Chapter Text
(“Miyazaki Shirohime ( 宮崎城姫 ),” by Mai-sensei)
This is a side story from Chapter 19 of “My Girlfriend Almost Got Me Killed, so We had Wild Sex.”
I looked down into the blue mug Kao had handed me. The face reflected there looked happy. Since the events at Sappoo’s, my girls had been pampering me. Kan-chan was an excellent cook and Kao was a wonderful lover and partner. I was a lucky woman.
This morning, Kan-chan had prepared a rolled omelet just the way I like it, slightly savory, along with fresh rice and miso soup. Now, I could enjoy the tea Kao had made for me.
I took a sip of the tea. The strong, bitter flavor spread across my tongue and adhered to the roof of my mouth. If I asked her what it was, she would say Assam, or some strange named tea I had never heard of.
Since I was spending most of my mornings here, I needed to tell her I didn’t like it. We had promised to be honest with each other, something neither of us was good at. We both worried about hurting each other’s feelings and lots of things went unsaid. And she was so proud of her tea. Still, it had to be done, or I would start dreading the morning.
“Honey, I’ve never told you this, but I prefer lighter flavored teas: oolong, sencha, hojicha, even that Darjeeling you sometimes make.”
Dismay crossed her face, and I explained, “You couldn’t know. I never told you. You’re so proud of the tea you make, and I didn’t want to upset you. It’s all better than the cheap supermarket stuff I grew up with. I thought I would get used to it, but I haven’t.”
I could tell her feelings were mixed. On one hand, she had served me something I didn’t like. On the other hand, I had been reaching out to her by trying to like something she was proud of. It was like the manga; I wasn’t sure if I would like it when she first gave it to me. I have never read much for entertainment and manga always seemed like a waste of time. But I read it now, so I could understand her better, and be a part of her world. Thanks to her, I discovered I enjoyed writing poetry and watching anime could be relaxing.
“Remember, we promised to be more honest with each other,” I added.
That clicked, and she darted into the kitchen, shouting out, “I bought some gyokuro just for you. Just a sec.”
I knew she had bought that for special occasions. It was expensive. I was tempted to tell her to save it, but I bit my tongue. Right now, she wanted to make up for her mistake. I would praise it even though a good quality sencha would have done just as well. Being a mistress for such a needy girl could be exhausting.
Instead, I asked a question that had been bothering me. “Why do you drink fancy tea straight and then all that sugary bottled milk tea?”
“It’s different. Milk tea is like food or dessert. Milk to keep you healthy, sugar for the taste.”
“You don’t like milk. You make a sour face at the thought of it.”
“That’s different.”
“That’s not logical at all. It’s milk with cheap black tea and sugar.”
She came over with another pot of tea and presented it to me. She smiled as she poured it. It was a lovely green color and smelled nice, slightly grassy. It tasted naturally sweet without a trace of bitterness. The taste stayed on my tongue nicely but didn’t cling to the roof of my mouth the way her black tea had. I nodded. It was excellent, though the difference between it and the sencha she served was wasted on me. Her smile grew as she noted my pleasure. I had successfully smoothed over the criticism and, hopefully, I wouldn’t have to deal with strong black teas anymore.
Even so, she wasn’t finished with the conversation. “Who said I’m logical? I love you obsessively, and that certainly isn’t logical.” She punctuated her comment by saluting me with her cup of black tea and then sipped from it.
I didn’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not, but her smile was dazzling. You could get lost in it, so it was all good.
She continued explaining, “You’re cruel; You don’t tell me you love me enough. And you treat me like a child you’re afraid will cry. Decidedly illogical.” She finished by leaning over and kissing my forehead. Her hair fell into my cup of tea. I wondered if it would taste like hair now. Rather than find out, I tipped my head up and our lips met. The taste of green and black tea mingled.
Logical or not, I loved this girl. I would have pulled her down right then and there, but the thought of spilling hot tea in my lap stopped me. Instead, I savored the tingling that spread through my body. Green and black tea, who would have known?
---------------------------
Story by Nara Moore
Twitter:@nara_moore
Mastodon: sakurajima.moe
Art by Mai-sensei
Twitter: @Maiisheree