The fateful date between me and Kiyotaka-senpai.

An accident where another woman intrudes into it...

Is absolutely unacceptable.

And yet...

The woman in front of me, wearing a sunflower hair ornament, seems to have broken that rule.

"You... no, you’re Asahina-senpai?"

"Hey there~! Ayanokōji-kun, long time no see~! So you came to watch this movie too... huh? Wait a second, didn’t you just call me 'you' like we’re equals?"

"I apologize. Most of the girls who speak to me are my classmates, so the possibility that it was Asahina-senpai slipped my mind."

What a lie.

If there’s anyone who knows best that he doesn’t hold any respect even for upperclassmen...

It’s me.

"Anyway... are you Ayanokōji-kun’s girlfriend too? Nice to meet you, I’m Asahina Nazuna from Class 3-A!"

"Asahina-senpai, right? Nice to meet you too~! I’m Amasawa Ichika from Class 1-A!"

If it were the me from the original world...

Since the other person is another girl, I probably would have thrown in unnecessary taunts and tried to assert dominance here, making her uncomfortable.

But...

The Ichika-chan of this world doesn’t completely lose her composure, even when it involves Kiyotaka-senpai.

"Hm? Amasawa... Ichika-chan? Could it be that you’re the one people talk about as the 'real genius who saw through the entire S System on the first day, used it to obtain 20 million points faster than anyone in history, and then scored 100 in every subject on the midterm exam'?"

"Oh~ I see! So that’s how people describe me—wait! My title has upgraded since before!?"

Well...

All of it is technically true.

But I wonder if it’s really a title someone like me deserves, when I’m just dominating using knowledge from the previous world...

"By the way, what’s the relationship between you two?"

"Amasawa and I are from the same middle school. Today we’re on a date so I can repay a certain favor."

"Oh~? Not only your classmates, but even your juniors too? Ayanokōji-kun, you’re a bad boy~! I guess I’ll have to tell Honami that she has another rival now and should try harder!"

"Why is Ichinose’s name coming up here?"

Ichinose Honami-senpai, huh...

In the original world, at first she was just someone I thought of as...

Right, one of the girls who liked Kiyotaka-senpai.

However...

Right before Kiyotaka-senpai and the others became third-years in the original world, she became famous to me in a very bad way.

'I never expected Ichinose-senpai to do something like that...'

So...

I never really had a good impression of Ichinose-senpai.

"Ah! Anyway, I have plans with Moeka soon, so I’ll head out! Don’t go getting carried away, okay~!"

Leaving those words behind, Asahina-senpai ran out of the movie theater.

"Shall we go too?"

"Yeah~!"

After all...

Our date has only just begun!

* * *

"Hey, Kiyotaka-senpai~?"

"What is it?"

"Um... would you hold hands with me?"

As we walked across the plaza toward our next destination, I made a small suggestion to Kiyotaka-senpai.

"Is there any meaning in holding hands with me?"

"Of course there is~! It’s a date, after all! At times like this, the correct answer is for the man to gently take the girl’s hand first!"

"I see..."

After showing a bit of hesitation...

Kiyotaka-senpai gently grasped my right hand.

'Ahh! Ichika-chan is holding hands with senpai right now! I’m so happy!'

Even though I was the one who suggested it...

Kiyotaka-senpai’s action still made my heart skip a beat.

But more than that...

The reactions of the people who have been tailing us this entire time are even more intense.

"...By the way, I’ve been thinking this for a while... we’re being followed, aren’t we?"

"...We are~. I could hear the voices of the gallery a little."

Three girls who look like familiar classmates.

A group of four consisting of two busty girls and two boys who look like they’re reluctantly tagging along.

A pair of gyaru-style girls.

A girl silently observing us with a completely expressionless face.

And lastly...

A guy who looks like a total playboy, grinning while secretly taking photos of us.

They probably all started tailing us for their own reasons.

But still...

'We’re being followed like crazy~!'

Well, when people hear it’s a date, I understand why they’d get curious enough to follow us...

"Amasawa, where exactly is the next destination?"

"Um, next we’re supposed to go here~!"

Kiyotaka-senpai suddenly asked about the next destination.

For a moment I thought he had become enthusiastic about the date, but...

"Sigh... it can’t be helped. Amasawa... endure this for just a little while."

"Huh? Kiyotaka-senpai? What are you—"

Before I could finish speaking...

Kiyotaka-senpai wrapped both arms around my body and lifted me up.

The spectators erupted in excitement after witnessing what is commonly known as a princess carry.

"S-senpai? Um... this is..."

"If the surroundings are noisy, it ruins our date. So I’ll carry you and run at full speed."

"No no! That’s not necessary! I can run too!"

"No. Matsushita said that during a date, you shouldn’t make the girl exert herself."

Well, she did say that!

But is it really normal to start your first date with a princess carry!?

"...Let’s go."

"Huh!?—Ah!"

And then...

Senpai began running toward our next destination while carrying me in a princess carry.

I could faintly hear even louder reactions from behind us...

But I didn’t care about that.

'Geez, Kiyotaka-senpai... you’re way too bold... but Ichika-chan is happy too...'

Because right now...

Being carried in a princess carry by senpai...

Makes me incredibly happy!