Hourglass [Quintessential Quintuplets]

Chapter 22 - New Beginnings ( Ⅵ )

Asuka's POV:

"D-D-Date—?! Itsuki..."

You know, there're those feelings that make your heart beat like crazy when you see a very spefic person? Proper thoughts give way to irrational actions, your heart and soul turn you into a completely defenseless idiot. I'm in a worse situation than that right now. Honestly, this isn't exactly how I pictured my first romantic success. Romance visual novels really do lied to me.

We're looking at each other. We're looking at each other on this huge theater stage, where we are completely alone. The taste of her lips is still in my mouth, this feeling is engraved on my soul to never be forgotten. Just a few seconds ago I confessed all my feelings to her. Everything I keep in my heart. Every speck of emotion that had gathered in me one by one until this moment.

''Pfft! Of course, dummy! If you want me to forgive you~♡''

Now, I have a girlfriend. Atleast that's what I think. Since I've only known rejection and hurting people so far. Really, I am not sure what happens next. It'll be absolutely perfect to go on a date with Itsuki. Just me and her. Like real couples do. Being normal for once.

Of course, if the situation I am in were normal what I said would be valid. I'm in the lowest position a man can ever be. A malfunctioning voice-changer collar. An overly-decorated maid dress, the wig that's itching like crazy. Makeup that almost fucked up because of my tears. And those fake boobs I swear—Okay okay, last one is not that bad. To the touch, they're actually like pillows.

I hook two fingers under the collar and pull. Then I pull harder. It doesn't budge. The little light on the side is still blinking that sick blue colour instead of white. "What I wouldn't give to get this stupid thing off..."

''You said it was broken, right? Any idea when it'll come off? Maybe the Technology Club can help us."

𝗠𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱.

Itsuki Nakano. 

''No idea. Sometime within today I guess.'' I did a little presentation of myself  like a shopping channel demonstrating a product nobody wanted. And then my brain produced the worst possible question at the worst possible second and shoved it straight out of my mouth. ''You sure you actually want to do this with me? Right now? Looking like... this?''

"Didn't you do this to help your class? I think that's admirable. Besides..." Itsuki brushes her fringe back and puts a very small kiss on my cheek. Her breath goes right through the makeup and I nearly leave my own body. ''And, by the way, I already snapped a picture of you earlier."

''Oh, cool, great, wonderful!'' My voice comes out about four notes below where a human voice should be because the collar's pitch lags whenever I panic. "If I weren't so fucking happy, I might actually hit into a permanent depression." Despite my whining, I can't stop the words that float up to my lips: "Hehe! I love you, Itsuki."

And she blushes—a deep red that matches her hair. My face also must look like a tomato with fake eyelashes glued on. If you ask me if I won my gamble, I dunno. I don't give a damn about that right now. We stare at each other for a while until Itsuki finally clears her throat and turns away. ''Ehem!''

''I-Itsuki...?''

''I'm going to go and change. And then we are going to go and eat.'' Itsuki said it to the curtain with her one hand very busy taking down armor pieces. She jabs a finger at me as if demanding a threat then a promise. ''You have kept me waiting for an entire week so I'm ordering something extra big, okay? You pay.''

"Ahahaha. . . Sure, sure. I'm at your mercy."

— | 𝟓 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 | —