Archive of Our Own ^beta

Growing up, Kokomi did not have sleepovers. Her brother insisted it was too dangerous for her to stay anywhere other than home for an entire night, pointing out how vulnerable Kokomi was as a beautiful young girl. No one else would be able to offer her the protection she needed apart from her brother family, so it was only reasonable to forbid her entirely from spending the night at a friend’s house. And Kokomi was too young to argue.

So, to say Kokomi is inexperienced with sleepovers is an understatement—the only friend whose house she’s spent the night at is Chiyo. However, as the perfect pretty girl, she has a certain reputation to maintain. She must be personable, and always friendly to those around her. She can’t risk falling out of anyone’s favor. There’s a simple formula to it, which comes easy to Kokomi—

until Aiura invites her to her birthday party.

Kokomi does her best to avoid playing favorites, but Aiura is persistent, and she dangles the fact that Saiki will be in attendance in front of her face like a dog with a bone, and Kokomi can’t help but bite. She doesn’t realize the girls are all staying the night until after she’s already agreed, and at that point, it’s too late to back out.

But Chiyo is so excited to hear that she’s coming, and Aiura promises a fun night of nail-painting and facemasks and romcoms, so Kokomi doesn’t allow herself a moment to fret over it. If she’s showing any favoritism to Aiura, it’s only because they’re friends, and it’s fine because Aiura is a girl. No one will see her as a competitor to winning Kokomi’s heart.

(Never mind how Kokomi feels on the matter.)

And it’s nice to hang out with other girls. They don’t fawn over Kokomi in the same way boys do—even when they gasp at the sight of her, there’s something different about it. Something softer, settling easier in Kokomi’s chest and bringing a smile to her face. When girls compliment her perfect appearance and personality, they do so as if Kokomi is another person. There is some level of equal-ground in it that Kokomi never finds from men.

Never, except for Saiki.

Which is why she likes him, but it’s also why she enjoys being friends with Chiyo, and why she even finds herself looking forward to Aiura’s birthday party. Her brother may disapprove and beg for her to reconsider accepting the invitation, and it may twist others’ perception of her considering she and Aiura don’t spend time together outside of school very often, but both of those are things she is ready and willing to face. The mild troubles will be worth it—of this, she’s certain.

What Kokomi did not take into account, was gift shopping.

It’s a birthday party, which means Kokomi will be expected to bring a present, and it has to be the perfect present because Kokomi is the perfect person and therefore the perfect friend. She’s never had any trouble buying gifts before, but it’s different with Aiura, for some reason. She’d entered the store with determination and confidence, heading directly to the accessories section and knowing she would find a lovely gift to suit her gyaru style there.

But now, as she looks over the options, she’s second-guessing herself. There are plenty of things she believes Aiura would like, but are any of them truly good enough to be the perfect gift? Are they thoughtful enough? Or will Aiura see a gift based off her appearance as Kokomi only knowing her on a surface-level rather than a personal level, as friends should know one another? Maybe she should buy something based off of Aiura’s interests and hobbies. Although, fashion is an interest, and could be considered a hobby too, depending how much time one dedicates to it. So an accessory would be good, right? But maybe Kokomi should have gone to a shop specializing in only gyaru fashion. But what if she does that only to pick out something Aiura already has? Or worse—something someone else got for her?

She leaves the store empty-handed.

Thankfully, because the universe loves her and must have sensed her internal struggle, it sent an angel to help her out. An angel in the form of one Saiki Kusuo, who happens to be passing by exactly as Kokomi steps out onto the sidewalk.

Perfect.

“Saiki-kun!” she calls, putting just a hint of desperation in her voice, in the way that will have anyone dropping everything in order to help her, vowing their hearts and souls to her cause before even knowing what it is she wants.

Unfortunately, Saiki is immune to all of her special moves, so he ignores her as he walks past. She gets other people offering to help instead, but they’ll all be useless, because none of them know Aiura. She’s confident Saiki will be able to tell her exactly what sort of gift Aiura would like best—he’s the perfect solution to her problem, sent to aid her when she needed him most! The universe declared it would be, by dropping Saiki into her lap, so Kokomi won’t let him escape his destiny.

“Saiki-kun!” she shouts again, louder this time. She jogs after him, and fate is on her side again, because the sidewalk becomes too crowded for Saiki to successfully evade her. She taps his shoulder, and he turns to face her with an impassive expression. But Kokomi knows, internally, he must be jumping for joy at the fact that she’s seeking him out.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she starts, and then continues before he can inform her that he’s busy, “but I need your help.”

Those should be the magic words, but Saiki just stares at her, silent. Like he’s waiting for her to say more, or maybe back down and leave him alone. Kokomi is no quitter, though, so she steels herself and starts speaking again. “You’re friends with Aiura-san, so I was hoping you could help me pick out a gift for her!” Kokomi presses her lips together in a slight pout. “I’d hate to mistakenly get her something she already has…” She then breaks into a smile again as she concludes with, “But I know, with the two of us working together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish!”

Saiki raises an eyebrow, like he doesn’t believe Kokomi. But she’s not going to just admit that she’s severely overthinking what to get for Aiura because not only does this gift have to be perfect; it has to be perfectly perfect, because it’s for Aiura. Who Kokomi is at least sort-of really friends with. But unlike Chiyo, who she knows well enough to easily find a perfectly perfect gift for, Aiura is still somewhat of a mystery. She’s cool, and cute, and fashionable. She’s effortlessly close with Saiki, and she’s easy to get along with. She’s outgoing and friendly and pretty and she can read the future and see auras and she may not be perfect like Kokomi, but sometimes, it feels like she’s right on Kokomi’s heels. And what was Kokomi saying again?

Right! Aiura is difficult to shop for, but Saiki can solve all of Kokomi’s problems as soon as he agrees to help. Which he will, of course, because no one can turn Kokomi down. With this many people around, some who are already clearly aware Kokomi needs help with something, Saiki denying Kokomi’s request for assistance will only lead to unwanted attention. And Saiki hates attention.

They both know Kokomi has already won.

Saiki relents with a sigh. He turns, and Kokomi happily follows along beside him as he begins walking again. “I was thinking about getting her some fun accessories, but her style is so different from mine…” She sighs wistfully. Aiura always looks so pretty with her hair clips and rings. It’s not a style Kokomi has ever been interested in for herself, but Aiura just pulls it off so well, and the thought of seeing her wear something Kokomi got for her has her heart fluttering in her chest.

Saiki lets out a disgruntled noise.

“But then, I worried she might have too many accessories already,” Kokomi continues. “I don’t want to get her something she can’t use, of course. I’m just not sure where to start looking for other gifts, though.” She frowns, tapping a finger against her lips. “Of course, Aiura-san can see into the future, but to get her a gift related to that would be trite and maybe even tasteless. She’s more than a magical power she has, right? However, it also seems to be an enjoyable hobby for her, which might ultimately make it a viable option—”

Kokomi cuts herself off when she realizes she’s been rambling. She turns to Saiki with a smile. “So, as you can see, I’m in a bit of a predicament. Which is why I’m so happy I can count on your advice now!”

Saiki hardly reacts to her words. His lips twitch slightly, and then he veers around a corner, off-course, onto a street Kokomi doesn’t think she’s ever walked down before. It’s a little…shady, and she sticks close to Saiki’s side, their arms pressed against each other. She’s surprised he doesn’t move away, considering how little he likes physical contact, but maybe just he’s finally warming up to her. Or, more likely, he can tell she’s on edge being led somewhere unfamiliar when it also looks so unfriendly, and Saiki loves to pretend he doesn’t care about anyone, but it’s clear to Kokomi that he’s incredibly protective of the people who he sees as friends.

Wait.

Does that mean he sees Kokomi as his friend?! Has she finally succeeded—?

Saiki stops walking abruptly, and Kokomi nearly bumps into him. She doesn’t, because she always carries herself with perfectly practiced poise, but it’s a close thing. She looks up to find Saiki pointing to a shop they’ve stopped beside. It’s a small, unremarkable place that Kokomi likely wouldn’t have taken a second glance at if she were on her own. A sign on the door advertises fortune telling services.

“Um,” Kokomi starts, but she doesn’t get any further than that before Saiki is pulling the door open and stepping inside, so Kokomi really has no choice but to follow him.

It’s a dimly-lit shop, with displays of what Kokomi can only describe as witchcraft materials—crystals, labelled jars, candles, and books. There are accessories, and a few clothing racks as well, and the more Kokomi looks around, the more she finds. Admittedly, it looks exactly like the sort of place Aiura would enjoy.

But now, there are too many options! How is Kokomi ever supposed to choose? How can she know what Aiura will like best?!

Saiki, ignorant to her ongoing internal dilemma, continues walking. He looks like he knows exactly where he’s going, so Kokomi figures her best bet is to follow along. If the universe gave him as a solution, he should guide Kokomi directly to the answer she needs, right? Although, he usually isn’t so agreeable right away. Is this a trick of some sort? Is Aiura going to hate whatever gift Saiki suggests? Is someone else getting her the same thing?!

Kokomi freezes in place without meaning to. And then the door swings open behind her, with a chorus of greetings from voices she recognizes. They say hello to Saiki first, and then to Kokomi, like she’s some sort of afterthought. And then—then, the three boys walk straight past her and drag Saiki away, asking what he’s doing here and if he’s into magic now. Nendou has always been sort of a wild card when it comes to Kokomi—she’s never quite sure how to react to him, and he seems to only fall for her charm in small doses. Kaidou and Kuboyasu, however, don’t usually act like this around her. Did they even gasp?

Ugh.

She turns away, pressing her lips into a thin line as she fights to maintain a neutral expression. Maybe the sudden appearance of Saiki’s friends is a sign that he was about to lead her astray. Surely Kokomi can figure out a gift on her own from here, right? She was considering accessories originally, so she can start there, and she’ll definitely find something that catches her eye in no time!

Kokomi looks through the jewelry—necklaces, rings, bracelets—and then the hairclips and pins, but nothing seems striking enough. The crystals are all very pretty, but none of them can hold a candle to Aiura’s beauty, and she doesn’t really understand what they mean. Speaking of candles, she smells about twenty of them before her nose is too muddled and confused to distinguish between scents anymore, and none of them seem like the sort of scent Aiura would like. Clothing is dangerous, because the chances of it not fitting correctly are too high, so Kokomi strays away from that. She’s not sure about books or the miscellaneous…spell? potion? ingredients either, and Aiura is more of a fortune-teller than a spell-caster, right?

She circles around the entire shop, until she ends up in the corner near the front that Saiki seemed to be heading towards when his friends arrived. They’ve all gone back to get their fortunes read now, forcibly dragging Saiki along with them, much to Kokomi’s chagrin. It doesn’t seem like an activity Saiki would like all that much, but maybe Kokomi is just bitter.

(She’s definitely bitter.)

(But she won’t let it show, because she’s the perfect pretty girl, and perfect pretty girls don’t feel bitter or upset over anything.)

There isn’t much in this corner, really. Incense and bags of crushed plants—neither of which seem good for Aiura’s gift. There are more books, too, and some wands, which Kokomi assumed were only seriously used in fictional witchcraft. She’s not sure a stick of wood is actually going to harness the any magical energies that exist within the universe; they’re much more fickle than that. Magic, in the way it exists, chooses its wielders, and they don’t need wands or potions or chants or pentagrams.

Kokomi would know—she has the universe’s favor cupped in her palms. And what is that if not the most powerful magic of all?

She’s considering returning to the jewelry displays when something catches her eye. Displayed on the counter beside the cash register is a tarot card with vibrant artwork. Kokomi doesn’t know anything about tarot, but the art is eye-catching and bright—just like Aiura. It takes her only a moment to locate the decks, which are on a shelf beside the counter, only a few steps from where she stands now. They come in a sparkly pink box, and a sign on the shelf notes that they come with a sticker sheet to decorate it.

Considering the bedazzling Aiura’s crystal ball has undergone, Kokomi immediately knows this is the perfect gift. Aiura has mentioned being interested in tarot but not having a good deck, which she says makes the entire experience unenjoyable for everyone involved. Most decks are just too boring, she’d explained. Even with a dazzling box, the artwork is all the same.

This artwork isn’t, though. This is exactly Aiura’s style.

As Kokomi pays for the cards, Saiki and his friends emerge from the fortune telling room, arguing with one another over whose fortune was worse. Saiki catches Kokomi’s eye, and raises both his eyebrows.

Then, he gives her a thumbs up.

And any lingering doubt in Kokomi’s mind melts away.

The next week seems to drag on for an eternity as Kokomi anxiously awaits Aiura’s birthday party on Saturday. But Kokomi is perfect, which means she’s patient as she waits. She displays an appropriate amount of excitement when it’s mentioned in conversations at school. She may pack her things for the sleepover well in advance, and she might spend the entire week agonizing over what to wear, but it’s not as if anyone else will know that, so it’s fine! She’s fine.

When Saturday finally comes, Kokomi bids her family farewell and heads to Aiura’s house, practically vibrating with anticipation despite her best efforts to appear only as happy as what is acceptable for the occasion. She arrives only a few minutes early, and Aiura greets her before she even has a chance to ring the doorbell.

“Did you know I was here?” she asks, following Aiura inside.

Aiura winks. “I can see the future, remember?”

Kokomi’s cheeks warm. She tries not to think about Aiura watching her arrival in a crystal ball—surely she checked on everyone’s arrival time, not just Kokomi’s, right? Or, if she was checking on Kokomi specifically, surely it was just to determine whether she would grace the party with her presence. People always adore the idea of Kokomi more than they like her.

Which is fine! The idea of Kokomi is an ideal; she’s made herself that way on purpose. When people see her—people like Saiki and Chiyo—it’s…

Uncomfortable?

Alluring?

Somewhere in between.

Kokomi doesn’t want to be truly known, but on occasion, it’s nice to have people who she won’t disappoint if she should ever slip up. Not that she will, of course, because she’s perfect. Which means she doesn’t make mistakes.

She wonders, sometimes, if Aiura can see her aura… Does that mean she sees something other than the version of Kokomi that is presented to the world? Can she see the whole truth of who Kokomi is? Or does her aura shine so brightly it blinds Aiura to the secrets stored beneath?

She shakes her head, pushing those thoughts aside.

The party is as enjoyable as Aiura promised it would be, and Saiki does show up, accompanied by the purple-haired perv from the other class whose name Kokomi doesn’t care to remember. There’s food and games and music, and even Saiki seems to be enjoying himself. When Aiura opens her gifts, it’s clear Kokomi’s is her favorite, which is only to be expected considering who it was from. She thanks Kokomi enthusiastically, throwing herself at her for a hug that Kokomi was not ready for. She, embarrassingly, flounders for a moment at the feeling of Aiura’s arms around her and her chest pressed firmly against Kokomi’s.

It’s not like she’s never hugged anyone before, but most physical contact she receives is not like this; it’s more like an invalid reaching for the robes of Christ. Aiura’s hug has Kokomi flustering and out of breath when she pulls back. She doesn’t even seem to notice though, as she goes back to cooing over the tarot cards, declaring it’s the cutest thing she’s ever laid eyes on.

Kokomi exhales, slow and shaky. She’s not sure what’s going on here, but she needs to get ahold of herself.

She turns, looking for Saiki, hoping having him in her sights will distract her from Aiura, but he seems to have vanished completely. Strange, but she supposes it’s not too surprising.

Kokomi takes another breath, and then fixes her gaze on Aiura once more.

As the evening wears on, the other guests begin to leave, until only Aiura, Kokomi, Chiyo, and Mera remain. As promised, they do facemasks and paint their nails while cheesy romcom movies play in the background. Kokomi doesn’t need to do facemasks given the fact that she has naturally flawless skin, and she’s never been very interested in romance movies, but it’s a fun time nonetheless. They gossip with each other and critique the poor acting and Kokomi doesn’t have to worry so much about being perfect, because perfection is subjective, and the standard of perfection in this moment is far lower than it is when Kokomi is with other company.

Mera falls asleep first, and Chiyo lasts for another thirty minutes before she’s out too. When the credits for their most recent movie pick start to roll, Aiura presses pause before turning to Kokomi. “You look pretty tired,” she notes. “You ready for bed?”

Kokomi is tired, but the last thing she wants to do right now is sleep. Because going to sleep means ending the night, and Kokomi isn’t quite ready to let go of this moment. She’d like it to last for as long as possible.

(She’d like to live here forever.)

So she shakes her head.

Aiura hums. “I’m not really in the mood for another movie… Oh!” Her face lights up. “I know! I’ll do a tarot reading for you. C’mon, I put the cards in my room.” She jumps to her feet, then holds a hand down to Kokomi.

Kokomi’s breath hitches as she places her hand in Aiura’s, letting her pull Kokomi up from the ground. She doesn’t let go, dragging Kokomi upstairs to her bedroom by the hand, and Kokomi can’t do anything but stare at their interlocking fingers. Aiura is so much more casual with her touch than Kokomi could ever be; if every brush of Kokomi’s fingers is a blessing from God, then she has to ensure each point of contact is worth the weight it carries. But Aiura links arms with her friends while walking through the halls and hugs people just because and ruffles hair and bumps shoulders and holds hands like it’s as easy as breathing for her.

Maybe it is.

Maybe that’s how touch is supposed to be. Kokomi wouldn’t know. She’s never been particularly interested in it anyway, but she’s finding she doesn’t mind much when it comes from Aiura.

When they reach Aiura’s room, she kicks the door shut behind them, and then pulls Kokomi onto her bed, at which point, she finally drops Kokomi’s hand. She reaches over to her bedside table, where she placed the deck of tarot cards Kokomi bought for her. “It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these,” she admits, opening the box and carefully removing the deck. “But, like, how hard can it be, right? I use way more complicated future-seeing techniques every day.”

Kokomi nods, eyes trained on the cards. It’s easier than looking Aiura in the eye, and prevents her gaze from being drawn…elsewhere. Towards the chest region.

“First, you’ll have to ask a question,” Aiura tells her. “Any big life questions you’re curious about? The future? The past? Wealth, knowledge, power…love?”

“Um.” Kokomi glances up at Aiura’s face. She’s grinning widely, like she already knows what Kokomi wants to ask about. She probably does. “Well…”

“Love, then!” Aiura decides. “It needs to be an open-ended question for best results, so what love-related sort of things are you curious about? Got a crush you want to attract the attention of? Or maybe you want to know how to go about finding your soulmate?”

Kokomi hesitates. She’s not sure she believes in soulmates, really… And if soulmates do exist, she doubts she has one—no one’s soul could match her own, because it’s perfect on its own. She could ask how to get Saiki’s attention, but didn’t Aiura already read that through her crystal ball a couple months back? And she determined Saiki likes girls who are true to themselves. So there’s no point in getting the same answer twice. Besides, Saiki is…

She frowns.

Maybe she should ask the cards if she even has a crush at all, or if she just likes the idea of someone who isn’t immediately entranced by her like the rest of the world is.

In a quiet voice, she asks Aiura, “Can I ask if I have romantic feelings for anyone? And…maybe how to know who?”

“Ooooh…” Aiura wiggles her eyebrows. “Exciting! Alright, cards. How should Terukoko go about determining who she has a crush on?”

Kokomi watches as Aiura shuffles the deck with deft, practiced fingers. She claimed she hasn’t done a reading recently, but she surely seems to know exactly what she’s doing, as if the movements are ingrained into her psyche.

Once the cards are shuffled, Aiura cuts the deck in half, then holds out the bottom half towards Kokomi. “Pick the top card, and lay it facedown between us,” she instructs.

Kokomi does as she’s told, and Aiura sets the deck aside. She flips the card to reveal one labelled as The Hermit. The name along makes Kokomi think of Saiki, briefly, though she doubts the answer to her question is something as straightforward as that. If tarot were based on the viewer’s mental associations, there would be no rhyme or reason to it.

“Oh!” Aiura exclaims. “I like this one; it’s associated with my zodiac sign.”

“Huh?”

“Virgo!” Aiura pulls one of the clips from her hair—which looks sort of like the Latin M character—and hands it over to Kokomi. “This is the symbol for it,” she explains. “Western zodiac signs are determined by which constellation the sun appears in on the day you’re born. For me, it’s Virgo! And yours would be Leo, which is very fitting for you. Saiki being a Leo is weird, though; he doesn’t give the vibes at all.” She shakes her head. “Anyway, upright hermit represents soul-searching and introspection…”

As Aiura launches into an explanation of the card’s meanings, Kokomi rubs her thumb against the plastic hairclip. She wonders if the answer isn’t as simple as her first thought upon seeing the card, but as simple as a zodiac sign association.

That thought sends her brain to a screeching halt right as Aiura finishes her spiel with, “Essentially, it’s saying the answer is inside of you already— You know it, you just might be too scared to accept it at the moment.”

“Oh,” Kokomi hears herself say.

As soon as the word has left her lips, Aiura’s eyebrows furrow. It’s clearly not the reaction she was expecting, but Kokomi is having trouble schooling her expression into anything happy or even neutral. She’s not sure what she looks like right now, but she feels wary and uncertain and…

Kokomi doesn’t get scared, because she’s perfect.

But it was easy to believe she had a crush on Saiki. He’s her classmate, and he’s a boy, and he treats Kokomi the same way he does anyone else, and he’s completely unattainable. He’s the perfect idea to project onto when you don’t want to have a crush on a boy at all, isn’t he? He’s the perfect distraction from the truth Kokomi doesn’t want to face.

The truth, which is sitting across from her, and can look straight into her soul whenever she pleases.

“It could also just mean you don’t have a crush on anyone right now,” Aiura adds carelessly, breaking the tension. She picks up the card Kokomi drew and adds it back to the deck, then slips them back into the box. “Here’s another idea—I can do a palm reading!”

“I don’t—”

Aiura sets the tarot card box back on her nightstand, then scoots closer to Kokomi. She doesn’t wait for permission before taking one of Kokomi’s hands in hers. The contact sends sparks shooting through Kokomi’s veins, and for what might be the first time in her life, she can feel her palms growing clammy. Teruhashi Kokomi doesn’t sweat, because she doesn’t get nervous or afraid, and the few times she does sweat in the stifling summer heat, she does so with the utmost grace.

But this is…embarrassing, and uncomfortable, and Kokomi doesn’t know what she’s supposed to be doing right now. Aiura is running her thumb over Kokomi’s hand, tracing out the lines and muttering to herself about the meanings of each one, but Kokomi’s heart is pounding too loudly for her to hear any of what Aiura is saying. She can feel the beat echoing through her entire body, her brain buzzing, and she wants Aiura to let go of her now, but she also wants to be closer than she already is. She wants to hold Aiura back.

The truth that has always been inside Kokomi is that she’ll put on a show for any man who catches sight of her, and it will feel good because she likes the attention, but her heart can never truly care for them in the way they want her to. She isn’t going to fall in love with a man—not even Saiki.

But Aiura?

She captured the attention of Kokomi’s heart without even trying.

“Your heart line indicates some trouble,” Aiura informs her, tracing her index finger over it. “An internal struggle, maybe. Yeesh, I guess that card was right. And here I thought you’d have the perfect fairytale love story.”

Kokomi slips her hand from Aiura’s hold. “Real life doesn’t work like that,” she murmurs, voice sounding faraway. Being the perfect pretty girl doesn’t mean love is easy. Especially not when you’re…

“Aww, don’t sell yourself short!” Aiura pats Kokomi’s cheek. “It’s just a struggle near the beginning of the line; it looks pretty solid at the end. You’ll get over those internal woes in no time, I’m sure!” She grins brightly, and Kokomi’s heart skips a beat.

“You’re sure?” she echoes.

“I don’t just predict the future, babe, I see it. I know what’s going to happen, and you—” Aiura reaches out placing her index finger on the tip of Kokomi’s nose. She goes cross-eyed trying to look at it. “—are going to— Eh?”

Kokomi freezes.

Aiura removes her finger. She looks at it, like it’s at fault for whatever premonition she just had. Maybe it is—Kokomi doesn’t know how her powers work. Once she has sufficiently glared at the offending appendage, she lifts her gaze to meet Kokomi’s and asks, “You like girls?”

Kokomi squeaks. And then immediately slams her hand over her mouth, because whatever that noise was, it was not very becoming of a prefect girl. Although, the covering her mouth may have been even worse, because that was a clear sign she made a mistake. She’s lucky Aiura is the only one here right now, because there might be no coming back if someone else caught sight of the way she’s acting. And if she falls out of the world’s favor, she doesn’t know what will happen.

She thinks reality might shift irrevocably, and everyone will be doomed.

All because Kokomi dared to have a stupid crush on—

“I’m not judging; just surprised,” Aiura clarifies, holding her hands up in defense. “And I didn’t mean to pry!”

No denying it now, Kokomi supposes. She can only hope the fallout will be mildly catastrophic instead of world-ending. Maybe Aiura will take pity on her and spread it as a rumor instead of a fact.

“Girl,” Aiura says seriously, “you’re way pale right now. I totes don’t mind; I’m into chicks just as much as I am guys.”

“But—” Kokomi says, and then pauses, because she’s now comprehending exactly what it is Aiura just said. “You are?”

“I just told you last week that you’re the most gorgeous person I’ve ever met,” Aiura points out.

“Everyone says that,” Kokomi argues. “It’s a fact of the universe; it doesn’t mean anything. If I took every compliment on my appearance as a confession, I’d never do anything other than reject people. And a lot of them would be men who are too old for me.” Kokomi knows she’s the prettiest girl in the world. Sexuality has nothing to do with it—she’s had plenty of straight women and gay men gasp at her beauty. And Kokomi may enjoy compliments more from some people than others, but that doesn’t reflect the intention behind said compliments—

Wait.

Did Aiura just imply—

Aiura cups Kokomi’s face with both hands, her hold careful but firm. She kisses Kokomi on the cheek with a loud smack! and Kokomi’s entire body goes warm. She’s never allowed her heart to control her before; always relying on her mind to guide her through the world in order to ensure her perfection never flickers or fades. But in this moment, her mind goes blank, and her heart takes over.

Before Aiura has a chance to pull away, Kokomi tugs her back in and seals their lips together. She’s never kissed anyone before, but she trusts her instincts to guide her.

After all, everything about her is perfect. So it’s no surprise her first kiss is too.

Aiura’s lips are sticky from traces of gloss she hadn’t removed, and she tastes salty like the popcorn they were eating while watching movies. They fit together like matching pieces of a puzzle, like the universe intended for them to find one another. Kokomi doesn’t believe in soulmates, but she believes her soul and Aiura’s complement each other’s well.

She believes the magic that exists in this world—the favor of the universe, and the psychic abilities, and everything in between—led her to Aiura.

And she’s starting to believe it will be enough to protect their love as well.