Tomoko half-sneers out the hotel room window at a storm straight out of some shitty shonen series finale. It could be worse. But the weather was enough to stop the trains, and it even messed up that glorified gym teacher's composure.

Of course these normies can't handle a little bit of rain. And now we have to be stuck in this place.

Normies are exhausting, and Tomoko had to deal with them all day. At least she was rooming with Yuri now. Even Nemo and that crazy lesbo and that delinquent, they're still a little tiresome. There's only one bed, too! This is already way better than last year's class trip, rooming with emoji face for the last night, there's no way I can creep out Yuri more than I already have.

―I'm tired, I'm just gonna go straight to bed, says Tomoko, turning around and plopping herself on the bed.

Yuri doesn't say anything, in fact she just keeps watching the rain, with a blank expression that somehow looked both apathetic and hurt.

She's still in that weird bad mood… I should try to be a little friendly.

―H-hey, you wanted to spend some quality time together, right? Tomoko says, patting the spot on the bed next to her in anything but a suave manner.

Oh yeah, but not like an introvert like her is going to retort properly anyhow, I forgot about earlier today…

Yuri says nothing, her eyes shrouded by bangs of her lowered head, she has that little cow keychain dangling in her hand as she walks over the wastebasket right by the bed. And drops the keychain in.

These introverts drive me crazy! Why are they so complicated?

―Hey you, Tomoko says, standing up. ―What's your problem?

No response.

―You've been like this all day and it's annoying as hell!

Yuri flicks her head up, eyes in a ready dead-set stare of cold anger, her balled-up left hand in a ready dead-set fist, and with a punch she says, ―I told you, my name isn't 'you'!

―That hurts, stop doing that!

Yuri glares, winds up her arm again but Tomoko sees it this time, annoyed, Tomoko's trying to grab her, grab something, reaching out to hold her arm back, all in a fluster and awkward as she always is and she gets nothing, Yuri flinches but she stumbles when she steps back, Tomoko is leaning too far forward and she bumps into Yuri, falling forward onto her, their lips meet, and wide-eyed they share a glance, and they fall down flat onto the bed.

What the hell kind of manga am I living in?

But she knows it wasn't all accidental, Tomoko knows, so close to Yuri's eyes and her enigmatic expressions and that subtle blend of silent cuteness and misanthropic loneliness that Yuu could never have, she could laugh at all the silly doki-doki descriptions from light novels but in that falling moment, that instant nearness between them, both Pervert Tomoko and Loner-in-Pain Tomoko could do nothing but follow how being close to Yuri made her pounding chest hurt that much less.

Her lips are so soft…

And, eyes dancing around each others faces, Tomoko could tell Yuri let her, wanted her, to do it.

S-she's kissing back?!

Yuri shuts her eyes tight but she pulls Tomoko in tighter, wrapping her arms around with just a little bit of embarrassed hesitance. Tomoko can feel her tongue, it's all so warm, so warm…

I… I… my mind is going blank…! I-is this what a kiss really is like, is this love?!

And Tomoko can smell Yuri's hair, her body pressed below her.

I-I… I can't stop…

On twisted instinct Tomoko brings her arms close, slowly putting her hands up Yuri's shirt, feeling the warmth of her skin the entire way, feeling every single one of Yuri's whimpers and slight shudders and how she keeps hugging Tomoko tighter and tighter…

Yuri is so hot, she really gets me, Yuri is so hot, I hope she likes me, I'm so turned on right now, I hope she likes me, I think I like her, I hope she likes me…

Yuri yelps, Tomoko pulls away.

―I'm sorry! A-are you alright? Y-yuri?

Seconds pass, the chattering of the rain and wind against the panes getting loud then soft than loud again, almost trying to match their ragged breathing and flushed faces, the back-and-forth between self-consciousness and not-so-secret desires.

O-oh, shit, I called her "Yuri."

―T-t-tomoko.

Yuri looks away, bashfulness flooding into her face with just a little noticeable tinge of a shy half-smile. ―Y-you, you don't have to stop.

―…you don't have to force yourself, Yuri…

―I… don't hate this.

Turning her head to the side, Yuri bites her knuckle, before mumbling quietly:

―Please, please don't stop, okay…?

It's still raining, and the early morning thunder wakes them up. And waking up to a yawning and eye-rubbing Yuri, gazing at her sleepily but steadily, face-to-face on the same pillow Tomoko can feel the tide of low-key panic, that this wasn't all just a dream, that for whatever reason Yuri was okay with being with her, and all that other stuff…

Did this all really happen? Shit, what am I supposed to say when she looks so cute like that? 'Good job'? I'd sound like an idiot, this isn't some entrance exam, am I supposed to be all nonchalant or cool, should I make fun of her for being slutty or something, or, or, what would a suave guy say in this position?

With a quick breath, Tomoko raises her hand for a high-five, only matched in awkwardness with her lopsided, stuttering smile.

―S-so, hey, you're not too good at that, are you? But nice try anyway.

Yuri's face darkens in a pale frozen glaze.

―Do you just hate me and wanted to use me, is that it?

―Huh?! But last night, didn't we, uh, Yuri, I really like y… um, didn't you tell me when we were having…

Tomoko keeps stammering, and both their nervous faces break into deep blushes, Yuri starts to tremble, she can't hear such embarrassing things out loud anymore…

―Shut up shut up shut up!