My grand plan, my meticulously researched Atami date itinerary, had not included this.
There was no entry for "Stand awkwardly in the candy aisle of a brightly lit convenience store, pretending to have a life-or-death crisis over the choice between gummy bears and chocolate sticks, while my boyfriend buys condoms ten feet away."
And yet, here I was.
The crinkling of candy wrappers was a pathetic shield against the reality of the situation. Every few seconds, my eyes would betray me, flicking over to the aisle ominously labeled "Health & Wellness." I could see his silhouette, a tall, familiar shadow, standing frozen before a wall of colorful little boxes. What was taking so long? It was a simple transaction. A means to an end. An end that my body, even now, was humming in anticipation of.
Ahh, stop it, Yui! Get a grip!
"Yuiii."
My entire body went rigid. Don't you dare.
"Which flavor do you want?"
The heat that flooded my cheeks was instantaneous and volcanic. I squeezed a bag of gummies so hard I was surprised it didn't burst.
"Don't ask me!" I hissed back, my voice a furious whisper.
"Just hurry up!"
"Ahhh…" A pathetic, indecisive groan followed. What is he doing? It's not that complicated!
Defeated, I abandoned my sugary fortress and stomped over to him, my steps unnaturally loud on the linoleum floor.
"What's wrong?" I whispered, sidling up next to him. "Why haven't you picked one yet?"
"Umm," he began, his gaze darting frantically across the shelf. "There are… too many choices."
"Just pick one already!" I urged, my voice tight with panic.
"No, you don't understand," he insisted, his voice hushed with a kind of academic panic. "Leaving the flavor aside for a moment, what's with all these numbers? Ribbed? Dotted? They even have hot and cold? What does that even mean?"
"Keep your voice down, baka!" I pinched his side, hard. A few shoppers were starting to glance our way.
"And what about the size…?" he asked, his voice dropping even lower, his eyes wide with genuine, innocent confusion. "Yui, which one should I choose?"
"Why are you asking me?!" I squeaked, my own panic rising.
"Well," he reasoned, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "I've never… seen any others."
"I've never seen one either!" I shot back. My mind, the shameless traitor, immediately supplied a correction. Well, not exactly true. You haven't seen it, but you've definitely felt it. Rubbed it all over your body, even. The memory sent a fresh wave of heat through me.
"…But you've… rubbed mine," he mumbled, his gaze dropping to the floor.
That was it. I stomped my heel down on his foot. "You rubbed it on me," I corrected through gritted teeth.
"Oww…"
This was becoming a disaster. I could feel the weight of curious eyes on us. I just wanted it to be over. I leaned in close, my lips brushing against his ear.
"It's… big," I whispered, the confession a hot, mortifying puff of air. "I think."
"Ummm…"
"Hurry up!" I hissed, already backing away. "I'll wait near the cashier."
I retreated to the front of the store, burying my face in my smartphone, pretending to be absorbed in a world that didn't involve textures and sizes. The reality of what we were doing, the sheer, earth-shattering implication of this small purchase, hit me with the force of a tidal wave. This wasn't just a box. It was a ticket. A promise. A key to a door we had both been standing in front of, waiting, for what felt like an eternity. A dizzying, terrifying, beautiful…
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Jun's voice cut through my daydream. I looked up to see him striding toward me, a small plastic basket swinging from his hand. I was too afraid to look inside.
"Then come on," I said, looping my arm through his and pulling him toward the counter, my eyes still glued to my phone screen.
"Oh, good evening, Hanamura-san."
The voice was friendly, familiar, and the absolute last one I wanted to hear right now. My head snapped up. Standing behind the counter, wearing a bright blue convenience store vest and a polite, practiced smile, was a face I knew all too well.
My brain took a second to place him outside the context of a school uniform. "Good evening," I managed, my voice a little shaky. "You are…"
"Hmm? Yui, you know him?" Jun asked, leaning in.
"He's your classmate, you idiot," I whispered fiercely. "You're Tanaka-san, right?"
Tanaka Kenji. The boy I had so coldly rejected. The boy whose confession I had stepped over like a piece of trash. His smile was still there, but it looked a little… strained.
"And good evening to you too, Kuroda-kun," he said, his gaze shifting to Jun.
"Ah! Tanaka-kun!" Jun beamed, completely oblivious to the undercurrent of tension. "So you're working part-time here? That's admirable. I was thinking about getting a job too, but then who would protect Yui from all the dangers of the world?" He laughed, a casual, easy sound.
I saw the corner of Tanaka's smile twitch.
Jun then leaned his face close to mine, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that was still perfectly audible to the person standing two feet away. "So, Yui, I got six of them. Do you think that's enough for our trip?"
Six?
My eyes, against their will, flew to the basket as Tanaka began to scan the items. My mortification reached a new, cosmic level. This maniac hadn't just bought six condoms. He had bought only six condoms. The basket was empty otherwise. No drinks, no snacks, no flimsy attempt to conceal the singular, glaring purpose of our visit. It was a basket of pure, unadulterated intention.
I had to maintain my composure. I was in public. I couldn't just yank on his cheeky cheeks until he cried. I had to play the part of the good, supportive wife.
"Yes," I breathed out, the word barely a whisper. "That's enough." I immediately looked back down at my phone, wishing it could swallow me whole.
"Hey, Tanaka-kun," Jun said, his curiosity apparently piqued. "Which flavor is the most popular?"
Juuuuun! I screamed internally.
Tanaka's voice was shaky. "Umm…"
Just finish the transaction, Tanaka-kun! For the love of all that is holy, just finish!
"I mean, which one do people usually buy?" Jun pressed, genuinely seeking advice.
"Um, I'm… not… sure," Tanaka stammered. "I just started working here recently."
"Ah, I see." Jun turned back to me. "So, Yui, I only got the melon ones. Is that alright? Since it's your favorite flav—"
My foot connected with his again. He was going to be the death of me.
I looked up, my eyes narrowed into a glare that could have melted steel. "YES," I said, my voice dangerously sweet. "Melon is FINE."
"That'll be 5,400 yen," Tanaka said, his voice a blessed wave of relief.
The moment the transaction was complete, I tightened my grip on Jun's arm and dragged him out of the store. We were finally outside. I let out a long, shuddering sigh I didn't realize I'd been holding.
Then, I reached up, grabbed his ear, and pulled him down to my level.
"Jun," I hissed, my voice trembling with a mixture of fury and embarrassment. "What was that?! You know how embarrassing that was for me? That was so unlike you!"
I let go of his ear and turned my back to him, crossing my arms in a pout. He was silent for a moment. Then, I felt him step closer, his arms wrapping around me from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Yui," he murmured, his voice a low, muffled sound against my hair. "I got carried away." He paused, his hold tightening. "But… he's the one who confessed to you, right?"
Ah. So that's what this was about.
"It irritated me," he confessed, his voice a low growl. "Knowing someone out there tried to take you from me. I feel like I want to hide you away, keep you all to myself." He pressed a soft kiss to my neck. "I'm sorry that I'm so possessive."
I guess I'll let you go this time. I placed my hand over his. I turned in his arms, cupping his face in my hands and looking him straight in the eye.
"Baka," I said softly. "I'm already yours." I leaned in, my voice dropping to a whisper. "My heart, my body… all of it. It's all yours, Jun."
He pulled me into a fierce, crushing hug. "And you know," he said, his voice muffled in my hair, "I was trying to help him. To give up on you already."
I pulled back, a small smile playing on my lips. "Baka. He already gave up. He hasn't spoken to me since I turned him down."
Jun's hand came up, his fingers gently stroking my cheek. He looked at me, his expression suddenly serious. "I don't think so," he said quietly. "No one in this world could give up on you that easily, Yui. Even if you turned me down a thousand times, I'd never give up on you."
"Baka," I whispered, my heart doing a ridiculous little flip. "Normally, that's called stalking, and people call the police." I let out a soft sigh. "You're completely, head-over-heels in love with me, aren't you?" And I am so, so happy about that.
I grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him down for a kiss. How many times had we kissed today? I'd lost count. And here we were, right outside the convenience store, a public spectacle for anyone walking by, and I was sure Tanaka was still peeking at us through the window. It was a long kiss, a deep, possessive claim in the middle of the crowded station front.
When I finally pulled away, I didn't dare look anywhere but his face, acutely aware of the scene we were causing. I looped my arm through his and pulled him away. "Come on, we're going home now."
"Eh? But we still have the beach walk on your list," he protested.
"My feet hurt already," I lied. The truth was, after everything that had happened today, I couldn't wait another second to be alone with him, to be held in his arms, to feel the solid, comforting reality of him beside me.
"Should I carry you?"
"Baka, not here." I glanced up at him, a wicked little smile playing on my lips. "And besides… don't you want to try it?"
His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before a slow, dangerous smirk spread across his face. He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear.
"That's a promise, then," he whispered. "You can't go back on it now."
Oh, what did I just say? My cheeks flamed. "I-I just meant… to see if it fits!" I stammered, trying to hide my true intention.
He just laughed, a deep, warm sound that wrapped around me like a blanket. "I'll leave it in your care, then, Yui-chan," he said, his voice a low, teasing purr. "To check if it fits… or not."