* * *

School had just ended. 

Yuuji was waiting for Megumi outside of the photography room, which was Yuuji's fourth period class, because Megumi said that he would meet him up there and then they'd hang out together. 

Yuuji debated asking Megumi about what he had heard from Ichika and Himari's conversation in class. Are the rumors true? Okkotsu-senpai is Megumi's ex-boyfriend? So that's the real reason he wants them to fake date? 

And he also wanted to ask about the whole soulmate thing. If Megumi and Okkotsu-senpai were soulmates, then why did Megumi break up with him? If they were soulmates, then why does Megumi want to avoid him so much?

But he remembered what Megumi told him when they first agreed to go out. To not ask about any rumors and just ignore them. So he decided not to say anything for now. 

"Yuuji!" Megumi called out. Megumi walked towards him. And then they left the school together.

This time, they went to a candy shop for their after school date. The candy shop was vibrant and exuberant, almost like you were walking through a giant rainbow. There was a giant lollipop near the back of the store, but it was only there for decoration.

Megumi had brought him here because Yuuji heard that this candy shop was famous, especially for their lollipops. Megumi ended up buying him a whole bag of candy, and then they sat down at a table. Megumi didn't buy any candy for himself however and just got some coffee. 

Yuuji started the conversation. "So I guess this whole soulmate thing is a big deal. Even though I don't know anything about it."

Megumi stopped drinking his coffee. He knew that Yuuji lived in the country side, but did he really not know about soulmates? 

"You don't know what soulmates are? Are you for real?" Megumi asked. "Even kids know about soulmates! You basically learn about it when you're in elementary, the same time you learn about division and multiplication!"

"Oh..." Yuuji said, embarrassed that he didn't know about basic knowledge like that. "Well the thing is, I was homeschooled for almost all of my life back when I lived in the country side. I didn't even have friends my age, since we lived so far away from everyone else. So, um, yeah."

"I guess you really do live under a rock." Megumi commented.

Megumi went on. "It's pretty much self explanatory. A soulmate is a person you are destined to be with. The tale goes that the goddess blessed humanity with the ability to have a soulmate, so that was how it came to be. It's basically when two people have to love each other no matter what. Someone who your soul longs for." Megumi was disgusted at having to explain it, especially since it was just a repetition of what he heard from people all his life. 

"Wow, so  everyone has a soulmate?" Yuuji asked.

"Not everyone," Megumi clarified. "Only the so-called chosen people who are blessed with it do. Basically only people with a soul mark. I can't believe you really don't know this stuff. Your parents never mentioned it at all?"

"Maybe they did, once or twice." Yuuji thought about it. "It probably wasn't that important to them. I don't think they believe in stuff like that. Like how they don't believe in a god or goddess."

"Even with the soul marks and all the evidence?" Megumi asked.

"Yeah" Yuuji confirmed. "I think they were deniers." He remembered that his parents were very secular. 

"Looks like I have something in common with your parents," Megumi mumbled, quiet enough so that Yuuji didn't hear

"But having a soulmate sounds very romantic!" Yuuji exclaimed. "Having someone you're destined to be with forever. Like you were made for each other."

"And that's exactly the problem," Megumi responded.

Yuuji got confused. "What do you mean?"

Megumi sighed. "In theory it sounds nice. In reality it's complete bullshit. You're basically bound to the person for life, and it's taboo to date anyone else. The person you will marry is basically decided for you the moment you get the mark. You're even legally recognized as one person with your soulmate once you're no longer a minor."

"Well if you put it like that...maybe it's not so romantic after all..." Yuuji said.

"I know right?" Megumi agreed. "It's basically robbing people of their choice of who to love. What's so romantic about that?" 

Megumi took another sip of his coffee. "If I fall in love, I want it to be because I chose them, and not because fate told me to or some bullshit like that. I want it to be from my own will."

Suddenly Yuuji's candy didn't seem so delicious anymore. "Wait, if you have a soul mark, you really can't date anyone other than your soulmate? Is it illegal!?" He shouted.

"Well no but there are a lot of complications surrounding it. Social consequences, bad things happening, stuff like that. If you do it, you're basically cursing yourself, your relationship, and your non-soulmate partner." Megumi said.

A curse, Yuuji thought.

He took another sip of coffee then continued. "I think it used to be illegal around a decade ago but the government decided they'd let fate punish those who went against the goddess instead of doing a punishment themselves. Besides, it's not really a problem for people because no one dates anyone other than their soulmate when they get their soul mark. Even I don't know of any examples." 

There was a gloomy atmosphere between them. Yuuji remembered what the girls were talking about. Okkotsu-senpai is Megumi's soulmate, they said. But if that were true....then what would happen to Yuuji and Megumi...?

Yuuji tried brushing the thought aside. It didn't matter anyways, they were only fake dating. It's not like they were really dating so it's not like something bad would happen to them. Right?

"Anyways, you said you grew up in the country side." Megumi changed the topic. "What's that like?" He asked. 

"Oh my parents owned a rose and fruit farm. And they grew a lot of plants." He answered. "So I helped them run it. I remember my mom once wanted to open it up to the public so people could visit but my dad valued our privacy too much so we didn't."  

"Hmm so your parents are secular people and you lived away from modern society on a farm while being homeschooled your whole life." Megumi observed. "You sound like a hippie. Actually I think there's a better term for it since you don't do drugs. Or at least I think you don't."

"Haha, we just lived an alternative lifestyle," Yuuji laughed. "I miss living there, it always smelled nice. And it was really peaceful too."

"Sounds nice, maybe I should live on a farm," Megumi joked. "But you'll be able to go back and visit right?" He asked. 

"I don't know," Yuuji admitted. "Apparently my dad promised to turn the farm over to his sister in a will he wrote a long time ago, but it's being disputed so now there's a giant inheritance war over it, along with my parents fortune. So I don't know if I can go back." He said. 

"Sorry to hear that, that sucks." Megumi sympathized. "Hopefully it can get cleared out and you can inherit what you deserve."

"Thanks," Yuuji smiled. Maybe one day I can bring you there, he thought. 

"So did you own any animals? Since it's a farm?" Megumi asked him.

"Nah, just a dog, but he died." Yuuji said. "How about you, do you own any animals?" He asked back. 

"I have an owl at home," Megumi told him. And he's probably annoying my dad right now, Megumi thought.

"Really? That's so cool!" Yuuji exclaimed. "I love birds. What's your owl's name?"

"Nue," Megumi answered. "His name is Nue. He's brown and he's huge. He might even be one of the biggest owls in the world. His wingspan is twice as long as my arms."

"Woah," Yuuji said, amazed. "Does he talk?"

"He's not a parrot," Megumi told him.

"I know, I'm just kidding." Yuuji laughed. "Can I see him?" He requested. 

"Yeah sure, I'll show him to you one day. Actually let's go on Saturday, since it's the weekend. We can take a walk in the park together in the afternoon, and I'll bring him." He said. I still don't want Yuuji to come to my house, Megumi thought. 

"Then, it's date?" Yuuji asked. 

"It's a date," Megumi said. 

Another fake date, but still a date.