Saturday (3)

Reiji's face started twitching involuntarily, his eyelids almost spasming as he tried to understand what had just happened.

If her actions in his bedroom had fried his circuits, this kiss was the explosion that destroyed the remains.

This wasn't following logic at all!

Not that Yui was ever the logical type anyway.

He tried to think of something to say, something to do.

Because he knew that this had now completely changed the dynamic between them, with no chances of returning to what it used to be before.

Her jokes and playfulness weren't just that anymore, and with his last few brain cells failing on him, he was giving himself mental CPR to kickstart them into overtime.

'.....What should I even say?'

He started to recover at what seemed to be a snail's pace, but in fact, a million different thoughts were blitzing through him, trying to encapsulate the consequences of this moment.

But then, his glazed blue eyes focused on Yui's red ones.

It wasn't only the irises that were crimson; even the whites were bloodshot.

Was that due to fear?

Relief?

Or maybe a combination of complex emotions he couldn't decipher?

All he knew was that there was a shimmer within them, traces of tears that hadn't fully formed yet.

'Why am I even thinking so hard about this?'

Reiji laughed softly.

"Pfft, why do you look so terrified?" he asked.

Yui pursed her lips, her tension lightening as she landed back on her feet because she was still teetering on her tiptoes.

"Because you looked so conflicted, you big oaf!" she mumbled back, avoiding his gaze now that her adrenaline was wearing off.

The blush on her cheeks deepened even further and spread to the rest of her face.

"I'll accept big, but I'm not an oaf."

"Then what are you? A dummy is all I see!"

She folded her arms across her chest and pouted. But then she glanced up at Reiji, her lack of stillness proving that she was still on edge.

"....S-Sorry if I scared you," she whispered.

Reiji raised an eyebrow, amused at how fast she could switch from authoritative to submissive without doing it deliberately.

"You did scare me, quite a bit actually," he responded, and continued without pause despite the noticeable tremor that passed through her, "But not because of the kiss. Why on earth were you acting so gloomy when you walked out? I thought I went too far."

"Well, whose fault is that?" she hissed, punching his arm lightly.

Because she was looking away out of shyness, she didn't see Reiji wince in pain for a very brief moment.

He quickly straightened up before she turned back, ruffling her hair in a soothing manner.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Okay?"

Yui still avoided eye contact, opting to bring her head down and rest it on his chest instead.

So for a full minute, neither side exchanged a word, with the boy affectionately patting the girl, who started to calm down as the time passed.

After a while, she tilted her sight upwards, her chin still leaning against him.

"So, what does this mean now?" she asked hesitantly.

Reiji didn't respond immediately, sighing while he thought about it.

He wasn't against the idea of them dating; it was actually quite the opposite.

He didn't even know when he had started liking her, but her quirky jabs, clingy texts, and genuine affection that appeared to be reserved for him only, were all arrows that hit the bullseye on his heart.

He had planned on maybe asking her out, if he thought she felt the same, but only after he had resolved the issues that had led her down the wrong path in the game.

And now that she had speedran their relationship from the moment they met, sealing the deal with that kiss, he was blanking.

At first, he had a feeling that Yui's insecurities had driven her obsessive and possessive actions when she had 'forced' him to become her boyfriend at the mall, and he was still certain that was the case at the time.

And if that hadn't changed, was this really the right way to start a relationship?

"...Why aren't you saying anything?" Yui asked, her voice barely audible.

"Can I ask you something?" Reiji replied, looking down at her.

"....Sure?"

"Why do you like me?"

The redhead blinked with confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"We haven't known each other for long, so I just want to know why."

Yui pulled away from him, but there was an expression of complete disbelief rather than the introspection or apprehension he had been expecting on her face.

"Are you actually that dense? I thought you were joking around," she asked with a dumbfounded stare.

"Huh?"

It was Reiji's turn to be confused, his brows arching in surprise.

"You made it impossible not to fall for you, so what else was I supposed to do? In fact, I even think that you'd fall for yourself if you were a girl!"

'....What the fuck is she talking about????'

The complete bewilderment he was experiencing was honestly a little disconcerting, and he just stood there in a daze.

"What does that even mean?" he asked slowly.

"I'm just saying that I had no choice in the matter; it was going to happen either way because you're you."

Yui shrugged, as if what she was saying was something obvious.

"I.... Huhhh??" Reiji sputtered.

"Why'd you even ask that question in the first place?"

"....I wanted to check if you really liked me, or if it was like at the mall when we met."

Yui frowned, a hint of anger concentrated in her eyes that didn't last very long. She looked forlorn when she sighed, tugging her sleeves sadly.

"I can't blame you for that.... that was my fault after all. But I really do like you. The question you should be asking is if you like me back," she quavered, both the seriousness and nervousness more than clear in her tone.

Reiji smiled, throwing aside the odd explanation she had given before as the rest of his worries faded into nothingness.

He raised his arms and held Yui's face between his hands, rubbing her warm cheeks tenderly as he bent down.

Yui closed her eyes this time, surrendering herself to Reiji's response, which he decided to convey through action instead of words.

Their lips met for the second time today, but the connection was lighter and more compassionate on this occasion when compared to the powerful collision of the first.

They kissed softly, their minds filled with each other, and each other only.

***

"How is it?" Reiji grinned, watching Yui chew the chocolate-flavored macaron.

"Mmmmm.....Mhm!" she nodded blissfully.

She swallowed and then shoved the whole thing in her mouth, scanning the platter for her next target with a ferocious eagerness.

They were sitting next to each other on the dining table, but Yui's chair was very close to his, to the point where their shoulders were touching.

Reiji sipped on his iced coffee, enjoying the adorable sight of her picking off macarons one after the other with joy etched on her face.

Her legs were swinging underneath the table, swaying back and forth like a pendulum as she leaned against him every now and then, like she was checking if he was still there.

"Come on, I need some actual feedback! Use that mouth to say some words instead of eating for a minute."

Yui tilted her head up at him with a sharp glint. She licked the crumbs off her chin and scratched his palm teasingly.

"I can use my mouth for something far more fun than that," she whispered, glancing at his lips.

Reiji rolled his eyes and pulled the tray of sweets away from her.

"No more until you tell me how they are," he scoffed.

There was no playing around when it came to his cooking, not on his watch.

"Hey!!" Yui complained, while Reiji just smirked.

"Go on."

"They're amazing, obviously! I don't think I've had better ones! Ever!" she exclaimed, peering at the macarons hungrily,

"Is there any way to improve them?"

"Of course there is."

"Oh! Tell me!"

Reiji lit up, wanting to hear how he could make them even better.

"There are too few. You need to make a lot more batches next time," Yui grinned.

"..... You'll get diabetes."

"Worth it."

Reiji shook his head and returned the tray, laying his chin on his palm as he watched her eat again.

Just like that, they continued to eat the desserts and drink the coffee, reveling in the newfound warmth that had enveloped them both.

"So, when can I move in?" Yui asked, making a double stack of macarons by placing a caramel-flavored one over the chocolate and biting into it.

"....Don't even get me started."

"I already made some measurements!" she giggled.

"What? Wait, is that what you were doing with your hands when I was showing you around?"

"Yep! We'd share a room, and the storage can be turned into a bedroom for the kids! The gym stays, for obvious reasons," she jabbered, brushing his left arm lightly. "And I'm not too sure about the study yet."

"....Please tell me you're joking," he mumbled.

"Maybe, maybe not."

Yui had that mischievous look, so Reiji flicked her on the forehead in exasperation.

"You're seriously still gonna continue with all that?"

"That's my purpose in life," she insisted, rubbing the sore spot.

"....Ah shit, it's just going to get worse from now on, isn't it?"

She interlocked his hand with her own, gripping it tightly as she smiled at him affectionately.

"You signed up for this, no refunds allowed."

"Yeah, I'm scre-"

*DIIIIING-DOOONGGG*

A voice filtered through the front door after the bell died down, interrupting their banter.

"Reiji-tan? I'm here!"