Irhaboggle Pride (2024) Pride Fourever

Stay With Me For 24

Did you miss me? Baby wanna kiss—?

SLAP!

The timing was so perfect, there could've been a record-scratch and a freeze-frame. For a moment, nobody moved. Saki's hand was frozen, outstretched. Noa's head was stuck looking left because of how Saki struck her.

"Woah... Talk about a beat drop..." Towa murmured, subdued. Her words jolted Noa and Ibuki out of their stupor.

"Towa!" they chided in unison.

"Whaaaat?" The blue-haired girl raised her hands innocently. At the same time, Saki fled the rehearsal studio.

"Saki!" The other three reached out to her, but the DJ was already gone.

ooo

"Saki...?" The next time Ibuki found the DJ, she was curled up alone in the farthest corner of the Yoba High library. Ever since... the incident, although Photon Maiden saw Saki at school every day, she avoided them like the plague. More than once, Noa and Towa offered and begged to talk to her first, but in the end, it was agreed that Ibuki was the best choice. That left Towa to talk to Noa.

"Ibuki!" Saki gasped and drew her knees closer to her chest, silver eyes wide. It was clear she wanted to run, but she was trapped by books.

Ibuki held up her hands and spoke as softly and soothingly as she could. "None of us are mad. We just want to make sure you're all right." And it was true. Even though Noa was hurt by the slap, physically and emotionally, she never felt angry at Saki, only surprised and confused.

"I'm sorry, Ibuki, really, I am! Sorry!" Saki stared up at the other girl pathetically, silver eyes welling with tears.

"What happened, Saki, what happened?" Ibuki sat beside the smaller, younger girl and continued to reassure her. Sure, it was out-of-character for Saki to slap Noa like that that, but in all fairness, Noa DID kiss her without her consent, regardless of how well it fit the lyrics.

It wasn't just the surprise that made Saki react so violently, though, but how the kiss itself made her feel. Not Noa, but the kiss.

"I love Noa!" the DJ cried, anguished. "Deeply! But... not like that! I... I... I... I'm aro ace! And...! Look what I've done!" Look what a mess I made...! Saki shook her head helplessly and hopelessly, then the truth came out in a tide.

"I- I- I- I was always scared that being aro-ace meant I would... never find someone who could love me for me, since I wouldn't be able to love them the way they wanted/ And now look what I've done!" she repeated. I ran Noa off! Proved my worst fears exactly right!

"Oh, Saki, no! Never!" Ibuki cried, as if reading Saki's mind. "Noa doesn't hate you! You just... you know her. She's... allosexual, and... a little too handsy for her own good." The leader of Photon Maiden chuckled. Although Noa was never so bold as to kiss someone like that before, she had a reputation among all the units for not always respecting personal space and boundaries. She was well-meant, but it could cause accidents like this. Ibuki wasn't trying to point fingers, just trying to get Saki to see it the finger was pointed at her.

I'd better text Towa. They'll want to know Saki isn't creeped out or disgusted by Noa. See? What did I tell them? Ibuki knew that, if anything, Saki would be angrier at herself for hitting Noa. For better or worse, Ibuki was exactly right.

ooo

Towa and Noa were busy stuffing their faces in the cafeteria. Or at least, Towa was.

"I didn't mean to make Saki hate me..." Noa muttered glumly, pushing food around her tray, but eating nothing.