“I’m not so innocent in all of this either.”

Koi sits back, pushing her chest off the table and slumping back into her seat. She lifts a finger, almost as if in protest to what she just said, but instead uses it to push the hair behind her ear.

What does she mean not so innocent?

There is only one thing I can do in this situation.

Lifting my hands up over where we are both sat, I point my finger at Koi in the shape of a gun – ready to fire at a moment's notice.

“Hands up, I’m taking you in.”

My childhood best friend instinctively raises her hands in the air ever so slightly, before putting them down and raising her voice.

“Cut the crap! I’m being serious here.”

Despite her raised voice, I can’t help but crack a smile. It’s probably awful of me to make fun of her the moment that she breaks the tsundere character slightly, but well, that’s the reason I have to make the most of this time.

After all, what is Koi guilty of in the first place?

She’s talking like she’s committed some sort of crime, even though the likeliness is that she’s just using her sensationalist dialogue again. This time she wants to be the protagonist in a shojo manga, or maybe even the villain.

My arms stay put, but I push the rest of my body forward, beckoning closer to Koi – letting out just a whisper.

“Come here.”

Her face goes bright red as she leans into me; our noses almost touch across the table.

I can feel her breath touch the top of my lip.

It’s warm.

In a whisper, I say the one thing that’s been on my mind…

“Where did you hide the bodies?”

Instantly, in time with my very last syllable, she pulls back, all the while launching her palm forward and smacking me hard across the face.

A dull pain starts to emerge from my cheek before I can even brace for the impact.

It’s been a little while since she hit me last.

That’s probably not a very romantic statistic to be keeping up with.

“That hurt…”

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“I’m glad! I’m not going to tell you now, by the way.”

Don’t be like that! Okay, maybe I took it a little too far – but is this really any different than what she usually does to me?

Maybe this is what they refer to as time and place?

The insinuation being that this may not have been the right time or the right place. But I would heavily disagree! I thought the timing on that one was perfect, comedic gold.

Acknowledging my prowess at that moment, yet being strong enough to set my pride aside, I pull my hands together and bow slightly over the table.

“I’m sorry!”

Peeking up at Koi from that position to get a glance at her face, I look into eyes similar to that of my beloved Mayu.

Like the Queen of Moe herself, grovelling seems to work well on Koi as well.

Sadists, the lot of them.

My date clears her throat.

Ahem.

“As I was saying, I have something to confess.”

Why are you still phrasing it like that? Have you not learnt your lesson at all?

It seems like I haven’t either, but still, I need some restraint on your end too – you’re making this too easy! If I know anything about Koiyomi Aizawa, it is that she never makes anything easy.

I’m not used to all of this, it’s overwhelming!

Gathering all these facts, I decide to stay dead silent and let her say her bit – it seems to be the best way to make sure I don’t interrupt her this time.

Sensing my submission to her will, Koi seems to smile in satisfaction and continue.

This sadistic will, built upon my fear, only lasts as long as all of her usual moods though, as instantly she reverts back into her shy persona.

“Well, uh.”

So many dimensions to this character, I can’t keep up.

I’m getting whiplash!

But the rapid-fire torrent of information that will leave her mouth next will top it all off.

“I know you were feeling pretty weird about going so far out of your way for me, almost like you may be pushing into places you don’t belong. See, the thing is, despite the fact those moves were actually pretty desperate, I admit, they aren’t too dissimilar to moves I have made myself.”

Ouch!

There is a lot to unpack here – somewhere in the middle of that, Koi started closing her eyes. She has taken a brief pause now and has popped one eye open to get a peek at my reaction, but hopefully, she isn’t done.

That was a lot, but really, I still have no idea what you’re trying to say! Are you trying to make me feel better?

She takes a few deep breaths like a swimmer coming up for air and then continues.

“That probably doesn’t make a lot of sense by itself, I know so yeah. I may have asked your mother if she could invite you to the family lunch.”

What?

Let us rewind for a second here…

The reunion with my childhood best friend was orchestrated by the very person I was reuniting with?

Memories of that day come flooding back; most notably, when I had told Koi that I wasn’t all that keen on going and her visceral reaction to that.

Koi had actually wanted to see me that day, even so much so that she had set it up with my parents.

Why?

“Like you, I was a bit apprehensive about going too and wasn’t planning on going until a last-minute change of heart; but well, what I’m trying to say is that I’m glad I did.”

To be honest, I think I stated that I had completely forgotten about the occasion, not that I was initially apprehensive about it – although I was.

The journey there was terrifying if my memory serves me correctly.

But well…

“I’m glad I did too.”

I have so many questions and so many things I just need to know about this situation.

Why set all of this up?

Why hide it behind an invite from my parents?

My parents.

“Oh my god!”

This is why my mother was snickering on the phone.

Once again, it feels like I have gained a piece - a missing piece to the puzzle. Everyone has seen the final image but me.

“Oh my god?”

Koi repeats my expletive back to me as a question, but before I answer it – I need to know if there are any other pieces.

“My dear, are those all the sins you wish to confess on this fine evening?”

Now, who has become the shojo character?