A Date with Rumi

Sunday morning, I hauled my groggy body out of bed, stretched my arms overhead, and worked the sleep from my limbs.

Today I had a movie date with Rumi. The Idol Party theatrical film, no less.

Honestly, I had no idea what Idol Party even was, or what the story was about. I'd never had the slightest interest in that kind of thing.

Still, if I was going to see the movie, I ought to do some homework first. That was just basic courtesy toward Rumi.

I searched for Idol Party on the wiki.

"Idol Party... what the hell is this?"

Students at a school on the brink of collapse form their own idol unit, get famous, and ultimately save the school.

What kind of anime was this?

Thanks to the wiki, I also learned what limited editions and gacha were. Otaku were thorough and meticulous when it came to the anime they loved.

To make sure I wouldn't get caught in a lie, I picked a random character and declared her my favorite. I even went into her individual page and memorized everything — her profile, her songs, her dances, even her usual hairstyles.

"Yeah. I'm a perfect otaku now."

I had successfully possessed the soul of a flawless otaku.

I checked the time. I needed to get going. I was already dressed, so I just threw on a coat and left the dorm.

The theater we'd agreed on was close to the academy, so I got there quickly. I looked around, but Rumi didn't seem to have arrived yet.

Oh. A quest.

A memory she'll never forget, huh? That sounds... harder than it should be.

I sat down on a nearby bench and stared into space, killing time — and then a thought snuck up on me.

Come to think of it, how long had it been since I'd been on a date with a girl?

I was suddenly nervous. I hadn't been thinking about it at all, but the moment I became aware of it, the tension hit.

Thump. Thump.

My heart was beating faster, too.

"So the day I actually need these finally came."

I pulled out one of the calming pills that crazy old pharmacist had given me and popped it into my mouth, washing it down with a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠few big gulps of water.

"What are you eating?"

"Cough—! Hack—!"

"A-are you okay? I'm so sorry! That's my fault!"

"No, no. I'm fine."

Rumi had come in a bright, pretty dress, her long black hair tied back with a red ribbon. It was the first time I'd seen her in casual clothes, and I had to admit — my heart skipped a little.

Her petite frame radiated a kind of innocent charm, but the curves she couldn't quite hide created an imbalance that made it obvious she'd put a lot of effort into getting dressed up.

"But what did you eat? Was it candy?"

"A calming pill. I was nervous."

"What's a calming pill?"

"Mm, think of it as medicine that settles your nerves and cools you down a bit. I got nervous thinking about going on a date with you, so I took one."

Rumi's face went redder and redder as she listened, and she ducked her head.

"W-wait? A date? I-I mean, shouldn't we, um, take things one step at a time? N-not that I don't want ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to! I actually... I actually like the idea, but..."

She fidgeted, crossing and uncrossing her fingers as she tried to figure out what to say. It was unbearably cute.

"I'm kidding. Or... do you actually want this to be a real date?"

"Huh? N-no, uuuugh... Please don't tease me."

Rumi looked at my face and finally realized she was being messed with. I should've held back the smile.

"Let's go in. Even if there should be plenty of seats, you never know — and we still need to get popcorn."

"Okay! Let's hurry!"

We headed into the theater.

I was about to buy tickets at the self-service kiosk when I noticed a poster stuck up beside the machine.

Rumi's gaze landed on the poster a second later.

"Eep!"

She made a strange little sound and looked back and forth between the poster and the machine. Then she slowly turned her head and met my eyes. I could read the request in those sparkling, wide-open pupils without her saying a word.

I should play along here. I'd come here pretending to be an otaku, after all.

"Rumi, want to do a couple seat? They said they'll give us an image board and a photo card."

"Ah— yes! I'd love to! Let's do the couple seat!"

The mere fact that we'd booked a couple seat sent her energy through the roof.

Is it really that good?

Anyway, I reserved the couple seats, grabbed the popcorn, and we headed into the theater.

"We're the only mixed couple in here."

"...You're right."

To my surprise, every one of the ten or so couple seats lined up in a row was occupied by two guys. They were even holding weird glow sticks. Why were there glow sticks in a movie theater?

And why were Rumi's eyes lighting up at the sight of them?

"Hic... hic..."

"...Don't cry."

Rumi was apparently dead serious about Idol Party.

She'd started sniffling about ten minutes before the end, saying this was the last theatrical film in the series, and now she was walking out of the theater with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Here. Take my card. Take this and stop crying."

I held out everything — the card we'd gotten for booking a couple seat, the poster that came as a standard bonus, even the in-game coupon.

"Hoyeon! You can't just give something this precious away to someone else!"

"Just take it when I'm offering. If you refuse, I'm never giving you anything again."

"I'm sorry... I want to refuse, but I want them so badly... hic."

Even while crying, she made sure to collect every last item. She was like a cute little puppy. If I'd had any money, I would've bought her more — but after donating to the orphanage, I was genuinely broke.

"In exchange, let's go get lunch. I'm starving."

"Okay! I'll treat you to a really good tteokbokki place! Let's go!"

Tteokbokki again? I didn't hate tteokbokki, so whatever. Fine by me.

"Over here! Here~!"

Rumi dashed ahead, already thinking about tteokbokki, and pointed at a shop called Station Grandpa's Soju.

"Rumi, no matter how I look at this, isn't this a bar?"

"They say the tteokbokki here is amazing. It's famous on Everyday, too!"

"Yeah? Well, if you say so."

I went in with Rumi. The door chimed overhead.

"Welcome~ Just the two of you?"

"Yes."

"Right this way~"

We were shown to a tucked-away table for two.

"One brisket and tripe tteokbokki, please!"

"Got it!"

"Is that the famous tteokbokki?"

"Yes! Everyday went completely crazy over it. I've wanted to come here, but Lucy doesn't really like tteokbokki, so..."

Ah. She didn't have a friend to come with, so she couldn't come alone. There'd been a time when I couldn't walk into a restaurant by myself either. Once you got used to it, it was actually more comfortable.

Then again — this was a bar. Maybe she physically couldn't have come alone.

"Rumi, is there anything you've always wanted to try?"

"Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

The way she looked at me, eyes wide and sparkling, was a lot of pressure. Saying I'm going to give you a memory you'll never forget to a face like that felt uncomfortably close to a crime.

"No reason. Just — things you've always wanted to do but never got to. We could do them together now, right?"

"Aww, Hoyeon, you're so kind.... But I'm already having so much fun!"

Ah, forget it. She was too sweet and innocent. I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud.

"One tteokbokki, coming up!"

A staff member brought the food over, and the conversation shifted naturally.

"Wow, wow — putting brisket and tripe in tteokbokki! Who even thinks of that?!"

Rumi speared a piece of brisket, a piece of tripe, and a rice cake all at once and popped them into her mouth.

"Mmm~"

She shook her head wildly from side to side. It looked exactly like a dog shaking off water.

Why did I keep thinking of a puppy every time I looked at Rumi? She didn't even have a dog-like face. It was just everything she did.

Judging by the way the corners of her mouth were trying to fly off her face, it must have been delicious. Wasn't she getting dizzy?

Curious now, I picked up a bite myself.

"Wow. This is actually really good."

"Right? Right?! It's so good!"

The tripe was rich and chewy without any lingering greasiness, the brisket carried a grilled, smoky char as if it'd been seared before going in, and the rice cakes were perfectly springy. It was genuinely delicious.

"This is the kind of food that makes you crave a drink."

"Makes you crave a drink?"

"Yeah. A shot of soju with this would be perfect."

"...Should we order drinks, then?"

"Drinks? I'm fine with it, but can you handle alcohol?"

"I've actually never had any. Hehe."

Found it. A memory she'll never forget. Learning to drink for the first time — that had to count, right? I wasn't sure I should be the one teaching alcohol to a girl this innocent, but she'd have to learn someday. Better I watch over her than let her fall into the hands of some scumbag.

"Yeah? Then let's try it together while we're here."

"Okay! I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠love to!"

Ding-dong.

"Excuse me! Two bottles of soju over here!"

"Coming~"

Then again — wasn't soju way too harsh for someone learning to drink?

"Actually, make one of those grapefruit soju!"

I vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that girls liked fruit-flavored soju. I swapped one bottle for grapefruit.

The drinks and glasses arrived, and I poured a shot for Rumi. She poured one for me in return. Receiving a drink from a pretty girl was a first, and it felt strangely nice.

To think the day would come when I'd take a glass of soju and steal a glance at a girl's chest instead of staring at some gloomy guy's face. I was genuinely moved.

"Alright. You say 'cheers,' clink the soju glasses, and then drink. Cheers."

"Cheers!"

Gulp, gulp.

"Khh."

The first drink I'd had since transmigrating into this world. Maybe it had just been too long, but it was painfully bitter.

Or maybe it was because Lee Ho-yeon's body had never touched alcohol.

Across from me, Rumi hadn't even managed to finish half her glass.

"Ugh, it's so bitter. Bleh."

"Eat some tteokbokki. And next time I'll pour you this one. It should be a little sweeter."

"Okaaay... but I really can't drink this, it's too bitter..."

"Give it here. I'll finish it."

I took her glass and downed the remaining half in one shot.

"Th-that was the one I drank from..."

"Ah. Sorry. You said you couldn't drink it, and I didn't want it to go to waste."

"I-it's okay."

Rumi, cheeks flushed, stabbed a rice cake and brought it to her mouth.

"Ahem. Want to try the grapefruit soju? It'll actually be fine, I promise."

When things got briefly awkward, another drink usually fixed it.

"Okay. Please pour me one."

Rumi stared down the soju bottle and the glass like a general heading off to war. She was being way too dramatic about a single shot of soju.

I poured her the grapefruit, poured myself the regular, and we clinked glasses again.

Cheers!

Gulp, gulp.

"Mm, it's still a little bitter, but it's sweet enough that I can drink it."

"Good. Glad I ordered one of those."

"But people say you get drunk when you drink. When am I going to get drunk?"

"That depends on the person. Do you feel good, or is your face getting hot?"

"Mmmm... I don't think I feel anythin' like thaat..."

Rumi mumbled, pressing her own hand to her forehead.

Your tongue is already twisting, Rumi.

"I think I'm actually pretty good at drinkin'... Let's have another one!"

"Maybe we should take it a little slower?"

"Cheers!"

"Ueeeh..."

"I told you to drink slowly."

"Nngh... my head huuurts..."

I rubbed her back in slow, steady pats.

After we ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠left the bar, I stood in the middle of the street gently patting Rumi's back. I'd told her to take it slow, and she'd gone and downed five shots in a row. She was completely gone.

Usually if you were this much of a lightweight, you'd at least notice your face getting hot or your head starting to hurt. Was being a lightweight just an inescapable fate for a heroine?

"I'm sleepyyy..."

"No. If you fall asleep out here, you'll wake up with a crooked face. Rumi. Rumi?"

"Uuunngh..."

She crumpled. I hooked my arms under hers and hauled her back to her feet. I shook her this way and that, but she showed absolutely no intention of standing on her own.

"Ueeeeh..."

"...Yeah. She's gone."

Completely plastered. I couldn't just leave her here. So what was I supposed to do with her?

A brightly lit sign glowed about a block ahead.

"I don't have a choice. Yeah. I really don't have a choice."

I genuinely don't have a choice. I mean it.