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[dereban]

Inaban

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[dereban]

Just--

[...]

J-Just make the cake and chicken!

[spacialeyes]

… Wait. Do you think that you can only have one or the other? You can have both chicken and cake, Inaba. That’s not greedy. It’s the point.

[dereban]

I-- It's not that! I was planning on having both from the beginning.

[spacialeyes]

[They’re arriving at her house and he’s overthinking everything.]

Hmmm… Greedy. So something you want more of that you’ve already had? Fireworks? Jewelry?

[dereban]

Nothing like that.

[spacialeyes]

Do you want another kiss or something?

[dereban]

Huh... w-why'd you come to that conclusion?!

[spacialeyes]

[Ah. She didn’t immediately deny it.

Yuuto feels that he is at a crossroads for his morality. He could be good and deny it for her, or-]

… Well, it’s not the cards, is it? That’s all that’s left.

[dereban]

H-H-How do you know it's not!? And maybe it's something else entirely...!

[spacialeyes]

Enlighten me then? [He still has her hand for now, and turns to face her directly,] What would you like? Your happiness is my top concern right now, so please do not hold back.

[dereban]

... it's okay, I don't need it.

[spacialeyes]

[That only serves to worry him. Yuuto tries to catch her gaze again.]

What do you want?

[dereban]

[ And Inaba is trying to avoid it, her face red. ]

Fine, you were right earlier...

[spacialeyes]

[Even though he had guessed this, Yuuto is surprised when she admits it. He’s already decided that he should take this take more seriously, so Yuuto doesn’t fluster and try to talk her out of her words. He does take a second to process his reaction.]

… I see.

Would you regret it though? If it was me… You can still have standards.

[dereban]

[ Okay, fine, that's enough for her expression to sour as she squeezes his hand tighter and not in the kind way.

(Although it's not very strong, given that she's not exactly athletic.) ]

I have good enough standards, thank you very much. We already kissed earlier. If I regretted that, I would have gone back home alone by now.

[spacialeyes]

[Yuuto doesn’t protest. He knows that he deserves this. He winces only briefly before managing to neutralize his expression. It reminds him of the way that Nen and Shigeru scold him when he says bad things about himself. Even if it hurts, Yuuto wouldn’t call it unkind.]

I-I’m sorry..! It’s just, I- I’m…

[What? A monster? A being with a shattered soul? He doesn’t know how to explain those in a way that will be taken seriously. But she’s squeezing his hand tightly, rather than trying to hush away his insecurity. Somehow that’s reassuring. He doesn’t doubt that she’ll push him away if he’s really a problem.]

… I’m sort of… tainted. And I want you to be happy. [It his mind, these things cannot co exist.]

[dereban]

And who says that I can't? If you're tainted, then we'll just have to find a way to fix it.

[spacialeyes]

[Something about the way that she can brush by that without challenging him is refreshing. And confusing.]

But it won’t be fixed in the next hours… I’d still be kissing you like this. Doesn’t that bother you?

[dereban]

Do I have to shine the "we kissed earlier" bat signal for you to get it?

[spacialeyes]

[Yeah. Kinda.

Yuuto thinks back to how many other people he’s kissed in the past six months and does think he’s being ridiculous. It sucks to not be able to shed this feeling.

He meekly looks back at her.]

Let me… get the cake in the oven…

[dereban]

I'll wait in the living room. And, ah... you really don't have to if you don't want to.

[spacialeyes]

[She hasn’t actually made him feel bad yet. Yuuto doesn’t feel like he’s being corrected or made to hide himself. So as he lets her hand go, he admits it with far too much honesty:]

I’m afraid that I’ll like it too much… Ah- I mean, uh… Sorry.

[dereban]

Is that such a bad thing? To enjoy yourself.

[spacialeyes]

I’m not sure. I’m not usually- [He catches himself.

He can’t say that. That he’s not usually happy. He’s not sure how to be happy. It’s scary. Not now and not here.

But he does decide to try. Yuuto steps closer and puts his free hand on her arm, holding her steady while he experiments with kissing her forehead.]

I’ll be right back. Thank you, Inaba.

[dereban]

Ah--I didn't do much, but you're welcome. I'll wait for you, alright?