Himiko leaned against the cold brick wall of the convenience store, a candy stick hanging lazily from her glossed lips. The bright neon sign buzzed above her, bathing her in a pink glow that matched the gaudy scrunchies on her wrists. Her skin, an even, sun-kissed tan, stood out starkly against the navy-blue Kansai uniform she wore—well, mostly wore. The oversized beige cardigan she had thrown over it hung loosely off one shoulder, and her skirt was rolled at the waistband, revealing just a little too much leg for what would be considered “school appropriate.” Not that Himiko cared.

She popped the candy stick out of her mouth and twirled it between her pink acrylic nails, her bright yellow eyes scanning the dimly lit street. “What’s taking them so long?” she mumbled to herself, kicking at a pebble on the sidewalk. She was supposed to meet them here—her crush. A fluttering, dangerous excitement bubbled in her chest, and she bit her bottom lip to suppress the giddy grin threatening to spread across her face.

It was a feeling she couldn’t control, not that she wanted to. The thrill of seeing them, of being near them, was almost too much. Her stomach twisted in that giddy, nervous way it always did when she thought about them. They were so cute. So… perfect.

The sound of footsteps snapped her out of her daydream, and she straightened up, She pretended to be engrossed in the wrapper of her candy, but her heart was pounding in her chest.

“Hiya!” Himiko chirped, looking up with that mischievous, toothy grin she was known for. Her voice was as sweet and syrupy as the candy she’d just finished. “Took you long enough! I was starting to think you got lost or something.”

They smiled at her. Oh, how that smile made her knees weak. She couldn’t help the blush that spread to her ears, and she tugged at the sleeve of her cardigan to hide it. Himiko wasn’t shy, not normally, but they had a way of making her feel all flustered, like a schoolgirl with a silly crush.