"Of course." He pulled away and put his helmet on and swung his leg over the bike. "W-Why wouldn't I be?" he added in a joking manner.

It was an interesting conundrum, wasn't it—he didn't want to lie but if he wanted to maintain this charade for at least a little while longer, lying was a necessity. Not to speak of what Tomoko would think when she eventually found out he'd been lying all night. He could say it right now and let her decide whether or not to pretend this was a normal date, but that option was dependent on Ryusei's ability to say it.

He couldn't; it meant having to face the truth himself.

"Ready?" He turned around to look at her.