Russian Roulette Pt. 1

It's strange how a single month can feel like a lifetime.

I used to think I was content with my quiet, uneventful days. Go to class, come home, cook a lazy meal, and stare at the ceiling until I fall asleep. Rinse, repeat. It wasn't fulfilling, but it was safe. And for someone like me—someone who's spent more of his life invisible than noticed—that was enough.

At least, I thought it was.

Then they showed up. Loud, strange, impossibly divine—and somehow more human than anyone I'd ever met. Chloe, with her soft voice and clumsy kindness. Lana, a chaotic force of laughter and warmth. And Alice… always composed, always watching, always one step ahead.

They didn't just change my days. They changed me.

And now, I'm left staring at the pieces of myself I didn't know were missing, wondering how the hell they managed to find them so easily. It's like they reached into the dull, gray rhythm of my life and painted color into every corner. Some part of me tried to push them away at first—told myself it was temporary. That they'd lose interest. That they'd disappear like everything else I ever got attached to.

But they didn't.

And the more time I spend with them, the harder it is to lie to myself. Because the truth is, I do care. Deeply. Painfully. Irrationally.

I like them. All three of them. And no matter how much I try to deny it, that feeling isn't going away any time soon.

"Hey! Aikami!"

My train of thought shattered. I looked up to see Lana waving me over to the stove, flashing that ever-familiar, mischievous grin.

I walked over and stood beside her and the bubbling pot. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Here!" She handed me a spoon with the enthusiasm of a game show host. "Authentic chicken katsu curry, made fresh by yours truly~! Haven't added the chicken yet because someone is taking forever with the prep!"

"I-I'm going as fast as I can, Lana!" Chloe shouted.

"Aahaha! Anyway, taste test time, Aikami. No sugarcoating, alright? Give me your honest opinion. I promise I won't lash out if you say it's bad."

I eyed the spoon, half-expecting it to explode. "Something tells me I'm getting slapped no matter what I say."

"Eh?! Who do you take me for?! I might be a merciless goddess when it comes to fate, but a liar I am not!"

"Pfft... We'll see about that."

I blew on the spoon a few times and took a small bite—or sip? Whatever you do with curry that's too thick to drink but too saucy to chew.

My eyes widened as the flavor hit me. A blend of rich spices, savory sweetness, and a warmth that cradled my mouth.

"W-whoa..." I gasped.

Lana didn't even wait for me to finish chewing... or swallowing. "So? So?! How is it, Aikami?! It's good, right?! Tell me it's good! Actually, scratch everything I said—I shall only accept 'most delicious thing you've ever eaten' as a valid answer!"

"G-gim me a mowent!"

"No! I want your answer now!"

I finally managed to swallow, though it scorched my chest a bit on the way down.

"Goddammit, Lana..."

"Eh?!"

"Yeah. And I meant it that way this time."

She gasped like I'd just betrayed her on national television. "You don't mean that, Aikami!"

"Who's to say I don't? Oh, that's right. Me. And I'm saying right now that I—"

Suddenly, a sharp poke jabbed into my side—hard enough to make me jolt. Any harder and I think my intestines would've staged a rebellion.

"Seriously?!" I flinched, rubbing my ribs.

"Hmph. That's what you get," Lana said with a smug tilt of her head.

"For what?!"

From behind us, Alice let out a soft chuckle as she continued mixing the breading for the chicken, clearly entertained by the chaos playing out before her.

"You should know by now that arguing with Lana leads nowhere, darling. Trust me—I've been her older sister for a very long time."

Lana pointed at her like she'd just made a brilliant point. “Yeah, what she said—wait, what?! That was a jab at me, wasn't it?!"

"Take it as you will, dear sister."

"Tch… Anyway, Aikami. You gonna give me an answer or what?"

"I was going to... until you decided to physically assault me."

"Dunno what you're talking about."

Despite how much I've grown to care for them, I swear these girls are going to be the death of me one day. Then again… that only matters if they stick around long enough for it to happen.

I set the spoon down on the counter with a soft sigh. "It was good. Really good, actually. Considering my diet's mostly been rice and ramen for as long as I can remember, I'd say it's not a stretch to call it the most delicious thing I've ever eaten."

"Ooh~ Really?" Her eyes sparkled.

"I mean, have you tried it yet?"

"Nah. I just assumed it'd taste good since, you know, I made it."

"Your confidence is something else." I shook my head with a smirk, reaching into the drawer for a clean spoon. I scooped up another bit of curry and held it out to her. "Here."

Everything went dead silent. All three girls stared at me with wide eyes, their attention locked onto the spoon I was holding inches from Lana's face. Even Lana herself had gone rigid, like someone had hit the pause button on her entire body.

"A-Aikami..." Chloe gasped.

"What are you..." Alice muttered.

"Huh?" I blinked. "What's wrong? Why are you guys—?"

Then it hit me. My eyes slowly trailed from the spoon… to Lana… to the spoon again.

Oh. Wait... Oh fuck.

I was about to feed her. Feed her. Like, hand to mouth. And the worst part? Lana hadn't moved an inch. Her eyes were downcast, her body stiff and her face covered by hair.

I jolted upright. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to—! I mean, I wasn't thinking! I'll just set it down and you can—!"

But just as I started pulling the spoon back, her hand shot out and gently grabbed my wrist.

I froze.

Slowly, she looked up at me, her bangs parting just enough for me to see the flustered mess behind them. Her cheeks glowed so red that it could've ignited the curry pot behind us. And yet, despite all of that, she didn't look away.

"…Go ahead," she murmured.

It took a solid second for those words to render in my noodle brain. "H-huh...?"

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then gave the tiniest nod. "I said go ahead… A-Aikami."

My brain stalled. My thoughts short-circuited. And before I could even form a sentence, Lana leaned in ever so slightly and—without breaking eye contact—wrapped her lips around the spoon.

Everything else faded away.

The room. The noise. The chaos of a boiling pot behind us. All I could hear was the thunderous pounding of my own heart as I watched her slowly pull back, lips parting from the spoon with a soft pop.

She blinked, cheeks still red. "Hmm... Not bad..."

I just stood there like a statue, unsure if this situation was real or if it was just a dream.

"Aikami…" Chloe's voice trembled.

I turned my head just a little—and immediately regretted it.

Chloe was staring at me, scowling and flushed, like she'd just witnessed something she shouldn't have. Her hands were bunched together near her chest, and steam might as well have been coming out of her ears.

Alice, meanwhile, had stopped mixing entirely. One hand rested on her hip, the other holding a wooden spoon mid-air as she stared at us, her mouth ever so slightly open in disbelief.

"…Did that actually just happen?" Alice muttered.

"I-it totally did," Chloe whispered back, voice cracking.

Lana, still flustered beyond reason, looked away, muttering under her breath. "Just so we're clear, Aikami... y-you're the one who held out the spoon…"

"You didn't have to eat it!” I fired back, equally mortified.

"Well, I wanted to, okay?!"

"And that's supposed to be my fault?!"

The air was so thick with embarrassment you could slice it with a butter knife. My heart was sprinting laps in my chest, and judging by everyone else's expressions, I wasn't the only one.

Then Alice let out a long, exaggerated sigh, before wearing an eerily dangerous smile.

"Fufu~ I didn't expect dinner to come with a front-row seat to such... an utterly beautiful performance. What's next? Are you two going to kiss, or shall we save that for dessert?"

"I—Wha... No!" I stammered. "It wasn't like that!"

"Could've had me fooled. Could've."

It was like something had formed in my throat, barring me from speaking another word. This level of embarrassment is just... unhealthy.