Translator: RaidenTL
"My mom asked if you were really a delinquent..." Miyuki said, perched on the edge of her bed.
"What are you talking about?"
"She said you were so polite today, and that it was nice to see you eat so well... She said you should come over often..."
I nodded, got up from the chair, and sat down next to her.
Miyuki seemed very flustered by my action.
She started fidgeting with her clothes for no reason.
The way she wiggled her pretty toes was amusing.
I grinned at her and asked, "Really? What do you think?"
"Well... I think so, too..."
"That's a relief."
When I said it as if I were relieved by her good opinion, Miyuki flinched and looked at me.
"A relief...?"
"Yeah."
Was she finding this side of me, a little different from usual, unfamiliar?
Miyuki's throat bobbed.
I could faintly hear the sound of her swallowing.
What are you thinking right now?
".... Yeah, it is a relief. My family should at least approve of you so you'll keep trying harder in the future... right?"
Her effort to liven up the sinking atmosphere by deliberately acting cheerful was almost admirable.
But what can you do? I had no intention of playing along.
I let out a dry laugh and shrugged lightly.
"I guess so."
"....."
Miyuki fell silent again, as if the cat had gotten her tongue.
She looked uncomfortable at first glance, but seeing as she didn't move away from me, it seemed she was just nervous.
I looked at Miyuki and said, "Hey."
"....Yeah?"
"What's that stuck on the ceiling?"
"Ah... that... um... Tetsuya and I put it up when we were kids..."
"You put it up when you were kids? So this is a pretty old house, then? The inside and outside are so clean, I thought it was newly built."
"That's because we take good care of it... You should pay more attention to your place too, Matsuda-kun... Take care of your plants..."
Flinch.
Miyuki jolted, her movement noticeably sharp.
It was because I had pretended to adjust my posture while slyly placing my hand over hers.
If this were a typical romantic comedy, the protagonist and heroine would probably jump out of their skin, apologize to each other, and blush furiously.
But I'm not like that.
I have no intention of being a clueless protagonist.
"....."
Miyuki had only reacted with instinctual surprise at the touch of my skin on the back of her hand; she showed no sign of pulling away.
She couldn't hide her bewilderment, though.
It was only natural, since I'd abruptly sat next to her and initiated physical contact after barely any conversation.
I kept my hand on hers and stayed perfectly still.
Then, just as Miyuki, unable to bear the awkwardness any longer, was about to say something, I started gently poking her slender fingers with my fingernail.
"Matsu... Ahem..."
She started to call my name, then stopped and cleared her throat.
I could see the bedsheet around her palm indenting as she tensed her hand.
I think I can push this further.
Having made my decision, I started to spread her fingers apart to slide mine between them, when—
Knock, knock.
A knock came from Miyuki's door.
"Hyaah...!"
Miyuki shot up from her seat, her whole body expressing her shock as if she'd had a seizure.
-Miyuki! Matsuda-kun! There's still a lot of fruit left, you can't just go up without it. Take this with you.
It was Midori's voice.
She must have brought the plate that was in the living room.
"Oh...! I'm coming...!"
Stumbling a few times, Miyuki made her way to the door, pulled the handle, and greeted Midori.
"The fruit... is that it?"
"Yes. Isn't it hot in here?"
Midori asked, seemingly oblivious.
Miyuki forced an awkward smile and said, "We have the window open. It's fine..."
"Really...? Oh, is Matsuda-kun studying?"
At that, Miyuki whipped her head around.
She stared at me, now sitting at her desk, with a dumbfounded expression before quickly turning back to Midori.
"Yeah... Midterms aren't far off, so of course he has to..."
"Midterms...? Aren't they still a long way off?"
"From Matsuda-kun's perspective, they're right around the corner."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He's bad at studying, so it makes sense for him to think that way..."
"This girl, you'll say anything right to someone's face, won't you?"
"A-anyway, thanks. We'll enjoy it...!"
"Alright, come down if you get bored. And Matsuda-kun, study hard... Good luck."
To Midori's gentle words, I replied with a bright smile.
"Yes, ma'am."
I had expected Midori to show up.
Why? Because the genre of DokiAka is romantic comedy.
One of the hallmarks of a romantic comedy is the unexpected interruption.
The protagonist and heroine get a chance for some serious physical intimacy in the early or middle stages of the story.
But the moment they're about to make their move, or just as the mood is set, they get interrupted by a friend, a teacher, or a family member, completely shattering the delicate atmosphere.
Afterwards, they either try to act nonchalant, making up this or that excuse to get through the situation, or they get caught and teased.
An extra character innocently asking, 'What were you two doing?' or noticing the protagonist and heroine's blushing faces and delivering a line like, 'Ooooh...! What's going on with you two?' is one of the most classic clichés.
That's why I deliberately kept the physical contact light.
I knew this cliché would happen to me, and I wanted to get it over with quickly so I could start for real.
If I had tried to kiss her right away, Miyuki wouldn't have even been able to put on such a calm act.
Click.
After Midori left, Miyuki carefully closed the door and placed the plate on the desk.
Then she lightly tapped my shoulder.
"When did you get over there...?"
"When you got up and went to the door."
"You're ridiculous... Have some fruit..."
The interruption event should be over now.
As Miyuki mumbled on a piece of melon, I speared a nicely cut strawberry with a fork and offered it to her.
"It's your favorite."
"You have it, Matsuda-kun..."
"I'll eat after you do."
Miyuki hesitantly reached out to take the fork.
Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed her wrist with my free hand.
"Hic!"
Miyuki immediately let out a hiccup.
She must have been surprised by my sudden move.
I let out a soft laugh and gazed at her intently.
"....Hic! Hup...!"
The way she covered her mouth with her hand was cute.
It would be best to wait until her hiccups stop, but I feel like it would be fine to proceed as is.
But... I'm anxious.
We might be at a stage where we can hold hands, but she might not allow a kiss.
I'd resolved to get more than just a peck today, but thinking about it now, I feel like I'm being too hasty...
Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to just let her go for now and wait for the cultural festival event.
'Fuck that.'
I cursed at myself for having such negative thoughts.
We've seen each other almost every day for about three months, I've properly completed the events to raise her affection level, and we've gone on plenty of dates, just the two of us.
Even by the flowerbed before we came into her room, Miyuki was anticipating that something would happen today.
So what am I so afraid of?
If I keep trying to calculate the timing like this, I'll end up as timid as Tetsuya.
Didn't I resolve to just be myself?
Trying for a kiss after three months is already slow.
So let's just go for it.
I stood up from the chair and, still holding Miyuki's wrist, slowly started walking forward.
With every slow step I took toward her, she took a step back with the same stride.
"Hic...! Hhup...!"
The increasing frequency of her hiccups was a clear indicator of just how nervous she was.
But you know what?
A little further back and you're going to trip.
Thud.
"Hngh!"
The back of her knees hit the edge of the bed, causing her to flop down, and a high-pitched... almost moan-like sound escaped her lips.
Her eyes, wide as they could go, were glistening as her pupils darted everywhere.
Tap.
I felt Miyuki's knee touch my leg.
Slowly, very slowly, I leaned down, bringing my face close to hers.
This time, Miyuki's body leaned back.
Her back, which had been angling downward, fell onto the bed with a soft thud.
Nowhere left to run. What are you going to do?
I let go of her wrist and placed my hands on the bed on either side of her ribs.
"....Hkkk...!"
Two emotions were reflected in Miyuki's trembling gaze, which quaked as if in an earthquake after she made that strange sound.
Anticipation and fear.
The latter was stronger.
If I keep going like this, the kiss will feel a bit forced.
I want Miyuki to fully experience the sweetness of a first kiss.
I can't just rush in for my own satisfaction... I should ease her fear.
Staring straight into Miyuki's eyes, I said, "I'm sorry, Miyuki."
I offered her a sincere apology in a gentle tone completely different from my usual way of speaking.
At that, a significant amount of the fear vanished from her eyes.
There. This is enough.
It would have been better if I'd said I liked her, but I'll save that for another time.
I studied Miyuki's face closely.
"Hic!"
Her tense muscles were relaxing.
Her hiccups were less frequent than before, and her trembling body had calmed down.
I slowly reached out and moved the hand that was covering her mouth.
Her arm fell limply to the side.
There was no strength in it at all.
"....."
"....."
Miyuki couldn't keep her eyes still, perhaps out of shyness.
Her tightly pressed lips looked incredibly tempting.
I wanted to dive in right away, but I decided to give her a moment to prepare herself.
Soothing my burning impatience, I kept my gaze fixed on Miyuki. When her trembling stopped, I brought my face closer and tilted my head slightly.
At that, Miyuki's eyes slowly closed.
A perfect sign of consent.
Cheering silently to myself, I calmed my wildly beating heart and pressed my lips against her plump ones.
"Hhup!"
Miyuki's hiccup at that exact moment caused her head to jerk up slightly.
Our lips pressed together firmly, the soft sensation turning solid.
Amused by Miyuki's unintentional action, I let out a short puff of air through my nose.
In response, all the strength left her body.
I could feel her lips, pressed against mine, begin to part.
Should I use my tongue? Or should I hold back?
Do it. I've come this far; I'll regret it forever if I stop here.
But I won't just think of myself. I'll consider how it feels for her and go just a little further.
After a brief moment of deliberation, I kept our lips together and peeked my tongue out, gently sliding it into her mouth.
Then, I softly licked her teeth, as if painting them.
"....Uup!"
Miyuki's startled body flinched, and her parted teeth snapped shut.
If I hadn't been able to control my desire and had pushed my tongue between them, it would have been a disaster.
Good thing I held back.
She must have snapped her eyes wide open just now.
Seeing as she wasn't pushing me away despite being surprised enough to fall over, it seemed she didn't particularly want to stop.
Was she staying still because she'd seen this in dramas or movies?
Or was it because she'd heard about kissing from her friends who had boyfriends?
If not that, did she watch porn by herself?
Whatever the reason, it was a good thing for me.
As I kept my eyes closed and gently rolled my tongue over her teeth, a long breath escaped from her nose, tickling the tip of my nose and my philtrum. I cheered inwardly.
That exhale was proof that she had completely relaxed.
Relieved, I didn't go any further, only touching the outside of her teeth as if to promise a deeper kiss next time.
I slowly erased the lingering scent of the melon she had just eaten with the tip of my tongue, and ended our first kiss by gently biting and pulling her lower lip with my teeth.