After spending almost an entire morning at the manga cafe, Akira finally walked out with Sajuna.
The two of them had only huddled together, accompanying each other to read the single copy of "My High School Light Novel Author Life is Troubled by a Succubus Every Night." The other manga Akira had randomly picked out was never even opened, leaving him feeling quite regretful.
"I had a really good time."
Akira said, turning his head while holding Sajuna's hand.
"Though it was fun, Aki-Kun also did something naughty."
Sajuna playfully hit Akira, pouting angrily: "Aki-Kun isn't allowed to look at me with that kind of smile."
"But my smile is full of love for Sajuna! What's wrong with a smile like that?"
Akira protested, claiming innocence. He had merely suggested Sajuna cosplay a character as cute as her; there was no need to be so shy.
"It was clearly perverted."
Sajuna tugged at her twin pigtails, turning her face away shyly, not daring to look at Akira's face. She felt as though Aki-Kun would see her heart fluttering.
Clearly, Aki-Kun was being too much.
Thinking this, Sajuna suddenly slowly undid her neatly tied twin pigtails. The tied hair slowly loosened and then fell down, making her look surprisingly more mature.
Sajuna turned her head, running her fingers through her hair, a shy smile on her face.
"Now, now I don't look like Succubus Liz anymore, right?"
"But Sajuna already agreed to my request! Don't be silly, my adorable Sajuna..."
Akira smiled, caressing Sajuna's soft, delicate cheek, then gently touched Sajuna's loosened hair. Feeling the strands pass through his fingertips, he felt as if her hair was lightly brushing against his heart, making his heart tingle.
"Sajuna is so cute, it always makes me want to tease her."
"Stop it, you bad Aki-Kun, always saying annoying things, and then saying things that make me like you."
Sajuna lightly hit Akira a few times, then couldn't help but hug Akira's arm. A shy, sweet blush bloomed on her cheeks, making her seem as fresh and juicy as a peach, making one want to take a gentle bite.
Akira stroked the top of Sajuna's head. Sajuna then stood on her tiptoes, kissed Akira's cheek, and then excitedly asked Akira.
"Aki-Kun, where should we go next?"
"Isn't it time to eat? Isn't Sajuna's stomach rumbling?"
Akira replied. Sajuna then touched her own stomach, looking puzzled.
Huh, she didn't seem very hungry. Was it because she usually ate little? She'd only had a tiny bit today.
"Let's just walk around for a bit first."
Akira said, then held up the paper bag he was carrying, playfully chiding her with a hint of blame.
"It's all Sajuna's fault for wanting to buy me clothes; now I have to carry this while we shop."
Sajuna huffed and shook the paper bag she was holding, replying unwillingly.
"I'm carrying one too, okay? Aki-Kun isn't the only one carrying it."
"Aki-Kun doesn't like the clothes I picked out?"
"I like them very much."
The cool summer breeze blew, rustling the leaves. The wind played with Sajuna's loose hair, and the tree shadows swayed, reflecting the young girl's fervent, budding heart, eager to fall into the embrace of the girl in front of him.
Sajuna looked at the smiling Akira in front of her, feeling that she was constantly being captivated by this Aki-Kun.
What the heck? This version of herself was just too lame!
She was repeatedly defeated by Aki-Kun's simple move!
Couldn't Aki-Kun try a different approach? She fell for this move too easily.
Sajuna thought this with a flushed face, but then immediately realized that she seemed to fall even faster for other approaches.
Aki-Kun didn't even seem to be consciously making a move...
The two of them then walked along the street, looking for a place to eat lunch. Akira looked left and right, not knowing what he was looking at, until he saw a bookstore. Only then did Akira take Sajuna's hand and walk towards it.
"Huh? Aki-Kun."
Sajuna looked at Akira, who was pulling her, with confusion.
"Come to the bookstore with me. I want to buy a copy of'Succubus Harassment.'"
Akira said, looking back.
"Oh, right, the manga cafe doesn't sell manga."
Sajuna said, belatedly.
"After all, Sajuna already agreed to my request; I need to properly study Succubus Liz."
"Then, then Aki-Kun isn't allowed to do anything strange."
Sajuna blurted out instinctively.
After all, she was imagining herself as Succubus Liz, and she couldn't help but feel that Aki-Kun, seeing her like that, would do some strange things...
But Succubus Liz didn't seem to have many elements that Aki-Kun liked...
Was the reason he liked her truly just, as Aki-Kun said, because she 'wore little'...
Akira walked into the bookstore, picked out two copies of "Succubus Harassment," and paid at the counter. Even as they walked out, Sajuna was still asking why he bought two copies of "Succubus Harassment."
"Aki-Kun only needs to read it himself."
Sajuna shyly patted Akira's arm. Reading this manga always made her unconsciously put herself into the story, especially since Aki-Kun wanted her to cosplay Succubus Liz from it.
"But Sajuna likes this manga a lot too, right?"
Akira placed the purchased manga into the paper bag with the clothes, then said casually.
"Besides, if we buy two copies, one for me and one for Sajuna, then whenever we want to read it together, we'll always have this manga with us."
"Later, we, we won't really read it together."
Sajuna instinctively wanted to deny it. After all, when Aki-Kun held her while reading manga, he had made so many naughty moves. But just thinking about what happened made Sajuna's heart feel like it was overgrown with grass, making her chest tingle, as if sprouts were about to emerge.
Akira and Sajuna walked in the shade of the birch trees along the road. The tall trees' dense leaves completely blocked the path for pedestrians, allowing them to temporarily escape the sun directly overhead.
Akira held Sajuna's hand, and after walking along the road for a while, they casually found a ramen shop on the street and went in.
Once inside the ramen shop, they found a booth for two, ordered, and waited for the server to bring their food through the small window. Akira felt relieved seeing Sajuna's unconcerned expression.
He had been a little worried that Sajuna might find their lunch too perfunctory.
But looking at the slight smile in Sajuna's eyes, Akira truly felt that Sajuna's heart must be like his own, believing that being together with the other person, doing anything, was a symbol of happiness.
Sajuna picked up the ramen with her chopsticks, slowly ate, then picked up the water glass beside the table, took a few sips of water, and smiled at Akira, who was looking at her from across the table.
"Aki-Kun, are we going home this afternoon?"