Kuro-kun looked at Ina, surprised at her sudden enthusiasm. "Well, uhm, I'm mostly into either Supernatural stuff or Romance/Slice-of-Life shows. What about you? What are shows you really enjoyed?" Ina's ears perked up in interest and her eyes started to shine as she thought for a moment. "Oh, I love the Fate series. It's about people who summon legendary heroes to do battle with each other and they do magic and there's this whole world-building thing going on," she explained, her voice growing more animated as she spoke. "And Nichijou, it's a funny show about a few friends going about their daily lives, but everything is super extreme and over-the-top."
She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "There's also The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, it's about a bunch of misfit friends who get dragged into supernatural stuff by their classmate," she added shyly, hoping he wouldn't judge her taste in anime.
"You like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya?" Kuro-kun asked, his face lighting up. "I love that show, it was so fun and energetic. Do you remember that one episode where they try to solve a murder mystery and there's a bunch of Ace Attorney references?" Ina looked at him in surprise, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I remember that episode! It was so hilarious when they all dressed up like lawyers and judges," she giggled, her voice turning into a melodious chime. "Wow, I don't think we ever really talk about common interests like this." Ina said thoughtfully. She took a sip of her tea, savouring the warm liquid as it calmed her jittery nerves. "So, what about you? What anime have you seen?" she asked, leaning forward on the armrest, curious about his tastes.
Kuro-kun sat up straight and took some time to think. "Well, it's a long list. But some of my favourites include Assassination Classroom, Kekkai Sensen, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Overlord and Shaman King. Oh and of course, I can't forget Love, Chunibiyo and Other Delusions." Kuro-kun said, beaming like Ina had never seen before. It seems that underneath that salaryman exterior lied a true nerd like herself. Ina looked at him in delight and she grinned widely. "I've seen some of those! Assassination Classroom was interesting, Kekkai Sensen had cool fighting scenes, JoJo's was intense, Overlord was dark but addictive, and Shaman King... that one has a lot of heart," she praised, her voice full of enthusiasm. "We could watch something together later, if you want?" she suggested, hoping he would agree. Kuro-kun looked at her and smiled wide. "I'd love to watch something together. What would you suggest? Maybe something simple and cute for today? Nothing too heavy." Kuro-kun thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers. "Ina, have you seen K-On!?" Ina was practically bouncing in excitement as she clapped her hands together. "Of course! I love K-On! It's about a high school girls band, right?" She turned to him, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Do you like music? Maybe we could start learning the basics together?"
She stood up from the armrest, stretching her legs, and walked over to his side, placing her cup of tea on the coffee table. Taking hold of his hand, she pulled him gently until they were standing face-to-face. "What do you say?" she asked, her voice almost pleading.
Kuro-kun looked at her, somewhat taken aback by her sudden question. "I mean... I dabbled a bit in music when I was younger. I do enjoy music a lot, but actually learning music seems so hard. Where would we even start?" He said hesitantly. "I'm not saying no, but I'm also not agreeing right here, right now. Give me some time to think it over." Kuro-kun gave Ina's shoulder a little squeeze and sat back down, pondering. "Wait a moment," he said suddenly, "there's a whole new Let's Play we can watch. I think the last part dropped today. Wanna go through Fire Emblem Awakening together? I absolutely love that game." Kuro-kun proposed. Ina remembered that there was this YouTuber Kuro-kun seemed to really like and Ina watched along with the video whenever they were in the living room together. She did enjoy watching those videos with Kuro-kun.
Ina perked up in interest and she nodded eagerly. "Sure, that sounds fun! I've wanted to get into that franchise for a while now." She stood up from the armrest, stretching her legs again before walking over to fetch her phone. Returning with it in hand, she sat down on the couch beside him, opening the application they usually used to watch the videos. As they settled in for a full day of gaming commentary, Ina couldn't help but steal surreptitious glances at Kuro-kun, marvelling at how comfortable he seemed in this casual setting. They shared headphones, their bodies brushing against each other subtly as they immersed themselves in this virtual world.
They laughed along with YouTubers snarky comments and remarks, but both couldn't help but genuinely invested. After about 9 episodes, they finally managed to tear their gazes away from the screen, finally noticing it was dark outside.
As they decided to stop for the day, Ina looked at Kuro-kun and saw his eyes were wet. Ina's expression instantly changed and she reached out to pat his arm reassuringly. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, concern etched on her features. "It was... nice," he managed to croak out, his voice cracking slightly. "Thanks, Ina."
"It's just..." He continued. "it's been a while since I've been able to share a moment with someone like this. I felt a genuine pit in my stomach after that day... and your life just sorta fell apart... while I'm here... unable to help you. It makes me feel so powerless. So I'm so glad, we got to have this day together." Kuro-kun barely got the words out as he started sobbing, his whole body shaking and shocking as the emotions he had kept inside for all these days were finally released. After a minute he tried to compose himself again. He grabbed a handkerchief, using it to wipe his eyes and blow his nose.
Ina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, let it all out" she whispered, her voice laced with understanding. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She watched him wipe his eyes, unable to shake the feeling that there was more going on beneath the surface of his casual facade. But for now, they were just two people sharing a moment of mutual understanding and connection. Kuro-kun opened his arms wide as he tried to compose himself. He couldn't bring forth any words.
Ina understood the gesture and she squeezed in closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's okay," she murmured, pressing her small form against his chest, providing some comforting warmth. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here," she added softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Just... Stay here for a bit..." Kuro-kun managed to croak out, still fighting the tears in his eyes.
As Ina embraced him fully, he stopped holding back and warm tears of both joy and sadness streamed down his face. Ina just held him tightly, her own eyes welling up with concern. "Hey, hey, it's alright to cry," she whispered into his ear, nuzzling against his neck. She stayed there, offering him support and a shoulder to lean on, letting him vent his emotions without judgement or pressure. It wasn't what she expected from their day together, but she knew that sometimes, people needed someone to listen—someone who wouldn't judge them or try to fix their problems for them. They sat there for a while, in each other's arms, venting their pent-up emotions.
"I'm alright." Kuro-kun said as he held Ina close to his chest. After he finally composed himself, Kuro-kun raised his hand and gave Ina some gentle headpats.
Ina purred slightly in relief, and she returned the gesture, rubbing his back gently. "That's good," she murmured, her voice still laced with concern. "If you need anything, just say so." As they sat together, the silence between them grew comfortable, punctuated by occasional soft sounds of their breathing and the ticking of the clock on the wall. Despite the initial awkwardness, it felt right to be there for him—to provide a safe space for him to let go of whatever was bothering him. Kuro-kun didn't want to let go, but he knew he had to. He slowly released her from their embrace. Ina let go of him reluctantly, her hand lingering on his arm for a moment longer than necessary. "Are you sure? I can stay here with you if you want," she offered, her voice cracking slightly. "It's alright," he said, clearing his throat. "I... thank you, Ina."
Kuro-kun raised his hand up to her head once again, ruffled her hair gently and gave her a warm smile. "It's okay, Ina. I'm gonna go to bed. Gotta get up early for work tomorrow." Kuro-kun started towards the stairs.
Ina looked up in surprise and she followed him to the stairs, her heart racing with a mix of confusion and unease. "Wait, it's already...?" She checked her watch, her eyes widening in shock. "Oh! I didn't realize it was so late. I-I guess I should get some sleep too," she stammered, hurrying after him toward her own room. "Thank you for today, Kuro-kun. It was... nice."
"That's good to hear. Have a good night's rest." Kuro-kun said as he gave her one final goodnight hug.
Ina smiled in gratitude and returned the hug tightly, savouring the warmth it provided. "You too," she murmured into his chest, her voice cracking slightly.
As they separated, she watched him walk upstairs, her body aching with tiredness but her mind still racing with thoughts and feelings she couldn't quite process. She climbed the stairs to her own room, closing the door behind her with a soft click. Switching off the lights, she crawled into bed, her body heavy with exhaustion but her mind still buzzing with the events of the day.
