UPDATE 14/2/22: So, I've been planning on returning to this story for a while now, making it into a collection of short oneshots about Keita and Karen, and finally decided to do it! Because if Valentine's Day isn't the best time to do so, then I don't know what is.
I've done some minor revisions to this chapter, and updated the story with a new one. From now on, I'll be adding new chapters here and there as I get ideas, but not regularly in any way. Check back every now and then, or give the story a follow to get updates!
AN (Old): Heya! I recently rewatched Gamers!, and I loved every second of it. Gamers! is definitely one of my favourite Anime, and while I was working on one of my other fics, I randomly got the idea for this oneshot. I don't have plans to continue this past the initial chapter, since working on three other stories is hard enough for me.
And just as a heads-up, I haven't read the Novels, though I really want to, so this will be based purely on the Anime. Because of the nature of this oneshot, it can fit nearly anywhere in the story, but I'd imagine this happens after the group's trip to the hot springs, and after summer holiday has ended.
1. Couples Visit Each Other
It was an ordinary Sunday evening, and I was sat on the bed in my room playing Golden Memories. I had finished most of the character routes already, with just a few remaining, and I just felt like completing the game for the sake of it. Totally doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I'm looking for some "relationship advice" regarding my relationship with Tendou. I want to do more for her, and be more for her. But I know that I'm just a pathetic, weak, otaku…
Tanjun dakedo yamerenai…
The sudden and unexpected ringing of my phone took me out of my thoughts, and I glanced towards the clock on the wall. It's nearly 11 in the evening! Who would be calling me at this time on a Sunday? Putting the controller down on the floor and picking up my phone from my nightstand, I could now see that the caller ID belonged to none other than Tendou Karen – my girlfriend, as crazy as that sounds. My finger hovered over the answer button for a few moments as I swallowed, feeling a little nervous, before taking a deep breath and accepting the call.
"Hello?" I answered into the phone.
"A-Amano-kun!" Tendou shouted loudly into my ear, making me flinch back and pull the phone away from my ear momentarily.
"Tendou-san? What is it? Why are you calling me this late?"
"Ah, a-about that… I… um..." She quieted down for a few moments, before shouting loudly again. "W-would you like to c-come over to m-my place t-tomorrow after school?!"
"Eh?" She… what?
"I-I m-mean… m-my parents aren't h-home and I t-thought we could… y-you know… spend some t-time together..." W-w-what?!
"EH?!" My brain was having some trouble processing everything she was saying to me.
"Wait… I-I worded that incorrectly! Sorry! I-I mean like… d-doing things… as a c-couple. I-it's normal for c-couples to visit each o-other and… stuff..." A few seconds passed in silence, before Tendou realized that she was still wording things in a questionable way. "I-I don't mean it…like... like that!" She then continued in a slightly lower tone. "...Of course... I wouldn't mind it… No, what am I thinking?!"
"T-Tendou-san..." I cut into her rambling before she went out of control.
"Y-YES?!" For the third time since the start of our phone call, I had to move my phone away from my ear.
"I'll… I'll come to your place. Tomorrow, I mean. I don't have anything else to do, anyway." If she wanted me to come over, how could I refuse her? I… can take this as a chance to put what I've learned so far to the test.
"Really? I-I'll be waiting at the school gates for you, Amano-kun." Tendou sounded somewhat relieved that I had accepted. I… suppose I'm not the only feeling nervous, then?
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow!"
Ending the call, I threw my phone onto the bed and then flopped down onto it. Visiting Tendou-san's house, huh? I was confident when I accepted her offer, but man, I'm getting nervous now! I kicked my feet around nervously as I laid down on my bed, when my foot suddenly hit something. I rose back up and looked at the TV screen, where the scene I was currently at in Golden Memories faded to a "Bad End" screen. Looking down in confusion, I saw that I had accidentally managed to hit a button on the controller I had placed on the floor previously, resulting in me choosing the wrong option in the scene.
"Oh, man! And I was doing so well! Now I don't even know which answer was the wrong one..." I said to myself and sighed. Oh well, I'll just reload my last save and play until that point again.
Shouldn't take too long, right?
Classes had just ended, and I was standing by the school gates, alternating between looking at the time on my phone and nervously gripping at the hem of my skirt. Occasionally, someone who recognized me passed by, and I offered them a short greeting or a wave, but otherwise stood still as I awaited for the moment that Amano Keita – my boyfriend – would appear. The last time our club met, Misumi-kun told me about the things I could do together with Amano-kun, now that we weret-together as a couple, but… I'm so nervous! I had spent the entirety of the past week mulling over the whole thing. Certainly, I wanted to do all those things with – and to – Amano, but I couldn't recharge my Courage Meter enough to ask him about them. It took all I had in me to call him last night, and I barely managed to keep my composure when I asked him to come over to my house. After that phone call, everything I had was fully depleted, and I fell asleep on the spot. My morning routine had been all over the place, and I was absent-minded during classes, as all I could think about was what would happen after school
And so, before I even knew it, here I was, waiting for Amano, so we could… go home together. AAAAHHHH! Even the thought of it is making my head spin! But… I have to power through this! Everything will be fine. Calm down, Tendou Karen. Just treat it like a game. You're good at those, so everything will go smoothly. I closed my eyes and started taking deep breaths to calm myself down, unaware and uncaring of what the people around me thought.
"Tendou-san? Are you alright?" A sudden, but familiar voice returned me to reality, and my eyes shot open instantly, meeting the curious and slightly worried eyes of Amano Keita.
"A-A-Amano-kun! N-nice to s-see you." I replied to him, a bit louder than I had wanted to, drawing some of the gazes of the other students still around. G-get a grip on yourself, girl!
"What's up with you today? Do you have a cold?" Amano suddenly reached out a hand and placed it against my forehead. Just him touching me caused my face to heat up, and I could only guess at how deep a hue of red my blush was. "It does feel a little warm… Shouldn't you be home in bed?"
"I-I'm fine, Amano-kun." I swiftly took his hand off my forehead to prevent any further embarrassment, then noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "What about you, Amano-kun? You look like you haven't slept well."
"O-oh, right. W-well… after you called me last night, I ended up accidentally ruining a good run I had in Golden Memories, and my save point was a bit farther behind than I remembered… So I ended up playing well into the night to catch up my progress..." Amano-kun explained with and awkward laugh while rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. Oh, Amano-kun… that's so like you… Hearing you laugh is almost too much for me… "But, um… should we… get going? You wanted me to come visit, right? Also, um… you're kinda… holding onto my hand..."
"Huh?!" I raised my hand up, and indeed, it was firmly clasped around his. "O-oh, s-sorry, but… Do you… mind if we… h-h-hold hands o-on the way? It ties in with… why I wanted you to come over." I averted my eyes from Amano as I spoke with a quiet voice.
"I-I don't mind it, Tendou-san. So… lead the way, I guess?" In the corner of my eye, I saw Amano's own eyes directed away from me as well, clearly somewhat embarrassed himself.
"R-right Let's go."
With that, the two of us started to head in the direction of where I lived. The people we passed by gave us a few strange looks – most likely due to me, I guessed. My face felt hot, and I probably had the biggest, dumbest smile on my face that I had ever had in my life. I can hardly believe it...I'm actually walking back home while holding hands with Amano-kun. It took all of my willpower to keep myself calm during our walk, which – much to my disappointment – was soon over.
"Your house is… big, Tendou-san. You… said your parents weren't home today?" Amano asked when we stopped in front of the gate, his gaze wandering around the premises of my home.
"Yes, they'll be coming back late today, so it'll be just the two of us here." I replied as I reluctantly let go of Amano's hand and opened the gate for us. "Let's... go inside."
Amano nodded and followed me inside, while I was getting more and more nervous by the second. Calm down. It's normal to have your boyfriend come over. I already managed to hold his hand all the way here, the rest should be easy. I thought as I lead him to my room, neither of us speaking. I opened the door and entered, but Amano hesitated outside.
"Amano-kun? What's wrong?" I asked as I turned around to face him, and he took a deep breath before responding.
"Well… this is my first time properly going into a girl's room, so I'm kinda embarrassed… Besides, it's not just any girl's, it's my girlfriend's room." Amano said and scratched his cheek awkwardly, his eyes averted from me.
"Amano-kun..." My heart skipped a beat when I heard him call me his girlfriend. A small part of me wanted to pounce on him right now and not let him go until tomorrow, but the thought made me blush furiously, so I banished it quickly.No, no! You can't think like that! One step at a time."Well… I think my room is a bit different from a normal girl's. Just… come on in." I said and beckoned for Amano to come inside with my hand
"R-right. Sorry for intruding..." Amano swallowed and entered my room. I smiled at him and turned on the lights.
"You can, umm… sit on the b-b-bed. Do you want something to drink?" I asked as I placed my school bag next to my desk.
"Um, sure, I'll have a drink." Amano replied and nervously sat down on the edge of my bed, placing his school bag next to mine on the way. I… want to be as close to him as his bag is to mine… Agh! What am I thinking? Drinks!
"I-I'll be right back!"
I quickly left the room and went to get some drinks from the kitchen. Only when I was there did I realize that I hadn't asked what Amano had wanted to drink, so I settled for some orange juice – after mentally berating myself for being so hasty. Everyone likes orange juice, right? After pouring the juice into two glasses, I made my way back to my room, where Amano was still sitting on my bed, looking around my room with an expression of intrigue on his face.
"Sorry, Amano-kun. I didn't think to ask for what you wanted, so I got us some orange juice." I said and handed him a glass with a guilty smile, our fingers brushing against each other briefly in the process.
"Ah, don't worry about it. Orange juice is just fine." Amano-kun replied and took a sip of his drink, and I mentally sighed in relief. "I have to say, your room is… awesome, to say the least. Your collection is unlike any other I've ever seen… though I guess it's not like I've seen that many, haha… Oh, but your setup is very impressive as well. I don't think I would have room for a TV that big back home!" Amano said enthusiastically as he admired my room. Ah, and there's one of the reasons I love him so much: his enthusiasm for gaming and anything related to it. There's just something so… captivating about seeing the one you love talk about their interests.
"I… Thank you, Amano-kun. Hearing you say that makes me… very happy." I replied with a smile, which Amano returned to me. I wanted to say 'makes my heart flutter', but my embarrassment got the better of me so I left it out. Afterwards, silence fell upon us as we focused on our drinks, and it began to feel a little awkward until Amano cleared his throat and hesitantly began speaking again.
"So… Tendou-san, you said something about… 'doing things as a couple', but… what exactly did you m-mean by that?" Amano asked from me, trying his best to keep eye contact with me as he did so.
"O-oh, right. Well..." I averted my gaze for a moment and took a deep breath, then put my glass on my desk and walked over to Amano. "We've been… d-d-dating for some time now, but… I… want to… a-advance our relationship. I-if that makes sense." I said to him and fidgeted a little, while he suddenly coughed, almost choking on his drink. "A-Amano-kun?!"
"I-I'm fine. B-but what do you m-mean by... 'advancing' our relationship? Y-you couldn't m-mean..." Amano glanced to his side, his gaze flickering between me and the bed, and I felt a blush rising to my cheeks.
"I-I d-don't mean it l-like that! O-of course, i-if you really want to, then I-I guess w-we could… B-but not r-right now!" I stuttered out while flailing my hands around frantically in front of me, my face red with embarrassment. "T-there's other t-things that come first. H-holding your... hand while we walked here was the first one." I then continued after I regained a bit of my composure.
"R-right, o-of course. I-I'm sorry that I asked that. It was thoughtless of me." Amano bowed a little before clearing his throat and speaking again, and I could spot a light dusting of red on his cheeks as well. "But… if holding hands was the first thing, what other things do you mean?"
"W-well… Firstly, from now on... I-I want you to c-call me by my first name! We're a c-couple, so I think it's o-only appropriate that we're on a... first-name basis. A-and no need for honorifics, either." I explained while holding up a finger, watching as Amano's eyes widened slightly.
"R-really? It's kinda e-embarrassing…" Amano averted his gaze from me, scratching his cheek awkwardly.
"You're... on a first-name basis with Hoshinomori-san, right?" I asked, recalling the interactions of the pair. Hoshinomori-san was able to get close to Amano-kun very quickly, so I was a bit jealous, but now…
"That's correct. And in fact, seeing as I don't quite agree with her on some things, I should probably return to using her family name when addressing her." Amano's face was deadly serious as he spoke, a stark contrast to how he had been embarrassed a few moments ago.What… exactly did the two of them disagree on..? "Ahem. A-anyway… let's just, um... Karen." I felt my breath suddenly hitching in my throat, and my heart skipped a beat when Amano suddenly said my first name out loud.
"...Say it again."
"Huh? Your… name?" I quickly nodded to Amano, who looked at me in confusion "O-okay… Karen." Hearing it a second time, I let out a little squeal of joy. I had no idea simply hearing him call me by my first name could feel like this! I hugged myself with my arms and squirmed in happiness, while Amano looked at me with growing confusion, until I got a hold of myself and cleared my throat.
"I-I guess it's m-my turn now." I said and closed my eyes, calming myself to the best of my ability – which didn't work out that well. My knees were shaking, and I felt like I would fall down at any moment.It's alright. I just have to say his name, right? Why am I getting so nervous..."K...K...K-K-Keita!" I finally managed to say, a bit more loudly than I had planned. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ama… Keita with his mouth slightly open and his cheeks dyed red, the sight of which made my heart skip another beat. He's… blushing?! I've… I've done it!
"Ah… W-well done. I-it feels different to h-hear it from my girlfriend..." Keita replied to me and averted his gaze.
"I'm… glad to hear that, Keita." I said and paused for a bit, studying the expression on Keita's face. He was clearly embarrassed, and I was internally screaming with joy thanks to witnessing it. Alright, now onto the rest of the things Misumi-kun told me that couples do… "N-now we can move onto the more… physical things. I-I hope you're r-ready for this, Keita."
"Eh?! W-wait..." Keita quickly turned to face me as I spread my arms.
"S-stay still." I commanded, and Keita nodded meekly in return.
Seeing his approval, I swallowed and took a step closer to him. I just need to go for it. My heartbeat increased exponentially as I slowly closed the distance between us. Keita swallowed and closed his eyes once I was right in front of him, where I stopped for a moment, before wrapping my shaking arms around him and pressing myself against him. I did it! I hugged him! I thought as I gently tightened my hold on him. After a few moments, I felt Keita's hands tentatively wrapping around my waist as he returned the hug. From our position, I could feel the warmth emanating from his body, smell his pleasant scent, feel his breath on my neck and the softness of his skin as our cheeks were pressed against each other. At that moment, I felt happier than I had ever felt before, being so close with the person I loved.I wish this moment could go on forever...Suddenly, as if to spite my wordless wish, it seemed like my weight was too much for Keita to bear, as he fell backwards onto my bed – dragging me with him as both of us were still holding onto each other.
"K-Karen!" Keita cried out my name as we fell. "S-sorry, t-this came totally out of the blue, so I wasn't ready." He then apologized, his hands fumbling around my waist in an attempt to free himself from under me. "W-we can... get back up if you-"
"I don't want to get up." I cut Keita off, feeling the movement of his hands stop. "I… I like being like this. I want to stay like this." With my hands still on Keita's back – now trapped underneath him – I tightened my hold on him and took in more of his comforting warmth and scent
"A-alright, Karen." I heard his reply, then closed my eyes while burying my face into the crook of his neck.
Keita couldn't see it, but I was smiling. Most likely the biggest smile I've ever had. And I got the feeling I would be showing similar smiles in the future if we continued like this. At first, I had felt nervous and embarrassed, like my heart was going to jump out of my chest, but now that we're actually like this… All I feel is a sense of relief and calmness.I snuggled against Keita and moved so my nose was buried in his hair, unconsciously taking in a deep breath. He smells so nice… He feels so nice… I want to just stay like this forever…
"Keita." I whispered into his ear after staying quiet for several seconds, feeling him jump slightly from surprise.
"W-what is it?" Keita asked in return, whispering like I was.
"I love you." I whispered directly into his ear, putting as much emotion into my voice as possible and feeling Keita squirm under me
"I… I… I-I l-love you too, K-Karen." Hearing those words, I could barely contain my happiness.
He… He finally said it to me. I've never been happier in my life. I squealed internally and tightened my hold on Keita, moving my legs so that as much as my body as possible was in contact with his. I just love him so much. I want this to continue like this forever. Just me and him, together like this… on my bed. My eyes shot open as I realized the situation we were currently in. I could feel the heat rising to my face, and I quickly raised my head back up, distancing myself from Keita as much as I could without letting go of him.
"Karen..? What's wrong?" Keita asked, looking at me worryingly, but making no moves to get off the bed.
"N-nothing!" I replied hastily and looked into his eyes for a few moments, then shifted my gaze downwards, towards his lips. I think… I think I'm ready for the next step. I swallowed down my nervousness and then spoke again. "Hey, Keita..."
"Yes?"
"I think… we should… move onto the next thing that couples do." I replied to him sensually as I moved my face a little closer to his, feeling my hearbeat increasing with each passing moment.
"And… w-what is that e-exactly..?" Keita asked while his cheeks got redder and redder by the second.
"Close your eyes..." I kept my sensual tone as I slowly moved closer to him.
Keita swallowed and did as I told him to, closing his eyes. My heart was beating extremely fast now, and being this close to him, I could feel his heartbeat rising as well. Almost there, just a little more… After getting close enough to feel his breath on my face, I closed my eyes as well and tilted my head slightly, bringing my face nearly in touch with his. Just a little more…
Chu
Just like that, our lips made contact. An electrifying sensation shot through me as I tasted Keita's lips for the first time. The pure bliss made me feel weak in my limbs and my thoughts became hazy, my head being filled with nothing other than this overwhelmingly intoxicating feeling. Using what little strength and control over my body I still had, I removed my hands from under Keita to instead cup his face, then – feeling bold – I kissed him a bit more forcefully, and Keita reciprocated by pushing himself upwards while moving one his hands from my waist to settle over mine. For a while, we simply laid there, sharing our first kiss together and savouring every second of it. After what felt like an eternity – and I wish it did last that long – I broke the kiss due to a lack of oxygen. Keita opened his eyes to meet mine as we took laboured breaths, both of our faces flushed a deep crimson.
"Karen..." Keita managed to say between breaths. He looks so… adorable right now.
"Keita… I love you!" I said and captured his lips with my own again. Ahh… this feeling… It's like I was only born to do this... Our second kiss didn't last as long as the first one did, as I broke it after only a few seconds, simply content with staring deep into his eyes.
"I… love you too. There's… no doubt about it." Keita spoke after a few seconds, though I was puzzled by his words.
"Doubt..? Was there… any to begin with?" I asked him, putting my hands on either side of his head for support as I looked down at him.
"Ah, n-no, there... wasn't. It's just… I'm sorry. For the longest time, I doubted whether you really loved me or not, but… I-I think I know the answer now." He replied with a bashful smile.
"Of course I love you, Keita! I love everything about you!" I said loudly, genuinely baffled by what he had said. I mean, I know that things have been a bit… confusing with Uehara-kun, Hoshinomori-san and Aguri-san, but…
"Even though… I'm just a weak and pathetic otaku gamer who's not even good-looking like Uehara-kun?" Keita asked weakly, and I leaned down close to his face again, lightly bumping his nose with mine.
"Especially because you're a kind and passionate otaku gamer who looks much more handsome than Uehara-kun does in my eyes! I wouldn't have you any other way, Keita." I pulled back slightly and smiled widely at him, hoping he'd take my words to heart.
"Really? I'm... glad." Keita said with a relieved smile.
Seeing Keita's satisfaction, I snuggled against him again and quickly kissed him on the cheek. It didn't feel as great as kissing him on the lips, but still made me tingle inside. For a few minutes, we simply laid quietly on my bed with our fingers intertwined, until the vibration of Keita's phone interrupted us. Somewhat reluctantly letting go of his hand, I watched as Keita reached into his pocket and unlocked his phone, both of us seeing that he had received a notification from the mobile game he always played.
"Oh, Mono-san is asking for assistance again." Keita read out the contents of the notification out loud, and momentarily I felt a bit dejected. I know he likes that game a lot, but…
"Keita..." I said weakly, but Keita just smiled.
"Don't worry. You're much more important to me than Mono-san is. I'm sure they'll be fine without my help." He replied and pocketed his phone again, and I felt my heartbeat quickening again. Oh, Keita...
With that, I quickly kissed him on the lips again. Keita… You're just so… perfect. I'm going to start feeling like I don't deserve you at this rate… Resting my head on Keita's chest, I close my eyes while listening to his heartbeat, which was initially very rapid, but soon calmed down as he relaxed, even carefully moving his hand up to pet me on the head. I want today to last forever, so we can just stay like this… Although… I'm also excited for the future, just to see what other things we can do together.
As a couple.
UPDATE 14/2/22: Minor changes here and there, as I've grown as a writer immensely since… Wow, it's been three years since I first wrote this? Fancy that. Time really flies.
AN (Old): And that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed this short oneshot! I certainly enjoyed writing it. As I mentioned at the start, I don't think I'll be continuing this story, since I've got other stories taking priority that I need to get back to. But, who knows? Maybe when I've finished some of my other stories, I might come back to this and add some more content!