Our kiss deepened, becoming a dance of lips that felt like it could stretch into forever. Umi's hands slid up my chest, her fingers curling into my uniform as if she needed to anchor herself against the tide of her own emotions. Her warmth, her softness and the faint tremble in her breath all wove together into something that made my head spin in the best way.
The clubhouse, with its cozy clutter and golden light, seemed to hold its breath, giving us this pocket of time where nothing else mattered while witnessing the blooming of our affection..
After a while, our lips separated and I pulled back just enough to let her catch her breath. My forehead rested against hers while the tip of our noses remained touching.
Her hands moved to my face, cupping my cheeks as she pushed gently, lifting my head a bit so that she could open her eyes and stare straight at mine.
When her eyelids fluttered open, her pupils were hazy and bright like she was waking from a dream she didn't want to leave.
"S-senpai…" She whispered with her voice laced with a shy wonder that was still coming to terms with whether the moment we've shared was real..
"You okay?" I asked as my thumb traced the curve of her cheek before gradually moving to her moist lips, wiping the traces of our intimacy from them.
My other hand rested lightly on her waist, steadying her as I pulled her back up to return us to our original sitting position.
Umi nodded, her lips parting in a small, adorable smile that seemed to brighten the whole place. "Un. More than okay. It's just… you're making it really hard to think straight."
She paused for a moment before letting out a soft laugh that sounded so bright and unguarded, "I didn't know kissing could feel like… ."
"Like what?" I teased, tilting my head to catch her gaze and watch the flush on her face failing its return to normal. "Come on, Umi, you can't keep dodging my questions. What's it like for you?"
The girl and in a bolder move, she pinched my cheek before pouting. "You're so mean, senpai! You're making me say embarrassing stuff…"
Really, I probably wouldn't tire of watching her quiver in embarrassment . She's so adorable like Otoha's stuffed toys. The urge to cuddle her tightly was gradually overflowing.
Umi's pout gradually softened as her smile replaced it again. She fought her shyness but lost against it. And then, with a deep breath, she said, "It's like… like I'm floating, but I'm safe. Like I could fall forever and you'd catch me. Ugh, that sounds so cheesy!"
I laughed, my hand sliding to the back of her head, nudging her ribbon and then combing the length of her hair as it got disheveled from when I pushed her down to deepen our kiss.
"Cheesy's my specialty, remember? You're now catching it from me. But for the record, you know I'll catch you. Every time."
Umi blinked a few times as embarrassment and defiance replaced expression, like she was daring herself to be bold.
"You better, senpai. I'm… I'm trusting you, you know. With this. With… me." Her voice softened at the end, and the vulnerability in it hit me like a wave, reminding me just how much she was letting me in.
I shifted, pulling her closer so she was half in my lap, her legs tucked against mine on the couch. "I know, Umi. And I'm not taking that lightly. You're special to me, and I mean that. Not just because of this moment, but because of you. The way you're brave even when you're nervous, the way you make me want to be better… that's not something I'd ever mess with."
Once again, Umi overheated and buried her face in my chest for the third time. After that, her muffled voice came, filled with mixed kinds of emotions, shyness, delight, affection and helplessness, "Senpai… you're gonna make me cry if you keep talking like that. How long will you keep this up? Uhh…"
Seeing her , I decided to give her a break by cuddling her and whispering, "Alright. I'll stop for now. I'll hold you until you calm down. After that, let's go on that tour. There's a lot to show you here.
"Y-yes." Umi answered before her arms wrapped around me like earlier.
Looking at the time, Misaki should be on her way already. Maybe she's just waiting for Marika. As for Maaya, and the two seniors from the Game Club, they would either go straight here or meet up with Misaki and go together.
Thanks to that, I had sufficient time to give Umi a tour after spending some quality time with her.
A few minutes later, I led the girl upstairs, showing her the unfinished rooms and then the open space right after the stairs.
Like the one downstairs, beanbags had been added alongside the cushions we used before. The floor mat also changed – I mean, that one needed to be regularly changed. After all, my girls and I often sweat on it – among other bodily fluids.
Umi expressed awe at how orderly the place was. She also appreciated the quiet atmosphere, saying that it would also be a sanctuary for when she just wanted to read a book or study something.
When I told her she could come anytime she wanted to use the library, the girl openly entertained the idea. She could borrow a book from their school library and then come here to study.
Then, after that, I brought her to the backyard. The plowed garden plots were still empty but with the weeds already gone, it looked neat. Unfortunately, there was still the old greenhouse that we had yet to touch.
Umi dragged me to it, and we looked through its blurry glass frames to see if the place could still be renovated.
Alas, it was just as neglected as any of the clubhouses in this part of the school. We had to replace the glass frames that served to allow the sunlight inside and also ensure the greenhouse's structural integrity. Maybe it could be our project next year, but for now, we'd focus on the plots just outside the clubhouse.
"Senpai, you're going to plant something here, right?" Umi asked, her voice tinged with curiosity as she peered through the cloudy glass of the old greenhouse. Her fingers brushed against the frame, tracing the chipped paint and rusted metal, as if trying to imagine what it could become.
I nodded before pointing behind us, "That's the plan in the long run. Potatoes, root crops, maybe some fruit we can't grow in our city's temperature, whatever we can manage. It's a work in progress, but we're going to start there. You wanna join the gardening crew? I bet you'd look cute in a straw hat."
Umi's cheeks puffed out, and she swatted my arm lightly, her blush returning in full force. "S-senpai! Stop teasing me! But… yeah, I think it'd be fun. I've never really grown anything before, but I like the idea of making something out of this."
She then gestured at the neglected greenhouse, her eyes sparkling with a quiet enthusiasm. "It's like… giving it a new life, you know?"
"Exactly," I said, grinning at her. "That's what this whole clubhouse is about. Taking something that looks like it's falling apart and making it ours. You'll fit right in."
She smiled, a soft, genuine curve of her lips that made my chest tighten with affection. "You make everything sound so easy, senpai. Like I can just… be part of all this without messing it up."
"You won't mess it up, Umi," I said, my tone firm but warm. "You've got a knack for making things better just by being you. Trust me, I've seen it. And if you ever feel like you're in over your head, I'm right here. We'll figure it out together."
Her gaze softened, and she leaned into me slightly, her shoulder pressing against my arm. "You're too good at this, senpai. Making me feel like I belong. I… I really want to be part of this. With you. With everyone."
"Then you're in," I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze. "Welcome to the Potato Clubhouse, Umi. Official member, no take-backs."
She giggled, nudging me with her elbow. "Potato Clubhouse? That's what you're calling it? Sumire's gonna love that name."
"Really? Now we have four votes out of thirty-something,"
Umi's eyes widened before laughing as she realized I was going against the agreed-upon name for the clubhouse.
As we walked back to the door we exited from, the sound of rustling footsteps echoed before the door swung open, and Misaki's bright and cheerful voice rang out.
And there she was, sprinting towards us the moment they saw us entering from the back. And behind her, Marika, Maaya and the two seniors of the Game Club trailed.