^Way to pick up the slack, m'dear.
Enjoy this, everyone. This is probably the last update you'll get until late Saturday. <3
[Chapter Twenty-Four: The Date]It’s just lunch. One lunch. One time. And afterwards I can leave and forget all about her and go back to my normal life… right?
…Right?Risako was having lots of doubts about this little outing. In fact, she had started to feel uneasy about the whole thing just a few minutes after Maiha had asked her on the date yesterday. But… if she was so anxious about the situation, then why…
Why am I letting her hold my hand?The flirt had immediately laced their fingers together as soon as they had exited the theatre, and she was now tugging the younger girl along to some location that she hadn’t yet been informed about. Each time Risako asked where they were going, Maiha would only grin and tell her to wait a little bit longer, and each time that answer got more and more frustrating to hear.
But Risako was stubborn, and something like that wasn’t going to stop her from asking the question one more time.
“Maiha… where are you taking me?”
“You don’t give up, do you, Socko? Can’t you just enjoy taking a nice little walk with me? We’re almost there, anyway… I think it would be better for you to be surprised.”
Risako groaned inwardly, but finally decided to keep silent. Maiha could be stubborn too.
They continued onward in a peaceful kind of silence, which might have been enjoyable were Risako’s mind as quiet as her surroundings. This was starting to feel like a
real date. A
normal date. And Maiha was anything but normal, so it only served to heighten her suspicions. Other girls passed them on the sidewalks, and the flirt paid them absolutely no attention. Not even a sideways glance out of her eyes.
Who are you, and what have you done with Maiha?She felt a tug on her arm, and was brought out of her thoughts to realize that the other girl had already stopped, and was smiling at her.
“You don’t have to keep walking, Socko… We’re here.”
Maiha had brought her to a small café in the middle of the city, one that could be easily overlooked in such a busy, crowded place. As soon as they walked through the doors, Risako’s sense of smell was flooded with the rich scent of coffee and sweets, and her mouth almost began to water with the sensation.
Really now. Who ARE you, and WHERE is MAIHA?The atmosphere in the place was a very relaxing one, calm music floating through the air, and there were various businesspeople and artists scattered about the tables, working, reading, and sketching as they enjoyed nice cups of coffee. It seemed to be a nice little spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, as well as the dropping temperatures outside.
Maiha led Risako over to a small table near one of the windows, and began to flip through the little menu that lay there.
“Order whatever you want to. I’m paying for it. And don’t even try to argue with me, because I’ll win, or I’ll keep you here until you agree with me.”
Well then. That was the end of that before it even started. Not that Risako could have made a valid argument anyway, considering she had left her things at the theatre and therefore had no money TO pay with. So in the end it worked out for her well anyway. Maiha was the only one out of the two of them to actually eat anything, however, as Risako was content to order a nice hot chocolate. It warmed her up, and wouldn’t make her sick later when she returned to practice. She always ate a big breakfast and big dinner anyway, and was never really hungry during the middle of the day.
They had lapsed into a sort of comfortable silence, and though her warm drink was making her feel a little bit drowsy, Risako was still on her guard. This was almost too nice to be happening…
“Why do you keep staring at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re just waiting for me to do something wrong.”
“Can you really blame me? You probably should have been expecting that…”
“I suppose… It’s just… amusing, I guess.”
Maiha flashed the younger girl a toothy grin, leaning back in her seat.
“I mean, I
may have this reputation for being perverted…”
“Maiha, I watched you grope my cousin the other day, and-”
“Okay, okay, so maybe I am, but I like to call it an ‘appreciation of the female figure’.”
“Is that why you’re so fascinated with me, then?”
Because if it’s the only reason, I might as well just get up and leave now.The flirt watched Risako thoughtfully for a moment, before turning her head to look out the window. She seemed to be thinking over her response carefully, and it was one of the very few times Risako had ever seen her act serious about something.
“…No. I mean, I’m not gonna lie to you, that was definitely it at first, but… you were the first person who had ever turned me down for a date. You probably remember when we met…”
How could I forget? Only two seconds into the conversation and already your hands had started to wander.“I didn’t really know how to handle it, because nobody’s had ever done that to me before. So at first, I couldn’t really believe it. That’s why I kept coming back to try again. And then I wanted to know what made you different. Like, I wanted to know why you weren’t like all the others who would have jumped at the chance to be with me. But I think maybe I’ve got it figured out…”
Oh really…?Maiha put a hand over her heart, and Risako could tell that it was about to get just a little bit dramatic.
“I, Ishimura Maiha, am terribly persistent, and I will not give up until I win you over. Even if it drives me insane.”
And then the flirt leaned forward over the table, getting
very close to Risako’s face. The younger female’s heart leaped frantically into her throat, and she didn’t really know what she would do if the gap between them was closed. The flirt was wearing a devilish grin, and nothing good would come of that.
“I’m going to find out what makes you tick, Risako. I’m gonna do this right this time, and by the end of it, you’re not gonna be able to resist me at all. So… leaving you with that… I’ll see you around…”
With a final smile, Maiha was gone, and Risako was left sitting there at the table, her lips aching for what had been mere centimeters away… so close and yet…
…When exactly did we turn this into a game?