NOVEL WEB Arc 1, Ch.21: …can’t resist, goddamnit!
[Additional choice:
- “I wanted to be in a group with you, so I didn’t care about who else was in it.”
Warning! Choice can strongly affect the score both negatively or positively depending on the current level of relationship!]
Hoooly! Okay, I mean, that’s totally the truth but hoooly shit! I can see why that can affect my score a lot! That’s an okay thing to say if the other person likes you, but wouldn’t it be totally creepy if they don’t?!
The score still says that it’s not certain whether it’s an actual crush!
Ughhh, what’s with that risk!
Though… of course… I wanna… try…
Stupid gambling… Who isn’t curious about what the risky choice will do… Moreover, it’s not like I can weaken the statement - I can only say one of the things the choice gives me and my mouth says it on its own. That much I had noticed by now, I was completely locked out of talking until I had said one of the choices.
The other choices were much safer options but…
I glanced at the still slightly irritated Mizuki and bit the inside of my mouth before opening it.
“I wanted to be in a group with you, so I didn’t care about who else was in it.”
Here I go.
My fingertips were instantly turning cold from tension. I felt my stomach churning as Mizuki twitched, his head turning to look at me with pure surprise and confusion in his eyes.
His lips parted slightly. “Huh?”
The gap widened as he took in a breath-
And nearly walked on a tiny dog.
Owner and dog yelped in surprise when the little furball jumped to the right, attention on the streets, and exactly under Mizuki’s feet.
Mizuki reacted instantly when his foot met an obstacle, jolting back at the same time as the surprised dog, and then yelping on his own when the sudden movement in the middle of a step made him lose his balance.
I yelped, too, completely ripped out of the conversation and seeing Mizuki tilt backwards.
So here the mess continued: Dog jumped farther to the side, tugging at the leash that Owner was just trying to pull into the opposite direction, Boy tilted farther back with waving arms, trying to stabilize himself and I tried to steady him without getting entangled into the leash or stepping on Dog who was now in front of my feet.
Ten seconds pure chaos.
Mizuki wheezed with wide eyes, his hand on my shoulder and leaning against my arm on his back, making sure there was nothing under his foot before he set it down. I wouldn't mind keeping the position, actually.
The owner - a young, shy woman - was in panic, holding the leash short so that her tiny dog was forced to sit next to her feet.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t expect her to jump out!”
“It’s okay, nothing happened in the end.”
I answered for Mizuki, only letting my arms fall after Mizuki was standing normally again.
The woman apologized half a dozen times before she left. The whole incident had the side-effect of our starting conversation having been broken off. I was half relieved, half annoyed at that. I couldn’t gauge Mizuki’s reaction just from a single surprised word, so maybe it was better that we got interrupted. I could check the note later and guess around a bit.
“That was a very small dog”, I said to deliberately lead the topic away from our previous one and Mizuki either didn’t notice or was fine with it.
“Too small for my taste. I wouldn’t want a dog where I’d worry about stepping on it.”
He was frowning again, though this time he didn’t look irritated anymore.
“Yeah, that wouldn’t have been pretty.”
As we quietly talked, a prompt popped up, suggesting to slow down and waste some more time.
I knew when our train would come, so I was a bit surprised. If we wasted time we’d miss the closest one, which seemed to be what the system wanted for whatever reason.
I didn’t question it too long and did just as it asked. Wasting time inside the city isn’t exactly hard, I just asked whether he’d mind me going to buy a book I needed anyway. He didn’t, so I successfully spent a while in the store until I had found it, missing the closest train.
We arrived for the next one and I almost immediately regretted it. We had gone in freely and comfortably, but two stations later the train was bursting.
With the system, my life had turned more and more abnormal and I was dumbly wondering whether it was even possible for such a cliche to happen in real life.
It was more of a manga situation. Kinda unrealistic though not impossible, but still so unlikely in its entirety that you’d wonder whether such a thing could truly happen.
What I’m talking about?
The train so loud with conversations that you can barely hear your own thoughts. The main couple in one of the corners, not yet together, but with an ambiguous atmosphere going around for a while. The taller one trying to shield the smaller one from getting crushed and, as a result of it, getting stuck awkwardly trying not to be pressed against their crush, who is fixedly staring anywhere else with pursed lips.
You know what I’m talking about.
Just how many freak coincidences have to interlock to create such a scenario?!
I cursed soundlessly and shoved my bag farther between us to avoid anyone getting caught on it. I had my body tilted to the left side so I wouldn’t be face-to-face with him, my meager strength barely keeping a short gap between our bodies with the masses pressing from behind.
“Are you alright?”, I said quietly. I was close enough to his ear that he could hear my voice despite the noise but he twitched, his shoulder jolting up. Probably because I was also close enough for my breath to just barely tickle his ear.
That’s bad, I mustn’t tease him.
“Not a fan of crowded trains but okay”, he muttered back.
“I wouldn’t exactly call this just crowded.”
“True.”
I moved my hands a bit to steady myself easier. I had to keep them straight at all times, otherwise I’d get pushed forward right away.
“Don’t force yourself if it gets too exhausting”, his slightly worried voice whispered.
I turned my face to look at his creased brows, though his eyes twitched away when they met mine.
“We’ll get squashed.”
I’m not joking, the pressure was ridiculous. Especially since some people were using their elbows, those assholes. I pulled a face when another one hit my back as the train shook.
Mizuki breathed out softly, looking over the masses. There was still quite some time to go until he and then later I would leave.
“Don’t be stupid.” He tugged at my arm and I sighed.
I shifted, allowing my elbows to bend, and the pressure immediately pushed me forward.
The space I left was filled up but at least I didn’t try to push myself away from the wall anymore.
As expected, we were pasted together.
It was getting warmer recently, so we were wearing just thin shirts, giving me the illusion of being able to feel his heartbeat.
His face was at my neck, hot breath caressing my skin. With my own head tilted down, I was right above his ear, nothing but his pitch black hair in my eyes. He smelled like sunshine and fresh air.
I exhaled in another soft sigh, just pervertedly enjoying the warmth where our bodies connected.
He quivered.
The tremble was more than obvious for me, starting at his shoulders and moving down to his legs. He shifted his own legs backwards a bit; my foot was between his feet, I could feel the movement where our thighs touched.
His shoulders tensed.
I felt giddy seeing his reaction. That wasn’t what I felt was a shiver of disgust and he didn’t retreat. He was frozen in place but he neither complained nor tried to push me away.
My pulse quickened and I curled my fingers against the wall behind him.
I kept my voice soft on purpose, more a breath than sound, my whole attention on where there was contact between us.
“Sorry, there’s no space.”
The quiver returned. This time he tilted away, his shoulder and ear twitching towards each other as if I had tickled his neck.
“I know”, he mumbled, his voice strangely low. The sound was almost awkwardly cute to my ears, as if he was pouting.
Still no audible disgust.
Another passenger was shoved to the side, rudely cursing as he bumped into us. With his elbow sticking out behind, he pushed himself back. He hit Mizuki into the side, Mizuki’s hiss reaching my ear even if he had tried to keep it down.
I tilted my head away to see what was happening and frowned. I dragged my right arm out from behind the rude man, curling it around Mizuki’s waist and tugging him away from the old guy while placing it in a way that his elbow would hit me rather than Mizuki.
I wasn’t being an exceptional gentleman. I just didn’t like the fact that he was unintentionally hurting Mizuki but didn’t dare to say it out loud.
