copyright.PENANAFaNITgeATX
"Well, I guess this concludes our date for today."
"Thank you for going on a date with me today, Arisa."
Arisa smiled.493Please respect copyright.PENANAnQMxLuXDvw
"You're welcome, Zul-kun. I really enjoyed going on this date with you."
She held the dolphin plushie.493Please respect copyright.PENANAPL7yqBj5oC
"And thank you for this cute plushie. I'll keep it and take good care of it."
Arisa walked toward the door.493Please respect copyright.PENANAQEvOsbGF00
"Okay, Zul. I'm going to head inside now. See you tomorrow at school."
Suddenly, Zul gently pulled her sleeve.493Please respect copyright.PENANA6ri3Lz2BKd
"Arisa, wait."493Please respect copyright.PENANARt1ILMwK1U
He leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
Arisa was shocked by Zul's sudden action, and both of them blushed deeply.
"See you tomorrow too," he said, rushing away, face bright red.
Arisa stood there in silence, her mind racing and her hand touching her lips, wondering,
Huh!? Did he just kiss me earlier? What is this? It's so embarrassing.
Just then, the front door opened, and Eri poked her head out. "Ah, onee-chan, welcome back."
Eri noticed Arisa's flushed face and asked, "Wait, why is your face so red? Are you sick or something?"
Arisa looked away. "I-I'm okay, Eri-chan. I'm not sick."
"Really?"
Eri placed her hand on Arisa's forehead to check her temperature.
Arisa gently pushed Eri's hand away. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry about it."
Eri looked a bit puzzled but decided not to pry further. "Oh, okay. If you say so."
She stepped back inside the house.
As Eri closed the door, she wondered to herself, I wonder if something happened during her date today... Ah, never mind, it's not important to me.
The next day, Arisa and Eri arrived at school and walked together down their corridor until they reached Eri's classroom.
"Okay, onee-chan, I'll stop here. See you."
"Ah, see you too,"
Arisa continued walking to her class.
As she walked, Arisa remembered Zul kissing her the day before. Why am I still thinking about yesterday's kiss? This is so embarrassing; my heart is racing. How will I talk to him today? she wondered, blushing.
Entering her class, she noticed Zul looking out the window, blushing as well. Arisa walked to her seat and greeted him.
Arisa stammered.493Please respect copyright.PENANAH8npicHtaZ
"Zu... Zul-kun... Go... Good morning."
"Oh, Arisa... good... morning."
Both of them blushed, looking at each other.
"Umm, thanks for yesterday. I was really happy with you."
"Really? I'm glad to hear that."
Arisa then noticed her classmates whispering and looking their way. Umm, why are they whispering and looking here? she wondered.
Miku approached Arisa with a worried expression. "Arisa-chan, this is bad. Our classmates found out about your date yesterday."
Arisa’s eyes widened.493Please respect copyright.PENANAvUL27f5PSS
"Eh...! How... how do they know about it, Miku-chan?"
Miku grimaced. Damn it. Is this what happened after Eri and I left yesterday?
"Some girl in our class happened to see you two together holding hands yesterday."
Arisa turned to Zul, panic evident in her voice. "What should we do now, Zul-kun? Everyone knows we're a couple now!"
Zul steadied himself. "Please calm down, Arisa. There’s nothing to worry about."
But before they could discuss further, a group of their classmates descended upon them.
"Hey, Arisa-chan, is it true you went on a date with Zul-kun yesterday? Are you two going out?"
Arisa blushed.493Please respect copyright.PENANATZalma3ONX
"Umm, yes... we're going out."
"Wow, this is so romantic!"
Not to be left out, a group of boys approached Zul. "It's not fair, Zul-kun! You're going out with our class genius?"
"When did you two start going out?"
"Since last week, after I got involved in that fight earlier."
Suddenly, one student had a mischievous idea. "Since both of you are going out, why don't you kiss right now? Show us the proof!"
"Yes, right, please kiss her...!!!"
Soon, a chant started up among the male students: "Kiss, Kiss!"
Arisa, overwhelmed, hid behind Zul.
"Hey, stop it!" Miku shouted but the classmates ignored her.
Zul snapped. "We’ve already done it, so don’t dare lay a hand on her."
A stunned silence fell over the classroom.493Please respect copyright.PENANA994yP4VxF5
"Wait, what?!"
Taking advantage of their momentary speechlessness, he grabbed Arisa's hand and led her out of the classroom to give her a moment to calm down from the embarrassing situation. Zul brought Arisa to the rooftop to calm their minds.
"I can't believe our classmates found out about our date."
After a moment, Zul turned to her.493Please respect copyright.PENANA2sQxcOolSK
"Arisa, you've been silent since earlier. What's wrong?"
Arisa hid her face in her hands.493Please respect copyright.PENANAHdboVHhEGo
"Nothing happened, but I'm still too embarrassed about you revealing our kiss to our classmates yesterday."
"Ah, sorry about that. I couldn't hold my anger; they were so annoying. I'm truly sorry about that."
"It's okay, Zul. I'm fine with it, but how do we return to our class? I'm worried they'll make fun of us again."
Suddenly, a voice interrupted their conversation. "I see, both of you have already kissed."
"Eri? Why are you here?"
Zul blinked. "When did you arrive?"
Eri grinned.493Please respect copyright.PENANAPOtjwQ70zW
"Yo, nice conversation, huh, Zul, onee-chan. Both of you didn't notice my presence."
"I heard about that date news. It reached my class too."
After I heard that, I immediately went to your class to check on your situation, but when I arrived, both of you were gone."
Eri laughed. "I shut them up. They won’t talk about it anymore."
Zul narrowed his eyes.493Please respect copyright.PENANABSC30XEhRF
"Shut them up? What did you do? Are you..."
Arisa glared at Eri.493Please respect copyright.PENANAGKCtZ8nXlp
"Don't tell me you beat them up and used violence like usual."
Eri flinched. "No, no, it's not like that... I just told them that if they kept talking about it, I might beat them up. I swear!"
Arisa sighed in relief. "Really? That’s good. I thought you were going to beat them up."
Eri pouted.493Please respect copyright.PENANAkzjbedOINx
"Geez, onee-chan, why do you think I would do that?"
Zul checked the time.493Please respect copyright.PENANA82ylD6Am49
"It’s about time for our first lesson. Let's go, Arisa."
"Ah, you're right. Eri, you too, return to your class now."
"I know, I know. Don't worry, I'm not going to skip class, you know."
The three of them made their way to their respective classes to start the school session that day. As Arisa and Zul returned, their classmates were no longer talking about their date, having been warned by Eri.
After school, Zul was walking home together with Eri since Arisa was staying at the school library to study with Miku.
"It's been a while since we walked home together, right?"
"You're right. Recently, I've been walking with Arisa because I want to study together with her."
"Eri, thanks for helping me and Arisa today, even if it makes me feel embarrassed because everyone now knows that I'm dating Arisa."
Eri laughed. "Don't worry about that. I can't stand anyone embarrassing my sister and you, that's why I warned them earlier, haha."
Eri tilted her head.493Please respect copyright.PENANA0LrHrgS8Mg
"Hey, Zul, about you kissing my sister, when did you do it? I never saw you do it inside the mall or at the park near the mall when you guys were eating together."
Zul frowned.493Please respect copyright.PENANAdGifQ6gBHi
"Huh, wait, how do you know all the places that I've been with Arisa?"
Then, realization dawned on him. "It can't be... hey Eri, don't tell me you were stalking me and Arisa?"
Eri grinned.493Please respect copyright.PENANAZO1Q902Rh5
"You caught me, huh... tee-hee."
"Then, the one who gave me the teddy bear at the crane game machine, that was you, was it?"
Eri giggled.493Please respect copyright.PENANAESKfTCC8bV
"Oh, you figured that out too. So unexpected, Zul, tee-hee."
Zul knocked Eri’s head lightly.493Please respect copyright.PENANAgkwglAux1P
"You...!! That's why I felt someone was following both me and Arisa that day."
"Hey, what are you doing? It hurts, you know."
Zul grinned.493Please respect copyright.PENANABXt6AgIv8g
"You want to know where I kissed Arisa, huh? How about we make a bet on a game at the arcade? If you win, I'll tell you about it, but if I win, you'll treat me to ice cream for two."
Eri grinned.493Please respect copyright.PENANAATpUfD5GJe
"Oh, you're trying to challenge me, huh? Alright, I accept your challenge. Bring it on! Remember, I've never lost to you."
Zul grinned.493Please respect copyright.PENANAVxAFxMsHoq
"Today’s the day I finally break your winning streak!"
Both of them chuckled and headed to the arcade to settle their bet.
493Please respect copyright.PENANAk7hhl1dIR5
To be continued……………………Futagomonogatari V
ns216.73.216.13da2


