Chapter Text
It’s the faint buzzing of a phone, twice to be exact, that wakes her from her light slumber. A yawn catches up to her before her eyes can even open, chest puffing out a little and letting out a shaky exhale of relief. There’s a kink in her neck, one she can feel without even moving around, but she doesn’t mind it all that much. Kanade finally blinks her eyes open, a half-lidded gaze sent in the direction of Ena, who still rests on top of her.
She had honestly expected their positions to change during the night, twisting and turning so that the two of them are no longer intertwined. She smiles at the fact that they didn’t separate, her numb hand stroking Ena’s back a few times with her equally as senseless fingers.
Kanade tries her absolute hardest not to disturb sleeping beauty while she extends her other hand out, reaching toward her wooden nightstand and fumbling around for her phone. She knows she left it there, habitually putting it where she’d hear her alarm despite not setting one, but can’t find it for whatever reason. Her fingers search the area’s expanse and finally find it, edging it closer so she can hold it in her palm.
Her grip struggles, trying to adjust it so that she can navigate with one hand. She can just barely reach across the whole screen, swiping it open to see just who needs her attention right now. More likely than not, it’s her grandma or Mafuyu; it might be a spam email of some sort if she’s especially unlucky.
The notification is from Nightcord. One of the only people she messages on there is snuggled deep into her chest at the moment, so Mafuyu it is. She pulls up their channel to see what she’s been sent.
‘Lyrics are done, let me know what you think’
It’s a curt message, followed by a link to what’s probably a copy of Mafuyu’s writing. You wouldn’t be able to tell by the way she texts, definitely not, but she really has a way with words. Kanade struggles to type back, her phone threatening to drop as she navigates her clumsy fingers around the keyboard. She’s always awful with texting, doing it one-handed isn’t for the weak.
‘Thank you, I’ll look when I get up’
Is the response she manages to type out. It took lots of trial and error, clicking the backspace button an unfathomable amount of times to try and spell everything correctly. Thank you, autocorrect.
In a way that’s just like Mafuyu, her reply comes quickly.
‘You’re not up yet? Are you sick?’
Kanade huffs a small noise of amusement, her smile widening.
‘Not sick, taking a day off from the shop. I’ve been working like no other all week’
It’s true. Kanade has been filling all her free time with either work or Ena. With Ena gone, all of that time was devoted to caring for the flowers or perfecting her next song. She’s still been sleeping regularly—surprisingly—but she figures the day that Ena returns is one of the best she can take off. If she left home when she normally does, she wouldn’t get to savor the weight pressing down on her right now.
‘No Ena?’
There’s a blush that makes its way onto Kanade’s face, half-embarrassed and half-giddy. That’s right, she was technically supposed to see Ena later today because she was going to visit. Mafuyu doesn’t know that Kanade got antsy and took matters into her own hands.
She can’t actually think of a way to put the situation into words, well, at least not words that are brief enough for her poor hand to slowly spell out. Typing something that’s actually representative of her current position is far too humiliating. She’s actually sleeping with me right now. Kanade can’t type that, it sounds horrible!
Her fluttering mind settles on the only other thing she can think of. It will easily inform Mafuyu of her current situation and her hand won’t have to fight through the painstaking task of stretching across her phone.
She extends her arm out a little, catching half of her face but primarily Ena, and snaps her camera. Eyes scan the photo for a long moment, fondly gazing at the depiction of them, and then eventually pull away so that Kanade can send it off. It only required two taps instead of a hundred; one for the camera shutter and another on the send button, isn’t she smart?
Kanade is busy looking at the picture to notice Mafuyu’s quick reply, reading it only once she’s got her fix.
‘Oh, she’s told you?’
The message doesn’t make any sense. Kanade is used to Mafuyu speaking in an odd, cryptic manner—it’s just something you grow to accommodate—but her words genuinely don’t have a clear meaning this time.
‘Told me what?’
She puts forth the effort of typing in hopes of getting a more comprehensive answer from Mafuyu. As much as her eyes yearn to look at the sent image again, she actually manages to direct her focus to the dots that indicate Mafuyu’s typing.
Then they’re gone. The dots aren’t above her name anymore, and they don’t return. It’s not like she had a slip of the finger, which she rarely does anyway, and needed to delete a large portion of her message, it’s like she’s stopped typing altogether.
‘Mafuyu?’
Kanade pries a little, curious about what she could possibly be referring to. Now she knows that Mafuyu actually had something in mind when she sent that earlier message, something that she assumed Kanade would understand, but backed off when she realized she didn’t. She's not the nosy type, not typically, but she feels this undying urge when the situation has Ena involved.
Mafuyu pointedly does not reply to her texts, leaving them alone and disappearing mysteriously. Kanade doesn’t let herself get too hung up on it, especially since there are more pressing matters she can attend to. She clicks her phone's off button, reaching to place it back on the nightstand so that it’s out of her way.
She looks happily at Ena, still sleeping the morning away as she lays partially on top of Kanade. The pressure is nice, comforting, and it gives Kanade some eye candy to stare at instead of music scores in the morning.
There’s a part of her that wishes she could see Ena’s eyes, but she settles for observing her face with them closed. Having them shut makes her eyelashes all the more apparent, their length being long and pretty. Her hair, even if a little messy from all that’s happened, is still soft and undeniably satisfying between Kanade’s fingers.
Like it always seems to do, touching Ena’s head draws a small sigh from her. It makes Kanade nervous for a moment, stopping where she is, but Ena only settles in closer. The brown is so pretty, splayed out over her pale neck and tucked gently behind her ear at Kanade’s own doing. Kanade compares the two Enas she’s seen, braided and unbraided hair, and ultimately decides she thinks Ena looks gorgeous either way.
Moving away from the topic of hair, both the scalp and specialized kind, Kanade takes in the sight of Ena’s sleeping face. She palmed it last night when they were at the station, feeling the tiredness under Ena’s eyes, but that didn't satiate the craving inside of her. It’s almost primal, a desire to reach out and just… touch.
There isn’t a thing holding her back, not really. Ena isn’t awake at the moment, there’s no one else in the room, but her body won’t let her move. The brain knows it’d be odd for Ena to rouse at the sensation of her face being fondled, but Kanade’s heart just wants a little feel.
Shocking even herself, her heart seems to win the debate. Her hand reaches out, cupping a soft, supple cheek in her hand and just relishing in the texture. Her skin is soft, springy, and clear like someone who takes good care of herself. Kanade's glad, content in the fact that Ena hasn’t been wearing herself down enough to reach a state of bodily neglect.
Her fingertips are just as sensitive as the skin on Ena’s face, delicately dancing around and not doing much of anything. The small breaths expelled from Ena’s nose warm her moderately cold hands if she pushes that close, the heat from her hair on her neck is almost palpable, her cheeks flush with a light pink even while unconscious. All of it is just so perfect.
Perfect, so insanely perfect that Kanade can’t even conceptualize it. She cares a lot for Ena while she’s awake—loves seeing her and hearing about her day—but she hates that she’s always dragged down by some burden. Her conniving boss, the villainous townspeople who despise her, all the responsibilities she takes upon herself. As much as Kanade can get lost while looking at Ena, it’s a little hard not to notice the constant strain hidden behind her eyes.
That’s why seeing her like this is a refreshing experience. Her expression is light, not pulled down by a lack of sleep. She breaths calmly, not frantically like when she goes on an angry tirade about whoever it is she works for. Her body remains mostly still, the occasional twitch in place for that nervous pacing she seems to do. It’s so nice to see her at ease, comfortable.
Kanade smiles, a benign curve of her lips, and tentatively swipes over Ena’s cheek with her thumb. “Such a hard worker.” She didn’t mean to whisper it, but doesn’t mind it much. Ena isn’t thinking enough to be receptive of her praise; hopefully it can seep through her skin and give her a little relief.
The thumb that pets her cheek slowly gets sidetracked, drifting down lower on her face until it just so happens to make contact with her lips. This is the part that Kanade was saving for last, the closing bit of her facial investigation.
Her lips, the one part of her face that Kanade keeps finding herself subconsciously drawn back to. Ena’s a looker, that’s obvious, but it’s difficult not to let your vision drift when it’s like a fruit hanging just out of your reach.
Rosy, soft, plump, adorable lips that Kanade stares at without a shame in the world. She thinks about how she had claimed that fruit, smiling as her same thumb moves fully onto Ena’s lip. Kanade refrains from using much force—not even nudging them—simply taking in the warmth and quelling her infatuation.
They haven’t really talked about it, and that makes her worried. Was she too pushy? Ena has seemed to warm up to her, at least in comparison to how they originally interacted. It never felt like Ena really hated her, and she could tell that she was a sweet girl, but there was always this tinge behind her looks.
She would flop back and forth between guarded and trusting, grumpy and smiling, standoffish and amiable. To be honest, it threw Kanade off completely.
As hard as it is to admit, she took an immediate liking to Ena. Something about the way she carried herself, how she allowed Kanade to ramble about flower meanings when most other customers would simply shut her up by asking for her first suggestion, and the way that she kept returning to the flower shop—even if only for a moment—made something click in Kanade’s head.
Kanade was completely charmed, enamored by Ena’s odd way of fluctuating, and could never help the strong beat of her heart whenever she’d hear that telltale bell ringing around noon. They’ve come a long way since then, become a lot more friendly, and Ena doesn’t give her those unsure glances anymore.
Still, was kissing her too much? Kanade hasn’t had it in her to text about it, much less bring it up with her actual voice over the phone or in person. She walked home from the station that morning, face burning in both shame and mortification. It wasn’t even a commanded action from her brain, something her body simply did and made her face the repercussions of it afterwards.
That doesn’t exactly mean she regrets it, though.
The sensation was like no other, something she’s thought about every night before going to bed while wondering if Ena is doing the same. It makes her feel a weird tightness in her chest, nothing uncomfortable, only unfamiliar.
Maybe they should talk about it. Even if Ena ends up hating her, realizing that this town really does have nothing for her, at least Kanade will be able to shuck this burden from her shoulders. She pulls her hand away from Ena’s face, letting it fall back on her head as she gently twirls her fingers through her locks. She lets herself dote on Ena for now, humming the tune of the song that Mafuyu had sent lyrics for. They’ll talk about it later today when Ena’s more suited for a conversation.
–
From the second her mind starts to ground itself, there’s a lot of sensations bombarding Ena. She wouldn’t say it’s exactly unpleasant, just different from waking up in her typically lifeless studio. The only motion is her writhing in bed, maybe paint still drying if she used oils, but otherwise that’s it. Compared to that, right now feels like something completely foreign.
Firstly, there’s a consistent thrumming in her left ear. She can’t tell what it is, only knowing that it doesn’t halt and that she finds its presence tolerable. She tries to think long and hard, wondering why there’s a small man beating on a drum in her ear, but gives up because she’s too tired to think logically.
Secondly, her other ear picks up on another abnormal noise. Since her first ear is squished up against some surface, the other ear is a lot more perceptive of outside sounds. It’s gentle, delicate, and very soothing. There’s a faint rasp to the noise, something she accurately identifies as humming, but she doesn’t recognize the song.
Finally, there’s definitely something moving through her hair. It takes her a moment—a long one with squeezed eyes—to try and discern what exactly it is. It doesn’t feel like a brush, no obvious bristle feel. It doesn’t feel like a comb either, not enough teeth to be anything of that variety. She slowly configures the image in her mind, nimble fingers snaking between strands of her hair and taking special care to keep the ministrations calm.
It’s a feeling so shy, considerate, and almost merciful on her vulnerable body. Her muscles ache dully—sure to bring havoc to her if she rises to stretch—but that’s whisked away for now as she allows herself to let the petting pass over her like a deluge.
She knows she needs to get up, that’s nonnegotiable, but would it really be so bad to stay still for just another minute? She’s awake enough to know that if she starts to stir, Kanade will stop showering her with affection because she’ll get embarrassed. It’s obvious, she’s known her long enough to be sure of it, so maybe a little deception is necessary. Sorry, Kanade.
Ena lays there, completely still, and lets everything surround her until she’s engulfed and doesn’t care at all about how she’s going to get out. The scratch on her scalp is a reprieve she didn’t know she needed, making her shudder but not planting any seeds of confusion in an unsuspecting Kanade’s mind.
The humming continues, the love continues, and Ena feels incredibly warm. Physically, Kanade’s body heat mixed with the cover of what she thinks is a blanket does more than enough to keep her temperature regular. Metaphorically, the action of being treated so preciously by someone she adores so seriously is mind-blowing and makes her feel all sorts of ways.
She tries to think about it a little more, but is interrupted by a piece of hair falling onto her face. It disturbs her train of thoughts, sure, but it isn’t of any irritation. “Oh.” The humming stops as Kanade weakly mumbles an expression of surprise. Her hand pulls out of Ena’s hair, lightly smoothing it back out from the crown of the scalp down, and eventually losing contact with it at all.
Ena’s not too keen on Kanade revoking the privilege she was suddenly blessed with. She tries her hardest to wait it out, hoping that a sweet hand will return and grant her that sensation again, but she feels something else instead.
A blunt nail grazes the skin of her face lightly, getting a hold of the intruding tress and scooting it back slowly. She inches closer to Ena’s cheekbone, scritching over it and moving to brush the hair behind Ena’s ear.
“So pretty.” Her voice comes again, even quieter but more sincere sounding. It’s horribly flustering, making Ena choke back a gasp. Does she know Ena’s awake and this is her teasing? Kanade doesn’t seem much like the type to do that, but there’s no other explanation for why she’d say something like that.
Despite fighting it for so long to remain stationary, Ena can’t help but jolt a little. It tickles, the motion of tucking hair behind her ear only being done by herself and in a fast manner instead of so delicately like how Kanade cares for her. “Ah.” There’s another sound from above that Ena hopes doesn’t mean what she thinks it does.
Kanade’s hand pulls away, the other one on Ena’s back pulling her the slightest bit closer. “Ena?” Her cover is blown and she knows it. Her eyelids separate slowly, vision bleary, not even exaggerating as it takes her a moment to adjust to the room. It’s dark, infinitely more than she keeps her own apartment, but it’s easy on her freshly woken retinas.
Her head tilts up, squinted eyes meeting Kanade’s ones that are filled with a questionable amount of concern. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Even though she does genuinely look upset over Ena waking, there’s also an obvious red tint to her face from knowing that Ena was conscious during some of her affection.
“It’s okay.” Ena forces her voice out in all its hoarse glory, not bothering to move from where she is. She maintains lazy eye contact with Kanade, sometimes blinking for a little too long as she struggles to fully stir herself awake. There isn’t much of anything she can see, only Kanade’s face and her awkwardly raised hand that she wishes would just play with her hair again.
Ena puts on her best pleading eyes, already teary since she’s just got up. The tension in Kanade’s body—the tension she can feel since she’s laying atop her—eases as she lets out an exhale. Her nervous face turns into a grin and her hand finally finds its place on Ena’s head.
“How’d you sleep?” It’s hard to listen to anything Kanade is saying when she can feel the blood rushing to her ears and her eyes fluttering shut. If she’s being honest, that’s the best she’s slept in the longest time. No endless tossing and turning, no having to get up early, and a comforting presence cradling her the whole time.
Her words, however, don’t want to come out at all. She’s still so drowsy and notoriously bad at waking up. She hums a little, nodding her head and pressing herself closer to Kanade. She can feel the way Kanade sucks in a tight breath, hand stopping for a moment, and then continuing like nothing happened. She always looks so collected on the surface so Ena relishes in the little tidbits that she’s exposed to when they’re in such an intimate position.
Thinking that makes a heat rush to her face, but she doesn’t pay it mind. She can blame it on just waking up and her blood starting to flow. “Do you want to get up?” Ena laughs a little involuntarily—well, more of an amused sigh. Why would she want to get up if she doesn’t have to? She doesn’t want to be a burden on Kanade, though, since she can’t get up if Ena doesn’t.
“Five more minutes.” Kanade’s chest rattles beneath her, a little giggle meeting her plea for more rest.
“Okay, we’ll get up when you’re ready.” The hand in her hair slowly starts working again and Ena thinks she might have to beg for a little more time.
–
“Sorry I don’t have anything else.” Kanade says, placing a Cup Noodle in front of Ena who sits at her dining room table. She brings a hand up to rub her eye, simultaneously shaking her head back and forth.
“It’s okay, I’m not all that picky.” There’s no way Ena would be able to deny food that was cooked by Kanade’s loving hands—well, by cooked she means hot water poured from a kettle—but the point still stands. Maybe they need to go grocery shopping together sometime, get Kanade some real ingredients to make real meals.
Kanade sets her own styrofoam cup at the seat across from Ena, chopsticks placed over the lid as the noodles inside are steamed. “I’m going to grab you some water, I think your voice needs it.” Ena flushes at the statement. Her voice is only a little rough; she hadn’t thought it was something Kanade would notice.
Her phone in her pocket starts to vibrate, fishing it out languidly and then feeling her heart drop when she reads the caller ID. The chair grates against the floor as she suddenly stands up, eyes wide and continuing to stare at her phone. “Ena? Are you okay?” Kanade looks at her from across the kitchen, just closing the cabinet where she had grabbed a glass.
“It’s the people I had my meeting with, they’re calling.” Hinata’s name is front and center on her phone, the big font screaming out at her as if to show its importance. She doesn’t give Kanade the time to respond before she swipes the green button to answer, hurriedly holding the phone against her ear.
“Hello, Ms. Shinonome.” Hinata greets her how she always does, no inconsistency in her voice that Ena can make out. She starts to nervously walk in circles, her free hand up and held against her head.
“H-hello, Hinata.” She cringes at the way her voice breaks; that water really would do her wonders right now.
“Don’t sound so nervous, I’ve got news back about your interview.” The sentence would be more humorous if Ena’s heart wasn’t about to lead up her throat and fall out of her mouth. Is Hinata aware that the results of this interview is what’s making her nervous?
“Ah, okay.” She tries her hardest to sound put together and fails miserably. Her circles that she walks grow tighter, more like she’s just spinning around at this point. She hears Kanade running the water distantly.
“We’ve decided to move forward with your employment,” her circles stop. Hinata is saying something else, definitely something she should be listening to, but her ears are ringing so loud she can’t hear anything. It’s like a confetti cannon has exploded in her skull, reverberating through her whole body as she tries not to audibly squeal while still on the phone. “...and the electronic contract should be sent in the next hour or so. Please fill that out as soon as you can.”
Ena nods her head like Hinata can see her, glad that Hinata can’t actually witness her pathetic pajama-dressed form. “Of course, I’ll sign it right when I get it. Thank you, thank you so much.” The hand that was nervously placed on her head early has shifted meaning, instead an expression of her utmost surprise and joy.
“No, thank you. We’re really happy to be working with you, I can’t wait to see what you come up with for Phoenix Wonderland.” Ena has probably thousands of ideas and she can dream up as many more as they wish for. “Have a nice rest of your day, thank you for your cooperation.”
“You too, thank you, goodbye.” The call clicks out. That was possibly the most brief and stressful call that Ena has ever put herself through, standing still with her phone still at her ear for just a moment. When she turns around, Kanade is just placing the water down on the dining table with a small clink.
She doesn’t even get to ask how it went before Ena is basically tackling her. To be honest, though, the wide smile on Ena’s face was probably enough to go off of. “Kanade!” Ena hugs Kanade with all the strength she has, holding her as close as possible and swaying them back and forth with her excitement.
“Ena!” She exclaims back, her words more an expression of surprise at the sudden affection.
“They’re hiring me! It worked, it all worked!” Ena doesn’t dare separate from where she’s wrapped herself around Kanade.
“I’m so happy for you.” Despite the genuinity, Kanade sounds confused; of course she is, Ena’s supposed to keep up the facade of her meeting simply being a work arrangement. She doesn’t think about that in her loud outburst of delight, though, reverting back to the truth instead of her flimsy lie.
She finally pulls away, hands still resting on Kanade’s shoulders as she smiles big and wide. Kanade stares back at her so gently, obviously lost on what’s going on but happy that Ena is reacting so positively to her phone call.
Something, some evil force, takes Ena over. Her hands on Kanade’s shoulders move up to both of her cheeks, holding her both firmly and sweetly at the same time. Before she can think, and before Kanade can express anything other than perplexion, their lips are meeting again.
The kiss is less tender than the one they shared at the train station, not as meticulously worked through, but it’s enjoyable all the same. As fast as they’re sharing the kiss, they’ve already parted and let their eyes bore into each other.
Ena is the first to come to her senses, surprisingly. Her hands fall from Kanade’s face, mouth dropping open as she feels waves of embarrassment hit her viciously. There’s a dramatically red blush on Kanade’s face, her complexion making it all the more noticeable. “I-I…” Ena tries to explain herself but stammers. She isn’t sure what to even say.
Kanade seems to snap into a conscious state, blinking a few times and raising one hand to feel her own cheek that’s blistering with heat.
“Um, should we… talk about?..” Her voice is still agonizing.
“P-probably.” Kanade mutters in response.
Ena had said that they were going to sort out the kiss today, she just didn’t intend on there being another one to talk about. Her mouth moves before her brain can, just spewing out words as they come to her. “W-well before we talk about… that… there are some other things I should probably tell you.”
Her fingers anxiously pick at each other. “I know Mrs. Asahina hates you and all, and I don’t really fully understand why…”
“Mafuyu’s mom?” Right, Mrs. Asahina is what her employees call her.
“Yeah. I, uh, I work for her?” She doesn’t mean for it to sound like a question, but it does. She tilts her head down, not able to look at Kanade anymore. “I didn’t know she didn’t like you until I was already hired, and she’s the only way I’ve been getting work, and she’s been trying to keep me away from you, and— I just… don’t want you to be mad?”
“Ena.” Kanade grabs onto her hands, parting them and stopping her from ruining her nails. Was she talking too fast to be understood properly? That’s definitely a possibility. Ugh, so stupid, Ena can’t— “Why would that make me mad at you?” She raises her eyes slightly, looking at Kanade who stares at her seriously with furrowed brows. “If anything, I feel bad for you. All this talk about your evil boss and I hadn’t managed to put it together myself, I’m sorry.”
She tries to stammer out a response; an apology is the last thing she wants right now. “No, don’t say sorry. I was just afraid that knowing I worked for her would throw you off, make you not want to talk to me…” She trails off and flits her eyes any place she can that isn’t Kanade’s eyes.
“Really, I don’t mind. You have to make money, I get that, and you obviously still cared enough about talking to me to ignore her. I’m appreciative.” Ena feels like she’s been lifted up out of quicksand, the inevitable doom of telling Kanade this horrible secret finally disappearing as Kanade herself pulls her free.
“Ah, well then… I have a few more things I should probably tell you.” The rest isn’t nearly as bad as the situation concerning Mrs. Asahina—Mafuyu’s mom. “I don’t work social media, I’m a freelance artist.” Kanade’s eyes widen a little, then she nods her head thoughtfully.
“You’ve always seemed like the creative type, I guess it makes sense.” Ena tries not to think too much about it, ridding away the blush that threatens to spread on her face.
“I’m not exactly a small artist, though. My name is pretty known online.” Yet again, Kanade doesn’t look absolutely bewildered.
“I’m glad your work gets attention.” Urk, and everything she says hits Ena right in the heart.
“Um, the art exhibition we went to, the one I insisted on showing you was my work.” There’s the faint look of wheels turning behind Kanade’s eyes, her face eventually settling into an expression of endearingness mixed with a heartfelt smile.
“Ena, that painting was gorgeous. Was that what you needed pictures of flowers for?” Ena ducks her head solemnly. Kanade’s smile grows even wider. “I think your painting is the best I’ve ever seen. The colors were so bright and so pale at the same time, I can’t even understand how you do something like that. I’m so proud of you.” Ena shudders, it’s too improbable for everything to work out perfectly fine.
“So, you’re okay that I work for Mafuyu’s mom?” Kanade nods. “And that I’m actually an artist.” Another nod. “What about the fact I just got hired at Phoenix Wonderland?” Kanade, still unfazed, almost looks a little confused.
“Phoenix Wonderland?” Has she really never left this town? The only way Ena can imagine someone not knowing about Phoenix Wonderland is if they’ve never been to the city and aren’t online… oh.
“It’s an amusement park, a really big one. They’re the ones I had the meeting with in the city. They just called to say that they’d work with me.” A little bit of pride swells up in her chest, still overjoyed at finally being able to part from Mafuyu’s mom and work with people who will actually treat her like a person.
“Oh, okay. I don’t mind as long as it makes you happy.” It’s such a Kanade thing to say that Ena can’t help smiling. That leaves only one thing to talk about…
Kanade is the one to kick it off this time, her hands tightening a little around Ena’s. “I’m sorry for kissing you at the train station.” The shame in her voice is nothing that Ena likes, especially considering that the kiss was probably her most thought about topic for the entirety of her visit. How does one express that clearly?
“I liked it!” Probably not like that, but it’ll suffice. Kanade looks at Ena, only now showing that puzzled face. “I-I mean…” It’s too late to cover it up, nervously smiling and watching as Kanade starts to laugh.
She huffs lightly, fingers playing with Ena’s. “I’m so glad, I thought I scared you off.” Ena doesn’t think she can possibly shake her head fast enough to convey how much of a possibility that isn’t; she’d probably give herself whiplash before she felt it was enough.
“I guess I should probably apologize for kissing you too.” Now she understands Kanade, feeling her own embarrassment start to attack her from the neck up.
“I liked it.” There’s a small giggle, a notion of teasing that Ena doesn’t feel the slightest bit angry at. There’s a small pit in her stomach, moment of truth.
“I’m sorry for lying to you… literally from the second we met, but I’m being honest when I say I like you a lot Kanade. Um, I don’t know how you feel, b-but if you’d be willing to give me a shot, I’d love to maybe give things a try between us?” Her heart stutters, palpitates, nearly blows up in her chest. She’s getting dizzy just standing here in silence, hands sweating and unfortunately spreading that to Kanade’s.
Is she moving too fast? She’s just come clean, bearing her true soul out to Kanade. Is she upset but won’t let Ena know? There are so many possibilities that it makes her nauseous, she’s going to be sick.
Their hands part and Ena knows it’s over. Kanade is going to leave, or ask her to go home or—- mmh?
Kanade kisses her again, a surprising chain of events that does nothing but quell the anxious beat of Ena’s heart. It more resembles the kiss at the train station, gentle and soothing in a way she thinks she might start getting addicted to.
Their faces pull away from one another, Kanade’s eyes slightly squinted and happy while Ena’s are blown wide open. “Is that enough answer for you?” There’s a slight taunt in her tone that Ena doesn’t think twice about, her face easing into something less strenuous and more relaxed. With that, her body slumps as she hugs Kanade again. Kanade accepts the odd affection, patting her back.
“I was so nervous—about everything.” She whines and Kanade continues her soft actions to pacify Ena. “I was sure knowing that I lied to you would make you furious, and then I went ahead and kissed you like an idiot! I’m so glad it worked out, I don’t know what I’d do otherwise.” Her statement sounds overacted, but it’s not. She would’ve returned to her normal day-to-day of the month before she and Kanade met, awkwardly roaming around with no joy in this town life.
“There, there.” Kanade doesn’t know that she’s doing it, emulating what Mizuki had said to her yesterday, but it draws even more of a blush from her. Stupid Mizuki, she’s going to have a field day later. “I hate seeing you nervous, but I’ll admit it’s a little cute; just like when you were getting ready for your meeting in the city.” Ena sucks up the affection she’s given, only half aware of what Kanade’s even saying to her.
Meeting in the city… as in, in the city, where Kanade isn’t. How did she—?
Ena flings up, pulling herself away from the gentle rubbing on her back. “Mizuki sent you that photo?!” Kanade looks stunned, suddenly chuckling with laughter and turning away.
“Not exactly. She sent it to Mafuyu, and Mafuyu sent it to me.” So this is a scheme now? They’re all just working together to humiliate Ena the most they can?
“Mizuki! She’s so—ugh! She’s never going to hear the end of it.” Ena takes her phone and angrily opens it, stopped by a hand on her wrist.
“You can be mad at her later, our noodles are going to get gross and soggy.” Ena immediately obliges. Mizuki is safe for now, only because Kanade wishes. “Thank you.”
–
“I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, I have to work on my commission since I have a meeting with you-know-who tomorrow.” Ena groans, picking up her back and clinging it over her shoulders, she carefully takes the flowers too, the ones that had made her pulse race last night and still do right now.
“It’s alright. I have to work on my composition anyway; I don’t want Mafuyu to get impatient.” Kanade laughs, watching as Ena slips her shoes on.
“Can Mafuyu even get impatient?”
“You’d be surprised.” Both of them smile, fondly and happily at the turnout of today. “I’ll be working tomorrow, you can come by after your meeting if you need to de-stress, you know I don’t mind.”
“Count me in. I’ll bring you a snack to reward you for your work.” Kanade blushes, holding a hand to her mouth.
“You don’t have to.” All suited up to leave, Ena approaches her one last time.
“I know, I want to.” They hug, tight and passionately, before leaving themselves to their own devices. “I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Kanade.” Ena’s hand rests on the handle of the door, opening it slightly but not daring to walk out until she’s given her farewell.
“Goodbye, Ena. Make it home safe.” There are dopey smiles painted on both of their faces, cheesily waving as Ena exits and shuts the door behind her. She walks the front pathway, reaching the sidewalk and taking a deep breath.
She knows she’ll be able to work well today, no grips of anxiety grabbing at her brain and squeezing it like a toy. Clear mind, clear conscience, and one girlfriend in her possession, Ena heads home.