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“Satsuki-chan, would you please dote on me for a little while?”
Satsuki grimaces, remembering with a chill Mai’s request from long ago that Satsuki comfort her. But this isn’t Mai sitting beside her at a small table at the library. No, Satsuki is leering into the brown eyes of the angelic Sena Ajisai, everyone’s dear, sweet friend. Satsuki lowers her head in apology, wiping the frown from her face. Her pale fingers cover her cheeks as they redden with a mortified blush, and in a strangled voice she manages to stammer, “Excuse me?”
Ajisai’s gaze darts away, abashment ruddying her features. She taps a manicured fingernail against her lip, adorably tongue-tied. “You see, Rena-chan and Mai-chan have shared quite a lot of time alone recently, and I can’t help but feel jealous. I-I don’t want to bother them about it, because they’re completely entitled to private time. Every girl needs some love, you know what I mean? But that’s just why I want you to dote on me.”
Satsuki stares at her. Ajisai splays the fingers of one hand across her heavy chest in resignation, her throat tightening as she swallows.
“I’m sorry, Satsuki-chan,” she murmurs. “I was hoping that since we’re good friends, you wouldn’t mind spending some attention on me, but I know I’m just so selfish...” She faces forward and hunches over her homework, her boobs resting atop the table (not that Satsuki would ever look there). “I’m sorry,” Ajisai repeats, sounding lost. “We’re here to study, aren’t we? I would hate to waste your time.”
“Sena.”
Ajisai’s shoulders rise. The black shadow of Satsuki’s silky hair fills Ajisai’s vision as Satsuki leans close to her, bracing a forearm on the edge of the table. Satsuki’s almond-shaped eyes flick to the ceiling and then return to Ajisai’s profile, fixating on her pinkened cheeks and the winged curl of her bangs in front of her cute hair clip.
“H-here,” Satsuki whispers. She swoops in and presses her lips to Ajisai’s cheek, her heart melting until Ajisai yelps and whips her head to the side to stare impossibly wide-eyed at her.
“Huh?!”
“What’s the matter?” Satsuki prompts, cocking her head. Her glossy hair falls over her shoulder, and her forearm on the table slides forward to scoop up Ajisai’s chest. Tucked away in a discreet corner of the library, no one can see them. “I’m doing this for you.”
Ajisai flushes a jarring brick red. “N-not that kind of attention, Satsuki-chan!” she protests, almost going cross-eyed as she gapes at Satsuki’s hand reaching into the valley between Ajisai’s boobs through her buttoned uniform. Ajisai squeezes her eyes shut and squeaks, “I meant that I wanted you to shower me with compliments o-or maybe hold my hand!”
Satsuki reels back, retracting her arm faster than the snap of a severed wire. “Oh,” she says so abruptly that it may as well be stamped in block letters with thick black ink. Her hand frozen in the space separating her and Ajisai, Satsuki clears her throat and implores, “Forgive me, Sena. My mind was in the gutter. I promise it won’t happen again.” She cracks one eye open, the other closed, her long eyelashes beautiful in the evening light streaming through the window. “I hope you don’t think less of me.”
Ajisai’s cheeks puff out as she releases a flustered sigh, a cute little hmph. “Ajisai,” she corrects.
Satsuki frowns. “Pardon?”
“Call me Ajisai,” she begs, her slender fingers spidering over her chest to toy with her thick locks of light brown hair. “That is, if you’ll dote on me just a bit.”
Goodness, she’s desperate. It’s certainly a challenge for her to act cheerful and friendly to every soul who speaks to her and then, in return, fail to receive quality time with the one person she doesn’t need to act around: her beloved Rena-chan.
Belatedly, Satsuki nods. “Okay, Ajisai-san,” she says clumsily.
“No,” Ajisai whines, “not like that.”
“Ajisai-chan?” Satsuki tries.
Ajisai shakes her head, her waves of hair bouncing around her shoulders. “Just Ajisai!” she screams.
Satsuki falls silent.
Ajisai covers her mouth, a rosy blush returning to her face. “Oops,” she breathes. “I raised my voice.”
“Cute,” Satsuki blurts without thinking, so brazen and out of character that her expression instantly darkens with shame. Although Ajisai yelps in response, this is the type of affection she wants, isn’t it? Her shy yet urging gaze confirms Satsuki’s suspicion.
“T-that’s correct,” says Satsuki, acknowledging her admission. “I find it cute when you lose your temper, Sena—er, Ajisai.”
Ajisai gives a tiny nod of encouragement and grasps two fistfuls of her hair to occupy her hands.
Satsuki rests her chin on her fist, her lips curving into an endearing smile as she submits to her role as a doting wife friend. “I don’t understand how Amaori would prefer to spend the evening with Mai instead of you. You’re positively adorable.” Her voice is flat, bogged down with the underlying embarrassment of confessing these thoughts aloud.
Ajisai flutters a limp hand in dismissal. “Oh, you’re just saying that, Satsuki-chan,” she says.
Satsuki straightens, a starry spark igniting in her dark eyes. “No, I mean it,” she insists, though her voice remains even. “I couldn’t lie to you. Definitely to Amaori or Kaho, perhaps Mai, but not to you.”
“O-oh really? And why is that?” asks Ajisai, genuinely curious rather than fishing for another compliment.
Satsuki rewards her for her honesty by flashing her a grin as radiant as a full moon. Everyone knows that Satsuki is soft on Ajisai. Even the ice queen cannot hide her affection for a literal angel.
Satsuki reaches for Ajisai’s hand. Ajisai jolts at the touch of Satsuki’s cold fingers but doesn’t pull away from the fond embrace. In fact, she squeezes Satsuki’s palm.
“Because you’re far too kind to warrant dishonesty,” says Satsuki. She hugs Ajisai’s hand as she would deign to hug her waist. “Because I consider you a true friend despite my habit of reclusion. And...
“Because I think I’m falling for you, Ajisai.”
The words leave her mouth on autopilot. For several dead silent beats, she and Ajisai lock into a stunned mutual stare. Then, feeling guilty for speaking without intent, Satsuki says much more firmly, “Yes, I believe this feeling is love. I am falling for you...
“Hold on, what am I saying?” she sputters, wrenching her frigid hand free from Ajisai’s gentle touch. Satsuki vigorously shakes her head, more animated than ever. “You have a girlfriend.”
Once more Ajisai taps her pink lips, suspended in careful thought. Then she lifts her finger into the air and says, “You’re forgetting, Satsuki-chan, that my girlfriend has another girlfriend.” She giggles.
Satsuki gulps.
“So dote on me some more,” Ajisai pleads, leaping from her chair to fling her arms around Satsuki’s pale neck and her curtain of straight black hair. The urge to defile this darling angel possesses Satsuki, who sways forward and captures Ajisai’s soft and tempting lips.
Ajisai makes a terribly sensual sound that sends Satsuki spiralling, pitching back for a much needed breath. She clasps her hands over her temples. “I’m a demon,” she says hoarsely, her eyes narrowing despite her shock. “Don’t associate with such evil,” she warns Ajisai, and Ajisai—
Laughs.
Sweet and girly, her skin glowing as though gleaming in the golden shimmer of a halo.
“It’s not like you to sound so dramatic, Satsuki-chan,” she muses, beaming and blushing. “You aren’t a demon. That was a wonderful kiss.”
Satsuki scowls, more at herself than at Ajisai. “Nonetheless,” she says, “I need to study.” She flips open her textbook and wrenches her eyes away from Ajisai, who giggles anew.
“Okay,” says Ajisai softly. She touches a hand to Satsuki’s elbow. “Whenever you decide to forgive yourself, I’m happy to accept some more rare Satsuki-chan affection.”
Satsuki hangs her head. This girl is unbelievably sweet even when selfish. Satsuki pities Renako for her chains to Mai when the coveted Ajisai is so eager to earn some of her time. Goodness, and to think of Renako’s turmoil when she discovers that while she was away, Satsuki went and kissed her girlfriend...
“Hey, Sena,” Satsuki begins reluctantly, “do you think I ought to apologize to Amaori for causing her trouble?”
Ajisai blinks in confusion. “Oh,” she drawls, “you mean because of that kiss? Actually, Rena-chan said she doesn’t feel jealous when I’m handsy with other people...”
Satsuki slams both fists down on the table, which rattles beneath her fury. “What?!”
❤
Renako quakes before a certain black-haired beauty who blasts down the door to Mai’s bedroom with pure rage swimming in her almond-shaped eyes.
“Amaori Renako,” Satsuki bellows at the trembling girl in question, “I’d like to give you a piece of my mind!”
“Oh, my,” Mai chuckles from behind Renako, not bothering to hide her amusement as Renako yanks the bedsheet over her scantily clothed body.
Renako’s gaze whips back and forth between Mai and Satsuki so many times she risks whiplash. “S-S-Satsuki-san?!” she shrieks. “There’s no freaking way this is happening to me!”