(aka they are in high school and this is an excuse for me to use all the dumb tropes that I didn't actually use in the novel.... yes, this is going to be ridiculous and extremely unedited)
Enjoy!
Scene 6 Heated Kiss
(well, as 'heated' as I will write two teenagers)
"Did you see the new game station that opened up?" Ai said, leaning forward on the train, one hand holding on the the strap overhead.
Kathleen leaned back as she swayed dangerously towards her. "Game station?"
"Yeah! Like, um, an arcade!"
Kathleen had been to only one arcade in America, which was connected to a bowling alley. She remembered using tokens and pinball machines and ski-ball games. She had never found them very fun.
Ai noticed her doubtful expression, she turned to Yuriko. "Tell her how awesome game stations are."
Yuriko was standing next to Kathleen, sharing the same pole. Kathleen was sure Yuriko only picked the spot because the train was too crowded for her to stand anywhere else. However, Kathleen enjoyed the feeling of their shoulders brushing and bodies slightly colliding whenever the train made a turn.
She looked at Kathleen, shrugging. "I think they are fun."
Ai's smile broadened. "You should take her Yuriko. It's the next stop right?" She looked up to the sign overhead.
Kathleen frowned. "Didn't you want to come, Ai?"
Ai waved a hand. "I'll be fine. I have to finish my book report tonight."
"We could go some other day," Yuriko suggested.
Ai sent her a look that Kathleen couldn't quite read; something like annoyance. Yuriko frowned in confusion. Ai turned back to Kathleen, smiling again. "You don't have to worry about me. Just have fun for me, okay?" Then she was suddenly pushing Kathleen towards the doors, the train starting to slow.
Kathleen, still thrown by the sudden turn of events, let Ai push her from the train. Yuriko followed her and they both turned back to see Ai waving merrily at them.
"Win me a prize, okay?"
The doors closed and Kathleen and Yuriko quickly found themselves alone in the busy train station. Kathleen looked at Yuriko. "Is Ai alright?"
Yuriko was still watching the departing train. "I… I think so…"
Kathleen looked around at the busy station. People were already gathering around them, waiting for the next train to arrive. Kathleen noticed a sign overhead. "Electric Town?"
"Akihabara," Yuriko answered, starting to walk towards the exit. "Have you been?"
Kathleen shook her head. "No. I mean, I've heard of it. Isn't it like… shopping and anime?"
Yuriko nodded. "And gaming and technology and maid cafes and way too many tourists."
Kathleen struggled to keep up. The closer they got to the exit, the more crowded it seemed to get. "Maid cafes?"
"We are not going to one. And don't tell Ai. She'd probably think it would be funny to take you to one."
Kathleen accidentally bumped into a tall man's shoulder, causing her to stumble. She lifted her head to apologize, but he was already gone. A hand took hers and she looked up to Yuriko, giving her a shy smile.
"Stay close. It's going to be crowded."
Kathleen nodded. She let Yuriko pull her out of the train station and into the street. Kathleen had been to other shopping districts of Tokyo. Ai had dragged her and Yuriko to Harajuku and Ikebukuro. She knew what it meant when Yuriko said 'crowded'. It meant that Kathleen was never letting go of Yuriko's hand.
The sky was clear, the sun shining warmly down on them. The air was cool, but Kathleen could barely tell. The sidewalks were swarming with the heat of crowds of people. Gripping Yuriko's hand, she looked around, surprised to see that Yuriko hadn't been kidding about the tourists. Only at school had Kathleen seen so many foreigners in one area.
Giant posters and video screens covered the tall buildings. Kathleen recognized some of the anime characters that Ai liked. One poster looked like some sort of girl band with about twenty members, all dressed like sailors. There were girls on the street, dressed as maids, smiling and handing out flyers. One of them pressed a pamphlet into Kathleen's hand before Yuriko could tow her away. Kathleen only glanced at the card, realizing it was for one of the maid cafes Yuriko had been talking about. It was advertising the different types of 'maids' that could serve the customer. Kathleen grimaced and shoved it into her book bag.
"Ah! Here it is!" Yuriko said, voice raised to be heard over the sounds of people shouting and music.
Kathleen looked at where they had stopped and realized the music was coming from the building before it. Brightly lit with flashing lights and a cacophony of sounds, it was overwhelming to look at. Kathleen could hear strains of a pop song, which were being overlaid with another pop song, all of it punctuated by chimes and bells and mechanical voices shouting praise or other phrases.
Yuriko tried to pull Kathleen inside, but Kathleen pulled her back. She needed to absorb this for a minute. She recognized the crane games at the front of the store. Their glass boxes were filled with plush animals and anime merchandise. They seemed to come in all shapes and sizes. Some claws were only two-pronged. Some claws were just a hook, meant to snag a loop around the prize.
Some high school guy was playing one near the front, a couple girls were pressed against the glass, cheering him on. The stuffed bear he was going for was balanced temptingly near the edge of the hole. After a few attempts at lifting it, and a few more coins pushed it, he eventually just used the crane to knock it aside. They all cheered as he bent down to retrieve it.
Kathleen felt Yuriko's shoulder press into hers. She looked up to Yuriko, who was grinning down at her. "Want to go inside?"
Kathleen, still overwhelmed, just nodded. She walked beside Yuriko this time, but did not let go of her hand.
"There are prize games down here. Upstairs are other games, dancing or shooting and others." Yuriko was looking at a sign, which designated the floors. "Also, there is purikura." She glanced at Kathleen. "Photo booths. Want to try?"
Kathleen, however, had started looking around at all the prize machines. "Maybe we should get something for Ai?"
Yuriko grinned. "Or something for yourself?" she said slyly.
Kathleen bit her lip. "Well, I did see a stuffed octopus when we walked in that seemed sort of cute."
If Kathleen was honest, she sort of wanted all of the plush creatures. Some were animals that she had never seen, like alpacas and capybara, all of them in bright colors. Some were objects, like a bucket with a funny face or a carrot with lips. It was all very strange.
Kathleen soon found, whether the machine cost 50 yen or 500 yen, there was always a trick to getting the prize. Kathleen could handle the smaller things, winning herself a phone charm with a plastic leek. She wasn't sure if Ai would like it, but she thought it was cute that the leek had a blushing face.
Yuriko seemed to be a master at the larger machines. Other people struggled to move or shift the prizes inside. Yuriko, instead, prowled around the floor, searching for a machine with 'just the right set up'. Then, after putting in her money, she would in a few simple moves, always push the prize to the hole.
Yuriko held up a large stuffed cat, fat and the color purple with a grumpy face. "Do you want it?"
Kathleen grinned, taking it eagerly. "Can I?"
Yuriko grinned. "Of course. If I took it home, Ai would only steal it from me."
Kathleen tucked the cat under the arm. "I think I'm ready to see the rest of this place."
Kathleen found she was a natural at the para para dance game, while Yuriko stumbled her way through it. Yuriko was also lousy at taiko drumming. Kathleen couldn't help put laugh, covering her face with the plush cat to hide it. The way Yuriko glared at her, Kathleen knew she wasn't successful.
"You just don't have any rhythm, Yuriko."
"If you keep making fun of me, I'll take back that prize."
Kathleen grinned. Yuriko's eyes were too bright for her to be serious. "Take away Yuri-chan from me? Don't be so cruel!" She hugged the cat closer.
"Yuri-chan?"
"Named after her mommy!" Kathleen laughed. Yuriko struggled to keep her frown in place, but Kathleen could see a faint blush on her cheeks.
Kathleen hadn't expected to enjoy herself so much. She always like games, but she had never been a fan of huge crowds and loud noises. Here, however, with Yuriko taking her hand and pulling her up the stairs to another level, she felt safe. She felt like she could laugh loudly or jump or wave her arms and no one would care.
The third floor was the purikura, as Yuriko said. They were huge booths that probably could have fit five people in one. Yuriko pulled Kathleen into the nearest empty one. It was nearly all white inside with bright lights shining from around the large computer display. A cheery female voice spoke up to them, telling them to stand on the designated spot on the floor. The screen flashed with sample pictures and options, the voice continuing to speak.
Kathleen had gotten better at her Japanese that she could understand most of what the woman was saying. It was a little high pitched and rushed for her to catch all of it.
Before she knew it, Yuriko had pulled her close, throwing up a peace sign as she smiled. Their picture displayed before them, skin unnaturally smooth and eyes just a little too wide. Kathleen laughed at her own expression, barely half a smile and her eyes half closed from the bright lights.
Yuriko deleted it. "Let's take a few in a row, okay?"
Kathleen put down her bag and held up her cat plushy. "Alright, I'm ready now."
Yuriko laughed and pressed a few buttons before standing next to Kathleen. She put her arm around her again and Kathleen held up the cat, pretending to kiss it. Yuriko laughed, kissing it on the next photo.
"It's a beautiful family portrait!" Kathleen said as Yuriko edited the photo. Giving the cat some blush marks and a few hearts floating around them. Kathleen thought her eyes still looked unnaturally wide and she nearly died from laughter as Yuriko gave her eyeliner and lipstick. The fake make-up was too garish for Kathleen's complexion.
Yuriko prompted the machine to take a few more photos. "What should we do this time?" Yuriko asked.
Kathleen smiled. "Why don't you kiss me now?" She said it without thinking. Then she had to force a laugh, pretending it was a joke.
Yuriko looked at her, a slow smile forming as the machine counted down. Then she reached out, taking Kathleen's face and giving her a solid kiss. The lights flashed and the voice said they should look at the picture.
Kathleen, feeling flushed and warm, turned to the display. She promptly burst into laughter. She looked like a startled deer in the headlights. Her wide eyes were blown out of proportion and Yuriko was slightly blurry.
Yuriko laughed too and deleted it. "Let's try again?"
Kathleen nodded, biting her lip. This time Yuriko didn't wait for the machine to finish counting down before she was kissing Kathleen. She had her arms around her waist now and Kathleen quickly decided it was her turn to put her hands in Yuriko's hair. It was soft and thick just like she had always imagined. She felt a thrill as Yuriko went pliant in her hands and let Kathleen tilt her head, controlling the kiss this time.
She could hear the voice telling them that their photo was ready. She could hear it prompting them over and over if they wanted to save and edit it or take another. However, Kathleen didn't think anything short of an earthquake was going to separate her from Yuriko's lips. Nothing could convince her to let go of that soft hair. Or to not feel those arms around her waist, constantly pulling her closer even though only the thin fabric of their uniforms separated them now.
Kathleen heard one of them whimpering or moaning, but she wasn't sure who. She could feel her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest, her blood a pounding rush in her ears. When Yuriko's lips slide away from hers, Kathleen nearly whined in protest, but Yuriko didn't move far, keeping her cheek pressed against Kathleen's. They both took in gasping breathes, cheeks burning against each other.
The machine was threatening to take their money if they didn't choose an option.
Yuriko gasped out a laugh and turned to the display, quickly tapping through the options and printing out the picture of them kissing the plush cat and a couple others from before. She quirked a smile to Kathleen over one shoulder. "Just in case Ai tries to raid my bag, I think I'll not take the rest."
Kathleen bit her lip, grinning back. "Good idea."
"Should we leave?" Yuriko asked, tucking the photos into her bag.
"Yeah, okay," Kathleen answered. Not that she really knew where to go. Home? How could she leave Yuriko? When Yuriko took her hand again, Kathleen was pretty sure she would never let go.
They grabbed their things and left the game station. Night had fallen outside, though the lights of the stores blazed on. There were just as many people out and Kathleen tucked her elbow around Yuriko, unwilling to be separated.
She felt like she was walking in a dream, weightless and unable to concentrate. She didn't care about the large crowds, the noise of video screens, cars, or the people talking loudly around them. All she could see was out every single light the street put out was caught in Yuriko's hair. Every sound was dampened as Yuriko turned to smile to her.
"Did you have fun?" she asked, voice playful.
"Yeah." Kathleen pressed her shoulder into Yuriko's. "I had a lot of fun."
Yuriko burst into laughter and Kathleen really didn't care if it was at her expense or not.
"What?" Kathleen asked.
"Oh, I just had a thought… Do you think Ai planned this?"
Kathlen snorted. "She did shove us off a train."
"No, no. I mean..." Yuriko suddenly leaned down, her lips next to Kathleen's ear, "Do you think she planned... us."
Kathleen felt her heart stutter and she barely remembered to inhale before speaking. "Us?"
Yuriko leaned back, looking nervous. "I mean, if you want to… we don't have to…"
Kathleen didn't mind her words, the idea hitting her all at once. "Can there be an us? Really?" she said excitedly.
Yuriko laughed. "Well, yes! I'd really like it. I mean, I really like you. I mean, if you want to-?"
They passed by an electronic store, with such bright white lights that it lit up Yuriko completely. She was flushing a bright red, her eyes shining as they looked at Kathleen. Kathleen couldn't help it. She didn't care that they were in the middle of a sidewalk on one of the busiest streets in Tokyo. She leaned up and kissed Yuriko, hard and sure.
"Yes," she said. "Yes."
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