"Aki-Kun, do you want to go to the manga cafe over there?"
Sajuna tugged on Akira's sleeve, looking up at him expectantly.
Seeing Akira nod, she pulled him towards the manga cafe at the end of the street.
Upon entering, there were endless bookshelves filled with volumes of manga for customers to read and purchase.
Akira held Sajuna's hand and went to the counter of the manga cafe, asking the attendant for a room key.
Then, the two of them, carrying paper bags with clothes, looked for the room number corresponding to the key card.
Akira always felt a strange sense of déjà vu about this kind of thing…
Passing by one room after another, Akira observed the shoes placed on the ground; there were all kinds, but it seemed that most were from couples.
Finding the room they had booked, Akira and Sajuna swiped open the door, took off their shoes, and stepped inside.
The type of chairs in a manga cafe varies depending on the establishment.
The most common were reclining chairs, "flat seats" where one could take off their shoes and sleep to enjoy, "massage seats" for reading manga while getting a massage, "couple seats" for couples and friends to use together, and so on.
Sajuna and Akira chose a private room in the manga cafe; many people also used these private rooms as a substitute for hotels as a place to rest, so the facilities inside were relatively complete.
Akira stepped onto the mat in the room; the mat was soft, looking like it had a layer of sponge, making it very convenient for customers to sit directly on it.
On the left side of the room was a turned-off computer, and opposite the computer were three large cushions for customers to rest on.
Sajuna wore black sheer stockings that reached below her knees; the 30 denier black stockings subtly revealed a hint of flesh, accentuating the beautiful curves of Sajuna's legs.
Akira bent down to place the paper bag he was carrying at the edge of the room, then sat down on the mat, just in time to see Sajuna stepping in.
The reinforced black portion at the top of the black sheer stockings appropriately covered Sajuna's toes, making one involuntarily want to explore the secrets hidden deeper inside.
Akira suddenly had the urge to see Sajuna's bare leg curves…
Putting down the things in her hands, Sajuna sat down next to Akira, her body leaning against his.
Akira reached out and put his arm around Sajuna's shoulder.
Sajuna clasped her hands together, as if idly playing with her fingers.
Her lips parted, and she turned her face away as if looking at the room's setup, then spoke her thoughts in a slightly trembling voice.
"This is my first time in a manga cafe."
"It looks really nice; you can read manga, go online, there's air conditioning in the room, and you can even order food."
Sajuna picked up the menu placed nearby, "The dishes here aren't very expensive, and there are all sorts of drinks too."
Akira nodded, stroked Sajuna's hair, and looked at her.
"So, what manga do you want to read, Sajuna?"
"Huh?"
Sajuna was a bit stumped; didn't Aki-Kun realize she was trying to make conversation? Couldn't he tell she was nervous?
Such a confined space could easily lead to rather shy thoughts, couldn't it?
Moreover, there was nothing in the room except for a mat and cushions like a bed; it felt very suitable for two people to do some intimate things.
When she came in earlier, Sajuna also paid attention to the sounds from the surrounding rooms and felt that the soundproofing seemed quite good.
Thinking this, Sajuna secretly glanced up at Akira, seeing him still looking at her with a mischievous smile.
Sajuna couldn't help but move out of Akira's embrace, clenching her fists and lightly hitting Akira's chest; it seemed a bit weak, and her eyes were hazy.
"Aki-Kun, you're so mean."
"Please talk to me; otherwise, I feel so awkward."
Sajuna said, then threw herself into Akira's arms, pressing her flushed cheek against Akira's stomach, feeling the texture of Akira's clothes, and her cheeks became even redder.
She was really, very bold.
"Don't be nervous, Sajuna, what is there to be nervous about?"
Akira gently patted Sajuna's back, saying in a gentle tone, "We still have a long life ahead of us, Sajuna, if you're this nervous now, life will be difficult later."
"Then I won't like Sajuna anymore."
As soon as Akira finished speaking, Sajuna nudged Akira's stomach in disbelief.
"Aki-Kun, would you really stop liking me for such a reason?"
Akira reached out and took the menu Sajuna had put down, opened it, and started looking through it, then asked Sajuna, who was beneath him.
"Sajuna, what kind of snack do you want to eat?"
"Aki-Kun, why are you suddenly talking about food?"
Sajuna said resentfully; they were just talking about him not liking her, and suddenly the topic switched to what to eat.
"Because Sajuna is very nervous,"
Akira replied.
"If we don't eat something soon, I really might stop liking Sajuna."
Akira looked at the dazzling array of menu items and, finally, with decision paralysis, picked a few.
"Can Sajuna eat takoyaki and fried tempura?"
"Mhm."
Sajuna replied sullenly.
Akira put down the menu in his hand, picked up the phone next to the computer, dialed the attendant, placed the food order, and then waited for the attendant to deliver the ordered dishes.
Gently stroking Sajuna's hair, Sajuna suddenly lifted her head from Akira's embrace and said, as if angry,
"Aki-Kun, I'm going to start hating you."
"Why?"
"Because Aki-Kun said he wouldn't like me anymore."
"But I've already ordered food and started liking Sajuna again."
"I don't care, I'm just going to hate Aki-Kun."
Sajuna turned her face away, but her head still nudged Akira's hand.
If you're going to say you hate him, then don't act so coy!
She looked very tsundere!
However, Sajuna, in her current state with Akira, had nothing to do with being tsundere anymore.
"Then I'll hate Sajuna too."
Saying this, Akira, as if in cooperation, withdrew his hand.
Sajuna was clearly stunned for a moment; weren't they just playing around?
Before she could react, Akira reached out again and tickled Sajuna's chin.
Sajuna's confused gaze immediately disappeared, and the corners of her eyes curved into a smile.
"I won't allow Aki-Kun to not like Sajuna."
"What Sajuna says doesn't count."
"Why doesn't it count! Does what Aki-Kun says count?"
Sajuna argued.
"Because no matter how much Sajuna asks, I will still like Sajuna very much."
Sajuna paused for a moment, then became nervous, leaned her cheek closer, and gently rubbed it against Akira's cheek.
"Then what Aki-Kun says doesn't count either; no matter how much Aki-Kun hates Sajuna, Sajuna will still like Aki-Kun very much."
Just as the two were speaking meaningless and illogical nonsense, there was a sudden knock at the door.