Hissing in the rain

Outfit? Check

Cologne? Check

Flower bouquet? Check

Wallet and phone? Check

Now I'm ready to go pick up Yuki! But before I leave, I take one last look in the mirror. I am wearing a short-sleeved button-down shirt paired with a pair of light-colored jeans and some white sneakers. I don't know why, but this whole situation still doesn't feel real to me. I had to pinch myself a couple of times today. Am I really going on a date with Yuki today? Or am I dreaming? With a huge amount of butterflies in my stomach, I start walking towards her place.

I was now standing in front of Yuki's house, holding a bouquet of pink roses in my hand. And I was beginning to feel a little jittery. After a few moments, the front door opens, and Yuki appears. She gave me a quick wave and seemed delighted to see me. Yuki was dressed in a simple blue sundress with a flower motif. We appear to have color coordinated today. Did this happen to Rika and Hikaru as well, or was it just a coincidence like it was for us? As I handed her my bouquet, my heart skipped a beat.

"Akio! They're beautiful! You really shouldn't have!" Yuki said when she began smelling the flowers.

"Can you please wait a moment? I want to put the flowers in a vase. I don't want the roses to wither before I return!" she continued.

"Sure, no problem. I'll be right here waiting for you!" I said it with a smile. I'm thrilled that she enjoys the flowers so much.

After she returned, we began walking hand in hand to the first date location. I kept it a surprise and told her that we were going to a café first. But I didn't specify what kind of café it was.

"So... are you going to tell me now where we're going?" Yuki laughed.

"A cat café? Are you sure, Akio? We don't have to go there just because I like cats," she remarked, a bit concerned.

"Don't worry! I'll be just fine." I stated it with a confident smile, hoping to put her at ease.

I wasn't scared because I had done my homework. This cat café was well-known for its welcoming environment and friendly feline occupants. At least that's what the ad said! As we both entered the café, the pleasant aroma of coffee mixed with the soothing purring of the resident cats filled the air. Yuki's eyes grew with excitement as she noticed the cute felines scattered all over the place.

We were lucky to get a table near the middle of the room, where we could observe the cats playing and interacting with one another. Yuki ordered her favorite coffee, and so did I. We spent a few minutes sipping from our cups, petting the cats, and sharing our plans for the future.

"So, what do you plan to do after high school?" I asked.

"Well, my dream job isn't that ambitious; I'd like to one day have my own animal shelter," she answered.

"Don't say that! That's beautiful! I think this job really suits you. You're really passionate about saving animals. I, however, don't really have my own dream job yet. But I'm still learning about myself right now." Yuki nodded as I spoke.

"You have enough time to find your own path," she said cheerfully.

It seems one cat in particular piqued our interest: a naughty orange cat by the name of Ginger. Ginger seemed to like me, since he kept rubbing against my leg and purring loudly. Yuki couldn't help but laugh when she saw me struggling to balance my coffee while paying attention to Ginger.

The minutes went swiftly, and I couldn't help but observe Yuki as she played with the cats. I've been wondering for a while why she doesn't have one at home. Is it because Michi went missing? Perhaps she feels guilty about Michi's absence and refuses to adopt another cat until she finds her beloved pet. However, I don't want to bring up the subject because I don't want her to get sad on our first date.

After a few hours, we left the café hand in hand. It was now time for the second stop: the cinema! I looked online yesterday, and there were no romance movies available at the time. We had to choose between horror and action. I'm going to let her choose because I'm not sure what genres she likes.

To my surprise, Yuki picked horror. And that's how we ended up watching a zombie movie. While I secretly hoped she would get frightened and cling to me, that didn't happen. Perhaps Yuki is a brave girl who is only terrified of spiders.

It began to rain shortly after the film finished. It's amusing to see how bad I am at tracking the weather. My father is probably laughing right now. I'm on a date, and I didn't bring an umbrella. How careless was I? Out of the corner of my eye. I catch Yuki looking through her purse and pulling out her small, compact umbrella.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it?" She turns to face me and opens her umbrella.

"Yeah." I answered, embarrassed.

"What's with the sad face? It's just summer rain; it'll pass in a few minutes," she said with a smile.

"I wanted today to be a perfect day. I thought I was prepared for everything, and I can't even check the weather and bring an umbrella with me." I said, expressing my disappointment.

"What are you talking about? I had an amazing time! You prepared a fantastic day for us!. I had a great time with you!" she replied as she looked me in the eyes.

At the time, I felt as if her eyes were slowly hypnotizing me; time seemed to stop all around me, and I felt as if I were frozen in place. When I stared at her, all I could think about was my desire to kiss her.

"Yuki... Can I kiss you?" I asked without breaking eye contact. She blushed but did not say anything. She simply nodded.

I leaned in slowly, as my heart was pounding out of my chest. Our lips touched. It's a pleasant, soothing sensation. I can feel her lips pressing against mine and the heat rising from this intense kiss. I'm completely immersed in the warmth and delight of this moment. It's the best sensation I've ever had! When I opened my eyes, I noticed Yuki blushing. But I got confused when she began giggling.

"Why are you giggling? Was I really that horrible at kissing?" I covered my eyes. I know it was my first time, and it's not like there's a school for teaching people how to kiss, either.

"N-no! That was not the reason I was giggling! Actually, you were quite good..." She blushed and avoided making eye contact. Yuki, you have no idea how adorable you are right now or how happy that response made me!

"I was laughing because I remembered the joke you told me that time. You know about those kitties who hissed on their first date? I suppose this is where we are right now. We just hissed." She laughed, her face turning even redder than before.

"Yuki, do you realize how adorable you are?" I murmured this as I gently caressed her cheek. Then I rested my forehead on hers and spoke.

"Can I hiss you again?" I said it playfully, as I could feel my heartbeat racing again.

"Yes," she whispered as our lips met once again.

The rain showed no sign of stopping, but we didn't care. Under the umbrella, we felt safe in each other's embrace.