NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: Chapter 2
The café near campus smelled like burnt espresso and cinnamon, a cramped little hole-in-the-wall with mismatched chairs and chipped mugs, the kind of place that clung to warmth despite the drizzle streaking the windows. Kaito Nakamura shoved through the door, his sneakers squeaking on the scuffed wood floor, the damp chill of late afternoon clinging to his ratty hoodie. His laptop bag banged against his hip, glasses fogging up from the steamy air, and he wiped them on his sleeve—smearing the lenses worse, as usual. The place was half-dead, just a few stragglers hunched over pastries, the hum of a coffee grinder grinding at his nerves.
He'd barely slept since the library two days ago, Aiko's voice looping in his skull like a glitchy track—soft, teasing, "Let's hang again, okay?" His stomach was a knot, half-starved from skipping breakfast, his hands jittery from too much vending machine soda. He adjusted his glasses, squinting through the haze, and spotted her—Aiko Tanaka, sprawled in a corner booth, a goddess slumming it in this shithole.
She was a fucking vision, as always—dark hair cascading over one shoulder, catching the dim light like spilled ink, her pastel pink sweater swapped for a tight white top that hugged her tits, the neckline dipping low enough to flash a hint of black bra. Her skirt rode up her thighs as she crossed her legs, red nails tapping her phone, lips pursed in a pout that made his dick twitch before he could stop it. She looked up, caught his eye, and flashed a smile—bright, wicked, a jolt straight to his balls. Kaito froze, heart slamming against his ribs, and nearly tripped over his own feet getting to her.
"Hey, nerd," she chirped, voice lilting, kicking a chair out for him with her sneaker. "Thought you'd ditch me." She grinned, teeth white and sharp, and patted the table like she owned the place.
"N-no way," he stammered, dropping into the seat, his bag thudding to the floor. His face burned, sweat prickling his neck, and he shoved a hand through his greasy hair, cursing how it stuck to his fingers. "I, uh… got here fast as I could." His voice cracked, a pathetic squeak, and he wanted to crawl under the table and die.
She laughed—that tinkling giggle that fucked with his head—and leaned forward, elbows on the table, her tits pressing against her arms. "You're cute when you're flustered," she said, eyes glinting, and Kaito's dick stiffened under his jeans, a traitor he couldn't control. He shifted, thighs clamping shut, praying she didn't notice the bulge.
"Uh… thanks?" he mumbled, ducking his head, glasses slipping down his nose. He yanked his laptop out, fumbling with the zipper, and set it up—anything to avoid those eyes sucking him dry. "So, uh… your code. You said it's still fucked?"
"Total disaster," she groaned, sliding her sleek laptop over, the screen glowing with a tangle of garbage arrays and loops that looked like a drunk wrote them. She scooted closer—too close—her knee brushing his under the table, her perfume hitting him like a punch: vanilla, sugar, a whiff of something slutty that made his balls ache. "I tried fixing it after you helped, but it's still shitting errors. You're too smart, Kaito—save me, yeah?"
He swallowed, throat sandpaper-dry, and forced his eyes to the screen instead of her mouth—those glossy lips he wanted to shove his tongue between, stop it. "It's… not that hard," he rasped, fingers trembling as he typed, deleting her messy lines. "Your loop's infinite—see? No break condition. And this array's indexed wrong." His voice steadied a little, the code a lifeline pulling him from the edge of losing it.
She watched him, chin propped on her hand, eyes tracking his every move like a cat with a mouse. "Goddamn, you're a genius," she said, voice dripping awe—or maybe mockery, he couldn't tell. Her fingers brushed his "accidentally" as he typed, a soft graze that sent a jolt up his arm, his dick throbbing harder now. "How do you even keep all that shit in your head?"
"Dunno," he muttered, cheeks blazing, finishing the fix with a shaky tap. "Just… practice, I guess. Try it now." He slid the laptop back, avoiding her gaze, his pulse a jackhammer in his ears.
She ran it, and when the output popped clean, she squealed—a high, girly sound that made the barista glance over. "Hell yes! Kaito, you're amazing!" She grabbed his hand, squeezing it, her skin warm and soft, nails digging in just enough to sting. He flinched, a choked noise escaping his throat, and she giggled again, letting go to clap like a kid.
"I-it's nothing," he said, voice a wreck, tugging his hand back to wipe it on his jeans—sweaty, shaking, still tingling where she'd touched him. His head spun—she was right there, praising him, laughing with him, like he wasn't someone invisible hiding in the library. Holy shit, she likes me, he thought, gushing, dizzy, a stupid grin tugging at his lips.
They worked another hour, her leaning in closer each time she had a question, her breath hot on his cheek, her knee pressing his under the table like she didn't notice. She teased him nonstop— "You're too smart, nerd," "Bet you dream in binary," "God, you're such a geek"—her voice playful, flirty, each jab making his chest swell and his dick strain. He stammered replies, half-laughing, too stunned to fight back, his inner monologue a horny, hopeful mess: She's fucking with me, but she's here—she picked me, me, fucking me.
When her code was done, she stretched—arms up, top riding high, flashing a strip of smooth belly and the edge of her panties peeking over her skirt—black lace—and sighed. "You're a lifesaver, Kaito," she said, dropping her arms, her smile softening. She leaned in, sudden and close, and wrapped her arms around him—a hug, jesus christ, her tits squashing against his chest, her hair tickling his neck. "Thanks, seriously."
Kaito froze, breath hitching, her warmth soaking into him, her scent clogging his lungs—vanilla and sin, making his dick pulse painfully. "Uh… y-yeah, anytime," he croaked, arms limp, too scared to hug back in case he popped off right there. She pulled away, giggling at his red face, and he nearly whimpered, the loss of her heat a gut punch.
"Hold on," he blurted, lurching to his feet, chair scraping loud. "I'll, uh… get you a coffee. For… thanks. Or whatever." He bolted before she could argue, stumbling to the counter, fumbling coins from his pocket—last bucks he had, but fuck it, she deserved it. He ordered her a latte, hands shaking as he paid, and shuffled back, setting it down like an offering to a goddess.
"For me?" she cooed, eyes wide, sipping it with a moan that shot straight to his groin. "You're so sweet, Kaito." She licked foam off her lip, slow, deliberate, and he nearly choked, shifting to hide the tent in his jeans.
"Least I could do," he mumbled, sinking back into his seat, heart racing so fast he thought it'd burst. She grinned, sipping again, and they sat there—her chatting about dumb shit, him nodding like an idiot, gushing inside: She's drinking my coffee, she's smiling at me, holy fuck, I'm the luckiest bastard alive.
Then she dropped it, casual as hell, leaning back with that wicked little smirk. "Hey, you're cute, you know? In a nerdy way." She twirled a strand of hair, eyes locked on his, and Kaito's brain flatlined—cute? me?"Wanna go out sometime? Like, for real?"
He stared, mouth open, a fish gasping on dry land. "Y-you mean… like a date?" His voice cracked, high and dumb, and she laughed—soft, not cruel—nodding like it was obvious.
"Yeah, dummy. You're fun. Say yes." She tilted her head, lashes fluttering, and his dick screamed yes before his brain caught up.
"Y-yes," he sputtered, hands clutching the table, knuckles white. "Fu—uh, I mean, yeah, sure, yes." He tripped over the words, face a furnace, and she giggled again, reaching over to ruffle his hair—her fingers in his greasy mop, holy shit, he was done for.
"Cool," she said, standing, grabbing her bag. "Text me, nerd." She winked, sauntering out, hips swaying, leaving him with her empty cup and a raging hard-on he couldn't hide. He sat there, dazed, the café's hum fading to static, his mind a gushing, horny chant: She asked me out—she fucking asked me out—I'm not invisible, I'm hers, I'm the luckiest fucker on earth.
The rain tapered off outside, but inside, Kaito burned—hopeful, awkward, alive for once.