Was That a Flag?
The soft rustle of pages filled the small, cave-like room inside the manga cafe.
Aside from the occasional quiet exchange when we fed each other bites of the food we'd brought, both of us were completely absorbed in our comics.
But man, reading manga after so long is just too much fun! What can I say?
Yuri was just as immersed. She was munching away on a piece of chicken, completely unaware of the crumbs dusting her lips.
From my perspective, it was incredibly distracting.
"Sunny, you've got crumbs on your mouth."
"Huh? Here?"
Unfortunately, she picked the wrong side.
She always chooses the opposite of what I mean.
"Other side?"
"Then... here?"
Now she was pointing even higher. At this point, it felt like she was deliberately picking the wrong spot.
"That's way off."
"Ughhh! So annoying! Noah, just wipe it for me!"
"No problem. But do you have a bookmark or something? I hate flipping the book over and wrinkling the pages."
One of my hands was already occupied holding my own manga. If I let go, I'd have to go through the hassle of finding my place again.
Someone might argue that people have two hands, but my other one was already on indefinite loan to Yuri.
Neither of us had any intention of letting go of our intertwined fingers.
"Noah, am I more important? Or is not forgetting where you left off more important?"
"It's not good to put someone on the spot like that."
This was a problem. It was high-difficulty enough to be added to the Millennium Problems.
Was there truly no Steins;Gate that would let me both keep up with my manga and fulfill Yuri's request?
After thinking for a moment, I finally found the answer.
This would surely create a perfect world where no one got hurt.
'I just need to break free from the fixed idea that I have to use my hands, right?'
"Noah...? Your eyes look a little scary..."
I left our right hands clasped together.
I also left my left hand holding the manga exactly where it was.
The only thing that moved toward Yuri was my body.
".....Huh?"
Yuri was properly flustered when I suddenly leaned in like I was doing a wall-slam.
Her face flushed pink, she stammered incoherently, but she still didn't let go of my hand.
"Yuri."
"Y-yeah? What is it...?"
"Stay still."
"Wait, I just ate tteokbokki so my mouth is a total mess right now..."
Why was she suddenly bringing up the inside of her mouth?
Anyone listening would think we were about to kiss.
I needed to take care of this before any misunderstandings grew.
"I'll do it."
"Wait, wait wait wait wait wait?!"
I brought my face close to Sunny's lips, which were properly panicking.
More precisely, to her upper lip where the chicken crumbs were clinging.
And then I licked it.
With my tongue, I neatly swept the crumbs away without being unpleasant.
It had a slight crispy taste.
It also seemed to carry a subtle citrus scent that came from Sunny's body.
"Phew... Cleanup complete. This is an ending that satisfies everyone, right?"
".....?"
Sunny stared at me with eyes that clearly said she didn't understand.
With the hand that wasn't holding mine, she gently poked at the spot I'd just licked.
"Die....."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Just die already!!!"
Once again, the headbutt of murderous intent that Sunny launched struck me directly.
Wait, why? What did I do wrong?
I mean... I just removed the chicken crumbs from around her mouth?
I feel so unfairly treated.
This is exactly why I can never fully understand teenage girls!
#
After soothing the sulking Yuri, we went back to reading our manga.
In the middle she had me bite her cheek again, or demanded I turn my back so she could lean against it...
There were quite a few sneaky additional missions, but I somehow managed to get through them all.
"Next volume... next volume... Huh?"
It seemed I'd already finished all the books I'd brought.
I'd definitely brought five volumes, yet I'd read through them this quickly.
'I really wanted to see the scene where the heroine reverses and pounces on the guy in his room!'
I lowered my gaze to Sunny, who was reading while leaning against my chest.
"Yuri, do you think it'll take you long to finish?"
"I'm only about halfway through. Are you going to the bathroom or something, Noah?"
"Yeah. I'll grab some more books while I'm at it. I'm all done."
"Then you should move. Bring me a Melona when you come back~"
"Wait... you'll be okay by yourself?"
There was a reason I asked if she was almost done.
It was a slightly overprotective worry that leaving her alone here might trigger a panic attack.
Since this wasn't our usual hangout spot at home but somewhere outside, I was extra concerned.
I'd been thinking we could go together and match our timing.
"Noah, you treat me too much like a child. I'm just going to be reading a book here. What could possibly happen?"
"Didn't that line just set up a flag?"
"You never let anything go, do you~"
As if telling me not to worry, Sunny lightly fixed my bangs and gave them a few gentle taps.
With an almost sisterly expression, she sent me off warmly.
"Hurry back! I'll be waiting right here!"
"....Yeah, I guess. I'll be back soon, Yuri."
It was only going to be five minutes at most. I was worrying over nothing.
This wasn't a battlefield. What kind of event could possibly happen in that short time?
I gathered my phone and the books I'd finished, hugged them to my chest, and headed for the ladder leading down to the first floor.
The moment I climbed down the ladder steps and was about to set foot on the ground—
"No~ah~"
A sweet, pulling voice came from above.
When I looked up, she had reached out and cupped my cheek in her hand.
The instant her warm palm touched me, it felt like time itself slowed down.
"....♡"
Our foreheads gently pressed together.
I was still hanging on the ladder,
while Yuri was perched lightly on the edge of the second-floor mat.
Our breaths, coming from so close, mixed together just a little. Just a tiny bit.
Close enough that anyone watching might think we were kissing.
Maybe she'd deliberately aimed for that misunderstanding.
Or maybe she actually wanted it.
"Hehe. It's just like a scene from a manga, right? Be careful out there. And—"
Sunny tilted her head slightly and whispered into my ear.
"You have to come back quickly, okay? If you don't... I might miss you so much I'll cry!"
"...Good grief. Yeah, I'll be right back."
With that, I turned away.
I didn't need to look back to know.
She was probably grinning silently right now,
her face completely flushed even though she was the one who'd done it.
"I'm just going to get new books, but I feel strangely anxious."
My steps slowed down for no reason.
The urge to run straight back to Yuri grew stronger.
#
The moment I cheerfully returned to the second floor with new books in hand—
"Hmm... This is weird. So that really was a flag?"
"Please don't ask me. I'm just as confused. And could you come a little further inside and block me from view? It'll be a hassle if someone sees."
Yuri turned her head at an awkward angle, deliberately avoiding looking outside even while facing me.
Ah, as expected from her tone, she had switched to the rainy-day personality 'Ame'.
The purple cat ears and tail that I hadn't seen in a while were swaying gently and tickling me, clearly proving this wasn't a dream.
...I hadn't expected her personality to change from Sunny to this just six minutes after I left.
Maybe it was because I took six minutes instead of five.
"If you wanted to come out, you could've just said so. It's hard to respond properly when you switch so suddenly."
"I'm a victim here too, you know? Why would I want to come out while we're outside?! Who could've known a sudden shower was coming!"
Aha. So it was raining outside right now.
Since the windows were blocked off in this room, I hadn't noticed the rain starting.
"Hmm~ Well, whatever. We still have about an hour left anyway. It should stop by then."
"You're being way too carefree. What if other people see?"
"Then I'll just say I adopted a cat. And from my perspective, I've gained a new cushion."
"What does that even... Hyaah?!"
I casually draped Ame's tail around my neck.
So fluffy.
The fur was incredibly soft, like a mink coat had nothing on it.
Ame herself was startled by the sensation of her own tail being used that way.
"Don't just stimulate someone else's tail like that! The nerves are connected, so it's sensitive!"
'So it's an erogenous zone? Bite it! Lick it! Put it in your mouth and—'
Yellow, you can't say things like that.
I once again used wasabi to trip up the instinct that couldn't hold itself back and was already panting.
For some reason, this guy was showing up especially often today.
"Come here and lean on me again, Ame. It's a legitimate chance to stay like this until the rain stops, isn't it?"
"...Hmph. Whatever."
True to her tsundere nature, she grumbled with her words but completely settled into my arms.
In that same position we always used when we cuddled.
With her tail wrapped around my neck like a scarf, I rested my chin on top of her head where those perky cat ears twitched, and let her lean against me.
"Noah. I want to read what you're reading too."
"What about the one you were reading?"
"It's not really my taste. The romantic comedy you're reading looks more fun."
Now that I thought about it, Sunny had mentioned that both Ame and Cloudy had tastes that were polar opposites of hers.
It was kind of refreshing to hear that even the things her original personality read didn't suit her own palate.
"Won't it be awkward starting in the middle? Or should I go get you a new book?"
"No. There won't be anything I was reading here anyway. It's pretty niche."
Instead of letting me change position, she pulled my already-wrapped arm even tighter against herself.
"I just like the feeling of reading the same thing as you in this kind of atmosphere."
"You're saying something like that so casually."
"Shut up. Come on, let's just read already. Hand me the book."
"Such a tyrant~ As you command, childhood friend-nim!"
And so we read the same book together until the shower passed.
She'd point out parts where she didn't understand the heroine and throw in some jabs, or during sweet scenes she'd grab my arm and tell me to wait a little.
Even though it was the same book, the enjoyment was completely different from reading alone.
Then, when I stroked her cat ears, Ame wrapped her tail lightly around my wrist and leaned against me languidly.
"Kissing... is so indecent."
"It's just a kiss, but you react this much..."
"Someday we too... haa..."
I found out later that Ame's taste was actually in slightly hardcore pure love stories.
...Not that I should be talking, but what a taste.