“Either you or someone else had better be dead, Koemi, I swear to fuck,” the voice on the other side of the phone growled. “Since you’re calling it’s not you, so who’s dead?”

“I have a girl here,” Koemi whispered.

“What? What are you even talking about?”

“I don’t want to screw this up. You have to help me, Sachi!” Koemi pleaded, sitting on the toilet nervously.

“Is this girl a real person? It’s not like that time with the blow-up doll is it?”

“Of course, she’s real. Jesus, it was one time, and I was drunk. How do you even remember that shit?”

“’I want to marry her, Sacchan! She’s the only one who will ever understand me! Her name is Aoi-chan bubble butt and we’re in love!’” Sachi mocked her. Sachi’s voice moved away from the phone for a second as she spoke to someone else. “Oh, it’s Koemi, she’s got another blow up doll situation. Ow! Why’d you hit me?”

“Don’t let Sachi be mean to you, Koemi!” Akari called from the background.

“Thanks, Akari. I told you already, it’s a real person, this time. I need your help. I’m in uncharted waters, here. What do I do?”

“Why in the fuck are you asking me? Yuki’s better at that stuff than I’ll ever be. Call her.”

“She’s not answering. I think she and Mari are… slippery.” Koemi whispered.

“Ugh. Fucking gross. Why do you use that word? But it is Valentine’s Day. If you catch my drift. Valentine’s Day…” Sachi trailed off meaningfully.

“I know! Look, how do I make her like me without coming across as creepy. Tell me that and I’ll leave you alone to do…whatever you do.”

“How should I know? Ok…fine. I have a few minutes before Akari and I are going on the harbor tour. I’ll humor you. When’d you meet her?”

“Today.”

“Eeeh?”

“I got a fever, and she was the waitress who took me to her apartment and nursed me back to health. All of which you’d know if you ever answered your phone or listened to the messages I left,” Koemi hissed.

“Don’t get snippy with me, missy. I had shit to do,” Sachi snarled. “Anyway, so she’s a waitress you met today and now she’s in your apartment…do you need help? Are you being kidnapped? Say Squeeze Cheez if you are and I’ll send security. Probably.”

“This is serious! I took her out to dinner, and we came back here and we’re having an amazing time. Well, I am, anyway. Fuck, what if she’s not having fun? Goddammit, now I’m scared. Anyway, though, I have no idea what to do now! Help me! Quick! She’s going to think I’m constipated or something I’ve been gone so long. I need advice, goddammit!”

“Wait…are you on the toilet?” Sachi sniggered.

“Just help me!”

“Akari! Koemi’s calling me from the pot! What the fuck? Who does that? Ow! Why’d you hit me again?”

“Hi, Koemi, this is Akari. What do you need help with?” Akari had obviously wrestled the phone away.

“I have a girl that I like and she’s in my apartment and I don’t want to screw it up and need advice.”

“I don’t think you need any advice,” Akari said in her soothing voice. “She’s there because she wants to be there. She is there willingly, right?”

“What? Of course, she is!” Koemi stammered.

“Ok, then. You’ve gotten this far. Act natural and let the rest of the night flow the way it should. You’re a lovely woman with brains, looks and charm. Be yourself and it’ll work out. I promise.”

“Really?” Koemi smiled gratefully.

“Really. Now go be you, tiger,” Akari replied.

“Thanks, Akari.” Koemi felt her confidence grow and her smile with it. “Have a good night.”

“Oh, I plan on it! You, too, Koemi.”

“You shouldn’t lie to her, Akari,” Sachi teased from the background. “Ow! Shit!”

“You’ve got this!” Akari enthused before hanging up. Koemi scowled. Damn Sachi. Jerk.

“I’m sorry about that!” Koemi bowed slightly in apology as she re-emerged from the bathroom.

“Oh, it’s ok!” Nanami smiled. “I was just enjoying the view. It’s incredible up here.” Koemi walked over to stand next to her.

“It’s my favorite thing about this place,” Koemi nodded. “Well, that and the jacuzzi tub.”

“You have a jacuzzi tub, too?” Nanami sighed. “I totally should have paid more attention in choir.” Nanami lowered her head and fidgeted with her glass for a moment, looking pensive.

“Is everything ok?” Koemi asked. “Was it because I was gone so long? I’m so sorry about that. But I swear it’s not what you think!”

“I’m not sure what to think,” Nanami finally said, her voice low and halting.

“About what?”

“This…you…us…everything,” Nanami shrugged. “If you were a guy, I know precisely what you’d be expecting right now. I mean, limo and fancy restaurant and the flowers you sent to my apartment before you picked me up and now this apartment and everything. It’d be pretty obvious what you’d be after.”

“I see,” Koemi nodded. “Yeah, I can see that, I guess.”

“But you’re not a guy,” Nanami glanced at her sharply. “You’re not are you?” Koemi choked on her juice for a moment before shaking her head.

“Uh, no, I’m not a guy,” Koemi assured her. “At least not the last time I checked.”

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful or anything, but what is happening here?”

“I, honestly, don’t know,” Koemi admitted. She glanced over at Nanami’s face and found her looking back. Be myself. Be myself. Be myself. Koemi said over and over again. Ok. I can do that. I will do that! She steeled her courage and turned to face Nanami directly, steeling herself.

“I don’t expect anything,” Koemi said. “I didn’t do any of this because I wanted something from you. At first, I just wanted to thank you. I mean, yeah, you’re gorgeous, but I had no hidden agenda.”

“And now?” Nanami prompted.

“Well, tonight has been so much fun. I mean, you are amazing, and you made me feel amazing being with you. I don’t expect anything from you, like I said. You don’t owe me anything. I did it because I wanted to and if you want to leave right now or whenever, I don’t blame you!”

“Do you want me to leave?” Nanami asked.

“No!” Koemi grabbed her hand out of reflex. “I really, really don’t want you to go!”

“Then what do you want?” Koemi swallowed nervously.

“I want to kiss you,” the words were out before Koemi could stop them and she felt her face flush in embarrassment. She winced and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable tongue-lashing. Maybe she’d get slapped. Or go to the press. No, she didn’t seem the type to do that, but a slap wasn’t out of the question. When Nanami neither said anything nor hit her, Koemi opened her eyes nervously.

“Welcome back,” Nanami grinned.

“Th-thank you,” Koemi mumbled.

“I’ve never kissed a girl before,” Nanami finally said.

“M-Me either,” Koemi admitted. “Not a real one, anyway.”

“I’ve also never thought about a girl in a way that would make me want to kiss them,” Nanami continued, thankfully ignoring what Koemi had said. Still, though, the way the conversation was going did not bode well. “But I’ve never met someone like you before. I…I wouldn’t mind kissing you. Just to try it out, you understand.”

“Really?” Koemi asked, trying to figure out if she was kidding or not. Nanami nodded. Her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest as she drew closer to Nanami. Please don’t let me miss her lips and kiss her nose or something, Koemi silently prayed to whatever god had jurisdiction over this sort of thing.

Koemi gently placed her hands gently on Nanami’s shoulders, sliding them around to gently cradle the back of her head as she moved closer. Koemi let her gaze drift between Nanami’s lips and slightly lidded eyes before closing the last few millimeters and pressing her lips against Nanami’s gently.

A shock like a spark coursed through her body as she felt Nanami’s soft lips against hers and her eyes closed in rapture. It was like every nerve in her body was hypersensitive. She felt the warm air from the heater blowing on the skin of her arms, the soft weight of Nanami’s thick black hair against her hands, the gentle pressure of their breasts pressing together, the feel of Nanami’s dress swirling against her leg. The kiss lengthened and deepened, until their lips parted slightly, and their tongues slipped about each other, causing whole new sparks to course down her body and settle in her belly in a knot of excitement, nervousness, and desire.

The kiss seemed to both last forever and not nearly long enough as their lips finally parted, leaving both of them panting slightly. Koemi let her head drift forward slightly, her eyes staying closed, her arms around over Nanami’s shoulders still. Nanami bent her own head forward until their foreheads touched, her arms wrapping around Koemi’s waist and clasping behind her.

“Wow,” Nanami whispered. “That was…not at all what I expected it to be.”

“In a good way?” Koemi’s heartbeat thudded in her ears.

“I think so, yeah. Good enough to make me want to try it again, definitely.”

“I’d like that, too,” Koemi mumbled, before Nanami’s lips pressed against hers again, their tongues brushing over each other’s, exploringly. Once again, the kiss lengthened and deepened until they were both breathless.

Koemi felt Nanami’s hands tighten against her back and pull her closer. Koemi’s hands slid through Nanami’s hair gently, brushing over the nape of her neck. The knot in her belly seemed to grow warmer and hotter, like her insides were on fire. Everywhere Nanami touched left traces of heat that spread outward like a brush fire through her skin. Finally, the kiss ended reluctantly and the clung to each other, the heat from Nanami’s body encasing her in its warmth.

“Yes,” Nanami finally breathed. “I definitely like it. A lot.”

“I do, too,” Koemi whispered. “But what happens now?”

“Well, it’s still Valentine’s Day so we can figure it out together, I think.”

“I…I don’t really want a one-night kind of thing,” Koemi muttered. “I don’t think my heart could handle it.”

“Huh, that’s probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me,” Nanami’s smile was warm and gentle and Koemi felt she could easily get lost in it. “In that case I better get busy, then.”

“Get busy?” Koemi cocked her head to the side quizzically.

“Yeah, I have to figure out what I’m going to do for you on White Day.”