The campus is bustling as students are conversing while they walk around aimlessly. The sky is clear with a few clouds making an appearance. The trees scattered around the campus, swaying with the light breeze from the ocean, which also brings in the salty, yet fresh ocean scent.
I take a bite out of the breakfast sandwich I picked up on the walk here. The meat was nice and salty, but was easily balanced out with the sweet coffee I drank alongside it. As I sit there in silence, I think back to my date with Yume, the sight of her and the stars in the backdrop fill my mind.
"Oh? What's got you smirking like that? Was it possibly the date we had last night? Can't forget the feeling of your first kiss?" A voice teases, interrupting my moment of bliss.
"Yeah, and for the girl who made me this way, why are you interrupting my blissful thoughts?" I respond playfully.
Yume walks over and sits next to me on the bench. "Oh, I've had that breakfast sandwich before! It's so good!"
"Yeah, it's one of the only things I'm willing to get at the convenience store." I reach into the plastic bag I have set to my side and pull out another sandwich. "You want it? I was gonna save it for lunch, but you can have it if you want."
Yume happily accepts it. "Thank you, I actually didn't myself breakfast this morning. I ran out of time figuring out my outfit and putting on make up." She peels off the wrapper and takes a bite.
As we sit and enjoy our food, we get joined by another familiar face. "Top of the morning Lads!" Jay calls out to us, Noeri at his side.
"Good morning to you guys as well," I greet. Yume just nods her head and continues munching on the sandwich.
Jay paying no mind to anyone, walks over to stand in front of Yume. "Are you the girl Kousei went on a date with yesterday?"
She freezes and slowly looks up at him. She must have just realized she never actually introduced herself to any of them, so she quickly finished chewing her food and fixed her posture. "I'm Yume Miko by the way, sorry for the late introduction."
Jay smiles, then smirks in my direction. "So you got yourself an underclassman too? Seems like you've got quite the variety to choose from. A classmate, an underclassman, and a teacher." He takes a seat on my other side, picking up the now empty bag, and wraps his arm around my shoulder. "Y'know, there are a lot of guys on this planet who'd kill to be put in the situation you are in."
I notice a slight displeasure on Yume's face. "Well luckily for him, he doesn't need the other two girls because we already promised to be together by the end of this anyways."
Why do you insist on saying unnecessary things? Especially in front of the guy who feeds off of this type of gossip, I shout in my mind as I look down in an attempt to keep the attention away from me.
However, that does nothing as I feel Jay's grip get tighter on my shoulder. "Oh really? She already convinced you to pick her before even meeting Sensei? I will say, she does seem to have a pretty fun and outgoing personality, but I couldn't say her figure has the same appeal, especially compared to the girl standing next to her." I'm assuming he is talking about Noeri who is currently standing next to Yume on the other side of the bench.
I can feel an intent to kill to my right and do my best to not look at her. This is a matter that will be solved between the two parties in question. I have no reason to be in this discussion. I attempt to quickly get up and take my leave, but once I stood up, two thin arms coming from the cute girl on my right, hold me down with the force of a thousand soldiers. Please save me, anybody!
"Alright, please hold the fighting until after school. I don't wanna be breaking up a brawl this early," a bell-like voice rings out from behind us. "Mr. Shindou, it's not very polite to make fun of a girl because she didn't the good genes from the family pool."
"Wait, are you standing up for me or making fun of me too?" Yume questions as she looks behind her and sees Yunasa standing behind all of us. "Oh... uhh... good morning Sensei," she greets politely, realizing who it is.
Yunasa responds with a smile that was pure, but held a very dark aura behind it. "Good morning Ms. Miko, and good morning to the rest of you." She walks directly behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder.
Yume sees this and her face is immediately covered in shock. "Hold on, what do you think you're doing?! Kousei is a student and you are a teacher! You can't touch him like that!" she shouts as she stands up, pointing at Yunasa like she's some villain.
Yunasa smirks and runs her hand lower onto my chest. "Oh? And what if I do this?"
Yume yanks Yunasa's hand off of me. "That's something only I'm allowed to do!" Yume then puts her small hand on my chest and begins gently rubbing it.
I never thought women were this competitive when it came to fighting over men, but the fact that they were fighting over me put my heart in cloud nine.
I suddenly feel the rubbing stop and see a somewhat satisfied expression on Yume's face. "See? Look at how happy he is from me doing it instead of you."
"I see, well maybe it's time I kick it up a notch..." Yunasa bends down and wraps both of her arms around me from behind. From this distance, I can clearly feel something soft around my neck and shoulder area and I couldn't help but smile. "What do you think about that?"
I'm too lost in the softness to turn and look at Yume, but I can hear a faint whimpering. I can tell without looking she is looking at her own chest and knows she can't compete in that department. Jay wasn't wrong when he was complimenting her personality, but he also wasn't wrong when he was saying she didn't have that curvy of a figure that left a bit to be desired. Oh the downside of being cute instead of hot.
"Yeah, well... I can... I..." Yume's voice trails off, aware this is losing battle. "Well at least you can't take away his first kiss!"
Yup, there it is. The bomb I was waiting to drop in this discussion. But wait, if this is a competition, then maybe Sensei will...
Yunasa releases me and stands back up. "You got me there Ms. Miko. I won't say that I am disappointed you took that chance away from me. From what I saw of you on the test day, you didn't strike me as a girl to make bold moves like that. I may have to change my approach to our date tonight to account for your aggressiveness," she announces as she resets her silky green hair.
"Wait, no, no, no! I only did it because the mood felt right! I'm not the type to just go and kiss any guy!" Yume responds, realizing she may have just awoken the dragon in the battle.
Yunasa puts a finger on her lips and winks at Yume. "It's too late now." She turns around and begins walking back to the classroom. "The bell's gonna ring soon guys, don't be late for class." She turns and looks back at us one last time. "Except you Mr. Shimazaki, come in late so I can keep you after class and give you some disciplinary actions."
Out of a last ditch effort, of what I assume is defense, Yume tightly clings onto my arm as we all watch her make her way inside. There is just something about Yunasa that makes me want to follow her and become her pet. And I know I'm not the only one thinking that because the guy to my left is drooling and panting like an actual dog. Seriously, what kind of guy is he?
Yume pinches my cheek, bringing me back to my senses. "Hey, don't fall for her seduction tactics! I know I don't have that kind of curvy body or any mature features for that matter, but I surely love you way more than her!" She tightens her grip on my arm, to the point where I feel like it's going to break.
"I can't say I won't give in to her because I want to give all three of you a fair chance. I don't want to keep anything off the table." The image of Yunasa fills my head, but I couldn't help but notice that she looked a bit different from how I usually see her in school. Maybe she wasn't wearing make-up today? "Besides, I feel like the only reason she was that aggressive was because of your own doing."
All of us stand up, and begin making our way to our classes. Noeri follows behind us, but she's a bit further back than someone would walk in a normal group. I notice this and slow my pace until she catches up to me.
"You alright?" I think about to Jay's drooling face. It would make sense if she's upset or annoyed at him because of that.
To my surprise, she looks extremely calm, as if nothing beforehand had transpired. "Huh? Yeah, I'm okay. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, well, y'know... the stuff with Yunasa-sensei and how he was practically drooling over her when you're technically his soul mate." I don't quite know much about Noeri, but I feel like any girl would get jealous and annoyed if they saw their partner gawking at another woman.
She tilts her head as if she doesn't understand what I'm getting at. "Yeah, but isn't that just how Jay is?"
I open my mouth to speak, but immediately close it. I know that no matter what point I bring up, I'll probably never understand her thought process. "I guess you're not wrong. At least for as long as I've known him, he's been like that. But I did expect him to act a little different after getting a partner."
Noeri isn't someone who shows off her emotions that much. I can still count the amount of time I've seen her smile on one hand, but I understand why guys call her one of the most beautiful girls on campus. Many people describe her smile as something that soothes and cleanses the mind and heart. It's so innocent and pure that anyone who manages to catch sight of it immediately melts as a puddle of pure happiness and bliss.
She laughs and smiles as she looks toward Jay. "I never expected myself to be matched up with a guy like him. I don't know why I don't feel jealous when he talks and stares at other girls. Even when I try to think of a reason why, I can't come up with anything logical." She sighs and I can see her eyes are engulfed with only Jay in them. "Perhaps this is just how finding your soulmate is. You just know its them and that no matter what, they will prioritize you over anything else."
As she explained her reasoning the best she could, I could summarize it in one word, trust. She knows that no matter what Jay does and how he acts, she's still number one in his life and no one can take that away. She subconsciously trusts Jay's devotion to her without a hint of doubt.
I look ahead at Yume and Jay who are bickering back and forth. They look like an older brother and a little sister arguing with each other. Despite me knowing that Yume only has her eyes set on me, I can't help but feel a small tinge in my heart as I watch them. Maybe its my own insecurity, but I hope I can put my full faith into someone as much as Noeri does with Jay.
* * *
The school day goes without a hitch, and as we are nearing Summer vacation, we got our finals on the horizon. Its still about a month away, but its time to crackdown in the eyes of the professors. We were given a worksheet in every class that reviews everything we have gone over during the past school year. Its meant to be used as a review so its technically not homework, but we are heavily encouraged to do it.
"So, when are you coming over to help me out with the worksheet?" Jay asks me. The classroom is practically empty except for the few students who are waiting for their friends or just relaxing for a little bit before heading home or to work. "Do you wanna do it like we did last year? I do half of it and you do the other half?"
"Considering that you barely passed last year, I think it would be more beneficial for you to do all of it rather than half," I suggest. I pack my belongings into my bag and wait for Jay to finish packing his stuff up. "We can still work on it together though if you want. I know how bad you are at studying by yourself."
Jay is the type to get distracted very easily and if someone doesn't keep him in check, he'll lose focus and do other things. He can stay focused if its things he's interested in, but that's far and few in between. All he likes is sports and relaxing, two things that aren't considered academic needs.
"Yeah, you're not wrong. But studying is so boring!" he shouts as he throws his head back. "Wait, why don't we bring the girls with us this time? I'm sure they can probably help us study too."
I nod in assurance. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. We can ask them tomorrow before class. I don't think any of them would have a reason to say no, unless they prefer studying by themselves." Noticing that Jay has finished packing his bag up, we set our course for home.
As we walk home, the sky is fading from blue into a shade of a creamy orange and purple. The transparent Sprites are floating around the island, keeping the temperature nice and cool.
"So, you nervous about hanging out with Yunasa-sensei tonight?" Jay asks, resting his arms behind his head.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't but for some reason, I feel less nervous than I did when I met Ai and Yume the first time."
"We do see her pretty much every day we go to school, so maybe you're just more comfortable around her than the other girls," Jay points out. "You think she'll make any moves like this morning? I don't know how you kept a straight face, I would've been melting."
I recall his drooling face. "What do you mean 'would've been?' You were drooling uncontrollably when she was walking away."
"Yeah, you may be right. I kinda blacked out and don't remember what happened after my eyes locked on," he chuckles. "But she seemed pretty comfortable around you. Wrapping herself around you and stuff."
I can't disagree with him. The only other time a girl would put her hands on you are if she absolutely plastered from alcohol. "True, but I don't know if she'll be anything like that tonight. She did look pretty tired this morning. Was it just me or did she not wear make-up this morning?" I ask, hoping Jay noticed as well.
Alas, my hope was for naught. "What? You noticed that much? How hard were you looking at her for that short moment? I don't think anyone else noticed at all."
"You don't even think the girls noticed?" I ask, trying help justify myself so I don't sound like a creep.
"I don't think so, it was probably just you," Jay responds, shaking his head. "If that's the case, you might be more drawn to her than the other two."
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't my happiest after seeing Yunasa's name in the text messages. But that's just every student's dream. At one point or another, there is always a hot teacher that you can't help but fantasize about being with, it's a normal thing, especially for boys. And for the chance to actually hook up and possibly marry said teacher is ridiculously lucky.
"You want me to come over and try to set things up for you? I can help clean up your living space if you want," Jay offers.
"I consider myself a pretty clean person, and I can say the same for my living space." I don't really have much in my apartment. I am what people would call, a minimalist. I don't have a lot of things, just the bare minimum to make myself comfortable. "I do have to have to grab some groceries at the market though."
Jay smirks and nudges me with his elbow. "Are you planning on cooking tonight? You never cook for anyone unless you're in a good mood or if I force you to make me something when we hang out. And even then, you only make something in your air fryer like chicken nuggets or pizza rolls."
"That's because that's all you ask me to make." If you couldn't guess it, Jay has a food palette of a child. "The only two vegetables you'll eat are broccoli and green beans for crying out loud."
Jay scoffs, acting as if he is offended. "That's only because I want food quickly. I don't wanna have to sit around and wait for you to prep, then cook the food. Chicken nuggets and pizza rolls are just efficient."
"Yeah, I'm sure that's the only reason," I smile as I shake my head.
We make our way to the market and browse through the food they have. I honestly have no clue what Yunasa likes or dislikes. I'm not very good at deciding things either, hence is the secret reason I wanted Jay to come along.
"I was thinking of something with chicken, or maybe some beef dish. I'm not very confident in my cooking even if I do follow a recipe." I'd rather go with a safe and easy dish than something more complex.
Jay nods in agreement as he looks at the frozen chicken options in front of us. "Yeah, I do think that's a good option to start off on. You don't want something too safe and easy though. You've gotta show that you've put some effort into this meal."
While I do agree with him, I don't want to make something that will set her expectations too high for every time I cook after that. I'm also not very confident in my cooking abilities in general. However, there are times when you have to step up, and now it is one of those times. After some careful consideration, we decided I would make seared steaks, mashed potatoes, and broccoli.
I buy everything I need and we make our way back to my dorm room. Jay sets the bags he's carrying on the counter and pulls out everything I'll need for tonight. "Alright, everything is ready to go, now it's just up to you and your cooking abilities," he says cheerfully. "You sure you don't want me to help cook though? I really don't mind."
I shake my head. "Nah, I think I'll be alright with the recipe. You've helped me plenty today. Thanks for offering though, I do appreciate it." I say with a sincere smile. There's not many people in the world that I think deserve everything, but Jay is definitely one of those people.
Jay walks to the front door and puts on his shoes. "I hope everything goes smoothly tonight. Make sure you leave a good first impression and I wanna hear all about it first thing tomorrow!" He leaves with a wave and an encouraging smile.
I look around the counter tops and double check to make sure I have everything I need. "I got a couple of hours before she's supposed to arrive." I take a deep breath and look at the recipe on my phone. "Just do your best Kousei, believe in yourself..."
I follow the recipe the best I can and once everything is said and done, the food does look really good. The steak doesn't look like it was overcooked and feels pretty tender. I did cut a piece off of mine and it is plenty juicy as well. The mashed potatoes came out at the perfect consistency and the broccoli was nice and soft from being boiled.
"I'm pretty proud of myself," I praise myself as I wipe some sweat from my forehead. I had set up the table while I was waiting for the broccoli to cook. "Everything is perfect, now I just have to wait." I take a seat on my couch and turn on the TV. A few minutes later, there's a knock on my door. "Coming!" I yell as I walk to open it up.
I open the door and behind it was Yunasa in a white, silky, long sleeve shirt and tight black dress pants. "Hi Kousei, I didn't keep you waiting long, did I?" she greets with a smile that can brighten up the darkest depths of the world. Her light green wavy hair gently sways as a gentle breeze comes through. She looked so young and sophisticated, but she gave off a mature atmosphere and they blended perfectly together.
I stood there, absolutely stunned by the beauty in front of me. After staring for a few moments, I come back to my senses. "Oh, no I had just finished getting things set myself," I respond in a panic. "Would you like to come in? You can treat this place as if it were your own home."
Yunasa steps inside. "Thank you." She takes her shoes off and sets them off to the side. She walks around, checking out my living space. "You keep this place a lot more clean than I thought you would. I was convinced you'd have clothes and trash laying around like a normal boy your age."
"I used to be like that until I started living by myself. If you want to see a room like that, go visit Jay," I jokingly respond. "Hopefully Noeri will be able to fix that up."
"Most men's rooms are pretty dirty until they have a woman in their life. At least from what I've read online or seen on TV." Yunasa sits on the couch in a refined manner. "So, how many girls have been in here?"
I look over at her surprised by the question. "How many girls? Honestly besides my mom and sister, there's only been one other." My heart tears a little bit from that realization. The truth really does hurt sometimes.
"Really?" Yunasa responds, sounding in disbelief slightly. "I may have said this before, but you do strike me as a guy who is popular with women. A handsome, cute, and timid guy who rarely lies and is always sincere is a rare find nowadays. There is no way there haven't been any women making moves on you."
I laugh as I double check everything on the table once more. "Yunasa-sensei, you don't have any kind of romantic experience, do you?"
Yunasa's eyes immediately widen and she coughs. It seems like my question wasn't something she was prepared for.
"What?! What makes you think that?!" she responds panicked. "I have definitely had some romantic experiences in my life!" Her eyes are darting all over the place as she messes with her hair. She looks so cute when she's flustered.
"I'm gonna be honest Yunasa-sensei, the kind of guys you just described are the ones that stay single the longest. Women don't seek out guys who are quiet and timid. A majority of the time, they are waiting for the guy to approach them, however guys like me are way too shy and lack the confidence to take that step. So we just let the chance go by before it even starts and then reminisce about it later in life."
As much as it pains me to say it, that's just how it goes for some guys. There's a cute girl maybe sitting next to us on a bus or on a park bench. All we have to do is say "hi," but just doing that is enough to spike our anxiety to the point where we overthink everything in that moment. So instead of making the effort of attempting to talk to the girl, we'd rather stay in our comfort zone.
"Seriously?! In all the books I've read, that seems to be the most popular character type though! Even on TV, the guys with that kind of personality always win!" she yells, attempting to justify herself.
"That's just in fiction," I laugh. "But I made some food for tonight and it would definitely taste better hot than cold," I call out to her.
It may have just been my imagination, but I do think I just saw a pair of cat ears perk up from on top of Yunasa's head. "Is that what I smelt when I first walked in?" She immediately makes her way to the table and looks over all the food on the table. "It looks and smells so good! Did you make all of this Kousei?"
"I did the cooking," I answer bashfully. "Jay did help me with getting the ingredients though."
Yunasa's face is brimming with excitement as she sits down in the chair she was standing next to. Her eyes glimmer under the light above us. Her eyes are so focused on the food, I can easily see it in the reflection of her eyes. She looks like a cat who has their favorite treat right in front of them.
I sit down in the chair sitting across from her. "You can grab whatever you'd like."
I don't think she's aware, but her mouth is wide open as she's clearly about to start drooling. She quickly, but gracefully fills up her plate. "The steak smells so good! Do you cook often?" She cuts a piece of the steak off to inspect it. "Oh, and you even made them medium, exactly the way I like it!"
Hearing her praise me for my cooking like this is something that I thought I'd only get to experience in a dream. "I cook a little bit, but I've never cooked anything like this before..." my voice trails off in embarrassment. I can't even look her in the eyes.
Yunasa takes a bite of the steak, and her eyes sparkle in delight. "There's no way I can believe that you don't cook that often after tasting something like this. I've been cooking for years and I don't think I can even compare mine to anything like this." She wore a big and bright smile, you can easily tell how much she is enjoying it.
As I take a few bites from my plate, my eyes can't help but be drawn to the women sitting in front of me. Her soft green hair swaying ever so slightly with each bite she took. The mature atmosphere she always has at school is almost completely gone and it has become more of a childish and fun one. She is a little older than me, but seeing her act my age or even slightly younger is something I didn't think I needed.
"So what do you usually cook at your house Yunasa-sensei?" I ask curiously. "I imagine you have a pretty nutritious diet considering how healthy you look."
As Yunasa is taking a bite, she pauses for a couple of seconds after hearing my question. "Uh... Yeah! I cook a lot of nutritious meals! Lots of vegetables balanced with meat and other stuff!" she nervously laughs.
I narrow my eyes, piercing right through her false words. "Do you do the cooking or does Chef Mike do all the cooking for you?"
A little sweat builds up on Yunasa's forehead. "I don't know what you mean? Of course a woman my age knows how to properly cook for themselves. Relying on frozen meals or ones pre-made at markets and convenience stores is irresponsible," she says, practically admitting to her eating habits.
I've never gotten the chance to tease her, so there's no way I'm going to let this opportunity pass me by. "I would say that's true. That could lead to some health issues down the road, but I'm happy I can rely on you to cook. I don't want my partner to solely depend on me cooking everything."
"Yeah..." Her eyes are spinning as switches her focus back on the plate in front of her. As her one escape, she could have avoiding further questioning if she was eating, however her plate was empty.
"So, what dish is your favorite to cook?" I continue to press.
"Uh, I like having simple chicken dishes with rice and vegetables on the side! I'm not very confident in my seasoning skills, so most of my meals are pretty plain," she answers.
"Assuming you use an oven to cook your chicken, what temperature do you cook it at and for how long?" I continue to interrogate. I can tell what her favorite convenience store item is just from what she is explaining, but I want to see how much longer she can go.
"Um, I just follow whatever the recipe tells me to do..." She's running out of answers to give on the spot.
I'll finish this off with one last question, I am starting to feel bad, seeing her try so hard to keep her pride going. "Can you tell me the recipe for the dish? Considering it's your favorite, I imagine you've made it enough times to not have to look at the recipe to make it."
Pure panic fills Yunasa's expression. "Uh... Um... The recipe..." Her eyes begin to dart, looking for anything to look at besides me. After a few moments of trying to think of any response, she rests her head on the table. "I give..." she surrenders, steam rising from her head.
I can't help but laugh. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but you could've just said you don't know how to cook from the beginning."
"Yeah, but who would be into a girl who can't cook? A girl who has lived by themselves for as long as I have should be able to cook, even just a little bit," she squeaks out, her head still face down on the table. "I didn't want you to think I'm not as good as Ai or Yume..."
"I don't think you have to worry about that right now. I don't really know anything about you three." I finish up the food on my plate and set my plate to the side. "Honestly, I feel like I know more about you than Ai and Yume just because I've been around you a lot more."
Compared to Ai and Yume, Yunasa truly does have an advantage when it comes to who I've been around more. I just met Yume a few weeks ago, and I've known both Ai and Yunasa since I enrolled. However, I have rarely ever talked to Ai since she was more on the quiet side. I've talked to Yunasa almost every day I go to school. Jay always hits on her and I'm always around him so I got to talk to her a lot more because of him.
I get up and put my dishes in the sink. "So don't worry about anything right now..."
Yunasa quietly chuckles and sets her dishes next to mine. "I might not be able to cook, but I can do any other household chore with my eyes closed," she boasts pridefully.
For the next few minutes, Yunasa and I clean off the table. I told her to go relax in the living room but she insisted on helping, so I washed everything while she dried them off. I wish I could see what we look like to an outsider... My mind wonders as we stand side be side. It may be pretty cliche to think, but it truly does feel like we are already a couple. There's no sense of awkwardness and everything feels so normal that's its pleasantly comforting.
As we finish up, I get a glance of her wearing an apron. The white color of it really makes her soft green hair stand out. Her body slim, but curvy in all of the right spots, my eyes can't help but gravitate toward them.
"I'll give it to you, you're a lot more discrete about sneaking glances than Jay will ever be."
"Wha-" I start coughing, being completely caught off guard. "What do you mean?" I ask innocently.
I notice a sly smirk from her side profile. "You have to understand that women pick up on everything Kousei," she teases. "Most of us have great peripheral vision," her eyes slowly slide over in my direction. "As you can see."
I avert my gaze as my face and ears burn red. "Sorry..."
She moves over and leans on me. "You don't have to apologize. I don't mind if it's you..." she whispers in my ear seductively.
A shiver runs up my spine, but it wasn't out of fear. Being this close, I get a whiff of her sweet, floral perfume as her soft, silky hair grazes against my face. My eyes immediately dart side to side as I try to distract myself from the overwhelming feminine appeal leaning on me. Down my little soldier!
She continues to lean more and more on me, but as I try to maintain my balance, my foot slips on some water that had fallen on the floor.
"Woah!" I yell as I begin to fall. Yunasa looks just as surprised as I am as she tries to adjust herself to the fall. I hit the floor with my back and my vision is immediately darkened by the body hovering above me. "Um..."
Yunasa's arms are fully stretched out, preventing her from being on the floor and holding her up. One of her knees is set in between my legs, helping to support her as well. She looks a bit worried as she looks at me from above. "Are you okay? You didn't hit your head, did you?"
"Ye-yeah, I'm okay," I stammer. "Are you alright?" I ask in response. I look up and down her body to double check.
"Yeah, I'm alright..." her voice gets soft and trails off. Noticing this, I look at her face and see her staring directly at me.
She leans in, slowly bringing her face closer to mine. Her hair falling next to my head as it hangs from above me. I want to avert my gaze like I always do, but the more I look into Yunasa's amber eyes, the more I don't want to look away. My palms begin sweating as I finally grab control of myself and turn my head to the side.
"Oh, getting a little shy now are we?" she whispers in my ear. She moves her leg in between my legs up as it rubs against my upper thigh. "Or is this the kind of stuff you're into?" She gently blows in my ear causing me to slightly twitch. "Don't be afraid. Look at me..." she says softly.
My heart is racing, being fueled by my anxiety and excitement. I slowly turn my head and see her faces only inches from mine. I can see my own eye's reflection in hers. Her long eyelashes flutter as she blinks. Her cheeks slightly flushed red showing her slight embarrassment. Her smooth, pink lips are slightly pursed. The sweet aroma of sweet flowers envelops me. My sense of control is very quickly leaving the station as I fight my inner demons to keep the last little bit of control I have left.
"You don't have to worry Kousei, if I didn't want this from you, I would've gotten up earlier." She closes her eyes and slowly closes the last remaining distance between us.
The last passenger of my self control got on the train and headed for the countryside. I close my eyes in response and kiss her. I instinctively put my hands on her waist and pull her in closer to me. After making out for a few seconds, we take a breather and just look into each others eyes, taking in the moment.
Yunasa smirks, then gets up and leads me to the couch. "Now let's continue what we were doing before." She sits me on the couch and sits on my lap. We continue kissing each other for a few minutes, both of gasping for air at certain points.
For each girl, there are certain charms about each one. Ai is cute and innocent. Yume is also cute but she isn't afraid to make the first move if the time is right. Then here we have Yunasa who is taking full control and it's not something I'd ever see myself being into, but look at me now.
My brain is entirely mush and I can't even think of anything besides Yunasa. The way she is taking the lead and dragging me by the nose is kind of worrying, but I don't dislike it. For a quiet guy like me, having a girl take the lead like this is something we can only dream of. We don't have to overthink anything, we just follow the flow and do as we're told.
As the kissing gets more intense, she slowly backs off. "How was that?" she asks, running her finger over her lips.
"That was good..." was all that I can muster to get out. In still in a state where I can barely manage to move. It was as if I got defiled, in a good way, and got the life sucked out of me.
Yunasa gets off me and sits beside me. After a moment, it was as if everything she had done up to that point hit her all at once. Her face flushes red all the way to her ears and she hides her face. She starts squirming side to side and eventually falls back on me. Upon noticing who she's leaning on, she quickly stands up, completely flustered. "Um, may I ask where your bathroom is?"
"Yeah... It's down the hallway, then it's the door on the left..." my voice trails off as I watch her walk down the hallway. I hear the door close and my body falls limp on the couch, as if I was being eaten by it. My body won't move, hardly any words will come out of my mouth. All I can do is sit here and try to wrap my brain around what happened.
* * *
I sit on the toilet and cover my face in my hands.
What was that?! Why did I do that?! He's gonna hate me forever now!
I squirm without trying to make too much noise so Kousei can't hear me. I can't help but think back to what transpired only a few moments ago.
What was that? I only planned on teasing him a little bit... The image of him laying on the floor in front of me pops up. He looked so... innocent... and vulnerable. I sense a smirk being formed and immediately cover it with my hands. Wait, was I always into stuff like this?
A lot of men have hit on me, from high school to now. I never thought I was that pretty, but considering all of the attention I received, I started to believe that maybe I was. I focused a lot more on fashion and my looks after I graduated from high school, and it was around that time that I experienced the biggest personal confidence boost. I got scouted to be a model while I was in college, but I was so focused on my academics that I turned down the offer.
I had always wanted to be a teacher because I wanted to make school as fun for students as my past teachers did for me. Seeing them try their best to entertain us in the simplest ways whether it was movie days or small pizza parties with pizza slices that were way too small for one person. When I look back on those days, I want to do stuff like that for other students, but my one fault was that I can't handle kids. They are too hyperactive and random, I can never get a grasp on them. I get that that's how kids are, but I'd rather deal with people a little more mature.
Hence why I cracked down hard on my academics and went ahead and got my 4-year degree. I was going to go for a 6-year degree, but I saw a job posting for teachers here on this island for a private university and they only required a 4-year degree to teach, so I hopped on the opportunity. Not only was this a way for me to get out of my hometown and away from my parents, but also to go somewhere no one knows me. I can start fresh and be independent on this new artificial island.
When I got here, I learned about the soulmate matching they do, but I honestly wasn't that interested. I didn't believe that science could be a solution to finding your special someone. After all, love is something you just come across. This whole soulmate matching process was just to help the people who were introverted and didn't go out much. I had set my goal to find a guy to date on the island without using the soulmate matching service, however it was a lot more difficult than I had thought.
With my high level of confidence, I tried to talk to guys and get to know them, but almost all of them were in the soulmate matching service and once they met their "soulmate," it was as if I was forgotten entirely. So for a little bit, I gave up on my goal and decided to use the soulmate matching service to see if it was real. And lone behold, I didn't match with anyone the first time. In other words, there was no one on Eden that was made for me, but even then I had my doubts.
After teaching at this University, there were honestly a few people who caught my attention. Sadly, the one I keened in on was a student of mine, which is pretty frowned upon in society. However, only people over the age of 18 were allowed to enroll here, so technically they were adults. But even I can't look past a student and teacher relationship.
Relationships between a student and teacher are just weird... but if that's the case, why does my heart keep racing when I think of it a possibility?
There was one student who piqued my interest in the past year or so. He was always hanging out with his friend who would constantly hit on me, but I saw the friend more as a friendly pet than anything. The other guy was a much more quiet guy who would joke around with him, but he was a lot more shy. It might've been because of that shyness that drew me more to him, but I couldn't help but want to mess with him. No matter how much I resisted, when we all talked, I got comfortable around him. It just became natural and before I knew it, it was as if our teacher and student titles were completely gone outside of the classroom.
When I got matched up with Kousei, I couldn't believe it. I've never heard of a teacher and a student getting matched in my time here, so obviously I was skeptical at first. I reread the message multiple times and even called the soulmate matching facility to double check... All was clear and confirmed. Even the fact that I have to compete against two other women for his heart.
I didn't sleep that night. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I finally found the person who is meant to be mine. One that I can hold and call my own. I can't let this chance escape, I've got to win his heart!
Kousei Shimazaki, I will make you fall for me, and make you mine...
* * *
I just sit on my couch, flabbergasted. My mind is still filled with the sights, touch, and smell of Yunasa. I try to think of anything else, but nothing worked.
Ah! I can't just sit here and think about it! I scream in my mind, ruffling my hair as if I was physically attempting to gather my thoughts.
Yunasa is a teacher, a mature woman, someone with a good sense of morals. The image I had of her was slowly changing form. Instead of this responsible and gentle woman, I now see this proactive and dominating woman. Despite the shift, I find myself being more excited thinking about this different side.
I look down at my hands. Am I a submissive type?! Is this really what I was into this whole time?! I shake my head, refusing to accept it. I really hope I didn't awaken to something. Wait, how am I even going to talk to her now?!
I try to focus on the TV playing a game show. Oh the answer to that is lips... and the answer to the next one is thigh... and... then its... chest... Wait, why is a random quiz show about body parts on right now?! I immediately switch to a sports channel.
After a few minutes, I hear the bathroom door open, and Yunasa slowly walks back to the couch. We don't make any kind of eye contact as we sit there in complete awkward silence. I clench my fists and open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. All I can do is awkwardly look at the ground.
Come on Kousei! Just say something! Anything!
"Hey-" Yunasa says in a louder, flustered tone. "Oh, sorry, um..." She looks at me for a brief moment but quickly looks back at her feet. "Sorry, for doing all that earlier," she takes a brief pause. "I don't really know what happened, I just lost control of myself a little bit there..." her voice trails off as she lightly kicks her feet like a kid on a swing. "I hope I didn't scare you or intimidate you... I didn't want to come on this strong..."
I look up at her, "No, it- it's okay," I stammer. "I was just caught a little bit off guard was all..."
Silence then fills the room once again.
"But listen-" I speak up. "It's not like I didn't like it... but don't get the wrong idea, I've never had a woman come onto me like you did so I just kind of panicked and didn't know what to do. You know, it was just something I wasn't expecting to happen, but I'm not saying what you did was a bad thing."
Yunasa lets out a deep sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. I had gotten a bit worried that I did too much and scared you off."
Quite the opposite in fact. I don't want her to be scared of taking the initiative because truthfully, I really liked that part. I'm scared to make any move, but if she makes the move first, then there is nothing for me to worry about. I wish more women were more assertive about their feelings and desires like Yunasa is.
"No, seeing a woman make advances on me is something I only thought happened in dreams. It's a nice shift," I assure her. "Just next time, gimme a heads up so I can mentally prepare myself."
Yunasa smiles and we laugh the awkwardness away. We make small talk for a little bit as we watch the sports channel together, and before long, it's time for her to head home.
"You got everything?" I ask her as she's putting her shoes on at the door. "If you do end up forgetting something, just text me and I'll bring it to class."
"I think I have everything," she replies, checking her bag and pockets. "Well thanks for the dinner Kousei, and again, I'm sorry for what happened earlier despite you liking it," she apologizes and teases.
I can't help but smile from the walkway behind her. "Yeah, I'm happy the food turned out good, and you don't have to apologize, it was fun and definitely memorable."
"Is that so," Yunasa laughs. Her soft green hair sways as she opens the door. The lights from outside outline her, making her look like an angel. "I'll see you back in the classroom tomorrow morning. Be sure to go to sleep right after this! Just because we had this date doesn't mean you're allowed to be late for class."
"Okay," I respond in a monotone tone. "Be sure to have a safe walk home, and text me when you get back so I know you got there safely."
Yunasa chuckles, "Don't worry, I planned on messaging you when I got back anyways." She beams me a lovely smile and waves bye with her free hand. "Goodnight Kousei."
"Goodnight Mia," I respond in turn. Right before the door closed, I think I could see her cheeks turn red and her smile getting even bigger.
The door closes on this date and with that, I have officially been on a date with all three of my potential soulmates. I drop to the ground and heave a heavy sigh. My mind is still being flooded with what happened with Yunasa, however moments I had with Ai and Yume are also flooding that same mind.
As I sit on the ground, I lean back and lay down, staring at the ceiling. How in the world am I supposed to pick one of these three girls? I went into this thinking it would be tough, but it seems even more farfetched after going on a date with all of them. How am I even supposed to decide? After a brief moment, I shake my head and stand up. There's no use worrying about it now. I still have a whole year before one of them has to leave my side, so until then I have to spend as much time as I can with them because any of them could be the one that gets eliminated first.
I clench my fist as I sharpen my resolve. I walk to my bedroom and throw myself on the bed. "Let's make the most of what I can and make as many memories as I can with the three of them with no regrets!"