Business Relationship

Chapter 12 - Dressing Up

Mai and Minato met up on the walk to school.

"If people confront me, what should I do?" Mai asked.

Minato laughed. "You should have thought of that earlier! Well, people who do usually don't listen to reason, so I find it's best to ignore them. You can give them one chance, say something like, hmm..."

Minato cleared her throat and stood straighter, speaking in a polite tone, "Minato makes me happy. That's enough for me. And my parents approve of her. I don't need anyone else's approval."

Mai thought it over. "Don't listen to reason, huh?"

Minato nodded. "Like, logically, there's nothing wrong with gay people, right? I guess straight guys could justifiably be mad at me for taking you, but nobody's interested in me so that shouldn't apply to you. For straight girls or gay guys, you could have any guy you wanted, so they should be happy you're taking a girl instead! Gay girls shouldn't care either since they're in the same situation."

"I'm following."

"So, usually when people have a problem with it, it's an emotional response. They can't understand it. Or they've been raised to dislike it, like some religions. It's ingrained in them and you won't be able to break them out of it easily. That's why I suggest just ignoring them, they'll give up eventually."

"I see. I'll keep your words in mind."

"And if it gets too much, you can just come over and I'll soothe you!"

Mai smiled. "Thank you."

The day passed and they walked home together.

"I don't get it," Mai complained. "How can they call it disgusting? Can't they see how cute you are? What's disgusting about it?"

"They're probably thinking about the lewd things," Minato said. "It probably weirds them out on an instinctual level."

"Don't they masturbate? Doing that to someone else or having someone else do it to you can't be that different!"

Minato laughed. "That's a rare crude word from you! Hmm, if I had to give a reason, maybe they don't like the idea of the taste?"

"Well, I can't speak on that," Mai said, shaking her head. "What did you think of it?"

"I like your taste, at least. I don't know if mine is the same."

"Never tasted yourself?"

"Have you?"

"Well, no."

"Me either."

"Mm." Mai shook her head. "I'll try not to think about it."

"Easier said than done, but I'm here to distract you."

Mai smiled. "Yeah."

They walked for another minute, then Mai said, "And what do they mean, it won't last?! We've already been together longer than those girls with seasonal boyfriends!"

"I don't know where that idea comes from." Minato shook her head. "People seem to think it's just a phase we'll grow out of, that we'll break up when we find a good guy, or that girls just date as practise for when they get a guy."

Mai pursed her lips. "I indeed had that sort of plan at first, but at this point I'm committed."

Minato squeezed Mai's hand. "We'll just have to prove them wrong, huh?"

Mai smiled. "Yeah."

When they reached their parting spot, Mai pulled Minato in and gave her a kiss.

Minato giggled. "Kissing here is pretty nice."