It's My First Time (Part 2)

Quick heads-up:
( ) = Kaze's inner monologue
<" "> = Whispers

Saturday mornings were usually a sanctuary for Takuya Kaze, a rare stretch of time when he could remain secluded within the comfort of his room, letting hours dissolve into anime episodes or the quiet rustle of manga pages. The outside world, with its noise and unnecessary friction, held little appeal for him. Yet today was an exception — one imposed not by desire, but by circumstance. Standing beneath the high glass ceiling of a bustling shopping mall, Kaze waited with his hands tucked into his pockets, his posture rigid, as if bracing himself against an unfamiliar current. The surrounding chatter flowed endlessly around him, but his attention remained fixed on the entrance, silently counting the minutes.

He checked the time again, resisting the urge to sigh. The glass facade reflected his own expression back at him, one marked by mild irritation and a deeper, quieter tension he refused to name. This outing was not his idea, nor was it entirely voluntary. A promise had been made, and despite his habit of drifting through life without attachment, Kaze took words seriously once spoken. People streamed past him in pairs and groups, their conversations blending into meaningless noise, while he remained still, isolated in the middle of motion.

“Kaze-kun!”

The voice cut through the crowd with surprising clarity. He turned almost immediately, already recognizing it. Sato Itsuki approached him from across the entrance plaza, her pace hesitant but purposeful, as if she were walking a fine line between excitement and restraint. She wore a simple white skirt, carefully pressed, paired with a modest top that matched the early summer air. The outfit was neither flashy nor plain, but it carried an unmistakable sign of effort — one that betrayed how long she must have stood in front of a mirror earlier that morning.

“Oh,” Kaze said after a brief pause. “You finally made it.”

“Sorry,” Itsuki replied, lowering her head slightly. “I kept changing clothes. I wasn’t sure what would be… right.”

He looked at her again, more carefully this time, then shrugged. “You’re fine. Honestly, next time you don’t need to stress so much. Just wear what you like. I’m not exactly picky.”

“Next time?” she repeated softly, eyes lifting toward him. “With you?”

He froze for a fraction of a second before answering. “…Only if we’re hanging out. Don’t misunderstand.”

She nodded quickly, though the small smile that followed lingered longer than necessary. “I won’t. I don’t really plan on hanging out with anyone else anyway.”

“That… sounds heavier than you probably intended,” Kaze muttered, glancing around. “Lower your voice. People are already staring.”

Itsuki blinked, finally noticing the glances cast their way. Her shoulders tensed, and she ducked her head. “S-Sorry…”

Behind them, the mall doors slid open and closed continuously, releasing waves of sound and cool air. Kaze turned toward the entrance, gesturing forward. “Shall we go in?”

She nodded, taking a small step closer. Kaze moved ahead instinctively, but before his foot fully landed, he felt a gentle tug at the hem of his shirt. He stopped immediately.

“W-What is it?” he asked, turning halfway. “Did you forget something?”

“N-No,” Itsuki said, fingers tightening slightly. “It’s just… since this is technically a date… can we hold hands?”

“That’s not something you have to force,” he replied carefully. “We don’t need to act.”

“I know,” she said softly. “But I want to. Just today.”

(Kuh… why am I so bad at refusing things like this?)

Kaze turned his back to her again and extended his hand behind him, stiff and uncertain. “Then… take it.”

Itsuki’s expression brightened instantly. She clasped his hand without hesitation, her grip firm, almost possessive. As they stepped into the mall together, Kaze became painfully aware of the warmth between their palms and the way her fingers tightened whenever someone passed too close. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, jaw tense, pretending his face wasn’t heating up.

“Kaze-kun,” she said after a moment, “have you eaten yet?”

“No,” he answered. “If you’re hungry, we can eat first.”

“I am,” she admitted quietly. “A little.”

“Then let’s do that.”

They wandered through the mall before settling on a newly opened café tucked between larger stores. The seating area was modest, the lighting warm, but the atmosphere felt unnervingly intimate. They sat across from each other, the table between them feeling smaller than it needed to be. Kaze cleared his throat, searching for something neutral to say.

“This is… awkward,” Kaze admitted at last, breaking the silence that had stretched too long to be ignored. His voice was low and measured, as if he were stating an observable fact rather than a personal discomfort, yet the stiffness in his posture betrayed how acutely aware he was of the space between them and the weight of simply sitting across from her.

Itsuki responded with a faint, almost relieved smile, one that softened her expression without fully dispelling her nervousness. “I was thinking the same thing,” she said quietly, fingers tightening slightly around the menu in her hands, as though it offered some form of refuge from the tension hanging between them.

“Let’s look at the menu first,” he suggested, shifting his gaze downward.

She nodded obediently, her attention turning fully to the printed pages. After a brief pause, she spoke with surprising decisiveness. “I want a strawberry milkshake and chocolate cake.”

“Classic choice,” Kaze replied without thinking.

She lifted her eyes immediately, narrowing them just a little. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“It’s not,” he said calmly. “Just predictable. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Hm.” She tilted her head slightly, studying him as if weighing his words. “And you?”

“I’ll decide after you,” he answered.

“That’s unfair,” she said, puffing her cheeks just a bit, the gesture more unconscious than deliberate.

(She really does overthink everything.)

Kaze exhaled quietly before offering a suggestion. “Then how about caramel cake with a vanilla milkshake? It suits you.”

Itsuki froze for a moment. Her eyes widened just slightly, and she stared at him as though he’d said something far more significant than he intended. “You think so?”

“Yeah,” he replied simply. “I do.”

There was a brief silence, followed by a small, resolute nod. “…Then I’ll trust you.”

When the food arrived, the waitress slowed mid-step, her professional composure cracking almost immediately. Her eyes widened in recognition.

“Takuya-senpai?!”

Kaze looked up sharply, caught off guard by the familiar voice. “Urara Izuha (see Chapter 4) ?”

“Yes! You remember me!” she exclaimed, her expression brightening instantly before her gaze flicked toward Itsuki. “Ah — um, is she your — ”

“I’m his girlfriend,” Itsuki said calmly, cutting in without hesitation. Her tone was steady, almost composed, as though she were stating something obvious rather than provocative.

The atmosphere around the table shifted instantly, the air tightening in a way that made even Kaze feel it physically.

“So,” Itsuki continued, meeting Izuha’s gaze without wavering, “can we enjoy our meal now?”

Sensing the situation teetering on the edge of escalation, Kaze stood up quickly and guided Izuha a short distance away from the table.

<"Not today. Please,"> he murmured, keeping his voice low. <"You’re working, right?">

She hesitated, then sighed in resignation. “…Fine.”

When Kaze returned to his seat, he released a slow breath. “That was… unnecessary.”

Itsuki didn’t respond verbally. Instead, she lifted her spoon and took a bite of her cake. Her eyes closed briefly, as if savoring the taste, before opening again — wider this time — as she stared at the spoon in quiet contemplation. Then, slowly, she looked at him.

“Try it.”

He paused. “…An indirect kiss?”

“Yes.”

(She didn't even try to hide anymore, huh?)

After a brief moment of hesitation, he complied.

She watched him closely before speaking again. “Your turn. Feed me.”

“…You’re dangerous,” he muttered.

“But you’re still doing it,” she replied, a subtle smile tugging at her lips.

After they finished their meal, they approached the counter together to pay for the food.

“Couples get forty percent off,” Izuha announced with a grin that was far too knowing.

“We’ll take it,” Itsuki said immediately, clinging to Kaze’s arm without giving him time to object.

“Then hug him for one minute,” Izuha added teasingly.

Before Kaze could protest, Itsuki wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing herself close.

<“I don’t care,”> she whispered. <“Just stay like this.”>

When they finally stepped outside the mall, she remained beside him, her arms looped securely around his waist as they walked through the afternoon crowd.

Kaze didn’t pull away.

And just like that —

...

End of Chapter / Volume 1