Thirteenth Period: Just a Little Bit of Pampering
—Visiting a girl who lives alone.
This should have been a major event in any guy’s life, but I never expected it to be today...
“Ta-da! We’re here!” Three local train stops from In’ōji Station. Char’s apartment was about a five-minute walk from the station.
We went up the stairs to the second floor. The corner room at the end of the long hallway was Char’s place.
“Here you go! It might be a little messy, though...”
“E-Excuse me for intruding...!”
The living room spread out right as we entered. A single bed and a slightly small sofa. A round glass table in the center of the room. A single potted houseplant I didn’t recognize sat on top of a bookshelf packed with books.
“Eh, it’s not messy at all?”
“Really? That’s good... But don’t look around too much, okay...?” Char fidgeted, giving me a shy smile.
Even though she told me not to look, I couldn’t help but look, knowing Char lived here.
“I’ll get us something to drink, so wait here!”
“Y-Yes!” I sat down on the sofa Char pointed to and took a deep breath.
I was the one who asked to hang out more, but I didn’t expect to be invited to her place. We’d probably just hang out normally, but I wasn’t mentally prepared for this!
“Thanks for waiting!” I waited nervously, and Char placed two glasses of tea on the table.
“Is tea okay?”
“T-Tea is fine, thank you!”
“Good. And I’ll have... this!” She happily showed me a can of beer. Business as usual.
“Cheers!”
“C-Cheers...” We clinked the glass and the can together.
Char then happily drank her beer and sat down next to me.
Since we were sitting on a single-seater sofa, Char’s arm and thigh were pressed right up against mine...
“Atsuto-kun, are you nervous?”
“Yes. This is the first time I’ve been to a girl’s apartment...”
“I see... Hup!”
“Whoa?!” Char suddenly poked my cheek, and I instinctively pulled back.
“Ahahaha, sorry, sorry! I just thought nervous Atsuto-kun was cute!”
“A-Aren’t you nervous, Sensei?”
“Hmm, I am nervous, too. That’s strange—I was the one who invited you over.” Char took another sip of beer, looking shy.
We were close enough to hear each other’s breathing, in a quiet, single room.
The sound of Char taking her lips off the beer can sounded strangely sensual.
...No good. I need to distract myself with something, or I’ll lose it!
“H-How about we watch some TV?”
“Y-Yeah, let’s do that!” Char clapped her hands, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere.
But when she turned on the TV,
“Whoa!” “Whoa?!” The screen immediately showed an intense kissing scene from a drama, and I quickly turned it off.
Terrible timing!
“T-That was something.” “Yeah...” Silence fell in the room again.
(S-Something to distract us from this atmosphere...) I looked around, trying to salvage the situation—
“Ah, a game! Let’s play a game!” I spotted a game console under the TV stand and couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Y-Yeah! A game is a good idea! Let’s play a game!” Char turned on the console.
The opening screen of Wild Kart 8, a globally popular racing game, appeared on the TV.
“Ah, I have this too!”
“Really?! Then it should be a good match! I’m strong, you know?”
“I think I’m pretty strong, too.”
“Heh-heh-heh. Then let’s see what you’ve got!” Char puffed out her chest confidently and handed me a controller.
Alright. Char is into it, and playing a game should ease the tension...!
＊＊＊＊＊
—Or so I thought.
“Sensei! Calm down for a second...!”
“I can’t help it! It’s a habit!” I was holding the controller with sweaty hands, even more nervous than before.
The reason was Char’s body, which tilted right and left with the course. Her arm and chest kept brushing against me because of it...
“I-Is this a strategy to throw me off?!”
“I really didn’t mean to do it! Oh, sharp turn!” As Char’s kart turned left, her body tilted sharply to the left.
At the same time, Char’s chest pressed against my right arm with a funyon.
“W-Wait!” Being a guy, my concentration was naturally drawn to that...
—Bang!
I misplayed. My kart completely spun out and crashed head-on into the wall.
Char’s kart smoothly overtook mine in the meantime.
“No tilting with the course!”
“Why not! I can’t help it! ...Whoa, S-curve!”
—Punyon, funyan, puni.
Every time Char’s chest brushed or pressed against me, my self-control was about to fly away. I didn’t sign up for a handicap like this in a serious match!
...Still, I had my pride. I kept my composure and closed the gap with Char using my signature shortcut technique.
“Ah, Atsuto-kun. Hey.” Char suddenly spoke as the race neared its end.
“What is it?”
“Atsuto-kun, do you have a girlfriend?”
“Eh...”
—Boom!
Another misplay. My kart crashed into the wall again.
She was definitely trying to throw me off on purpose!
“N-No, I don’t.”
“Hehe, I see. You don’t, huh...”
—Whoosh...
This time, Char’s kart completely spun out and fell off a cliff.
“Sensei?”
“T-That was just a failed shortcut! It’s Atsuto-kun’s fault!”
“Why is it my fault?!” Char pouted, but there was a slight smile in her expression—
“Hey, Atsuto-kun. I’ve been meaning to ask you something for a while...”
“What is it?”
“—When we’re alone, I want you to call me ‘Char.’”
Her sweet, melting voice almost made me melt, too.
I somehow managed to keep my composure and asked her.
“...I-Is that what you want me to call you?”
“Yeah! I can’t do it at school, of course, but I’d be happier if you called me ‘Char’ when we’re alone. So, you know—”
—Hey, say it. Her sweet, coaxing tone accelerated my heart rate even more.
The ‘school teacher’ filter was still on, and honestly, I was too embarrassed to say it...
“—r.”
“Hmm? I couldn’t hear you.”
“Ch-Char!” When I forced the name out, overcoming my embarrassment, Char’s face softened with delight.
“You finally said it! ...Again!”
“Char...”
“Hehe, I’m happy... Ah, next time, I want you to whisper it in my ear...”
“In your ear?!” Char nodded emphatically and gently leaned her left ear toward me.
It was incredibly embarrassing... but should I do it?
“—Char.”
“Fwaah...” Char shivered when I whispered it in her ear, and her cheeks flushed with a goofy smile.
“Ehehe... I’m happy... Ah, one more time!”
“Ehh?!”
I ended up repeating ‘Char’ many times after that, but—
“...Char?” At some point, she stopped responding when I called her name.
I looked at Char worriedly out of the corner of my eye—
“Swoosh... Swoosh...”
“She’s sleeping?” I peered at Char’s face. Her eyes were completely closed, and she didn’t seem to notice me looking at her.
She was sleepy on the way back from the arcade, after all.
I turned off the game console and took the blanket draped over the back of the sofa.
When I put it over Char, she smiled contentedly and rested her head on my shoulder.
She seemed to have completely drifted off to sleep.
Every time Char shifted with her breathing, her silky bronze hair brushed my cheek.
It should have been ticklish, but it felt strangely comfortable.
I swallowed hard and cautiously stroked Char’s head.
(It’s so smooth...) The softness was like it was clinging to my fingers.
I was a little moved by the sensation, which was completely different from my hair, when Char’s mouth twitched.
“Funya... Hehe.”
“Gah!” Wait, why am I touching her?! Even if she’s asleep...!
Char’s sleep-talking brought me back to my senses. I got up from the sofa and lay down on the carpet.
“Guess I’ll sleep, too...”
I muttered that, but there was no way I could sleep with Char sleeping right next to me. I ended up staying awake until morning.
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