Dinosaur Green

I left the chair beside me empty and told myself it was only because the paint needed room to dry. The posters glistened with paint, still bright in the dimming sun. There was quite a bit of commotion with all the stuff we needed to prepare for the cafe, but it looked like we were on track.

I had tasted the sweets we would be preparing that day, and they were plenty sweet. The range was massive, from your good ol' cookies to some pancakes and even some exotic sweets like tiramisu. I just hoped that she liked them.

It was already quite late, and it became harder to focus on the final touches on my uniform. Was she okay? I knew I kind of pushed her to reconcile with her club, but it actually looked like she was just hesitating over her decision. The last thing I'd want to do was hurt her.

I looked at my watch to confirm the time; maybe it was about time to leave.

"Oh. Is someone waiting for you, Saya?"

"Huh, uh no. I was just checking the time. It was getting late for my curfew." Whoa. That caught me off guard. I wasn't too hesitant about showcasing my relationship with Natsuki, but maybe the same couldn't be said for her. Speaking of, it felt like we hadn't done couple-ish stuff for a long time now. I needed to plan something.

I really wanted to leave and check up on Natsuki, but decided not to go for it. If she was taking this much time, maybe she found her place again. I couldn't lie, I was a bit jealous of her club mates, as they got to see her cool side every day, but it was so much better than her not even enjoying what she loved.

"Hey Saya, why not try out the uniform now. See if the fitting is fine?" A classmate of mine asked me.

"Uhh, sure." I had no reason to decline, so I might as well do it.

I changed into it pretty quickly, although my embarrassment was on full display as my cheeks were flushed red.

"Oh. It looks nice."

I inspected the hem of my skirt. It was not the usual black and white, but a tinted greenish color, inspired by a dinosaur of some sort. What are we even doing? As I pondered this question, I heard some running outside our classroom in the hall. They were familiar footsteps, and I gritted my teeth at what was to come. I had nowhere to hide.

"Hey, Saya, sorry I was a bit late. Whoa."

Natsuki looked me over from head to toe. It was an awkward five seconds, followed by utter silence. I had kept my head down for quite some time because I just did not have the heart to look at her. But I wanted to see what her face looked like, so I gradually lifted it.

The face was one I had never seen before, maybe because I had never managed to embarrass myself to this degree before. She took a huge step towards me, practically jumping. Holding my hands, her eyes meeting mine, she only had a few words for me.

"It... suits you."

All my worries fizzled into thin air with that single compliment. I shook off my mortification and tried to form some kind of response, but the best I could do at that time was ...

"Thanks. Let me get out of this, and then we can leave."

I hurriedly went back and changed out of the uniform.

By the time I returned, Natsuki was surrounded by a few of my classmates. She had both hands in her pockets and was looking anywhere except directly at them, which was rare enough to make me stop near the door.

"So? How was it?" someone asked her.

"How was what?"

"The uniform."

Natsuki's shoulders rose a little.

"It was fine," she said.

Fine?

I should have been relieved. Fine was safe. Fine was normal. Fine was exactly the kind of word that could pass through a classroom without making anyone turn their head.

But then Natsuki looked at me.

Only for a second.

Her eyes dropped first.

"Cute," she added, quieter this time.

The room did not become silent. No one gasped. Nothing changed in any way that could be proven.

Still, I stood there with my hand on the classroom door, unable to remember why I had wanted to leave so quickly.