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As soon as Mahiru declares that they are finished, Karen flops face first on the bed with a loud sigh. Hikari watches, the corners of her lips turning up in a slight smile as she focuses on neatly placing the last of her clothing into the closet. Sitting on the edge of her own bed, Mahiru falls back, finally allowing herself a moment to relax. Reaching for her stuffed cat, Mahiru squeezes it tightly to her chest and lets out a pleased hum. Somehow they had managed to clean the room without too many interruptions.
Moments later, Karen sits up with a shout, jumps from the bed, and races out of the room. Mahiru laughs softly when Junna’s voice echoes down the corridor not even a minute later, reminding Karen not to run. Her eyes meet Hikari’s and Mahiru can feel her laughter growing when she notices the subtle amusement reflected in Hikari’s expression.
“Mahiru?” Hikari speaks up, her voice sounding slightly uncertain.
Holding the plush close, Mahiru sits up and gives Hikari her full attention. “Hikari-chan?”
Hikari fidgets, a frown settling on her face as she reaches for something at her side. She pauses, hesitating for a moment before reaching some sort of decision. Wasting no time, Hikari stands up and approaches Mahiru’s bed.
Curious, Mahiru shifts over and pats the spot next to her. “Is everything okay, Hikari-chan?”
With a brief nod, Hikari settles herself next to Mahiru and holds up a box of pocky. Opening the packaging, she presents it to Mahiru.
Mahiru relaxes a bit, reaching out to take one of the pocky sticks. She brings it to her mouth, intending to take a bite when Hikari clears her throat.
“Karen mentioned something about a game.” Hikari tilts her head, watching Mahiru carefully.
The pocky stick nearly falls right from Mahiru’s hand as Hikari’s words register in her mind. She blinks once, twice, a third time. It does not take long before her face begins to heat up and Mahiru manages to stutter out a response. “D-Did she?”
Reaching for her own pocky stick, Hikari begins to nibble on it, never once looking away from Mahiru.
When Hikari does not elaborate further about what Karen told her, Mahiru is not sure if she is relieved or disappointed. Letting out a shaky breath, Mahiru bites into her own pocky stick and focuses on calming her racing heart. It is not very easy when Hikari is watching her so closely.
Mahiru finishes the last of her pocky and takes a deep breath. She is clearly overthinking things. Her lashes fall shut and just as Mahiru can feel her pulse begin to slow, something soft brushes against her cheek.
Opening her eyes, Mahiru turns to Hikari, blinking in shock. Her eyes widen when she takes in the light flush that spreads across the bridge of Hikari’s nose. “Hikari-chan?”
Hikari reaches out, smiling softly at Mahiru as she laces their fingers together. “Karen said that we should share a kiss after eating pocky.”