[TaroTre] My Blind Date is My Childhood Friend - Chapter 15

“Tregear, do you like me?” Taro had suddenly dropped that sentence out of nowhere.

Tregear’s heart instinctively skipped a beat. He could hear his own pulse rising, and his mind involuntarily replayed every moment of his recent interactions with Taro. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had done something out of line today that Taro had finally caught onto.

He had forgotten one thing: the very act of coming here to “blind date” Taro was already quite out of line for him.

“Why would you ask that?” Tregear asked, forcing himself to remain calm.

“Because you came to this blind date with me today,” Taro said, looking at Tregear earnestly. “If you didn’t like me, why would you bother? We’ve known each other for so long, after all.”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? It’s a new regulation from the Science Bureau. Blind dating on a workday earns you a half-day of paid leave. It was a rare opportunity to skip work.” Tregear attempted to keep his tone light and indifferent, but only he knew that he didn’t even believe his own lie.

“Ah, so that’s why. I actually thought you liked me. If you did, I wouldn’t have to keep going on these blind dates.” Taro felt a pang of regret. He had genuinely considered that if Tregear liked him, he could just stop this whole search for a partner right now.

Hearing this, Tregear didn’t know whether to feel relieved that Taro was so easy to fool, or disappointed that he couldn’t see through such a flimsy excuse. Regardless, his mood soured instantly, and he lost all interest in deciphering the deeper meaning behind Taro’s last comment.

“I want milk tea. Go buy me a cup,” Tregear ordered, making use of his friend.

“Eh?” Taro didn’t understand why Tregear suddenly wanted milk tea. But since it was Tregear’s request, he obliged. “What kind of milk tea do you want?”

“Just pick one,” Tregear replied, his tone growing sharp.

“And the sweetness level?” Taro pressed.

“Whatever.” Tregear’s answer was dismissive. He hadn’t sent Taro off because he actually craved the drink; why was he being so meticulous? Just go buy it, Tregear thought, feeling a sudden surge of irritation.

“Normal ice or no ice?” Taro asked again.

“Decide for yourself!” Tregear was losing his patience. “Just go buy it quickly. It’ll take forever once the crowd gets bigger.” He gave Taro a firm shove toward the tea shop, though he didn’t follow; he still had to keep an eye on Taiga.

Taro had no choice but to head toward the shop, feeling completely bewildered. Why did Tregear suddenly get so cranky? Did I say something to upset him?

When he reached the shop, he found only two or three people in line. It wasn’t “crowded” at all. Taro scanned the menu and ordered Tregear’s usual favorite, but then ordered a second, different flavor he thought his friend might like just in case he wanted to try something new.

No ice, seventy percent sugar. It shouldn’t be too cold, and we should keep the sugar intake a bit lower, the single father thought, his “protective parent” instincts kicking in.

Taro walked back with the two cups to find Tregear still standing in the same spot, arms crossed, watching Taiga play.

“Pick one?” Taro held both cups out.

Tregear immediately spotted his usual order but chose the other one instead. He tore open the straw, poked it through the lid, and took a sip.

“What is this? It’s not sweet at all, and there’s no ice,” Tregear complained, frowning with clear distaste.

“It’s good to have something healthy once in a while,” Taro said. “Eating too much sugar causes hair loss.”

“Hmph. Overtime causes baldness even faster,” Tregear retorted. Nevertheless, he kept the cup and took occasional sips.

Tch, this drink is so boring. Not sweet at all, thought the sugar-addicted Ultra who usually insisted on full ice even in freezing weather.

Taro took the remaining cup for himself and stood beside Tregear, watching Taiga run wild on the playground equipment.

“Are you going to keep going on blind dates?” Tregear asked after having a moment to cool down while Taro was away.

“Hmm? No, I’m not planning to anymore,” Taro said. “Blind dating is such a hassle. As for marriage, we’ll see. Life is actually pretty good right now.”

“But then who will look after Taiga?” Tregear asked.

“Well… the people I met before didn’t really seem to like Taiga,” Taro admitted with a troubled expression. “Or rather, it wasn’t that they disliked him; they just seemed to mind his presence.”

“Oh,” Tregear responded coldly.

“Tregear, does your Science Bureau have regulations for marriage leave?” Taro asked.

“Yes. It’s actually quite long three months, I think,” Tregear recalled. “And if you have a child, you can leave work early to pick them up, as long as your tasks are finished.”

“That sounds amazing. The Defense Force has no fixed holidays; it’s a flexible shift system, which means if something happens, you have to work.” Taro was envious.

“The Science Bureau’s work usually isn’t that urgent. People mostly choose to work overtime on their own,” Tregear explained.

“Is that so?” Taro and Tregear continued their casual conversation.

After Taiga had played his fill, Taro and his son saw Tregear home before slowly making their way back to their own house.

On the way, Taiga spoke up: “Dad, Uncle Tregear is actually a pretty good guy.”

“I think so too,” Taro replied.