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“So like, how blind are you?” Momo finds herself asking Okarun one day.
A lack of supernatural encounters provides them the opportunity to actually study for a change, which Momo only complies to because it’s been a while since they’ve actually hung out one on one. Since they’re in her room with her grandmother too preoccupied with whatever old comedy she’s watching, she takes the opportunity to paint her nails and ask Okarun dumb questions when the polish dries.
“I’m very nearsighted, if that’s what you’re asking.” he says to her. He’s not super crazy about studying either and is only pretending for the sake of saving face. (Momo wanted to paint his nails too but he refused, claiming Kinta and Rin would never let him hear the end of it.)
“I wanna see.” she demands. “Gimme your glasses.”
“Saying ‘see’ is already very generous. Plus you’ll probably get a headache.”
“Gimme.” she makes grabby hands at him.
He sighs and takes them off with very little figurative arm twisting from her. She puts them on and WOW he wasn’t exaggerating. Everything is solid blurs of color and she can’t make out any detail. She holds out her hand in front of her, barely able to make out her nails until she brings them close to her face. When she asks Okarun to hold up a couple of fingers though, she can still clearly tell that it’s one and his middle because he’s decided to be a little asshole about this. She’s also already feeling a headache forming. With lenses so thick of course it hurt her eyes having to adjust. Her reading glasses aren’t nearly this intense.
“How do I look?” she jokes with a flutter of her eyelashes.
“You look incredible, Miss Ayase… PSYCHE, you forgot I can’t see I guess!”
She snorts. “I was kidding! Wow, you’re right, that headache came on fast.” She lifts the glasses away from her face, and…
Huh.
She wasn’t expecting Okarun without his glasses to make a big difference- and it isn’t.
That’s what she’s snagged on.
“Wow. Your eyes are actually that big.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I thought your prescription made your eyes look bigger. No, they’re just that big.”
His glasses are so thick, this whole time she thought he’d had magnifying glasses on his face. Now she’s quickly coming to terms with the fact that he does in fact just look like that. His eyes are just big.
Big and brown and soft with long lashes and ohhhhhhh nooooo he’s really just that pretty, huh?
“Is that a compliment, or…?
“Yeah. You look like a baby cow.”
Okarun sputters. “The hell does that mean! Give them back!” he makes a lunge for the glasses but Momo hides them away. She has to commit this revelation to memory. And also messing with him has always been fun.
“Awh, you don’t like having big eyes? Sweet and pretty baby cow eyes??”
“You asked to wear them, you don’t have to make fun of me on top of it.” he grouses.
“Who said I’m making fun?” she pouts in reply. “Pretty brown eyes with long lashes. Lil’ baby cow man.”
“Quit talking like I’m a dog!” he snaps. “Like any guy would wanna be called cute anyway!”
“But I like cute guys.” she pouts even harder.
He freezes mid re-attempt to grab his glasses. “Huh?”
“You telling me guys don’t wanna be cute? Boooo.” she folds her arms.
“No, no- that’s, it’s, um.” he withdraws, flustering. Goodness, he can flip from loud indignation to nervous fidgeting on a dime. Incredibly endearing, Momo thinks.
“I like guys who can be cute and pretty.” she teases. “It’s not a bad thing.”
“I- I thought… you, just, erm.”
“Hm?”
“Your taste in movie stars.”
“I’m flexible!” she protests. “Chiseled, hardboiled and cool looking guys are great, don’t get me wrong, but I can appreciate beautiful guys too!”
“You’re not-“ he makes a sound like he’s wheezing. “Am I? You’re not putting me- in, in, in that cate… gory…” he squeaks. “Are? You?”
Momo pauses, heat rushing to her face. Then she takes Okarun’s glasses out and puts them on his face herself, reveling in how red he’s turned, right down to the tips of his ears. His gaze properly focuses on her when the glasses are back in place.
“If I did,” her voice is sort of meek. “Would you be okay with that?”
“Uhffffggbbb.” is the noise that escapes his mouth.
“You’ve objectively been pretty cute since the bowlcut died, y’know?”
“Leave the bowlcut alone, it was innocent.” he put his head in his hands. “Was my parents’ idea anyway.”
“I can’t believe they’d sabotage you like that.”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Pretty boy~” she singsongs. She leans against him. “Pretty baby cow boy~”
“Miss Ayase shut upppppp.”
“Lemme see your face, handsome boy~”
He pauses, lets his fingers slip away from his face a little. “…Handsome is better.”
“I think you’re all three.” she coos.
“…You’re also pretty.” he mumbles.
The butterflies in her stomach flutter at the admission- she has yet to be used to him paying her compliments- but she hides it by saying some conversation related bullshit. “Thanks. I’m also cute and handsome.”
“You’re not masculine enough to be handsome.”
“Am so!”