"S...Sorui?" Yutaka stared, her whole body shaking, at the pile of boxes that had fallen on top of her friend.
"Sorui!" She ran and lept onto the pile, furiously lifting boxes both full and empty.
"He-hey, wait...if he got splatted he should just respawn, right~?" Urusai walked out to the center area and gazed towards the spawn point.
"T-that's right~!" Danwa chimed in. "He'll respawn any minute now~!"
"Any minute now~." Urusai repeated. Judd hopped down from his perch near the conveyor belt.
"Judd?"
"Mew (Yes?)"
"Why isn't he respawning?"
"..."
Yutaka kept shouting for Sorui as the ink evaporated around them, except for a small, cyan puddle that was halfway underneath the pile of crates.
Danwa put her hands over her mouth. The Inkling with the Octobrush paled and wore a look of panic on his face.
"J-Judd? Why isn't he respawning?" Urusai pressed.
The cat had positioned himself by the pile and squatted near the remaining bit of ink. He reached a paw in and pulled.
There was a quick squeak followed by a "pop" noise as Judd toppled over, having yanked out a slightly squished, but still very much alive, cyan squid. The squid morphed into an Inkling mid-air and landed flat on his face with an "oof".
"S-Sorui?"
"Oww..." Sorui rubbed his face as he sat up. "That hurt..."
"SORUI!"
Yutaka lept off the pile and tackled Sorui to the ground again.
"SORUI! SORUI!" She grasped him in hug like a vice.
""Urf...squeezing..." Sorui squeaked, but Yutaka just hugged tighter while making a sound that was a cross between a sigh, a hum, and a giggle.
"Aweso-" Danwa began, but Urusai clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Let's...ah..." Urusai hesitated over the words. "Give the two a little privacy~."
The others nodded and made their way towards the exit. The Octobrush user shook the whole way, but otherwise had a look on his face that could only be described as "relief".
For a while, neither of the two made a sound. Sorui piped up.
"Um...Yutaka?"
Yutaka loosened her grip.
"I-I thought you died..." She said through teary eyes. "D-don't do that! Never do that to me again?"
"Save you?"
"No! Yes! J-just..." She hesitated. "J-just don't make me worry like that again."
"I'm fine, don't worry." Sorui glanced down. "Ah...my shirt."
"Huh?"
"It got torn when I popped out." He frowned. "That was your present, right? I'm sorry, Yutaka."
Yutaka's mind blanked.
"I mean, you picked that out especially for me..."
She leaned closer.
"I can't believe it got ruined so quickly. I'm so sor-MMPH!"
Sorui's speech was interrupted and his mouth was covered. He tried to figure out what was happening. Something was pressing against his mouth, something warm and a little soft...
His thoughts finally clicked together. Yutaka was kissing him. She had leaned in and pressed her lips against his. Yutaka was kissing him.
She pulled away after a second. Nobody said a word.
"Um..." Sorui started.
What Yutaka did finally clicked in her mind. She stood up abruptly, turned to the exit, and ran full-speed with her hands covering her face. The complete the ensemble, she let out an embarrased "waah" as she ran.
"Um..." Sorui repeated dumbly. "Um..."