I'm in Love with the Gorilla Sitting Next to Me - Volume 1 Chapter 6.5

Secrets are meant to be revealed 5

“By the way, does the place where we kiss matter?”

“It has to be mouth to mouth. Kissing on other parts makes one person the receiver, and kissing on the hand or cheek doesn’t make you as nervous, right?”

“Got it. That makes a hundred sense.”

Tora-senpai, who popped a mint tablet into her mouth and began hurriedly applying lip balm, was undoubtedly taking this very seriously.

…Somehow, I’m starting to feel a bit nervous too. No, is that right? Maybe it’s better than kissing with a flat state of mind. Emotional ups and downs seem more in line with the purpose. It’s not exactly the suspension bridge effect, but if you had to categorize it, it would fall on that side.

Alright, let’s keep it this way. I close my eyes and conjure up the imaginary Tora-senpai I pictured earlier…

“Ah, by the way, what about the hairstyle?”

“Hmm? As you can see… Oh, you can’t tell. My bangs hang down to my eyebrows, and the rest is long enough to cover my ears and nape, a bit longer than a typical boy’s short cut. The color is slightly brownish, and I don’t use wax or anything.”

“I see… So it’s like Okuna-chan, the third heroine from the current anime series 『Guragura Angel』.”

“…I don’t know that anime, but being the third sounds like a losing heroine, which I don’t like…”

Hmm, not very familiar with anime, but quite a sharp comment. She might be a talent who could easily surpass a newbie like me.

But this time, it’s not decided that she’ll be the losing heroine.

“Tora-senpai, it’s okay. Okuna-chan is a standout who ranked first in the heroine popularity poll in the original manga despite her recent appearance.”

“…Well, that’s… not particularly pleasing, but…”

“By the way, I quite like Okuna-chan too, so if the image overlaps, I think the chances of me falling for Senpai will increase.”

“…That makes things even more complicated… However, we can’t replace one problem with another, so if that excites you, then I suppose it’s good…!”

“It’s not like I’m that excited, okay? I can’t drop out from reality that much.”

“We’re trying to alter a reality that is far from normal, so a little deviation might be just what we need. Come on, hurry up and close your eyes before someone comes!”

Prompted by Senpai, I close my eyes and solidify the image like before. I picture Okuna-chan in our school’s male uniform, superimposing the atmosphere of Tora-senpai who gets angry and laughs easily.

——Yeah, cute. It feels like VR.

“Alright, I’m ready on this end. Senpai, I’m counting on you for the rest.”

“Wha!? I-I have to make the move?”

“Well, I can’t see. I don’t even know where your face is.”

“Mmm, grr… then make a frame with both hands around the face. That way, you can do it even without seeing!”

Tora-senpai, seemingly resistant to initiating the kiss, suggests another plan. It would be most reliable if Senpai, who can see, would do it, but I guess that can’t be helped. She must be pushing herself.

“Alright, then guide me. Here.”

I extend my hands forward while keeping my eyes closed. It probably looks silly from the outside, but to tell the truth, I’ve been nervous since earlier.

After all, kissing a real cat is different. The realization that I’m about to kiss Tora-senpai, an actual human girl, has started to double my heart rate with a nervousness akin to panic.

In the midst of this, I feel a gentle grip on my hands. Not a cat’s, but a person’s. It’s already July, yet the touch feels unusually cold.

As I extend my hands guided by the sensation, I touch something slightly above chest height.

The feel of skin different from that of hands, the texture of hair at my fingertips. The slight touch at the edge of my palms is… lips, right? Yeah, probably. This sensation distinctly different from sweat, it must be the lip balm applied earlier.

So right now, I’m holding Tora-senpai’s face between my hands…!

“Can you tell where the lips are? You’ll probably need to stoop down or lower your face a bit to match the height.”

“Yeah, I kind of get it. Can I change the angle of Senpai’s face a bit?”

“Sure… like a kind of chin lift, I guess…”

While adjusting, I can feel Senpai’s tension. No doubt she knows I’m tense too. After all, she can see, and my face might be stiff.

Before I knew it, the ‘Okuna-chan-like Tora-senpai’ I had imagined in my head had completely vanished. No matter what, only the lips of the unseen Tora-senpai come to mind vividly.

I haven’t even done it yet, but my heart is pounding so much. The sweat on my back is getting intense.

Should I still go on like this? Is it okay to proceed even though the image of Tora-senpai has crumbled? But surely, the excitement I feel is because the other person is definitely Tora-senpai, so maybe there’s no need to start over…

“Are you still not ready? Please, hurry up…!”

Impatient, or perhaps desperate, Tora-senpai urges me with a tense voice. She must be pretty overwhelmed too.

Alright, I’ve got to make up my mind…! To break the curse, I have to kiss anyway, and we both consent. If I get cold feet now, it would be unfair to Tora-senpai, who had the courage to suggest this.

…Okay…!

“Here I go. Is the angle okay like this?”

“It should be fine. So please, just do it quickly…!”

After the final confirmation, I swallow my breath and bring my face closer to Tora-senpai’s.

Carefully, slowly, so as not to bump noses or teeth… I could sense the presence of something just a little bit away, even though I couldn’t see it.

“Ah, wait, stop.”

” What’s wrong, Senpai?”

I stop and ask without opening my eyes, and I can faintly feel Tora-senpai’s face moving in my hands.

Was it a call for a halt or a reset? A part of me was slightly relieved, which was just pathetic. After all, Senpai was exerting kindness and courage.

After a moment of self-reproach, something touched my chest. Probably Senpai’s hands. Though not forceful, she’s pressing her clasped hands against it…?