Chapter Text
“Ok, we need to set some ground rules,” Kasumi said as the inn came into view. Karin hummed in questioning. “First, try your best not to show off your body.”
“That’ll be tough since I’m gonna be naked,” Karin said with a wink.
“Showing off and being naked are very different.” Kasumi glanced over at Karin, who had her hands on her hips and her body leaning towards Kasumi. “Yeah, like don’t do this in the hot spring.”
“You’re no fun. It’s supposed to be our date, too.” Karin sulked a little, trying to draw Kasumi’s pity. It didn’t work.
“Number two. No calling this a date.”
“Is that not what it is, though? Us, sharing a room at an onsen. Going into a private open-air bath. And even sleeping next to each other…. If this isn’t a date, then what is it?” Unsure of the answer to that herself, Kasumi avoided the question.
“Speaking of which… rule three. No doing anything weird without my permission.” Karin came to a halt and grabbed Kasumi’s hand.
“Well, what counts as weird?” Karin first walked up to Kasumi and assumed proper hand-holding position by her side, then intertwined their fingers, then latched onto Kasumi’s arm, asking her each time if any of those things were weird. Kasumi said no, considering that they’ve done all of those things together before. “What about this?”
Karin let go of Kasumi for a second and walked behind her, then wrapped her arms around Kasumi’s frame. She pulled Kasumi in and rested her head on Kasumi’s shoulder. Then she whispered, her hot breath tingling against Kasumi’s ear.
“Is this weird, Kasumi-chan?” A blush made its way to Kasumi’s cheeks. She dislodged herself from Karin’s grip.
“L-Look. Basically, if I say ‘no’ then it’s a ‘no,’ okay?” Pleased with how flustered Kasumi seemed, Karin simply nodded and started walking again. Kasumi let out a groan when she saw Karin’s grin, but didn’t make any other complaints.
Kasumi was somewhat excited for the trip. She had wanted to go to a private onsen ever since Yu brought up the tickets. Of course, she initially wanted to go with someone else, but she and Karin had gotten much closer. Close enough for Karin to confess her love for Kasumi in two different ways.
Pushing away that thought for now, Kasumi thought of how they ended up in this whole situation in the first place.
They had finally finished their duet around the same time the results for the auditions came back. The pair who had passed through and performed onstage in front of thousands of people were Setsuna and Ayumu. Their duet was incredible at the concert. The stage’s back wall was decorated in flowers that were illuminated by the spotlights and Setsuna’s signature flames. And their performance was nothing to scoff at either.
Still, Kasumi was proud of the duet she and Karin came up with. She even thought they had a fighting chance at beating out Setsuna and Ayumu’s duet.
Their song was titled “Not a Love Song.” Kasumi and Karin had come to an agreement that their song was more about themselves than another person. That didn’t stop Karin from inserting “I love you,” into the lyrics and a gaze between them during that part of the choreography. The whole line was, “This is not a love song, but I love you.”
At first, Kasumi was as dubious about the lyrics as she was about… whatever they were. The two of them had gotten closer since Karin’s confession, for sure, but the two of them hadn’t done anything more couply since Kasumi kissed Karin on the cheek. Not for a lack of Karin trying, but Kasumi wasn’t sure about what she wanted them to be.
She was fine with taking things at their own pace. She was fine with how they were at that moment.
But, she thought, maybe they could be more. And maybe she’d even like it.
“Whatever,” she told herself silently. Kasumi decided that she would just enjoy the trip and try to figure everything out later.
In any case, the rest of the club liked the song a lot. Kasumi remembered their cheers, and Shizuku’s praise, and Ai whooping at the sight of Kasumi and Karin staring each other in the eyes.
Karin noticed a smile appear on Kasumi’s face then held out her hand for holding. Kasumi obliged her, and the two of them continued walking to the entrance.
And that’s when—
“Kasumi-chan?” Hearing a familiar voice, Kasumi whipped her head around and saw a familiar pink hair bun.
Ayumu was looking at Kasumi and Karin, wide-eyed. Kasumi broke free from Karin’s grip and waved with the same hand that used to be holding Karin’s.
“H-Hey, Ayumu-senpai. What are you doing here?” When she saw Setsuna appear behind Ayumu, she asked the same question to Karin through her smile. “What are they doing here?”
“Probably—”
“Karin-san! Kasumi-san!” Setsuna yelled as she waved. “Are you guys going to the hot springs, too?”
Everything clicked for Kasumi. Right, Setsuna and Ayumu passed through the auditions. Meaning they got the tickets for the hot spring.
Wait, but that meant….
Kasumi looked over at Karin, who understood exactly what Kasumi was thinking from her dumbfounded expression.
“W-Well, I asked Yu which hot springs the tickets were for and did some research on the place. It had really good reviews, so that’s why we’re at the same place. At the same time… that’s just dumb luck.” After hearing Karin’s explanation, Kasumi agreed with her use of “dumb luck.”
“Shall we check in then?” Karin asked the other pair. The four of them walked to the entrance, and Setsuna and Ayumu went in first. Watching them chat with the concierge of the inn, Kasumi stopped in the doorway.
Was it still a good idea to do this trip that day, Kasumi wondered. What if Setsuna and Ayumu got the wrong idea about everything? Especially since she and Karin hadn’t figured out exactly whatever it was between them.
As Kasumi was worrying, Karin grabbed onto her hand and pulled her through.
“Don’t worry about anything,” Karin said. “Let’s enjoy our da… I mean, our trip.”
Kasumi was glad she set up those ground rules with Karin and even more glad that she was following them. Still, she separated from Karin once Setsuna and Ayumu finished checking in.
The two of them grabbed their room key and headed to their room, which wasn’t too close for comfort to the other pair. Karin walked up to the screen door and unlocked it.
“Ready?” Karin asked. Kasumi shrugged, but leaned to look inside as Karin opened the door.
The room was filled with varying shades of brown. Pale brown walls were accentuated with thin, dark brown wood panels that protruded outward. Traditional Japanese art pieces were surrounded by wood with a saturation somewhere in between. The table in the center of the room was made of lightly-colored wood that stood out above the tatami mats on the floor.
Opposite from the entrance were two large sliding doors with windows that revealed the outside bath. Karin walked up to them while Kasumi was looking around at the room’s interior. She called for Kasumi to check out their private bath.
On the other side of the doors, the outside was illuminated with small lights surrounding the wooden platform where the bath was. The platform was made of the same wooden planks that framed the blue-green water. Around that platform were rocks of varying sizes, the biggest one reaching the high fence that blocked off the other baths around them.
Karin slid open the doors and walked through them. Kasumi followed soon after. The cold night air bit at her cheeks, but as she drew closer to the bath, she could feel its warmth drove away that coldness from her face. Karin grinned and told Kasumi that they’d soak in it as soon as they got settled and ate some dinner.
They went back inside and looked around at the rest of the room. There was a phone to call the front desk, a closet to store their belongings, and, behind another sliding door, two futons they would sleep in.
Kasumi glanced around for a place to set them up, then pointed out a spot in between the table and the doors to the bath.
“Next to each other as always?” Karin asked. Kasumi would have objected, but over the past few weeks, they had slept in the same bed so many times. They’d be even farther apart (unless someone sneaked into the other’s futon) than when they had sleepovers at Kasumi’s.
“Fine. But remember rule three.” Karin nodded and smiled as she grabbed the futons and laid them out next to each other.
The two of them decided on what they’d order for dinner then called the front desk for room service. They chatted about how nice the room was, and argued with each other about whether or not Karin could ignore her diet for one night, and talked about Setsuna and Ayumu.
“It’s kinda dangerous, don’t you think?” Kasumi asked, having some assumptions of Setsuna and Ayumu and their respective feelings. “Them being alone.”
“I think it might be good for them, actually.” Karin smiled as she remembered her first sleepover with Kasumi. “I don’t know where they’re at, but it’s nice to spend a night alone with someone you like. Maybe they can open up to each other even more,” she said with a wink.
“It took you more than a few to do that, though.”
“Actually, I think I opened up to you plenty on our first.” A blush appeared on Karin’s face, and Kasumi’s mind went back and remembered how much they talked that night.
“But… you know how Ayumu feels about Yu-senpai.”
“Like we talked about before, they’ll figure it out.” Kasumi nodded, but wondered if she’d ever figure out whatever was going on between her and Karin. She said she’d postpone thinking about it until after the trip, but it was hard to do that when she was constantly reminded by Karin.
As she was thinking about that, a knock sounded on their entrance doors.
“The room service was quick,” Karin said before walking to the door and opening it. Kasumi stayed seated at the table. “Ah, Setsuna. What brings you here?”
They had a conversation Kasumi couldn’t hear, then the two of them walked back over to the table. Karin sat down next to Kasumi, leaving her with a questioning gaze that went back and forth as Setsuna sat across from them.
“What’s going on?” Kasumi asked Karin.
“Setsuna has something to ask us.” Kasumi looked back at Setsuna, who was uncharacteristically fidgeting. They waited for Setsuna to look up from the table and at them, and when she did, she spoke.
“I need advice.” Karin told her to go on. “Well… I… l-l-like Ayumu-san. And I promised myself, if we won and went on this trip together, I’d confess to her. So I was going to ask Karin-san to give me confession tips, since she’s so popular. And she said Kasumi-san could also give some input on that stuff.”
Hearing all of that, Kasumi was reminded of her own promise to give Karin a reward when they went on their trip. A reward that was more than a kiss on the cheek. Wouldn’t that be the same as a confession in its own way?
Kasumi decided to focus on Setsuna’s issue first. She wondered what she could say, but Karin was the first to answer.
“Just be honest with her… and with yourself. Things should be fine from there.”
“But she!” Setsuna froze after yelling, then whispered, “What if she likes someone else?” Karin’s lips curved into an empathetic smile.
“You should still confess. Not only because you made a promise to, but because it’s important to let her know how you feel.” Out of Setsuna’s view, Karin placed her hand over Kasumi’s and softly squeezed it. “Don’t you think?” she asked Kasumi.
“Yeah.” Setsuna looked back up at the two of them with worry all over her face. Seeing that, Kasumi continued, “But if things are too awkward after, you can stay with us for the night.”
Kasumi knew it was hard to interact with a person that rejected you. In fact, she still hadn’t talked with Yu about anything regarding their friendship. She wasn’t comfortable doing so just yet.
As Kasumi was thinking of all that, she looked back at Karin and saw a surprised expression.
Setsuna looked at the two of them and asked, “Is it really okay for me to stay here?”
“Yep.” Wanting to make the mood lighter, Kasumi stood up and sat down behind Setsuna. She placed her hands on Setsuna’s shoulders and peeked out at Karin with one eye. “Especially since you can protect me from this woman.”
Setsuna was smaller than Kasumi, but was still being used as a shield. At that sight, Karin let out a few chuckles. Setsuna looked between the two of them, confused.
“What will Karin-san do that I need to protect you from?”
“D-Don’t worry about it. Just know that if you come over, you’ll be sleeping in between us.”
“I’ll just have to wrap my arms around both of you, I guess,” Karin said with a grin. Kasumi let out an “eek” and hid behind Setsuna again. Then Kasumi and Karin started laughing, leaving Setsuna even more confused. “Anyway, Setsuna, good luck.”
“Yeah, good luck, Setsuna-senpai.”
“Thanks, you two.” Soon after, Setsuna got up and pumped herself up a little before leaving the room.
The room was silent for a while, then Karin stood up and walked over to Kasumi. She sat down next to her and patted her head.
“I’m proud of you, Kasumi-chan.” Those words didn’t seem sincere, so Kasumi looked Karin in the eyes. They stared at each other, then Karin looked away, and Kasumi saw her lips curve downward.
“You don’t sound proud.”
“Well… I wanted it to be just us tonight.” Karin turned her face back to Kasumi to meet her gaze. Those eyes that looked like lakes that Kasumi wanted to dive into stared at her earnestly. Kasumi almost melted at the sight.
“Sorry, Karin-senpai. But… I mean, we both know how it feels… so I figured it’d be okay.”
“I know.” Karin wrapped her arms around Kasumi, and Kasumi leaned into the hug. She owed Karin that much at least. For a while they stayed in that position, but Karin let go as she heard another knock at the door. “This one must be room service.”
Karin stood up and opened the door, and a few people brought in all the dishes they ordered. She sat down next to Kasumi and whispered, “Well, after this, we’ll have plenty of room alone in the hot spring.”
Even Kasumi, who would usually compare the food to something she can make, agreed that the food was delicious. Karin tried only a little bit of everything at first, but Kasumi said she couldn’t eat the rest of it all. In response, Karin said she’d only help out if the two of them would go on a diet together after the trip. With a lot of reluctance, Kasumi agreed.
After they were both full, they lazed around for a little, chatting about what would happen between Setsuna and Ayumu. Kasumi and Karin only knew what they saw from the outside, but they both thought it was obvious that Ayumu liked Yu. And both knew that Yu wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship.
Still, they had high hopes for what would happen after the trio all talked about everything. After all, when it came to the two of them, Kasumi and Karin were quite happy as they were.
The only question was what came next for them.
Karin asked if Kasumi wanted to go in the bath yet.
“Sure.”
“I’ll go wash up first,” Karin said. Both of them went to the closet and grabbed towels. Karin grabbed onto Kasumi’s hand as they walked away from the closet. She pulled Kasumi to the bathroom door and winked. “You can peek if you want.”
“N-No way. And you definitely can’t peek when I’m in there.”
“Fine, fine. Besides, that can wait until we’re in the bath.” Kasumi blushed and told herself she’d figure a way to solve that problem when they got in.
Karin washed up, then came out with only a towel wrapped around her body. Kasumi's gaze drifted to the spot where the edge of her towel met her chest, barely hiding what lay underneath.
“Want a closer look?” Karin leaned closer to Kasumi, who backed away as soon as Karin got too close. She stammered about some of the rules, and Karin giggled at the sight of Kasumi flustered. “Hurry up so we can go in.”
Kasumi washed up and headed out to the room, making sure the towel was secure around her body. She looked around and didn’t find Karin in the room. Instead, the sliding doors to the bath were open. Then she saw Karin waiting for her, already in the bath.
“Hey, you went in without me!” Karin turned at the sound of Kasumi’s voice.
“I told you to hurry, slowpoke. Anyway, come in. The water’s great.” Kasumi walked up to the bath without removing her towel and dipped a foot in. The water was quite hot compared to the outside air. “You just have to get in. You’ll get used to it in no time.”
“Okay… b-but turn around for a second.” Surprising Kasumi, Karin did as she asked without any complaints. Kasumi dropped her towel to the side, and now the cold was annoying her. The only option was to get into the water where Karin was waiting.
So she took the plunge.
The water wasn’t scalding, but it was hot enough that Kasumi considered getting back out right away. Karin looked over as she heard the splashing sounds in the bath. Then she saw Kasumi’s pained expression.
“Just sit in it for a little and it’ll feel nice.” Kasumi did as Karin said, and the water became comfortable after a couple of minutes. Karin noticed when Kasumi leaned back against one of the walls in the back. “Told you.”
Kasumi saw how close Karin was getting and said, “N-No peeking, I said!”
“I can’t even sit next to you?” After Kasumi gave in and said that much was okay, Karin continued, “There’s not much to look at anyway.”
“H-Hey! I remember you calling me sexy, though.”
“Like I said before, being sexy is all about showing off what you have.” Karin glanced over at Kasumi and smiled. “You have plenty to show off, Kasumi-chan.” Kasumi would swear that the blush on her face was because of the bath if Karin pointed it out.
The two of them sat there in comfortable silence, staring up at the stars in the sky. Out here in the countryside, where the inn was located, the stars were plentiful and bright. Kasumi knew counting all of them would take forever, so she just stared.
There were so many stars that she didn’t know. The famous ones, like the Summer Triangle and the Zodiac Constellations, were barely identifiable among the sea of lights in the sky. She found some comfort in looking for those familiar stars.
She looked over at Karin, who was also staring upwards. What Karin was searching for in that sky, Kasumi didn’t know.
For some reason, Kasumi’s thoughts drifted towards thoughts of their future together. The uncertain future worried her. She had learned that love and happiness weren’t guaranteed things. What if they drifted apart after everything?
It made her scared to ask about anything at all.
As if Karin could hear her thoughts being broadcasted, she turned to face Kasumi.
“You know, I was joking earlier about peeking and stuff.” Kasumi hummed in acknowledgement, wondering where Karin was going with that. “We can take this at our own pace. So if you’re ever uncomfortable with anything… just invoke rule three.” Karin smiled and Kasumi giggled.
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Thanks for turning around when I asked.”
“Of course. We’re in this together, so don’t hesitate to ask anything from me.” Kasumi heard that and wondered if what Karin said applied to questions as well.
She decided to ask, “Hey, when you graduate, will you still be an idol?” Karin thought about that question for a while.
“No, I think I want to focus on modeling and getting more appearances in fashion magazines. I’d still practice singing and dancing just in case it’s needed, though.” Kasumi heard that and her heart sank a little.
Kasumi and Karin would go down different paths as they continued. In fact, Karin probably wouldn’t have much of a reason to come to Odaiba other than to visit friends. And she’d be putting her all into modeling, so she probably had less time to do that, too.
Starting a relationship with Karin during her last year. It didn’t sound too smart when graduation was going to pull them apart. Maybe Kasumi could wait until she graduated and figured out what she wanted to do. Then Karin would be stuck waiting forever. What if she met someone else she was interested in?
What happened to not thinking about it until after?
That thought came to Kasumi’s mind as she remembered her plan for the trip.
But, before Kasumi could respond, Karin continued, “Don’t worry. I’ll still come to all my favorite idol’s concerts.”
“R-Really?” Kasumi couldn’t suppress her smile.
“Yeah, I still have a lot to learn from Setsuna.” Then that smile turned into an angry pout. Kasumi glared at Karin, who giggled. “I’m joking. I wouldn’t miss a chance to see you on stage.”
Hearing that, Kasumi returned to her thoughts.
Even if they took different paths, they’d still be close at the end of the day. Karin would make time for Kasumi. And Kasumi, no matter what she chose to do, could make time for Karin.
Whether or not she should consider responding to Karin’s feelings, Kasumi didn’t know yet. But she knew she should at least think about it instead of pushing it away.
“Thanks, Karin-senpai.”
“Of course, Kasumi-chan.”
The two of them returned to that comfortable silence, staring up at the stars that seemed to shine down on them.
Kasumi and Karin got out of the bath when they were satisfied. Kasumi offered to get drinks after the two of them put on their yukata. Karin asked for some water, instead of her normal black coffee, since she didn’t want any more caffeine so late in the night.
The vending machines were located near the front desk, so Kasumi had time to think more about what she wanted to do on the walk over.
She was leaning towards talking about her feelings for Karin. Of course, Kasumi liked her. Loved her, even. Those doubts lying in the back of her head were the only things that stopped her from saying anything about it.
But, was Kasumi ready to commit herself already? She could wait for a little longer. The reward could be something simple. And it’s not like she specified when she’d give Karin the reward. She only said that she’d give Karin the rest after they go.
What was being in a relationship like, anyway? How would things change from how they were already? Wasn’t it more risky than leaving things as they were?
Kasumi didn’t find any answers to those questions before she arrived at the vending machine. Instead she found—
“Hey, Ayumu-senpai,” Kasumi said as she saw Ayumu picking out drinks.
“Oh, Kasumi-chan.” Ayumu smiled before asking, “How’s your trip going?”
They chatted about what they had been doing at the inn. Kasumi talked about how nice the outdoor baths were, and Ayumu said that she and Setsuna were going to go in after they washed up. Apparently they just had an intense bout at the ping-pong tables, so Ayumu was grabbing some drinks so they could rehydrate before they went into the bath.
After that, the two of them fell into an uncomfortable silence. They didn’t really know what to talk about other than that.
Ayumu was the first to break it, saying, “I didn’t know you and Karin-senpai were that close.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“Well, I saw you two h-holding hands outside.” Kasumi remembered when they met at the entrance. She must not have been fast enough when it came to separating from Karin. Instead of lying like she used to, Kasumi decided to tell the truth.
“Y-Yeah… we’re getting closer. But it’s not like we used to be close enough to do that.” Kasumi remembered their first meeting where they failed to make much progress on their duet. “In fact, I was originally planning to bring Yu-senpai instead of her if we won.”
“Ooh. I wish I could bring Yu-chan, too. But… that’d be unfair to Setsuna-chan.” Kasumi couldn’t help but think those words were an attack on her, but decided to let it slide.
“Karin-senpai agreed to it when we started, so I figured it would be okay.”
“Oh, I see. Did you ask Yu if she wanted to come, too?” Then Kasumi was reminded of Yu’s rejection, and that pain in her chest reared its head above the surface.
When it came to her and Yu, the two of them had yet to talk about anything. Their conversations were kept to things like greetings and talking about concerts or songs. Nothing deeper than professional talk.
She still had a long way to go when it came to mending that friendship. The first step to doing that would be to talk.
Thinking of that, Kasumi was reminded of Karin. The first step to moving forward with Karin, in any way, would also be to talk and be honest about things.
Did Kasumi want to move forward? That was the only question left.
When she realized that Ayumu was waiting for an answer, Kasumi said, “Well… it didn’t quite work out. Besides, Karin-senpai and I didn’t even finish our song in time since someone wanted to make a bunch of changes.” Ayumu giggled at that.
“I like how it turned out, though. You two make a great team.” Kasumi smiled and thanked Ayumu. “When did the two of you get so close?”
Kasumi wondered about how much she should reveal. The truthful answer would be “after I was rejected, she confessed to me.” How much of that did she want to talk about with Ayumu, though? Should she say something about how Yu wasn’t interested in a romantic relationship?
No, Ayumu should figure that out just like Kasumi did. Besides, she didn’t want to ruin Ayumu’s trip with Setsuna.
So Kasumi tried coming up with a different answer that also rang true. She and Karin had been growing closer ever since their first meeting, hadn’t they?
“After working together so much. I mean… didn’t the same thing happen with you and Setsuna-senpai?”
“Yeah, we did become close.” A smile, full of nostalgia, appeared on Ayumu’s lips. She didn’t seem to be looking at Kasumi anymore. No, her gaze seemed to go past Kasumi, trained on something Kasumi was unaware of.
Kasumi didn’t know the situation between Ayumu and Setsuna in its entirety. She could never know their feelings about each other unless they told her. Even then, what they felt when working together, what things happened between them, and what changed over the duration of their partnership… all those things would be impossible to know for Kasumi.
Yet, she noticed something that she had seen before in Karin. Then she realized that things might be even more complicated than she thought.
Kasumi-san, do you have feelings for Karin-san?
When Shizuku asked her that question, Kasumi started reconsidering everything that was going on in her head. But that was after Karin had surprised her by almost kissing her. She was already confused when Shizuku brought up that question and confused her even more.
And because of all that, Kasumi decided to take action.
Maybe she could give Ayumu that push as well.
“Ayumu-senpai.” Ayumu snapped out of her trance as she heard her name. “What do you think about Setsuna-senpai?”
“We’re… really good friends.”
“Is that all?” Ayumu tilted her head at Kasumi. She opened her mouth but nothing came out, as if her denial was stuck in her throat, held back by something she didn’t realize was there for a long time. Then Ayumu looked all over the room, staring at nothing in particular.
While Ayumu was thinking of everything, Kasumi found her own resolve again.
Back then, Kasumi needed someone to push her forward. And she faced her fears without knowing if anything would work out.
Surely she could do that on her own. If she couldn’t, then who was she to give advice to others?
Kasumi grabbed the drinks from the vending machine and looked back at Ayumu, who was still lost in thought.
“Thanks for helping me figure things out, Ayumu-senpai,” Kasumi said.
“But… I haven’t even done anything,” Ayumu said after she stopped thinking about Setsuna.
“Listening to me was enough.” Kasumi started walking back to the room before turning back to Ayumu. “And… I hope you figure things out, too.”
Karin was waiting for Kasumi at the table, and greeted her when she arrived with the drinks. Kasumi returned those greetings and handed her a water bottle before opening her own. The two of them drank in greedy gulps as they rehydrated.
Kasumi was the first to finish, and she walked to the futons. She motioned for Karin to come over.
“What? You want to lay down with me already?” Kasumi shook her head and looked Karin in the eyes as soon as she sat down. As if she noticed how serious Kasumi was at that moment, Karin stared back and grabbed onto Kasumi’s hand. “Is something wrong?”
Instead of answering, Kasumi scooted closer. She didn’t quite know how to start the conversation, but maybe Karin’s eyes would give her the answer. In the end, she settled for something she had thought about earlier that night.
“Karin-senpai… what are we right now?” Karin pondered for a bit. Kasumi figured that she didn’t have the answer for this either, but it was a decent enough starting point.
“I don’t know. But, do we need a label for it? I thought we were going to figure it all out along the way.”
“But… do you want to, y’know, date?”
“We’re already going on dates.” Kasumi agreed. They were already going out with each other a bunch. That much hadn’t changed after these past couple of weeks. Kasumi still didn’t know what would differentiate actual “dating” from going on dates all the time.
That’s why—
“There must be a difference between dating and going on dates,” Kasumi said. Karin thought a while about that.
“Probably… exclusivity? Like, I’ll only love you, and you’ll only love me. I’m already doing my half.” Karin smiled at Kasumi. “Until you’re ready for that, I can wait.”
“… How do I know when I’m ready?”
That was the question that had been underneath all of the thoughts Kasumi had about whether or not she should talk about her feelings with Karin. Was she ready to give Karin her reward and deepen their relationship? Was she ready to confess those feelings that were already apparent to her? Was she ready to take a big step towards that uncertain future with Karin?
A future where they’d drift apart as they took different paths. Where they’d need to put in a lot of work to keep a relationship going. Where there was a risk of falling apart entirely.
While Kasumi was thinking, Karin was also coming up with an answer.
“Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t say it like that. Because we can’t know, right?” That was what scared Kasumi the most. “So, when you feel you’re ready, then we can give it a shot. Just… trust in us.”
Kasumi needed to think about everything.
When it came to her and Yu, she believed in that happy ending she had longed for, but learned that it wasn’t as easy as that. Nothing was guaranteed; many things needed to be constantly worked towards.
And right now, Kasumi wasn’t working towards her relationship with Karin.
Then she thought of the Setsuna and Ayumu. Setsuna was in love with Ayumu, and Ayumu was in love with Yu. It didn’t seem like anything with their relationships had changed since they first performed their duet in front of the club.
Setsuna was planning on confessing. She didn’t have any guarantees either. With what she said earlier about Ayumu liking someone else, Setsuna probably thought that she’d be rejected.
But Setsuna was willing to try.
Thinking of all of that, Kasumi made her decision.
“Karin-senpai. I still need to give you the rest of your reward.” Karin perked up at the sound of that, then closed the distance even more. Their knees touched as Karin grabbed Kasumi’s hands and pulled her closer.
“Are you sure?” Karin asked. Kasumi nodded.
That nod in itself was a lie. She didn’t know if she was ready. She couldn’t know what would happen in the future. But she would never know what being in a relationship with Karin was like until she tried.
Kasumi looked into those eyes that resembled deep oceans holding many secrets hidden beneath the surface.
What was waiting for her, Kasumi wanted to know.
So she took the plunge.
Kasumi reached up to Karin’s face, and tucked her hair behind her ear, and tilted her head to the side. Karin closed her eyes and tilted the opposite way. They inched closer. Kasumi shut her eyes. Their lips touched.
First kisses were supposed to be electric, as far as Kasumi knew. Sparks flew and everyone else disappeared. They were magical and emotional and ethereal. Those were the descriptions she heard about.
She would describe kissing Karin as feeling like gravity had disappeared, and she could float as long as she was pressed against Karin.
They separated for a split second, still embracing, and matched each other’s gaze. Kasumi could tell that Karin was smiling just from her eyes. She was probably smiling as well.
Kasumi pulled Karin back in, and the two of them kissed until they were out of air. After they took another break, Karin pulled Kasumi down to the futons. The sight of Karin against the sheets awakened a hunger in Kasumi. She pressed against Karin’s body, and their limbs intertwined like the branches of trees growing next to each other.
Karin’s eyes seemed to ask for more, so Kasumi obliged. She leaned in again. Karin started opening her mouth with each kiss, so Kasumi followed suit. Kasumi felt Karin’s tongue try to make its way into the kiss. She moaned into Karin’s mouth at the new sensation, then returned the favor. Their tongues twisted together as Karin pulled Kasumi impossibly closer.
From the door came a knock, unheard by Kasumi and Karin. It slid open without a sound.
They separated for a little to catch their breaths. They were too busy looking at each other to notice the person who had entered the room.
“That… was,” Kasumi said before trailing off, unable to find a single word that could describe it all perfectly. Karin simply hummed and pulled Kasumi back in before freezing up.
Kasumi followed Karin’s gaze and jerked her head to the side.
“S-S-Setsuna-senpai?”