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“Dia-san!! Say ‘A-hh’!” The door slid open with a thud and Dia barely had time to look up from her papers before she felt something poke her cheek. She let out a surprised squeak and leaned away, rubbing what seemed to be bits of chocolate off her cheek.
“W-what’s that?!”
“Oops! My bad, I got too excited.” The other girl shifted her weight backwards, but didn’t move from her seated position on the table. “It’s November 11th. Will you play the Pocky game with me?”
The small box in her hand rattled softly as she shook it. Dia glanced down at the unfinished box and the stick hanging between her lips. She was well aware of the tradition, although she had no idea why people chose to create such a game. It was neither her idea of fun, nor was it a productive way to spend time.
“I decline to take part in such a childish activity.” Dia frowned. November had snuck up on her. The year had flown by without her realising it. Mari and Kanan had been trying to get her to play it for years but she had always ignored them. “Furthermore, I have some work to finish.”
“Aww, but Dia-san, it’s tradition! It’ll only take a few minutes, tops!” You grinned mischievously. “Think of it as a form of bonding between members.”
Dia’s face turned red. That was an awfully embarrassingly way to ‘bond’. She wondered if she had come up with that idea on her own. “What?! How many people have you played with?”
She cringed at her own phrasing after the words left her mouth. If it was even possible, the younger girl’s grin grew even wider. Thankfully, her junior decided against using that to tease her. As she swung her legs over the table, Dia briefly considered the physics behind how she managed to keep the Pocky stick in place.
“Kanan-chan, Chika-chan and Riko-chan so far.” You paused in the middle of her sentence before she turned back to Dia with a gleam in her eyes. “I was deliberating about asking Ruby-chan because her reaction would be funny. I guess if you say no, I’ll ask Ruby-chan to play with me later.”
She knew very well that she was playing into her hand, but the thought of her little sister’s innocence being defiled spurred her into action. She pushed herself up and away from the table and reached You within 2 strides.
“Oh? Dia-san?” The younger girl looked slightly intimidated at the proximity but the brunette didn’t back down. The slight pink in You’s cheeks made Dia feel better. At least she wouldn’t be the only one getting embarrassed by playing this game.
“One stick. That’s all.” She said firmly, crossing her arms. That seemed to appease her junior because You beamed with excitement. She leaned forward in invitation, but Dia shook her head.
“But we’re using a different Pocky stick since I don’t know how long you’ve been holding on to that one.” Dia added quickly.
“Hehe, understood!” You dutifully tilted the box towards her and Dia pulled out one of the thin biscuits.
She stared at it for a second, as if contemplating her decision, before putting the tip of the chocolate side into her mouth. It was sweet. She wanted to cringe. The taste of the cheap chocolate coated snack wasn’t something that she was used to. The other girl leaned forward and bit the other side of the biscuit. She could feel the stick grow shorter as You moved forward with the next bite. She took another small nibble of the biscuit and concentrated on maintaining her balance.
Suddenly, the door slammed open. The Pocky stick snapped into half as the pair jolted apart. Spinning around to meet their intruder, Dia felt her cheeks heat up even more.
“Ah!! That’s not fair!” The girl pointed at the two of them.
“Mari-san?”
“First you corrupted Kanan, and now Dia too?” The blonde senior pouted as she walked into the classroom, shutting the door behind her. She turned to the student President with a look that Dia didn’t know if she could take seriously. “And you, you would play with You-chan and not me?”
Sensing the tension in the room, the youngest of the three quickly stepped away and awkwardly shifted towards the door. Mari didn’t so much as turn to her as she made her exit, or rather, her escape. “I’m going to take my leave now... Thanks for the game, Dia-san! See you at practice!”
As the door clicked shut for the third time that day, there was an awkward silence that lasted for a few moments because neither girl had anything to say.
“So, you won’t play with me, but you’ll play with her?”
“I technically didn’t have much choice.” Dia argued. She didn’t have a mirror but she could feel the embarrassment of having to explain the situation. Out of all the people who could have interrupted them, it had to be her. If she was being honest, it wasn’t as if she had never played the game in her life. Kanan was the one who introduced it to her when they were in pre-school. After which, they had bought a box of Pocky to share and played a round of the game before Dia decided that she didn’t like the taste of Pocky enough to keep playing.
When Mari joined their little group, she had been adamant about playing the Pocky game every year. It was strange; she had watched as Mari played the game with Kanan, but after the stick snapped and signalled that Mari was the winner, she declined to take Kanan’s place. Despite the protests and attempts to convince her to try, she felt awkward about playing it with Mari. She had been seen many students play the game with one another but it was always different with Mari. It felt too intimate for her. In some sense, she wanted to avoid playing the game with Mari for a different reason.
“Dia... Play the Pocky game with me.” Mari’s voice was low and her normal accent was lost, so Dia couldn't tease her about it to change the topic. She sounded defeated, which was odd since Dia hadn’t realized that they were competing.
“That doesn’t sound like a question.”
“It’s not.” She didn’t say anything else. The other girl looked genuinely upset, which was surprising. It was just a silly game. Dia wouldn’t have thought that Mari would take it seriously. She had always assumed that Mari had tons of other options. However, she never liked seeing her friend in pain, so she debated making another exception. “You didn’t answer my question. Why am I the only one that you refuse to play with?”
Technically, Dia hadn’t played the game with that many people. Then again, not many people had asked her; in comparison to the other girls in her year who went up to Kanan and Mari and asked them to play the game. Mari never failed to extend the invitation to her, along with other people, every year. In the same way, she never failed to turn her down, such that it had become a running gag within their class. Dia had always assumed that it was a joke because it didn't seem like she was seriously asking her. However, it seemed like Mari had taken her rejection to heart.
“Okay, Mari-san.” She glanced down at the Pocky box that was left on the table and sighed. One game wouldn't hurt. You must have left it in her hurry to leave the room. “Just one game, alright?”
That seemed to brighten her mood a little. The blonde stepped closer to her until their feet were barely apart. Dia struggled to remain composed. They hadn’t even started the game yet. She raised the box towards her and gestured for her to start.
Mari picked up one of the Pocky stick and bit down on one end, offering her the other. Dia’s lips closed over the end without chocolate and she felt marginally better. She took a small bite and swallowed the crumbs of the biscuit that broke off. It was hard for her to distract herself from the fact that they were moving closer and closer together with every bite of the biscuit, so she tried to avoid looking into her eyes. It worked, for the most part.
When there was barely two inches of the biscuit left between them, it became impossible not to notice how close they were. She could feel Mari’s breath on her skin, and she hadn’t realised that the blonde’s arms were lightly resting on her waist. Her uniform separated their skin from touching, but she could feel the warmth from Mari’s hands as if the layers weren’t present. Dia gulped.
She allowed herself to meet Mari’s eyes and was stunned at how green her eyes were. She rarely allowed anyone, even Ruby, to stand this close to her. It made her vulnerable and she didn’t enjoy the feeling at all. Yet, being close enough to see herself reflected in the other girl’s eyes made her forget all of those precautions. All she could see was Mari, and the one thing that came to mind was that as vulnerable as she was, Mari was probably in the same position. Despite the obvious flush that spanned from her neck to her cheeks, the blonde’s gaze on her didn’t waver. Their height difference didn’t seem all that great when they were standing apart, but she had to look up to meet her eyes, and it made her feel smaller somehow.
Dia tried not to move too much. She might be embarrassed but she refused to lose to Mari. She had already made it this far, she wasn’t going to let her win without a fight. Dia was the one who took the next bite. As she inched slightly forward, she felt Mari’s breath halt. Her eyes drifted down to the remaining inch between them, as if goading her into giving up. She was familiar enough with the game to know the point when both parties would let the stick break in half and then burst into laughter. If the players were closer, it would take longer for the game to end and there would be less distance separating them. However, even when Mari played with Kanan, the stick would always snap just before their lips met. Hence, there was no reason to suspect that the outcome of this game would be any different.
She could feel the hesitation; the shiver of a breath taken right before Mari took what was barely a nibble out of the Pocky stick. Dia could almost feel the heat radiating from Mari’s red face, or maybe it was just her own. She wasn’t backing down either. This was probably the longest time they’ve spent alone with one another without uttering a word, Dia thought. Part of her knew that the time that had elapsed since the game started was a lot less than what it felt like, but she could barely remember where they were or why they were even doing this.
It dawned on her that neither of them had moved in the last ten seconds. The girl in front of her fidgeted and the arms around her waist tightened for a moment before relaxing again. The ball was in her court. They were so close that all she had to do was tilt slightly and their noses would be brushing one another. She could make the finishing move and break the stick, but she would lose the game in the process. Or she could close the distance with the next bite. She wasn’t sure whether that counted as a win or a tie, but she liked those odds better.
As far as first kisses were concerned, she didn’t consider that this would end up being hers. Although she couldn’t confirm it, she was pretty sure that their lips brushed as she leaned forward to claim the last portion of the biscuit. It lasted less than a second. All she could focus on was winning the game. Her eyes had shut on instinct, so she couldn’t tell what Mari’s expression was. However, she could feel Mari release her end of the Pocky stick so Dia had the last bite. Their foreheads and noses bumped awkwardly despite her attempt to avoid any contact. Dia quickly shied away and tried to ignore the slight tingling sensation on her lips. She wanted to take a step back from the other girl, but Mari’s hands were still holding her in place. Somehow, their positions had shifted while they were playing the game and now their torsos were pressed up against one another.
Without any warning, Mari dropped her head onto her shoulder. The sudden motion startled Dia into almost raising her arms to catch her. Yet, she didn't know if she should make even more contact with her, so her arms were left hovering just above her back. She could see how deep Mari’s blush was, because the tips of her ears were red too. Her blonde hair tickled her neck as her shoulders shook in quiet laughter. “Ahaha... So, I guess you win this round.”
“Mari-san, are you alright?” Her throat was dry and her mind wasn’t processing anything. She had the sudden urge to stroke her hair but she clamped it down. Being in such close proximity to Mari always brought up weird feelings and gave her ideas about doing things that were out of character. It made her frustrated with her own lack of self control. She had to restrain herself for that reason.
“Your heart is beating really fast, Dia.” Mari’s voice was muffled because she spoke into her shoulder, but Dia felt every word as if the vibrations reached her heart. She sounded almost dreamy, like she was experiencing something for the first time and couldn’t believe it. Dia wanted to push her away but she couldn't find the strength to do so.
“It’s the thrill of winning.” She responded drily, trying to retain some semblance of her sanity. She should have known that any notion of sanity had disintegrated the moment she handed Mari the box of Pocky. It took three seconds for Mari to remove her arms and two seconds for Dia to realise that she had been freed and she could try to breathe again.
It took one second for her hesitance to slip away before she lifted the box towards Mari again. The other girl had raised a hand to touch her lips but she removed it before Dia could make a comment.
“Do you want to play another round?” Dia could almost see the flicker of genuine surprise melt into amusement and a hint of embarrassment. The display and combination of emotions was unusual for Mari but her usual mask was down. She wanted to capture these expressions in her mind forever, like a photograph only for her to see.
“Okay.” Mari slowly walked towards her, wearing a small smirk as if she was trying to gauge her reaction. “This time, I’m not going to lose.”
“Oh really?”
“I know a guaranteed way to win.” Mari stepped closer and Dia didn’t move away.
“No cheating, Mari-san.” Dia frowned.
“I don’t have to cheat to win.” The other girl reassured her. She deftly lifted the box of Pocky from her hands and took out another stick. The plastic wrapper crinkled noisily as she did so, but her gaze didn’t leave the blonde. She expected her to lean forward with the Pocky so that she could bite the other end. However, her hand paused in mid-air. Dia looked at her questioningly.
“Before we start the next round, I’m adding a new rule.” The brunette raised her eyebrows. “Round 2 has a handicap. You have to close your eyes.”
“I don’t remember that being a rule.”
“You’ve not played a second round.” Dia bit the inside of her cheek. Mari had a point. It was too late to back out anyway. She nodded and closed her eyes.
She heard the soft crunch of Mari biting into the biscuit. They had returned to their original positions so their bodies weren’t touching. All she could feel was the static air that surrounded her. It was an odd feeling, to play a game that didn’t exactly require sight, but without it, the atmosphere felt completely different.
“Mari-san, are you-” Her eyes opened in surprise when she felt a pair of lips cover her own instead of the biscuit she had been expecting. Her squeak was swallowed by the other girl but instead of pulling away, she found herself pulling Mari closer. She would later blame it on their equally competitive spirits, but her arms moved on their own accord. It barely occured to her that the Pocky stick was nowhere to be found, until she opened her mouth and a familiar sweetness overwhelmed her taste buds.
She could taste the distinct crumbs covered in chocolate, intermingled with an unfamiliar spice. It was a cheap snack that she didn’t exactly feel inclined to eat on a regular basis. Perhaps, it was an acquired taste. However, she had to admit that it was rather addicting. Whether she was referring to the Pocky itself or the combination of the snacks and Mari, she didn’t know.
They both had to take a minute to catch their breaths after they pulled apart. Her hands remained on Mari’s shoulders, and Mari didn’t move her hands from Dia’s back. Their proximity was too close but neither of them made the move to break contact. It felt like the room had gotten warmer.
“That.” Dia began, trying to recover without giving away her thoughts. She was partially certain that her emotions were racing across her face though. With the short distance separating them, Mari wouldn’t miss a thing. “That was cheating.”
“Well, that was payback for stealing a kiss from me earlier.” Mari retorted. Her words were spoken in a whisper, but they were loud and clear to Dia. To make matters worse, the taller girl didn’t look the least bit apologetic. Her lip gloss was slightly smudged and her face was coloured with a pink hue, but that was the only indication that she was just as affected by the kiss as Dia was. It left her curious as to how she managed to sound as if they had spent the last five minutes talking about the weather instead of making out.
“We were playing a game.”
“This is part of the game too.” The way Mari’s tongue darted out to lick a stray crumb at corner of her lips caught Dia’s attention. It was as if she knew that Dia was hyper aware of her every movement. Knowing her, it was a deliberate move and Dia couldn’t deny that by challenging her to a second round, she had probably walked into a trap. “Unless you’re going to accept defeat so easily?”
She pursed her lips before she pulled another stick out of the box. The score was even now. She wasn’t going to settle for that. Truth be told, she was starting to understand the appeal of the game. Although something told her that their version of the Pocky game wasn’t exactly what the other people would partake in. However, she didn’t really mind. It wasn’t as if they were short of biscuits either. It would be a waste to give up now.
“Tie breaker?” Dia placed the tip of the Pocky stick in her mouth. Mari smiled in response as she closed her eyes and stepped closer.
The files that Dia had been looking through lay forgotten on the table. The thought of her incomplete work barely crossed her mind. Although to be fair, she wasn’t exactly thinking straight. In fact, she only realised how much time had passed, after the sky had turned into a warm orange and they had consumed way more Pocky than what they had planned.
She told herself that she could complete the paperwork the next day, before rehearsal. After all, there were still a few hours left before the end of Pocky day.