Chapter Text
“Eriri, we’ve got a problem.”
Utaha broke the silence in the planning room, and Eriri immediately sent a gloating smirk at her fellow game designer. In the afternoon sun, her hair looked like it was waving in the air, dancing like a crown or maybe a pair of sunbeams around her head.
“Ohoooo~? My goodness, what a shame. But still, it sounds like it’s a problem for you… well, then, shall I grant my aid to my beleaguered associate~?”
The dark-haired girl didn’t react to her barbs, and instead sighed in frustration and leaned back in her chair.
“Good to know I can count on you, then. Now, let’s go.” Eriri’s smile fell away as Utaha stood up, looking for her jacket and slipping her hairband into place.
“Haah?”
“What?” Utaha looked over her shoulder, already at the door. Her eyebrow was raised, and she even had her schoolbag ready. Confusion was scribbled in wild letters across Eriri’s face, and she stopped tipping her chair back. “You just agreed to go on the date, so hurry up. It’ll be a terrible scene to replace with a fakeout let-down.”
…
“DATE?”
—
“It’s really embarrassing that you don’t have any experience in this,” Eriri said, walking along with her hair swirling behind her. Putting her best foot forwards in every situation meant rolling with the punches, even something like the high-and-mighty Utaha asking her out on a date (apparently).
“Ah, do you often go out on dates with girls?”, Utaha asked her, tilting her head. Tch! Trust that conniving woman to make her stinging reply sound like an earnest question. “I wasn’t aware.”
“No! Wh-what do you take me for, you idiot. Honestly, for someone so clever, you really can’t read the subtext in someone’s words…” Eriri sighed, her shoulders relaxing now that they were far enough away from school that it was unlikely to run into a gawking gossiper. Utaha fell silent for a second, and the pregnant pause made Eriri start talking again. “...So, anyway, why do you need help writing a yuri scene?”
“Ah.” Utaha appeared to perk back up. “Well, we have a handful of scenes to do for filler. You remember the scene plan, right?”
Eriri squinted internally, pulling the shape of the master storyboard out of her memory. “Oh, you mean you’re getting around to sketching out your ideas for that? About time.”
“One of the scenes I had in mind was a practice date between two heroines. Unlocked as side content, so we don’t distract from either route, and maybe a bit of fanservice for the people who enjoy that sort of thing.”
“...You’re seriously going to yuribait our fans?” Eriri said with disgust, shooting a cold glare at the girl beside her. Utaha tilted her head in earnest confusion, and Eriri sighed at having to teach this normie precious lingo. “Bait - I mean, you’re not going to commit to anything even if you do put romantic teasing in the story, right? That’s just cowardice.”
“You’re not the writer, unfortunately, Eriri. Besides, who knows? If you make the CGs of them appealing enough, I might put a nod in the epilogues if neither are chosen as the heroine,” Utaha replied and flipped her hair with her fingers. Having finished putting all the work into Eriri’s hands, the taller girl stepped closer to her and reached out for her hand. “But all that otaku stuff aside, you have work to do. I need experience on how two girls would be on a date together, so, get going.”
“We’re not actually on a date, genius,” Eriri retorted, turning the corner in unison and coming up on the shopping complex Utaha had chosen.
“Exactly. It’s a fake date, so I just need experience on how a fake date would go between girls.” Utaha reached out with her hand, tracing her fingers against the palm of Eriri’s hand and holding it. Eriri jerked her hand away, an embarrassed blush flicking onto her face, and Utaha pouted and leaned forwards, making sure to push her chest together with her upper arms. “Aww, Eriri-chan, you won’t even hold my hand on a date? Meanie…”
“Geh. What the hell? Gross, stop that,” Eriri said back, staring at the stupid lumps that Utaha was pushing in her face with annoyance. “That’s totally out of character. …I, I mean,” she hastened to add as Utaha shot her a cool glare. “...Utaha-chan, sorry, I’m not used to that yet… could we start doing that on the way home?”
“‘Kaaaay,” Utaha said, a small smile (probably of victory) appearing on her pout. “So, Eriri-chan, I want to go check out that ice cream place. It’s really not that pricey, and the vanilla cup has a swirl that looks just like your hair does.”
Utaha’s sugary smile let Eriri feel as though there were hearts floating in the air beside her. A part of her brain stored the sight away in her head later for reference, but for now she smiled back and went with her fake-girlfriend.
Once inside, Utaha ordered, and Eriri had to agree that the swirl shared her light honey-blonde tone of hair, the Secret Sweetness special looking more like a bucket than a glass cup. The waiter brought over just one glass, large and with two spoons sticking out of it, and a decorative heart swirl of caramel and chocolate on the plate underneath it.
“Waaaoo… See, Eriri, it reminded me of you. It’s just as sweet as you, too.” Eriri coughed, hiding her face from the cheese of her fake-date’s line, and only lifted her head when the worst of the blush was gone. Utaha had in the meantime already gone to work on the heap of sugary ice cream, carving out a destabilising cave in the side closest to her.
“Hey! Utaha-chan, you’re being rude, we’re supposed to eat this together.”
“Ah! Oh, you’re right, I’m so sorry… Here,” Utaha said, scoping up a chunk and offering it to Eriri as though to feed her.
“Y-you’re awfully bold today,” Eriri said with a stutter, but leaned forwards and brushed a sweep of hair behind her ear. In the moment, she could trust Utaha to not smear it in her face, and closed her eyes and opened her mouth. The spoon clacked against her teeth slightly from the weird angle, but it was sweet enough that Eriri didn’t mind.
“That’s just because you’re acting a little spoiled today, Eriri-chan.”
(It was only halfway through the bowl that Eriri realised that Utaha had used the same spoon that had been in her mouth.)
—
After the cafe visit, Eriri and Utaha wandered out and past a little souvenir shop. Almost right away, Eriri caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye and tugged at her fake-girlfriend’s sleeve.
“Hey, hey, look! In the back there, on the turning stand…” Eriri looked close, seeing a range of cute little phone keychains. “Oh wow, these are all hand-made… No merch, but I mean, the flowers all look really beautiful.”
“You’ve got a good eye for this,” Utaha praised and leaned forwards. Her hand reached out towards a white lily flower, carved in wood and laminated - then halted, and went to the one beside it, a small rose design in a range of colours. “Hey, hey, Eriri, we should get matching ones!”
“Utaha-chan, you’re so right! But which ones…” Eriri looked, trying to see ones that would match. She’d never thought about a flower motif for herself, and being put on hte spot like this stressed her just a little.
“Well, I thought these two.” Eriri looked, and saw the pair of roses, hand-painted onto wooden carving and then given a clip. One of them was blue, remarkably close to Eriri’s eye colour, and the other’s tone was a deep red, like Utaha’s. The shorter girl oohed and clapped a little, reaching out. “No - no, this one’s yours,” Utaha cut her off, handing her the red one.
“Eh? But-”
Utaha pouted. “You can’t think of this romantically? Jeez… you get the one that reminds you of me, and I get you. They make a pair.” She gave a shy smile, and it was a good thing Eriri was acting, otherwise the skip in her heart would have meant something.
“Y-you’re right… …Then here, let me buy them for us, okay? You got us the ice cream, after all.” Utaha beamed at her, and had a spring in her step as they went to the counter.
—
After leaving the little shop, Utaha stopped next to Eriri.
“Well, then, you think this was a good date?”
Weird way to phrase it, Eriri thought to herself, and crossed her arms. “Well, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy. Isn’t that what this is all about?”
“Well, if you’re happy, then I’m happy too,” Utaha giggled, a lot more light-hearted than she usually was. “Thank you for the date today, Eriri-chan. I really appreciate it…”
Eriri blinked, trying to figure out if this was a genuine comment, or Utaha still staying in character. “Well, um, that makes me glad. I feel like I got a little bit closer to you, today. …It was a good time. I’ll keep this, to remind me of you,” she added, holding up her phone with Utaha’s charm hanging off it.
“Ehehe. I hope we can have another date like this, someday.”
Eriri looked up into the sky, feeling… a way she couldn’t quite grasp, like she was missing something. She shrugged it away, and smiled at Utaha. “Me too.”
Utaha smiled, bobbed her head… “...And scene,” she said, immediately changing expressions from cutesy to neutral. “...Yeah, I think I can do with this. At least you’re good to your word.”
“Whatever. You owe me one for this, Kasumigaoka Utaha,” Eriri said and huffily turned away to start heading off. The sudden shift in tone left her annoyed, as though she’d known it was just playing around, but still disliked the fact that it was brought home so abruptly.
“Owe? Excuse me, I thought you offered your help and I merely accepted,” Utaha retorted, walking alongside her again. “What a shame you’re attempting to negotiate a price for your services after the fact.”
They bickered a little more, and while they did, Eriri’s eyes slid down to Utaha’s hand, hanging at her side. She scratched her cheek, sighed, nad reached out, taking the other girl’s hand-
“Wh-what are you doing?!” Utaha said suddenly, eyebrow raised, then looking away as if annoyed at Eriri, or something.
Eriri smirked, eyebrows high in smugness. “What? I promised to hold your hand afterwards. Someone can’t handle a promise to her being kept?” One-nil , she crowed internally.
Utaha looked like she was going to say something, and then harrumphed and turned her head away. …But kept the hand there, not interested in fighting Eriri over it.
“...But for the record, I do understand subtext. Are you sure you get it, Spencer Sawamura Eriri?”
“Of course. What, you think I’m stupid?” Eriri answered, and didn’t really understand why she didn’t throw the blue rose phone charm into the trash when she got home.