Orange

"I sort of wanna kiss you."

Those words came as if from thin air, and Riko could have sworn her heart stopped. The small piece of mandarin orange that she had been holding slipped from between her fingers and fell into the seawater below with a 'plop'.

Wait. She had probably just heard that wrong. No, she was certain she had definitely heard that wrong.

"…What?"

Without missing a beat, Chika furrowed her brows and leaned in close, causing Riko to gasp and lean back out of reflex. "I said I sort of wanna kiss you," she repeated matter-of-factly.

That time Riko knew she had heard correctly, and all of a sudden her mouth felt like chalk.

There was no way this was happening. After all, when Chika had extended the invite for Riko to join her at the docks earlier that day, she just figured they would chat and eat the oranges her mother had given them. The last thing she had been expecting to do was lock lips.

She tried to tell herself it was just a joke, though the serious, unwavering gaze that Chika held on her suggested otherwise. Riko wanted to say something, anything, but all the words that she could find were trapped in a lump at the base of her throat.

Chika allowed the silence to hang between them a little longer until she puffed her cheeks in frustration. "You know, like," she started, lifting her index fingers and pushing them together in demonstration, "when two people get real close and—"

The cold air did nothing to stop the heat that flooded Riko's face. Before even having the chance to think about it she shoved Chika's hands away in embarrassment. "I know what kissing is, Chika!" she snapped, and Chika pouted.

"I just…" Riko put a hand to her chest and exhaled, a steady stream of white mist escaping before vanishing into the air. She couldn't remember the last time her heart raced so fast—and nothing was even happening yet. "Where is this even coming from? I didn't think you cared about stuff like that. And it's not like we're," she swallowed, "dating, or anything."

Chika blinked and then stared out to the water, as if taking a second to ponder on her friend's words. "Yeah but… that doesn't really matter, does it?"

"H-huh?"

Chika crossed her arms, furrowing her brows as she hummed in thought. "How should I put it…" she mused. "Maybe… because you're special to me?"

"Special?" Riko repeated, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I don't understand. What does—"

"Let me explain!" Chika cut in, and Riko gave her a quizzical look as she continued with, "During dinner the other night, my mom and sisters were chatting about high school—the friends they had, the clubs they were in, that kind of stuff—and somehow they ended up on the topic of old crushes."

Chika reached into the basket of oranges that sat between them and picked one up. "To be honest, I don't know much about those kinds of things, so I sort of tuned them out." She dug her fingernail into the skin, peeling it back with ease. "But then they started talking about their first kisses, and I got kinda interested cause they could remember so much!"

She held up a finger, serious. "Like, Mito remembered the type of lip gloss she was wearing, and Shima could remember the exact street hers happened on! Even my mom could remember her first kiss—and that was, like, 60 years ago!"

Riko let out a dry laugh at that last remark. "And…?"

Chika popped a piece of the orange into her mouth. "And I guess that kinda made me think," she muffled, swallowing. "Your first kiss is one of those memories that stays with you forever, you know? Like your high school graduation or competing in Love Live." A broad smile spread across her face. "So if it's gonna be something that I'll remember forever, then I want my first kiss to be special!"

Riko could sense the rush of heat from before dusting over her again, and she attempted to hide it behind her scarf. She had never really talked to Chika about things like love and kissing before, let alone it actually involving the two of them. Sure, it was something that high school girls gossiped about all the time, but not them. Chika never seemed to care about that. This was all shocking new territory to Riko, and she had no idea where to begin.

"I-I guess that makes sense," she admitted, running her fingertips through the ends of her hair. "But… why now? A-and why me?"

"Cause it just feels right!" Chika affirmed, placing her unfinished orange into her lap and taking one of Riko's hands between both of her own. "You, this spot, this town… they're all special to me."

The tone in her voice had become gentler, and the comforting warmth of Chika's hands against her own caused Riko to lose the tension she had built up in her shoulders. Soon enough, she found herself returning Chika's grip, encouraging her to go on.

"You know, back when we first met, at this spot, I was pretty hopeless," she continued, her stare traveling down to their hands. "My life felt so normal and boring, and it seemed like all of my dreams were way too far out of my reach."

The image of Chika standing barefoot on Uchiura's shores, rambling on about music and idols, flashed in Riko's mind. Her eyes had sparkled as she stretched her hand out and grasped towards the horizon—towards that shining light at the end of the ocean. The memory was so distant, and yet every detail remained painted vividly in splashes of orange and yellow that glowed as bright as the sun.

Chika's grip tightening around Riko's hand drew her out of her memory, and that was when she noticed how brilliantly Chika's eyes were shining now, as she said, "But that was when I met you, and it was as if a miracle had walked into my life!"

A blush crept its way onto Riko's cheeks again at that comment, and Chika leaned in closer. "You helped me take that first step towards my dream—Aqours' dream. And it's thanks to you that I was finally able to understand what it means to shine! You changed my life for the better, and because of that I don't feel so hopeless anymore. I feel like I can do anything, just by being me!"

The pounding in Riko's heart only grew stronger as she found herself at a total loss for words. "Chika…"

She always knew that Chika had been anything but normal, however, looking at her then she could see that so much about her had changed. The normal monster that had once terrorized the empty beaches of Uchiura had grown into a force to be reckoned with. Chika was now a fully powered monster strong enough to affect the hearts of every person she came across—and right then, Riko knew she was no exception to that.

"Riko, you're an important piece of who I am now. It doesn't matter to me if we're a couple or not, because when I think back on this ten or thirty years from now, I want it to be you I think of," Chika said, soft and earnest. "After all, pretty soon, all of us are going to go our separate ways. So while we're still here, in this town, I want you and me to make another memory together—a special one that we'll never forget."

Riko's breath caught, Chika's words making her mind spin. "I…"

Before Riko could even respond in the proper manner, Chika retracted her hands and rubbed the back of her head. "U-unless you don't want to, of course!" she stammered, a dull pink beginning to cross her cheeks. "I wouldn't wanna make you kiss me if you didn't want to!"

Riko recoiled at Chika's abrupt change of character. A minute ago she was all gung-ho at the idea of kissing, but now she sat twiddling her thumbs and gave a tiny, nervous chuckle. Somehow, Riko got the impression that Chika had suddenly realized how big of a deal it was to ask your friend to kiss you.

"N-no! It's not like that! It's just…" Riko bit her lip, shifting awkwardly and turning away. "This is all so sudden, and I don't exactly have any experience with kissing… so…"

"What? You don't? For real?"

The bluntness of Chika's response made Riko flinch, and she snapped her head to her. Chika's embarrassment from a moment ago was gone, and she now appeared genuinely dumbfounded.

Riko grew even more flustered. "W-why does that surprise you!?"

"I dunno. I guess I always assumed that a pretty Tokyo girl like you would've definitely kissed somebody by now," Chika explained, clenching her fists. "Like, a handsome boy confessing his love to you before you move away to the far-off countryside forever! And right when he leans in to kiss you the cherry blossoms bloom all over the place! You're totally swept off your feet and melt into his arms! Exactly like in the movies!"

Chika clasped her hands together with a dreamy sigh as Riko's face erupted into a full-on boil. "Nothing like that happened!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Oh."

Riko exhaled, exasperated. "Seriously… What type of person do you take me for?"

Chika hummed, lulling her head from side to side. "Well, I know how much you like those books, so…"

"T-that's completely different!" Riko snapped. But when Chika smirked at her she gasped and waved her palms in front of herself defensively. "I-I mean, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Right, right…"

Silence fell between the two of them once again, and Riko gave herself a moment to settle down. The sounds of waves pushing against the shore and seabirds calling out in the distance were the only noises to be heard. Chika pulled off another piece of her orange and placed it in her mouth as Riko looked back to the ocean.

The setting sun was beginning to fall into the horizon, casting a warm hue along the surface of the water. Riko found herself going back to that distant memory of Chika again, the radiance of the sun glowing around her figure like a halo, making her shine brighter than Riko knew people were capable of.

She may not have known it then, but staring into that blinding light was the instant her life would change forever. It would be a memory she held dear for eternity.

"I wouldn't want to kiss just anyone," Riko admitted, and Chika perked up, swallowing her orange. She took a deep breath, clasping her hands together. "Maybe it's a bit cliché, but I've always wanted to share my first kiss with someone I love."

Riko began pulling at the ends of her scarf, her voice falling softer. "You want your first kiss to be a special memory that you can cherish. Well, I agree, and that's why I'd want to share a moment so special with someone who means… everything to me. Then I can think back and have no regrets, and I know they can, too."

Chika tilted her head, and Riko looked at her, firm. "You said before that meeting me was like a miracle to you. But… you have it backwards, because you were the miracle that happened to me."

Chika paused, her eyes widening. "What?" She waved in dismissal. "No way! I'm not—"

"I'm serious," Riko cut in, catching Chika off-guard. "Back when I first moved to Uchiura I felt so lost. Piano was always what had made me happy—it was my entire world. So, when I stopped playing..." Riko's hand curled at her chest and she stared to her feet dangling over the water. "I couldn't enjoy anything anymore. Nothing was fun, no matter how hard I tried. It was like I lost something that gave my life so much light."

Riko turned her head back to Chika, looking her in the eye. "But you brought that light back, Chika. If it hadn't been for you taking me by the hand into the world of school idols, letting me meet everyone in Aqours, and teaching me to shine in a way I never knew I could, I don't know that I ever would have been able to play again."

Chika watched Riko with parted lips as she spoke, though she soon grew serious and reached out, grasping Riko's shoulders. "No. You were the one who did all that, Riko. You were the one who made the choice to join Aqours, and you were the one who figured out how to shine all on your own. You even got up the courage yourself to play piano again! You can't give me credit for the things you did."

Riko smiled with a sigh. "You really are a weirdo…"

Chika's nose scrunched in frustration. "Hey! I'm just speaking the truth here!"

With a giggle, Riko removed Chika's hands from her shoulders, holding them between her own. "But any normal person would just take the compliment." She raised a brow, playfully adding, "Instead, you're so stubborn that you won't even take credit where it's due."

Chika pouted, her shoulders slumping. "Well…"

Riko gripped Chika's hands tighter. "And that's because you're selfless and kind. You spend more time worrying about others than you do yourself. Even when Aqours was going to the Love Live preliminaries for the first time, you pushed me to go to my piano recital instead because you knew how important it was to me."

Riko closed her eyes, her smile growing. "Maybe you can't see it, but you're able to touch everyone you meet, and you've touched me in a way I can never forget. I feel like I'm able to shine brighter than I ever have because of what you've done for me."

Chika was quiet now, but her lips had curved into a crooked smile. Riko wondered if it was from embarrassment, bashfulness, modesty, or some kind of mix of all three. It wasn't the type of look Chika wore too often, but Riko found it endearing.

She ran her thumb over the top of Chika's fingers. "I know you don't want to take credit, but it's true. You changed my life for the better, and because of that…" Riko squeezed Chika's hands, inhaling slowly as she met her gaze. "I love you, Chika."

Riko didn't get the chance to see the change in Chika's expression, as she was quick to turn away. "S-so… I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Her heart was beating so fast, and her stomach was turning so hard, she thought she may throw up. But she pressed on with, "If I were to have my first kiss with anyone… I can't imagine someone more fitting than you."

The sound of the waves falling into the sand had died down, and the seabirds that flew overhead minutes ago were all but gone. Such an absence of noise allowed Riko to hear nothing but the wild pounding of her heart within her own head. It was so loud that she nearly missed the sharp intake of air from Chika's nostrils.

Riko finally lifted her eyes to meet her friend's. Chika's mouth was hanging open just the slightest, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't even notice as the fruit sitting in her lap started to roll and fell into the ocean below. Riko was sure that Chika must have been blushing, but the glow of the sun falling into the water coated her in such a brilliant shade of orange that it was hard to tell.

"Then…"

Riko slipped her hands out of Chika's grasp and raised a knuckle to her mouth, becoming shy. Barely above a whisper, she managed, "Don't make me say it again…"

Chika pressed her lips into a hard line, trying to figure out the best way to approach the situation. She looked down to her lap, then to Riko, then to her lap again. She fidgeted with her fingers a bit and then sat up straight with a curt nod.

Riko watched as Chika carefully pushed the basket of oranges that rested between them out of the way. She held her breath when Chika slid closer to her, leaving all but an inch of space. It was then that Riko realized how tight her fists were curled, but she would rather that than have Chika see her hands shaking if she stopped.

The repeated scratching sounds of Chika rubbing her nails against the fabric of her jeans became more noticeable as she leaned in a little closer, her eyes focused on Riko's lips. Feeling the heat of Chika's breath against her chin caused her to tense, and now that they were mere inches apart, Riko could make out how red Chika was after all.

She wasn't entirely sure what had happened next. Maybe it was the angle Chika tilted her head at, or perhaps she subconsciously moved forward at the wrong time. But somehow, Chika's nose accidently bumped against the tip of Riko's, and she lurched back.

"A-Ah! Sorry!" Chika apologized, rubbing her nose. "That was dumb!"

Riko blinked, watching as Chika whined and muttered something about being too fast. She had to admit, the entire situation was kind of awkward. It was obvious that neither of them had any idea what they were doing, and their anxiety only made them fumble.

But at the same time, there was something about hitting noses, something about being a stumbling mess, something about the guilty look on Chika's face that made Riko start to giggle.

The shade of red that Chika was flushed with brightened, and her mouth fell open. "H-hey, don't laugh!"

"I'm sorry," Riko said through laughter. "I guess this whole thing is just a little strange."

Chika puffed her cheeks, offended, and lightly butted her forehead against Riko's. "Strange? I'm trying to be serious here, and you're making fun of me?!"

Riko's laughing eased, and she wiped her eye with a finger. "Sorry." She offered Chika an apologetic smile, but Chika furrowed her brows and pressed into Riko's forehead more. "I didn't mean it like that," she clarified. "It's just… I never thought I'd be kissing the crazy girl who pushed me head-first into the ocean once. And yet, here I am, awkwardly trying to kiss you."

Chika blinked, but then huffed, cracking a smirk. "Well I never thought I'd be kissing a super talented, ultra pretty Tokyo girl either, but here I am."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Riko teased, tapping Chika on the nose.

"It's not flattery if it's true."

Riko shoved at Chika's shoulder as the both of them began to laugh. Nothing about the way the situation was unfolding was how Riko would have normally imagined her first kiss to happen. There was no cinematic confession in the rain, or wall-pinning in an empty classroom. Instead, it was simply her clumsily bumping noses with Chika in the quiet of a sleepy little town. There was nothing especially romantic about it, and yet somehow it felt right.

Their laughing began to die down, and they once again met each other's eyes. Chika's expression softened and Riko slowly intertwined their fingers together in her lap.

Chika reciprocated her grasp, pressing the tip of her nose against Riko's, on purpose this time. "I don't really know how to do this..." she admitted quietly.

Riko huffed, offering Chika an assuring smile. "Me neither…"

"I might be kinda bad at it…"

"Me too…"

"I sorta wish I had worn chapstick or something…"

Riko let out a small giggle and Chika smiled as that same silence from before crept over them again. The pounding sound in Riko's head returned, and she began to wonder if Chika realized how clammy her hands were—or maybe Chika's hands were the clammy ones. She couldn't tell.

But the way Chika was staring at her put Riko at ease. There was a spark that shimmered from within the depths of her magenta eyes that made her heart dance. Her own expression softened, too, and she began to feel as though nothing else mattered. She didn't know if Chika even heard her breathlessly whisper, "So…"

The sun was lower now, and the rays of orange that it produced poured through the space between them like a beam. Riko wasn't sure if it was the sunlight or Chika being centimeters away that made her shut her eyes, but somehow she did. And when the gap finally closed she could feel the warm touch of soft lips press gently into her own.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through Riko's veins at the contact, leaving her body weightless as air. Sparks flew wildly in her brain, flooding her being with giddiness and anxiety. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before—a strange mix of contentment and exhilaration. For an instant she could have sworn she had forgotten how to breathe.

But the moment was brief—too brief. Riko's lips had barely gotten the chance to grow accustomed to the feel of Chika's before they parted. Her apprehension hardly began to transform into eagerness as she felt the final brush of Chika's mouth against hers. It was over as quickly as it started, but her heart was longing for it to have lasted only a second more.

The taste of mandarin oranges lingered faintly on Riko's lips, and when her eyes fluttered open she was greeted by Chika offering her a toothy grin. Her face was flushed and her shoulders rose and fell, white puffs exiting her mouth, as she caught her breath.

"We did it," Chika proclaimed, almost sheepishly. "That wasn't so hard, huh?"

Riko blinked, lifting a hand to press her fingertips to her mouth as it curved into a small smile. "Yeah…"

The two laughed lightly, their nerves surrounding the situation finally starting to settle. It was over, but Riko wasn't sure where to go next. What did people usually do after kissing for the first time? Was there something she was supposed to say? She didn't want to do anything too awkward, but she didn't want to sit in silence and give Chika the wrong impression, either.

Luckily for Riko, Chika took it upon herself to speak up first, her tone wary, "So… was it okay?" she asked, fidgeting with the zipper on her jacket. "The kiss, I mean. Like, it wasn't too hard? My lips weren't too chapped? There was nothing weird about it, right?"

Riko raised her brows at the question, watching as Chika shifted from side to side, pulling her zipper with shaky fingers. She almost wanted to laugh at the sight, but withheld it, placing a finger to her chin and putting on a feigned look of pensiveness instead.

"…You tasted like oranges."

Chika's face fell. "Is that bad?" She began to wipe her mouth with the back of her sleeve, as if to rid herself of the citrusy flavor. "Maybe I shouldn't have eaten so many…"

Riko caved, laughing as she pulled Chika's arm away from her face. "I'm kidding. It's not bad, it's very you," she assured, tilting her head with a smile. "I liked it."

Chika paused. "O-oh…" Inhaling, she puffed out her chest with confidence. "Well, good! I liked it, too!" But her pride faltered when Riko lifted an eyebrow at her, and she corrected herself, "Kissing you, I mean. Not the orange part."

Riko smiled and sighed, gently nudging her shoulder against Chika's. "I'm glad."

Chika nudged her back, and then looked up towards the sky with a smile. The heart-throbbing tension from before had entirely dissolved, and the air hanging between them now felt comfortable and serene. It surprised Riko how quickly they were able to return to that usual sense of familiarity after having done something so unexpected. Though, she supposed that in some way, it felt fitting for them.

"You know," Chika spoke up, her eyes still glued to the pink and orange clouds that drifted across the sky, "it wasn't as dramatic as I thought…"

Riko's attention was caught, looking to Chika curiously. "…What are you talking about?"

Chika shrugged. "I mean, movies and TV always make your first kiss seem like this big thing that totally changes your life! Like, you're a new person afterwards, or something," she explained, putting a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "But kissing you felt sort of… normal?"

Chika's words hit Riko with the force of a brick, making her face flush. "W-what's that supposed to mean?!"

Her sharp tone made Chika flinch, and she quickly shook her head in response. "I don't mean that in a bad way! I mean it like… like it felt right! Like it's something we've been doing forever."

Chika's fast recovery allowed Riko to ease up, letting out a small breath of relief. Chika gave a laugh before looking out to the ocean and continuing with, "It was really nerve-wracking at first, don't get me wrong. I was so afraid I was gonna mess up or ruin it somehow." Chika clasped her head dramatically between her hands. "My head was even spinning so much I thought I'd fall off the dock!"

Riko giggled, and Chika glanced at her with a smile. "But once it was happening it was like… I was wondering why I hadn't kissed you before. It felt so easy and natural with you. And it made me think that maybe that's how kissing really is—just being open and comfortable with someone you love a lot."

Chika rested the palms of her hands against the wood of the dock, leaning back. "It wasn't a big, life-changing thing for me, but it didn't need to be—because if it were then that just wouldn't be us, you know?" She looked to Riko, her eyes shining brighter than they had all evening. "I wanted my first kiss to be something meaningful to me that I'll cherish forever, and because it was with you, I know I will!"

Riko's cheeks burned and she found herself unable to keep her gaze. She had no idea how Chika had always been able to say such emotionally charged things so bluntly. It was as if it didn't bother her at all. Meanwhile, Riko could barely find the words to describe what she felt when Chika so much as looked at her. The fact that she was even able to say even half of the things she said before stunned her.

But every word that Chika uttered made her heart swell, and the way that she looked at her with those sparkling eyes left her dizzy. There was nothing she could say that could possibly begin to capture every emotion flowing through her. All she could manage to do was lean against Chika, burying her reddened face into the cotton of her jacket, muffling, "You're such a dork…"

Riko could feel Chika's shoulders rise and fall with a frustrated huff. "I don't see what's dorky about anything I said!" she rebutted.

Riko only responded by pressing her face further into her shoulder. But after a beat, she managed, "…You're right."

"Hm? So you agree?" Chika asked in a sly tone.

"No. You're still a dork," Riko confirmed, peeking up at a now pouting Chika. She smiled as her hand managed to find Chika's once again. "What I'm trying to say is that it was special for me, too. In a way I'll never forget…" She nuzzled more comfortably against Chika's shoulder, her voice quieter. "I'm glad it was you."

Chika paused, but then gave Riko's hand a gentle squeeze, resting her cheek against the top of her head. "Even though I hit you in the nose the first time?"

"Especially because you hit me in the nose the first time."

The two giggled, and Chika put a hand to Riko's waist, drawing her closer. They remained situated like that for a while, watching the sun as it seemed to melt away into the ocean. The shades of orange and yellow that illuminated the sky before were now blending into blues and purples.

The sea breeze blew against them with a sharper chill than earlier, serving as the reminder that as night fell they would need to retreat back to their respective homes. Once the sun was completely out of view the moment would be over. They would get up and leave this place, going about their lives as they always did.

The feeling of Chika's lips parting from her own returned to Riko's thoughts once more—that longing desire for an instance so small to last just a little more time. Even if she didn't want it to end, she knew it had to eventually. But that didn't stop the aching feeling in her chest that pleaded for the seconds to move just a bit slower.

"…Hey, Chika?"

"Yeah?"

Riko shifted, pursing her lips. "Would… you think I'm weird if I said…" Squeezing Chika's hand a little tighter, her voice fell, "I wanted to kiss you again?"

Chika perked up in surprise, glancing down at Riko, who was doing everything in her power to avoid eye contact. Her mouth curved into a playful smirk, tilting her head to meet the other girls' gaze. "Oh? I thought I was supposed to be the weird one," she teased.

Riko's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, pushing Chika's face away. "S-stop that!" she chastised, eliciting a laugh from Chika.

As her friend began to back off, Riko sighed. "It's just…" Her face felt warm, and she glanced at Chika out of the corner of her eye, admitting, "I think I want this to last a little while longer. If that's all right…"

Riko averted her gaze again when she noticed Chika raise her brows. She felt a little silly for having brought it up, and almost wanted to take it back all together. But that was when she felt the gentle touch of Chika's finger tips press against her cheek, and she turned her head to look at her.

Chika was staring at her with soft eyes—a small, but warm smile on her face that made every last bit of Riko's tension fade away. "I think we can make it last for as long as we want to."

Despite Chika saying that, Riko knew that within a few short minutes it would all be over. She knew that they needed to be home before dark so they wouldn't be scolded. She knew that at some point this would be nothing more than a memory they would look back on with fondness. She knew it was a moment that couldn't last forever.

The last sliver of orange fell into the horizon, dressing the beach in a brief instant of sparkling twilight. And when Chika's lips pressed against her own once more, Riko knew that—however small—this moment was theirs.

End.