"WHAT ARE YOU WHISPERING ABOUT?!"
Yuna slammed the menu down with a loud crack that made the cutlery jump. The restaurant went quiet for a second.
"Are you telling her our secrets?" she hissed, her voice carrying across the table with surprising force.
"Are you telling her how I like it when you pull on my ponytails, or my Ganyu horns?" Her voice had gotten louder and more specific than she probably intended.
Makoto grinned slowly. "Ehem, no secrets, Yuna."
He gently touched her hair and cheek before turning back to Mika. "So... since when did you discover the... stuff between me and Yuna, huh?"
The simple, direct question hung in the air.
Yuna froze with her hand hovering over her water glass, her eyes wide with both terror and curiosity. She couldn't believe he'd just asked that so bluntly.
But Mika didn't flinch. She took a calm sip of her ramune and set the bottle down with a soft click.
A knowing smile played at her lips. "The first day I met you two," she said simply, looking between his stunned face and Yuna's horrified expression.
"You didn't know?" Her voice sounded almost too innocent. "It's really obvious."
She gestured between them. "The way you two look at each other. The way you two touch. The hickeys."
She took another sip, her eyes sparkling over the bottle's rim. "It's not subtle. Not at all."
Yuna looked like someone had slapped her. She has a hunch Mika might already know, but hearing it directly from her was a totally different thing.
Her face went pale, and her lips parted. "But you never said anything," she whispered, her voice cracking.
Mika's smile softened. "It wasn't my place to." She said it gently this time. "And besides..." Her gaze moved to him, lingering warmly. "I think it's kind of sweet."
A single tear rolled down Yuna's cheek as she stared at her friend.
Makoto giggled again. "Really? I guess we were too obvious, you horny Yuna."
He pinched Yuna's cheeks with an indulgent smile.
Yuna flinched when he pinched her cheek, and a small sob escaped her lips. But she didn't fight or protest.
She just sat there, looking both ashamed and relieved at the same time. Part of her was grateful the secret was out.
He turned to Mika. "So... you don't feel grossed out by that, Mika? Was seducing me a game to tease my poor Yuna, too?"
Mika shook her head, a sad smile crossing her face. "Grossed out? No. I was jealous."
The confession came out simple and honest, filling the space between them. "And it wasn't a game. Not at first."
She looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. "I just... I just saw the way you looked at her," she said, her voice breaking slightly.
"And I wanted someone to look at me like that." She took a shaky breath. "But then..." A wicked grin spread across her face. "It became a game."
She looked between him and Yuna, mischief dancing in her eyes. "And for the record, I think I'm winning."
Their food arrived just as Makoto cleared his throat. "Ahem, I'm not too sure about that."
He looked at Yuna fondly. "Now I can see why you two are friends, Yuna."
Yuna had been sitting there like a quivering wreck, but his words seemed to snap her back to reality.
She glared at him, some of her usual fire returning. "Shut up," she muttered without any real anger. She took a deep breath and picked up her chopsticks.
The food provided a welcome break from the emotional conversation they'd been having.
The tonkatsu gleamed golden and crisp, the gyoza were perfectly browned, and the parfait towered high with ice cream, fruit, and whipped cream.
They ate in surprisingly comfortable silence for a few minutes, only the sound of cutlery clinking and occasional satisfied sighs filling the air.
Then, as if they'd planned it, both girls looked up at the same moment. Their eyes fixed on the parfait.
Yuna grabbed the oversized spoon she'd demanded earlier, determination written on her face.
Mika picked up her own spoon, smaller and more elegant.
They dug in simultaneously, their spoons colliding in the middle of the whipped cream mountain.
Yuna got the strawberry. Mika got the chocolate wafer. They chewed while staring each other down in silent challenge.
Then they both smiled. Slow, wicked, triumphant smiles spread across their faces.
The game had started again. And having three players made it much more interesting.
Makoto giggled softly. "You're cuter when you're smiling like that, instead of acting so grumpy and jealous all the time, Yuna."
He stole the strawberry from her parfait with a wink. "You should feed me too, Mika."
Yuna's triumphant expression melted into a furious pout. "Hey! That was mine, you fat pig!" She swatted at his hand, but her eyes held a playful glint and a lightness that hadn't been there before.
Meanwhile, Mika giggled musically, the sound filling the quiet restaurant. She scooped up a perfect spoonful of her parfait with some ice cream, whipped cream, and a piece of kiwi.
"You can say 'ah' now, Makoto," she purred, holding the spoon up to his lips while her eyes sparkled above it.
As he leaned forward to take the bite, he noticed Yuna doing the exact same thing on the other side of the table.
She held up her own spoonful with defiant competition in her eyes. "No, me first," she demanded, her voice getting louder and more cheerful than necessary.
He found himself trapped in a delicious dilemma.
For once, he had absolutely no idea what to do. So he did the only thing he could think of.
He opened his mouth and took both bites. "Hmm, yours tastes better, Yuna." He nodded and winked at Mika, hoping she'd understand what he meant.
Yuna's chest puffed out as a smug grin spread across her face. "See? I told you. Onii-chan knows what's best. He always has."
She scooped up another strawberry and ate it slowly, deliberately, while staring right at Mika.
But Mika didn't look defeated at all. She let out a theatrical sigh and placed a hand over her heart in mock despair. "Oh, you've wounded me. My parfait has been judged inferior."
Her eyes sparkled dangerously when they met his. She'd understood the wink perfectly.
Then, under the table, he felt something soft and warm press against his ankle. Mika's bare foot began a slow, deliberate journey up the inside of his calf.
She must have slipped off her shoe without anyone noticing.
"I guess I'll just have to try harder next time," Mika said sweetly, her innocent tone completely at odds with what her toes were doing behind his knee.
She took another bite of parfait, her expression pure innocence. "I'll have to find a way to show you just how sweet I can be."
Her foot had reached his inner thigh now, her big toe pressing against the bulge in his pants.
Makoto groaned softly at the contact, then quickly took a sip of his Coke to cover it. "Hmm, I'm full now. Let's go home for our anime marathon, then."
Mika's foot gave one final, promising squeeze before retreating gracefully. A triumphant smile spread across her face.
"Oh, you're all full? What a shame. We haven't even finished our parfait yet."
Yuna looked up from demolishing her portion of the dessert, whipped cream smudged on her upper lip. "What? We just got here, you pig," she growled.
But the promise of anime quickly won out over her annoyance. "Fine. Let's go. I can't wait to watch your trashy, ecchi anime about cosplayers."