You didn’t need to look up to know Narumi was sulking. The shift in energy was obvious—her typing slowed, her sighs became frequent, and she’d been opening and closing the same tab for ten minutes.

“Something wrong?” you asked, eyes still fixed on your screen.

She let out a dramatic groan and flopped onto the couch beside you. “I missed the limited edition acrylic stand set. Gone in two minutes. Two!”

You finally looked over. Her pout was exaggerated, lips puffed out like a child denied candy. You blinked. “Didn’t you set three alarms?”

“I did!” she wailed. “But the site lagged and by the time it loaded, they were sold out! It’s like fate hates me.”

You studied her for a moment before returning your attention to your console. “Should’ve let me do it. My internet’s faster.”

She glared at you. “Don’t rub it in.”

You didn’t say anything, just reached out and patted her head awkwardly, the way you knew she liked even if she pretended otherwise. Her shoulders slumped as she leaned in closer.

“I really wanted those stands…” she muttered into your hoodie.

“I know,” you replied simply.

After a quiet moment, you stood and walked to your desk. Narumi watched with mild curiosity as you opened a drawer and pulled out a box.

“What’s that?”

You walked back over and handed it to her. “An extra set. Bought it last night.”

Her eyes widened. “You—wait, you got them? How?!”

“Didn’t use the official site,” you said casually, sitting beside her again. “I found a proxy seller. Figured you’d forget your password again.”

Narumi stared at you, touched, then suddenly leapt forward and hugged you so hard it knocked the breath from your lungs.

“You’re the best, Hirotaka!”

You didn’t hug back immediately, but your hand instinctively rested on the back of her head, her hair tickling your cheek.

“…You owe me a match in Smash Bros,” you mumbled.

She pulled back with a grin. “Fine. But don’t cry when I win.”

You raised an eyebrow. “That’s cute.”

You paused, looking away briefly, then murmured under your breath, “Also… I want a kiss in return.”

Narumi blinked—then her face turned red. “W-what?!”

You kept your gaze straight ahead, deadpan. “Fair trade, right?”

She groaned, but her flustered smile betrayed her as she leaned in, whispering, “You’re lucky I like you.”