Two days later, I got an email telling me where we would meet.
First, I needed to be careful. I read the rules of the dating site—it said there's a 10% chance of fraud, so I had to stay cautious.
When I arrived…
The place was a sushi restaurant? I double-checked the address and the location. I was in the right place.
I went inside. A receptionist asked if I had a reservation. I showed her the number I received, and she led me to a private room.
The dating site had a rule about not showing photos. With that in mind, I was surprised she chose a private place like this for the first date.
I knocked on the door, and a delicate voice responded from behind it.
"Knock, knock. Who is that?"
"Huh?"
What a strange first impression.
"It's me, Barry1456."
"Oh! You're here. Please come inside."
I slid open the door. In the traditional Japanese interior, a woman sat in a grey one-piece dress, wearing a mask and round clear glasses. Her shoulder-length hair was styled in a bob.
I sat opposite her. As she took off her disguise, I wondered if I had seen her somewhere before.
"What a coincidence! To think we'd meet like this."
"Have we met before—wait, no way!"
She smiled. "I didn't get the chance to say this back then, but thank you for saving my life. It's nice to meet you. I'm Hoshino Ai."
Let's rewind for a second.
Of course, I knew who she was.
She came from a series I both loved and hated.
One of the saddest deaths, in my opinion—stabbed by your own fan. Or stalker, really.
Hoshino Ai.
So, how did we meet?
A few months ago, I was apartment hunting. It took me a while, and—call it cliché—but I was there when she almost got stabbed by some freak.
But before he could stab her stomach, I appeared behind him like Miguel O'Hara Spider-Man and choked the shit out of him with Jiu-Jitsu. Yup—not in my timeline, bitch.
As much as I was glad to stop that tragic moment, I didn't want to get involved. So I ran faster than the IRS chasing unpaid taxes.
Still, it was cliché that we'd meet again like this.
To be sure it was her, I even searched her name on Gulugulu.
"Ai…"
"Oh, you know me? Wait, don't tell me you searched my name? Haha~" Her giggle was surprisingly pleasant. "By the way, I'm still waiting for you to tell me your name."
"You said you know me."
Ai chuckled again and rested her head on her hand. "I wonder if you know who you are."
I sighed. "I'm Batman."
She pouted. She didn't look angry—more like... easily teased.
"Kinoshita Kazuya. Nice to meet you, Ai."
Ai grinned. "Oh my god. Calling my first name already on our first date? I like your courage! No wait—I remember you from Tokyo Fashion Week!"
"Ah…" That job Umi gave me. "Right."
"Hehe~ Don't be shy. I really enjoyed the show from the sidelines. I think I've become your fan. Can I have your signature, Kazuya?"
I crossed my arms and shut my eyes. This woman was kind of random.
Anyway, if she's here, that means—wait, what is this?
A marriage registration form… what for?
Speechless, I looked at her as she tried to whistle, but no sound came out.
"Oh, my bad! Tehee! Wrong paper."
Once the pleasantries were done, we got to the real reason we were here.
Even though I knew about her, I pretended I didn't.
"So, you have kids? Was that real? I mean, you're an idol."
"I was. For your information, I retired four months ago... I think? Yup. Though I didn't write everything in the page, hehe. Actually, you're the first one who clicked my page. I mean, I must've looked suspicious."
I listened silently as she giggled and continued. "So, tell me about yourself, Kazuya."
Then we started talking about our jobs and hobbies—basic stuff.
As we talked, I noticed the way she smiled, her tone—she was a master of conversation.
"You're a year older? Then~ should I call you Onii-san?"
"Please don't." I laughed. "So, you quit, but you're still in showbiz?"
"Haha! Well, these days I mostly work behind the scenes by helping with talent coaching at my agency."
She told me why she quit. After her last Tokyo Dome tour, she announced her retirement—but kept the real reason secret.
Having PTSD from a near-death stalker attack wasn't easy. And I knew... the culprit wasn't the only one to blame.
I sighed inwardly. "Is that why you need a boyfriend?"
Ai smiled. "Haha, sorry for that. Yes, I'm scared. But honestly, I wanted a relationship because I need a father figure for my kids. At first, I expected to meet someone older, but this was... unexpected."
She laughed again. I was surprised how open she was. She even mentioned she was still scared of her ex—the police hadn't caught him yet.
"Ahaha! It's okay, Kazuya. I mean, I'm happy to finally meet my savior, but maybe we shouldn't continue—it's a waste of your time to date someone like me."
"Why?"
"I have kids."
"Okay…" I paused. "And?"
Ai looked confused.
"I don't mind. To be honest, I'm looking for someone serious—not just motel flings on every date."
"Eh? Is that so? Any reason?"
She looked a bit shy, but not tense like before.
I sighed inwardly. "I don't like wasting time."
Last night, I thought about this.
I'm not interested in short-term flings. Why waste time on something shallow?
I know Grandma wants me to date someone. For simply find Chizuru replacement and dumping her after Thanksgiving? No thanks. I won't repeat the same bullshit about fake girlfriend.
If this were a Korean drama, I'd save everyone's time in one episode. No need for 300+ chapters.
[Charm has leveled up!]
[Charm has leveled up!]
"If you're serious, I don't care about your past. Though, I am a little concerned—"
"Yeah, I'm serious. And hey, don't stress about my kids—I'm not dumping any responsibility on you. I've saved enough to take care of them. As for cooking, I'm learning on my own now, so don't worry about that either. When it comes to homework, well… my son's smart enough to teach his sister, so we've got that covered too. Right! It might be a bit soon, but… want to meet my kids sometime?"
"Okay, wait—that's not what I meant. I meant you're telling me everything on the first date… should I sign NDA?"
She smiled gently.
"You don't have to. Besides, why lie? A relationship is built on trust and honesty. I trust you, Kazuya—even if we're strangers. Let's just say I trust someone who would jump in to save a stranger. That alone is enough for me."
I guess… she's fine.
[Ding!]
A new Title has been made.
I Am Speed
Boost your Agility by 10% for 10 minutes.
…Huh?
My eyebrows twitched.
Anyway—
I've got my date for Thanksgiving.
Still, this was unexpectedly... fast.
---
The next day, I just got home from the gym and—"What is this? Ruka, did you order something?"
Ruka, on the sofa scrolling her phone, glanced at me. "Wait—I thought that was yours."
There was a big box in the living room. We accused each other of ordering it.
I gave up trying to remember and opened it.
"Kazuya-kun, this looks expensive—are you building a PC?"
I nodded. "Yes. But I was planning to buy it today—"
It couldn't be.
It's her! After everything, we just chatted about random stuff—and I told her about wanting to build a PC.
The latest monitor...
High-end processor—No way! She bought me the latest graphics card I wanted!
Holy fuck!
I'm dating a sugar mommy.
---
A/N: thank you for reading my story! Don't forget to leave a comment and drop some Power Stones to keep me motivated