“An introduction…? Together?”
“Yeah, it’s the result of nearly ten years of work, and also because I’m Sophia’s lover. Don’t you think her parents would be happy about it?”
“Um…”
It’s so sudden.
I didn’t expect such a talk to come up when we’re not even really dating yet.
Even if it’s temporary, it sounds like we’re in a real relationship.
An introduction… Isn’t that going too far…?
Or am I just being too conservative?
“Isn’t the introduction a bit too soon…?”
“Is it?”
“Yeah… way too early. Let’s take it slow.”
“Got it.”
What kind of introduction happens on the first day of a temporary relationship?
That’s way too fast.
Is being with me, even if it’s temporary, that great…?
“What were Sophia’s parents like?”
“My mom and dad?”
I didn’t really have much to say about my parents.
Suddenly being sent off to a boarding school in my childhood was all I could think of, just playing outside and forgetting about home.
Even with memories of my past life, kids were meant to be outside and playing.
“Well, my mom is… nice. And she has a cool personality.”
Too cool, in fact, that she sent me off to boarding school without a second thought.
Sure, it had come up before, but wasn’t it a bit too easy to send me away?
“And my dad was someone who listened well to my mom. He seemed to be somewhat overshadowed by her at home.”
There wasn’t much to explain.
We were just a very ordinary family.
The only special thing about us was that our house was slightly bigger than others around.
That was about it.
I didn’t know where they made their money, but I think I grew up in a relatively comfortable environment.
So, they must have kept paying the boarding school fees.
“Oh, my dad likes smokewood. He would sometimes spend time smoking in the yard. My mom… probably liked flowers?”
“You sound a bit like my dad. He smokes smokewood sometimes too.”
“Really? The Eristirol Duke too?”
“Yeah.”
I see.
I had never talked to the Duke before, so I had no idea.
As we talked about each other’s parents, we finished our meal.
We shared not just about our parents, but about family and other topics too.
In any case, the conclusion was that introductions could wait for a while.
“Sophia, aren’t you cold?”
“I am.”
After finishing the meal, we walked outside.
When I asked if it was cold, it was obvious she’d have to say yes.
After all, I wasn’t wearing my outer coat like usual.
The reason was simple.
“But this looks prettier, don’t you think…?”
I could endure the cold.
Isn’t it more important to look prettier in front of my date?
So, I had come out dressed like this.
“Huh…”
Kyle let out a sigh.
Wasn’t it flattering…?
I thought I looked pretty well.
He had even told me I looked nice…
“Why…? Not good?”
“Sophia.”
“Yeah?”
Kyle called me.
When I looked up at him, he was staring at me with a seriously scary expression.
-Brrr….
His face looked so frightening that my lower belly trembled.
“Kyle…? Why are you looking at me like that…? I’m a bit scared…”
It really was terrifying.
Kyle, who usually just smiled goofily.
Even when I made mistakes at work sometimes, he’d just smile and be okay.
But now, he was looking at me with a frozen, cold expression—way too scary.
“Sophia.”
“Yeah…?”
“Let’s go to the clothing store first.”
“Uh, why?”
“You said you’re cold. Let’s go buy some clothes.”
“Kyle?! Hold on! I’m fine…”
Kyle grabbed my hand and started pulling me along.
I wanted to show him the pretty clothes instead.
That’s why I wore this even though I was cold.
“I’m really fine…”
“You’re already pretty enough, so you shouldn’t worry about clothes. Just don’t catch a cold.”
“Ugh…”
-Thump…
Suddenly, Kyle leaned closer to me and said that.
Honestly, I couldn’t process what Kyle was saying at all.
No, I just couldn’t.
How could a girl think straight when someone like him was this close?
“Hurry.”
“Okay…”
In the end, I held onto Kyle’s hand and was dragged to the clothing store.
Kyle’s body temperature was so warm that I never thought of letting go.
Why do northerners have such high body temperatures?
We’re the same people, right?
Maybe Elin was also from the north, which explained why she was super warm.
Every time I touched her while working out, I thought to myself how warm she was, but Kyle was even warmer.
When he hugged me while I wore clothes and wrapped around me, it was seriously warm.
It was like back when he unexpectedly hugged me from behind.
“…”
Suddenly, a really perverted thought crossed my mind.
What if I embraced Kyle, who had such a warm body temperature, while being naked…?
“Sophia? Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah…”
“Let’s hurry inside the store.”
The redness on my face wasn’t from the cold.
I wasn’t stuttering because of the cold either.
I was just embarrassed for having such thoughts.
And maybe a little excited too…
*
“Are you feeling warmer now?”
“Yeah…”
Though I had let go of Kyle’s hand, I still felt warm.
Having a boyfriend with money was a surprisingly huge advantage.
In modern terms, it was like suddenly being dragged to a department store to buy an expensive padded coat because I said I was cold.
Even though I didn’t want it much, Kyle insisted.
I cursed silently upon seeing the price tag and said it was expensive, but he insisted on buying it.
Absolutely insisted.
“It’s really fine, you know…”
“I’m just worried about how you look cold.”
But still, I was happy that Kyle did this for me.
Honestly, I did raise him well, didn’t I?
How well have I raised him to treat his girlfriend like this?
And at the same time, I was worried.
If he made such a fuss over being cold… what if some strange girl came and seduced him, making nonsense talk…?
He would definitely waste the family money.
“Kyle?”
“Yes.”
We were still inside the store.
I looked up at Kyle while wearing the warm coat he bought.
“Thanks for the gift, but you shouldn’t just buy things so easily for girls. You never know, right? There could be a girl who just wants to take your money.”
It was a life lesson talking.
Even though I never dated, there had been times when I was taken advantage of for money.
I lent it out but never got it back, damn it.
Oh, and by the way, Louise was among those who had tricked me.
It wasn’t a huge amount, so I ended it by hitting her once.
Anyway, I had to be careful.
Money is as important as it can be dangerous.
“You shouldn’t easily buy things, lend money, or guarantee loans for anyone, even if they’re close to you. Got it?”
“Yes.”
Kyle smiled and answered me.
Yeah, Kyle really did look good when smiling.
I liked it when he laughed goofily and answered me.
Not with that cold face from before.
“Anyway, there’s no one else I would do this for aside from you.”
“Huh?”
“There’s no way I would be this focused on anyone who isn’t you.”
“But still… you never know…”
“If it’s not Sophia, I have no intention of meeting any other girl.”
“Huh!? Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
Even if that were the case, not dating anyone else seemed a bit too much…
Was he really thinking about marriage already!?
I mean, we aren’t officially dating, just trying this temporary thing out!
“I’m only for Sophia.”
“Ugh…”
It was a bit too much to suddenly say stuff like that.
Even if we are just temporary lovers…
How can he say such things so easily?
I could never say that without feeling embarrassed.
“Okay, now let’s head back out. You’re warm now, right?”
“Hold on.”
“Yes?”
Kyle stopped just as he was about to leave the store.
He looked at me as if to ask what was wrong.
It wasn’t that I was uncomfortable; I just wanted to call out to him because he was forgetting something.
“Hands. We should hold hands.”
“… Yes.”
Kyle walked back over and held my outstretched left hand.
And then we stepped outside again.
It was cold out, but warmer than usual.
*
“Sophia, how was today for you?”
“It was fun.”
It really was.
I felt a lot happier because it was my first proper date.
Even though we had to head back before dinner, it still felt fun to walk back slowly.
It was more enjoyable than any day I had spent with Kyle before.
We hadn’t fully achieved our goal, but it was still fun.
Really.
“I’m glad to hear that, Sophia. Honestly, I was really worried.”
“Worried about what?”
What was he worried about?
Kyle smiled every time he looked at me, every time we met, and every time I looked at him, so I was curious.
What could possibly worry him?
“Whether the place wasn’t to your taste, if you liked the clothes I bought, whether it was still cold, if you enjoyed the date course, if you thought I looked okay, or if you were having fun with me.”
“Uh-huh.”
I shook my head and continued.
“It was super fun. I felt I had never enjoyed myself this much during my time in Eristirol.”
It was true.
My first proper date with Kyle was genuinely fun.
So much fun that I wanted to go out again.
Nothing particularly changed from my past outings.
Today’s meal was just a bit tastier than the last.
The weather felt a little warmer, and I was simply happier than before.
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