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Sayo's hand is so warm, it's so much bigger than Tsugumi's. The fingers that entwine with hers are long and callused from years of unceasing guitar practice. Tsugumi gives her a light squeeze, and is rewarded with the same in return. She smiles, looking down to her feet as they walk. Her (unofficial) girlfriend is always so cute!
"I believe you said it's this way?" Sayo asks her, and her gaze jolts back up. Err, what street is this? She squints at the sign, and... yeah, this is it! She pulls Sayo's hand gently, turning them down a side street. There's fewer pedestrians here.
"It's over here!" she says, "I know it's kinda out of the way, but that's the best part of it, you know? Finding these little places you'd normally walk right past..."
Sayo nods, following along obediently. "I understand, Hazawa-san. And besides, we've already tried most of the cafes in the area. And it will be quite nice to see you in a new--" She stops and looks away, and Tsugumi only catches a hint of an embarrassed expression. "I mean, it will be nice to be in a new setting."
"Of course," Tsugumi says with a stifled giggle.
But as pleasant as the day is, as comforting as Sayo's hand is wrapped around hers, she's gotta make sure she doesn't lose sight of her true objective today...
"Please, Tsugu, I just need your help!" Himari cries out, tugging the sleeve of her uniform desperately. "It's for research!"
She gives her the big eyes that Tomoe and Ran can never say no to, but Tsugumi's started to build up a resistance over the years, and instead of just agreeing she puts her hands on her hips. "What is this even about, Himari? I don't get it. You said Sayo-san has..."
"A dog brain!" Himari exclaims, clapping her hands together. "She's the same as Tomoe, they're both certified dog brains! Or at least that's my hypotenuse."
"Hypothesis...?"
"You're so smart, Tsugu! And that's what makes you absolutely perfect to be my partner in this." She grabs Tsugumi's hands and clasps them tightly as her eyes sparkle. "We're gonna be partners in dog brain research, the first in our field!"
Tsugumi tries to reply as her brain swims. "Um, so, what do you even... want me to do? How do I tell if she really has a... 'dog brain'? And what does that even mean?"
"You know how sometimes Tomoe will see me and RUN over and like, pick me up, and then she makes all those cute excited noises and calls my name a bunch?"
"...I guess?"
Himari nods decisively. "That's her dog brain at work. I'm sure of it! And your girlfriend--"
"Unofficial!" Tsugumi cuts in.
"Unofficial girlfriend has just as much of a dog brain as mine does."
Tsugumi doesn't quite know what to think, but hey, Himari does have more experience in relationships than she does... one is more than a half of one, after all. And if she wants to move Sayo-san from the 'unofficial girlfriend' category up to 'girlfriend', maybe she should take her friend's advice here.
"All right..." she starts reluctantly, "what am I supposed to do?"
STAGE ONE - "Come."
The cafe is growing closer. If Tsugumi is gonna make her first move, now is the time, when they're still in this quiet side street without many people around... it's still a scandalous thought. But she's gonna do her best.
"Hey, Sayo-san?" she asks, tentatively. Sayo turns to look at her with a curious expression.
"Hmm?"
Instead of a verbal response, Tsugumi gulps, and then moves her free hand up--all the way to her face. She holds eye contact with Sayo as she taps her index finger against her lips, and watches the bright red flush spread over her unofficial girlfriend's face in response.
"Right here? In public?" Sayo asks nervously, and Tsugumi nods, still holding the silent eye contact. Sayo tugs at her own collar, and casts several glances around them before stepping closer. "All right then, Hazawa-san. Just for a moment."
Her warm hand is on Tsugumi's cheek now, nudging her closer as Sayo moves in. Tsugumi closes her eyes and feels a gentle pressure on her lips. Sayo's kisses are so light and delicate, she always treats Tsugumi as if she's something precious... and then she moves away, and Tsugumi opens her eyes to the sight of a thoroughly embarrassed Hikawa.
"Was that... sufficient?" Sayo mutters, and Tsugumi can't help but giggle out loud at her attempt at seriousness.
"Very!"
Sayo hides her face. "I'm glad to hear it, Hazawa-san."
Well, that's a complete success for Stage One. Tsugumi jots that down internally as they start to moves towards the cafe again. Next on Himari's list... she'll need to wait a little while before putting it into practice. She pushes the door to the cafe open, and a bell jingles to announce the pair's arrival.
"Welcome!" the owner calls out with a grin. He's a big man, surprisingly beefy for a cafe owner, but Tsugumi can see a hospitable spirit in his eyes. Just the same as her parents. "Take a seat wherever you like, I'll be over with a menu in just a moment."
"Thank you, sir," Sayo calls out in response with a nod. Her calm politeness is always so charming. Tsugumi takes her by the hand and pulls her over to an open booth--strategically placed for maximum visibility.
They sit on either end, Sayo folding her hands in her lap and giving Tsugumi a smile from across the table. Tsugumi smiles in return and swings one of her legs forward, grinning as she feels her shoe bump against another. Bullseye. Sayo looks a bit bashful, but all the same, she returns the gesture by carefully tapping the side of Tsugumi's shoe.
She's so cute, Tsugumi can barely handle it...
"Here ya go." The owner puts two menus down in front of the both of them, nodding with a sense of understanding. "Just wave me over when you two lovebirds are ready to order, huh?"
"We're--!" Sayo tries to respond, but she immediately clams up.
Tsugumi steps in instead, sparing Sayo more embarrassment. "Thank you, sir!" And because she's not quite above a bit of teasing, after all, she reaches over the table to take Sayo's hand in her own as she gives the owner a smile. He laughs before moving on to the next table.
"Hazawa-san!" Sayo exclaims, but fascinatingly enough she doesn't make any attempt to take her hand away. Tsugumi blinks at her innocently.
"What's wrong, Sayo-san?"
Sayo looks away. "Nothing... I suppose." She gives Tsugumi's shoe another gentle kick, perhaps as a sort of revenge. But Tsugumi can tell she's not actually upset, of course. She basks in the view of Sayo's face, as the other girl takes a sip of water and carefully flicks her eyes to the side to avoid Tsugumi's gaze.
Well, it should almost be time now. Tsugumi taps her pocket to double check that her phone is in there--Himari should be calling her any minute. And then, as if on cue, the ringtone starts up. The opening theme for season three of the Snappy-chan anime rings out happily.
STAGE TWO - "Stay."
"Ah, I'm sorry, Sayo-san!" Tsugumi takes her phone out of her pocket and checks the caller. Of course, it's Himari. "I've gotta take this... do you mind staying here?"
"Of course not, Hazawa-san, don't mind me." Sayo nods, and Tsugumi gives her foot one more tap before scooting out of the booth. She scurries outside, the door jingling on her way out, and then she crouches down and moves along the front of the cafe.
She answers the phone. "Hey, Hima--"
"TSUGUUUUU! Tsugu Tsugu, my partner in research, how is it going? Gimme all the details!"
"It's going good! Um, I'm gonna peek up and check on how Stage Two is going in a second, but Stage One was..." She reaches up to rub her lips lightly as a splash of red colors her cheeks. "...a success..."
"Yeeeeeeah! GET IT, TSUGU! Nice work!"
Tsugumi giggles at Himari's enthusiasm over the line. "Okay, I'm gonna check on her now... hold on, Himari." She pokes her head up just enough to peer through the main window of the cafe, hoping she's hidden enough that nobody will notice the weird girl staring through the blinds.
And what she sees is...
Sayo looks so pent up, so uncomfortable and fidgety. She takes her phone out and puts it away without even turning it on. She flips through the menu, too fast to read anything, and then Tsugumi watches her full-on sigh before putting her elbows on the table and leaning forward to rest her head in her hands.
"She's so cute! Oh my god!" Tsugumi blurts out as she sinks back down, hugging her knees and wobbling back at forth as she burns the sight of an impatient Sayo-san into her brain.
"Ahahahaha! So I can take it Stage Two was a success as well?"
"Mmhmm, yeah..."
"See? I told you, Tsugu! Complete and total dog brain! You can't deny it, Tomoe did all the same stuff when I tested her!"
Tsugumi looks up to the cloudy sky, watches a bird lazily flap by on long wings. "I don't know... I mean, I still haven't done the last stage, and that one's a bit... much. Even for Sayo-san, I don't know if she has quite enough of a 'dog brain' to do it..."
"Trust me, Tsugu, she does. Now get back to your girlfriend already!"
"Unofficial--!" Tsugumi starts to reply, but the call cuts off halfway through. She sighs and puts the phone back in her pocket before standing up and looking around. She really does hope nobody saw her acting so weird... but there's nobody around. She moves back to the door, and the third jingle of the day rings out.
Sayo perks up as soon as she sees her, and smiles. "Hazawa-san. I trust everything's all right?"
"Of course!" Tsugumi slides back into the booth. "Sorry for making you wait... now, what did we wanna order? I haven't gotten a chance to look through the menu much yet."
Sayo flips her menu around, pointing to a specific item. "I believe you were saying the other day that you wished to try out a new flavor of latte? They've got a cinnamon-themed option that I haven't seen before, it sounds like something you may enjoy."
"Ah, that does look good!" The picture is enough to make Tsugumi's belly growl, and her eyes widen at the sound of it. "Er, I didn't get much of a breakfast, sorry..."
"That won't do at all, Hazawa-san." Sayo puts the menu down and looks at her with some concern. "Let's order right away. And you should choose a more filling side, as well... if you would like to, of course."
Tsugumi feels herself melt a bit at the other girl's concern. "I will! Promise."
"Good." Sayo smiles at her and nods, and then waves the owner over. They make their orders quickly, and he gives them another teasing glance that makes Sayo avert her eyes before walking back behind the counter to get everything started.
Alright. She may as well get the final part out of the way, it's fairly empty in here, so maybe Sayo will be willing to do it after all...
STAGE THREE - "Good girl."
"Hey, Sayo?"
"Mmm? What is it, Hazawa-san?"
She can do this. She can do this, she can do this. The payoff will be more than worth it if it works out and if it doesn't she can play it off pretty easily with only a little embarrassment! It's fine. Tsugumi takes in a breath, and... sticks her arm out in one smooth motion.
Sayo blinks at the sudden action. "Hazawa-san?" She stares at Tsugumi's outstretched arm, at the way her hand is tilted palm-up.
Tsugumi stares back quietly, not moving an inch even as her hand starts to shake a bit. Please, get what I'm going for, Sayo-san! She keeps her hand in the same half-cupped position, and gives Sayo a smile with a message: come here, Sayo-san?
And then Sayo leans forward slowly and carefully, with a confused look on her face, and... oh my god, she's really doing it.
Sayo rests her chin in Tsugumi's waiting hand.
Tsugumi's brain goes into a tailspin as their eyes meet. Ahh! Oh my god, oh my god, it's the cutest thing she's ever seen! Her girlfriend does have a dog brain, she totally does! Unofficial, the word pops up in the back of her mind, and Tsugumi slams it back down like a champion Whack-a-Mole player.
"Er... Tsugumi..." Sayo whispers, and Tsugumi can feel the way her face is starting to heat up in her palm. "This is what you wanted me to do... correct?"
"Ah! Um, yeah!"
"May I ask why?" Sayo mumbles. She doesn't move.
"Um... you looked kinda tired, Sayo-san, I thought you'd like to opportunity to rest." It's sort of true! Sayo was walking a little slow, Tsugumi had noticed a bit of a droop to her eyelids. If that wasn't exactly the primary reason, well, Sayo didn't have to know that.
"I see..." Sayo smiles and closes her eyes even as her cheeks continue to warm up. "Thank you, Hazawa-san, you're always very considerate."
She looks so content, resting there in the comfort of Tsugumi's hand... if Tsugumi thought she could get away with it, she'd snap a picture right now and save the moment forever. Ahh, she looks so adorable! Just like...
...just like a loyal dog!!!
Tsugumi makes a mental note to thank Himari profusely after all this is over.
And then she hears the footsteps behind her as the owner heads for their table. Sayo opens her eyes and jerks her head away, sitting up ramrod straight and adjusting her blouse carefully. Tsugumi moves her hand back, a blush starting to spread on her face as well.
Their orders are laid out in front of them--a latte and a bagel for Tsugumi, a black coffee and a slice of cake for Sayo. It's a little odd, Sayo doesn't usually go for sweet things, that's more Tsugumi's territory. But she quickly finds out why Sayo has made that decision, as the other girl slices off a large piece onto her fork and makes eye contact with Tsugumi.
"Hazawa-san, would you like to try some of mine?"
She holds out the fork across the table with a questioning look in her eyes, and Tsugumi can't possibly say no to her. It's kind of a big slice, though? But she can't say no, not to those eyes! Sayo just wants to make sure she isn't hungry. So Tsugumi leans forward... and chomps down on the cake.
Sayo watches her (unofficial) girlfriend bite down on the offered slice with gusto, and sees the way her cheeks bulge from the effort of fitting it into her mouth. She gives Tsugumi a smile, and Tsugumi does her best to return the expression. Ahh... Sayo loses herself in the sight of her. She's so cute with her cheeks full of cake...
She pulls herself together and mentally checks a box. That's Stage One down.
"Hikawa-san... I know this may sound slightly odd, but... from what I know of Hazawa-san, I believe... she has what I am currently referring to as... a squirrel brain." Rinko holds her hands together under Sayo's gaze. "It's something I've... observed in Ako-chan as well..."
Sayo ponders her words. "May I ask what exactly you mean, Shirokane-san? I confess I'm a bit lost."
"Do you remember... all the times Ako has scurried over to me after a good practice session, and hopped up and down until I gave her a pat on the head?" Rinko nods. "It's that sort of thing... and I believe your girlfriend--"
"Unofficial."
"Your... unofficial girlfriend... may be the same way. I'd like to find out more about this... phenomenon... for Ako-chan's sake, and by extension for the sake... of Roselia." Rinko looks to her pleadingly. "Would you... be willing to help me do some research, Hikawa-san?"
"I... suppose. If it's for the good of Roselia, of course." Sayo nods. "Now, how am I to find out if Hazawa-san does indeed have a... what did you call it? A squirrel brain?"
"I've put together... a plan." Rinko hands her a stack of papers, carefully stapled together. "If you're able, please test her... in the ways I've written down here."
Tsugumi looks at Sayo across the table with a sweet smile, and Sayo looks at Tsugumi with a calm well of love clearly showing in her eyes. As their eyes gently meet, neither of them knows the other is thinking the exact same thing they are:
This test is a complete success.