Chapter 3 : Her first time

Before I even opened my eyes, I could hear birds outside the window. Their quiet chatter mixed with the morning air drifting into the room. Something heavy rested on my chest, and for a moment I thought it was Yuki like usual. 

Still half asleep, I slowly opened my eyes and looked down. It wasn’t Yuki. Kaoe sat proudly on top of me, her soft brown fur rising and falling as she purred. I smiled and gently started petting her. 

“Aww, how cute of you,” I murmured, running my hand across her head. Kaoe looked like she was enjoying every second of it, leaning into my hand while purring louder.

“Excuse me…”

My heart skipped a beat. I turned toward the door and froze. Yuki stood there, watching us. Her expression was calm, but there was something sharp behind it. “I’m sorry to interrupt your… bonding time,” she said slowly. 

Before I could say anything, she turned around and walked away. I let out a quiet sigh, already knowing I had probably made her mad. Meanwhile Kaoe remained happily sitting on my chest, letting out a small “meow” that sounded suspiciously like a victory song.

I pushed myself up from the bed and stood, only to feel the cold floor sting my feet. Rubbing my eyes, I walked into the living room. The first thing I noticed was the table. Breakfast was already prepared. I blinked in surprise and looked over at Yuki. 

She was sitting on the couch that she had claimed as her own, her arms crossed while staring at the wall. “Yuki, did you make this?” I asked carefully.

She immediately repeated my words in a mocking tone. “Yuki, did you make this?” Her voice carried that unmistakable edge that told me she was still upset. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly.

Yuki sighed dramatically and leaned back into the couch. “I woke up early,” she said. “I did research, followed the instructions carefully, and made breakfast for you. And what do I see when I come to wake you up? You cuddling with her. 

All my effort was completely meaningless.” As she spoke, I noticed a cooking book lying open on the table. She must have worked really hard just to make that meal.

Feeling guilty, I sat down and picked up my chopsticks. “Alright, I’m starting,” I said, taking my first bite. To my surprise, it actually tasted good. I nodded a little, impressed, but then I made the mistake of speaking honestly. “Um… I think the salt might be a little too much.”

The moment those words left my mouth, I knew I had messed up. Yuki turned her head away with a small “hmph” and curled up on the couch. “Then don’t eat it,” she muttered.

I quickly waved my hands in panic. “No, no! It’s actually really good. I’m not lying. You might even cook better than me already.” Yuki tried to keep her face turned away, but I caught the faintest smile forming on her lips. She cleared her throat and said, “Continue.”

“Huh?”

“I mean continue talking,” she said, trying to sound uninterested.

So I did. I started praising her cooking, saying how impressive it was for her first time and how she had clearly worked hard. I even joked that she might be better than Kaoe in the kitchen. Slowly, the tension in the room faded.

Just then Kaoe wandered into the room, her small paws stepping softly across the floor. Her pink eyes looked up at me innocently, and before I could stop myself the words slipped out. “Aww, how cute.”

For a moment everything went silent. I turned and saw Yuki staring at me. Her eyes widened, filled with something that looked dangerously close to chaos. 

She slowly stood up and began walking toward us. My heart started racing. I braced myself, expecting either a scratch or a lecture.

Instead, Yuki bent down, picked up Kaoe, and held her gently. “Come here,” she said. “I’m bored. Play with me.” To my surprise Kaoe simply accepted it and curled comfortably on Yuki’s lap. 

A few moments later the two of them were quietly playing together. Yuki was even smiling. “Yuki?” I called.

Her expression instantly hardened again. “What?” she snapped. “Kaoe and I are having private time. Don’t disturb us. And aren’t you late for school?”

My eyes widened. “Oh crap.” I rushed to grab my bag and shoes. Before leaving, I turned back toward them. “Take care of her, Yuki. 

I’ll be back soon.” As I stepped outside, I glanced back one last time. For some reason, seeing Yuki and Kaoe together actually looked… nice.

By the time the first class ended, I was sitting quietly at my desk, staring out the classroom window. My mind kept drifting back to the morning. 

At first I had been worried that Yuki and Kaoe would never get along, but after what I saw before leaving, maybe things would be fine after all.

“Hey, Kai.”

I ignored it at first, still lost in my thoughts. Then it hit me that someone was actually talking to me. I turned quickly. “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t hear you.” A girl stood beside my desk. For some reason the moment I saw her face, my brain froze. I just stared.

“Hey, I’m Ester,” she said with a friendly smile.

Ester. My mind completely stopped working. A girl was talking to me. “Oh… oh! Hello. I’m Kai,” I stuttered, my voice shaking slightly. Ester laughed softly and raised a hand. “Calm down,” she said. “I just wanted to say”

She stopped mid sentence. The teacher walked into the room, and the second class started immediately. Ester gave a small shrug and returned to her seat.

But now my thoughts were completely different. Instead of thinking about Yuki and Kaoe, I kept thinking about Ester. What had she wanted to say? Why did she come over to talk to me?

 The questions stayed in my head through the second class… and the third… and even the fourth.

When lunch break finally arrived, I gathered my courage and walked over to her desk. “Hey, Ester,” I said nervously.

“Yeah?” she replied casually.

My nervousness instantly doubled. “Um… what were you going to say earlier?”

She blinked, then suddenly smiled. “Oh, that. I’m sorry. I completely forgot.” She laughed a little, then looked at me again with a calm expression. “I just wanted to ask if you’d like to have lunch together.”

And just like that, my already confusing day became even more confusing.