[Natsuki] The First Payment

Author's note: This is a stand-alone story that takes place shortly after the events of the main story of 'The One Who Hates You' but before its epilogue.

It comes to town once a year
It's a place for families to have fun
A place for couples to experience love
But for you...
It's only a place to repay a debt
A tasty, but very steep debt...

"Remember Anon, this is NOT a date!"
"I would NEVER date an idiot like you!"
"I'm here for the rides and attractions ONLY!"
"And because you owe me for my generosity!"
This is the tenth time she's said that
It really must mean she is serious...
Natsuki gave you her extra cupcake on a recent trip
And never stopped badgering you about it...
Now she's dragging you to the annual local carnival
Which, according to her, it's only the first payment

A brightly-lit spinning wheel appears over the horizon
"We're here! We're here! Let's go!!"
Natsuki's face instantly brightens up
She happily grabs your hand and rushes to the entrance
It's rare to see her this bubbly
It's nice to see this side of her
Even though she doesn't like you very much

You finally reach the ticket booth
A large sign quickly catches your eye
'Date Night: Cute Couples Get In Free!'
Ah, so that's why she wanted to drag you along...
"Hi Mister Booth Man, this is my boyfriend!"
"We have been dating for 6 months now!"
The booth attendant gestures you both through
But Natsuki seems caught up in her act...
"We are very much in love and we will get married some day~!"
She looks into the distance with a dreamy look in her eyes
The attendant is starting to get impatient...
"Do you need proof of our love Mister Booth Man?"
"If you want us to, we can kiss~"
Wait... you didn't sign up for this
Natsuki is completely caught up in her trance
Does she even know what she's saying?
The Natsuki you know would never say these things!

Thinking fast, you tap her on the shoulder
Thankfully, she quickly snaps backs to reality
But her face shows annoyance and disappointment...
Like she just woke up from a wonderful dream...
Not the reaction you were expecting from her
She finally notices the now annoyed attendant
"Oh... Oh sorry Mister Booth Man!  We'll go through now!"
You both rush through while she tries to hide her reddening face

"You.... You idiot!"
"Why would you embarrass me like that!"
Natsuki's face is beet red
And now tears are welling up in her eyes...
"Why didn't you just... GAH!"
"YOU DUMMY!"
She angrily pushes you away and starts sobbing
You only did what you thought she would have wanted..
What went wrong?

The situation is critical
You're supposed to be paying off a debt owed to this girl
And instead you managed to make her cry
Not a good start, to put it lightly...
With your "date" still sobbing, you scan ahead
Searching the sea of countless machines, booths, and food carts
One of them should help make things right...

Amongst that infinite sea, a certain cart catches your eye
A simple ice cream cart, humble yet somehow alluring
It lacks the flashing lights and the large signs
And that's what makes it attractive
Hopefully a tasty treat can assuage this girl's sorrow
You walk up to Natsuki and gently tap her shoulder
*sniff*
Those sad pink eyes pierce yours

"Wh.. What do you want...?"
You gesture to the ice cream cart
"What!  Do you actually think ice cream will... OH... hmmm..."
"Um... actually... Yes! I can use some ice cream"
Well, that was certainly weird...
Why she changed her mind so quickly eludes you
But at least you know how to make things right

You both finally reach the ice cream cart
It emits a pleasant but subtle creamy aroma
And as a bonus, the line is completely empty
You look at the loanshark's face
It's still a bit flushed from embarrassment
But at least she isn't crying anymore
Without wasting a second, Natsuki hops to the counter
"One large strawberry ice cream cone please!"
Within seconds, the server delivers the girl's order
Another benefit of choosing an "unattractive" cart
"Thank you!"
She sounds so sweet when she talks to the attendants...
Is it too much to ask to not be constantly insulted?

Natsuki carefully looks at her treat
And looks to you for a moment...
Her blush is returning at full force
What is going through her mind now?
She really is a strange girl...

Natsuki turns back to the ice cream cone
And back to you again...
She's been doing this dance for five minutes now
And her face is just as red as ever
You just stand there, watching her dessert melt
Waiting for her to do something, anything...
She chose this snack herself, what's with the hesitation?

"I.. I don't trust you!"
"This cone!  You must have spiked it!..."
What?  Is she being for real?
What she is suggesting doesn't even make sense!
Could she be joking?
Then again, that's her oh-so-familiar accusatory tone
And the pout you have seen countless times

"P.. Prove to me you didn't spike it!"
"Take a bite!"
Okay, now she is just being ridiculous
She really is a cynical girl
But at this point you really don't want to argue
You just want to make up for your faux-pas
You slowly reach out for her cone

"N..No! Not like that you dummy!"
"You might.. ummm.. Steal my cone!..."
"Just... lean forward and take a bite!"
It sounds like she's making this up as she goes along
But then again, this is the girl that doesn't like you...
In any case, you have a debt to fulfill
And a free bite of ice cream isn't a hefty price
You lean forward to Natsuki's strawberry treat...

This task should be very simple
But this blushing girl isn't making it easy
Natsuki is keeping her frozen treat closely guarded
Perhaps to protect it from any attempts of theft
Your mouth finally reaches the top strawberry chunk
But you're distracted by the other pink blob...
Her quivering pink eyes are just inches away from yours
Her expression soft... like she has re-entered her dream

Well, no point in wasting any more time
You have an important job to do
You finally bite into the strawberry chunk
Hopefully to the satisfaction of those watching eyes...
How she got this idea of a spiked cone is beyond you
This really is an exercise in futility...
...
Without warning, those pink eyes lunge forward
The strawberry drops...

...
You feel a soft, wet sensation on your lips
"MMmmm..."
Natsuki's muffled voice barely seeps out
"Mmmm.. Anon..."
It sounds like she's hypnotized
Completely absorbed in that same trance from earlier
Her shut eyes are less than an inch from yours
You can't respond, the moment captures you
This spell must be contagious...

*GASP*
The spell breaks
Natsuki jerks back
"Uh..."
She looks like she was just caught shoplifting
Beet-red doesn't even begin to describe her expression...
"Um... Anon?..."
"That strawberry!"
"I just wanted that strawberry!"
Her shaking finger points to the piece of fruit
The same one you both shared just seconds ago
Now sitting on the ground, dirtied
Maybe it's the guilty expression on her face
But you sense that something else is on her mind...

"Forget it!"
"There's still a lot for us... I MEAN ME! to do"
That annoyed, piercing voice returns
For some reason, it doesn't bother you
It actually gives you... some comfort...
Natsuki gingerly grabs your hand and starts dragging you
Her strength never fails to impress...
A sign slowly appears in the distance
'TEST YOUR AIM! WIN A PRIZE FOR YOUR CUTIE!'

You both arrive at the shooting range
An aged but well-maintained booth
Multiple clay ducks perch in the back
Bravely waiting for the inevitable
You approach the two large rifles on the table
Clearly, not a game for the faint-hearted
Is Natsuki really ready for this?
You face your distracted "date"
Happily munching on her not-spiked dessert

"Mfm Anon, you owe me for that mffm strawberry..."
Droplets of flying ice cream attack your shirt
You try but fail to shield yourself from the onslaught
"Mmf I want that one!"
The messy girl points to one of the prizes
A small but cozy woolen hat
Complete with two pointy cat ears
You imagine a sleeping Natsukitten
...
It fits her well

It's all hands on deck
You and your teammate ready your weapons
The mission starts
The clay ducks swim across the booth
With calm nerves, you carefully aim
And terminate the targets one by one
Your partner on the other hand has a different strategy
The frustrated pink blob aimlessly fires
And to no one's surprise, not very successfully
"Why is this so hard! DIE YOU STUPID DUCKS!"
Even in the face of death, the clay ducks taunt her
You can't help but chuckle
"You think this is funny Anon?"
An eerily calm voice
Natsuki carefully adjusts her aim
But it is no longer the ducks facing death
"Laugh at this..."
*click*

...
Well, one good thing came out of this
At least your shirt is no longer stained...
"HAHAHA You should have seen the look on your face!"
The pink gremlin giggles uncontrollably
You regret leaving your towel at home

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The dead of night
Usually a time of tranquility
A time to appreciate and self-reflect
But tonight is a different story

A towering rotating wheel
Surrounded by small, cozy cabins
Each decorated with bright flashing lights
The flagship of the carnival

You two didn't waste a second of this "date"
No doubt it was a rocky start
But even if Natsuki isn't willing to admit it
You both started to grow on each other
Traveling spontaneously from booth to booth
And even enjoying a "romantic" boat ride together
(Even if she was just hiding the entire ride
Desperately covering that blush of hers)

You were ready to call it a night
But Natsuki was very insistent on this one last ride
Thankfully, there isn't much of a line
You gaze at the majestic ferris wheel
The finale of your "date" night

The giant wheel creaks to a complete stop
The last of the passengers disembark
You gently usher your pink companion to a capsule
Hand in hand, almost like it's an actual date...

Without a word, you both take your respective seats
The noisy capsule doors slowly close
The colossal wheel starts to hum
Natsuki has been strangely quiet...
Her soft eyes bashfully avoid yours
Her mouth forms that familiar, gentle pout
But you sense something else
A hint of a rare, genuine smile

"Hey, Anon?"
Her eyes finally lock with yours
"I just wanted to say... Thanks"
"I know I come across as mean"
"But I really do enjoy... um..."
Natsuki hesitates for a brief moment
The dying breath of her fading facade
"enjoy... spending time with you..."
A spark of sadness in her eyes
"Anon, I know I kinda forced you into this"
"And I don't want to do that anymore"
"Your debt is hereby forgiven."

A wave of nervousness hits Natsuki
Her eyes start to quiver slightly
"But if... if you want Anon..."
"We can have more of these nights..."
"You know... Just the two of us?..."
Her lips curl to a soft, hopeful smile
Did your "date" just ask you out?

Normally, you would carefully analyze the situation
But you know the answer deep in your heart
With a smile on your face, you give her a soft nod
And without a second thought, you open up your arms
A soft, cute gasp escapes from your girl
Without hesitation, she hops into your embrace
"Well... Of course you would say yes!"
"Even a baka like you wouldn't mess this up!"
Droplets of tears start to soak your shirt
Your girlfriend's words may be "harsh"
But not even your chest can hide her huge grin

~FIN~