In the end, the long debate concluded with Sua and me sharing one more kiss.
Considering personality and all those complicated factors was just an annoyance; it was all about checking in the moment, they said.
If checking in every time is bothersome, I wonder how many times they plan to align their mouths with mine.
Well, they probably would keep trying to find a reason to keep it going.
…Have I been misjudging these kids all this time?
“Ah, wait.”
As Sua, blushing, came closer to me, Ha Neul stopped her.
“But the most important thing is Sara’s feelings, right?”
I was left wondering how she could say that after talking about all these matters in front of me.
I suppressed a sigh and asked, “Are you guys really okay with this?”
“What do you mean?” Sohee asked back, scratching her head for a moment.
“No, you said you liked me. Do you want to see me kissing someone else?”
Is that her preference?
…No, judging by their reactions, it seemed that was not the case.
Only after I said this did Ha Neul and Sohee blink and get lost in thought.
“…Ah.”
They seemed to have forgotten that someone else could kiss while just thinking about their chance to match lips.
First, their faces turned pale, then slowly reddened. And soon after, both buried their faces in their hands as if they just realized I had been listening to their conversation all along.
“……”
Wait, seriously, why are you all so composed about something so embarrassing?
On top of that, it wasn’t just the four of us in this room; there was also a third party, Son Ah-reum.
Since earlier, Son Ah-reum, who had been quiet, was now wide-eyed, covering her mouth with her hands, alternating her gaze between me and the others.
Usually, she’d protest about me hanging out with these kids, but now she looked utterly fascinated by the situation, watching up close.
…Well, I suppose it’s an age where everything’s intriguing.
In fact, the person who should be feeling the best about this situation should be me…
However, since I had just let go of my rationality midway, my heart felt like a calm lake. Considering they were minors, I couldn’t really interfere. They were pretty and kind, but I didn’t know if my feelings would stay the same until they graduated high school.
In dating simulation games, people often end up living with the high school sweethearts for life, but while this world resembles one, it’s still reality. Unlike in games where sweet moments skip through time, here there are no skips or scenes. I could see the world through my eyes and feel it with this body.
So, it would be wiser to live with the awareness that this is reality, rather than thinking of it as a game world.
“…So, what will you do? Are you going to keep hiding here, or will you at least cover your eyes while Sua and I kiss?”
“…No.”
Ha Neul shook her head.
“I still have to see it properly. It’s not like you two are dating yet. If you just ignore any foul play at a time like this, that won’t do.”
And she stubbornly insisted.
“…Alright then.”
I sighed deeply.
“…Um…”
No, wait, Sua, who had been mumbling next to me, opened her mouth.
“Then, can we do it now…?”
“……”
I didn’t even bother answering, just nodded.
Sara had been quiet since earlier. She might have her eyes closed. After all, if I looked at the world from my perspective, I would see myself kissing Sua in a very raw first-person view.
…There’s no need to state it verbally.
Is this really okay?
It can’t be okay.
In response to my question, Sara replied, her voice tinged with annoyance.
But is there even another option here? You and those guys are friends, and I’m also friends with them. I just made real friends who truly understand me; I don’t plan on cutting ties with them less than a year into it.
…Yeah, that’s true.
The situation we were in was ultimately because we were all cowards.
Kids who want to date those they like but are afraid their relationships with the others will fall apart.
And I’m also scared that if I choose someone here, my relationship with the others might crack apart.
This situation arose because we couldn’t move forward.
Before I knew it, Sua had come by my side.
“…Are you really okay??”
Sua’s face filled my view.
Her face was flushed red, looking up at me with a hint of worry; she was the very definition of a shy girl.
Well, since coming to this world, I hadn’t made a single non-shy friend, to be fair.
Should I be proud of this…?
With thoughts that could easily be laughable if my past self heard them, I shut my eyes.
“Then, are we doing it?”
After hearing that painfully embarrassing question, something soft met my lips.
I heard someone breath in sharply from the side.
“…”
“…”
Neither Sua nor I crossed any lines; we just pressed our lips together without opening our mouths or sticking our tongues in. It seemed the thought of doing such a thing naturally settled in both of our minds.
The moment our lips finally parted, it felt slightly sticky since they were actually pressed together rather than just touching.
I could faintly smell the makeup that clung to Sua’s lips.
“…”
Slowly opening my eyes and looking around, the reactions from the kids watching our kiss were completely different.
First was Son Ah-reum, whose expression was practically visible even without a reaction.
Covering her mouth with both hands, she stared wide-eyed at us. It seemed she couldn’t think of what to say; she looked as if she had never seen a kiss before in her life.
…Well, it’s true that you wouldn’t often witness such a close-up kiss. Generally, unless you stumble upon couples being affectionate on the street, you only see it in dramas or movies.
Besides, seeing two friends kiss makes it even more unlikely.
Well, she’d seen Sohee and me kissing earlier but…
Anyway, I figured she might react this way, so I wasn’t too surprised.
Next, I looked over at Sohee.
Whatever enthusiasm she had earlier seemed to have vanished; she couldn’t bring herself to look over. Was it jealousy? That might be part of it, but…
Her turned-away face was bright red, with her breath slightly uneven. She stood with her legs pressed together, fidgeting nervously.
And only then did I remember that Sohee was the only ‘lesbian’ among us.
Is there really a clear distinction between bisexuality and being a lesbian?
Well, even if a bisexual says they love someone of the same gender, they may not necessarily like boys and girls equally. They might prefer men but could still have stronger feelings for a woman. In essence, they might get excited regardless of gender.
But a lesbian… sure, they probably differ from heterosexual men, but generally, they like their partner because they are ‘female.’ If that person is male, they wouldn’t be interested at all, but if they’re female, they have to feel at least some attraction.
Especially if the other person is a pretty girl.
…Of course, since she likes girls, she might feel jealous if the girl she likes ends up liking another girl. But hey, don’t guys sometimes think like that? Thinking it’d be great to have two girlfriends or wanting to be with two beautiful girls at once… well, you get the idea.
I’m not sure she’d have those thoughts, but she definitely seemed somewhat excited sexually.
Well, let’s just let that slide; it’d complicate things if I nudged her and got ambushed with another surprise kiss or something.
As for Ha Neul… she was displaying the typical jealousy of a lover.
She looked like she was extremely frustrated, wanting to say so much, but since this was all happening consensually, it seemed she couldn’t say a word. She probably kept quiet, fearing that any comment would make her angry or frustrated.
“…Is it done now?”
Only after I said that did the kids regain their composure.
“I’ve been tense since the party earlier and I’m really tired now. Can we stop talking about this for a while? Isn’t it okay to take a break at least for today?”
At my words, the kids nodded, their faces still bright red.
I nodded back to them.
Well, that’s good.
I’m glad they understand.
I haven’t even gotten a turn yet…
You do it all the time! Are you still planning to sneak in some action today? Or were you thinking of not doing anything today?
U-uh…
So, you admit that’s something you think about?
“…Then, let’s at least finish the leftover cake.”
I took a deep breath and said that.
