Chapter 283 : The Day Before the Date
Chapter 283: The Day Before the Date
Thump. Thump.
After finishing everything she had to do for the day, Airi lay down on her bed.
With only a single mood lamp turned on, she tried to fall asleep, but the conversation from earlier kept replaying in her mind, refusing to let her sleep.
-Please go on a date with me.
-Airi....
-A date.
-Wait, that's....
-A date.
-Let's calm down first and think about something else....
-A date.
-......
-You said you'd grant me anything.
-......Sigh. Fine.
Only after the fact did embarrassment hit her, and she repeatedly kicked her blanket.
Not knowing what to do, she pressed both hands against her cheeks.
The heat radiating through her palms was intense.
It felt as though she'd been burned.
If she looked in a mirror right now, her face would probably be as red as a tomato.
“Aaaahhhhhh......!”
After flailing about on her bed for quite some time, Airi finally managed to catch her breath before abruptly sitting upright.
The heat coursing through her body made it impossible to sleep.
The belated wave of embarrassment tormented her mercilessly.
Why did I do something like that?
He must think I'm weird now, right?
Countless worries and regrets filled her with indescribable self-loathing...
Yet despite all that, one thing remained certain.
She had done it.
“S-Still... I did it, right? Right? Didn't I?”
Aaron had definitely said, "Fine."
That meant the date itself was officially confirmed.
As soon as she realized that, the strange sense of fulfillment, anticipation, and happiness buried beneath her embarrassment slowly began resurfacing.
“He... hehe....”
I won.
I managed to score a victory.
Her cheeks unconsciously relaxed into a foolish grin.
But only for a moment.
The instant her smiling cheeks twitched, they suddenly froze.
She had just realized she was forgetting something incredibly important.
‘...What exactly is a date?’
She vaguely remembered asking herself the same question before and never finding an answer.
She roughly understood that it meant a man and a woman spending some intimate time together...
“But... what exactly does 'intimate' mean...?”
More importantly...
What were people actually supposed to do on a date?
In a panic, Airi immediately opened her internet application, typed "girl's first date" into the search bar, and hit search.
“Recommended places for your first date with your crush... First date outfits... TOP 20 things you should never do on a date....”
The internet truly was humanity's savior.
Like someone possessed, Airi read every single one of the top twenty search results without skipping a single article.
And then she realized...
She wasn't prepared for a date at all.
“Clothes! I don't have any clothes...!”
Like a spring launching into the air, Airi leaped off her bed and frantically threw open her wardrobe.
Naturally, it contained nothing but the standard Academy uniforms and combat equipment issued by the school.
“Not here...!”
Opening the lower drawer revealed several hoodies and pairs of jeans she'd frequently worn before enrolling in the Academy.
Hurriedly, Airi reopened the article she'd just been reading—
"Women's Date Fashion in 2XXX."
Comparing the outfits in the article to the clothes she owned...
She fell into despair.
“W-What do I do?”
I really...
Don't have...
Any clothes...!
She still had the outfit she'd worn during their visit to Serena's university last time.
But instinctively, she knew wearing the same outfit again wasn't a good option.
She needed new clothes.
Thankfully...
There was still time before the date.
Today was Thursday, and the date was scheduled for Saturday.
If she placed an express order immediately, it should arrive by tomorrow somehow.
Then suddenly, something came to mind.
“Ah, right! I had that...!”
Immediately closing the wardrobe, Airi pressed the button mounted above it.
Since she'd never used the function before, she fumbled around for a while, but eventually succeeded in activating the Smart Mirror feature she'd wanted.
The wardrobe's surface smoothly transformed into glass, reflecting Airi in her pajamas.
At the same time, a voice emerged from the built-in speakers.
[Hello, Airi. How may I assist you today?]
“I need clothes! New clothes!”
[Do you require an appointment with a psychiatrist? Or, if you require assistance from an emergency physician or the police—.]
“Hey! Clothes! I said clothes! Who are you calling crazy!?”
[My apologies, Airi. Based on an analysis of your normal spending habits, the probability of you purchasing new clothing is extremely low. Furthermore, it is currently 1:00 AM. Attempting to purchase new clothing during these late-night hours deviates significantly from your established behavioral patterns.]
“W-What?”
[Based on these factors, analysis of your statement, "I need clothes! New clothes!" indicates a 59% probability that you are currently experiencing mental distress, a 23% probability that this is an emergency SOS signal, and an 8% probability that you are experiencing hallucinations caused by illegal narcotics such as Junk Chips....]
“Shut up! I really need clothes!”
Damn AI.
It was definitely picking on her because she rarely used it.
At least, that's how Airi felt.
[Understood. What kind of clothing do you require?]
“I have a date the day after tomorrow. It's the first date of my life. It's super, super important, so recommend me some cute clothes.”
[Understood. Generating recommendations.]
At the same time, images of new outfits were overlaid onto Airi's reflection.
It was a feature that allowed her to preview herself wearing clothes without physically trying them on.
The problem was...
“These are all just combinations of clothes already in my wardrobe!”
[These are the optimal date outfit combinations created using the clothing currently available in your wardrobe.]
“What kind of person wears a bulletproof vest with a skirt on a date!?”
[Due to New Valhalla City's recent increase in crime rates, incidents occurring during dates have steadily increased....]
“Forget that—I need new clothes! Not things I already own!”
[Understood. Generating recommendations using the most popular fashion items from the city's largest online shopping mall.]
Only then did the Smart Mirror begin recommending brand-new outfits instead of combinations made from Airi's existing wardrobe.
Finally letting out a sigh of relief, Airi carefully began browsing through them.
Then...
She noticed something strange once again.
“Wait.”
[Is something wrong, Airi?]
“Maybe it's because I don't understand fashion... but aren't these clothes kind of... old-fashioned? Are these really what's trendy these days...?”
[That cannot be correct! These recommendations were generated using the latest fashion trend data from August, 2X○○....]
“That was ten years ago! No wonder they looked so outdated!”
What kind of settings does this thing even have!?
[We apologize. If you are dissatisfied with your currently installed 'Fashion & Beauty Pack,' please download the latest version. It will provide recommendations that better match current fashion trends.]
“Download it immediately.”
[Would you like the free download or the paid download?]
“...What's the difference?”
[Download speed.]
“Th-Then... the free one....”
Although her finances had become somewhat more comfortable thanks to her scholarship recently...
Wouldn't it still be better to save money?
If the content was identical and only the download speed differed, she didn't mind waiting a little—
[Beginning free download. Estimated remaining time: '304,961 hours, 38 minutes, and 29 seconds.']
“Cancel! Cancel! I'll pay!”
That's thirty-four years!
I'll die of old age before the date!
[Download canceled. Please complete payment to begin the premium download.]
“How much?”
[4,900 credits.]
“You shameless thieves....”
For the first time in quite a while, Airi felt genuine anger toward corporations.
With tears in her eyes, she reluctantly paid the 4,900 credits.
Money truly was powerful.
Unlike the absurdly long free download, the paid version finished in only ten seconds.
[Thank you for downloading the latest 'Fashion & Beauty Pack.' The latest version provides a wider variety of clothing, accessory, and cosmetic recommendations based on the date location and your date partner's preferences. Would you like to enter that information?]
“I... haven't decided on the location yet.”
[Then I will recommend the latest popular date locations along with suitable women's outfits.]
“O-Oh....”
Cafe date outfits.
Movie theater date outfits.
Park date outfits.
Sports date outfits.
The Smart Mirror recommended beautiful women's clothing based on each type of date location.
Using augmented reality, Airi virtually tried on one outfit after another, letting out impressed exclamations.
Paying really did make a difference.
Unlike before, the recommended outfits now resembled the fashionable styles she'd seen online.
There were even several she genuinely liked.
“But... I like these. Will my date like them too? I heard men and women have different tastes.”
[Who is your date partner?]
“Hmm... He's tall, handsome, and... just in case... do you know someone named 'Aaron Stingray?'”
[Aaron Stingray is the eldest son of the Stingray conglomerate, the current Chairman of the Stingray Foundation, and the elder brother of Kalia Stingray, President of Stingray Group's fashion brand 'SFL SHOP,' the company that created me....]
“That's right. That's him.”
[......I do not understand.]
“What was with that pause? I'm telling you my date partner is Aaron Stingray. I doubt you have a function like this... but if you happen to know the Chairman's preferences, could you recommend something based on his tastes?”
Without realizing it, Airi spoke with a hint of pride.
She hadn't intended it.
But human nature made people want to brag, even just a little, about dating someone like that.
The Smart Mirror AI answered in the same cheerful, polite voice.
[Wow, you're going on a date with such an amazing person! Chairman Aaron Stingray's fashion preferences have never been publicly disclosed. However, based on the preferences of twenty-nine-year-old men stored within my database....]
“Huh? W-Wait. Everything's fine, but what's this phone number and the 'Attempting Connection' notification on the screen? Who are you calling?”
[Currently attempting to contact a psychiatrist at Stingray General Hospital....]
“What!? No! I'm seriously going on a date with the Chairman! I'm not lying or delusional! Now even machines think I'm some crazy woman! Seriously!?”
Airi exploded in outrage.
Eventually, after arguing with the Smart Mirror AI for quite some time, she finally forced it to surrender and successfully purchased the clothes she liked.
Still...
The commotion that had unfolded at two o'clock in the morning left a small scar on Airi's delicate heart.
It was more than enough to revive the corporate hatred that had finally begun fading over the past year since enrolling in the Academy.
Incidentally, Airi only discovered about a month later that the 4,900 credits she'd paid for the "Fashion & Beauty Pack" update did not include VAT (Value-Added Tax).
She was holding the receipt in utter fury when she found out.
After overcoming all those twists and turns...
Saturday finally arrived.
The day of Airi and Aaron's date.