For guys, dating is a remarkably simple affair. They just select a clean set of clothes, comb their hair, grab their cellphone and wallet, and it doesn't take more than fifteen minutes to head to their destination.

For women, the importance of each date is no less than a battle.

The scale of the battle is determined by the person they're dating.

The more they fancy the guy, the more grandly they treat the occasion.

To prepare for that battle, a girl needs to make many preparations.

For instance, from a wardrobe crammed full of clothes, she must choose a beautiful outfit.

Should the lipstick be light or dark? Or perhaps somewhere in between?

Perfume, makeup—all similarly require careful thought from the girl.

So-called beauty is accumulated through various combinations; innate beauty is a rare talent possessed by only a few women.

Morimoto Chiyoda possessed such a talent, capable of stunning everyone without relying on any cosmetics.

But she still didn't ignore the enhancing effects of makeup and perfume.

The beauty bestowed by heaven would gradually wither with the passage of time. At that point, one's own efforts became especially important.

Through various skincare products and yoga exercises, she put in tremendous effort in ways Aozawa couldn't see to maintain her beauty.

Contending with time was a very difficult siege.

After Aozawa left for school, Morimoto Chiyoda finished her routine yoga, took a comfortable warm bath, and then began to prepare for their noon date.

She sat at the dressing table and opened the top drawer, where various brands of lipstick lay, each a different color.

Those subtle color differences were imperceptible to Aozawa, but in her eyes, every shade represented a different effect.

She needed to decide what color of lipstick would suit the makeup she wanted to apply.

Morimoto Chiyoda normally seldom wore makeup. Her usual routine involved taking good care of her skin and figure, and applying a touch of perfume.

She believed that frequent makeup would make its beautifying effects seem ordinary.

Coupled with her natural beauty, she didn't need to wear makeup to go out.

Morimoto Chiyoda usually only wielded the unbeatable weapon of makeup when she needed to accentuate her beauty.

She stared at her reflection, pondered for a moment, and decided to apply light makeup.

Today she was going to Kasai Rinkai Park to walk on the beach, so heavy makeup wouldn't be suitable.

Light makeup was more natural.

What kind of light makeup should I put on?

Morimoto Chiyoda sat in front of the mirror, agonizing for a long time.

She wavered between various makeup styles and finally settled on a faint smoky look.

She began to apply the subtle smoky makeup, her movements careful not to make it too heavy, with just a hint of purplish-black at the corners of her eyes, keeping the eyeliner thin.

Gradually, as she observed the smoky look in the mirror, her phoenix eyes became exceptionally captivating, as if a mere glance from them could steal a person's soul.

Morimoto Chiyoda nodded in satisfaction. Aozawa will definitely be stunned, she thought.

She combed her long black hair until it was smooth, choosing not to style it, knowing Aozawa had always liked her hair long and straight.

With the light makeup and hairstyle settled, she began to consider which lipstick would be most suitable.

She tried one after another.

From dozens of lipsticks, Morimoto Chiyoda selected a light red shade. She carefully applied it to her lips, giving them a jelly-like texture that looked slightly shiny but not oily, thus avoiding any greasy impression.

She pressed her lips together, glanced left and right, confirmed everything was perfect, then stood up and went to her wardrobe to find a suitable outfit.

She had thought about it last night but still hadn't finalized her decision.

Should she wear a dress or a skirt with a top?

Too many clothes and combinations lay before her, making her indecisive. She tried on one outfit after another, neatly stacking them on the bed.

Morimoto Chiyoda frowned slightly. Her initial idea was the light blue dress, but on second thought, wearing a light blue dress at her age seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Wearing it by herself wouldn't be a problem, but going out with Aozawa, and considering his age, the light blue dress might make her seem like she was trying too hard to look young.

In Aozawa's eyes, the ten-year age difference didn't matter as long as she was beautiful.

However, Morimoto Chiyoda was still conscious of the ten-year age gap. After some thought, she decided to use this to her advantage, opting for a mature style that a younger girl couldn't pull off.

She chose a light purple slip dress, showcasing the elegant lines of her shoulders and neck.

The dress was knee-length.

Over the slip dress, she picked out a light purple mesh shawl, as fine as silk stockings, lending an air of mystery to her shoulders.

She stood in front of the mirror, checking from left to right, unable to find a fault, and then began to search for a hat.

She placed a wide-brimmed Maru hat on her head.

Morimoto Chiyoda twirled around, very pleased with her current attire.

For shoes, she chose high-heeled sandals. Standing before the mirror, she gave her entire ensemble one last look and mentally awarded it ninety points.

The missing ten points were for perfume.

What kind of perfume should I select?

Morimoto Chiyoda looked at the perfume bottles in the drawer, lost in thought. Which scent would best match my current makeup? Too seductive wouldn't do. And a scent that's too fresh wouldn't quite fit either.

After deliberating for a while, Morimoto Chiyoda decided on a sweet-scented perfume, spritzing it lightly from head to toe.

The pleasant fragrance diffused into the air.

She took a deep breath, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

Excellent, everything is decided.

Now, to choose a suitable bag.

「...」

While she was choosing, it had already become noon.

"Chitose, I'm back!"

Outside, Aozawa's voice rang out. She set down the bag in her hand and called out, "Don't come in yet, wait outside for a bit."

She wouldn't step out of her room until she had chosen the right bag.

In the living room, Aozawa was a bit baffled. Four classes have passed since this morning. Including my commute to school and back, she's still not ready?

He thought for a moment, then looked down at his school uniform, realizing it wasn't appropriate. He turned and went into his bedroom.

Aozawa picked out a blue and white outfit: a white tank top and light blue track pants.

It was too hot for sneakers, and flip-flops would ruin his image, so he opted for a pair of sandals.

He combed his hair neatly.

He left his bedroom, sat on the sofa to wait for Chitose, drank two glasses of water, and used the restroom.

About fifteen minutes passed.

Aozawa stood up, intending to urge Morimoto Chitose along.

The door suddenly opened.

As he looked at Morimoto Chitose emerging, the words he'd intended to say and the impatience in his heart all vanished like smoke. He smiled and said, "Chitose, you look really beautiful today!"

The Morimoto Chitose he usually saw was already very pretty in Aozawa's eyes. With makeup, she possessed an even more dreamlike beauty and maturity. Aozawa felt the wait had been entirely worth it.

Her waterfall of black hair cascaded naturally over her shoulders. On her delicate, oval face, the light smoky makeup accentuated her mature charm.

Her luminous phoenix eyes seemed to harbor a soul-stealing enchantress; a mere flick of her gaze could snatch away a man's soul.

The light purple slip dress, paired with the mesh shawl, lent her the air of a noblewoman.

The hat on her head completed the image, evoking a stroll on a sun-drenched beach.

In her right hand, she carried a light purple, patterned handbag.

Morimoto Chitose approached with graceful strides, the sweet perfume she wore diffusing into the air, allowing Aozawa to catch its scent with every light breath.

"Not a bad reaction."

Morimoto Chitose's charming voice at that moment seemed especially captivating, making Aozawa feel parched.

Forget going out, he thought, I'd rather stay home and 'play' with Chitose.

"Don't just stand there silly, let's go out."

Morimoto Chitose naturally looped her arm through his left, her touch as warm as a hot water bottle against his skin.

Aozawa was immensely relieved he had chosen loose track pants. If he'd worn tighter ones, his current... situation would have been embarrassingly obvious.

"Where shall we go to have fun?" Aozawa could only try to distract himself by speaking.

Morimoto Chitose smiled and said, "To Kasai Rinkai Park. I want to take a walk by the sea."

"Okay."

Aozawa nodded. As they stepped outside, he asked, "Where should we have lunch today? A fancy restaurant?"

"Let's skip it. Fancy restaurants are more about the atmosphere. I'm a bit hungry, and a new Thai restaurant just opened on the commercial street. Let's eat there," she suggested.

"Okay."

Aozawa found himself nodding like a mindless machine.

「...」

On Ayase Commercial Street, a former clothing store had been transformed into a Thai restaurant.

At noon, there weren't many customers.

Aozawa and Morimoto Chitose arrived in front of the restaurant.

He noticed gazes from all around, indeed from the entire street, drawn to Morimoto Chitose like iron filings to a magnet, indirectly affecting him as he stood beside her.

They're probably wondering how much money this kid has, Aozawa guessed.

Aozawa couldn't read minds, but he could still decipher the thoughts behind their subtle glances.

He pushed open the restaurant door. The interior was decorated in light yellow, with several tables arranged inside.

So this is what a Thai restaurant is like, he mused. Unlike the cramped style of many Japanese eateries, it feels quite spacious. Or maybe it just seems that way because there aren't many people.

The server was an elderly man with a full head of white hair. He smiled and said, "Welcome! Please, have a seat over there."

Morimoto Chitose and Aozawa sat down together.

The elderly man looked at Aozawa with a hint of admiration, seemingly amazed that someone apparently poor enough to eat at such a place could be with such a beautiful woman. Truly a role model for men, he probably thought.

"Here's the menu. What would you like to order?"

Morimoto Chitose naturally picked up the menu. She knew Aozawa had a very casual approach to choosing meals. Since he didn't care what they ordered, she might as well pick some of her favorite dishes.

Morimoto Chitose glanced at the menu and said, "We'll have two Thai hot pots, two grilled pork chop salads, some Thai jasmine rice, and two cans of beer."

The elderly man looked a little surprised.

It was rare enough for such a beautiful woman to visit this kind of restaurant, but her large order made him a bit skeptical. "Alright, please wait a moment," he said, then asked hesitantly, "Sir, Ma'am, are you sure you can finish all that?"

"Of course, no problem." Morimoto Chitose smiled. Don't let her elegant appearance fool you; she had quite an appetite.

She exercised a great deal every day, so she wasn't worried about gaining weight; all that food was necessary for her nutritional needs.