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"How did we end here...?"
He asked himself, seeing his classmate and childhood friend sitting there, both of them inside that oppressive, small closet while their other friends waited for them outside.
His heart was beating as fast as ever, not even knowing how to begin... What could they even do? They couldn't do-... THAT... Right?
All they did was stare at each other, processing the situation at hand... It was so awkward at first, as the mere thought of doing anything "improper" made him shiver, even if it was expected in these games, so he found himself unable to bring anything to the table... But one of them had to break the ice after all, right?
"... Can we kiss?"
[...]
It was Friday already, and another week of rough school at Funamushi Private Deep-Sea Academy just ended, leaving them to their own. It was 6 PM, and Samekichi found himself at the school entrance with his brother, Syakesan, waiting for someone so they could walk back home.
"Did she tell you?" Syakesan asked, making the younger shark raise an eyebrow. "I meant Irena. About that party at her place."
"Huh, that." Samekichi hummed, thinking about today's interaction with Irena. They didn't have the strongest bond, but he spent some time with her, Tarako and Memoka from time to time. "Yeah, she told me. Why?"
Syakesan snorted, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm surprised someone like Irena decided to invite a guy like you. I mean- me? It was to be expected, but you?" The albino shark snorted, making Samekichi huff in annoyance. "But yeah. I was gonna ask you if you'll be coming with me tomorrow."
Samekichi thought a bit to himself- a party, huh? He was never one to go to parties, he was more of a chill-at-house guy. "Meh. I'll probably pass. Irena's nice and all but I'm not a big party guy, y'know?"
Samekichi said, so which Syakesan nodded. He heard a small "boring~" under the older shark's breath, but he ignored it, knowing he was just trying to provoke him... He really thought of accepting, remembering his aunt's worry about him not having a lot of friends and not going out with his classmates like the other students, but he really didn't feel like it.
His thoughts however, were interrupted by a sweet, cute voice approaching them quickly. "I'm late- sorry guys!" Wadanohara arrived, panting a little as she ran from her classroom to the school entrance to meet them. "Memoca was asking me stuff about homework, so I helped her a little."
"Mmh, good to know." Samekichi sounded a bit uninterested, as usual, trying to hide that he was, in fact, glad that she had arrived. He looked to the side instinctively as he heard his brother chuckle, that small thing letting him know that he was barely holding back from teasing him... So Samekichi turned to Wadanohara again, focusing on what's important. "Anyways, let's get going."
Wadanohara instantly nodded, grabbing Samekichi's hand, walking with him and being followed by Syakesan; those two were pretty much a couple, so the older one was already used to being the third wheel.
[...]
While they walked back home, they spoke about how things went by respectively. Samekichi listened attentively to the girl's words, and felt annoyed whenever his brother said even the smallest thing.
But at some point, noticing that things got a bit awkward, Syakesan saw an opportunity to tease the other even more. "So, Wadanohara... Did Irena invite you too?" He asked, even if said question was pretty rhetorical; they were very good friends, so it was obvious one of the first people the mermaid would ask would be Wadanohara.
"Mmh? Ah- Yes! I already asked my father. He said yes! I already have my dress choosen." Wadanohara turned at Samekichi. "It's that dress I showed you last week! The one with stars."
Samekichi blushed a bit as he remembered it, being the one to take her to that store to buy that dress. "Ah- yeah. That one looks pretty cute on you." He said, blushing a small bit.
The albino shark, noticing this, chuckled, taking advantage of this to make fun of his younger brother. "Too bad Mr. Edgy here feels too lazy to go..." After he said that, Samekichi turned at him almost instantly with his face already red. "I even helped Irena with the planning... She was thinking of stuff such as board games, some poker maybe... She also mentioned this game, what was it called?... Seven minutes in heaven?"
The exact moment Syakesan said that, he turned at his brother, his grin showing his sharp jaws in a teasing, infuriating way. And Samekichi, of course, answered almost instantly, blushing even more.
"Don't pay attention to him Wadanohara! I-I was also going!" Sameki lied, yet knowing Wadanohara usually trusted everything he said, she would probably not ask about it... It was when Syakesan came back to argue how he was lying...
Wadanohara just nodded to herself, seeing the two boys arguing already... She kinda found it funny; Syakesan's teasing, Samekichi's defensiveness. It was funny to see them getting along like that.
"Well, I'm glad both of you will come! Can't wait for tomorrow then."
After she said that ever so innocently, both of them stopped, focusing on her...
[...]
"... Seven minutes in heaven."
Samekichi repeated under his breath, staring at the ceiling, his brother already asleep in his own bed and snoring... Meanwhile, he couldn't sleep, thinking about Syakesan's words.
Seven minutes in heaven? That game where two people would have to be locked inside of a closet for seven minutes? That game where you have to hug, kiss, confess, or even-...
....
No. Syakesan must be joking! He was probably saying that to make him angry. He knew Irena wouldn't do something like that, right...?
...
He quickly sat up on his bed to check on his phone, and as soon as he entered social media, he noticed Irena was online. He didn't think much before texting her, his curiosity overlapping his embarrassment.
"Hey Irena. I got a question."
Luckily for him, the mermaid answered pretty much instantly, her first instinct being to ignore his words and instead, tease him, because there's not a single soul in that school that didn't tease him it seems.
"Samekichi!? You never text me~! Must be something VEEERY important right? (ФωФ)"
Samekichi rolled his eyes as soon as he read the text, and, normally, he would have dropped the conversation there, but not this time.
"It's not an emergency. Its about that party of yours"
"I heard y'all will play this game. The closet one."
"Ohhh~! You mean seven minutes in heaven? It was Syake's idea!! ☆"
"Of course it was his idea..." Samekichi muttered under his breath, taking a glance at his sleeping brother. If only their father wasn't asleep next door as well, he would have already hit his twin with a pillow until waking him up in the middle of the night.
"I see. Thanks for telling me."
"Woaaah!! Stop right there! Don't leave!"
"Why did you ask? Is it because of her~? Are you perhaps coming to play!? Are you jealous she might end up with someone else!? Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟ)"
"Shit..." Samekichi sighed, seeing he was caught right away. This mermaid surely was nosy, and he didn't expect less from her... But his biggest concern was the fact she managed to read him like a book.
Instead of answering, he turned off his phone, leaving it aside and lying down again, staring at the ceiling in silence, his expression unreadable at that moment, as if processing the conversation.
"... Was it that obvious-?"
[...]
And so, the day finally came. He asked his father permission to use the car beforehand to drive them there, and since his brother already had permission to assist to the party, that meant he could also go, so no need to ask his old man about it.
Once everything settled, the younger brother took the driver's seat, Syakesan about to sit on the passenger seat right beside him, but he got pointed at before he could. "No. Sit in the back." Samekichi ordered.
This time Syakesan couldn't use the big brother card, since Samekichi was the one with the upper hand, being the one with a license, so he had to comply. "Geez- fine. Guess this one is reserved for your little girlfriend huh?"
Samekichi just took a deep breath, ignoring his teasing words and starting the engine, heading to Wadanohara's place to pick her up, taking advantage of the fact that they live in the same neighborhood.
Once they arrived at her place, he texted her that they were outside, waiting for Wadanohara. Luckily, she didn't take a lot, coming out pretty quickly, being accompanied by his father. "Hi Samekichi! Hi Syake!" She cheerfully waved at them and got in.
Samekichi couldn't help but stare and blush, noticing the subtle makeup on her face, the way she let her wavy hair down today instead of wearing her usual braids, and the dark blue dress with beautiful stars that she bought recently... It was just so her, so perfect. He didn't expect her to look so pretty...
He had to be taken out from his trance however, and the one who did was Meikai, Wadanohara's father, who spoke in his usual calm, caring tone. "I'm glad you're the one taking her there. I sometimes worry about her coming late by herself... Please take care of her, Samekichi."
When the girl's father spoke to him, he averted his gaze from her almost instantly, nodding nervously, fully aware he was probably blushing like a fool. "Ah-! Sure! I-I'll bring her early and safe!" He swore, ignoring his brother's teasing whispering from the backseat.
Once everything got settled, he started the engine again, heading now towards Irena's place, the shark having to brace himself for the inevitable fate that awaited them- a silly game people played at parties...
[...]
The night started pretty normal after they arrived. They got some snacks and drinks (although Samekichi had to make sure Wadanohara's didn't have any alcohol due to Meikai's petition) and got comfortable, just chatted and overall, having fun with their friends. More than a party, it felt like a reunion of sorts.
But of course, at some point of the night, Irena asked them all to come and sit down, finally about to play the game everyone was waiting for- seven minutes in heaven.
Irena, being the host, was the first one to spin the bottle. "Let's see who I have to play with~!" She said, giggling and spinning the bottle, watching it spin for a couple of seconds nonstop, some of them more excited than the rest.
When it finally stopped, people were surprised to see it landed on Syakesan, being the last person they thought of! Seeing this, the albino shark got up, walking to I Irena. "Probably jinxed it for being the one to offer it... But I don't mind. Shall we?" Syakesan offered Irena his hand, to which she giggled, nodding and walking with him to the closet, closing the door behind them.
After they left and the clock was set to ring in seven minutes, they went back to what they were. Samekichi felt pretty relaxed now, sighing in relief after they left. At least Wadanohara was safe... He didn't care about himself really. He was afraid she might be approached by someone who might make her uncomfortable.
They awaited their seven minutes, Wadanohara staring at the closet door in silence, curious to know what they could be doing inside that place, as if curious to see what she'd have to do inside that closet.
Once the alarm rang, the older shark and the mermaid came out of the closet, Syakesan panting, his face full of smooches, while Irena cleaned her lipstick, chuckling, looking as if nothing had happened. "Who's next~?" asked the mermaid, bringing back the bottle.
The next round was Pulmo and Helica's turn, and these girls were even louder than the other two. You could listen to their make-out session inside that closet, and this even made some people leave the room while those two had their fun...
... While this happened, Wadanohara turned at Samekichi, pulling his sleeve. When he turned at her, he noticed she looked a tad trouble. "Umh-... Samekichi? Do you have to do that with the person you're paired with-?"
He could easily tell she didn't quite like the idea, so in an attempt of making her feel better, he patted her head. "No, you don't have to. You can just talk or do nothing in reality." He said, waving his hand dismissively, making sure she understands she can always say no. "And if whoever you get paired with tries to do something you don't want to, you come out to that closet no matter the time so I can punch his face, got it?" He mostly said that as a joke, but both of them knew he'd be down to punch anyone who dares to hurt her.
"Hehe... Thanks Samekichi! I'm glad I can always count on you..." She hugged his arm, making him blush a little. He had to repress the urge to hug her back, limiting himself to petting her head again.
[...]
After a couple of rounds later, only a few were left. Samekichi was growing more and more nervous as the moments went by, noticing how less and less people they seemed to be playing with. He constantly looked at the clock on the wall, waiting for it to signal it was time to go.
And he was so distracted by his overthinking and eagerness to leave, that he didn't even notice it was already someone else's turn. He wasn't taken out of his trance until Memoca, who was besides him, nudged at him. "Dude, look." She gestured to the side, making him look, noticing the bottle pointing at him.
He froze up, the blood draining from his face, barely processing it. He was afraid to look up, not knowing who he'd be paired with, only to notice how everyone was looking, how, suddenly, the room's atmosphere felt tense enough to cut. And as expected...
"Samekichi... Our turn." Wadanohara spoke, a small blush appearing in her cheeks. It was such a big coincidence that there was no way it was happening. Someone must have done it, somehow- it couldn't be just like that.
"Ah-... Okay. Okay. Let's get over this." He said, attempting to act nonchalant. And yet, everyone could tell something would happen inside that closet. They were the most obvious couple ever, and they weren't even dating (yet)... They both could feel their friends staring before being locked inside that closet, leaving them to themselves...
"How did we end here...?" He asked himself, seeing his classmate and childhood friend sitting there, both of them inside that oppressive, small closet while their other friends waited for them outside.
And to think he was paired with her. With his childhood friend. The one who made his heart race. The one and only who could make him blush and stutter. To think he was now here, with her, for seven minutes, on where they could do whatever they wanted...
His heart was beating as fast as ever, not even knowing how to begin... What could they even do? They couldn't do-... THAT... Right...? No! Of course they couldn't. She made sure to let him know beforehand she didn't want that to happen to her. She was probably waiting for this to end as well...
All they did was stare at each other from time to time, yet averting their gazes once the other noticed, attempting to process the situation at hand... It was so awkward at first, as the mere thought of doing anything "improper" made him shiver, even if it was expected in these games, so he found himself unable to bring anything to the table, not to mention that the fear of making her uncomfortable was eating him alive... But one of them had to break the ice after all, right?
"... Can we kiss?"
His gaze snapped instantly after hearing those words from her. He had to take a moment, analyzing her words. He probably misheard her. "What did you say? I couldn't hear properly." He said, his uncaring facade weakening with the second.
Wadanohara took a moment before approaching him, making Samekichi inevitably pull away, being almost cornered by her. "I-... I-I want to try it... Kissing." She clarified, meaning he actually heard correctly the first time.
He really couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true. She had to be kidding him, right? No way in hell she was doing this... "You-... You don't have to, really-..." He quickly averted his gaze nervously, his pale skin becoming flushed by the second. "We can just talk and stuff... No need to rush things-"
However, his words were interrupted by her, who sat on his lap without warning and hugged him, resting her head on his chest... This wasn't the first time she did something like this, but this time, it felt so... Intimate.
"Samekichi." She called him, making him look at her again, the way she said his name ever so softly making him tremble with something that felt very close to excitement. "I want this... I-I know I said I didn't want to, but-..." She almost tripped over her own words, having to go slower, making sure she understands him.
"I wanted it to be you, not someone else..."
When she spoke, he looked away, almost vomiting his previous drink, the excitement, fear and nervousness mixing on an explosive feeling that almost made him push her away and run away. And yet, something made him stay. Something had him rooted right in his place.
"I-..." He tried to speak, his nail digging into his palms, his breathing quickening. This was a point of no return. Once they cross this line, their friendship will never be the same... And, on that point, he couldn't bring himself to care.
"I want that too..."
Those words were enough for the girl to take the lead, suddenly wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him without warning. He stared at him for a few moments before closing his eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against her, attempting to deepen the kiss.
Their lack of experience didn't make this less enjoyable. Quite the contrary, they both were such amateurs that, somehow, they managed to almost complement each other. Surprisingly, Wadanohara was the one taking the lead, her moves letting him know she prepared for this beforehand...
Once they ran out of breath, they pulled away, a trail of saliva connecting their mouths. Both of them panted, digesting what just happened and how it happened. Both of them were now excited, turned on even... They still had some minutes left. Or at least that's what they wanted to think.
"I want more." The shark whispered before pulling her against him again, being the one dominating the kiss this time. Wadanohara moaned softly against his lips. They were dry, but somehow, she loved how they felt around hers. It was just so... So him, in a way. So rough and passionate.
He cautiously bit her lower lip, making sure not to hurt her with his sharp teeth. And right after that, he slid his tongue into her mouth, making her gasp and moan again, asking herself how he was so good at this... If only she knew all this pent-up passion he felt since he fell in love with her, and now he has been waiting for this moment to come.
And they were so into it, that he barely noticed how much he was enjoying this, how much this was turning him up. God, he was such a pervert. His pants already felt restricting and tight, he wanted none other than to lose himself in there, to have her all for himself tonight... But he knew there's a time and place for that.
Once he noticed he was getting carried away, he pulled away, seeing the look on his childhood friend's face; eyes half-open, the trail of drool going down her chin, her flushed cheeks and soft panting... It was such an erotic sight. Too much for him.
"I-... I-I'm sorry... I got carried away." He quickly apologized, about to help her move away from his lap, Wadanohara looking tired, yet kind of satisfied. She couldn't bring herself to get mad at him for getting carried away...
But then, before they could even get up, the door opened, revealing the sight of the girl on his lap, their disheveled appearance and the noticeable tent at the shark's pants making it impossible to deny what was going on.
Irena, who opened the door, attempted to stay calm and collected, barely able to conceal the smile of her face. "You two exceeded the time... Since you didn't hear the alarm I had to interrupt."
Both of them stayed in silence, not moving an inch. They took some seconds in that same position before they finally got up, fixing their clothes and getting back to the party, trying to act as if nothing happened, and yet the blush on their faces and the fact they didn't dare to look at each other was proof of what happened inside that closet.
I think it's safe to say the ride home was the most awkward thing ever.