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Chapter Two
Cherry-Cola
Cherry-Cola
Nodoka's hands were starting to feel cold, she had both hands wrapped around her can of soda. She hadn't even opened it she was so nervous. Next to her was her professor, Negi Springfield. She had been bringing him a tea at the insistence of her roommate and had barely managed to get out a nervous greeting before tripping on something (or more accurately nothing) and falling right on top of him. In her panic she had done the only thing she could think to do.
"I brought you some tea professor!"
She hadn't even thought to get off him first. She had been relieved when he laughed. When she had finally managed to get to her feet and apologize she asked what he was doing out.
"Oh," he said glancing down at a small slip of paper in his hands. "Well I have this coupon for Chao Bao Zi but it's pretty specific about... well..."
He hadn't finished his sentence but he had held out the coupon for Nodoka to read. Inside the border of pink and red hearts were the words "Couple Special; half-off dinner for two". Nodoka had felt her face warm up just looking at it.
"Where did you get this?" Nodoka asked. "Well, Haruna gave it to me a little bit ago. She said it expired today so I should use it quickly and then just ran off. But I don't really have anyone to go with and I... Well..." his voice tapered off quietly.
By that time Nodoka's heart was racing and his next words didn't help her situation any.
"Would you like to go with me?"
"YES!... I mean... um, of course. I would like that very much."
By then Negi had finished his tea, Nodoka had pointed out a trash bin between them and Chao Bao Zi for the empty can and from there they were off. That was how Nodoka had wound up walking side by side with Negi Springfield, holding onto a can of soda and wondering if Haruna and Yue had planned this. She had no doubt Haruna would be capable of that.
Before long they had seated themselves outside the Chao Bao Zi food cart. Ku Fei came to take their order and when Negi handed her the coupon she gave Nodoka a knowing smirk. Nodoka could only blush.
As Nodoka relaxed she listened to the professor talk. She quite enjoyed the small talk. As long as she was near Negi she felt an intoxicating mix of nervousness, excitability, and pure joy. She couldn't explain the effect he had on her but she liked it.
The bun's arrived quickly and, as usual for Satsuki, they were amazing. It wasn't long before the food was gone.
When Nodoka looked around she discovered the sun was starting to hide itself behind the skyline. The streetlights came on with a flicker. It wasn't until that moment that she realized how late it was, time certainly seemed to fly when she was with Negi. She looked and saw that Negi had stood up, so she followed suit. She watched as Negi took a moment to look around, clearly he had only just realized the time himself. She hoped that was a good sign.
"I suppose we should start heading back now." Negi said in his accented Japanese. "Right," Nodoka said, nodding her head in agreement.
The walk back was quiet. After the conversation at Chao Bao Zi the silence felt awkward. Slowly Nodoka's thoughts drifted to their shared dinner. Did that count as a date? He had asked her to go, he had paid, although he had used a coupon, but the coupon had been for a couple. She felt the shade of pink creep up her cheeks as she started to wonder. "Nodoka," Negi said breaking the silence. Something about suddenly hearing his voice made her heart skip a beat and it was only after a startled jump that she responded. "Yes sensei?"
"Well, I couldn't help but notice you've been carrying that soda around all day." She looked down at the red can, across it were plain letter's reading "Cherry-Cola". In the excitement of the day she had managed to forget about it. It was an off brand, she had only really grabbed it because Yue had told her to get a soda for herself. She hadn't even checked the flavor until now.
"May I have a sip?" Negi asked, catching Nodoka off guard for the second time.
"Of course," she answered with a blush. Negi gingerly took the can and opened it, Nodoka wasn't sure but she thought she saw the faintest hint of a blush on Negi's cheeks. She followed his lips as he took a small sip from the can. As he handed it back she accidentally brushed against his hand. The warmth from his touch made her feel weak in the knees, it was good for her that they had arrived at the dorms. They stood outside her door for a few moments.
"Thank you for accompanying me Nodoka," Negi said politely. "It was a wonderful... date?" He said last word uncertainly. Hearing the word from Negi made Nodoka's heart swell, she was surprised her legs hadn't decided to give out under her when she heard it.
"YES! I mean... it was very nice. I would enjoy doing it again, if you'd be alright with that." she blurted out quickly. Negi smiled before wishing her a good night and slowly walking down the hall. After he disappeared into his room she looked down at her soda again. Slowly she brought the cool metal to her lips and held it there a moment. Then she took a small sip, it was warm now, overly sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
It was still the best thing she had ever tasted.
"I brought you some tea professor!"
She hadn't even thought to get off him first. She had been relieved when he laughed. When she had finally managed to get to her feet and apologize she asked what he was doing out.
"Oh," he said glancing down at a small slip of paper in his hands. "Well I have this coupon for Chao Bao Zi but it's pretty specific about... well..."
He hadn't finished his sentence but he had held out the coupon for Nodoka to read. Inside the border of pink and red hearts were the words "Couple Special; half-off dinner for two". Nodoka had felt her face warm up just looking at it.
"Where did you get this?" Nodoka asked. "Well, Haruna gave it to me a little bit ago. She said it expired today so I should use it quickly and then just ran off. But I don't really have anyone to go with and I... Well..." his voice tapered off quietly.
By that time Nodoka's heart was racing and his next words didn't help her situation any.
"Would you like to go with me?"
"YES!... I mean... um, of course. I would like that very much."
By then Negi had finished his tea, Nodoka had pointed out a trash bin between them and Chao Bao Zi for the empty can and from there they were off. That was how Nodoka had wound up walking side by side with Negi Springfield, holding onto a can of soda and wondering if Haruna and Yue had planned this. She had no doubt Haruna would be capable of that.
Before long they had seated themselves outside the Chao Bao Zi food cart. Ku Fei came to take their order and when Negi handed her the coupon she gave Nodoka a knowing smirk. Nodoka could only blush.
As Nodoka relaxed she listened to the professor talk. She quite enjoyed the small talk. As long as she was near Negi she felt an intoxicating mix of nervousness, excitability, and pure joy. She couldn't explain the effect he had on her but she liked it.
The bun's arrived quickly and, as usual for Satsuki, they were amazing. It wasn't long before the food was gone.
When Nodoka looked around she discovered the sun was starting to hide itself behind the skyline. The streetlights came on with a flicker. It wasn't until that moment that she realized how late it was, time certainly seemed to fly when she was with Negi. She looked and saw that Negi had stood up, so she followed suit. She watched as Negi took a moment to look around, clearly he had only just realized the time himself. She hoped that was a good sign.
"I suppose we should start heading back now." Negi said in his accented Japanese. "Right," Nodoka said, nodding her head in agreement.
The walk back was quiet. After the conversation at Chao Bao Zi the silence felt awkward. Slowly Nodoka's thoughts drifted to their shared dinner. Did that count as a date? He had asked her to go, he had paid, although he had used a coupon, but the coupon had been for a couple. She felt the shade of pink creep up her cheeks as she started to wonder. "Nodoka," Negi said breaking the silence. Something about suddenly hearing his voice made her heart skip a beat and it was only after a startled jump that she responded. "Yes sensei?"
"Well, I couldn't help but notice you've been carrying that soda around all day." She looked down at the red can, across it were plain letter's reading "Cherry-Cola". In the excitement of the day she had managed to forget about it. It was an off brand, she had only really grabbed it because Yue had told her to get a soda for herself. She hadn't even checked the flavor until now.
"May I have a sip?" Negi asked, catching Nodoka off guard for the second time.
"Of course," she answered with a blush. Negi gingerly took the can and opened it, Nodoka wasn't sure but she thought she saw the faintest hint of a blush on Negi's cheeks. She followed his lips as he took a small sip from the can. As he handed it back she accidentally brushed against his hand. The warmth from his touch made her feel weak in the knees, it was good for her that they had arrived at the dorms. They stood outside her door for a few moments.
"Thank you for accompanying me Nodoka," Negi said politely. "It was a wonderful... date?" He said last word uncertainly. Hearing the word from Negi made Nodoka's heart swell, she was surprised her legs hadn't decided to give out under her when she heard it.
"YES! I mean... it was very nice. I would enjoy doing it again, if you'd be alright with that." she blurted out quickly. Negi smiled before wishing her a good night and slowly walking down the hall. After he disappeared into his room she looked down at her soda again. Slowly she brought the cool metal to her lips and held it there a moment. Then she took a small sip, it was warm now, overly sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
It was still the best thing she had ever tasted.
