Sunday arrived softer than Saturday had.

  Eri woke before her arm, sunlight slipping through the curtains in pale gold lines across her ceiling. For a few seconds she simply y there, staring up, repying yesterday in her mind.

  Alex’s front door opening.

  His mom smiling.

  The way his backyard had smelled like cut grass and sunlight.

  Her tails shifted zily beneath the bnket.

  And then—

  Today.

  They had pnned it quietly near the end of yesterday afternoon, standing by his front door while their parents pretended not to watch.

  Tomorrow? he had asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

  Tomorrow, she had agreed.

  A friends night out.

  Just them.

  Arcade. Lunch. “And whatever else,” he’d said, trying to sound casual.

  She had tried not to look too pleased.

  She failed.

  Now she sat up, ears perking high.

  Her tails fluffed instinctively, swishing against her sheets.

  It wasn’t a sleepover.

  It wasn’t family time.

  It was intentional.

  Just the two of them choosing to spend time together.

  She pressed her hands to her cheeks.

  “…Calm down,” she muttered to herself.

  By te morning, she was dressed in something comfortable but cute—oversized hoodie with the sleeves slightly too long, fitted bck shorts, and sneakers. Her ears were uncovered again. She didn’t even hesitate anymore.

  Her mom drove her to the small shopping district near downtown where they had agreed to meet. There was a cluster of stores, a movie theater, restaurants—and an arcade tucked between a frozen yogurt pce and a bookstore.

  When the car pulled up, Alex was already there.

  Waiting.

  Hands in his pockets.

  Trying to look normal.

  Failing.

  Eri stepped out, tails swaying behind her in a soft rhythm.

  He noticed immediately.

  His eyes did that thing again—quickly scanning from ears to tails to her face like he needed to confirm she was real.

  “You’re early,” she said.

  “You’re on time,” he countered.

  “Same difference.”

  He smiled.

  For a second they just stood there, slightly awkward, both aware that this was different.

  No parents hovering nearby.

  No school hallway noise.

  No siblings barging in.

  Just them.

  “So,” he said finally, gesturing toward the arcade entrance. “Ready to lose?”

  Her ears twitched sharply.

  “In your dreams.”

  The arcade lights swallowed them whole.

  Neon signs blinked overhead. Machines beeped and chimed in yered chaos. The air smelled faintly of popcorn and old carpet.

  Eri’s ears flicked wildly at first, adjusting to the noise.

  Alex noticed.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded. “It’s just loud.”

  He leaned slightly closer. “We can go somewhere quieter if you want.”

  She shook her head, a grin spreading slowly.

  “No. I want to win.”

  That competitive spark in her eyes did something to him.

  They started with racing games.

  Alex slid into the driver’s seat of one machine, and Eri took the one beside him. Her tails curled carefully around the back of the seat so they wouldn’t get stepped on.

  “Prepare yourself,” she said seriously.

  “It’s a racing game, Eri.”

  “Prepare. Yourself.”

  The countdown began.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  They were off.

  Within seconds, Eri was leaning forward intensely, ears angled sharply, tails twitching with every turn.

  Alex gnced sideways.

  Big mistake.

  She zoomed past him.

  “No cheating!” he protested.

  “I am simply superior.”

  “Your reflexes are unfair!”

  She cackled—actually cackled—when she drifted around a corner perfectly.

  By the end, she won by a full p.

  She stood up slowly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

  “Bow.”

  He stared at her.

  “…Best two out of three.”

  They ended up pying everything.

  Air hockey—where her tails almost gave her away when she tried to block two directions at once.

  Cw machines—where she insisted she could “sense the plushie’s aura” (she could not).

  A rhythm game that she absolutely destroyed, drawing a small crowd because of how effortlessly she moved.

  Alex watched her ugh, watched her tails sway freely as she spun in pce after winning another round.

  She looked… alive.

  Unrestricted.

  At one point, she grabbed his wrist suddenly.

  “Come on.”

  He blinked. “Where—”

  “Photo booth.”

  Before he could object, she dragged him toward the small booth tucked in the corner.

  They squeezed inside, knees bumping awkwardly.

  The curtain fell shut.

  Instant quiet.

  The machine beeped.

  “Make a face,” she whispered.

  “What kind?”

  “I don’t know—something embarrassing.”

  The camera fshed.

  In the next shot, she leaned close, ears brushing his hair.

  Fsh.

  In the third, she stuck her tongue out at him.

  Fsh.

  In the fourth—

  She hesitated.

  Their faces were close now. Very close.

  Her tails slowly curled around his leg.

  The timer beeped rapidly.

  Three.

  Two.

  She didn’t think.

  She leaned in and pressed her forehead lightly to his.

  Fsh.

  The strip printed with a soft mechanical whirr.

  They stared at each other in the sudden silence.

  “…You’re blushing,” she murmured.

  “So are you.”

  She leaned back first.

  “Shut up.”

  After nearly two hours, they stumbled out of the arcade with a small pile of tickets and two cheap pstic prizes—a tiny fox keychain she insisted on getting and a rubber duck Alex chose purely to annoy her.

  “Lunch?” he suggested.

  She nodded eagerly.

  They walked down the strip, sunlight bright against the pavement. Her tails swayed freely now, occasionally brushing his hand as they walked side by side.

  Neither of them commented on it.

  They settled at a small outdoor café.

  Nothing fancy. Just sandwiches, fries, and drinks.

  It felt… mature.

  Sitting across from each other in public like this.

  Like a real outing.

  Eri kicked her foot lightly under the table.

  “So,” she said, sipping her drink. “Rate today so far.”

  “Ten,” he replied immediately.

  She blinked.

  “That fast?”

  He shrugged. “You’re having fun.”

  Her ears softened slightly at that.

  “You’re not embarrassed?” she asked quietly.

  “Of?”

  She gestured vaguely to herself.

  The ears.

  The tails.

  The way a few people had gnced at her earlier before deciding it wasn’t their business.

  He leaned forward.

  “No.”

  Simple.

  Firm.

  Her chest tightened a little.

  After lunch, they wandered toward a small park behind the shopping strip. It wasn’t crowded—just a few people walking dogs, a couple sitting on a bench, kids pying near the far end.

  They found a quieter corner near a cluster of trees.

  The noise from the street faded.

  For a moment, they just stood there.

  Sunlight filtered through leaves.

  A breeze brushed gently through Eri’s hair, making her ears flick.

  Alex leaned back against one of the trees.

  “That was… really nice,” he said.

  She nodded.

  Her tails swayed slowly behind her.

  “Yeah.”

  Silence settled—but not awkward.

  Comfortable.

  She stepped closer without thinking.

  Close enough that their shoulders nearly touched.

  He looked at her.

  “What?”

  She hesitated.

  Her ears lowered slightly—not in fear, but in softness.

  “There’s not really anyone watching,” she murmured.

  He blinked.

  “Okay…?”

  She gnced around.

  The nearest people were far enough away, distracted.

  Private enough.

  Her heart started pounding.

  Just do it.

  Before she could overthink it, she leaned up quickly—

  And pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

  It sted barely a second.

  But it felt like electricity.

  She pulled back immediately, ears burning red, tails puffed out dramatically.

  “I—uh—”

  Alex froze.

  Completely.

  Brain offline.

  She stared at him, wide-eyed.

  “Say something!”

  He blinked.

  “…Oh.”

  “Oh?!” she hissed.

  He touched his cheek slowly, like he needed to confirm it happened.

  “You—”

  “I know what I did!”

  His face went bright red.

  “You kissed me.”

  “Yes.”

  "On my cheek."

  “Yes.”

  In public.

  “Well—semi-public,” she corrected weakly.

  He stared at her.

  Then—

  He smiled.

  Soft.

  Warm.

  “Can I return the favor?” he asked quietly.

  Her entire system short-circuited.

  “What?!”

  He stepped closer.

  Slow enough to give her time to move away.

  She didn’t.

  He leaned down slightly—

  And pressed a gentle kiss against the top of her head, right between her ears.

  She froze.

  Then melted.

  Her tails slowly wrapped around his waist instinctively.

  They stayed like that for a moment.

  Just breathing.

  Just existing.

  When they finally pulled apart, she looked up at him, eyes softer than he’d ever seen.

  “…Friends night out?” she asked faintly.

  He chuckled.

  “Best one I’ve ever had.”

  She bumped her shoulder against his lightly.

  “Good.”

  They started walking back toward the main strip, fingers brushing again.

  This time—

  Neither of them pulled away.

  And for once, the world around them felt smaller.

  Simpler.

  Just two teenagers spending a day together.

  Laughing.

  Pying.

  And maybe—just maybe

  Starting something neither of them fully understood yet.