For a while after the first kiss, Yuzuki would turn bright red just by making eye contact with me. She would make futile attempts to hide. I wasn’t much better. It was like we were playing hide and seek without the seeker.

It continued for days, until one night, I was watching the TV when she sat down beside me. The day of confrontation had finally arrived.

We sat side by side for some time, watching channels that neither of us were interested in, yet we kep on, as though not wanting to let go of each other’s company.  

A cheetah family living in the savanna was on the screen.

–“Oh, no, it’s an angry African buffalo!”

–“Thank God, they made it just in time!”

I wondered how the narrator had kept his excitement. And if he was to narrate us, what would it be like?

Probably, –“Hoh, look at that! That’s an awkward couple who kissed before going out!”

“Y-Yakumo-kun…” she stuttered, “May I ask when did you start liking me?”

I hadn’t expected a straight ball like this. And she had asked in polite form. But her eyes were glued to the screen…

Bang! A gunshot rang out from the TV.

–“In the past, many African elephants were over hunted by poachers for their ivory…”

“When did I say I like you?”

“Ngh. So you could do things like that to a girl you don’t like?”

–“The impala was being herded into a body of water from which there was no escape…”

I believe my face was turning red. I gave up. “I liked you.”

“May I ask since when?”

“When we first met.”

“M-me too…” She finally turned to me. “I fell for you at first sight.”

Was deciding if I should be happy or embarrassed when the TV screen turned into the gory red of a cheetah family feasting on a slain impala.

“So, Yuzuki-san, what should we do…?”

“For the moment, I suggest we try holding hands…”

“Yuzuki-san… Pardon me but your hands are gone.”

“Oh, they were…”

Was it appropriate to laugh then?

“Then… I suggest we…osculate…?”

It was a mystery to me why she chose the word “osculate,” but I didn’t have time to worry about that. We faced each other. Her cheeks were tinted red, she bit her lips shyly, her eyes swimming.

When she finally steeled her resolve, her eyes closed.

She was beautiful. I absentmindedly noted how long her eyelashes were again.

My heart was pounding. I moved my face a little closer and closed my eyes.

Soft.

It felt like a flake of snow had landed on my lips.

We sprang apart, twice as fast as when we approached. Her face was as red as cherry. She looked like she was about to cry.

“T-thank you very much… I look forward to your acquaintance…” she blurted.

I was just as bad. “Oh, yes, it’s nice to get to know you, too.”

“Well then, good night.”

In one fluid motion, she shot away from the couch.

I was left there, listening to the thumping of my heart. In the darkened room, I turned over every word we had exchanged.

The eldest of the cheetahs, now an adult, stared out at the savannah at dusk with dignity.