When Ichinose found that corners of her skirt were slightly messy because of breeze that just blew. A trace of anger appeared on her face.
Currently standing next to me as if possessed by a ghost, she is staring at my forehead, while focusing past us on....
A van design counter, a compact setup tucked against the wall.
I glance at her casually, our eyes meet, then I move mine away, to look at a spinning cotton candy machine, with a sugary scent from what anyone can tell or smell.....
"I'm very sleepy...."
"I'm very hungry...."
"You can't break the line."
"I will eat Rem-kun if this doesn't work out."
Her indifferent face is so close, I hope she doesn't complain like I smell bad or cheeky breath something, that would be really, yeah.... especially after what happened in bathroom.
Because her wiping lips posture is very indecent, and the tight school uniform makes Ichinose's figure look sharply predatory, and white face is also because of ----Struggling and looming.
Above van, a neon sign blares: "Sweet Spin?" Hmm, I try to focus more on the words, but can't read further, so I will just assume they are Cotton Candy -
'200 yen each, Buy 2 for 350 yen!'
Big words display.
Below, a smaller board, equally funky alphabets, lists the flavors: Sakura Bliss (pink, cherry blossom-infused), Matcha Dream (green, matcha tea with a hint of vanilla), Yuzu Sparkle (yellow, citrusy yuzu with a tangy kick).
Ramune Fizz (blue, soda-flavored with a fizzy aftertaste).
A stack of flyers sat on the counter.
I notice the hours - 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily - and a special: "Free Stick - Collect 5 Stamps on Your's!"
My eyes drift at bottom: a flavor month, Mango Tango. Mango? Could be good....
'Tap! Tap----'
However, we gotta wait a lot first. I mean we can't just go break line by paying more. What? Do you think we are some kind of main character who will get what they want....?
People ahead just go away, as they are irrelevant....!
"That Kaito-kun's making a pink cloud now...."
Oh yeah, we are passing comments now for time being, Ichinose has already memorized his name. She seems to be tapping her foot on ground again....
Very impatient but trying to be.
Vendor, a cheerful guy because he seems to be explaining the process of making for girls who want to know, and witness him...Trying to be active.
He hands it off to a girl who practically bounces on her spot, chirping, "Waai! Sakura Bliss is my favorite!" she declares loudly, skipping off with her friend.
I feel a tug on my arm. Ichinose. Her blue eyes, are now wide, and really sparkling, I am being serious.
Hey, do you ever notice her eye shapes are actually more like in a cupcake design....but sometimes it gets tilted in one position?
Plus dark shade of blue at top, pupils are three intricate circles with sky's colour getting darker, kinda like rings?
White dots, maybe reflections, you know same ones like when it becomes watery, or you see in mirror but it seems to be natural here...
"Nee~It looks so yummy... Ufun~ my belly's growling...." She looks so pleadingly innocent, while glaring in the direction where that person left, and tidies her mouth.
"Yuzu! I want one Yuzu. We are splitting it. My treat~~ Hai."
Two more in front of us, good. They are together, so wouldn't hav----
"Muu~! That one has a star shape biscuit over it. But it brings back my days of Ramune.... It's fizzy bubbles in your mouth."
Her sigh, so dreamy, it makes me inwardly shake my head. 'Memories of hot days? From cotton candy? Only her. She lives in her own little world....I am dying of heat....!'
A boy I think with that girl nods to Kaito, "Two, please. One Yuzu Sparkle and one Ramune Fizz. We'll take the new deal-350 yen, right?"
"Yes, 350 yen for two! Excellent choices, especially Yuzu Sparkle-it's quite popular with students!" He gestures to the machine, well, of course, he will, "Would you like to see how they're made? It's always fascinating to watch!"
Ichinose's sad face disappears for a moment, but then it becomes painful to watch again, "Sometimes I feel bad about eating after I watch food being made. I'm hiding behind you...Meow."
'Swipe~~Rub!'
She really does put her face on my left shoulder, and you can't see her anymore, girl doing best to 'not look.'
"Hmm, I won't look. I vise...."
"When I watch cooking shows, many times I have the urge to tear my screen and bring it home...."
"So uel. No uilt at al---Rub Shwap~! Just give me dish, I eat it no problem. You gotta fight for your side."
"It's Art of Sweetness my friend."
Kaito starts with Yuzu Sparkle. He carefully measures a scoop of bright yellow sugar into machine's central well?
Citrus, lemony scent....maybe tangerine?
The machine begins its low hum, and heating element melts the sugar into a glistening, hot liquid.
Then, with just a flick of his wrist, he engages the spin.
Fine, golden threads of molten sugar shot outwards, catching on sides of the large, rotating bowl.
"See? The force pushes melted sugar out through these tiny holes in spinning head...."
'Whir---whir---Whir!'
"Cooler air, it instantly re-solidifies into these fine threads -cotton candy! Spinning a web, but with sugar!"
"Look, Rem, it's getting bigger and bigger, like a fluffy yellow storm~~!"
Ichinose gasps from her not peeking state, her eyes wide, utterly captivated.
She squeezes my arm, her enthusiasm palpable between us. 'She's really into this. It's almost cu---how easily she gets excited...'
Indeed, a delicate, airy cloud of yellow begins to form, swirling within the bowl.
Kaito, with almost hypnotic movements, takes a paper cone stick and begins to expertly gather strands, rotating cones to build up mass.
"The key is to keep it light and airy."
"Too much pressure, and it becomes dense. Not enough, and it won't hold together. For Yuzu, you want that lightness to really get citrus burst like oven cheese!"
He's even forgetting to breathe.
"Do you think it'll taste as good as it smells? I am wavering...."
"No idea what 'yuzu' is, beyond it being some kind of lemon drop."
In less than a minute, Yuzu Sparkle cotton candy is complete, "One Yuzu Sparkle for the lady! Enjoy the zesty kick!"
Ichinose almost wants to run forward and take it with a 'delighted giggle', while exclaiming, 'Arigato Mr. Kaito-kun! It's so... sparkly!'
"Nomb--Chomphhh--- Mhmm! Woo~~!"
Um, She's chewing on something? What the hell---it's my red school jacket again, Oyee! You---what did it ever do you?!
"Hey, control yourself!"
"Shwaa---wying I vem Ghuu!"
While we glare & chide each other, Kaito has already started to prepare Fizz, some...it's blue sugar into the machine now. Identical process, some how speciality is gone, after once...
But you still don't want to pry yourself away. Like staring at an object to pass your time, doing utterly brilliantly nothing.
"Your drink's bubbles are used to give it after taste and release gas through your nose...."
Soda in those weird bottles with marble? Does it really fizz? He gathers it onto another stick, layer by layer, getting to a size eatable...
"And one Ramune Fizz for you, sir!There you have it - 350 yen for two! You can swipe your ID card on this"
Beep!
"Mr. Kaito-sensei, we will come here again! I have three now..."
This girl, must come here often with how familiar she is with payment.
Ear-styled pigtails with green square bangs hanging over her eyebrows. But the most notable thing, is not exactly her hair....It's flat. Forever.
"Hope to see you again soon, Miss Nayako!" Bying cheerful with a wave to those two, Kaito's eyes move towards us waiting, is it me, or does he seem to be grinning?
He puts on a new picture of a fluffy, light, pink cotton candy shaped like an 'adorable' smiling tiger face with darker pink stripes, who is blushing.
I suddenly have a bad feeling.....
"What's he doing? Ichinose you must know something, right.....?"
"Ikeburo...."
What politburo? I don't understand, so I try to read by moving forward, those words are in English, 'Limited Edition: Strawberry Tiger Cotton Candy - 550 yen (Small Size).'
A soft pout forms on her lower lip, jutts out just enough for Ichinose to reach out and smooth it with her thumb later....Her eyes are absolutely fixated on that pink tiger.
It's a fucking setup! This bastard---he rigged me.
"It's a strawberry tiger! Kawaii~! Can we get that one? Please, please, please? It's so cute! Ufun Rem, Rem!~"
Ichinose directly burns her gaze into me with such intensity, hard, practically begging, ordering me to do what she says. Her own 'pink hair' goes wild in the background as she shifts, my shirt is already grabbed forcibly.
Seriously? I glance at the image again. It's undeniably... a pink tiger. And small. 'Fine. At least it's only one. Less mess.....This is manipulation! I am being led by Ichinose of all people....'
Her sweet smile is coming closer to my own lips at the second, "Rem-kun. You are conceding, right?"
My lips twitch, betraying her amusement. Ichinose reaches out free left hand to brush a stray strand of my hair from cheek, "Small size, right?"
O O !!
Ichinose didn't just smile; she beamed, a dazzling, display of pure joy! She is actually bouncing on the balls of her feet, a quick, almost imperceptible jump, "Yes! Just one! We'll share! Thank you, Rem! You're the best! Daisuki~!"
Her gratitude level is genuinely, disarming.
Look, Kaito's smile broadens as everything is going by his plan, "Excellent. The Strawberry is very popular right now!"
He winks at me, son of a bitc-- clearly picking up on our dynamic, "It's perfect for sharing!"
"So, how do you even make that... tiger shape?" I ask, probably a grumble, I mean, just a spin wouldn't work in any case.
"It's a bit of a secret technique! Steady hand art. We use a special mold and then add details with different colored sugars after main cotton candy is spun."
He pours pink sugar, with mashed strawberries into well.
The machine whirs, a softer, sweeter 'strawberry' begins to fill the air, distinct from other fruitier smells, is he mixing up Rum with jam or what?
I glare at him if possible.
Ichinose leans against my arm, her previous worry of staring at food completely vanishes, now fixed on spinning sugar.
Her breathing is well, "Hwahh. Faaa Fuuu. Phwmm!~" Ichinose is working up lots of sweat, however problem is her standing area. Since being in my left, you have to turn sideways to watch what's going on inside bowl.
"...Mmhhph! Sniff."
Her nose twitches slightly, inhaling the sweet aroma, "It's like when you cut wood with stones in TV. Can Rem learn this? It's going to be awe----"
I tremble a little.
"Me?" I scoff lightly, a genuine laugh escaping me, "I'd probably end up with a pink sponge blob for years...."
"You are exaggerating. Look, how easy it it to make. Sugoi~~!"
"He's not just rounding up a stick."
Try reasoning with her. But Ichinose seems to be very unhappy with my giving up.
But, just my daring look, he is not even speaking now, carefully layering pink fluff into a soft, round shape, occasionally pressing it here and there, in poking.... against a clear, curved mold.
As if to check space is left or not by mistake.
Just when melted sugar starts to spread sway, he uses a wooden flap to viscous it required shape.
It's a meticulous process.
As body of the tiger takes shape, Kaito now uses small amounts of darker pink sugar.
A tiny, almost delicate tool to draw stripes onto still-warm cotton candy, and then with a different dark pigment, dabbed on eyes and mouth.
With inverted pyramid teeth. Damn.
It's surprisingly precise, each detail painstakingly placed.
"Ooohh! It's like I can do magic. Hey, let me see, why stop me? Baka! I will bite your lips."
"No, you baka. This is too close to the counter."
Ichinose is mesmerized by street stall, and losing control. How does she manage alone? I really have great doubts....."Mwehh~~"
"I will really stretch your tongue out."
It goes back in. Good, go cry glare at your tiger instead. She expects to make a beginner's magic water ball...
In less than two minutes, Strawberry Tiger Cotton Candy is complete, easily large enough for two to three people!
It's supposed to be small? It makes me look at his face twice, then back on our new species.
Kaito carefully places it on a slightly larger stick than usual, due to its shape, "Here you go! One Strawberry Tiger for the lovely couple!"
"Oh. Oh. Careful, it's so big. I will, I will take it. Rem, can you please, uh, do the honours. Hehe~~"
He hands it over to Ichinose with a grand flourish, "That'll be 550 yen. I have Mr Lion Dis Whiskers ready for next month."
"Yoshu! His down mustache one, please if it can be....!"
She finger points me. Do you want to pop a vein?
Yes, yes, of course I am here to pay for you! While I swipe my ID having all kinds of negative thoughts about stuffing her candy back into Ichinose's 'body' in a literal sense, just like you do with ice cubes.
Beep! Fine, yes, I want to do this payment. This is me, recognise me, your owner, do you know how painful, shameful, scam it is.....
Swiping away mail notification of points gone from my account, I see Ichinose who is holding her treat with a heavy expression, as if world's entire weight is on her.
~Heeh~
Staring at stupid open mouth smiley face of both the tiger, and it's eater, I want to bite it off. You don't look that heavy to me, almost weightless, a puff cream of 'pink.'
I scowl at two idiots.
The moment, we step away from the counter, Ichinose immediately reaches for the tiger. "It's so cute, I almost don't want to eat it." she cooes, gently stroking fluffy surface with a motherly finger.
Her gaze is pure adoration with real little hearts inside pupils. "But it smells so good...." She carefully plucked off one of tiger's little pink ears, bringing it to her lips.
Parted just enough to let fluff dissolve instantly, she put her free palm on that side of cheese, that's been puffed up right now, "Hmm Wuch. Omm~~!"
A soft sigh escapes her lips, on dissolving it inside her mouth with her saliva, and going down stomach, "Oh, Rem! It's so sweet and...just melts away. Ufufu~ Try it! Try other ear!"
She helds out the tiger, urging me to take a bite from opposite side, her eyes shining so bright as we approach some kind of, I am not sure but figures are leaving that place, and going ahead of us.
Lights above are rectangular, pure white in a distance pattern, greyish borders, 3 at once but in zig zag manner.
"Are there cameras here too?"
"Ghop! Dum. Dum!---Uff, you scared me! I blame you, yes there is one, no two a few metres here above us!"
Snort! Your face is not even visible with this animal hanging in front.
I leaned in to shorten his figure, taking a small bite from other ear. Not artificial sugar, or reduced, it's real with no mixtures, truly disappeared in a matter of seconds.
"It's sticky. I have to wipe it off...."
"Booo! Though it feels wrong to eat something so cute."
I then move to nibble at one of its pink stripes, tracing outline with my lips, I bite off this guy's head.
"Teehee.." Ichinose giggles, leaning even more against my side, to nudge her shoulder into mine, "See? It's so much fun sharing, isn't it? How do I taste? You are eating mine, right?"
She takes another small piece, bringing her lips down to this time from the tiger's cheek, watching me with what eyes....? her focus is entirely, "Kwa..uso! Munchww. Hmmho!"
Her gaze is intense, almost possessive, towards her innocent joy treat, "Fine, fine, I will take small...bites."
I almost sigh visibly, eyes falling to her lips, slightly dusted with pink sugar, a faint saliva, liquid state from the dissolving candy.
Taking another bite after she's done, this time closer to center of its face, chewing, dissolving, repeat process, "Better than nothing. I am eating after years...."
Probably go for one more bite.
"Um....I was here first."
We both reach for a piece of the tiger's forehead at same time, Ichinose's cheeks flush a deeper shade of rose now that her piece is being targeted, "Rem..." she whispers slowly.
"Can't help you." I purge it off direct---
"Me neither. Hyaah! Ghom~"
"....." It's soft rub on cheeks.
Sticking our faces into the body of a cotton candy at the same time, I don't dare to turn my face left in slightest, I guess neither does Ichinose, "Pwar! Meow. Kwarrr----"
-kāā...-I pull back slightly, my gaze flicking down to forehead, where Ichinose is still plunging her lips into it, our eyes match. She blinks a couple of times, waiting for me to say something. Did I poke a sore spot?
The redness on her cheeks deepens further, a vibrant, fiery now to her neck?! Making her look utterly adorable, like a growling shy kitten.
"Rem-kun, you bu... you ate me, Ufufu..." Her voice is barely a whisper, breathless cry, "My mountain is gone...Nomch Bow!"
"What fuji gone? How much sweets do you eat... I won't fall into trap of buying more. No scratch that, where does it go?"
I almost involuntarily drop, from her eyes to soft, swellness of her chest, easily visible beneath her uniform jacket.
Yeah, she probably could. Or at least, she's got the... capacity for it.
....Ichinose follows my gaze, her eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of something sharp, almost a glary knife crafts inside.
Palm which is holding my arm, a subtle squeeze, a silent warning.
My eyes snap back up. Oops. Got a little distracted there, "How about rest of this tiger. So, you don't evolve?"
"I am not a pokemon. Chotto ma---eooohhhh..lwipe~~!"
Watching her lips part, taking a dainty bite. Her tongue, a soft, pink tip, darts out briefly to catch a stray piece of fluff. 'Hot damn.'
"You know, you're making it very hard to focus on this 'dessert', Ichinose....."
"What am I doing?"
"Don't try to be angelic with me."
Her tongue reappears to gather a speck of cotton from the corner of her mouth, then lapping up a stream of liquid, and gooey pink stuff, that had run down her thumb, "Lemon pickle would have been nice too....."
"My turn. I have to finish him off. He looks so sad now that his ears are gone...."
We haven't moved a step for reaching towards that shop at all, and just standing near this brownish yellow brick vertical pillar wall, with large pane windows on both sides.
Under shade. Ichinose held it out to me, of what's left of our sweet mission, "Your turn. I will bring down the coffin at last...."
I take a larger bite this time for safety purposes, Hmm. Chopping it down into pieces, and making tiger unexist is my goal right now.....
"You'll be avenged, don't worry."
She mutters, to her strawberry tiny piece of chin somehow glued to her stick, which comes out empty with no redeem stamps. What a great loss....
"I'm looking forward to Ichinose's threats...Is there a disposal nearby?"
She can't do anything, it's the world's knowledge, not dangerous in slightest. Don't take her too seriously....
Ichinose instead of biting from her stick, actually pulls it out, wrapping her fingers around it and squeezing into right palm of hers, that's been interlocked with me.
Sweee~~!
Then I watch her rubbing whatever juice comes out onto her second finger, treating it as some kind of imaginary shaft.
Ejecting entire chin's pieces, liquid all over it, where is it even from?
Without breaking eye contact with her lost tiger.
"...What are you doing? Aren't you a germaphobe?"
"I am licking it. Does Rem-kun, want to? Payer can have the last bite..."
"Treating you as a utensil? That might be considered bad manners."
Instead, I watch with bated attention as she laps the new 'custard stick' from her finger, pink humming with another organ of the same with slow increments.
'Slurp~woosh---fwahh!~'
Ichinose doesn't seem to be satisfied enough, and stuck her whole finger in her mouth. 'Heuuup~Choopp!'
'Woop woop! Brrrr--brrrt'
"Glock~! Swchaa! Haa'so tasty!"
Pulling out her digit with a prurient pop of suction, Ichinose wipes up her lips with the back of her hand, then looks at my grating teeth with a growing smile, "N-Nani.. I almost suffocated."
How am I supposed to function, let alone have dreams of eating properly today after hours, with her fellating her own...like that?
Her expression shifts from coquettish pride to pure surprise, "Oh! I thought you didn't want it? Gomen, but it's all gone now...."
I can only stare at an empty stick that's now very lonely, I take it from her veronical fingers, "Here, I will dispos---"
"Um...hai."
Not going anywhere in particular, just trying to clear my head, but my eyes keep snagging on the little things.
The stuff you usually gloss over.
Somehow, weirdly, it makes this whole strange, new reality feel... real.
Those recycling bins over there which Ichinose has founded, to our left. Right up against that sterile, pale wall.
Not messy, overflowing single bins I am used to which needs a good hulling. Nah. These are meticulously organized trios.
It always gets me, how obsessed this country is with order, even with trash.
The bins themselves are a uniform, boring gray, smooth and utterly unmarred.
Not a dent, not a scratch. Either they're cleaned every five minutes, or kids are just way too careful with their garbage.
Each one has a different opening on top, too.
A slot for bottles, a thin one for paper, and a wider rectangle for, I guess, everything else. And above each opening?
Little laminated signs with Japanese characters and tiny pictures. "Plastic Bottles," "Paper," "General Waste."
Simple, efficient. Utterly, perfectly Japanese.
No overflowing garbage, no half-eaten food wrappers spilling out.
Just neat, orderly disposal. It's such a small thing, but it just screamed "this is Japan" louder than any pagoda or sushi roll.
It really shows how disciplined everyone here is, even down to where they chuck their....I put stick inside my jacket, after staring for a while, suddenly I don't have the heart to discard it away, I mean, it's actually the first thing I bought in terms of....
Eaten with Ichinose. 'This gets kept. No way I'm tossing this. Just a little memento.'
Almost as soon as stick disappears into my jacket, I feel a familiar weight against my left shoulder.
Ichinose is watching me doing it obviously, she slips behind me with that almost, I can kinda guess it's her footsteps by now....
Her poofy head drops onto my shoulder, soft pink tickly hair, over myself, strands on my just self, visible clearly....
Her cheek nestles against my uniform jacket, a gentle, insistent pressure.
'Fwsh-fwsh-fwsh---!'
That's sound of her uniform fabric against mine, some kind of friction as she settles properly.
Undeniably, weight of her breasts plumped against my back.
'Thump-thump. Squish-pop!'
The gentle jiggle, way they take up space to adjust, compressed against my spi----I can feel the individual mounds, soft jelly doughs...through my jacket, pressing into my muscles, a dizzying, exquisite sensation.
Then, her head dips a little further, and I feel her nose brush against my neck, just below my ear. 'Sniff. Sniff.'
A deep, audible inhale. She is sniffing me, fuck, I should have taken a bath instead! This is so, so embarassing!
Soft brush of her lips, then warm, moist puff of breath as she exhales slowly, right onto my skin.
'Haaah~' Making the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Ichinose hums, a soft, low sound, a contented rumble in her chest that vibrates against my back.
'Mmmmmm-hmm----
"Hmm? Wzat Rem?" Ichinose breathes, voice muffles against my shoulder, that causes her speech to slur away.....
Her head burrowed slightly against me, rubbing her cheek harder.
'Nnnnnhh-rub, nnnnnhh-rub.'
"Keeping a souvenir? Ufufu~" Her voice, normally so innocent. But now a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk, I don't have to look to know, but it's definitely stretching her lips.
Gaze on the back of my head, wide, blinking slowly, once, twice.
Barely concealing spark of mischief?
She knows. Oh, she absolutely knows what she's doing.....Damn it all. She's doing it. Ichinose's going to make a thing out of this....
I tried to keep my face a blank slate be a little steady, but it's fucking hard.
Insistent press of those big milkers, is making it impossible to think straight.
"It's just a stick, Ichinose. Nothing to see here. Thought I'd... keep it."
"Suvsous, very, ery."
Her fingers, start to trace circles, squares, snake patterns on my back, light and teasing, right through fabric of my jacket.
'Scritch-scritch-scratch---!'
Tap-tap-tap.
"Or perhaps... Rem-kun is planning to... remember it very, very carefully later? Candies...so sweet right?"
Her head snuggles again, nnnnhh-nnnnhh, her breasts molding deeper into my back.
'Squish-womp! Oooh-mph....'
Her fingers, trace the line of my shoulder blade, then, Boop! with a playful dart, her index finger pokes my left cheek.
"Nee~Neee?"
Her voice trails off on the last word, drawn out, a hum against my ear that sent a shiver straig---no, it's just because of cool air, yeah definitely.
(No such thing, actually)
She's doing it on purpose. That little innocent act is her most dangerous weapon.
My throat feels suddenly dry.
How utterly, completely screwed I am when you look at me like that, you little devil.
She giggles, like some kind of scary bell in horror.
Her body shifts again, 'ssshhhiift-huff', settling even closer against me if possible, to go with a strike at the right moments, "Is it your pillow habit, or something....? Hmm, what if I had licked it instead of my finger?"
Her words are a warm puff against my ear, making the fine hairs there prickle. Owrrrll~!
Lightly messin' with my collar 'Zzzzzzt....'
Her voice almost drops to a lower whisper inside my ear, "Tell me, Rem-kun, what are you really going to do with it? Don't be shy. Ahaha~ Please tell me~ "
Why is her giving respect suffix back, but I don't feel as such at all?
Her nose slightly upturned, seems to twitch, as if sniffing out every dirty idea forming in my head.
Definitely the best pillows.....
Perfectly formed curves, slope from her shoulder down to flesh of her hips, and tantalizing curve
'Bump---bum~~?!'
"What's with the two dots between my names?" I mutter, slightly leaning back into whatever friendly hug Ichinose seems to be doing.
She blinks. Once. Then again, a little longer. Her mouth opens slightly, then shut, as though trying to confirm she'd heard right.
"That little circle thing. Your typos?"
Ichinose now stares at me, trying not to let her surprise show too visibly, but the slight eating of her lower lips betrays her, "You mean... nakaguro?"
Did I say something stupid? Can I take it back.... what's that dumb look she's giving, like she understands everything and nothing at once?
I feel a leg? No, press of her thighs against my lower lower low---butt, a nudge.
Her front is subtly rubbing against my back, just enough to be noticeable. Her unneeded breath, warm and soft, ghost over my cheek.
"Huuuhhh..." A little exhale, then another.
"Haaah-hish." It tickles. My attention, however, is snagged by her gaze. Her blue eyes, aren't on mine anymore.
They are fixed, almost mesmerized, on my face.
A pause that makes me realize she is recalibrating me. Re-sorting the file of "Rem Kujou" in her head. I can see it in her face — microscopic wince of visible uncertainty as her brows knit together, breaking fabric once more.
"You ask dots, hehe~~I don't mean to sound… weird about it."
Specifically, on my beard and mustache, certain… ruggedness. Maybe a bit unkempt, definitely there, framing my jawline and upper lip.
Her expression shifts. The doubt in her deepens, into something more intense, more focused?
Ichinose leans her head back further, her nose brushing my neck again, but eyes remain locked on my face, specifically, my facial hair.
Her lips, slightly parts, I feel a tiny puff of air, a delicate "fffuu" sound, right against my mustache.
She is trying to blow it, "Fuufu~~"
Then, with agonizing slowness, her head tilts, and mouth comes closer. I feel a light brush of her lips against my beard, then, almost pain---
The very tips of her teeth, just barely, grazed coarse stubble on my jawl---!
"N-n-n-gnaw. Rem szek vinda slow."
It's so blamed, my awareness springing back to life. Ichinose immediately looks like she regrets saying it, and parts her teeth away, letting my hair escape, "Not in a bad way! Just… is it difficult to speak? You think, stop a lot between words..."
"Is that your polite way of saying I sound weird?"
"N-No!" Her voice jumps up an octave, she wakes up her face from my shoulder, and comes back to what's considered 'normal' distance, waving both her hands, flustered? "I mean, I have to strain my ears…accent?"
She assumes I am normal. Local. Native, trying not to look stupid, and in the process, doing exactly that.
"From my view, you don't breathe at all. What say now?"
"Ehhh. Nooooo! I do---Haaah-fooo~~! I did it, didn't I? B-but, you, I saw you writing name just like me with 'dots'."
Straightening her blazer and brushing invisible dust from her sleeve, her expression is hard to read — not pity, not confusion, maybe curiosity laced with a headache.
Like she isn't sure if she is allowed to ask. I used dots, nawagoru? Where?
While I am busy thinking, staring at bricks, Ichinose gives a small sound — a drawn-out "nnnnn…" that has equal parts of thoughtful and unsure, "Do I, do I really talk fast? I don't breathe..?"
"Just like anime."
I build up her words seriously. Then 'cute' girl with pink straight hair falls silent. Ichinose Honami's cheeks turn slightly red.
"Huh?"
She quietly glances in my direction, but then quickly turns away to stare at the wall in front instead. Ichinose is a little troubled by what I imagine....
"In other words, Rem-kun is so unscrupulous. He feels we are not in the same world, or regards me as a paper figure!"
"I've never heard of a boy who can be so cruel. Treat girls so excessively, I am just an illusory to Rem-k----"
Crap, crap, Ichinose's eyes are losing colour, and becoming dull. Quickly appease, change topic, maybe som----
She starts moving towards the shop in a daze, I am tense, did I break her or something.....? I suddenly need more air, to calm my own self more than anything.
Her body is really wobbling or shaking, like when you get electrified.
"Wher---Ichinose, Hey, where are you...."
"Aquiuu~~!"
She just sneezed.
My right hand, which had been at my side, I try to, no actually do move towards her back, footsteps for some reason echoing, just a couple more, ahhh...yes, there she is. Go left, damn,
Okay, okay, deep breaths, Sid. This is bad, very bad. Just… look at her.
Ichinose's really gone to a full-on, honest-to-god performance.
Her eyes. Gone. Just these tiny, furious squints, like someone pinched them shut with pliers. Those little lines above them? Man, those anger wrinkles are practically jumping off her forehead, telling she's about to blow.
Seriously, how much tension does it take to make your face do that?
But mouth, dude, how do you expect me to say you are not paper after this?
The mouth. It's like a black hole just opened up on her face. A massive, perfect Oval of a scream. You can almost hear it, can you?
Like, "Gyaaah! Why meeee?!" or just pure, unedited, frustrated noise.
And, okay, wait – are those actual fangs? Little tiny points poking out?
Ichinose looks like she could turn into a chibi vampire right here, right now, and bite something out of sheer frustration.
Her tongue is just a pink cookie circle, taking most of her mouth's inside.
Whole face shape is just... stretched round. Jawline totally gone, swallowed up by that massive open mouth.
Basically just a giant funnel. No nice curves, no sharp angles like Jin-woo, just open.
Those little fists! Look at those things.
Clenched so tight, her fingers are just little white nubs, like tiny, angry marshmallows of Ghostbusters....
She's got her arms up, shaking them.
It's 'I've had it!' pose, isn't it? Every single bit of her is screaming. Even her chest, those... uh, generous breasts, they're practically heaving and bouncing with force of her silent scream, like they're just as upset as she is.
It's seriously dramatic, hilarious, but also kinda rude, you know? I'm telling you, this anime world is gonna give me an aneurysm.
"Do I make uncomfortable? Am I not good enough?"
Um...Ichinose has closed her mouth now, chewing on her lips tightly, forcing her voice to sound normal, glaring at ? with narrowed watery eyes.
She's looking at her chest, who is this girl talking to? I too lower my head to look at the place of her recent chat, Ichinose has a 'death-or-die' expression.
...Shift myself, yeah. Shop after shop, all glass and polished fronts.
The big one, in left of both of us, is an Oh...convenience store, Fairy Mart7.
The logo itself is pretty clean: a bright lime green "F," then "airy Mart" in white, simple font.
That big, bold "7" standing a little bit apart, glowing slightly.
It isn't like a 7-Eleven back home, all sharp lines and aggressive branding.
This one... softer. Friendlier, almost. Fairy Mart. Yeah, I guess it fits. Insides are too bright for me to make out, this is making me colour blind, maybe junk food, or some electronic counter receipt machine?
Outside, plastered right onto glass, are a few posters. One, near the door, is for some new onigiri - those rice triangles.
Another, a tall banner, is definitely a drink promotion, with cartoon bubbles and Tree's thumps up-bottles.
Is it a magazine or some kind of dessert, probably, no it's Thai coconut noodles with some red sauce?
Aghh! It could also be a parfait cream onion mousee? Keep walking, don't stare too much, or I will have a migraine discovering each frame....!
'Buy me! Buy me!' It's subtle, but in a sense everywhere.
As we keep you know walking, side by side quietly, me just stamping my foot alongside hers, completely clueless of what's exactly, clarity in front, dreaming.....Mwerh!
I just naturally drift up on glows above. The ceiling. It's not some open-air place, this is a proper, enclosed mall.
The ceiling itself is kind of a patchwork? Lighter gray panels broken up by thin black strips.
But lights... similar to earlier ones, long, rectangular LED, sunk flush with the ceiling.
Continuous pair of 3 zig zag lines, stretching down the corridor. It's sickly sweet, whatever it is, someone is eating.
Ahead of me, finally a few students, fucking nuts, bullshit, I thought it's just us! Whhhhyyy! Aren't we witnessed earlier? No one came past us, or disturbed us, where we stayed in that location for such long....?
I didn't hear anything, see anything, just any kind of noise, nothing at all, it was as if...Just me and Ichinose matters to the scene, others not important, irrelevant, to continuous scenes, and should not be written down in a novel....why did I not pay attention to onlookers?
I try to correct this.
That one guy, way over to the right, near a window, just standing there, head bent over his phone.
All relaxed, totally absorbed.
His hair, brown, maybe it's common for characters who are not meant to have dialogues....too plain.
Further down, near another shop, giggling, lots. Light, airy voices.
"Is that okay?"
"I don't want to carry things while waiting for you. It's a burden for me too."
"Then come with me. There should be a place to rest in the store. You can sit for a while, I check customs...."
Um.... what's going on with sudden noises? So confused, random topics started out of nowhere.
"...It's Archery equipment. I don't know, maybe it's resale. No looking too much...Ghrup!"
At the edge of corridor, moving towards the electronic, gym facility, we spot this place in a very remote location. Are you hiding something?
Uniform comes over, I mean a person, okay! Should we listen? Ichinose seems to be giving me a dirty stare of moving on.
"Are you two interested in archery?"
"You know we're....?"
"This school has less than 300 2nd and 3rd-year students combined, and I've seen almost all of them. You two are new faces, so you must be freshmen who just enrolled today. Hahaa!"
Zrrrrr! This laugh is so loud, I actually shake a bit, just...he keeps speaking, yapping on without breaks.
"I'm Sato Ken from Class 3-A, head of school's archery club and temporary member recruiter of this shop."
...Is he bringing students, members of his club to purchase, and doing business here? Wait, his name is a mixture of two characters?
----ps hire staff from outside, but niche shops like this have very low annual revenue. So, we bring a crowd here."
"This shop mainly exists to meet the needs of archery club members and potential. Instead of spending a lot on labor costs, it's better for us to promote ourselves, and get extra from school by old supplies. Everyone is happy wi----"
"Let's go, Aki---Dakito. I am so bored. This bag is too heavy, come another day to do whatever you wanna do..."
"Wait, you, yes, Dakito. Join our club, I just know it, you practice Archery right? I can't be wrong! Let's hear some exclu----Hey, you two, stop snooping around!"
Fuck, we are spotted. Run, Gotta Run And both of us did. Leaving those boys away.
"Haaah! Haa---I told you to move. Didn't I? Kyudo is different from ball games. I couldn't even draw the bow!"
"No shit...."
"C-Come again? Meow!"
I swear it's just a murmur. But somehow loud, enough for Ichinose beside me to hear, Hoyaa---when did she even hold my arm again? Isn't she furiosa anymore?
"Kyu? Wait from Kaguya-sama? You practiced it?"
"Uh, Kyudo is a bit difficult, hehe~ Hmm. Ahem, you are fantasizing too much. This wounds me deeply, Rem....Smmh~!"
Ichinose says awkwardly after encircling the size of her own floating two cup sets with palms just, just, touch, grope already, why motion in air li---
For Ichinose, who is, forbid me, G-cup, Kyudo, is definitely a diffic---sport.
My eyes are indeed feasted with the sight. While I stare at her dully, I hear a Meow? Hmm, is there a stray nearb----Discovered!
Ichinose smiles knowingly.
I realise that my secret is exposed, noticing she can't just play to herself, Ichinose covers her chest with her entire left arm, in a slow motion, blocking my sight.
...I'm captured. This girl planned it from the start, I know it! But vixen immediately lowers her head in displeasure.
"It seems like there's so much lewd going on inside Rem-kun. Phew, I'm so tired...."
I can't really tell how much of what she had just said is acting and how much is real, but Ichinose might have actually lost a few pounds....
"I'm worried about my future. Okay, for sake of my dinner, let's drop this slip quickly....! Yoshu!"
xxxxxxx
Author's Note
I will try to update tomorrow! Give me your comments, Meow?~❣️
Power Stone's! 🎉