Takina walked through shelves of the supermarket near Safe House 2 as she looked at ingredients for tonight’s dinner with Chisato.
A pair of actual high schoolers passed by her stall, and went in on the one right after her as they chatted loudly.
“You’re getting some pocky?” One of the girls’ voice raised.
“It’s November 11th today so, definitely! It’s one thing to spice it up with my boyfriend~ Pocky Game on Pocky Day is fun after all. Lots of fun!” A sultry voice from the other high schooler came. “It’s like a tradition to us now!”
“To think someone would still do pocky game in this day and age.”
“It’s also called Singles day and that’s what you are–Hmph.”
“Don’t say something that gives tons of emotional damage!”
“Hardy har har~”
The two high schoolers walked away from the stall and went past Takina’s holding a few boxes of a certain popular dessert.
“Pocky Game? Pocky Day?” Takina went to the stall and saw a row of differently flavored boxes labeled ‘POCKY’. “It seems to give spice in one’s relationship…”
Curious, Takina stretched her hand towards one of the ted boxed, holding onto it for a while. Would Chisato find it suspicious she actually bought something that she always called unhealthy?
“But if it was a tradition then…” Takina placed the box in her basket and walked towards the cashier. Maybe just a tiiiiny little bit, she was curious.
~*
“Takina~ I’m done with shower. What’s for dinner today?” Chisato rubbed her hair with a towel before settling it around her neck.
“It’s Nikujaga. Could you please set the table? Let’s ear and I’ll take a shower after.” Takina untied the apron around her waist and hung it on the knob of one of the kitchen cabinets.
“Okay. I’ll wash the plates after we eat then.” Chisato lifted the unemptied grocery bag and settled it to the side as she prepared the plates.
“Yes, please.” Takina nodded as she started washing the utensils she used to cook.
It was how their nights go by. Depending on their mission for the day, they go home to one of the four safe houses, or go to Chisato’s favorite safe house if they have time.
They would alternate who would cook meals, and the one cooking would go to the nearby supermarket to buy ingredients.
That’s why imagine Chisato’s confusion, surprise, and curiousity at while she was cleaning the table after they had eaten dinner and Takina went to shower, there was a box of pocky in the grocery bag that could have been put by anyone else but by Takina herself.
“No, no. Maybe she ran into a child who was arguing with their parent about wanting it–no no. Or maybe the bagger put it accidentally and Takina accidentally bought it? No, no, she won’t make such mistakds…” Chisato looked at the box of pocky in her hand, taking it to the living room as she sat on the couch. “Maybe it was a freebie with the ingredients…?”
However, with Chisato’s really strong eyes and memory, she was sure that what Takina took out from the grocery bag were 100% all vegetables and some meat.
Chisato put the box on the couch as she crossed an arm over her stomach, an elbow over it, and a hand under her chin as she stared at the suspicious box of pocky in Takina’s grocery.
“Maybe some person put it in her basket and she got shy to put it back–don’t think so.” Chisato’s face lit up and then turned into a frown after her lightbulb moment and realization in succession. “Hmm…”
“Maybe she knew that I may want some dessert but didn’t know what to put so she chose randomly?” Chisato’s eyes lit up as she always would, those sparkly puppy eyes. “But why pocky? Wouldn’t someone normally get blocks of chocolate or something?”
Chisato still observed the odd existence of the pocky box i
now on her living room table. She groaned as she rested both her arms on the couch’s back rest, hanging her head onto the back rest, eyes closed as she continued groaning.
“What if it was for a totally normal reason like, she just got curious of what it’s like?” Chisato opened her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. She then shook her head as she closed her eyes once again. “Mm. Nope. My Takina isn’t normal like that…”
“Chisato?”
Chisato heard that familiar deep and gentle voice as a shadow was suddenly cast in front of her face. She opened her eyes and saw an equally confused but out of the shower Takina, tucking her hair behind her ear as she looked at her.
“O- Ohh… Welcome back.” Chisato suddenly sat up normal from the couch and made some space so Takina could sit next to her.
Takina only blinked in confusion, before suddenly spying the red box on the living room table. “Ah… It was here.”
“Y- Yeah. I found it from the grocery bag. You bought one?” Chisato watched Takina go around the couch and sit down next to her.
“Yes. I heard from some students that today was Pocky Day, and that… It makes a relationship, um… spicier? That it was a tradition.” Takina picked up the box and held it in her hand. “Is it wrong?”
Chisato put an arm around the back rest behind Takina as she closed here eyes in doubt and frustration. “You’re not wrong but…” Which student fed such treacherous thoughts into my adorable girlfriend’s mind? I’m gonna make whoever you are have a swift and painless death…
“What is the Pocky Day?” Takina looked at the box curiously, then to Chisato.
“Hmm… I guess it’d be easier to show.” Chisato removed her arm from the couch and gently took the box of pocky from Takina’s hand. She quietly unwrapped it, taking the silver bag from inside it and opening it. “You see, November 11th is called Pocky Day because…” She held up two of the chocolate coated stick biscuits before Takina. “…these sticks look like the number one, lining them up like this would make it look like eleven. So eleven-eleven equals Pocky Day.”
Takina nodded. “I see. That’s ridiculous.”
Of course. Chisato smiled at her wryly. “So, there’s also this thing they call Pocky Game…”
“Ah. That’s it. That’s what the student said.” Takina held up an index finger as if finally figuring out something. “The Pocky Game is like a tradition, it makes relationships spicier.”
“I’m not sure about spicy but… wanna try?” Chisato offered the chocolate stick to Takina. I am going to shoot them when I find them…
“I suppose so… That was the reason I bought it after all. I thought that you may want to do it.” Takina blinked as she looked at the chocolate stick being offered to her. She took it from the non-chocolatey end, then scrutinized it. “I sure hope it doesn’t have too many calories…”
“You’ll be fine. We’d just have to lose them on other evening activities!” Chisato smiled at Takina her eyes sparkling as she was immediately met with a flat judging look. “Kidding aside… I’ve never done this before so now I’m feeling a bit nervous.”
“Is it really a game to be nervous abou–!?” Takina blinked as a chocolatey pocky stick was suddenly plopped into her mouth. “Chishato?”
“The Pocky Game is when two people eat one pocky stick from either sides. So you have to bite one side, and the other will have to eat from the other. Ready?” Chisato stared at the pocky stick before, looking at those confused purple orbs. Calm down, Nishikigi Chisato. The two of you have done stuff further than just kissing of holding hands, pocky game should be nothing!
Takina watched Chisato close her eyes tightly for a moment before suddenly taking a small bite on the other side of the chocolate stick. Takina also took one bite as Chisato held the stick on her side. She kept the stick in between her teeth this time, as she watched Chisato bite closer, repeating the action back and forth as their faces grow closer, before Chisato closed her eyes in frustration as Takina watched the stick break in half.
“Gwaaahh! Why is this so difficult!?” Chisato angrily chomped at the pocky she just ate and threw her arms up in the air.
Takina chewed the rest that was left as she covered a hand over her mouth. It’s delicious. “Was that how it was supposed to end?”
“‘course not!” Chisato blushed as she looked at Takina with intriguing eyes. “You do it then.”
Takina giggled as she watched an incredibly red faced Chisato pout at her “How am I supposed to do it then?”
“The pocky game has to end in a kiss, and the first one to break away loses.” Chisato offered the silver bag to Takina as Takina took one more stick.
“So you just lost right now?”
“I did! Is that wrong!?” Chisato admitted defeat as she urged Takina to feed her the stick in her hand. “Now, your turn, and see what I mean.”
Takina placed the pocky stick into Chisato’s mouth. She stared at the othe end as Chisato held the stick in between her teeth like a champ. Takina watched those calm red orbs watch her every move as she looked at the pocky stick… suddenly feeling her heart race at what they were about to do.
Bite a single stick of chocolate until their lips meet at the center? That’s ridiculous. Who thought that these things were fun, and hygenical? Purple orbs met confused, waiting red orbs, as her increasing frustration and embarrassment creeped into her noisy beating chest.
Takina tucked her soft long black hair behind her ears as she took the first bite, slowly chewing it in her mouth as Chisato stared at her for a moment.
“Crap… That’s sexy…” Chisato swallowed, before taking a bite from her side.
The pocky stick became shorter and shorter, and maybe Takina was suddenly aware of how close their faces were with one another.
It wasn’t like they’ve never kissed before, they have, plenty of times, and have even gone beyond that. However, normal kisses always closes the distance immediately, not little by little like this.
Takina closed her eyes as she bit onto the stick, slightly pulling away. When the biscuit broke at the center, Chisato took this opportunity to grab Takina by the back of her head, pushing the chocolate biscuit into Takina’s mouth as they kissed.
Chisato pushed her tongue inside Takina’s mouth as they both kissed and chewed on the biscuits in their mouth together, that chocolate coating sweet on her tongue as Takina held onto the sleeves of her pajamas while they kissed. Soon, Chisato parted from the kiss, as the two of them silently chewed the remaining biscuits in their mouths in silence.
Takina still held onto the sleeve of Chisato’s pajamas as she silently chewed onto the sweet chocolatey biscuit with a blush, a hand over her mouth covering her face shyly.
“S- Sorry… I just sort of…” Chisato apologized as she looked away. “H- How was it…?”
Takina tugged onto Chisato’s sleeve as she shyly looked at those red orbs, a hand still over her mouth before turning away. “…It was… sweet.”
Chisato’s eyes widened, as if a switch had been flipped inside her. She gently grabbed Takina’s wrist with her free hand, kissing her palm before their lips met in a chaste kiss.
Takina closed her eyes as her lips were captured in another sweet chocolatey kiss as she wrapped her arms around Chisato’s shoulders.
The students may have been right. It does give a little bit of a spice.
(Curiousity and the Cat/END)
