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Ichika was seated firmly on the bench, her hands clasping it on both sides of her. She was acutely aware of her heart pounding against her chest, as if it threatened to burst forth if she didn’t calm down. She was still recovering from the adrenaline rush she had experienced from being on that dreadful, breakneck beast of steel, her mortal enemy: the roller coaster. Needless to say, she was not a fan of thrill rides in any way, shape, or form. Normally, she wouldn’t have dared to even consider boarding one, not even when it was Saki begging her with those puppy-dog eyes she loved to use so much. It might have worked on her the first time, but she learned how to resist those wily charms of hers after her first, self-proclaimed, near-encounter with death. Instead, it was the charm belonging to a totally different person that had reluctantly convinced her to give it a try. When she was the one asking, how could Ichika say no?
Besides, it wasn’t exactly easy to say no when said person also happened to be her girlfriend…
"Ichika! I’m back," called out a nearby voice. Ichika turned her head in time to see Haruka approach her from around the corner. In her hands were two bottles of water; she had volunteered to buy them while Ichika made herself familiar with solid ground again. The light of the setting sun behind Haruka illuminated her in such a way that the mere sight of her made Ichika’s heart skip a beat. Dangerous—she needed all the beats her heart could provide for her right now. In particular, she was drawn to the unassuming pair of glasses sitting on her face; supposedly, they made Haruka almost inconspicuous in public. She wouldn’t have believed it until she was walking in broad daylight with her, not a single glance of recognition aimed in her direction. In Ichika’s knowing eyes, she just thought that she looked very attractive in them—truly, glasses were really versatile.
"Welcome back," said Ichika, a strained smile on her face. Haruka giggled to herself and sat down next to Ichika, offering her a bottle.
"I’m glad to see you didn’t pass out while I was away," Haruka said teasingly.
Ichika chuckled at her quip, accepting the bottle before simply saying, "Thanks." Both girls took the time to drink at their own pace, with Haruka taking a few reserved sips and Ichika opting for more generous gulps. Placing her bottle down next to her, Ichika could feel her heart beginning to settle and her thoughts becoming clearer.
Right, it was none other than nationally acclaimed idol Haruka Kiritani who was responsible for making her heart beat the way it did—figuratively on both accounts in that they were dating and that it was her brilliant idea that they ride the terrifying machine in the first place. Naturally, Ichika was more than a little hesitant to see that idea through. Ah, what a fool she was to let herself get drawn in by Haruka’s honeyed words. She had said things like, "I’ll be with you the whole time," and, "If you get scared, you can hold my hand." Also, a promise to ride the Ferris wheel together was admittedly cliche but more than a little enticing. Her tone was so warm and reassuring that Ichika had felt completely safe with her in the moments before the ride.
Of course, that illusion was completely shattered during the ride. She had kept her eyes shut the whole time; the exhilarated screams of the other passengers and the sensation of the wind blasting into her face and through her hair were completely ignored in favour of her own desire to simply not meet her end. When she was certain it was all over, she tentatively opened her eyes to find her hand gripping tightly onto Haruka’s. Apparently, Ichika hadn’t let go for the entire ride—there was something she’d never live down.
"So, how are you feeling?" Haruka asked gently, pulling Ichika out of her thoughts.
Ichika took a moment to think before replying, “Like I never want to do that ever again." Holding back a laugh, Haruka placed her hand on top of Ichika’s and leaned in closer.
"Not even with me?" she wondered, a hint of slyness in her voice.
"Mmm… I think you’d have to be extra persuasive in that case," Ichika asserted, "and no, you can’t bribe me with yakisoba buns."
Smiling to herself, Haruka said, "Then I’ll just have to find another way to convince you. Maybe I’ll call you out on one of our livestreams..."
"No, please!" begged Ichika, her eyes wide with surprise. This time, Haruka allowed herself to laugh openly, clearly relishing poking fun at her girlfriend.
"I’m just kidding! You know, I’d never do anything like that. Besides…" Haruka said, taking Ichika’s hands into hers and intertwining their fingers, "This is our little secret, remember?"
Ichika nodded and squeezed Haruka’s hands gently, affirming, "Yeah. I remember." If the public found out they were dating, no doubt it would drive Haruka’s fans mad with envy. However, they had made it a point to tell the people closest to them; to the couple’s relief, they turned out to be very understanding, and it was far easier to keep a secret with them helping to keep it. Still, for someone as plain as her to be in a relationship with someone as dazzling as Haruka was not something she had envisioned for herself any time soon. At all, actually.
"Hey, Ichika," Haruka said suddenly, "I actually have a small confession to make to you.
"Oh?" Ichika said she was curious as to where this was going.
"Well, you see... I actually asked Saki for some help regarding our plans for today. While she was listing off places you might like to go to, she told me that, apparently, you look quite cute when you get scared," Haruka confessed, "so... I kind of wanted to see it for myself." At this admission of guilt, Ichika’s expression shifted into a pout, and releasing her grip, she swiftly moved her hands back into her lap.
"N-No way… So you knew I would be afraid of riding that thing this whole time?" Ichika asked, feeling somewhat betrayed. Haruka’s eyes widened, likely with the realisation that she might have taken her teasing a bit too far.
Remorsefully, she said, "I didn’t know that it would have such a negative effect on you. I’m so sorry, Ichika." In a well-intentioned gesture of comfort, she reached out to place her hand on Ichika’s shoulder. In truth, Ichika wasn’t that angry. She knew it was a stupid reason to get worked up over; Haruka clearly hadn’t meant anything bad by it. Besides, Ichika couldn’t stay mad at her for long; it would be on her to clear the awkwardness in the air. She figured Haruka needed a taste of her own medicine…
"So... How cute do you think I am when I’m mad?" Ichika asked, the mischief in her tone contrasting with her not-at-all-intimidating scowl. Just to make sure Haruka knew she wasn’t holding any grudges, she shifted her expression into a light-hearted smirk. Dumbfounded, Haruka blinked a few times before giggling, all tension between the two gone as quickly as it had come.
"Quite cute, I must say," Haruka stated, her composure restored, "but I definitely think you’re cuter when you’re not." She took the time to brush Ichika’s hair to the side, prompting a blush from the guitarist. On top of that stimulation of her senses, Ichika could feel her face flush with warmth at the prospect of being called cute, especially by Haruka; in that moment, as in all moments, she had thought that Haruka was the cutest girl in the world. Once again, she wondered what a girl like her was doing with a girl like Haruka. Placing her hand back in her lap, Haruka asked, "Hey, can I make it up to you?"
"What do you mean?" Ichika wondered.
Shifting closer, Haruka simply said, "Close your eyes." Ichika was a bit confused, but she didn’t question it. She just did as she was told and waited for whatever Haruka had planned.
And just like that, Haruka’s lips were on hers. Resisting the impulse to open her eyes, Ichika instinctively moved to hold Haruka by her waist as she felt Haruka’s hands sneak their way onto her own shoulders. Haruka’s kisses were gentle, delicate, and chaste; they were meant solely for Ichika, and she accepted them happily. Her heart began to race again, partly out of excitement and partly out of fear that someone might catch them. But they were in a secluded spot for a reason, and Haruka was the one who had taken the initiative; trusting in her lead, Ichika permitted herself to fully appreciate the wonderful way it had felt to love and be loved in return.
After a few more seconds, Haruka pulled away, taking the time to plant one final, tender kiss on Ichika’s forehead. If the roller coaster hadn’t killed her, then one could say that Ichika was now officially dead; no kettle had anything on her at that moment.
"Hehe, Saki never told me that you look this cute when you’re flustered, Icchan," Haruka teased.
Feeling herself heat up beyond what she thought was possible, Ichika could only look away and groan in embarrassment as words failed her. All she could muster was a weak, "N-No fair..."
"So," continued Haruka with a grin, "am I forgiven?"
Ichika turned back to meet Haruka’s gaze, her brain doing its best not to fry itself from the sensory overload. Forcing out a smile and a calm demeanour, she reassured her, "I don’t remember ever asking for an apology."
Reciprocating Ichika’s smile with her own, Haruka replied, "Then I’ll just take that as a yes." As she gazed into Haruka’s eyes, Ichika noted how easy it was to get lost in their deep blue hue, as if she were being drawn into the vast expanse of the ocean itself. She noted how earnest and beautiful they were, a reflection of just the type of person that Haruka was—if the eyes were the window to the soul, then Haruka’s soul was pure and passionate in equal measure, with just a touch of playfulness. That was okay, though; she liked that about her. She liked a lot of things about her. She could only hope that Haruka’s list of what she liked about her was just as exhaustive.
Haruka proceeded to withdraw from Ichika, much to the latter’s dismay, and checked her phone for the time. Putting it away, she said, "Okay, we should get going. The Ferris wheel’s closing a bit early today, so we should probably head over now if we want to make it on time. Not to mention, we have to beat the line."
Oh yeah, Haruka had promised her a ride on that. At the time, it sounded pretty appealing. But Ichika had gotten pretty comfortable on their little bench, cozying up next to each other; it may as well have been their own little slice of heaven. Besides, there was always next time.
"Wait!" cried Ichika, grabbing Haruka’s hand as the latter stood up. Looking back down at Ichika, Haruka looked at her in anticipation. "Um… can we… stay here for just a bit longer?" she asked gingerly. Taking only a brief moment to acknowledge her request, Haruka smiled warmly and sat back down.
"We can stay here for as long as you like," she insisted. Moving closer, Ichika rested her head on Haruka’s shoulder, and she in turn rested her head on Ichika’s. She took in Haruka’s warmth, her perfume, her affection—all of it. There was nothing quite like being able to have a famous idol all to herself. Of course, she didn’t love her because she was an idol; she loved her because of who she was when she didn’t have to be an idol. For Ichika, that would be enough.
"I treasure these quiet moments," Ichika remarked, "they’re so rare."
"Me too," Haruka replied, "with how busy being an idol can get, I admit that sometimes I feel like I just need less less excitement."
…Did the great Haruka Kiritani just make an attempt at wordplay? Sensing an imminent opportunity of her own, Ichika seized it and said, "I guess you could say you..."
"Don’t say it."
"…Leo/need it?"
Haruka groaned; she had walked right into that one. "You’re terrible, you know that?" she said in jest. Taking a moment to get the jokes out of her system, she wondered out loud, "How did I ever fall in love with you?" Ichika paused. She knew that the question had been rhetorical, and she had no reason to doubt the connection both of them currently had with each other, but it had struck her unexpectedly hard; her insecurity was like a pest that wouldn’t stop gnawing away at her.
Sombrely, she answered, "I don’t know. I ask myself that question every day."
As if she had sensed the sadness in Ichika’s tone, Haruka took Ichika’s hands into her own once more and said reassuringly, "Then I would be more than happy to remind you every day."
With just those few words, everything in Ichika’s world was right again.