Can't We Skip Dating?

"Go home or cuddle cats?"

"…Go home. I skipped class this morning. My parents already know—I can't just not go back."

"Fair enough. Here, let me set the GPS for you."

After Utaha set the navigation, the car fell into silence.

At first, Utaha intended to rest, then she thought about saying something. But her pride wouldn't allow her to complain to Akira.

After all, in her current mess of emotions, Akira occupied a strange position—not only a bystander who had helped her, but also, in a way, both perpetrator and victim. 

It left her unsure how to face him.

For Akira, however, the reason was much simpler—offering comfort right now would be too much like "advancing the romantic route." 

But he only lusted after the body. If things reached the heart, then walking away afterward would make him feel a little guilty.

That was also why he hadn't shown up at all last night. 

He figured Utaha's disheveled state was likely connected to Tomoya—in other words, it had something to do with him. 

So he gave her a place to rest and heal, and perhaps lower her guard a bit.

But that was as far as he would go.

Somehow, the two of them had unknowingly entered into a kind of unspoken game: whoever spoke first would lose.

In the end, it was Akira's phone that broke the silence.

Without looking away from the road, he said, "Who is it? Answer it for me. Put it on speaker."

He wasn't a seasoned driver, and he was always cautious behind the wheel.

Seeing a clearly feminine name on the caller ID, Utaha curled her lips slightly. 

"Miss Yuuko, huh? Looks like you're going to be very busy tonight."

"Huh?" Akira raised an eyebrow. "Turn the volume down a bit—"

He spoke a bit too late. Before he could finish, Utaha had already picked up and tapped the speakerphone.

A super energetic female voice instantly filled the car.

"Hi—! Akira-kun! Come drink at the shop tonight!"

Akira winced and shook his head, catching a glimpse of Utaha also frowning. 

He grumbled, "Miss Yuuko, I'm driving. If I get into an accident, shouldn't you be held responsible?"

"Ah, sorry, sorry! Anyway, come have a drink tonight? There's a really cute new kid at the shop lately—amazing cook too~"

Utaha was surprised to see that Akira, usually so unfazed unless the topic was cats, actually showed something close to fear.

After a few seconds of hesitation, he seemed to steel himself. That look of fear turned into one of resigned martyrdom.

"Alright!"

"Great! It's a promise then! Mokona's looking forward to it too, bye-bye~"

As the call ended, Akira slowly relaxed, though his expression remained oddly mixed—equal parts excitement and unease—which thoroughly piqued Utaha's curiosity.

"Not your lover?" she asked.

Akira's face darkened. 

"Lover? Anyone who dares treat that woman like a lover—I'd burn incense and set up a shrine to pray for them."

"Doesn't seem like it. You look terrified of her."

"Not terrified. I mean—how can having a drink with someone be scary… okay fine, yeah, I'm terrified.

If you were a guy and met a woman who could beat you to a pulp in a fight and drink you under the table three times in a row, you'd be scared too."

"Then why still go? She got dirt on you or something?"

That question made Akira pause for a moment.

"Dirt, huh… yeah, she does have some. But it doesn't matter. 

She wouldn't blackmail me with it, and I don't care about that kind of threat. It's just—my life is kind of dull. 

I enjoy it, but sometimes I just want a friend I can be totally honest with, have a good drink, and chat."

At that, Akira gritted his teeth in frustration.

"It's just—every time I get hammered, the hangover the next morning is absolute hell…"

Utaha propped her chin and watched him quietly for a while, then suddenly said, "Hmm, your character profile seems to be coming together."

Akira blinked, then quickly caught on. "You're using me as a character reference?"

"Who knows…"

After that exchange, the car lapsed into a brief silence again.

Utaha still wanted to say something—but for the same reasons, she couldn't open her mouth.

Eventually, it was Akira who couldn't stand it anymore and spoke first. "You had a fight with Tomoya?"

"…Yeah."

"The debt?"

"I'll pay it back properly."

"Good. Once it's paid off, you'll be able to speak without bowing your head. Until then, you'll always be a bit beneath him. That's not a good feeling."

Utaha nodded and continued, "He's been… strange lately. He feels more and more unfamiliar."

Akira sighed.

"Alright, fine. Since I want your body, today I'll give you a free therapy session—Akira-sensei's psychology class is in session. Tell me what's been happening, or I can't give you any analysis."

Utaha shot him a sideways glance and chose to ignore the sexually harassing remark, then briefly recounted recent events.

After listening, Akira shrugged casually.

"Oh, simple. Basically just male possessiveness at work. 

Guys who can lie to themselves usually lack self-awareness and analysis. 

So they often just go with gut feelings and get easily triggered by the darkness inside them."

"Possessiveness?"

"Yeah. There's no way he doesn't understand your feelings. He's lying to himself… okay, no need to phrase it like I'm trying to drive a wedge. 

Let's put it this way—'his heart is full of self-denial and unrealistic dreams.'"

But what caught Utaha's attention wasn't the whole explanation—it was one word: "Wait a second. Drive a wedge?"

"Yeah. Drive a wedge between you two," Akira said with surprising frankness. 

"If you didn't like him, then it'd just be about how much you value your personal purity, or whether you're torn between ideals and morals. 

But since you do like him, any physical transaction will naturally cause huge resistance and guilt. 

So, if I want your body, the first thing I have to do… is break your relationship."

"You…"

"Don't get mad just yet, Miss Kasumigaoka," Akira said without even looking at her, focusing on the road. 

"Your relationship with him is fragile and already twisted. My meddling might come off as malicious, but reality just 'happens' to work in my favor, doesn't it?"

"From a non-malicious point of view, I could call it coincidence. Tomoya really might be thinking, 'How could I possibly have a real-life girlfriend?' That's a form of self-denial. 

Or maybe it stems from deep-seated inferiority—like he doesn't feel worthy of you, so he avoids facing it. 

Of course, some of the fault might be yours too—your vague, roundabout way of expressing things. 

Sure, it might seem reserved and elegant, but most of the time, it just leads to misunderstandings and trouble."

Utaha lowered her head, recalling all her ambiguous ways of expressing affection, unsure what to say.

True, she hadn't been direct. But it wasn't just out of shyness or modesty—it was also fear. Fear of being rejected, and losing everything afterward…

"You're probably thinking, 'Sure, it's not a clear confession, but even if it fails, I can keep things the way they are. I still have a chance to keep trying, rather than lose everything all at once,' right?"

Utaha was stunned.

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