The sun was starting to set over Iwatodai, casting a warm orange glow over the dorm’s common area. You were sitting on the couch, flipping through a book, when Kotone plopped down next to you—too close, actually. Her shoulder brushed against yours, and she cleared her throat a little too loudly.

“So… uh… come here often?” she asked, shooting finger guns at you.

*You blinked. * “This is the dorm. We live here.”

“Right, right! Ha ha… ha…” She laughed awkwardly, gripping the hem of her skirt. “Cool, cool. I just—y’know—thought I’d, uh, break the ice a little. Even though it’s not icy. It’s actually… uh, pretty warm today, huh?”

You raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“I’m great! Totally great! So great that I was thinking…” She scooted even closer, voice dropping into what she thought was a sultry tone. “What if we—” she wiggled her eyebrows dramatically, “—did something scandalous?”

You just stared at her. “Like what?”

Kotone leaned in even more, a confident smirk creeping onto her face. “Like… holding hands~?”

You stared for a second as she dramatically waggled her fingers in front of you. When you didn’t immediately respond, her confidence wavered, and she quickly pulled her hand back, crossing her arms. “O-Or not! That was a joke! Haha, obviously! Unless, you know… you wanted to…?”