I felt Marin's warm hand in mine as we strolled down the bustling street. The bookstore's colorful display caught her eye, and she tugged me towards it with childlike excitement.
"Akira, look! It's Sweet Today!" Marin pressed her face against the glass, eyes wide. "They're making it into a live-action show!"
I peered at the manga cover. A girl with short pink hair stood back-to-back with a scowling boy. The tagline read: "Can a distrustful girl learn to open her heart?"
"It's about Miyu," Marin explained, "She's super closed off, but then she meets Kanata. He's got a potty mouth but he's actually really sweet."
"Sounds... interesting," I said, not entirely convinced.
Marin's face lit up. "Oh, you have to read it! Come on, let's go inside."
Before I could protest, she pulled me into the store. The shelves towered around us, packed with colorful volumes.
"Look, this is Magical Mecha Maiden," Marin pointed to a series featuring a girl in a robot suit. "I cosplayed as the main character last year. And over here is Demon Slayer Academy - I'm working on a Nezuko costume right now."
We wandered through the aisles, Marin chattering away about various series. "Ooh, Starlight Idol! And Yokai Love Story! I want to cosplay characters from both of those someday."
I nodded along, trying to keep track of the flood of information. The sheer variety of stories and art styles was overwhelming.
"What about this one?" I asked, pointing to a cover with a group of teens in school uniforms.
"Classroom of the Elite? That's a good one!" Marin grinned. "It's all about strategy and outsmarting your classmates. You might like it."
As we explored, I found myself oddly relaxed. Marin's enthusiasm was infectious, and for once, I wasn't overthinking every word and gesture.
"Hey, Akira," Marin said suddenly, "Why don't you pick out a manga for us to read together? Something neither of us has tried before."
I blinked, surprised by the suggestion. "Are you sure? I don't really know much about manga."
"That's the fun part! Just choose whatever looks interesting to you."
I scanned the shelves, feeling a strange pressure. This simple task shouldn't have been difficult, but I found myself second-guessing every choice. What if I picked something terrible? What if Marin hated it?
Finally, a cover caught my eye. Two figures stood beneath a starry sky, their faces obscured. The title read: "Echoes of Stardust."
"How about this one?" I held it up for Marin to see.
She clapped her hands together. "Ooh, I've heard of that! It's supposed to be really good. Great choice, Akira!"
We made our way to the register, Marin adding a few volumes of Sweet Today to our purchase. As we left the store, she bumped her shoulder against mine.
"Thanks for indulging me," she said with a soft smile. "Most people get bored when I start rambling about manga and cosplay."
We got off the train and started walking back towards my apartment. I wasn't sure if Marin planned on coming over again or if she'd finally head home. I figured I'd find out soon enough.
"Today was really fun!" Marin said, practically bouncing alongside me as we walked. "I'm so glad you picked out that manga. I can't wait to start reading it tonight."
I nodded, only half listening as I watched the flow of people around us. You could never be too careful in the city.
We turned down the street leading to my building. I tensed slightly, preparing for Marin to say her goodbyes, but she just kept chattering away about our day. I realized with mild surprise that she intended to come up to my place again.
I unlocked the door and Marin breezed past me into the apartment. She immediately plopped down on the futon, making herself at home.
"Oh, I meant to ask - do you have any snacks?" she said. "All that walking made me hungry!"
I rummaged through my bare cupboards before finding an old bag of chips. Marin eagerly tore it open and started munching.
My apartment suddenly felt too small with her bright presence filling it up. I wasn't used to having someone around so often. It left me feeling oddly exposed, like she could see through the walls I'd carefully constructed.
But Marin seemed completely at ease, blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil. She smiled up at me from the futon.
"Come sit! Let's start reading."
She patted the space beside her. I hesitated only a moment before settling down next to her. Marin leaned comfortably against me as she opened the first page of our new manga, the sound of crinkling paper filling the quiet room.
I settled onto the futon next to Marin, trying to relax despite the nervous energy thrumming through me. Having someone in my personal space still felt foreign.
Marin didn't seem to notice my tension. She leaned against me casually as she opened the manga, clearing her throat before starting to read in an exaggerated announcer's voice.
"In a world where magic runs through the veins of the gifted few, a deadly power struggle threatens the fate of the kingdom..."
Her dramatic narration dissolved into giggles.
"Here, you should be the prince," she said, passing me the book.
I scanned the pages. The brooding prince character seemed to speak in a flat, cynical tone. I did my best imitation.
"'What's the point? No matter what I do, my fate has already been decided.'"
Marin gasped in an exaggerated manner. "Such gloominess! Now it's my turn."
She took on the role of the princess, pitching her voice high and sweet.
"'Dear prince, surely you mustn't give up hope! The future has yet to be written.'"
I rolled my eyes but continued reading. "'Spare me your saccharine speeches. This world is rotten to the core.'"
We continued trading off roles, Marin adding theatrical flair to each character while I stuck to dry, pessimistic deliveries. She seemed delighted by my deadpan acting, collapsing into giggles every few pages.
Despite myself, I felt my lips quirking upwards. Marin's laughter was infectious. For a moment, I could let go of my usual guardedness and just be present.
The story built to an emotional confrontation between the prince and princess. Marin delivered her lines with unexpected tenderness.
"'Please, my prince...you don't have to face these burdens alone. Let me stand with you, as we forge a new path together.'"
Her words resonated deeply, though she spoke them as a fictional character. I wondered if Marin could truly understand the darkness I carried, the sins that stained my soul. Or would she turn away if she knew the truth?
I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the scene at hand. The prince reluctantly allowed the princess into his cursed castle, unaware of the tragedy about to unfold...
We continued reading late into the night, lost in the manga's mystical world. At some point Marin's head came to rest on my shoulder. I tensed briefly but didn't pull away.
Her nearness left me conflicted. I knew I shouldn't get attached, that she'd leave once she saw through my facade. But some small, traitorous part of me wanted this simple closeness to last.
When we finally finished the volume, exhaustion tugged at my limbs. Marin stifled a yawn as she closed the book.
"That was really fun, Akira," she murmured. "You're a great manga reading partner."
I hesitated, then said quietly, "Yeah...it was."
Marin gave me a sleepy smile. She started to say something else, but it was lost in another yawn.
"Guess I should head home and let you rest." She stood, stretching her arms overhead. "I can't wait to start the next volume tomorrow!"
I walked Marin to the train station, keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings. The streets were mostly empty at this late hour. Marin stifled a yawn as we waited on the platform.
"Thanks for walking with me, Akira. You really didn't have to though. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," she said with a playful smile.
I shrugged, glancing down the tracks. "It's no problem. Besides, the trains stop running around midnight."
Marin checked the time on her phone. "Oh shoot, you're right. I didn't realize it was that late already."
She chewed her lip, contemplating the long walk home this late at night. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, debating whether to offer to let her stay over again.
Before I could say anything, Marin stepped forward and pulled me into a tight hug. I stiffened, surprised by the sudden contact. Her floral scent enveloped me as she gave me a firm squeeze.
"Thanks again for everything, Akira. For taking care of me, and for just...being you."
I could feel her hesitation as she slowly pulled away. Our eyes met and something unspoken passed between us. That strange connection I'd felt while reading manga together.
Marin glanced down, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Well, I guess I'll start heading home. Maybe I can catch a cab part of the way."
I hesitated. The responsible thing would be to offer my place again. But that meant navigating more unfamiliar intimacy. More opportunity for my flaws to show through this carefully constructed persona.
As I struggled inwardly, Marin shouldered her bag and headed for the station exit.
"See you around, Akira," she said with a small wave.
Before I could overthink it, I heard myself calling out, "It's late. You should just crash at my place again."
Marin paused, looking back over her shoulder with a hopeful expression. "Really? I don't want to impose..."
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "It's no trouble. Come on."
I started walking without waiting for a response, trusting she would follow. Sure enough, Marin's footsteps soon fell in sync beside mine.
We walked in comfortable silence back to my apartment. Inside, I closed the door behind Marin and locked it securely. Despite offering to let her stay, I still felt on edge having someone else in my space.
Marin didn't seem to notice my tension. She was already making herself at home, flopping onto the futon and kicking her shoes off.
"Man, I'm beat," she said through a yawn. "Reading all that manga took a lot out of me."
I busied myself tidying up, needing to keep my hands occupied.
"You can take the futon again. I'll sleep on the floor," I said over my shoulder.
Marin sat up, frowning. "What? No way, this is your place. I'll take the floor."
"It's fine. I don't mind."
"But that's so uncomfortable! Here-" Marin started dragging the futon over. "We can share, it's big enough for two."
I froze, caught off guard by the suggestion. Sensing my hesitation, Marin added gently, "Only if you're okay with it, of course."
I weighed the options, torn between maintaining boundaries and wanting to provide Marin some comfort. She gazed at me with those earnest pink eyes, awaiting my decision.
"Alright, we can share," I conceded.
Marin's face lit up. "Yay, futon party!"
I couldn't help but crack a small smile at her enthusiasm. She bounced happily as she finished situating the futon, then started rummaging through her bag.
"Ooh, I almost forgot - I have face masks!" Marin held up a couple of foil packets triumphantly. "Here, put this on. My treat for letting me crash again."
Before I could protest, she had ripped open a mask and plopped it onto my face. The cool, slimy texture made me flinch.
Marin giggled at my reaction as she put on her own mask. "Just relax. Doesn't it feel nice?"
I had to admit, the subtle scent of green tea and cucumber was soothing. As we laid there with masks on, I felt some of the tension start to slip away.
"We should take a selfie!" Marin said, holding up her phone. She scooted closer and snapped a shot of us, masks and all.
"There! Now we have proof of our glamorous spa night," she laughed.
We chatted idly as we waited for the masks to work their magic, Marin carrying most of the conversation. She told me about her latest cosplay, a character named Zero Two with horns and a pink wig.
"You'll have to help me style the wig when it arrives," she said. "Maybe I can get you into cosplay too! We could do a matchy duo costume."
I made a noncommittal noise, though privately I wondered what it would feel like to shed my skin so completely. To become someone else, even temporarily. Someone without the sins of a past life weighing them down.
After removing our masks, we settled onto the futon. I lay rigidly on my back, hyper aware of Marin's presence just centimeters away. She seemed perfectly relaxed, murmuring a soft "Night night" before her breathing slowed into sleep.
I envied how easily she trusted. How comfortably she inhabited her own skin. Marin embraced life fearlessly, without reservation. She was a flame, burning bright and pure.
While I...I was a shadow. Tainted and frayed at the edges, destined to dim such radiant light.