When Kasumigaoka Utaha maintained her calm expression and fixed her gaze on Shichen, she answered his question with a question of her own, "Is there a problem?"
"There's definitely an issue," Shichen nodded.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Kasumigaoka continued with a faint smile. "You're my very first reader. Isn't it natural for me to be curious about my reader's love life?"
"What a wonderful author you are," Shichen teased.
"Absolutely. Besides, being a novelist, it's normal to be extra curious. Gathering all sorts of information might help with my writing."
"That makes sense. With that explanation, I can't really argue."
"Good. Now go on, the customers have arrived. I need to focus on my writing." Kasumigaoka sounded like she was shooing him away.
"Oh, so now you can actually write?" Shichen smirked mischievously.
"…" She shot him a fierce look, clearly annoyed.
"Haha, well, take your time. I'm really looking forward to reading it," he said.
"I know!" she snapped, her tone harsh—she was obviously embarrassed.
But Shichen didn't mind. In fact, he found it cute. Still, a little teasing goes a long way; too much could hurt their relationship, and they weren't that close yet. Better not push his luck.
So, leaving her alone, he got up to tend to other customers.
All morning, the café was quietly bustling. Compared to the last few days, it was obviously livelier—weekend, after all, so lots of high school girls showed up in groups to "drink coffee."
Shichen frankly doubted most teenage girls genuinely enjoyed coffee, which was more of an office-worker staple. He knew why they were really here, but he didn't bother calling them out. It was all good for business, anyway.
Not only did it bring in money, it also let him quietly bask in the admiring looks people cast his way. He figured he might as well enjoy it while it was still novel to him.
At midday, the café got a bit noisy, and Kasumigaoka found herself unable to concentrate on her writing. She took a brief break.
Shichen invited her to have lunch with him and Tohru, and she agreed. Tohru, however, wasn't pleased. Well, maybe "not pleased" wasn't accurate—more like she was openly hostile toward Kasumigaoka. She kept darting suspicious glances at her while she ate.
Kasumigaoka, for her part, completely ignored Tohru, quietly eating with graceful poise and praising the food. Tohru, not in the mood, took no pleasure in the compliments.
Shichen likewise ate in silence, not looking at either of them. He felt no guilt, figuring at least they weren't arguing.
Tohru, meanwhile, was entirely fixated on her newfound "enemy," oblivious to being effectively left out of the conversation. Her single-mindedness made her oblivious to other interactions.
So, they managed to finish the meal in a forced semblance of harmony. Afterward, the lunchtime rush died down, and Kasumigaoka returned to typing her novel.
Shichen joined Tohru in the kitchen to wash dishes: Tohru washed, he dried.
Barely a plate into the process, Tohru couldn't help asking again, "Shichen-dono, you really won't just throw me aside for someone new, right?"
"Tohru, you have to believe in your own charms." Shichen patiently reassured her. He could sense her insecurity—part of why he was here washing dishes with her in the first place.
"But that Kasumigaoka is really pretty," Tohru said, lips pursed uncertainly.
"And you don't think you're prettier?" Shichen countered with a smile.
"You really think so?" Tohru couldn't hide her delight.
"I do." He nodded earnestly. "You're absolutely gorgeous, Tohru."
He wasn't just flattering her, either. Tohru's looks completely overshadowed Kasumigaoka's. The latter might be stunning by human standards, but Tohru, in her human form, was practically an otherworldly beauty. There was no comparison.
"You're not just lying, right?" She was grinning but still a little self-conscious.
Though she was a dragon—powerful and extraordinary—she seemed wracked by doubt. Shichen felt he ought to build her confidence, but ultimately, she'd have to come to that realization herself.
Still, there was one obvious way he could help.
He didn't hesitate. Setting the plate aside, he moved closer to Tohru.
"Shichen-dono?" She looked at him, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Without a word, he cupped her soft cheeks in his hands. Right as she began to look startled, he leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to her right cheek.
Tohru froze. She just stared, forgetting to blink, forgetting to breathe.
"Don't be silly," Shichen said with a laugh, releasing her. "Believe me now?"
"I… Shichen-dono… That was so sudden…" Tohru stammered, her cheeks flush, a radiant smile spreading over her face. She couldn't hide her delight.
"Don't you like sudden surprises? Isn't it better that way?"
"I wasn't ready for it…"
"All I did was kiss your cheek. How much prep do you need?"
"Well, I could've turned my face so you'd hit my lips—"
"…I shouldn't have bothered kissing you!"
"Huh? Don't say that! Shichen-dono, please do it again? This time, on the other side—y'know, to make it symmetrical."
Shichen's expression turned blank. "I already kissed that side before."
"I don't remember that?"
He sighed. "Honestly, I shouldn't have tried to cheer you up. I'm outta here!"
"Wait, Shichen-dono!"
Tohru reached out, but Shichen left the kitchen without looking back.
Tohru's excitement was impossible to contain. Even though he was giving her the cold shoulder now, she couldn't stop smiling. One hand drifted to her cheek, and she broke into a dopey grin.
He'd kissed both sides already—surely the middle wasn't far off?
She was already daydreaming about the next step.
Back at the register, Shichen was hardly upset. He just figured the kiss had done the trick.
In "2D" worlds, a kiss is something different. Girls yearn for a kiss from the one they like, not because of lust but because of the meaning it carries: affection, love. Kissing someone means you truly like them. Getting kissed by that person feels blissful.
That's part of why so many love anime: it's beautiful and pure, an ideal that warms the heart.
Shichen's kiss wasn't just for show—he genuinely liked Tohru. But he also wanted to reassure her. Luckily, it had only been a cheek kiss, so it didn't violate his sense of "innocent romance."
As the afternoon wore on, the café took on a relaxed atmosphere, the gentle aroma of coffee mixing with a calm ambiance that made customers want to linger.
Kasumigaoka Utaha typed away devotedly all afternoon. Finally, she finished Volume One of her very first novel.
Since Shichen had no phone, they hadn't exchanged any contact info. So Kasumigaoka simply handed him her laptop, then hurried out of the shop in a fluster. Judging by the way she all but fled, she clearly wasn't comfortable watching someone read her novel in front of her.
That's how it is for most first-time writers: they can handle strangers reading, but get shy when it's someone they know.
Shichen understood—he'd been there once. He'd tried to become a stay-at-home novelist, but lacking the talent, he soon gave up and joined the working world. Looking back, maybe he owed his current happiness to his lack of talent. If he'd stayed indoors writing day and night, who knew whether he'd be "lucky" enough to be hit by a meteor and transported to this 2D realm? And would his phone have gotten that "virus" if he never went outside?
Now that he felt so fortunate, he was grateful for how things had turned out.
He didn't rush to read Kasumigaoka's novel, instead setting aside her laptop, planning to enjoy it the next day. Tonight he'd be setting up his study. He'd bought almost everything needed—only the fundamental items, like books and manga, were missing.
But now he did have a novel, so reading it in his newly arranged study would be perfect for the ambience.
That evening, with Tohru's help, he easily finished renovating the study room, though it was still pretty sparse inside. The shelves were empty, the desk was bare—just a single laptop sitting there. He'd need time to fill the room properly. There had to be plenty of good novels and manga in this world.
Tohru was excited, too, albeit for a different reason: sleeping arrangements. Since she helped him out, he'd promised she could share his bed again. Another "last night," apparently?
But "last night" only lasts one night at a time.
~~~
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