When I started dating Iori, I imagined our relationship would be like that of a “prince and his vassal,” and I figured I’d be constantly shaken by her every move, turning pale, straightening my back, and feeling my heart race.

That prediction was mostly spot-on. Iori, with her signature mix of intentionally dramatic and naturally cool lines, paired with an expression that was both charming and captivating, completely swept me off my feet. I can confidently say I love Iori now even more than I did when we first started dating.

That “prince” is now sitting on my bed, grinning and looking straight at me.

“Well then, this is our second home date, isn’t it?”

My girlfriend is as cool as ever. I have a feeling today’s date happened because Iori mentioned she wanted to spend more time with me, but she absolutely refuses to admit that herself. She’s determined to make me be the one to initiate contact.

“Yeah, I’m glad you came.”

I placed some barley tea and snacks (cookies my mom had insisted I take, oddly fancy ones) on the low table and pulled a chair over from my study desk. I spun the chair around and leaned back on it.

“Mmm.”

Iori muttered quietly, sounding dissatisfied with my decision to sit on the chair. The only other place to sit was the bed.

“…”

“…”

We exchanged silent glances. “You know what I want, come sit next to me.” “No, no, I’m good with the chair.” It seemed like she picked up on my intentions too, as she pouted slightly and took a sip of barley tea. By the way, we drink barley tea year-round. Barley tea is the best.

“Mmm…”

I love how cool Iori is, but I love her cute side just as much. That’s why I sometimes can’t resist teasing her a little. Today, I feel like I’m mentally ahead for once.

Honestly, I wanted to cuddle with Iori right away. Of course I did. My beloved Iori was in my room. But just like she wanted me to initiate contact, I really wanted her to do it first too.

Suppressing my desire to sit beside her, I calmly spun my chair in place. As my vision spun back around, Iori was glaring at me with a look of dissatisfaction.

“I see, I see… so that’s the kind of guy you are, huh?”

“Stop with the Emil act, you’re killing me.”

I nearly burst out laughing. How far back does that old literature textbook reference go? I wonder if the store manager would get it.

“Emil’s bound to appear when my boyfriend’s this stubborn.”

“Oh really? I think my girlfriend’s the stubborn one.”

(Translator note: No idea who tf Emil is but it seems like its something taught in japan?)

We both desperately wanted to snuggle, yet neither of us moved. To anyone watching, we probably looked ridiculous. Honestly, it was kind of ridiculous. But somehow, this back-and-forth felt important.

“Since Natsuki insisted, I traveled all this way just to visit.”

“Pfft!”

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the absurd lie. Even Emil couldn’t save that one. The truth was, we were here because Iori wanted to be closer.

“Sigh… Fine, fine. I give up. My butt’s getting sore, so I guess I’ll sit over there.”

How adorable could my girlfriend get?

As I stood up, Iori’s expression brightened just a little. With such an expectant gaze aimed at me, I had no choice. I sat right beside her, and immediately felt her arm wrap tightly around mine.

“Heh, see? You should’ve done that from the start. Natsuki’s such a difficult guy.”

“It’s hard to take you seriously when you’re clinging like this.”

Gone was her usual commanding air. The Iori I saw now was nothing but adorable, a far cry from the cool figure she cut when working at Cyberia. But honestly, I loved that gap between her two sides.

“Iori, want a cookie?”

“Of course. You went out of your way to prepare them.”

Iori pursed her lips slightly, so I brought a cookie to her mouth. She happily took a bite.

“…Mmm, it’s delicious. This could be popular at Cyberia.”

“That good, huh? Apparently, they’re fancy cookies.”

I tried one myself and… the refined sweetness, rich butter, and hint of saltiness spread through my mouth.

“Yeah, it’s really good. Or maybe it’s just because you’re here.”

“That could be. After all, I have my beloved boyfriend beside me.”

“Then does that mean the cookie tasted good to you because I’m here?”

Iori didn’t answer. Instead, she pressed her cheek gently against my arm. That action spoke louder than words.

For a while, we just cuddled on the bed, doing nothing in particular. That alone was enough to make me happy. After some time, Iori suddenly muttered,

“…It’s almost time for the Suzakura Festival.”