There's no way I like gals, right? chapter 6

The day of the Christmas hangout finally arrived. I nervously approached Hana’s room and slowly creaked open the door.

“What is it?”

She asked, not bothering to turn back. she was currently sitting at her desk, mindlessly scrolling her phone.

“C-can you do my makeup for me today…”

Her head suddenly snapped up from her phone, and her eyes and face lit up.

“Of course!”

I sighed and slowly walked inside her room, sitting on a chair next to her dressing table. Hana walked over to me and dug through the piles and boxes of makeup scattered over her desk. After she had found what she wanted, she gently grabbed my chin and carefully started applying the makeup. She continued to gaze at my face with a gentle smile and glint in her eyes.

“This is the first time you’ve gone out for Christmas, you know.”

“M-mhm…”

“You’re going with Akari and that new girl, right?”

“Mhm…”

“You know… you really seem to like being around Akari…”

I suddenly pulled back from her grip, stunned. It took a few moments to process her words, and when I did, I felt a blush slowly creeping up my cheeks. I looked down to my feet in embarrassment.

“D-don’t say that…”

“Why? It’s true… every time you’re around her… your whole mood just seems to brighten up.”

I continued to look down as my sister resumed to put on makeup. She chuckled endearingly at how flustered I got.

“I don’t really like her… but… I want to thank her…”

I was suddenly taken aback, and my head suddenly snapped up to look at my sister. She continued to gaze at me fondly and reassured me with a soft smile.

“Ever since you’ve met her… you seem… happier.”

I felt my heart race again, and a blush rise to my cheeks. H-happier? I’ve been happier because Akari? I guess… but why is that? It’s just because she’s my friend, right? T-that’s it… right? It’s just because she genuinely cares for me… right? Even though I care even more for her… I can’t lie… I have been happier ever since Akari came into my life… but… that’s just because she cares for me as a friend, right?

“Hina. Hina. Hina.”

I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts by my sister’s loud voice.

“O-oh… sorry…”

I sat up straight again and let my sister finish my makeup, my mind still whizzing with thoughts. When Hana finished, she pulled back and admired her handiwork proudly.

“Damn… I might’ve outdone myself this time.”

She chuckled.

“T-thanks… Hana…”

Her prideful face quickly changed back to the gentle gaze and expression she had before, and she let out an endearing sigh.

“No need to thank me.”

I waited on the couch later, scrolling my phone mindlessly. The girls had planned to pick me up from my house, much to my disagreement. I put down the phone and laid back on the couch, letting out a soft sigh. Why was I so nervous??? It was just a hang out with my two friends… right? And this time it was different… I wasn’t feeling nervous like usual. I wasn’t nervous about coming off as too boring, or nervous about messing up the hangout. No. it was different.

“What the hell…”

I muttered as I covered my face with my hands. What the hell was this… why was I feeling so nervous? It was just a hang out with friends… so why? I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of the doorbell. I jolted up from the couch and quickly paced over to the door. I slowly opened it, revealing Akari and Akemi both standing there, both dolled and dressed up. They both stepped in the house, and Akemi softly close the door behind her. She then looked over to me, a mischievous smile spread over her face. She then suddenly pounced on me, and wrapped both her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

“Hiya~ Hina~!”

“H-hyah! A-Akemi?!”

My body froze, and my brain went blank as I felt Akemi’s warmth slowly envelope me. I could feel the familiar heat creep up my face again. I quickly looked over to Akari, who was now glaring menacingly at Akemi. Akemi continued to hug me and started nuzzling her face against mine. I heard Akari’s breath hitch, and I could see her visibly twitch her jaw and grit her teeth. She tightly clenched her fists.

“A-Akemi! W-wait!”

Akemi ignored my protests and continued rubbing herself over my face and body. I was slowly melting into her warm embrace, when I suddenly heard aggressive footsteps approaching from behind me. Akemi’s expression suddenly dropped, and her face morphed into one of fear and worry. I swiftly turned around, to see that it was Hana, wearing a murderous gaze in her eyes.

“Get off her.”

She demanded coldly. Akemi let out a squeak and shakily unwrapped her arms from around me, then quickly slunk back and tucked her hands away, looking to the floor nervously.

“Y-yes…”

Akemi replied timidly. I could hear a snicker come from Akari, and Hana suddenly snapped her head to her.

“What… is something funny?”

“N-no!”

Akari squeaked. Her smug expression immediately turned into one of fear and submission, and she followed suit, also looking down to her feet while fidgeting nervously.

“Listen… if any of you two try to take advantage of my sister in anyway… I’ll fucking kill you two, got it?”

Hana said viciously. Akemi and Akari both nodded vigorously, and after seeing that, my sister let out an irritated but satisfied sigh. She then turned around and walked back to her room. Akemi and Akari both cautiously looked back up, and Akemi let out a shaky sigh.

“Y-your brother’s really scary…”

“It’s my sister…”

“O-oh…”

I could feel the unease in the air, and I let out a loud sigh.

“Let’s just go now…”

“Y-yeah…”

I paced back to the couch and grabbed the paper bags which held my Christmas gifts. I made my way back to the entrance, and the mood seemed to be better. I changed out of my slippers and into my thick, winter boots, and slowly opened the door. I waited for the girls to step outside first, and I followed, gently shutting the door behind me. It was now snowing outside, and I shivered as I felt the cold air hit my skin. Snowflakes fell gracefully from the sky, each one glimmering in the dull rays of the streetlights that were being smothered by the snow. Everything was enveloped in a thick layer of fluffy white snow, and the wet concrete road gleamed under, reflecting the dim lights from emitting from lampposts and nearby shops and restaurants. The snow had seemed to make the night and streets even more quiet and barren. The soft sound of crunching snow echoed in the silence as we made our way to the station, our breathing coming out as transparent white fogs. I suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around my left arm, and looked up to see that it was Akemi, smiling warmly back at me. I then felt my right arm being hugged, and turned to see it was Akari, her expression much more anxious. Her cheeks were tinted a rosy pink, which stood out against the backdrop of the white snow. We continued making our way to the station like this, arm in arm.

We waited for the train patiently on the platform, and it arrived along with an announcement on the intercom. We all stepped on and collapsed onto the seats. I looked over to Akemi, who had her usual carefree and cheery expression, and in her lap was a brown paper bag. Her gifts for us, I presumed. I then looked over to Akari, who was looking down at her feet, while anxiously clutching a colourful gift bag. We finally arrived at Roppongi, and we stepped off the train and made our way out of the station. I slowly took in the view before me. It looked like a symphony of vivid and colourful lights, each one sparkling like a star in the dark night sky. The ropes of LEDs which had been wrapped and tangled around the branches of trees twinkled brightly. The vibrant and sparkly Christmas decorations and ornaments shimmered in the rays of light, standing out from the darkness of the night. Akari started making her way to some place, and we followed.

“You know~ Akari booked a restaurant for us tonight~… didn’t you, Akari?”

Akemi said playfully and looked over to Akari. Akari’s breath hitched, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks slowly turning a light pink.

“W-what… why didn’t you tell me, Akari?”

I whined.

“B-because! You suddenly ran out of the classroom that day for no reason! I was waiting all day to tell you! I-idiot!”

Akari answered, her tone irritated. There was now a pout spread across her face. My heart began racing again, and I felt a heat rush up to my cheeks. What the hell… she’s like a little kid… was she always this cute??? I quickly shook my head in an attempt to get rid of my thoughts and the blush I felt creeping up to my cheeks. Akari continued to walk quickly, refusing to meet my gaze. I let out a soft exhale and followed her, watching in amusement as she continued pacing swiftly down the streets.

“So where are we eating then?”

“Y-you’ll see…”

“Akari said it’s really good!”

“Huh…”

Akari nodded shyly as she continued to lead us. We finally arrived at the restaurant a while after. It was a western restaurant. Its walls were made of cream white bricks and big, clear glass panes, and the logo was spelled out loudly in bold, white letters, sitting on top of a banner with vibrant stripes of green, white and red. The shop had a colourful awning extending out of it, with menus and pictures of food engulfing the big glass windows. Eye-catching signs and promotions stood out in front, and the entrance was lit up by multiple bright spotlights. In front the store was a simple and cute red wooden bench. Akari let out a sigh, and entered the restaurant, with us following behind. The interior was painted a soft pastel white, and the floor consisted of shiny wooden floor panels. On the walls hung several old paintings of scenery and cityscapes. The booths consisted of a dark wooden table, and two sofas on either side. The restaurant was brightly lit by modern looking light fixtures, while calm and smooth jazz resonated in the background. The waiters were dressed up in western style uniforms, which looked neat and refined. They consisted of a pressed white button up shirt, a black vest, and a cute bow tie. A waiter approached us, and after a brief confirmation with Akari, showed us to our table. I slid into the booth, settling down into the seat, before Akemi suddenly followed, causing Akari to let out a loud gasp. Her body tensed up, and she gritted her teeth, while clenching her fists tightly. She shot Akemi a murderous glare, but Akemi just laughed it off with her usual carefree attitude. Akari eventually got settled into the seat opposite us, still eying Akemi maliciously.

“So… what do you want, Hina?”

Akemi asked, gently grabbing my face and turning my gaze to the menu. I heard Akari’s breath hitch again, but I pretended not to notice. I browsed over the menu options carefully, when suddenly, the menu was snatched from under our noses by Akari. She clutched the menu tightly, shot Akemi a vicious scowl, and quickly turned her attention to me, her expression immediately softening. She grabbed my arm firmly and gestured with her head to look at the menu with her.

“Should we share something? H-Hina?”

She asked, her tone and expression suddenly nervous. Her grip on my arm tightened, and her cheeks started glowing pink again. I glanced over the menu options, my mind now swirling again.

“U-uh… we can share the spaghetti and pizza… what do you think Akemi?”

I looked over to Akemi, waiting for her answer.

“Of course~!”

The food later arrived, and the waiter placed down plates of steaming spaghetti and pizza in front of us. We had ordered a simple tomato sauce spaghetti and a Neapolitan pizza. After we all said a collective phrase of gratitude, we began eating. As I was eating, I noticed Akari gazing at me anxiously.

“What’s wrong?”

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, before looking down at her lap. She nervously fidgeted with her hands.

“Y-you got something on your face…”

“O-oh… can you wipe it off for me?”

Akari’s body seemed to tense up at the request, taking a few seconds to process my words. After she did, her face started glowing a bright pink.

“S-sure…”

She shakily held a napkin and extended her hand to my face, gently brushing the sauce off. While cleaning my cheek, she started to gaze at me intensely. I felt a heat creep up my cheeks as she kept staring at me.

“A-Akari… stop staring…”

Akari squeaked, and suddenly pulled back, her face now bright red. She tucked her hands in her lap and dropped her head down, fidgeting with the napkin in her hand. An awkward silence filled the rest of dinner, as Akemi just continued to smirk smugly at Akari, while Akari just ate quietly, occasionally sneaking glances at me.

“Hey, Hina~ say ah~”

I looked over to Akemi and saw her hand extending towards me, holding a fork with a bundle of spaghetti wrapped around, while smiling at me endearingly. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, but as it got closer, I eventually hesitantly closed my eyes and opened my mouth, anxiously waiting for the spaghetti. I then felt a sudden gust of wind near my face, and I opened my eyes to see that Akari had snatched the roll of spaghetti from the fork. She began to chew it slowly as she sat back down, flashing Akemi a violent glare. After swallowing it, she started twirling spaghetti around her own fork, and without warning swiftly shoved it into my mouth.

“Taste mine, Hina. It’s way better.”

We eventually finished our dinner, and I sunk back into the seat, letting out a deep sigh. I gazed around the restaurant listlessly, until my gaze caught Akemi’s, who was beaming at me excitedly.

“Let’s give each other our presents now!”

Akemi exclaimed, putting her hands together. She then scooched over and grabbed her paper bag and began rustling through it. She pulled out two small cylinders and happily handed one to me and Akari. As she placed it in my palm, I began looking over it curiously. It was a small, plastic container of hand cream, coloured in a soft pink dotted with tiny white hearts. The brand name was spelled out on the lid and side in bold, bubbly letters. I looked over to Akemi again, who was still beaming enthusiastically.

“It’s hand cream! It smells really good!”

“Thanks Akemi…”

I replied cheerily. I then looked over to Akari, who was staring down at her one begrudgingly.

“Your turn!”

Akemi proclaimed and gazed at me in anticipation. I reached over for my paper bag and opened it up, peeking inside. The two scarves I had bought for Akari and Akemi both laid there, folded neatly. Sitting on top unassumedly was the matching pair of lily keychains I had originally thought. As I caught sight of them, I immediately felt a blush rise to my cheeks, and I could feel my heart start racing again. I quickly shook my head in an effort to calm myself down, and I swiftly grabbed the two scarves out of the bag. I handed the beige one to Akemi, who accepted happily, and the pink one to Akari, who accepted it much less enthusiastically. As her eyes glazed over the scarf, a tinge of disappointment seemed to wash over her face, but she tried not to let it show.

“Thanks, Hina…”

She muttered quietly. After we had all finished exchanging our gifts and paid for our meal, we left the restaurant and began making our way to the district centre. As we walked on the streets, Akemi was being her usual cheery self, skipping along carefreely while humming a tune. Akari, however, seemed to be a lot less cheerful than before. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and a slight, irritated pout was painted on her face. Her eyes had a glint of sadness, and she continued walking ahead of us, her hands tucked in her pockets tightly and refusing to look back once.

W-what? Did I do something? Why does Akari suddenly look so pissed? Does she not like the gift I gave her? B-but she said she liked my scarf before, right? But then… why else would she be mad for no reason?

We eventually made our way to the midtown garden, where all the main attractions and lights were. The entire park was covered in a layer of snow, as it was still snowing. Snowflakes fell beautifully from the sky, sparkling like glitter in the air. The grass fields of the park were all covered in a sea of bright moody lights, their brightness slightly dimmed by the fluffy, white snow. Giant, intricate decorations and ornaments sparkled brightly against the night sky, and the LEDs which tangled around the tall, dead trees twinkled like fireflies in the night. Although it certainly was very lively, the snow seemed to bring a sort of calmness to the chaos of colour and light. We continued to make our way through the crowds of people, admiring every attraction when suddenly –

“AKEMI KIMURA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!”

We all turned around, and heard angry footsteps approach us. I looked over to Akemi, who was now wearing a nervous expression. She gulped loudly, and stared fearfully into the crowd of people, trying to make out the source of the noise. The footsteps only got louder and louder, until suddenly, a middle-aged man and woman stepped out of the crowd. They both turned their gazes to Akemi, and their eyes and expressions soured. Akemi began trembling nervously, and she began fidgeting with her skirt. She looked up to the man and woman, forcing a nervous smile.

“O-oh… Hi mom! H-hi dad! D-didn’t expect you two to be here…”

Her parents continued staring at her, clearly unamused. Her father began speaking in an irritated voice.

“Akemi Kimura. We are going home right now.”

Akemi’s father continued to glare sternly at Akemi, and he suddenly grabbed her arm firmly and started dragging her away into the crowd.

“N-no! Save me Hina!”

Akemi cried, her expression pleading. Her arm was outstretched, but she soon was swallowed up by the crowd and disappeared. There was an awkward silence in the air between me and Akari after, and we both stood still, trying to process what just happened. I then heard a small giggle, and looked over to Akari, who was trying to muffle the sound of her laugh using her hand. Her quiet chuckle slowly grew louder and louder, and suddenly, she bent over, clutching her sides and howled with laughter. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued laughing, her body shaking intensely. I didn’t know why, maybe it was her suddenness that had caught me off guard, or the absurdity of what had happened before, but I also slowly found myself holding my sides, letting out a loud guffaw. We both continued laughing, our screams reverberating in the night air.

Akari seemed to finally have calmed down, and she slowly straightened back up, wiping tears from her eyes. She still had a massive grin painted on her face, and she looked over to me, her expression now cheery. She stared at me for a moment before quickly looking down to her feet, her cheeks now as bright as the Christmas lights.

“S-sorry for being mad before…”

She muttered quietly, fidgeting with the pink scarf I gave her earlier.

“I-I didn’t know why I got mad… I know I shouldn’t… but… when you gave me and Akemi the same gift… I-I don’t know…”

She sighed shakily and continued fidgeting with the scarf. Her lips started to tremble, and she let out a strangled sob, her eyes slowly welling up with tears.

“I-I’m sorry… I’m horrible… e-even though you tried so hard to give a gift we both like…”

She sniffled, while wiping her tears with her sleeves.

“I-I’m sorry… I’m horrible… I’m so selfish…”

She buried her face into her hands and began to sob quietly. 

I saw her again. The helpless, needy girl from before. She continued to sob quietly, and she looked so small and lonely in the crowds of people. I clutched at my chest, feeling a familiar sense of pain wash over me again. Why, why was it every time I saw this lost, lonely girl, I wanted to protect her. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to make her smile. I reached into my pocket and clutched the two keychains tightly. I approached her quietly and gave her a soft tap on the shoulder. She looked up, her eyes wet and needy. I slowly extended my hand and dropped the keychain softly in her palm, the small plastic flower glistening in the lights.

Her body and expression froze, and it took her a moment to process what I had just did. She slowly looked down to the keychain, then back at me again, and a cheerful smile gradually spread across her face. The tears started welling up again, and she suddenly jumped onto me, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me tightly. I was caught off guard, and stumbled back a few steps, trying to regain my balance.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hina. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

She gasped in between sobs, her tears now staining my coat. She continued to hold me tightly, as if she was afraid of letting me go. I slowly melted into her embrace, and reached my hand over her head, gently petting it. She continued sobbing into my chest for a while. Eventually, Akari seemed to calm down, and she slowly peeled her face off me. She gazed at my face intently again, and a bubbly and cheerful grin spread over her face. 

Somehow, her smile seemed to shine brighter than any of the lights.