Stealing a Kiss

Kaorin stood outside of the classroom, heart pounding, head thumping. She had endured another dream of her beloved that night. The illusion of Sakaki pulling her into her arms and pressing her lips to hers had been replaying in her head all day. Even now she blushed as she remembered the sensation that her mind had conjured up. It had been so wet but so warm...

The bell rang and she jumped. Any minute now Sakaki would walk out and she would be ready. The plan was to jump in front of her, grasp her hands tightly, and return the kiss that had been granted to her in her dreams. After too many months of wishing she could have this moment, she had decided it was time to take action.

Students began filing out of the room, Mrs Yukari's voice trailing behind them, threatening them if they didn't get their work done. Kaorin swallowed and wiped her lips on her sleeve lightly, hoping she hadn't applied too much of her mother's stolen lipstick that morning.

"...grass green because of something to do with the sun?" she heard Chiyo saying as she headed towards the door. She stiffened. Sakaki would be behind the group as usual.

Tomo let out a frustrated groan. "Chiyo, stop sounding so smart! You make the rest of us seem like we're stupid!"

"Speak for yourself," Kagura said snidely. "Miss '12 out of 100."

Tomo rounded on her, swinging punches. "I told you not to read my test scores!"

As usual, Yomi was forced to separate the two and keep them at least three feet apart. It was lucky she had long arms.

They all passed through the door and walked passed Kaorin without even noticing. It usually would have been another sting to her pride, but she didn't care about anyone else that day. She only cared about Sakaki.

Osaka's voice rang true. "So Mrs Sakaki, what do you have for lunch today? Anything interesting?"

As soon as Kaorin heard Sakaki's voice, she swooned and gripped the edge of the door-frame tightly.

"Just a few salad roles. Nothing special."

A few salad roles, Kaorin echoed in her mind. I would love to share a few salad roles with you, Sakaki. Maybe after our kiss, you'll allow it.

Osaka stepped outside of the room first, again paying no heed to Kaorin whom was pressing herself against the wall. Sakaki followed, her feet stepping off of the carpet and onto the tiles. Now was the time. Kaorin stepped forward, lips puckered, her hands quivering and reaching out to take Sakaki's.

"Oh, hello Kaorin!" Osaka had finally noticed her.

Sakaki's eyes turned to stare into Kaorin's. She smiled, not noticing that the girl's hands were reaching for her own. "Hello."

It wasn't how things were supposed to be. Kaorin was supposed to take the kiss before Sakaki could act, but she couldn't do it now, not with her smiling at her, looking at her, standing so tall and comfortable. What if she pushed her away? Kaorin couldn't stand the thought.

"Sakaki, Osaka," she gasped, her voice trembling. "I... I need to go!"

"Wait!" Osaka said, reaching out to her, but it was too late.

Kaorin had already turned and fled.

"Stupid, stupid!" Kaorin growled to herself, tears welling in her eyes as she ran down the hallways. "Why did I believe I could really do it? I'm as weak as ever!"

Kaorin was too busy running to notice when someone stepped in front of her. The pair collided and came crashing down.

Kaorin lay face down on the floor, ears ringing. She tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but pain flared and she collapsed back onto her stomach.

"Oww," someone moaned from behind her. "What the hell was..." They trailed off.

Kaorin turned her head to see Mrs Yukari staring back at her. She looked more than a little angry as she pushed herself closer.

Whimpering, Kaorin shuffled away. "I'm sorry, please forgive me!" She jumped to her feet and started to run, but a hand shot out and grasped her ankle, yanking her back down.

"Not so fast, Kaorin." Mrs Yukari's voice was low, dangerous. She pulled the girl closer and looked closely at her face, eyes burning.

She's going to kill me, Kaorin thought, knowing well of the teacher's violent streak. Well, so be it. What do I have to live for?

"Kaorin... right?"

The girl nodded, looking away from the teacher's face.

"You're bleeding."

Startled, Kaorin rose a hand to her forehead where the pain was the worst and felt warm blood on the tip of her finger. She let out a gasp and slumped into the teacher's arms.

"W-what the hell?" Yukari caught Kaorin and looked down at her. She had fainted.

"Damn... Figures I would get stuck with something like this during my break!"

The staff room door opened and Nyamo stood there, staring down at her friend as though she had grown horns. "Yukari, what are you doing with an unconscious student in your arms?"

Yukari turned to face her. "It's not my fault! She passed out!"

Nyamo wiped a hand furiously over her face. "Before or after you attacked her?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb!" Nyamo bent down beside Kaorin and looked down at her limp form. "I've heard you screaming at your students, hitting them with school books and clipboards."

Yukari went silent. She couldn't deny it.

"God, she's bleeding! What did you do to her?"

"Nothing!" Yukari protested. "She was running in the hall and we smacked into each other. Then I told her she was bleeding, she saw the blood, and she passed out!"

Had it been any other student, Nyamo wouldn't have believed it, but Kaorin had always seemed a little weak. She sighed and lifted the girl up gently. "Alright, alright, help me get her down to the infirmary. We can talk there."

"About what?" Yukari asked, looping an arm around Kaorin's waist.

Nyamo's eyes flashed darkly. "About the proper way to teach students."

Yukari let out a loud groan. "Great... another lecture..."

Kaorin opened her eyes slowly, consciousness flowing back into her. She could hear two voices arguing, and it made her headache worse.

"The students need a little kick every now and then!" Yukari was yelling.

Nyamo let out a long sigh. "You give them more than a 'little kick,' Yukari. You bash them half to death with whatever you can get your hands on!"

"Who's been leaking this information?" Yukari asked dramatically. "I'll knock them flat!"

"There you go again!" Nyamo cried. "I can't believe you have a teaching licence! You clearly don't know... Oh. Kaorin, you're awake?"

She looked back at the two as they sat by her bed side. Yukari was spinning on her swivel chair, her angry face flashing past. She seemed to be trying to calm herself down. Nyamo, on the other hand, was professional, calm, and kind, and bent over to pat Kaorin on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you're in the infirmary and your head has been bandaged. Your mum will be here to pick you up in a little while."

Kaorin's memory was a little fuzzy. She thought back and recalled standing outside of Sakaki's classroom. She had been ready to kiss her, but had pulled out at the last minute. She ran down the hallway, as fast as she could, eager to get away, and then had crashed into Yukari. A smear of blood on her fingertip and she was out like a light.

"Sakaki," she breathed, the name still on her lips. "I was going to..."

Both teachers traded looks of confusion.

"What about Sakaki?" Yukari asked.

Kaorin sighed. She thoguht she may as well tell them. After all, perhaps they could help her. They would know more about her than she did. Maybe they could... set something up. It was a dim hope, but she needed to spill it all anyway. It was heavy on her heart and made it hard to breathe. She told them of her love for Sakaki and how today had been the day she was going to kiss her. Yukari looked shocked and disgusted until Nyamo hut her on the arm. She, on the other hand, looked sympathetic.

"Kaorin, don't be embarrassed by this. It is perfectly normal to have a crush on someone of the same sex, especially at this time in your life, and don't worry about what happened today. Maybe its time to talk with her a little more and admit your feelings to her."

Yukari snorted. "I wouldn't trust Nyamo's advice, kid. She's been through so many men using that tactic, none of them even returning her calls or-"

"Shut it!" Nyamo, for once, showed a violent side and punched Yukari in the side of the face. Once she had recovered Yukari stared at her, fire blazing in her eyes, and their earlier arguments started again.

Kaorin, feeling this was getting her no where, slipped out of the bed on the opposite side and headed for the day. She would have to suffer alone. She had failed, and surely there would be no more chances. She was just too afraid of the rejection.

"Wait, Kaorin!"

She turned to see Yukari and Nyamo standing. Yukari reached out and grasped her wrist lightly, pulling her back towards the bed. She sat her down then took a seat beside her on the mattress, shushing Nyamo as she tried to protest to any advice she was about to give.

"Kaorin, what you need to do is steal a kiss. Do it so fast and subtly that she won't have time to react. Then you run, as fast as you did today without cleaning anyone up, and wait until she comes to you to return the kiss. Then you two can live happily ever after and all of that crap."

It was the same plan that Kaorin had had that day, and it still posed the same problem. "But what if she rejects me?"

Yukari laughed out loud. "Are you kidding me? She may act quiet, Kaorin, but I've seen her eyes following you when you're near. She won't reject you."

Nyamo stepped in. "But just in case..."

"Shut it, Nyamo. She'll be fine. Trust me, I know how to make things work when it comes to love." She rose a hand to silence her fiend again before she could remind her of her lack of luck in the 'men' department as well.

Kaorin felt her heart fluttering. Sakaki watched her? She had never noticed before, and she knew that Yukari could be lying to make her feel more confident, but what if it was true? Hope bloomed inside of her and she leapt from the bed, rushing out into the hall.

"Wait! You haven't fully recovered yet!" Nyamo called after her.

Yukari yanked Nyamo back into the door and yelled out after Kaorin. "Run, Kaorin! Go and plant that kiss and everything will be okay! Then I want you to bring me a present as thank you for all of my assistance!"

Kaorin heard no more as Yukari listed off the number of wines she would accept as a thank you. She had work to do. She was going to go and steal Sakaki's first kiss, then let things unfold as they did.

Sakaki sat on a bench in front of the school vending machines. The others had walked off to buy their own food and she decided to stay and eat her lunch under the sun. She watched the clouds above and closed her eyes.

Kaorin looked really nervous this morning.

She jumped, the sudden thought making her jittery. She wished she knew why Kaorin was always like that, so timid and scared. People had told her before that she secretely liked her, but she assumed it was just a rumour. After all, who could like her.

She looked down at her lunch, her appetite lost. She had liked Kaorin the moment she saw her. She didn't know what it was about her. Maybe it was the way she seemed so shy. Sakaki could relate and wanted nothing more than to break down those barriers and find out about the true Kaorin that was hidden. She wanted to learn all about her, and to hold her warm hand, and to feel her lips.

She dropped her food, her hands shaking and her face going red.

"Sakaki!"

She laughed nervously. She was working herself up, imagining such things. Now she was sure she could hear Kaorin calling out her name. How ridiculous.

"Sakaki!"

In a moment, two heart's wishes were fulfilled. Sakaki had turned to see Kaorin running towards her. Her face was determined, her hands reaching out. Sakaki rose, unsure of what to do. Kaorin was coming at her like a torpedo. She took a step back as Kaorin's hands gripped her own and held her breath as the girl's lips pressed against hers.

The kiss was short as any stolen kiss should be. Kaorin knew what it would be like even before she actually did it. It would be wet and warm, and it would fill her up inside. She felt Sakaki's hands close over her own and she held her there. The kiss deepened for a moment, but Kaorin had to break away. She pulled from Sakaki and ran, stumbling over her feet.

Sakaki was left in a state of shock, watching as Kaorin ran around the side of the school building. She touched her lips. Kaorin kissed me. She smiled. She knew what she had to so. She ran off, following Kaorin's trail even as the others returned from buying their lunch and yelled out to her.

She had a job to do.

Kaorin collapsed outside of the gym, her back pressed to the hard wood. She took in a deep breath and let it out. She had stolen the kiss, and now she waited. As the minutes ticked by she took note of everyone who passed. No one said anything. No one had any messages to pass on. Her disappointment grew. Perhaps Sakaki had decided to avoid her. Had she acted too fast.

"Kaorin."

She turned, rigid, to see Sakai standing at the corner of the gym, peeking around. She stepped out onto the grass and approached, her face red, her hands trembling. Kaorin was fast to assume the worst and began to apologise, but was silenced as Sakaki's kiss arrived.

Time stood still. The pair experienced the same pleasure, the same need. Their fingers intertwined. Sakaki pulled Kaorin closer and she obeyed, careful not to pull their lips away.

The bell rang, signalling the next class, but neither moved.

She loves me! Kaorin thought. I was sure she would hate me, but here she is, returning the kiss. Yukari was right.

Sakaki's hands ran up Kaorin's back. She didn't know what she was doing. Her heart gave the actions. She hugged Kaorin tighter to her body, then pulled her lips away and embraced her.

"Kaorin, thank you."

"For what?"

Sakaki looked down at her, smiling. "For stealing my kiss."

Kaorin felt happiness flood her and she held onto Sakaki tightly. Nothing would pull them apart now. Her fears washed away in the surge of desire.

From the staff room window, Nyamo and Yukari watched, smiling.

"I guess this means I win," Yukari said smartly.

Nyamo shook her head. "Unbelievable. Everything has to be a competition, doesn't it?"

Yukari laughed and slapped her friend on the back. "Don't worry Nyamo. One day you'll have something to use against me, but until then I guess I'm just plain better than you."

Before she could say anymore, Nyamo silenced her with a sharp jab from her fist.