Page 85 of Light Leech

I sucked her lower lip, running my teeth against it with a soft caress. She pressed against me, savoring the moment like a divine delicacy.

We had breached the superficial attraction of a girl who had just regained her mind and a boy meeting his idol.

Our lips moved in a rhythm. Feeling her warmth, I released the tension I had been holding. The fear of a one-sided infatuation was dispelled in the sincerity of the kiss.

We let go and caught our breaths, each of us staring at the other with a sincere, shy smile.

The words, “I love you,” tried to press through my lips, but I held them back. I had spoken them once before, but now they meant so much more. Our relationship took time. We admired one another and I was fine with that for now. If patience had brought me something like this, I could wait.

Red cheeks shined through her blush. She laughed. “Let’s get moving.”

I took her hand, this time with sincerity. “Lead the way.”

The walk to Donki tower was short and silent. I didn’t feel the pressure to talk and hoped that she didn’t either. I tried to process what had happened but it felt unreal. I had been so set on accepting horrors followed by tragedy that I couldn’t believe something so delightful was permitted in my life. Not only was I holding someone’s hand, but that someone was the girl I had admired since I heard her voice. But knowing her had beat out the superficial attraction. She was more than the girl of my dreams.

She was real.

But I still couldn’t accept that reality.

Keiro had died. Tevon had died. Deleon had died. Ali betrayed us–though it was temporary, it still left scars. Cut betrayed us. Ralia had almost died. I could keep listing the tragedies but none of them compared to the plague that forced me and my family to harm others for our longevity. Add that to the target major companies and organizations had on us and you had my pitiful existence. That did not match the joy I was now feeling.

Yet it was real.

I was dating Naoma.

I stroked the back of her hand with my thumb, checking again if it was true. She rubbed her shoulder against mine.

She stopped at the back of the line leading around the corner of the building.

“You’re just going to wait in this?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Might as well.”

“But they’re going to make a show of you when you arrive, right?”

“I never said that they will for sure.”

“But you still think it will happen?”

She nodded.

“Then why wait?”

“Because by the time we get there, there will be fewer people.”

“You know it doesn’t matter. Look at all the people just passing by. They’ll be here regardless of the time.” I gestured to the people on benches and sidewalks, admiring their prints of 3Rochi as well as the blind box merch they opened and showed off to one another. “Are you procrastinating?”

She leaned her head from side to side. “I’m trying to figure out how to approach them. It’s been a while, Pet. Nichley was a different battle and even though I’m going back to familiar territory, that was with Reef controlling me.”

“Do you think there’s much else you can do to prepare yourself?”

She leaned her head from side to side again.

“The best way to control the situation is for you to just walk up there. Don’t wait for them to reveal you, take a hold of their attention and walk in with confidence. Catch them off guard.”

She nodded, taking a moment to contemplate before saying, “Are you ready?”

“What do I have to worry about? You’re the one putting yourself back in the public eye.”