Operation Lovey-Dovey

Tanaka: So where are we meeting for Operation Lovey-Dovey ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ ( ^ω^ )

Me: We could go to that same rooftop where we first met, it’s usually pretty empty.

Me: The last thing we want is for rumors to spread.

Tanaka: ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Me: Operation Lovey-Dovey?

Me: Didn’t I say to not pick a stupid name.

Tanaka: Well I like it 。・°°・(＞_＜)・°°・。

Me: I’m shortening it to LD.

Tanaka: Let’s meet at lunch time (๑>◡<๑)

Me: Fine

I reread the text that Tanaka-san had sent me earlier. Hmm, she’s late. I took another bite of my red bean bun. I wonder if she changed her mind after all.

Then I heard the rooftop door swing open. I see Tanaka carrying a large bag. “Hey, hey Kazuma-kun,” she shouts. I gave her a small wave. She seems to be really struggling with that bag.

“Hey, Tanaka-san do you need any help?”

“Nope, I got it.”

Even though she says this, I can see that her shoulders are slumped and she's leaning heavily to one side. I got up from the bench and headed over to her.

“Here, let me help.”

“No, no, no, I got it.”

"Don’t be so stubborn, you clearly don’t."

She pauses. Afterward, she hands her bag over to me. “Well, maybe it’s a little bit heavy. Thank you, Kazuma-kun!”

I put the bag over my shoulders. A little? This thing weighs a ton. What does she have in here, bricks? She’s way stronger than she looks.

We both made our way to the benches.

“Thank you again for helping me.”

“No problem, Tanaka-san.”

" You know Kazuma-kun, there's no need to be so formal. We are engaged...sort of. Feel free to just call me Rika, or even Rika-chan," she smiles.

“Eh, I’ll just stick with Tanaka then.”

It’s better to have some distance between us.

“Booo, you’re no fun Kazuma-kun,” Tanaka pouts.

“So, what’s in this bag anyways?” I asked.

“Uh, uh, uh. Before we get into that, let's eat.”

She pulls out a bento box from her bag. When she opened it, I didn't see the typical onigiri rice balls or the little Tako-san wieners. Instead, there was just a toasted sandwich, sliced into two, diagonally. She picks up one of the slices. I can see the melted cheese oozing on the side. 

"Itadakimasu," she shouts.

 She then takes a bite. After she she dips it into a bowl and bites again.

“Mmmmmm," she says. " Hey Kazuma-kun, do you want some grilled cheese? It tastes amazing when dipped in this tomato soup.”

“No, I’m good.”

What an odd lunch, fitting for an odd girl.

"Now that we're finished, it’s time to show you what’s in the bag."

Inside the bag, all I could see were manga.

"How many manga did you bring?" I asked.

"Well, there's at least five."

Five? Looks more like fifty. “Alright, I’ll ask, what’s up with all the manga?”

“Well since neither you nor I have much romantic experience, I figure we can take a look at all these romance manga to get a better idea.”

“Manga is fictional you know. They’re not going to be accurate. We’re better off just reading about people's personal experiences. Or just watching a movie.”

“Well, with just text you have to imagine everything that happens. With movies, since everything is visual, it pressures you to do things exactly as shown. But manga are the happy medium between the two. Not only does it show some romantic actions, but it also leaves room for the reader's imagination. Yes, personal experience may be better, but you know every fictional story always has a hint of truth in it.”

Seems like she’s put a lot of thought behind this.

“Alright, pass me one.”

“Here you go, this one is supposed to be really good."

I looked at the title of the book, My Sweet Honey Lemon, a sweet and sour romantic comedy. “It looks like an extremely cliché and generic story.”

“It's pretty popular. Here, why don’t we read it together.”

She starts moving closer to me. I can feel her side next to mine. A sweet coconut smell drifts in the air. Is it coming from her hair? She motions me to grab one edge of the book while she grabs the other. The two of us begin to flip through the pages, under the warm sun.

After some time, I let out a deep sigh.

“Huh, what’s wrong? Getting bored?”

“Sort of. It’s just that all romance stories are pretty formulaic. Love interest meets love interest. Problems or misunderstandings occur. Some grand event happens, like running through the airport or crashing a wedding. And finally, the two lovers have their kiss. Of course, there's the slow build-up too. Definitely my least favorite genre.”

“Then let’s skip all that,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Why don’t we just go straight for the kiss.”

“Kk-kiss?”

“Yeah, if we just get the first kiss out of the way, then anything else we work on will be relatively easy.”

Kissing huh? Well, she’s not wrong, but still.

“Ah, but if you’re not interested in doing it, that’s okay! Kissing should only happen with someone you love, right?”

“Not necessarily. When it comes to romantic scenes, actors with no chemistry or relationship can kiss with no problems. If you think about it we’re sort of like actors too, since we’re only pretending to be in a relationship. Therefore, this kiss wouldn't really count."

I turned my head to the side, "Ww-we could try it if you want.”

“Ah...okay,” she says as she blushes and puts her hands up to her face.

“Wait, before we go any further we should come up with a safe word.”

“A safe word?”

“Yeah, whenever an actor gets uncomfortable on set, they say the safe word. Then everything pauses. The safe word itself can be any word. But it should be a word we wouldn’t usually say.”

“Hmm, how about the word cut? Isn’t that the word a director will say when they want to stop a scene?”

“Alright, cut will be our safe word. Then I guess we should get started.”

We turned and began to lean forward. Bringing our faces closer and closer. Until...

“Cut,” I shouted.

“Huh, are you okay Kazuma-kun?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. But I realized from this angle, people could spy on us from the door window. Just imagine how difficult life will become if people were to think we're a couple.

“Alright, let’s move to the other side of the rooftop door then."

We stand face to face on the side of the rooftop entrance. It’s funny how a simple change of location can make things more…intimate. Okay, let’s do this. We begin to lean in once more. Now that I think about it, guys usually grab the girl. What’s the position again? I place my hands on her shoulders and then…

“Cut,” Tanaka shouts.

“Are you okay?"

“Yes, I’m all right. It’s just, Kazuma-kun you’re not supposed to grab me by my shoulders, you have to grab me by my waist and pull me close.”

“Yes, of course. Let’s try again.”

We stand face to face. I put my arms around her waist. I begin to pull her closer and closer. I can feel her breath. Her bright green eyes are getting closer. Then…

“Cut,” Tanaka shouts once more.

“Sorry Kazuma-kun.”

“If you don’t want to continue that's okay.”

No, I do. I was just thinking that I should probably close my eyes. When people have their first kiss, they typically close their eyes, right?”

“Right, I think?” I never knew how much body mechanics go into kissing.

"Let’s start one more time."

We faced each other once more. I gently bring her in. I can feel her chest on my chest. I lean in, she closes her eyes and begins to pucker her lips. I feel my heart pounding. My face is starting to feel hot, and sweaty. Even though we’re only centimeters apart, it feels like we’ll never get close. The seconds feel like hours. I closed my eyes and pucker my lips too. I can feel her breath on my face. I decided to peak just a bit. Wow, we’re really close! Now all I have to do is just place my lips on her pretty pink lips and…

"CUT!!!" We both shout.

“Maybe we should take a break,” I said while breathing heavily.

“I agree, this might be a little too advanced for us," she says while fanning herself. "But wow, actors are super amazing. It is impressive that they can do kissing scenes without getting nervous or embarrassed.”

The lunch bell starts to ring.

“Aww, I guess it looks like lunch is over. Hey Kazuma-kun, let’s meet up again tomorrow. Oh and here."

She hands me a stack of manga. They're quite heavy.

"Kazuma-kun, your homework is to study these manga. Understand?"

"Yes, Sensei."

“See you tomorrow, Kazuma-kun.”

“See you tomorrow Tanaka.”