Chapter Text
It happened in a heartbeat.
The tiny body in his arms. The plumy down against his chest. The sweet, creamy scent invaded his nose. The soft sensation on his lips. All Hori could think in that fleeting, certain moment was…
Shoot! Not again!
Following a loud thump and the ache against his back, Hori opened his eyes. The soft sensation on his lips was still there. Directly before him, a pair of amethyst eyes stared back in profound shock. In their proximity, he, for the first time, took note of the remarkable length of her eyelashes. At this moment, they delicately fluttered, revealing a subtle sign of incredulity. It took a long, tense moment for the owner of those eyes to finally react. She clumsily got off his body and backing down with surprising agility. Her movements were awkward, reminiscent of a startled fawn. After distancing herself from him, she covered her mouth with both of her hands.
“… Hori-senpai, that… was your lips?” she stammered, her disbelief palpable.
As much as Hori wanted to deny it, he couldn't bring himself to blatantly lie in front of all those witnesses – the assembled members of the drama club. Sitting up, he could feel their eyes on him, burning holes in his back.
Speaking of the club members, why the deafening silence? Can someone please say something? Anything?
"Does our president have some secret to pull off that miracle every time?" a guy finally broke the silence, his voice laced with a mixture of amusement and confusion.
NOT THAT!!! Hori thought furiously. And certainly not, that was unexpected and entirely unwanted for him - both times.
In all honesty, Hori's sole intention was to shield his kouhai, whom he had personally asked to come here to help paint the background for his drama club, from falling. If blame must be assigned for this mishap, it should squarely land on the shoulders of the guy who, oblivious to his surroundings, was carrying a sizable box that inadvertently collided with her. Her, who was standing on a short stool holding a brush in her right hand and a small paint bucket in her left, completely vulnerable to any impact. Speaking of which, where was the oblivious guy amid this awkward spectacle? While others might opt for silence, the originator of this incidient, at the very least, should step forward to salvage the situation, right? With a disgruntled expression, Hori shot an annoyed glance in the culprit's direction. The guy, seemingly frozen in absolute shock, hastily stammered out an apology to the two unfortunate individuals.
However, the apology appeared to fall short in reaching the girl before him, as she displayed no reaction. While observing her, Hori couldn't help but consider another factor to blame—their height difference. Somehow, Hori calculated in his head that if it weren't for that petite girl, when he attempted to catch her from below and lost his balance, their faces wouldn't have come close to touching, let alone their lips. What were the odds of such an occurrence? You thought this was a movie, huh?
But then, a flash of memory crossed his mind. The moment she fell into his reflexively open arms was, honestly, like a scene out of a slow-motion movie. Hori could see the shock in her eyes, pink paint from the bucket in her hand splashing in the air, making this moment a bit more vivid in his vision. Hori had braced himself for the physical blow, but little did he know, the fall would be the least of his worries.
Nevertheless… what happened, happened. And this time, it was not Kashima, who seemed to be totally cool about that. Hori watched as her small face went beet red, almost matching the shade of those huge ribbons on her head. A myriad of words raced through his mind, yet not a single one seemed appropriate at this moment. Before Hori could articulate a response, the girl swiftly stood up and dashed out of the room.
The girl. Sakura Chiyo. Who was famous for her devoted love towards Nozaki Umetarou.
*****
Hori always thought that he had good luck when it came to friendship. Perhaps it was due to his active and outgoing personality, or it could have been the result of being surrounded by inherently nice and kind individuals. Whether it was his classmates, with whom Hori could easily engage in casual conversations about anything, his drama club members who offered unwavering support or the even closer friends who had been by his side since junior high school and could even hang out with him on his days off, Hori’s life was adorned with laughter, colors and excitement thanks to their presence. Hori couldn’t deny that he was profoundly grateful for his friends, who always had his back and showered him with care, no matter the circumstances. However, sometimes, they just care a little too much. Like, right now.
Hori knitted his eyebrows as his gaze settled on the guy before him. The guy's face was a canvas of sympathy and concern, his eyes softened with understanding, as if silently acknowledging the trials Hori faced. With a gentle gesture, he placed a hand on Hori's shoulder, a comforting touch that spoke volumes without a single word uttered. Don’t even ask why Hori could read his emotions with such clarity. It was a replay of a scene of what happened only a short while ago. Yes, the incident with Kashima.
“Hori-chan, I’m really sorry about that.” See, even the words he blurted out were so similar. “That must be another shock to you.”
Hori lost count of the number of people, including this guy here, who came to console him about the incident.
“Now that your second kiss was also lost.” To make it worse, the guy continued.
What the heck was that?
“Honestly, why do you guys act a big deal out of it? It was just an accident." Hori tongue clicked against his teeth, a sharp sound that echoed the frustration building within him and he felt the need to speak up.
And it was nothing to a guy like me. He added inwardly.
“But this time it was with that ribbon girl, right?” Hori’s friend pointed out.
The question struck like an arrow, a precise shot that went straight to the heart of the matter, leaving Hori exposed and speechless.
I know, I know! Thanks for the reminder. Hori sighed, rubbing his temples as he sought solace in the familiar pressure. Sometimes, the issue wasn’t the problem itself but the people involved. Let’s say, if it were someone else, a total stranger, they could easily let it go and never meet again. On the other hand, if it were someone close, like Kashima, they could shrug it off and continue with their normal routine. Well, in Kashima's case, her dismissive personality helped, but even without it, the situation wouldn't be as bad. Sakura fell somewhere in between—not close enough to treat the incident as a joke and let it slide, but also not distant enough to casually exchange apologies and go their separate ways, never to meet again. In the coming days, their paths were bound to cross—at school, where they both attended, at Nozaki's house, where they both worked as assistants, or perhaps through Kashima, to whom they were both close. There were too many chances for them to meet, making it undesirable for either of them to feel awkward in the other's presence.
But that was merely the worst-case scenario. In reality, Hori didn't know Sakura well enough to anticipate her reaction. While she did run away the day before, it could have been just an impulsive reaction in the heat of the moment. Given Sakura's seemingly smooth rapport with Kashima, perhaps she was more nonchalant about such matters? Perhaps after cooling down, she'd deem it a minor incident. After all, she did exude a certain…simplicity, a forgettable charm that suggested she wouldn't dwell on it. Right?
Observing contemplative Hori's expression, the guy sighed with a heavy heart, retrieving an envelope and placing it into Hori's hands.
"Please keep this," he said, his voice resonating with sympathy. "It's all I have to help."
An envelope? Hesitantly, Hori took it and opened. Inside was a photo of his dog. The exact photo that he showed Hori when the first incident with Kashima happened, along with those so-called words of consolation that were still echoing in Hori’s ears: “Consider yourself being licked by a dog.”
“You’re still keeping this?!”
Hori almost yelled out of frustration. And just when he believed there would be no one and no way to annoy him further, the rhythmic thump of footsteps resounded off the walls, bouncing around the hallway and reached his ears. Hori immediately felt a wave of unease washed over him and every nerve in his body seemed to vibrate with irritation.
Not her, again.
The footsteps finally rounded the corner, revealing a tall and beautiful figure running towards him. His favorite face. His favorite pair of legs. Yet, the words that spilled from her lips were incredibly annoying to his ears: “Senpai, I heard that you stole Chiyo-chan’s first kiss?”
SMACK!!
Hori couldn’t help himself. His hand acted faster than his brain, smoothly landing on her head like he’d done thousand times before. Can’t blame him, though. Of all the descriptions he'd heard about that incident today, hers was by far the most upsetting.
“Don’t spread such news!” Hori gritted his teeth, his fist clenched tight to prevent himself from acting violent again. Not only did you dare to ditch club yesterday, but you also came to rub that gossip in my face?!
As always, Kashima seemed unfazed by the physical interaction. Her smile remained bright and cheerful as she continued the conversation.
“Have you apologized to her yet? Senpai, now that you’re experienced since it’s your second time, but I’m pretty sure it was Chiyo chan’s first time.”
What is with that way of wording? Bastard!!
While being perceived as inexperienced was unpleasant, the way Kashima phrased him as experienced was truly offensive to Hori, too. Casting a dissatisfied glance at his kouhai, Hori responded shortly.
“I haven’t had a chance…”
It wasn't that Hori was attempting to find an excuse. Sakura had genuinely fled before he could even react the day before. While Hori didn’t believe he was at fault, considering Sakura was a true teenager girl with a maiden’s heart (unlike Kashima), he felt obligated to resolve the issue.
“But she promised to paint our backgrounds, so I’ll apologize to her when she comes to the club today.” Hori spoke while thinking. Yes, that should solve the issue.