[Week 4: Gaming, "Aftermath"]

She could easily understand why Haruka would act so natural about things like that. Takane undertands that throughout his life he hasn't exactly been around much people, as he has mentioned several times how she is his first friend. She knows how things are in hospitals, because even if her own illness wasn't that serious, of course she'd find herself with a misfortune sometimes. Doctors seem distant, and the cold atmosphere of the white room doesn't help at all to make you feel slightly accompanied. Perhaps, the glacial "good morning" the nurses say can even make you feel even worse.

So of course, Haruka, after having been isolated for his whole life, wouldn't really act how people normally do towards others. Takane's the one who has to deal with that the most, because he doesn't get what personal space is. He'd always just be in her bubble, casual as ever, completely oblivious to Takane being nervous because of his closeness.

That's why, I'm wondering... how is he taking it?

Her fingers tremble as they press the colorful buttons of her controller, and despite being in the middle of winter, Takane was sweating. It was hot and it wasn't because they were covered with three different blankets nor the heater, but because she was utterly embarrassed and her blush made her face feel like it was burning. Her clothes, the ones that she herself had blessed for being so warm earlier, now felt way too hot.

Her own nervousness was quite obvious by the way her fingers clumsily moved above the controller, so Takane thought it was a little stupid wonder if Haruka could tell about her current embarrassment, since she was crearly playing sloppily, and the numbers of her score were noticeably beneath the usual. She almost regrets having invited him over, but she doesn't.

Videogames and best friends is a common and casual concept. Especially if it's between them, but kissing definitely doesn't go together with those. That's a fact, but Takane almost wondered if Haruka knew that was a thing friends don't do.

The silence of her bedroom only makes her feel more awkward, because that's the only way she could use to describe their situation; awkward. There was no doubt that was the mood, though she's still not sure if Haruka thought it was odd that they suddenly kissed. Takane didn't even know what she was thinking, or how it exactly went, but it definitely happened, she wasn't hallucinating. Was she?

So she stole a glance to the boy sitting next to her, assuming he'd be playing with his own console as she was, although now that they weren't chatting it felt boring. But she immediately looked back at her own screen after noticing that he's been staring at her, and Takane felt something squirm inside her stomach because Haruka looks really adorable with glowing cheeks.

No, no, I definitely wasn't hallucinating...

She wondered what had drove them into doing that, but Takane couldn't really find something to relate. They were only playing videogames, like always, commenting and enjoying each other's presence when she suddenly found his face leaning closer, and for some reason she doesn't want to think about all Takane could bring herself to do was imitate him. So even if it was a brief touch of lips, it left them speechless only with that uncomfortable mood as company.

And then she finally felt like she should say something, perhaps she could just talk about the game; they could pretend like they hadn't done that and just just laugh it off (although, she was pretty sure she couldn't really do that last thing.) Because in reality, it wasn't bad, not at all. Of course, it was embarrassing, but being honest, if Takane had to choose someone to be her first kiss, she'd have chosen Haruka without hesitating. So, considering that, maybe it actually was a good thing.

"...Takane," she jumps a little when he says her name, his voice low enough for his call to be a whisper. She made a sound between lips as an answer, just because she was too flustered to do anything else. "I – I'm sorry..."

Takane heard him apologize at the same time the screen showed the words "game over", but she didn't mind it. On an impulse, she let go of her console to look at him, trying her best to ignore her flushing cheeks and be brave for once.

"Y – you don't have to apologize!" she exclaimed, and Haruka only blinked back at her, nonplussed. "It... it was... nice."

The boy offers her a shy smile, adorned with his pink cheeks, although he could see that she had looked away. "Ah, yes, it was," and then he doesn't say anything else.

But they cared about the silence anymore, because, at the very least, they had been capable of being a little honest. So by the time she actually dared to look back at him, all they had to do was smile at each other so they could finally resume gaming, casually. Although it was safe to say that neither of them was planning to pretend that it hasn't happened. After all, despite all the awkwardness, it felt right.