So then, doesn't that make me Shikime Natsu's girlfriend now?
Satou Maya thought this to herself, those blue eyes of hers carrying complicated emotions—a touch of nervousness, a touch of anticipation.
After all, even though she'd been the one to kiss him and Shikime Natsu hadn't refused, still... he hadn't clearly said anything like "let's go out together."
"Natsu... so what's our relationship now?"
Satou Maya looked at Shikime Natsu and asked in a very uncertain tone. For a girl, of course, she wanted to receive the acknowledgment of the person she liked.
Only after receiving Shikime Natsu's acknowledgment could she rightfully say that she was Shikime Natsu's girlfriend.
Otherwise, even if she had kissed Shikime Natsu, well... it still wouldn't really count.
Shikime Natsu looked at Satou Maya, those pale golden eyes carrying a hint of a smile.
"Maya."
"The two of us have already kissed, haven't we? Isn't a kiss like that something only couples do?"
Hearing Shikime Natsu ask this, Satou Maya froze for a moment.
Then her face flushed all at once, burning red, red like a ripe apple.
She lowered her head, the corners of her mouth unable to help curving up slightly, revealing a bashful smile.
"I guess that's true..."
She said softly, her voice carrying a hint of shyness, and inwardly she couldn't help relaxing a bit. Now, at last, she had received Shikime Natsu's acknowledgment, and she was quite happily now one of Shikime Natsu's girlfriends.
Karuizawa Kei and Matsushita Chiaki stood off to one side, watching Satou Maya in this state, and the corners of their mouths couldn't help lifting slightly into smiles.
Satou Maya took a deep breath, then lifted her head and looked at Karuizawa Kei and Matsushita Chiaki.
"I... I'm not dreaming, am I?"
She spoke up, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief.
After all, from this morning until now, everything had happened far too fast.
So fast that it left her feeling like it wasn't quite real.
When they were watching the movie, she had only brushed against Shikime Natsu's hand inside the popcorn bucket, and after that there had been no further progress at all.
Then Matsushita Chiaki had drawn her and Karuizawa Kei away, and after coming back had simply gotten together with Shikime Natsu just like that.
Then she had come along to Shikime Natsu's dorm, received a gift, watched Karuizawa Kei and Matsushita Chiaki kiss Shikime Natsu, and then she too had worked up the courage to kiss him.
Then Shikime Natsu had said that a kiss like that was something only couples do—which meant that she too was now Shikime Natsu's girlfriend.
In the span of a single day, from zero to one.
No matter how she thought about it, something like this felt just like a dream. Was this what falling in love was like for everyone? Every last bit of it was so sudden.
Her whole mood was like riding a roller coaster.
Karuizawa Kei looked at Satou Maya, gave a soft little laugh, then reached out and lightly pinched Satou Maya's cheek.
"Does it hurt?"
She asked, those purple eyes carrying a hint of a smile.
"It hurts..."
Satou Maya rubbed her own cheek, then looked at Karuizawa Kei.
"So it's not a dream."
Karuizawa Kei said with a smile, her tone relaxed.
"It really isn't a dream."
Matsushita Chiaki spoke up from beside her, smiling too.
"And besides... Natsu's gift is real, too."
As she said this, Matsushita Chiaki's gaze also fell onto the keychain in her own hand. In her dreams, Shikime Natsu had given her gifts as well, but... sure enough, a gift from reality felt much more real.
Hearing the two of them, Satou Maya lowered her head again and looked at the keychain in her hand.
That light-brown-haired chibi figure flashing a peace sign was smiling right at her.
She reached out and lightly touched the little figure's face with her fingertip. The texture was smooth, cool to the touch—quite real.
"Mm... it's not... a dream."
She said softly, then lifted her head, a brilliant smile breaking across her face.
"How wonderful!"
The three girls laughed in the living room, their voices clear and pleasant, like silver bells.
Shikime Natsu watched them like this and gave a soft little laugh.
"You three chat for now, I'll go make lunch."
He said, those pale golden eyes carrying a hint of gentleness.
"Okay!"
The three of them nodded almost at the same time, answering in unison.
Shikime Natsu turned around and headed for the kitchen, taking ingredients straight out of the fridge.
Every single day, Shikime Natsu's fridge was kept well-stocked with food, and for today, hosting three beautiful girls, the amount of food needed wasn't all that much.
As for Karuizawa Kei and the other two, they took seats at the table off to the side. There were quite a few books in Shikime Natsu's room, though not the sort they were particularly interested in.
The three of them understood as well that these books were probably connected to Shiina Hiyori, so they didn't reach out to touch them on their own.
Although Shikime Natsu had many girlfriends, the things each girl liked were different, and the three of them had no intention of interfering with the shared memories between the other girls and Shikime Natsu.
"It really is so cute."
Karuizawa Kei held up the keychain in her hand and looked at it against the light—that golden-haired chibi figure.
"Natsu said he made it himself. To make it this pretty on his very first try is really amazing."
"Yeah."
Matsushita Chiaki nodded, those blue eyes carrying a hint of emotion.
"And each person's likeness is captured really well—this expression, this pose... it's practically like he printed our photos right onto them."
"I think my peace-sign one is the cutest!"
Satou Maya said with a smile, holding the keychain up beside her face and flashing the very same peace sign.
"Look, do they match?"
Karuizawa Kei and Matsushita Chiaki looked at the keychain, then looked at Satou Maya, and then burst out laughing at the same time.
"They match, they really match!"
Karuizawa Kei said with a smile, those purple eyes carrying a hint of a smile.
"But Maya in person is even cuter than the keychain."
"Kei..."
Satou Maya's face reddened for a moment, then she lowered her head, the corners of her mouth simply refusing to be pressed down.
The three of them kept chatting, the topic drifting from the keychain, to today's experiences, to Shikime Natsu, to the three girls' new status.
"I really never expected it."
Satou Maya leaned back against the sofa, tilting her head up to look at the ceiling, those blue eyes carrying a hint of daze.
"For all three of us to have become Shikime Natsu's girlfriends—it really is wonderful."
"Yeah."
Karuizawa Kei nodded, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
"I'd originally thought that wanting to become Natsu's girlfriend would be a fairly difficult thing."
She paused, then continued.
"After all, Natsu is so outstanding, and there are so many girls around him who like him."
"But who would've thought it would turn out to be this simple."
Hearing this, Matsushita Chiaki couldn't help giving a soft little laugh.
"Simple?"
She tilted her head, those blue eyes carrying a hint of thought.
"I think... it wasn't really all that simple, though."
"At the very least, before I asked him, I agonized over it for a very, very long time."
She paused, then continued.
"If it hadn't been for those dreams, I might not have dared to confirm my own feelings even now."
Hearing these words, Karuizawa Kei couldn't help feeling a little puzzled for a moment—what dreams? Still, Karuizawa Kei nodded anyway in agreement.
"Me too. Back on the cruise ship, I had to muster up all my courage before I could say it."
As she said this, her face reddened slightly.
"And before that, I agonized over it for a very, very long time as well."
Listening to the two of them, Satou Maya couldn't help feeling a little emotional inside.
"I'd originally thought that once I knew Kei and Chiaki had both succeeded, my own difficulty would be at hell level."
She sat up straight and looked at Karuizawa Kei and Matsushita Chiaki.
"After all, Kei succeeded, Chiaki succeeded too, and that left just me alone."
"And Kei and Chiaki are both my best friends—if I never succeeded, then later on, whenever the three of us chatted together, I'd surely feel like the odd one out."
"But I never expected that I'd succeed too."
Saying this, the corners of her mouth couldn't help lifting slightly.
"It was just... work up the courage, and then it worked out."
Karuizawa Kei looked at her and gave a soft little laugh.
"Still, Maya, even though it sounds simple, in reality there was quite a bit of difficulty to it, wasn't there?"
"Mm..."
Satou Maya thought about it, then nodded.
"That's true. The mood just now also played a big part."
She paused, then continued.
"Natsu gave us gifts, and both Kei and Chiaki kissed him. In that kind of atmosphere, I couldn't help but take action too."
"If I'd been the only one there, I definitely wouldn't have dared."
As she said this, her face reddened again.
"Actually... when I was asking, I did feel a bit flustered too."
"After all, if I hadn't succeeded, then wouldn't we not even be able to stay friends?"
For Satou Maya, compared to the two of them taking a step backward in their relationship, she would rather choose for their relationship to simply stay where it was.
She took a deep breath, then revealed a smile.
"But now that it's worked out, I've actually come to feel grateful instead."
"Grateful that I worked up the courage back then, grateful that I didn't shrink back."
After all, people are like this—after obtaining a better outcome, they end up feeling grateful that they took that step.
Hearing this, Matsushita Chiaki couldn't help nodding softly.
"Yeah."
"It's the same for me. Sometimes, you really do need to work up your courage—otherwise, happiness or whatever might just slip away."
"Oh, right."
Satou Maya suddenly remembered something and stood up from her chair.
"Natsu's making lunch. Shouldn't we go buy some drinks or something?"
"Mm, good idea."
Karuizawa Kei stood up as well and nodded.
"I'll go ask Natsu what he needs."
As she said this, she headed toward the kitchen.
After a little while, she walked back over.
"Natsu said we can just decide for ourselves—he's fine drinking anything."
"Then let's go buy some at the convenience store downstairs."
Matsushita Chiaki stood up too, straightening out her skirt.
The three girls walked out of Shikime Natsu's dorm together, heading in the direction of the convenience store downstairs.
As they walked along the road, Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki walked on either side of Karuizawa Kei.
Satou Maya hesitated for a moment, then spoke up and asked.
"Kei..."
"Hm?"
"You and Natsu... how far have things gotten now?"
Her voice was very small, carrying a hint of curiosity and a hint of shyness.
Hearing this question, Karuizawa Kei's face flushed red all at once.
She lowered her head, a flicker of fluster passing through those purple eyes.
"It's... it's just... about the kissing-and-hugging level..."
She said softly, her voice carrying a hint of shyness.
"There's been... nothing further than that..."
Hearing this answer, Satou Maya's and Matsushita Chiaki's faces reddened as well.
"So... so that's how it is."
Satou Maya said softly, but inwardly she couldn't help thinking—kissing and hugging... well, she'd kissed him today too, so didn't that mean she'd reached this level as well?
Matsushita Chiaki also lowered her head, thinking of those scenes from her dreams, her face reddening a few shades more.
If she went by the dreams, then among the three of them, her relationship with Shikime Natsu should be the furthest along, right?
But then again, a dream is, after all, just a dream. As for reality... she wanted it too.
It was just—the timing and all... how was she supposed to find it?
Tonight, a heart-fluttering encounter, spend an unforgettable evening with her, exclusive time, racing heartbeats, a secret date meant only for the two of you, racing heartbeats, a sweet experience of your heart skipping a beat.
Heart-fluttering date—Heart-pounding Date—tonight, I only want to be with you, tonight only, a heart-fluttering experience not to be missed, a romantic atmosphere, attentive companionship, a heart-fluttering moment, sweet memories.
Each with her own thoughts, the three of them soon arrived at the supermarket, picked out a few bottles of drinks, and then hurried back to Shikime Natsu's dorm.
When they got back to the dorm, Shikime Natsu was still busy in the kitchen, and the aroma of food filled the air, whetting one's appetite.
The three girls set the drinks on the coffee table, then sat back down in their chairs. Several dishes had already appeared, laid out on the table.
Karuizawa Kei and the other two had originally thought about helping Shikime Natsu out, but... none of the three girls was the type who was good at cooking, and if they went in, in all likelihood they'd just get more and more in the way.
Besides, the kitchen wasn't very big, and with that many people it would only add to the chaos instead.
So the three of them planned to help with washing the dishes after the meal—that sort of small task the three of them could at least manage.
The three girls chatted a while longer in the living room, and the sounds from the kitchen gradually died down.
Then Shikime Natsu came out carrying plates of food and set them on the dining table.
The dishes looked quite appealing—color, aroma, and flavor all present—clearly delicious at a glance.
"You can eat now."
Shikime Natsu said with a smile, those pale golden eyes carrying a hint of gentleness.
The three girls stood up, walked over to the dining table, and sat down.
The four of them sat gathered around the dining table, a bowl and chopsticks set before each of them, and a smile on each of their faces.
"Let's dig in."
The four of them said in unison, then began to eat.
The food was delicious—every single dish was delicious.
Shikime Natsu's cooking skill was as high as ever.
The four of them ate while chatting, talking about things at school, talking about weekend plans...
After finishing the meal, the three girls took the initiative to clear the bowls and chopsticks and carried them to the kitchen to wash.
Karuizawa Kei leaned against Shikime Natsu's shoulder, Matsushita Chiaki sat beside Shikime Natsu, and Satou Maya sat beside Matsushita Chiaki.
The distance was much, much closer than before.
"Today really is a day worth commemorating."
Karuizawa Kei said softly, those purple eyes carrying a hint of emotion.
"Yeah."
Matsushita Chiaki nodded, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
"From now on, the four of us are..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.
"Then... how about we celebrate?"
Satou Maya held up the bottle of drink in her hand, those blue eyes carrying a hint of excitement.
"Celebrate our relationship taking another step forward!"
"Okay!"
Karuizawa Kei and Matsushita Chiaki raised the bottles in their hands as well.
The four bottles clinked lightly together, giving off a crisp sound.
"Cheers!"
The four voices overlapped together, echoing through the living room.
____
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