Caught in 3D Ch. 03

Warning: This is a bit of a slow burn romance series, but it will have some uncomfortable scenes. All characters are 18 and over. I hope you enjoy the short journey!

Chapter 3

The sun rose, signaling a new day, but it was a strange time in the Fuji household. For once, on a Saturday morning, the young manga fan did not have his head buried in one of his magazines, nor was he occupied by the hundreds of strangers he normally discussed various anime topics with on his message board.

It was the day after Fuji's date with Sabrina--the first date of his entire life. And although he considered it far from a success, he found it difficult to think about anything else, especially given the way the date ended.

He realized that any young man his age would feel incredibly fortunate to be in the room of a beautiful woman like Sabrina. Even more, countless others likely dreamed of being in the exact situation he found himself in.

Still, Fuji couldn't help but feel violated by some of the unsolicited contact Sabrina so strangely provided before the night was over. He never wanted to kiss her, and he definitely didn't invite her to rub his crotch.

As much as those actions went against his will, Fuji couldn't deny how much adrenaline rushed through his body as those naughty images replayed in his mind. It was all he could think about the next day. And unfortunately for him, the more his mind was fixed on what happened, the more frustrated he became about the entire situation.

Truthfully, there were issues brewing in both his brain and in his underpants. He didn't like Sabrina in the first place, so they were never supposed to get this far. However, his disdain for the self-centered woman only made it more difficult for him to accept that she actually provided him pleasure.

As he sat in his chair, not even facing his computer for once, he was suddenly brought back to the moment he locked lips with her... while she rubbed her open palm against his erect cock. He could almost feel her hand violating him again, while alone in his room. And as he took a deep gulp and reflected on his carnal desires, he could no longer deny that he wished he could feel that sensation once again.

Suddenly, guilt started to overtake him as reality set in. The unfortunate truth was that he understood she didn't actually have feelings for him.

At the same time, he only asked her out to win a challenge on his message board. He never even considered she would accept his proposal. And of course, never in his wildest imagination could he have guessed he would be dealing with these confusing, yet erotic, emotions.

Of course, it felt good when she violated me, he said to himself, still sitting in silence. But I shouldn't be having all these confusing feelings. I shouldn't like or dislike anything about her at all! We mean nothing to each other, and that's how it always will be.

I need to find a way to break up with her so I can prevent getting into an even bigger mess. But at the same time... Sabrina isn't going to be easy to break up with...

As she's already proven... she doesn't really take no for an answer.

For once, manga was the furthest thing from the young man's mind. Funny enough, given the last memory he had with Sabrina, he actually had a craving to watch porn, which was something he so rarely did.

Taking a deep breath, he resisted the urge to dive into any dangerous temptations. He understood that the more he associated Sabrina with pleasure, the more difficult it would be for him to do what was right.

I need to break up with her, and I need to do it soon! I can't go fantasizing about what happened. More importantly, I have to stop thinking about how good it felt when she rubbed my dick like that!

And the fact that we were kissing... ugh! That wasn't supposed to be how my first kiss went!

That's not how romance is supposed to go. She doesn't even deserve to be stuck doing bullshit like that with a guy who doesn't actually want to be in a relationship with her!

Fuji needed a distraction, but with lust on his mind, manga didn't seem like the escape he was looking for. However, he would eventually find a happy medium once his favorite female character--the true love of his life--crossed his mind.

Pulling out a magazine from his secret stash hidden inside his drawer, Fuji set his sights on a naughty cover photo of his precious Faye Valentine. No, it wasn't porn; the character wasn't even wearing anything out of the ordinary.

With her small yellow top showing off her flat stomach, her busty chest matched with her tiny shorts that showcased her luscious long legs and her beautifully sculpted tush, Fuji was mesmerized by the fictional character, practically drooling onto the page.

Of course, no one could compare to her in his mind; not even Sabrina. As pathetic as it was, it took a fictional character for the manga nerd to recenter himself and reflect on his priorities.

Eventually though, after looking her curvy figure up and down several times, he was forced to let out a sigh of despair. Oh, Faye... you'll never use me like Sabrina... he said silently, facing the sad reality life had presented him with. You can't use me... because unlike her... you're not real.

Moving slowly, he put the photo back in his secret drawer before taking another deep breath. Maybe that's why I like anime girls so much... because they don't have the ability to betray me.

For the first time in as long as he could remember, fictional characters didn't fulfill his heart like they once did. His eyes grew dull as he stared at the empty void in front of him.

Suddenly, even the screen before him no longer held any meaning. The monitor was off, which was a good representation of the emptiness he felt inside.

Although he did not have a good time on his one and only date, there was no more denying that his heart actually felt something for once. And despite the confusing array of emotions crashing inside of him, something about Sabrina made him feel alive.

This wasn't a good thing unfortunately, because the relationship was nothing but a lie. And as far as Fuji was concerned, he now felt validated for rejecting normal society.

After I break up with her, I'll go back to being a shut-in NEET. That way, I'll never have to deal with these pointless feelings again.

This whole thing was fake to begin with. We're both to blame, she and I. Yeah, none of this is real, but we'll probably both end up hurt... even though it's all meaningless in the end...

***

As if Fuji wasn't dealing with enough emotions that day, he still had to see Sabrina at the food festival that night. Before their night ended with such a confusing yet forceful event, he had agreed to go on a second date, essentially giving her another chance to carry on with the fake relationship.

Unfortunately, though something about Sabrina made him feel alive, he still had to deal with the fact that she was quite a rude person in general. She had promised to treat him better this time, but he wasn't confident she would keep her word. Now that Fuji had given in to her request, there was no telling if she would go right back to acting like a spoiled brat.

Also, Sabrina now had reason to be more confident than ever. After Fuji constantly denied giving her the attention she was used to receiving, she was able to regain her pride when she forced him into a moment of weakness.

Perhaps what Fuji feared most was that he was going to experience the real Sabrina. And from what he had gathered the previous night, he could only assume that buried below all the beauty and selfishness... was an absolutely crazy woman.

Maybe she'll be on her best behavior since she practically begged me for a second chance, he thought as he once again found himself walking to the festival underneath the night sky. Then, suddenly fighting the adrenaline rushing below his belt, he continued, Or maybe she'll be an even bigger psycho... after what she did to me...

Unlike the previous night, the nerdy young man actually made it on time, but Sabrina was nowhere to be found. As he waited for her however, he could hardly even worry about her tardiness when he was so focused on how fake everything was.

He waited and he waited, but still, he didn't see her at their agreed meet up spot. Reflecting on the excitement he saw in her eyes when she finally got the attention she craved, he started to wonder if she show up at all.

Slowly, he began to think that she was just going to stand him up. In a way, Sabrina had already achieved what she wanted.

Fuji was the one guy who didn't act head over heels for her. And after the embarrassing erection she forced out of him, as she kissed and rubbed him in a moment of uncontrolled passion, it made sense to Fuji that she no longer needed any validation from him.

You know, I'm glad she didn't show up, he said to himself, taking a deep breath. It's better this way actually. She already proved to herself that she has all the power over me. There's no reason to go on this date. We don't have to fake it any longer.

And as for me, I didn't want to give her a second chance. I didn't even want to go on the first date to begin with! We can both stop pretending that this is real. And best of all, I can go back to ignoring people's pointless emotions... including my own.

Suddenly, just as he was about to take the first step towards the exit, he heard a loud but panicked voice calling out to him.

"Fuji!"

As he turned his head, his eyes were suddenly captivated by a beautiful figure rushing towards him. It was her, Sabrina, in all her glory...

... and in his eyes, she looked absolutely stunning.

No, she wasn't dolled up with her hair done while dressed in one of her nicest outfits. Instead, she was wearing a plain t-shirt with small jean shorts, and her hair was tied up in a simple ponytail.

Fuji was wide-eyed, staring at the panicked woman as she came rushing towards him. Perhaps in her mind, she was dressed a little too simple for such an occasion. In his mind however, he appreciated the simplicity of seeing her in a more natural state--not hidden behind a blob of makeup.

In that moment, he took time to appreciate her figure from head to toe. And though he had always accepted that she was an attractive human specimen, for the first time in his life, he could almost compare someone to Faye Valentine.

Witnessing her long and luscious legs, matched with her tight waist and her curvy accessories, Fuji couldn't help but wonder how Sabrina would look if she cosplayed as his favorite animated character. And with her piercing eyes and her shiny dark hair, it became even clearer how easy it would be for her to emulate the exact image he had spent his entire life fantasizing about.

"Sorry I'm late, Fuji!" she said, catching her breath as she stopped right in front of the beet red manga nerd. "I texted you, but you never responded. I hope you're not mad... especially after I freaked out on you for doing the same thing yesterday..."

Suddenly, the blush on his face disappeared as a confused look came over him. After checking his phone, he realized that she had indeed warned him that she was running a few minutes behind.

"Oh, that's okay..." he said, trying his best not to compare her to Faye Valentine any longer. "Thanks for the warning... I guess I wasn't paying attention to my phone."

"Ugh, I look like shit!" Sabrina express, appearing oddly grateful that she had finally made it to the date. "I didn't have time to make myself look all cute because something came up. But I guess that works out better for you because you won't have to bother taking any pictures of me."

Admittedly, one of the most annoying parts about their first date, in Fuji's mind, was having to take so many photos of the self-centered woman. However, even though he was relieved he didn't have to fulfill that duty again, the idea of not doing it simply because Sabrina didn't look good enough didn't sit right in his heart.

Truth be told, he wished he had the courage to tell her she was even more attractive this way, when she wasn't trying so hard to showcase her beauty. The natural look suited her better in his mind, not only because she more resembled Faye Valentine now, but also because she was just being her normal self.

Instead of talking about her looks however, he attempted to move on from the subject, hoping not to blush in front of her for too long. "So what came up? Is everything okay?"

Immediately, the franticness on Sabrina's face disappeared and was replaced with a bitter look of annoyance. "I'd rather not talk about that right now," she explained, rolling her eyes. "Let's just focus on having fun."

As she walked towards the festival, Fuji quickly picked up on the difference in her behavior from their previous date. Although she was leading the way, it didn't feel like he was just following behind her like a lost puppy. And despite not having any interest in holding her hand, it was apparent that she wasn't keeping it occupied, purposely avoiding the opportunity.

Wait, does she WANT me to hold her hand? he asked himself, now that they were suddenly walking side by side.

Their hands swayed by their hips, almost brushing against each other. However, he quickly chalked it up to coincidence, given that her mind seemed preoccupied with whatever she had been dealing with before the date.

"So which booth would you like to try first?" Sabrina asked, coming to a stop. "You must have had your eye on something yesterday."

Even after the desperation she showed for a second date, Fuji was still taken aback by how willing she was to fix her behavior. After peeking around at a few options, he quickly chose a place that had caught his eye.

"How about takoyaki?"

"Takoyaki?" she reacted, raising an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"It's a sort of Japanese street food," Fuji explained, pointing out the Asian themed booth hidden behind a few traditional stands. "I think it's made out of vegetables and octopus."

"Octopus?!" she reacted, now showing a bit of disdain in her pretty brown eyes. Quickly, she changed her attitude, almost as if she realized how put off she looked. "Well, if you say so. Do you really think it's good?"

Raising an eyebrow of his own, Fuji responded, "Wait, you're really okay with it?"

"Yeah, why not? I did offer to let you choose, didn't I? I'm willing to give it a try."

Sabrina sat at a table and waited for Fuji to order the food. But when he got back, the disgust on her face was pretty apparent as he put down the balls of octopus meat.

To Fuji's surprise however, she consciously changed her face once again before explaining her initial thoughts. "This looks kind of nasty... but I won't make any final judgments until I get a taste."

While Sabrina struggled with her chopsticks, Fuji dug in and took a bite, showing how proficient he was with Japanese food. She eventually managed to scoop some food into her mouth. However, her lack of skills with the chopsticks was pretty adorable in his eyes.

"So what do you think?"

"Eh, it's not exactly my style, but it's better than I expected. Do you normally eat food like this?"

"I don't usually eat takoyaki, but it's pretty common in anime so I like to try it whenever I get a chance. Although, I will admit, this isn't the best takoyaki I've ever had."

Despite admitting it wasn't her favorite, Sabrina ate her fair share of the Japanese street food, impressing Fuji with her commitment to the date. Then, even more shockingly, she admitted, "You know what; this actually isn't so bad."

"You really mean that?" Fuji asked, lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"Yeah, I think I'm starting to come around to the taste. I mean, I never thought I would eat an octopus, but I'm also not one to say no to new experiences."

Impressed by his date's new attitude, Fuji was hesitant to go for the last takoyaki. Though it should have been his, given that she had eaten one more than he had, by the time he had his chopsticks on it, he could sense that Sabrina was staring like she wanted it.

"Here, why don't you take the last one?" Fuji offered, pushing the dish closer to the woman sitting across from him. "It looks like you're still hungry."

"I think you should have it," Sabrina kindly argued, backing off. "You already have your chopsticks on it anyway. I think I'm done making a fool of myself with these."

Not thinking it through, Fuji immediately sprung into action after coming up with a compromise. Fearing that Sabrina was frustrated by her chopsticks, he picked the last takoyaki up with his own and brought it to her lips, silently offering to feed her.

Realizing what was happening, the gorgeous brunette stared on, red in the face, as the appetizing smell graced her nostrils. Then, after glancing into the eyes of the boy she was now dating, she noticed how sincere he was, thus giving her the courage to take a large bite.

Only once Sabrina's lips graced the meaty treat did it finally hit Fuji that he had fed her with his own utensils. He immediately jumped back, determining his actions were cringy, and that he had made her uncomfortable.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't realize how weird that was!"

Suddenly, Sabrina burst into laughter, covering her mouth so the food wouldn't escape as she giggled. Her cheeks were cherry red, matching Fuji's. But unlike him, she wasn't blushing from embarrassment. As a matter of fact, she couldn't help but commend the young man for his naturally charming efforts.

"Hey, I didn't realize you were such a smooth guy!" she joked, causing him to cringe even harder. "I guess I was wrong to think you didn't know what you were doing just because you're a bit nerdy."

"It was a total accident!" Fuji explained, though he did appreciate that Sabrina didn't freak out on him. "You were right about me; I don't know what I'm doing!"

Once she recovered from her giggling, Sabrina was able to put Fuji at ease. "Well, maybe I like the fact that you don't know what you're doing. At least I know you're being genuine. And I know you're not a creep."

"You do? How do you know that?"

"Look, I get hit on by guys all the time, even when I have a boyfriend. It's kind of nice being around someone like you who tries to act like you're not even attracted to me.

"Here I was thinking it was just a sign of low self-confidence. But now, I see that you're just not a douchebag."

Suddenly, Fuji's worries were completely wiped away. And although he still cringed from his own actions, he could appreciate that Sabrina now saw some good qualities within him.

Fortunately, Sabrina was able to finish the rest of her food without having to be fed. The awkwardness had disappeared, and once they both settled down, they were ready to move on to their next adventure.

"So what would you like to try next?" Sabrina asked, glancing around at all the sites.

Unable to hold back a little smile, Fuji shrugged his shoulders. "Hmm... I already picked the first place. What would you like to try next?"

Sabrina laughed off the notion that she should make the next choice. "I think I picked enough places yesterday. You probably have some more ideas of what you would like to try out."

"I do, but I don't want to just pick every place. I think it would be more fun if we alternated. Besides, now that I finally chose something, I think it's safe to say you make the better food decisions."

"Okay, if you insist... we passed by a pizza stand earlier that smelled really good. Would you like to grab a slice with me?"

"After takoyaki, that sounds pretty good actually."

Side by side they walked until they got to be pizza place Sabrina noticed earlier. Then, to Fuji's surprise, just like he did at the takoyaki stand, his date voluntarily ordered for both of them.

To their delight, the small pepperoni pizza was just as delicious as their noses predicted. However, Fuji couldn't help but notice that Sabrina only finished one slice.

Is she just trying to get through this date as quickly as possible? he asked himself, wishing she would grab another slice. However, after observing her other mannerisms, nothing else indicated that she was looking for a chance to leave.

Maybe I've taken enough of her time... but it's not like she's looking around or anything, searching for an exit. Hell, the only time I saw her in a rush was when she ran up to me and apologized for being late.

As if Fuji needed any further confirmation, his date began encouraging him to eat more.

"Here, have another slice," Sabrina offered, placing a piece on his plate. "I ate more of that takoyaki stuff than you did. You need to make sure you get your fair sure."

"Okay, thanks... But as much as I hate to admit it, this pizza is actually way better than the takoyaki. Maybe I was better off listening to your suggestions the entire time."

"Oh, don't even worry about it. Trying new food is fun too. But I'm glad you're enjoying my choice."

Once again, they finished their food, and Fuji wondered if Sabrina would take this chance to end their date. To his surprise however, as soon as they got up to their feet, she looked around before expressing, "I'm actually pretty thirsty. Are there any coffee shops you'd like to try?"

As if asking Fuji for another suggestion wasn't shocking enough, he was completely taken aback that she would want coffee. Now, it was becoming difficult for him to conclude she was ready to be done when she was actively seeking out caffeine.

"There's actually a boba tea place that caught my eye yesterday," he pointed out, hoping not to put her off with yet another Asian themed suggestion. "Do you know what boba is?"

Sabrina started to giggle. "I know what that is. It's that drink with all those little balls in it, right?"

"Yeah! Have you ever had it before?"

"No, I haven't actually. But Fuji... your first suggestion was takoyaki, which are fried octopus balls... and now you're suggesting boba..."

The young man started to grow insecure about his choices. "Yeah...?"

Then, completely catching him off guard, Sabrina asked, "Do you just enjoy seeing me put balls in my mouth?"

As Fuji turned red, his beautiful date burst into laughter right in front of him. But just as he was about to shrink back into his shell, she comforted him, exclaiming, "I'm just joking! Come on, let's go!"

Of course, despite her efforts, Fuji still felt the need to express that his intentions weren't sexual. "I really didn't even have that in mind! I mean, I know that both takoyaki and boba are in the shape of balls, but that's not why I made those suggestions!"

"Hey, it's like I already said, I know you're not that type of guy. But at the same time, it makes it even more fun to tease you."

Just when Fuji was starting to get over being flustered, he noticed that Sabrina had suddenly come to a stop. Glancing up, he realized what caught her attention.

Although they were at a food festival, there were other attractions such as games. This game, in particular, was somewhat of a carnival game, where there was an unstable latter volunteers could climb to achieve a prize.

"Oh, do you want to try this?" Fuji asked, staring at the daunting task ahead of them.

"I kind of want to give it a try. It doesn't look that difficult. What do you think?"

"I've never really been interested in carnival games. I heard they're all rigged."

"Regardless, I think you should give it a shot," Sabrina expressed with a smile. "Winning and losing doesn't matter. Let's just try to have some fun."

With that, Fuji couldn't possibly deny Sabrina's request. He simply nodded his head while sharing a smile with her. Meanwhile, deep down inside, though he wasn't ready to admit it yet, he was just grateful that she had found yet another reason to continue their date.

Unfortunately though, what little confidence he had gained quickly disappeared as he immediately fell off the ladder every time he attempted to climb, causing Sabrina to giggle. Although he wasn't athletic, the challenge was even trickier than he expected, given the ladder would immediately twist upside down.

To make matters worse, just as he was about to deem the task impossible, a rather tall and handsome man working the booth stepped forward to show them how it was supposed to be done.

"It's really not that difficult if you know what you're doing," the man said, giving Sabrina a little wink.

He effortlessly climbed up the diagonal ladder until he reached the halfway point. Then, just to prove his superiority, he finished the rest of the task without even using his hands.

While Fuji stayed quiet, Sabrina shouted with excitement. "Whoa! That was awesome!"

The man then effortlessly walked back down the rope, once again not using his hands to balance. Returning his focus on Fuji, he urged, "Why don't you give it another try, little man?"

The manga nerd wasn't one to accept challenges, but given his manhood had essentially been challenged in front of his date, he had no choice but to give it another shot. Unfortunately for him though, as soon as he made any forward progress, he found himself upside down, yet again, crashing onto his back.

To make matters worse, when he looked up, embarrassed enough as he was, he noticed both the man and Sabrina giggling at his expense. This left him red in the face, feeling like a loser, even though he knew it was nothing more than a silly game.

The man then turned his attention back to Sabrina. "Why don't you give it a try, sweetie? You look a little more athletic than this small fry."

Despite the insults, Sabrina kept her thoughts to herself, as did Fuji, so she could attempt the challenge. To everyone's surprise, especially hers, she was able to make it about halfway up before eventually falling off.

"Hey, that was really good!" the man exclaimed before encouraging Sabrina to give it another try. "Just be patient this time and I'm sure you'll get it."

Determined, the high school beauty did as she was instructed and took her to time while she made her way up the ladder. What she didn't realize however, was how much Fuji was rooting for her.

Despite his discomfort with the guy running the booth, the nerdy young man was silently cheering Sabrina on, hoping she would make it to the top. Unfortunately though, as his eyes were glued to her, he quickly realized what a beautiful sight she was to see.

Standing behind her, he was captivated by her long, striking legs. Her tiny jean shorts, barely covering her ass as she bent over, caught his attention to the point that he nearly forgot about the challenge.

This was the wrong moment for him to stare at her so lustfully, but he couldn't help it, given the wonderful view he had from behind her. Her body looked petite, yet strong, as she struggled to maintain her balance. All the while, he struggled to keep himself in check as his eyes stayed glued to her exposed cheeks.

Suddenly, Sabrina lost control and fell to the ground again. Fuji quickly went to help her, but before he could offer her a hand, the booth worker had already helped her up.

"That's okay! You still did much better than this little guy over here," he pointed out, leaving Fuji silent with anger. "Don't tell me this small boy is your date."

Unfortunately for Fuji, he felt he was in no position to defend himself, given how ingenuine their date actually was. Normally, he wasn't insecure about his height, but the reality was that this tall and charming man was much more Sabrina's type than he ever was.

In truth, he wouldn't have blamed her if she had just forgotten about him, and finished off her date with the other guy. She was just trying to get over her recent break up anyway. And with the interest the man had already shown, Sabrina could easily achieve whatever relief she was seeking with him instead of finishing the meaningless relationship they had engaged in.

Suddenly, just when Fuji had given up hope, Sabrina shocked him by grabbing a hold of his hand. "He actually IS my boyfriend, thank you very much," she expressed, leaving both guys with their jaws on the floor. "And you've been rather rude to him, so we'll be leaving now. Have a nice night."

As they walked off, hand in hand, the young nerd couldn't help but feel shy as his fingers were suddenly interlocked with hers. Her words didn't matter at the end of the day because the relationship was fake. Still, the memory of her not only defending him, but calling him her boyfriend, left Fuji feeling warm.

"Can you believe that jerk?!" Sabrina exclaimed, never breaking her stride as she turned her attention towards her date. Gripping his hand even harder, she further expressed, "That guy's an asshole! And I don't like the way he was treating you!"

It wasn't that Fuji needed help standing up for himself. Normally, he didn't even care when people treated him poorly if he didn't deem them important characters. However, seeing Sabrina take such offense to the man's actions made it feel like the relationship was real.

Perhaps she wasn't the terrible person he suspected her to be. And perhaps she wasn't just trying to get through this date as quickly as possible. Regardless, no matter what happened with their fake relationship, Fuji could at least appreciate that there were some redeeming qualities in the woman he once thought was so shallow.

"I'm not surprised that guy hit on you," he explained, still holding the hand of the girl who defended him. "I mean, look at you and look at me. I could see why someone like him would view me as a non-factor."

Suddenly, Sabrina put her head down as she gripped Fuji's hand even firmer. "I'm sorry about making fun of your shirt yesterday. I didn't realize how wrong I was to judge you, especially when I'm dressed like this today."

Once again, something didn't sit right in Fuji's heart as Sabrina put herself down for her appearance. Slowly, he started to accept how much prettier she looked this way to him. Unfortunately though, after watching her get hit on by a much more attractive man, he didn't feel it was right to give her the compliment that was hanging on his lips.

Instead, he simply steered the conversation back towards the boba drinks they were about to get. Though Sabrina was no expert on the subject, after explaining some of the flavors to her, she was able to make her choice, which led to him ordering for both of them.

Quickly, he returned with her drink--a frozen strawberry beverage with the traditional tapioca bowls inside. And for himself, he ordered a basic milk tea, which included the boba, of course.

Witnessing Sabrina take a sip, a big smile came to Fuji's face as her eyes lit up.

"Hey, this is pretty good!" she exclaimed before sucking on the straw with even more intensity. "The little balls are kind of weird, but I wouldn't say they take away from the flavor."

"I'm glad you like it. The boba takes getting some used to, but I think it's good. I usually don't order the flavored drinks though."

"Oh, what did you get?"

"It's just milk tea."

"Milk tea?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "So it's not frozen like mine?"

"The frozen drinks are too much like slushies to me. They taste good, but I'm much prefer something simple like a milk tea because it feels more like an actual drink."

Staring at Fuji's beverage like an owl, Sabrina could hardly disguise how much she wanted to try it. And unlike with the takoyaki, it wasn't just curiosity that caught her attention. No, this time, Fuji had sold her on the drink.

"Hey, can I have a taste?" she boldly asked while giving a pretty smile. "You made it sound really delicious!"

Innocently, Fuji offered his drink to Sabrina, expecting her to take it out of his hand. To his surprise however, instead of grabbing it, she simply leaned over before taking the straw into her mouth.

As he stood there awkwardly, blushing from cheek to cheek, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed as she drank right out of his hand. At the same time, gazing upon the pretty woman, he took a moment to appreciate her in all her beauty, as she sucked so preciously on the straw he just had his lips on.

Feeling flustered, he almost wanted to pull the drink away, hoping she wouldn't realize that they just shared an indirect kiss. Before he could panic however, she gazed up at him and removed her lips, while expressing, "That's so good!"

"Oh, I'm glad you like it! Do you want me to order another one for you? Or... you can have the rest of this one and I can just get my own..."

"Fuji, don't tell me you're too nervous to share a straw with me. I don't mind! And besides, don't you enjoy watching me put balls in my mouth?"

Immediately, Fuji went red in the face before jumping back in fear. "I told you, it was just a coincidence!"

Not realizing what was about to come out of her mouth, Sabrina giggled before openly admitting, "You're so cute when you get all flustered."

Suddenly, as those words entered the atmosphere, both Fuji and Sabrina were left staring at each other wide-eyed. And now, it was no longer just the reserved young man that was red in the face. The tall beauty looked equally embarrassed.

With no way to take her words back, Sabrina just looked away, hoping to avoid eye-contact. Fuji was quick to comfort her however, by changing the subject.

"By the way... I was surprised you told that guy that I'm your boyfriend..."

"Oh? Well, you are... aren't you?"

"It's just... I didn't think you wanted anyone to know. "

A sigh escaped Sabrina as she shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't exactly planning on advertising it, but that guy was being such a dick. I'm just so tired of guys like that."

A quiet moment passed but Fuji refused to speak up because he knew something was on the tip of her tongue. Finally, after a night of surprisingly fun times, Sabrina was ready to vent out what she had been keeping inside.

"He just... kind of reminded me of my ex, and I'm still not exactly over him. He broke up with me a couple of days ago, so it's still pretty fresh.

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to have so much fun with you tonight. I haven't been able to get Ray off my mind, but you've done a great job of helping me enjoy myself for once.

"At first, I felt like I just owed you a good date, especially after what happened yesterday. My parents actually took me to dinner before this because they found out what happened. I've been trying eat as much as possible with you, even though I'm actually pretty full."

"Oh, so you already had dinner?" Fuji asked, having his spirits lifted now that he knew the reason she was hardly eating. "Well, that was nice of them, at least."

"Yeah, they were just trying to cheer me up, but in the end, sitting around talking about my breakup with them really wasn't the distraction I needed. And to be honest, acting the way I acted yesterday... that didn't exactly help either.

"You've been a really big help though. I hope you understand how much fun I've had with you. And also, I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable that I'm talking about him so much."

Lifting her up with a smile of his own, Fuji explained, "It doesn't bother me at all. To tell you the truth, I already knew you weren't over him."

"You did?"

"Yeah, it was pretty obvious... I've known from the very beginning."

Suddenly, Sabrina returned with a smile of her own. "Boy, Fuji... between how innocently smooth you are and how aware you are, you actually know a lot more about relationships than I expected. Are you sure this whole anime nerd persona isn't just a gimmick?"

"It's definitely not a gimmick," Fuji explained, causing his date to chuckle. "As a matter of fact, it's actually because of anime and manga that I know so much about relationships."

"It is? You mean, you're into romance stuff too?"

"Yeah, a lot of the manga I read is about romance. It's not my favorite genre, but if I want to keep up with the times, it's important that I read everything that's popular, regardless of the genre."

Leaning closer, Sabrina started to show just how interested she was, as she stared the young man right in the eyes. "That's pretty cool... So tell me more about this manga stuff."

"Oh, yeah! It's like I was trying to explain earlier, anime are often based off these Japanese comics called manga. I love reading them! That's actually what I spend most of my time doing when I'm not at school."

Once again, Sabrina couldn't help but let out a little giggle. "So here I was thinking that you knew absolutely nothing about romance. All the while, you've probably been spending hours upon hours reading love stories that I never could have imagined!"

Before either of them realized it, they were talking about different romance stories that Fuji had enjoyed over the years. Sabrina was immediately enamored by his appreciation for such love oriented themes. This eventually led to them just talking about anime and manga in general.

Over the course of the next half hour, Sabrina couldn't help but admire the passion Fuji displayed whenever he was speaking about something he cared for. Seeing him in his element, she felt she had finally caught a glimpse of what the real Fuji was like.

And whether or not she was willing to admit it to herself... she really liked the real Fuji.

--

Eventually, the pessimism Fuji had for this so-called date had all but disappeared. There was no longer any reason to suspect Sabrina was looking for an early exit. As a matter of fact, he enjoyed the conversation he was having with her so much that he forgot about the time, causing him to grow shocked once he realized how late it was.

His eyes got big as he glanced at his watch. Now, feeling guilty all of a sudden, he decided it was only right to end the date by making a selfless offer.

"Well, it's getting pretty late. Do you mind if I walk you home again? And don't worry about inviting me inside. It's not like I'm going to brag about it anyway."

"That's nice of you to offer," Sabrina responded, giving the anime nerd a sly smile. "Are you sure you're not bragging to your friends though? Come on, you must have told someone!"

Fuji simply shook his head, not understanding the big deal of revealing his relationship.

"No... but one of my friends saw me ask you out... Oh, and I told my parents I was going on a date since I needed advice on what to wear. They actually picked the outfit I wore yesterday because they were so excited."

Suddenly, an enormous burden of guilt blanketed Sabrina as she realized how thoughtless her actions were the previous night.

"Oh, God... I didn't realize your parents picked that outfit for you," she expressed, feeling heavy remorse after speaking so insensitively. "That was very sweet of you to tell them... I'm sorry I made fun of your outfit."

"It's no big deal," Fuji expressed, shrugging his shoulders. "They just got so excited for me because I've never been on a date before."

"Yeah, and I rewarded that excitement by making fun of your clothes. I apologize. I actually liked the shirt you wore yesterday."

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean anything by it. But now that I know that, I wish I would have borrowed another one of my dad's shirts instead of wearing this. I just figured you would hate whatever I put on regardless."

"That isn't true," Sabrina explained, taking a deep breath. "I know I can be insensitive at times, but I didn't mean to put you or your parents down. As a matter of fact, I actually appreciate that you wear anime shirts."

"You do?"

"Well, yeah... It's kind of cool that you just wear whatever you want, and don't really care about other's opinions. In a way, I envy that about you because I put so much effort into impressing everyone else."

"That's why I feel so guilty about wearing this. This is practically what I wear at home. I wish I could have put on makeup and dressed up more, but I was already running late because of my parents."

Finally, the words hanging on Fuji's lips couldn't be withheld any longer. That unsettled feeling in his heart had to be resolved, and after witnessing her constant self-deprecation, he knew there was only one solution.

"I hope this doesn't come off weird... but I really like the way you look tonight," Fuji admitted, growing red in the face. Feeling his heart pound through his chest while witnessing Sabrina staring at him wide-eyed, he battled his own insecurities as he continued, "I think you look way more beautiful the way you are now."

A moment of silence went by and Fuji could only become crippled by his own embarrassment. After spending so much time trying to convince Sabrina he wasn't a creep, it suddenly felt like he had put an awkward damper on what was originally a nice night.

Finally, unable to handle his insecurities any longer, he apologized, wishing he could take back the moment. "I'm sorry about that..." he said, taking a deep gulp. "That came off a lot weirder than I expected."

Sabrina's eye started to soften and she realized how embarrassed the genuine young man was. However, reflecting on an innocent compliment fromsuch little effort brought a warmth to her heart that she was unfamiliar with.

"Don't apologize," she said, looking away as she tried to hide a blush of her own. "But... were you actually being serious? Do you really think I'm... beautiful... when I'm dressed like this?"

Fuji was so frantic from his own admission that he didn't even realize Sabrina was seeking another compliment. Normally, such a seasoned veteran of slice-of-life manga would easily pick up on such obvious tactics.

This wasn't the case however. Just as the tall beauty secretly hoped, Fuji gave her the exact attention she was looking for.

"Of course I think you're beautiful like this! I mean, you always look good, obviously. I just... I like your natural look a lot more."

Looking down at her own outfit that she felt so ashamed of all night, Sabrina began playing with her hair. Her cheeks became warmer and warmer. "You really think so?"

"Yeah!" Fuji answered, no longer caring about how creepy he might come off. Then, putting it all on the line, speaking the words his heart felt in the moment, he continued, "I think you're way prettier just being your natural self!"

Slowly, reality started to set in, and Fuji realized how bold he had been to reveal such brave compliments, not only in front of Sabrina, but out in public. Fortunately for him, it seemed that no one else had overheard their conversation, but the awkwardness of saying it directly to Sabrina's face started to haunt him.

Moments passed by and the high school beauty was still just twiddling the long strands of her ponytail that draped over her shoulder. Eventually, though her cheeks never returned to their normal color, she started to giggle, leaving the young man wide-eyed in fear.

"Thank you for the compliment, Fuji," she finally responded, now facing him again. Then, with a twinkle in her eye, she continued, "That was quite brave of you... And I think I catch your drift."

"You do?" Fuji asked, sighing in relief.

"I do," she expressed, giving a little wink. "And I think I know how I should handle this."

"How you should handle this?"

Once again, to Fuji's surprise, Sabrina grabbed him by the hand, showing that she was not embarrassed at all to be seen with him. However, what would really cause him to pause in confusion was the proposal she had in store for him.

"How about instead of you walking me home, I'll walk you home."

Raising an eyebrow, Fuji looked up into the taller woman's eyes. "You... walk me home? Why would you do that? I'm supposed to be the gentleman here."

"Oh, you're definitely a gentleman," Sabrina expressed, now slightly pulling towards the exit. "But I'm not ready for this date to end just yet. And if it's okay, I'd like to get to know you a little better."

Fuji followed along frantically with his fingers interlocked with Sabrina's. "What do you mean by get to know me better?"

"You said you spend almost all your time in your bedroom. Is it so bad that I want to see how my boyfriend lives?"

Trembling inside, the nerd started to fear what would happen if they were alone in a bedroom again. But to make matters worse, his new girlfriend asked another question that raised even more flags in his panicked mind.

"By the way, are your parents home?"

"Yeah, they are... Why do you ask?"

"No real reason... Do you mind if I meet them? I'd like to thank them for helping you prepare for our date."

Despite his hesitance, Fuji agreed, though he couldn't help but have an odd feeling about her sudden assertiveness. After such a pleasant evening, he wanted to believe that he and Sabrina had built some trust with each other. At the same time, he was only a day removed from her getting a little aggressive with him in her own bedroom.

Never once did it leave his mind that their relationship was built on lies. However, now that he had witnessed a much different side of Sabrina, it was difficult to deny how real the relationship actually felt.

Once they got to his house, Fuji's parents were completely wide-eyed at the sight of in the tall and dark-haired beauty. After years of their son showing zero interest in anything outside of manga and anime, seeing him with a woman like Sabrina was the last thing they ever expected.

It wasn't that they thought he didn't deserve someone so attractive. They just assumed if a girl would ever give him a chance, and vice versa, it would be because she was a fan of manga as well. And as far as women who were into those subjects, someone who looked like Sabrina was the opposite of what they imagined.

No, the tall beauty was a completely different case. His parents could tell by the way she spoke so assertively that she had been dealing with attention her entire life.

She was polite yet calm, respectful yet assertive. More importantly, her confidence couldn't have been any higher as she so nonchalantly handled how surprised they were by her beauty.

After shaking hands and introducing herself, Sabrina got the quick go-ahead to be alone with Fuji in his room. His parents understood that they should have set some ground rules, but after eighteen years of never witnessing their son interact positively with a single girl, they were at a loss for words.

Once inside his bedroom, that old familiar feeling came to the young nerd. He had spent an entire evening with Sabrina, which turned out much more positively than he could have ever imagined. Now, things were different.

Though hardly anyone was paying attention to them at the food festival, they were still technically in public. In the complete privacy of his own bedroom, a place no girl besides his mother had ever traversed, he couldn't help but draw similarities to the time he spent in Sabrina's bedroom...

... the time that went so wrong for him, it sent his brain in a tailspin.

"So, this is my room," he nervously explained, not knowing what else to say since Sabrina's intentions were a mystery to him. "Sorry if it's pretty boring. I've never really had company before."

"You know, this isn't far off from how I imagined your room," the beauty explained, walking around as she viewed everything from a respectful distance. "Your parents are quite nice by the way. I'm surprised they so easily trusted me to be alone with you in your room."

Fuji let out a nervous chuckle. "I guess we're all a little surprised. I could tell they were shocked at how tall and attractive you are. And I'm shocked... that you wanted to come here in the first place."

"You are, are you?" she playfully asked, now running her fingers along the top of his mattress. "Is it so wrong for me to see the way my boyfriend lives?"

"I guess not..." he responded, shocked that she was still calling him her boyfriend. "Is there anything specifically you wanted to see?"

"Not really?" Sabrina answered before turning towards Fuji and placing her hands on his shoulders. "But now that you're alone with me, you can be honest. You can cut the good boy act, and tell me what you really want to do to me."

Fuji's eyes got big as Sabrina glared deep into his soul. His shoulders began to tremble, and he could hardly get any words out of his mouth.

Eventually, he was able to mutter, "What... what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, don't tell me you're going to keep playing games with me. You told me I was beautiful like this. Don't you want to have your way with me?"

"Sabrina, I don't know what you're talking about... I'm not playing games with you."

Fuji slowly tried to pull away but the dominant beauty wouldn't let him escape. She dug her claws into his shoulders as she continued to glare maliciously into his scared eyes.

"Stop acting like you don't want me. You called me beautiful, remember?"

"I remember," he responded, blushing as he tried to avoid eye-contact. "But that doesn't mean I want to have my way with you..."

Suddenly, Sabrina removed one of her hands from Fuji's shoulder and placed her palm directly on his crotch.

"Oh, and don't think I forgot about this! I clearly remember how hard you got for me yesterday! As a matter of fact, I think it's happening again."

When she began rubbing him through his pants, she could feel his cock hardening up again. This brought a twinkle to her eye as she watched the nervous boy struggling before him.

"Sabrina, please! Of course I'm going to get hard if you rub me like that! But that doesn't mean..."

"I AM your girlfriend, remember?!" Sabrina interrupted, now feeling the entire length of his erect dick. "Shouldn't you want to fuck me?!"

Somehow, despite all the adrenaline rushing through his body, and despite all the impure thoughts he struggled with earlier that morning, Fuji was able to go against his inner desires and shout out what really needed to be said.

"But you're not actually my girlfriend! We agreed on that last night, remember?!"

Sabrina's eyes grew wide, and she stopped moving her hand, resting it on his twitching member. Outside of being broken up with, she had never once been rejected in her life. And now, despite how badly the little nerd was struggling, she just couldn't face the fact that he was doing his best to stand up to her yet again.

"I don't get it!" she growled, not even realizing that her hand was now squeezing his cock right through his pants. "I just don't fucking get it!

"We had such a great date tonight! I did everything you fucking wanted! We actually connected on a deep level! You even called me beautiful! How could you not fucking want me right now?!"

Slowly, the nervous man was able to open one of his eyes and peek at the frustrated woman, who looked so emotional all of a sudden. Despite everything in his body telling him to just accept whatever she was willing to give him, he went against his instincts once again and blurted out the truth.

"It's like we discussed... I know you're still in love with your ex... so you're just using me. And besides... I already told you that I only asked you out to win a challenge... remember?"

Suddenly, silence filled the air. And as she glared into his eyes, he could see the fire burning in hers.

"A challenge?! You were being serious about that?!"

"Um... yeah.."

"I thought that was just some bullshit you made up to convince yourself you're not in love with me!"

"No, no!" the nervous boy reacted, shaking his head frantically. "As much as I enjoyed having fun with you today... and as embarrassingly erect as my penis is right now... the only reason I really asked you out is because of a challenge on my manga forum."

"Manga forum?! Do you expect me to believe you built up the courage to ask ME out just so you could win a challenge on your silly little nerd forum?!"

"It's true!"

Once Fuji was freed, he walked over to his computer where he opened up to the message board page that presented the challenge. There, not only was he able to prove this was a real challenge, he also for the first time revealed to Sabrina that the entire interaction when he asked her out was recorded.

Suddenly, there was a fire burning inside of the high school beauty. Just when she felt even Fuji couldn't deny his natural attraction to her, it was as if their entire fake relationship had blown up right in her face.

No, she did not have pure intentions when she actually accepted his proposal. And though their second date had opened a piece of her heart she didn't know existed, the pain of being rejected again, even by a nerd like Fuji, was more painful than her pride could accept.

In a fit of rage, Sabrina slammed her hands on the desk before turning her body so she could get up. Her plan was originally to storm off, but as her knees bumped into the desk, one of the drawers unexpectedly opened.

That was when she noticed... a pretty risque manga drawing; something she thought was quite unfit for a guy like Fuji... the person who was too innocent to accept her advances.

As the room went quiet, Fuji could only watch on in fear as Sabrina took a closer look at the manga that had been opened to a specific page. It was a photo of her, Faye Valentine, Fuji's ideal woman.

Noticing how provocative the fictional character's appearance was, with Faye's unrealistic proportions being displayed in her tight and revealing yellow outfit matched with red suspenders and pink thigh-high stockings, Sabrina's jaw dropped to the floor. Out of pure anger, she grabbed the manga, demanding to know why a good boy like Fuji would possess something so impure.

Unfortunately, the revelations would continue to pile on as she noticed even further sins resting below. Underneath were piles and piles of other magazines. And worst of all, they were all flipped to specific pages where Faye Valentine was at her hottest.

"What the hell is all this?!" Sabrina finally asked, now staring at the nervous boy who was cringing in the corner. "This is what you're into?!"

"Um... that's Faye Valentine... my favorite anime character," Fuji admitted, much to the displeasure of his so-called girlfriend. "Is it so wrong that my favorite character happens to be a female? Kind of progressive, if you ask me."

Holding one of the scantily clad photos up, Sabrina confronted the nervous young man. "And why exactly is she your favorite character?! Is it because she's so sexualized?! NOT very progressive, if you ask me!"

Again, all Fuji could do was gulp in fear. "Um... maybe the way she looks has something to do with it... But I'm a guy, and she's so perfect... How could you blame me?!"

Immediately, Sabrina slammed the manga onto the ground before jumping up in a fit of rage. "So you ARE a little pervert, after all!"

"No, I'm not a pervert! It's just..."

"So you probably jerk off to this fake girl, but you don't even want to fuck me?!" she shouted, sending the nerd into silence and confusion. "And here I was, thinking you didn't want me because you're not attracted to any girls! You have an actual real-life girlfriend, but you'd rather stay home and look at this shit?!"

What Fuji couldn't comprehend was that Sabrina wasn't upset about his Faye Valentine infatuation. What really bothered her was that she now knew he was capable of feeling lust for attractive women. It just wasn't her he felt that desire for, even after all the effort she put in.

As Sabrina stormed off, he could only assume that their fake relationship was finally over. And though she left through fire and brimstone, he could finally breathe easy knowing they no longer had to live this lie.

Unfortunately for him, saying goodbye to Sabrina wasn't as simple as he thought it would be. Given how well their date went, something didn't feel right with his emotions despite understanding that her intentions were not the most genuine.

Although he recognized Faye Valentine as his one and only true love, he knew a fictional character could not spark the same fire he felt whenever he was with Sabrina. And after a morning filled with lustful desires, it was a difficult pill to swallow knowing that the one woman who had ever made him feel alive was now gone from his life, probably never to return, after the embarrassment he suffered in front of her.

All Fuji wanted from the very beginning was to be alone with his new manga. Now that Sabrina--the woman he never wanted to like in the first place--was gone, he realized that his life was no longer so simple.

To his surprise however, after sitting around in silence for quite a while, never once looking at his computer or his mangas, there was a knock at the front door.

Who else could that be besides Sabrina? he asked himself, feeling his heart pound through his chest. But why would she come back? Maybe she forgot something?

Eventually, he opened the door, but the image that would appear in front of his eyes was definitely a sight he wasn't ready to encounter.

Standing before him was indeed Sabrina, but she had not forgotten anything. And unlike during their second date, she had not returned with a change of attitude.

The anger in her eyes was still there, as well as the frustration in her impatient mannerisms. What had changed however... were her looks.... And to Fuji's utter shock, it was as if he had been transported into a fantasy world.

"So this is what you like, huh?!" Sabrina growled, folding her arms as she confronted the only man in her life she couldn't seem to please. "Well now I'm dressed like that stupid Faye Valentine girl in your little manga, so don't you dare pretend you still don't want me!"

Yes, in her never ending desire to gain his approval, she had found a yellow tank top and her smallest pair of shorts just so she could look somewhat like his favorite character. Even her hair was done somewhat similarly, with a band pulling the strands out of her face. And though her makeup was now done, it was her red lipstick that really captivated his heart, as well as his erection.

Suddenly, his heart was pounding faster than ever before, matching the throbbing sensation he was experiencing below the belt. "Sabrina... what are you wearing?!"

She took a step forward, causing him to back up. Even though his heart was flustered and his stomach was filled with butterflies, she could tell by his nervous reaction that he wouldn't be able to suppress his carnal desires any longer.

Pressing her chest forward as she placed her hands on her hips and strutted just like the drawing that was now locked into her mind, Sabrina made a declaration, not only to Fuji, but to the entire fake universe they had enthralled themselves in, that she was finally ready to conquer her nerd, no matter what it took.

"I hope you're ready, bad boy... because tonight...

... I'm going to be your Faye Valentine!"

To be continued...