Oikawa had come to a realization.
Every girl's lips seemed to have a different flavor.
Kawasaki was like cherry blossoms blooming in April, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance that made him feel as though he were standing beneath a tree while petals drifted down around him.
Utaha was a red rose. Her fragrance was intoxicating, filled with passion that made him want to ask for more and more. But whenever he did, he also had to be careful not to get pricked by the thorns.
And then there was Yui.
To Oikawa, she was more like a sensitive plant.
At first glance, she looked like a flower in full bloom, tempting and fragrant enough to make anyone intoxicated.
But the moment you got a little too close, Yui would shyly fold her flowers back into her leaves.
Just like now.
The instant the kiss began, Yui leaned her whole face toward Oikawa.
But just as it was about to deepen, she immediately pulled back, returned to her seat, and sat perfectly straight, pretending as if nothing had happened.
But had nothing really happened?
The way Yui's face had gone completely scarlet, coupled with her hands that seemed to have no idea where to go, made it incredibly difficult for Oikawa to suppress the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Yui, want to come over to my place later? My cat can dance."
"Liar. You dont have a cat. I'm never believing you again."
"..."
Oikawa took Yui's hand and placed it on the armrest between their seats.
Her hand was scorching hot, and her palm was damp with nervous sweat. She tried to pull it back a little, but Oikawa didn't give her the chance.
Yui shot Oikawa a fierce glare at his shamelessness.
Yet strangely enough, she felt much more relaxed now. Her heart wasn't pounding nearly as hard as it had at the beginning.
Yui secretly glanced at the boy she liked.
For some reason, she couldn't seem to get tired of looking at him.
Her current feelings were a little like having a flower she'd cared for at home for a very long time. Before, she'd always worried about when that flower would finally bloom. She'd worried about whether, once it did, it would blossom into the kind of flower she liked.
But now, all those worries had disappeared.
At this moment, Yui felt as though something had quietly taken root inside her heart.
Maybe it was a seed of happiness.
At least, that's what it felt like to her.
The corners of her lips, which had been pressed together, slowly curled into an unmistakably happy smile.
On the big screen, Takagi and Nishikata were still busy showering everyone with sugary couple moments.
And in her theater seat, Yui was no longer as stiff and nervous as she'd been at the beginning.
Even though she was still holding Oikawa's hand, she wasn't nearly as shy about it anymore.
However... Even if she'd gotten over her initial embarrassment, she was finding it increasingly difficult to pay attention to the movie.
Yui's thoughts were a complete mess.
This was probably what people meant by a happy problem.
Oikawa tilted his head, a playful grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yui, do you think I'd become a big-name movie star if I started acting?"
Yui snorted, covering her mouth as she tried to hold back a laugh. "Pfft! Oikawa-kun, you're dreaming."
Oikawa raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly closer with a teasing smile. "If you don't think so, then why have you been sneaking glances at me this whole time?"
Yui immediately panicked. "I-I haven't been looking at you! I wasn't! Absolutely not!"
Well, that was basically a confession.
Oikawa couldn't help smiling.
Yui had so many unexpectedly adorable little quirks that he genuinely enjoyed them.
She was this perfect combination of innocence and airheaded cuteness.
"Want some popcorn?" Oikawa pointed at the bucket. "If we don't eat it, it'll go to waste. And wasting food isn't a good habit."
"Mm. I'll have some." Shy Yui nodded.
"Then I'll feed you." Oikawa picked up a few pieces of popcorn and held them out toward Yui's mouth.
Yui was absolutely delighted at first.
But before she could enjoy the moment, Oikawa started teasing her again.
Maybe it was because he'd been handling the popcorn, but his fingers had picked up a faint sweetness. He casually licked it off right in front of Yui's eyes.
"Oi-Oikawa-kun, you... stop teasing me."
Yui protested, but her voice was so soft that it sounded almost like she was pouting.
Oikawa couldn't help thinking that the armrests between the theater seats were incredibly inconvenient.
Without those barriers in the way, he was certain he and Yui could have taken their relationship another step forward today.
After that, Oikawa tried to pull the same trick again, only for Yui to give him a sharp pinch on the soft flesh at his waist.
The two of them finally settled down and seriously watched the movie.
Honestly, Teasing Master Takagi-san was pretty boring.
If Oikawa had to give it a score, he'd give it four out of ten at most.
Yui, on the other hand, seemed to really enjoy it.
Maybe it was because she'd already watched the anime. She naturally had a lot more patience and affection for the movie.
When the movie ended, Oikawa walked out of the theater holding Yui's hand.
The two of them looked so close that they could easily have been mistaken for a couple hopelessly in love.
Once they were outside the cinema, Oikawa continued holding her hand and asked, "So, what should we do now? Want to grab something to eat? Are you hungry?"
"Not yet." Yui shook her head. She frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Oikawa-kun, how about we play badminton? I think there's a sports center nearby. They have badminton courts, and you can play table tennis there too."
Oikawa froze for a moment.
Then he realized which sports center Yui was talking about.
It was the same one he'd visited with Iroha before.
What are the odds?
"What is it? If you don't want to play badminton, we can go somewhere else." Yui added that rather cautiously, as though she were worried he'd reject the idea.
"No, that's not it. I was just wondering... are you really okay playing in that?" Oikawa glanced at Yui's short skirt and teased her. "I'm a very possessive man, you know. I couldn't possibly let other men stare at you."
"W-What are you thinking?!" Yui's face instantly turned bright red. "I-I'm not that kind of girl! I'm wearing shorts underneath, okay? Why do you always take things in such a weird direction?!"
"Then... are you on your period yet...?" He immediately corrected himself. "I mean, seriously, you're not going to come to my house and see that dancing cat? It can even do backflips. It's seriously cool!"
"No way! I'm not falling for that trick!"
Yui huffed angrily and tried to move away from Oikawa.
Unfortunately, he was still holding her hand.
She barely managed two steps before he pulled her back. "Yui, I'm not lying. It's genuinely awesome."
"I... I'm going home." Yui pouted.
"Wait, don't! Fine, I won't bring it up anymore. Let's go play badminton!"
Oikawa was starting to get a headache.
He really wasn't lying.
There was a stray cat near his house that really did seem to know how to dance.
'Why does nobody trust anyone anymore?'
Still, he didn't mention the cat again.
Instead, he kept holding Yui's hand and led her out of the shopping mall toward the sports center he'd visited with Iroha last time.
The weather was beautiful that day, and, unusually for Chiba, there wasn't even much wind.
Bright sunlight fell across Yui's face, making it look as though she'd been brushed with a layer of golden paint.
For a moment, she seemed almost radiant.
"You're really beautiful," Oikawa murmured the words without thinking.
Yui lowered her head, her cheeks turning pink. "E-Even if you compliment me, I'm still not going home with you. You're definitely going to try something weird."
"How could I? I'm a perfectly respectable gentleman." Oikawa lowered his head and sighed.
"You're not." Yui's voice became even quieter. "A respectable gentleman wouldn't tease me the way you did in the movie theater."
"When did I do anything?" Oikawa flatly refused to admit anything. Besides, he hadn't exactly gone that far.
"Yui, did you hear it's supposed to snow in a few days?"
Yui shook her head. "That's weird. It's almost February, and it's been getting warmer and warmer. I don't think it's going to snow."
She had no idea why Oikawa had suddenly brought up the weather, but she gave him her honest opinion.
Snow was hardly guaranteed in Chiba. Sometimes years could pass without a proper snowfall, let alone at this time of year.
She thought there was practically no chance of it happening.
"I heard couples who meet during the year's final snowfall stay happy together for the rest of their lives. Yui..." Oikawa looked deeply into Yui's eyes, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. "How about we make a bet? If Chiba gets its final snowfall in February, you'll come to my house and see that cat that can do backflips. Deal?"
Yui stared at Oikawa for a long, long moment.
She suddenly wished she could take a picture of him right then and make it her phone wallpaper.
Why did seeing this idiot smile make her so happy?
"No." In the end, Yui still shook her head. "You're definitely planning something."
"How could I?" Oikawa looked genuinely hurt. "Even if I wanted to pull something, do you seriously think I can control the weather? You don't trust me at all. I'm a little hurt, Yui."
"Then... promise you aren't planning anything?" Yui looked at him skeptically.
Oikawa answered with absolute conviction. "Of course not!"
Yui hesitated for a long while before finally speaking. "Okay. Then I'll agree. If it really snows in February, then I'll... I'll go with you to see that cat that can dance."
Yui shyly lowered her head.
She knew perfectly well that Oikawa wasn't really planning to show her some dancing cat. He clearly just wanted an excuse to get her over to his house.
When it came to Oikawa, she knew him far too well.
"Aren't you going to set a condition?" Oikawa looked curious. "Like, if it doesn't snow, is there something you want me to do?"
Yui simply shook her head. "I don't really have anything I want you to do."
She smiled softly. "I'm already really happy with things the way they are."
Looking at Yui, whose feelings were so straightforward and innocent, Oikawa felt a brief pang of guilt.
Oikawa had to admit it.
He absolutely was up to something.
It was only snow, after all.
Artificial snow counted as snow too... right?
.
.
.