For one, Nico thought, she didn't even like guys. They were unattractive, loud, sweaty – she could name a whole list of reasons to hate them – and she didn't understand the appeal to them. At all. Plus, girls were cute. Like, really cute (and Nico was really, really gay).

So cute that Nico hardly realized she was sitting at a couple table on her own.

When she did, though, she glanced at her watch and clicked her tongue, irritated. To begin with, she wouldn't even mind if the guy didn't show up (who even likes men anyway); after all, dating websites were hardly trustworthy – especially when it's Nozomi of all people to recommend it. Still, it was pretty rude not to turn up to an arranged date, though Nico tried to brush off the thought of being stood up.

The moment Nico was prepared to say fuck it and raise her hand to call for a waiter (screw the date; she was hungry), the door to the café burst open and Nico wondered if her god forbidden date of an asshole had finally arrived. Forty-seven minutes late. Except the man who entered the café wasn't a man at all, and Nico could bet she wasn't unattractive or loud or sweaty either.

Nico must have been staring, because the pretty girl turned to stare back before breaking her pretty face into an even prettier grin. And then she waved. Nico wasn't exactly sure if the wave was for her or anything but then remembered she was the only goddamn person in this goddamn café and oh my god she really was?

Nico bit her lip, then smiled awkwardly before realizing that pretty girl was smiling and walking towards her table and holy shit because she was beautiful and Nico was gay. She shuffled in her seat and watched the shiny, red hair bounce with every step the other girl took.

"Hi," redhead said with that pretty smile still plastered on her face, pulling out the other chair across the table and sitting herself down.

"Uh, hi," Nico rasped after a moment, palming her skirt nervously. "T-That seat, it's for–"

"–a date?" The other girl finished in a questioning tone, smiling even wider. "I know," she leaned over slightly and oh god their faces were so close, "because that date is me. Yazawa Nico, right? I'm Maki."

Nico's eyes widened and mumbled a series of incomprehensible crap before her gaze landed on Maki's continuous shit-eating grin and shut up.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, and the awkward silence grew from a seed to a tall, fat stalk until Nico finally chopped it down. "Um."

"What?" Maki laughed, "Does it bother you? That I'm a girl even though my profile said I was a guy?"

Nico swallowed, hard. "N-No, I mean, I just wasn't–"

Maki tilted her head and widened her smile and Nico shut her mouth, again, because damn that smile was hot. "That's okay, I can leave if you want," she offered, and Nico might have been a little too enthusiastic when she shook her head no.

"N-No, don't go! I, uh, I'd actually prefer if you were here. You know, rather than a man…" Biting her lip to stop herself, Nico realized she may have said too much, but Maki's soft giggles prevented her from any more embarrassing thoughts. "I mean….you should stay."

Maki seemed happy, at least – to Nico, that was pretty much all that mattered. "Okay."

Nico had figured out several things after the date with Maki:

Firstly, Maki was one of those rich, pampered girls that Nico disliked, though Maki seemed to give off a different kind of vibe. For some reason.

Secondly, she was the heiress of the Nishikino Hospital – funnily enough, the same one where Nico's siblings were all born in, and coincidentally the nearest hospital to her house.

And, thirdly, Nico was really, really, really gay for Maki. Like, really gay.

Was it possible to even crush on someone after meeting them once? Well, whatever. Maki had exchanged numbers with Nico, anyway, and they planned for another date – would it be considered a date? – sometime soon (it was Nico's idea, of course. What a genius, right?).

Nico really, really looked forward to it.

hi there!

i apologize, it's been literally forever. i've had no motivation to write at all but im finally back with something lmao and its gonna be multichapter so hopefully i'll continue it? lol. this chapter's just a little prologue/opener thing so it's quite short, but the future chapters should be longer. aaaand no angst this time, i think. haha