Time flew in the blink of an eye as July arrived, marking the start of summer. This meant scorching heat and discomfort, but more importantly, summer vacation, at least from school. Even though she was supposed to be lounging in her room, fully enjoying her well-deserved break, Ayaka had to work part-time at the flower shop.
The shop always smelled strongly of lilies and roses, a mix so sweet it sometimes made Ayaka dizzy. The hum of the old fan in the corner struggled against the summer heat, pushing around warm air that carried traces of pollen. Usually, she found the job dreadfully boring since she spent most of her time alone. But this summer the shop had hired another part-timer. What could she say? Business flourished during summer.
The new hire was around Ayaka's age, a girl with green vines in place of hair. Her name was Ibara Shiozaki.
Ayaka and Ibara got along surprisingly well. Perhaps it was because of the similarities between their Quirks, but they quickly became close friends, often laughing and joking while working together.
"You're awfully cheerful today," Ayaka remarked one afternoon as they stacked bouquets on the counter.
"Well, my six-month anniversary with my boyfriend is coming up soon. And… I'm finally meeting his parents," Ibara admitted, her cheeks turning faintly pink as her vines swayed.
Ayaka rolled her eyes playfully. "If I ever get a boyfriend, maybe I'll understand."
Ibara smirked. "As if you could get a boyfriend with that attitude."
Ayaka's cheeks heated. "Shut up and water the orchids."
'Man, I really want to see Momo again… In a few weeks the fireworks festival will happen. I'm sure everyone will want to go. Maybe we could all go together,' Ayaka thought gloomily. The shop was near closing time, and customers had stopped coming. She and Ibara were preparing to shut everything down.
Suddenly, Ibara broke the silence. "Hey, Ayaka, are you free tomorrow?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I need help picking out clothes for the date. You know, for the anniversary. I want to make a good impression when I meet his parents." Her voice brimmed with joy and excitement, which made Ayaka feel a little jealous.
"Of course I'll help you. What time are we going?"
"Let's go after work. I don't think it'll be too late." She straightened the last display before leaving. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See ya."
Once again, Ayaka was left alone. She locked up the store and went home, which was connected to the shop. After that, she ran a hot bath and soaked for about thirty minutes. The bliss of sitting in a bubbly tub while listening to music was unbeatable. The faint steam fogged up the bathroom mirror, and the lavender bath salts made her feel like she was floating.
When she got out, a new message from Jirō awaited her. "This popped up online. Thought it might help you," it read, followed by a mischievous emoji. The link took her to a website unsurprisingly filled with sleazy ads and pictures of scantily dressed women. But the main feature of the page was a guide titled "How To Make Women Lust For You."
The more Ayaka read, the more horrified she became. While a few tips seemed vaguely useful, the vast majority were absurdly sexual, making her blush furiously. And just as she thought things couldn't get any worse, her father walked into the room.
Seeing his daughter's expression as she stared at her phone was something he didn't want to deal with, so he immediately closed the door without a word.
'The next time I see Jirō, I'm going to kill her,' Ayaka cursed in anger before glancing back at the scandalous site. 'It wouldn't hurt to try one of these, right?' A terrible idea surfaced in her mind
.
She stared at her reflection in the black screen of her phone, chewing her lip. 'This is insane. What if she thinks I'm a creep? What if she shows it to her friends? No, no, Momo wouldn't do that… right? I'm overthinking again' Her thumb hovered over the camera button as her heartbeat drummed in her ears.
Then she noticed her still-wet hair clinging to her collarbone and the way the pajama top hung loosely. 'It's not too much. Just… suggestive enough.' A thrill of nervous excitement shot through her chest.
The pajamas Ayaka wore had buttons across the bust, which gave her a wicked idea. First, she texted Momo to start a casual conversation, then snapped a picture from a high angle. It showed her damp hair and just enough cleavage to be suggestive. "Screw it, here goes nothing!" She hit send, and not even a millisecond later, she hurled her phone into the pillows.
Inside a luxurious apartment across the city, Momo—who had been texting with a gentle smile—suddenly shrieked, nearly tumbling off the sofa, her face glowing crimson in a way her family had never seen.
"Who are you talking to, sweetheart?" her mother asked, clearly sensing this wasn't a normal reaction to chatting with a friend.
"I-I-I'm just talking to a friend! The girl who stayed over a few months ago! I—I'll be in my room now!" Momo stammered before bolting upstairs and locking the door.
Her parents exchanged puzzled looks.
"Should I talk to her?" her father asked.
"Let's wait until she tells us herself. If she doesn't want to say anything, that's her choice," her mother replied gracefully.
Inside her room, Momo paced in circles, mind racing, until she settled on an idea. "I'll just send a selfie back!" She was wearing cute pajamas, though unfortunately for Ayaka, the picture revealed nothing more than Momo's face.
She took nearly twenty shots before sending the cutest one, then flung her phone onto the bed, anxiously awaiting a reply.
Meanwhile, Ayaka was pacing nervously herself. When the notification chimed, she lunged for the phone. It was a selfie from Momo. Seeing it, Ayaka raised her fist in triumph.
Everyone had won tonight.
The next day, Ayaka and Ibara wandered the mall, trying on clothes. They visited at least five different stores before Ibara finally found what she wanted.
"You should try this one," Ibara said, holding up a navy dress against Ayaka's frame.
"That's way too girly for me," Ayaka protested.
"Exactly. Step out of your comfort zone. Who knows, maybe someone will like it."
Ayaka's face went scarlet. "Stop, it's not like that!"
But she still ended up in the changing room, muttering under her breath. The sight of herself in the mirror, wearing something she'd never normally choose, made her heart pound. 'Would… she actually like this?'
Later that evening, Ayaka returned home with shopping bags in hand, her mind buzzing with possibilities. She dropped the bags on her bed and flopped beside them, staring up at the ceiling.
'Ibara's right. Fireworks would be perfect. I can picture it now… the sky lighting up, the crowd cheering, and me, finally saying what I've been holding back all this time.'
Her heart skipped just imagining it. But then another thought crept in. 'What if she rejects me? What if she laughs, or worse, stops being my friend?'
Ayaka covered her face with her hands and groaned into silence. Anxiety quickly began consuming her thoughts.
*Slap*
"Stop doubting yourself girl, you'll go to the fireworks, find a secluded space, confess and kiss her, that's it, simple."
Now all she could do was wait a few weeks and her biggest desire would turn true…