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V6 Chapter 26: What Does Kissing Haru Feel Like?
🕑 Added 2025-07-09 13:18:04 +0000 UTCSnap~
Mutsumi stepped out of the bedroom with an expressionless face, having already regained her composure. She checked her bangs multiple times to make sure they weren't messy before heading back to the living room.
But the moment she entered, she locked eyes with two other girls.
Takamatsu Tomori's eyes darted nervously, her mouth slightly open like she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Next to her, Raana had woken up at some point and was now sitting obediently, leaning forward slightly with her cute cat-like lips pressed together, her curious eyes fixed intently on the emotionless girl.
"…"
Under their stares, even Mutsumi began to feel uneasy. After all, she had just mysteriously vanished for a while.
Forget the stray cat for now at the very least, the little penguin had probably noticed something.
The free-spirited Raana stared hard at Mutsumi's cool, unreadable face. Then, narrowing her eyes, she leaned in and took a subtle sniff near Mutsumi's neck.
In that moment, like a famous detective catching the scent of a shady organization, the cat girl raised her lips in a knowing smirk and swayed slightly as she spoke:
"You smell like Haru… Did you kiss him?"
Mutsumi: !
Busted in an instant, Mutsumi's cheeks flushed as she took a small step back. Even Miss Cucumber, who was usually so good at reading people, had been read like a book for once.
Her puppet-like face grew visibly warmer as she opened her mouth, trying to explain, but no words came out.
Seeing her so flustered only made Raana more interested. She leaned in, eyes full of curiosity, with her hands clasped behind her back.
"What does kissing Haru feel like?"
Faced with the question, Mutsumi could only blush harder, unable to answer. As the cat girl crept closer, she instinctively kept retreating.
Normally, Mutsumi was like a doll without emotions, her cold expression and quiet demeanor kept people at a distance. But now, she was reacting completely differently from usual. That contrast made Raana all the more fascinated.
What an interesting girl...
"…What are you all talking about?"
Just as the air grew more awkward, Haru walked in holding a paper bag.
The moment he stepped in, the three girls turned their gazes to him. For a second, Haru thought maybe he'd gotten even more handsome and that's why they were staring.
But then he saw the expression on the little cucumber's face, and Tomori nervously looking down, and it wasn't hard to guess what had happened.
She probably figured something out after Haru disappeared for so long.
"…It's—it's nothing… Mutsumi and I were just talking about rocks and stars, nothing else at all…"
Tomori blurted out an explanation, shaking her head like a rattle drum. She clearly had no talent for lying; even a child could tell her excuse was full of holes.
It didn't matter whether anyone else believed it, Haru certainly did.
Honestly, Tomori could've told him they were from Viltrum and he'd probably still buy it.
"Haru."
The stray cat's eyes lit up. Since it seemed she wouldn't be getting any answers out of Haru, she might as well ask the other person involved directly.
Just as Raana started to step forward with a sly smile on her lips, the situation changed...
Tomori reached out and covered Raana's curious mouth with lightning speed, right in front of Haru. At the same time, the expressionless Mutsumi grabbed her hand to keep her from struggling.
If they had followed up with a synchronized double elbow strike, it would've been a brand-new tag-team combo move.
Silence. Total shutdown.
"Alright, alright… It's already getting late anyway. Tomori, your family must be worried by now. I'll make sure each of you gets home safe before it gets too late."
"Otherwise, if you stick around any longer, you'll have to sleep over at my place."
The moment Haru said that, the girls froze. None of them seemed particularly opposed to the idea.
No, wait! That was just a joke.
It had already taken all his self-control to keep things in check when he was alone with Haru. If he had to fend off any more "advances" tonight, there was no guarantee he'd survive it.
…
The trip to drop everyone off wasn't exactly smooth.
As soon as the topic of "staying over" came up, Raana clearly decided she was going to sleep over. But Haru had already explained everything to her family over the phone.
There was no way he could let a middle schooler like the cat girl get into the habit of staying over at a boy's house. Especially after she had sniffed out his and Mutsumi's little moment. That could have all kinds of bad effects on an impressionable feline minor.
Naturally, Raana threw a fit when he brought her home. Puffing out her cheeks like a steamed bun, she sulked in a rare display of displeasure.
But when Haru promised to make it up to her next time, the grumpy cat finally started to calm down.
After dropping off Mutsumi and Raana, Haru prepared to walk Tomori home. But the little penguin seemed different now.
She'd had her head down for a while, looking a bit downcast. When it came time for their farewell hug, she seemed unsure of what to do.
Haru noticed the change in her mood right away and decided this would be the perfect time to say something, just the two of them...
But before he could open his mouth, the girl beside him beat him to it.
"Haru, c-could we... hold hands?"
"It's just a bit dark over here... I can't really see clearly."
This isn't just dropping hints, this is practically pulling out a pipebomb at the end of the video.
Her stammering yet brave little expression made Haru want to laugh. For a moment, he was tempted to tease her with a "no" just to see the pitiful look she'd make.
But once he saw Tomori's anxious and uncertain face, all such thoughts melted into a tender fondness.
Without hesitation, Haru gently took her small hand. Soft warmth spread between their fingers.
When he held Mutsumi's hand, it felt like cool jade, smooth and chilled even when completely enclosed in his palm. Tomori's hand, on the other hand, was like a tiny furnace. Her body temperature was even higher than his. Holding her close would be like hugging a warm, squishy cushion.
"You only wanted to hold hands?"
"…Mm."
Like a timid little creature, Tomori was clearly mustering her courage. Watching her slowly learn how to express herself was something Haru found irresistibly endearing.
Luckily, it was Tomori here tonight.
If instead it had been that smiling Soyo, they wouldn't be talking about hand-holding right now. If Haru let his guard down even for a moment, he'd probably find himself lost on the way home or worse, wake up sitting on her sofa, wondering how he got there.
"Haru, just now… you kissed Mutsumi, didn't you?"
Her hesitant voice pulled Haru out of his wandering thoughts. Holding his hand, the short-haired girl looked up with eyes like a puppy abandoned in the rain.
"I'm really jealous of Mutsumi."
"No matter when, she's always able to show her best, most perfect self around you… If she wants to hold your hand, she'll just say it outright. But I don't know how to do that…"
Tomori knew she couldn't be like Haru—smart, bold, always knowing how to express what she wanted. When she was sure of her feelings, she could act on them. But when she was uncertain, she became completely passive, afraid her actions might lead to something bad.
"I'm scared that if I ask for too much, if I become greedy, you'll start to dislike me… Whether it's Anon-chan or Kita-chan, when they're around you, they shine like jewels. And I'm just like a pebble on the side of the road, nobody notices me."
"I was thinking maybe I need to be more like Mutsumi. If I'm not… maybe you'll stop noticing me altogether…"
Haru took a deep breath, guilt bubbling up inside.
Of course he could see how Tomori was feeling.
Even if this brave little penguin was willing to share the person she loved, she still feared that the more girls surrounded him, the more invisible she would become. Her kind of worry was completely natural and Tomori was a naturally pessimistic girl, which only made it harder.
But despite that, this once-reclusive girl had managed to open up and share her feelings. Haru felt both proud and guilty. He gently reached out and pinched her soft cheek.
"Even pebbles by the road have someone who notices them all the time, don't they?"
Tomori looked up, stunned. Then she saw him pull a smooth, round river stone from his pocket.
The pretty little stone made her eyes light up. Seeing her expression, Haru couldn't help but laugh.
"Just like you."
"No matter how ordinary a little rock might seem, you always find what's special about it. And you don't need to act like anyone else, Tomori. What makes you different is what's most adorable, what I love most about you. I keep noticing you because I love you."
"You only need to do what you want to do. No matter what, I could never hate you."
Tomori bit her lip softly, then slowly leaned into his chest under his surprised gaze.
The small, delicate girl pressed her cheek against him like she wanted to pour her whole heart out. The faint scent of her shampoo drifted in the air.
Their beating hearts and rushing blood seemed to fall in sync.
"…I want to kiss you too, Haru!"
Her amber eyes shimmered with fierce determination, like she'd just made a life-altering decision.
"For the rest of my life!"
Every single day, until the end of her days?
Stunned by the sheer emotional weight of her words, Haru looked into her eyes. Her expression was resolute. He reached out and gently stroked her soft, silvery-gray hair like calming a nervous magpie, a confident grin tugging at his lips in return.
"Then starting today, we'll kiss every day."
"From now on, it's too late to regret this, Tomori. Even if you get sick of me and try to chase me away, it won't work. Even if you board a plane like that one pink-haired girl and fly off to London, I'll follow you there and kiss you anyway. So get ready!"
Tomori blinked, stunned, and it took her a second to fully register his words.
"…Okay, I'm ready!"
The little penguin clenched her tiny fists, filled with the resolve of someone who might just kiss herself unconscious.
And under Haru's wide-eyed stare, she tiptoed up. Her exquisitely beautiful face closed in, and their breaths tangled, heated and erratic. The moment their lips touched, a faint sweetness, like sugar candy, spread across their tongues.
Unlike their shy first kiss, this one was different.
Even if Haru tried to pull away, she clung to him tightly, melting into the exchange. Her eyes turned hazy, and she lost herself in the kiss, holding on until she turned red from holding her breath. A weak, sweet moan finally escaped her lips.
If he hadn't noticed in time, this little penguin might've kissed herself unconscious.
She stayed in his arms for several long minutes before slowly coming back to her senses.
"Haru… I'm sorry…"
"I'm still not very good at it, but… I'll get better! As long as I keep practicing every day…"
Could she please forget about that French kiss already?
Feeling a bit conflicted, Haru silently cursed a certain blue-haired disaster for teaching the penguin this kind of thing. Why not teach her anything else, why this? Now she kept going until she nearly passed out every time.
And honestly, Tomori might be a little too good at learning.
If they really kept this up daily… who knows what would happen.
…
[If you do nothing, then nothing will ever begin]
For Shiina Taki, hesitation had never been part of her vocabulary. Once she decided to form a band, she gave it everything she had. No matter how much pressure work brought, she could always push through.
She seemed almost like a superwoman, capable of anything.
But only Shiina Taki knew the truth: she wasn't nearly as capable as she pretended to be.
When it came to relationships, she was completely out of her depth.
Maybe it was that exact blind spot that led to so many of the band's crises. When things went wrong, she could only stand by helplessly and watch it unfold.
But in moments like these, only that person could do what she herself could not.
"Thinking about something?"
As Shiina Taki rested her head on the desk, lost in thought, Yahata Umiri suddenly appeared beside her, holding a cup of coffee with her usual expressionless face.
"...Oh, it's just you, Umiri?"
"Sounding a little disappointed there?"
"Hah?"
Umiri raised her calm, emerald-green eyes and gently placed her panda-brand chocolate milkshake on the table.
The unexpected change of beverage made Shiina Taki blink in confusion. She accepted the milkshake and frowned slightly.
"I thought you were on a KISS Coffee streak recently. Why the sudden switch to milkshakes?"
"Didn't feel like coffee today."
Umiri responded flatly, her voice so emotionless it was impossible to read her thoughts.
Taki still found it a bit odd, but it wasn't a detail worth dwelling on. She accepted the milkshake with a quick thanks and began gently biting at the straw.
Her reaction made a subtle light flicker in Umiri's eyes, an emotion difficult to name.
"Did he confess to you?"
Pffft!
Taki choked on the milkshake instantly, coughing uncontrollably as the creamy liquid dribbled down the corner of her mouth. Before she could react, Umiri calmly handed her a clean tissue, like she'd been ready for this exact moment from the start.
"...What are you even talking about? I have no idea."
Shiina Taki cleaned herself up quickly, but her violet eyes flashed with panic. She glanced away, instinctively avoiding Umiri's gaze as if trying to hide her own guilt. But that kind of clumsy evasion was easy for Umiri to see through.
No one understood how stubborn and awkward this black-haired girl could be better than Yahata Umiri.
Still dressed in her Hanasakigawa uniform, Umiri turned to look out the window. Her deep green eyes, like polished jade, darkened slightly with something unspoken. As the clouds drifted lazily through the blue sky above, the punk girl's icy expression finally shifted again.
"I happened to see him the other day. He seems to be dating 'someone else' now."
"Is that so?"
Taki replied as she sipped her milkshake, her tone strangely casual.
As the person directly involved, of course she knew. So Umiri's words didn't really faze her. But even while keeping her cool, Taki couldn't shake the feeling that something about Umiri's comment was... off.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but in that moment when Umiri said those words...
Taki thought she caught a flicker of dissatisfaction in her eyes.
Yet Taki's detached, aloof response only made Umiri furrow her brows deeper. Like a rubber band stretched to the limit, tension suddenly filled the space between them.
Her once-casual tone now carried a cold undertone...
"Taki, you like Haru, don't you?"
