Chapter 422

-Swish, swish.

“Mm, mmm…”

-Swish, swish.

“Hmm, mmm…”

After losing the gardener and making our way to a distant bench, Ethan and I sat there, each with a cherry stem in our mouths, concentrating intently on our little game.

The game was called “tying a cherry stem in your mouth.” It’s something you often see in media meant for otaku, but for some reason, I got curious as soon as I saw the cherry stems.

There’s an old saying that if you can tie a cherry stem with your tongue, you’re a good kisser. So I thought, why not test that theory? I already knew Ethan was a good kisser, but I was curious to see if he could actually tie a cherry stem just using his mouth and tongue.

…Plus, I wanted to see how my kisses made him feel.@@novelbin@@

‘Since I know the technique, I should have an easier time than Ethan.’

-Swish, swish.

First, you have to soften the stem a little by gently biting it. Once the stem gets more pliable, it becomes easier to manipulate with your tongue.

You need to keep the fruit attached while doing this, wedging the cherry between your teeth to stabilize it as you tie the knot.

I moved my mouth diligently, determined to beat Ethan in this game using the knowledge I’d gained in my past life. But despite knowing the theory, my lack of practical experience made it harder than I expected to tie a knot with my tongue.

-Twist, twist.

‘This isn’t as easy as it looks…’

The characters in those comics made it seem so simple. Maybe there really is a difference between fiction and reality.

Still, I began to get the hang of it as I kept the softened stem in place. Rolling the tip around with my tongue, I tried to form a loop while holding it steady with my teeth.

-Snap.

“…”

…Damn. Did I chew it too hard?

I felt the stem snap in the middle, not at the end, so that meant I’d failed.

Well, no big deal. It wasn’t like there was a prize for winning this or anything, so I didn’t need to get too worked up about it.

I figured if I couldn’t do it even with prior knowledge, Ethan would probably have trouble too. Just as I was about to wait for his failure, I felt him tap my shoulder.

-Tap, tap.

“Ed?”

“…Ah.”

“…Wait, what?”

…Hold on.

Did he actually succeed? And on the first try?

On a hunch, I reached into Ethan’s mouth and pulled out the cherry stem. Sure enough, it was tied neatly into a soft curve.

There wasn’t even a mark on it from where he’d bitten down.

“Lily, that was in my mouth a moment ago. Staring at it like that…”

“How did you do this?”

“Hm?”

“How did you manage to tie it so smoothly? Did you really do this inside your mouth?”

“Oh, yeah. I did what you said and used just my tongue and teeth.”

“…”

“It’s hard to explain how exactly. I held one end with my teeth and used my tongue to twist it into a knot.”

Could he really do this without any prior knowledge?

…Maybe his talent for using his tongue came from natural aptitude. It would explain why he’s always so skilled with his mouth.

“So, I tied it just like you asked. Don’t I get some kind of reward?”

“…There wasn’t any prize or bet to begin with, Ed.”

“True. But since you didn’t show me, I assume you failed? If you had succeeded, you’d be shoving it in my face by now.”

“…”

His tone was somehow annoying yet accurate, making me quietly admit that he was probably right.

“So, what’s the meaning of this? You’re the one who suggested it, so it can’t be just for fun, right?”

“It’s just a game from my hometown. There’s this saying that if you can tie a cherry stem with your tongue, it means… well, you’re good at kissing.”

“Good at kissing?”

“…Right.”

As soon as the word “kiss” left my mouth, things got a bit awkward.

The plan was for me to succeed and naturally kiss him to demonstrate. But in this situation, where he succeeded and I failed, I didn’t have the nerve to make a move.

We both sat there blushing, the air thick with tension, when suddenly I felt Ethan’s hand cradle the back of my head.

-Slide.

“So, how about I prove it?”

“...Do as you please.”

-Smooch.

I accepted Ethan’s approaching lips, leaning into the kiss without hesitation. We pressed our lips together, ignoring the world around us.

-Smooch.

“Mmm, mmm…”

-Kiss, kiss.

“Mmm, hmm… Mmm…”

Thinking back, it had been so long since we last kissed.

Kissing was always an option, but it wasn’t something I’d suggested in a while. We’d kissed in other ways more recently, and oddly enough, a simple kiss on the lips felt even more intimate.

…Which made sense, given the kind of kiss this was.

-Lick.

“Mmm, mm…”

-Kiss, kiss.

“Mmm, ha… Mmm…”

Ethan’s tongue entwined with mine, guiding and tangling them together. It was like he was trying to prove just how good he was, tying the cherry stem was just the start.

Today, his tongue felt particularly intense, but with his hand holding the back of my head, I couldn’t escape.

“Mmm, ha, ha… Hmmm…”

…Well, no choice.

I’d just have to go along with this kiss until Ethan was satisfied. I wrapped my hand around his neck, pulling him closer.

…And with my other hand, I placed it gently on his chest.

-Press.

“Mmm, ha… Ah…”

“…”

-Squeeze.

“Mmm, ha…”

Ethan’s hand made its way to my chest. At this point, we weren’t just kissing anymore; we were verging on something more.

But then again, he wasn’t doing anything to arouse me—just caressing, as if it were part of the kiss.

And so, we continued our private “kiss” on the bench, intertwined.

-Kiss, kiss.

“Mmm… Haa…”

Ethan’s tongue moved over mine, tracing up and down as if tasting it, until finally, he let go.

-Sigh.

“Haa, ha…”

“How was it, Lily?”

“Hm?”

“The kiss. Was it good? You know, since they say that if you can tie a cherry stem, you’re good at kissing?”

Did he really need to hear it from my mouth to feel satisfied?

But since he was only pointing out the objective fact that he was a good kisser, it wasn’t particularly embarrassing.

“It was good, Ed.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“…You’re good with your tongue. I guess the saying is true.”

“You didn’t do so bad yourself. And you were sneaking your hand onto my chest, too.”

“I just didn’t know where else to put it. It wasn’t meant to be suggestive.”

“I never said it was.”

“Good. I wasn’t thinking anything inappropriate when you touched my chest either.”

“You always have to have the last word, don’t you?”

“Coming from you?”