8: Pot stickers

I was at the Chinese restaurant Manshu Pot-Sticker Palace near Kitayono Station with Tomozaki, who’d invited me.

“I still have questions…”

Minami Nanami is not satisfied.

I mean, Tomozaki just offered me a bite of his ramen like it was the most natural thing in the world, like he didn’t care at all if I ate from his bowl. Not that I care about that stuff myself, but this is Tomozaki we’re talking about. That’s a big deal to guys like him, right? That’s why I still had questions.

“Wh-what do you mean?” he asked, studying my face. Oh geez. Fine then, I’ll mess with you a little, Tomozaki. Call it my own kind of revenge.

I picked up one of the pot stickers on the plate in front of me with my chopsticks.

“Okay, Tomozaki.” I shoved it in his face like that was completely normal. “I’ll give you a bite of mine, too.”

“Uh…”

Sure enough, that calmness disappeared, and he was acting totally flustered now. I pushed the pot sticker closer to his mouth. He looked back and forth between the food and my face in total panic.

Uh-oh, this could get fun.

“What? What’s the matter?” I teased. His eyes darted around, which only made the whole thing even more fun. I got this one!

“Hmm?”

I was getting a little carried away, and I pushed the pot sticker right up to his mouth. Wait. Take a step back; I’m really embarrassing myself right now. Once I snapped out of it, I realized I was actually losing. So I looked Tomozaki in the eye, which made me even more embarrassed. Damn, I didn’t mean for this to happen. Now what do I do?

But this was Tomozaki, so it would be okay. He might have gotten a little bolder and cooler lately, but he still didn’t have the guts to eat my pot sticker—

Or so I thought.

But for some reason, he got this really determined look on his face and crammed the whole thing in his mouth. Huh? What? This was Tomozaki. He was supposed say something like, Isn’t this that thing couples do…? and freak out, and I’d win.

Then he stared at me really hard. I was so surprised by what he’d done that I stared back at him. Uh, what is going on? What do I do?

A few seconds passed.

I was super embarrassed and ended up looking away first. Why did everything feel so weird? Why did this happen? Of course, I was the one who stuck the pot sticker in his face to start with, but he’s not allowed to just eat it like that. That’s not what Tomozaki would do, right?

“Something’s fishy here!” I complained, throwing my napkin at him.

“…Huh? What?”

“Nothing!”

But my stomach was churning, so I started stress-eating. I’d just ignore Tomozaki and focus on my pot stickers. When I glanced up at him, he was gaping at me. Serves him right.

Then he started slurping up his ramen super fast.

Huh? What?

Why?

“…Why are you eating so fast, Tomozaki?”

“Huh? …I mean, it’s just…”

My question seemed to fluster him, and the Tomozaki I knew was back. It was a bit of a relief to hear that total honesty again.

When I see him flustered like that, I can’t help smiling. Sometimes, just when I think he’s gotten all cool and decisive, he suddenly goes back to his plain old self. But that’s exactly what makes him Tomozaki.

“…You’re such a weirdo.”

“…Huh?”

He seemed flustered all over again, but that was fine. You can’t always count on this weak-kneed hero, but I like that, too!