Welcome! || Akizuki Koyo

²⁷

"Okay, he sees me at work, but would he want to go out with me if he saw the real me?"

The statement made all of them silently agreed, their expressions turn blank.

"You're suppose to say yes."

"Well, there is a significant gap." Akizuki said, crossing his arms.

"You're too hard on yourself, Mafuyu!"

"No, I'm not. I'm just putting the cards on the table."

Maika had her hands above her chest as she said. "Mafuyu, i-if there's love, then a height defference shouldn't..."

"You know, I'm not especially looking."

As they converse, the door to the staff's room opened to reveal their manager with Karin following behind. "All right! Let's have another fun day at work!"

"Strawberry smoothie here I come!"

Kaho saw the two went inside the kitchen when a light bulb appeared on her head. "Exactly! Even with a height difference, if you tried going out, it might work out!" She then walk in the kitchen to drag confused Dino out. "For now, why not try a simulation with the shop's tallest member, the manager?"

"Me?"

Karin peaked behind the wall as she realized everyone gathered together. "Huh? Did we miss something?"

"Rejected."

"What's rejected?!"

======

"...and that's where we're at." Kaho replied, finished telling the two arrivals the situation.

"I see." Dino said, holding up his hand towards his chin. "Well, leave it to me! Being tall is a gentleman's status symbol. I'll make Mafuyu understand that."

Suddenly, the said girl kick dino's knees from behind. Making him kneeled down. "What kind of gentleman doesn't take a knee and look into a lady's eyes?"

"I'm sorry."

The high school girl looked over at the actual couple here and smirked, walking closer to Akizuki. "Manager, to make a girl swoon, get her between your body and a wall! Like..." Akizuki saw her walking closer to him as she successfully push her towards Karin as he ended up pinning Karin to the wall. "...this!"

Both of them gotten red. Karin gotten red to the sudden movement and the loud thump from both of his hands beside her head while Akizuki stood up properly and glared at Kaho. "What was that about?!"

"Just a demonstration." Kaho smirked as Karin covered her face, full of embarrassment.

'W-we almost kissed in front of them!'

"All right!" Dino yelled out. "I'll show you my true ability!" He then push his hand on the wall, pinning Mafuyu.

Well, it didn't work, since Mafuyu is shorter than they expected. Karin peaked behind her fingers and sweat dropped at the failed attempt of her Manager's ability. She and the others look at them in saddness.

"Sorry."

"That's the saddest attempt at a romance move I've ever seen."

======

"Meow~" Smokey mewled as he climb up to Karin's lap. She was laying on the couch while her head was on Akizuki's lap. She was invited to his place to hang out and spend time with each other.

Karin heard her kitten and stroke hir fur. "Hey, Smokey. Do you need something?"

He mewled again as he stretch before laying down on her stomach. Karin smiled and pick him up so she could sit up.

"You know, seeing how Mafuyu got pinned by Dino, it makes me feel like Mafuyu will never get a boyfriend." Karin suddenly blurted out, remembering what had happen back at work.

"I'm sure somebody will accept her with her height and personality. Besides, she's not that bad." Akizuki replied as he turn off the television to look at her.

Karin lean back on the couch. Akizuki's arm rested behind her as he slowly came in close to her. "Yeah, but sometimes she said she doesn't need love to continue life."

"That's deep."

Karin sighed. "I'm just worried about her, it's all."

Akizuki frown to her as he adjust himself to sit closer to her. "Don't worry about it. If she's happy with how she's living now, then so be it. Like I said, she will find someone she would be interested with."

Karin thought about it a little and shrugged it off. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She put Smokey on one of the pillows on the other couch. "I'm hungry again. What do you have in the fri--"

As she was about to stand up, Akizuki grab her wrist and made her laid on the couch, pinning her on the couch. Akizuki's leg was between Karin's while the other was touching the floor. He suddenly smirked as Karin blushed.

"H-Hey, what is this?"

"What does it look like?" Akizuki lean in a little.

"I like your sudden confidence, but this is a surprise for you to do this."

The male felt his cheeks burning but kept his smirk. "I saw from a manga of mine that this scene makes the girl swoon, like Hinata said. So maybe I'll try this."

Karin giggled, still red. "I like your confidence, but I'm not swooning."

Akizuki smiled as he lean in and closed the gap with her. Karin felt his cold, soft lips on hers. The girl felt him wrapping his fingers on her as his head tilted a bit, giving the girl a more passionate kiss.

Akizuki leaned back as both of them started to catch their breaths. "Does that...make you swoon now?"

"Y-yeah. It does." The girl covered her mouth and looked away, feeling too embarrassed.

Akizuki finally felt shy as he buried his face on her neck. "Damn it. Why do I feel embarrassed even though it's only us both here?"

The girl smiled before she wrapped her arms above his head. "I don't mind this side of you. It's handsome." The male didn't say anything but continue to buried himself on Karin's neck, tickling her a bit.