Chapter 4
As soon as class was over, I went straight home without making any detours, quickly changed, and threw myself onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.
“I’m tired…”
I’m aware that I’ve been saying the same thing every day for the past few days since I got injured, but today was on a whole other level.
“I’m always at Shirasu’s beck and call… though today it was more Mimasaka than Shirasu.”
I sighed as I remembered being cornered by my distraught friend next to me. I could understand it from Koshiro, but I never expected Mimasaka to react like that just because Shirasu brought a handmade bento.
“But it worked out somehow, so I guess it’s fine.”
To get straight to the point, what awaited me when I returned to the classroom after lunch break, feeling gloomy about what would be said, was words of praise from the male students, starting with Koshiro.
“Tomoya. No, Tomoya-sama. If it weren’t for you, Shirasu-san wouldn’t be in this world right now! Thank you!!”
For some reason, I was suddenly surrounded by emotional boys, and when Koshiro, representing them, said this to me, I was more than surprised; I was bewildered and didn’t know how to react.
“Umm… Koshiro? What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong’!? You saved Shirasu-san when she was about to be hit by a car, right? If you hadn’t been there, she might have died, right? That means you’re her lifesaver, right? In other words, you’re the hero who saved the goddess!”
“Shut up. Calm down, you idiot.”
I brought my left hand down on my excited friend’s head in a karate chop, but it didn’t stop his momentum. I somehow managed to escape from the circle, but what awaited me next was Mimasaka, who for some reason was looking apologetic.
“…Sorry, Tomoya. For cornering you without knowing the circumstances.”
I think it goes without saying that I was bewildered when she said this, her shoulders slumped. I blinked at her transformation, as if she were a completely different person from before and after lunch break, and then,
“I don’t mind. And besides, you didn’t do anything to apologize for, did you?”
“I have to apologize to that girl, Shirasu, too. That bento was also a way of repaying her debt, or rather, a thank you, right? And I…”
Haaaah, Mimasaka let out a heavy sigh. I couldn’t hide my surprise at her humble attitude, which was a far cry from her fury just a few dozen minutes ago. Was the girl in front of me really the Mimasaka Iori I knew?
“Well, anyway. If you get the chance, you should tell Shirasu directly. Though I don’t think she minds.”
“Yeah, I will. When I do, please act as a go-between, Tomoya.”
“Are you serious? Well, if I can be of help, just let me know.”
Just as I said that, the door slid open with a clatter, and the teacher for the first afternoon class came in, ending my conversation with Mimasaka.
From then on, nothing particularly eventful happened. I didn’t have much conversation with Mimasaka or Koshiro, and I didn’t run into Shirasu. The reason I didn’t run into Shirasu was because she sent me a text after school.
“I’m sorry, Senpai.”
“I’m going to stop by my house first, then go grocery shopping for dinner.”
“I’ll head over to your house after that, so please go home ahead of me today.”
I apologize, along with a stamp of a character crying and apologizing. I have to give her credit for not storming the classroom directly, but a part of me is suspicious about whether she’ll stop at just shopping.
“She’s not going to buy anything unnecessary besides groceries, is she…?”
Or rather, what will she do when she stops by her house? She’s not going to have a stupid strategy meeting with that Nanase person—the prime suspect for being the mastermind—on how to blow my reason to smithereens, is she?
“…Please, I’m begging you. Don’t cause me any more trouble.”
But sadly, based on my experience so far, the chances were fifty-fifty. And if anything, the scales were tipped towards the “it’s possible” side.
They say a storm comes when you let your guard down, but the girl named Shirasu Yuika is the type to launch an attack without warning, even if you’re constantly on alert. I have to pray that nothing happens, and at the same time, be mentally prepared for anything. Just as I made that resolution, I heard the timely sound of a key in the lock. Jingle-jangle… click.
“I’m hoooome! Senpai, are you awake?”
A voice, far too energetic for someone who had just finished a full day of classes, echoed from the entryway. This isn’t a house she knows like the back of her hand. Even though I’ve given her a spare key—or rather, had it semi-forcibly taken from me—I wish she’d at least ring the doorbell as a formality before coming in.
“Yeah, yeah! I’m awake!”
I replied as I descended from my room on the second floor. If I didn’t say anything, she might just barge into my room, and in fact, she’s already done that before.
“Oh, you were awake. I thought you were sleeping for sure.”
“I was just thinking about a few things. Anyway, thanks for the shopping.”
I thanked her and lifted the cherry-pink eco-bag she had placed on the floor. For what she called grocery shopping for dinner, it was packed with a considerable amount of food.
“You bought quite a lot. Wasn’t it heavy?”
“I bought enough for a few days. Nanase-san helped me, so it was no problem at all!”
“…I see. So what’s in this one?”
There was another paper bag besides the eco-bag, and I could tell it contained something that was clearly not groceries.
“Oh, that’s a present from Nanase-san. She said that if I wear this, you’ll definitely be pleased, Senpai.”
“…What did you say?”
Wear this, which means the contents of the bag are clothes. And since she said I would be pleased, there’s a high probability that it’s not ordinary clothing. The most likely possibility would be some kind of cosplay. It might be a simple guess, but I’d say it’s the front-runner.
The next possibility is overly revealing clothes that are far from Shirasu’s image. A miniskirt, shorts, a short-hemmed shirt, etc…. In other words, gyaru-style fashion, but I can’t imagine the personification of purity, Shirasu, wearing something like that.
The long shot is a fetish-style outfit, different from cosplay, like a competitive swimsuit or a bunny girl costume. I’d like to see that in its own way. In any case, one thing I can say is that I’m confident I’ll faint no matter what it is.
“I’ll change into it after we finish dinner, so please look forward to it.”
“No, you should go home after I finish dinner…”
“What’s the harm? Staying up a little late once in a while won’t hurt you.”
“Even if you say that… won’t your parents worry if you get home late?”
Even if she missed the last train, she could have that Nanase person pick her up and get home safely, but what would her parents think if their beloved daughter didn’t come home until that late? Even if our engagement was decided on a whim, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? I’m living alone right now.”
“…What did you say?”
I haven’t heard anything about that. Is it even possible for a high school girl like Shirasu, a princess, to be living alone?
“It’s a kind of social study. Well, Nanase-san is with me, so it’s not strictly living alone in the truest sense.”
“I-I see…”
Is the security okay? It would be a problem if the security was lax where the daughter of the Shirasu conglomerate is living.
“Oh, by the way, Nanase-san is also proficient in martial arts, so please don’t worry. The kind of thing you’re imagining won’t happen, Senpai.”
“…You can tell what I’m thinking?”
“You’re thinking, ‘What if Shirasu gets kidnapped!?’ right? It’s written all over your face.”
For whatever reason, Shirasu was grinning as she playfully nudged my side with her elbow. I’ve never been told that my emotions are easy to read, but for some reason, Shirasu always sees right through me.
“You’re so kind, Senpai. Well then, I have a proposal for such a worrywart of a Senpai… Do you want to hear it? You want to hear it, right?”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to hear it.”
“It’s to upgrade me from a commuting wife to a live-in wife! You’ll be able to rest easy if we’re living under the same roof, you know?”
How about it? Shirasu proposed, moving closer, something I hadn’t even asked for. When we first met, I would have said no without a second thought, but now I hesitate. It’s proof that I’m being steadily captivated and poisoned by Shirasu’s charm. I have a headache, and it’s my own damn fault.
“It’s a very attractive proposal, but my answer hasn’t changed, you know? We’re not living together. In the first place, the commuting wife thing is over once my arm heals…”
It’s over the moment that happens. I was about to say it, but the words got stuck in my throat. It seems I was enjoying my interactions with Shirasu more than I thought. This is a truly serious situation.
“? What’s wrong, Senpai?”
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking if there was an antidote.”
“An antidote? Senpai, are you sick somewhere? If so, you need to go to the hospital and get it checked out right away!”
Shirasu pressed closer as she spoke. I was curious to see how she would react if I told her, You’re the poison, but I could see her just tilting her head in confusion, so I silently took a step back.
“It’s fine. This isn’t something that can be cured by going to the hospital. It’s a poison I can handle on my own, so don’t worry about it, Shirasu.”
“What… Does that mean you’re suffering from an incurable disease, Senpai? You’re not going to die, are you?”
“…I’ve been on the verge of death every day lately. I’m used to it.”
“Eeeh!? Senpai, you’ve been in that state every day!? Why didn’t you tell me!? Is there anything I can do!?”
Shirasu cried out, her voice on the verge of tears, as she grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth. The only thing Shirasu can do is to get away from me right now, but even if I told her, she wouldn’t understand, and the shaking would only get more intense.
“Hahaha. Don’t worry, Shirasu. It’s not the kind of poison that will kill you right away. In the first place, this is a poison that affects the mind more than the body.”
“? Is there such a poison?”
“It’s a big world out there. It means there are poisons you don’t know about, Shirasu.”
Let me be clear, this is by no means the sickness of love. If anything, it’s more like a malignant virus that annihilates one’s reason.
“That’s enough idle talk. Let’s get to the living room. What are you making for dinner tonight?”
There’s no point in continuing this conversation, so I changed the subject, albeit a bit forcefully. The bag was filled with a good variety of meat, vegetables, and fish.
“Tonight’s dinner is teriyaki yellowtail.”
“Oh… is yellowtail in season now?”
“It seems so. They call it spring yellowtail, and it looked fatty and delicious, so I bought some. Please look forward to it.”
“Yeah, I am.”
I’ve been made painfully aware of Shirasu’s cooking skills. I’m sure it will be a masterpiece worthy of a long-established traditional restaurant, served on our dinner table.
“Is there anything I can do to help? I’m starting to feel guilty for always leaving everything to you.”
“You can just relax and watch TV, Senpai. But I know a kind person like you would feel bad, right? In that case, could you get the rice ready?”
“That’s an easy task.”
The saying, “A man should not enter the kitchen,” is a thing of the past. In this day and age, where it’s common for both partners to work, you can’t say things like that.
What’s more, in my case, I’m forced to live alone in my family’s home while my parents are away. I wouldn’t be able to get by if I couldn’t cook.
Shirasu hummed as she put away the groceries she had bought but wouldn’t be using today into the refrigerator. Next to her, I put the rice into the rice cooker pot. It’s for two people, and Shirasu doesn’t eat that much, so two cups should be enough. It’s pre-washed rice, so I don’t have to rinse it, which is nice.
“Heh heh. Standing here in the kitchen together like this, we’re kind of like a married couple, aren’t we?”
“Isn’t ‘married couple’ a bit of a stretch? At most, we’re like a couple who just started living together.”
We’re not even dating, so there’s no living together or being married, the words were on the tip of my tongue, but I had a ridiculous premonition that if I said them, they would become reality, so I held back at the last second.
“A couple… a lover, huh? Do you not have someone like that, Senpai?”
Just as I set the pot in the rice cooker, Shirasu asked an out-of-the-blue question. I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
“What’s with that, out of the blue?”
“It’s what you call witty banter while cooking. So, how about it? Do you not have a lover or anything, Senpai?”
“What are you going to do with that information?”
“N-No particular deep reason. I was just a little, tiny bit curious.”
That’s practically a confession, I retorted internally, and at the same time, this was a chance to strike back. I’m not the type to always be on the receiving end. So, I decided to tell a little lie as payback.
“…I do.”
“Right. You don’t. If you did, I wouldn’t be here like this—wait, Senpai, what did you just say?”
“I said I have a girlfriend.”
“W-Whaaaat!?!? Senpai, you have a g-g-girlfriend!? Wh-Who is it!? Is it someone I know!?”
Shirasu was visibly flustered. I wish she’d stop fidgeting while holding a knife; it’s scary. And isn’t this a bit too effective? Even I’m surprised.
“W-W-What’s the deal!? Please tell me the details!”
“Ah… um, it’s a girl you’ve met once before, Shirasu.”
“Could it be the woman who was with you when I delivered your bento to your classroom!? I think her name was… Mimasaka-san, was it?”
“Y-Yeah. That’s right, it’s Mimasaka.”
As I spoke, I mentally prostrated myself before Mimasaka, apologizing for using her name without permission. She would be more than furious if she knew she was being used as a fake girlfriend just so I could get back at Shirasu.
“It’s her… She’s a very beautiful person. I think you two make a great couple.”
With that, Shirasu’s shoulders slumped. Whoops, this is an unexpected reaction. I had expected her to ask all sorts of questions, like, “That’s a lie, I don’t believe you,” or “Who confessed first?” but I never thought she’d get depressed.
“I see… so you have a girlfriend, Senpai… Ah, so that’s why you were angry when I brought you a bento…”
“Um, Shirasu-san?”
“Hey, Senpai. Am I perhaps in the way here?”
Shirasu asked in a small, tearful voice, clutching the hem of her skirt. This has gone beyond effective and is now heading in a negative direction. I was just trying to get back at her, but now I’m the one feeling guilty.
“Am I a nuisance? The one who should be here is your girlfriend, Mimasaka-senpai, not me, right?”
“No, it’s not like you’re a nuisance or anything…”
“You even ended up fighting because of me… I’m really sorry.”
Either my voice wasn’t reaching her, or Shirasu had already come to her own conclusion. And the one who caused all of this was none other than me, but this is bad.
“Calm down, Shirasu. It was my fault. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing, Senpai? You haven’t done anything wrong. It’s my fault.”
“No, you’re wrong. You’re not at fault at all, Shirasu. It’s my fault. Because, um… I don’t have a girlfriend…”
“That’s not true. I—wait, Senpai, what did you just say?”
Shirasu blinked. Is this a rerun? I thought with a wry smile as I revealed the prank.
“I said I don’t have a girlfriend. Mimasaka and I are just classmates, just friends who sit next to each other. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“…Huh? So that means… this was all—”
“That’s right, it was a lie. I just wanted to tease you a little, Shirasu. So my age equals the number of years I’ve been without a girlfriend.”
Saying it myself makes me sad and empty. I shouldn’t have told such a lie if it was going to make me feel this miserable. Is this what they call karma?
As I was feeling down and reflecting on my actions, Shirasu placed her hand on top of mine, which was resting on my head.
“You idiot, Senpai… you’re so mean. Why would you tell such a lie…!”
“Well, I’m always being teased by you, so I thought I’d get back at you or something… I just wanted to surprise you a little… I’m really, really sorry.”
The reason I slipped into formal speech was because the jewel-like eyes of Shirasu, who was glaring at me, were veiled with a curtain of tears. And it was even more so because they were on the verge of spilling over.
“S-So… that means it’s okay for me to be here, right? I’m not a nuisance, right?”
“O-Of course! You’re not a nuisance at all, Shirasu. You can stay here as long as you like!”
“…I’ll hold you to that, Senpai.”
Her tearful face vanished in an instant. A little devil had taken over Shirasu, and her voice held a艶 that was unbecoming of her age.
“…Huh?”
This time, a dumb sound escaped my lips. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. In other words, a lie for a lie, is that it? Was I the one who was teased, when I thought I was the one doing the teasing?
“Senpai, you said it, didn’t you? That I can stay here as long as I like. I won’t let you say those words were a lie.”
As she spoke, Shirasu took my hand, wrapped it tightly in both of hers, and stared up at me with an upward glance. I felt like I was being sucked into her beautiful, sparkling eyes.
“Right, Tomoya-san?”
THWUMP! I felt like I heard the sound of an arrow piercing my own heart. Being called by my first name—Mimasaka has been calling me that for almost a year—should be no big deal, so why is my chest in so much pain? And I can’t even remember how to breathe. Am I getting enough oxygen?
“Y-Yeah… it’s fine. But it’s only for a limited time, until my arm heals.”
“Hey! You could at least drop the ‘limited time’ part! And besides, I think this is where you’re supposed to say, ‘Stay with me forever’! That’s what I was taught!”
“…Hm? Taught?”
As Shirasu playfully hit me, I mulled over her words. If she was taught, does that mean it was all an act? I already know who taught her without even having to think, but what exactly was she taught?
“D-Don’t tell me… the whole thing, starting from when you suddenly asked if I had a girlfriend, was all part of a plan, was it?”
Thinking back, that question was strange no matter how you look at it. Even though Mimasaka and I had something of a fight in the classroom, the question of whether I had a girlfriend was something she clearly didn’t care about when she declared she would be my commuting wife. For her to ask about it now, thinking back, was a lap behind.
“Heh heh. I’ll leave that up to you, Senpai. It’s up to you whether you believe it or not.”
With that, Shirasu blew me a wink that sparkled like a star. The gesture, which wouldn’t have been out of place on the cover of a gravure magazine, was, frustratingly, very cute. Though I would never say it out loud.
“Well. That’s enough talk for now. I’ll take care of the rest, so you can relax, Senpai.”
“…Okay. I’ll leave it to you.”
“And after that, it’s changing time. Please look forward to it.”
Don’t say it like it’s a preview for a new show, I retorted, and with a shrug that said, “Give me a break,” I left the kitchen.
What kind of clothes were in that bag? All I could do was pray that they were something ordinary. Even if that was just wishful thinking, I couldn’t help but hope.
＊＊＊＊＊
Let me get straight to the point. My wish was not granted.
After we finished dinner, Shirasu told me, “I’m going to get ready, so please wait a little!” so I had no choice but to go to my room and meditate.
And after waiting for about thirty minutes, I received a message that said, “I’m ready!” I braced myself and returned to the living room, and there stood the president’s daughter, dressed in a maid outfit.
“What do you think, Senpai?”
Shirasu asked for my opinion with a beaming smile. She spun around, and her skirt fluttered in response. In that moment, because of the short hem, I almost caught a glimpse of the treasure known as her underwear hidden within.
“When I took it out of the bag, I was surprised because it was different from the maid outfits I know, but don’t you think it’s really cute?”
As Shirasu said, it was a little different from what you would normally call a maid outfit. Specifically, it showed a lot of skin.
“Actually, I asked Nanase-san about it while you were in the bath, and it seems the maid outfit Nanase-san wears is the old-fashioned Victorian type. This one, on the other hand, is a designer piece that emphasizes cuteness.”
Victorian, or rather, the British-style maid outfit, is a long black or navy dress with a white apron. It’s a plain, subdued, so-called work uniform.
“The one I’m wearing, with the short skirt, is properly called a French maid outfit. I don’t know why it’s called French, though… why is that?”
I couldn’t help but think of the dumb pun that ‘French’ (Furenchi) and ‘shameless’ (harenchi) sound kind of similar in Japanese. But honestly, I didn’t care about the name.
“Isn’t it a bit of a stretch to call that a maid outfit?”
The sleeveless black top seemed to represent the hidden side of the pure and lovely princess—in other words, her little devil personality. The red and black checkered miniskirt had a three-tiered frill structure and a large ribbon on the back, making it cute. If it were just that, I wouldn’t have had any doubts.
“What are you talking about, Senpai? This is a proper maid outfit!”
“Then let me ask you… what’s with that hole in the chest!? And is the garter belt necessary!?”
The biggest problem with this maid outfit. It was the fact that the part of Shirasu’s bountiful cleavage was wide open, like the Bermuda Triangle.
The size, the softness. What kind of maid outfit reveals nearly half of Shirasu’s assets, which boast a destructive power that’s visible even through clothing? It wouldn’t be strange to be told that her job wasn’t cooking and cleaning, but to be her master’s companion for the night. And the garter belt she was wearing on her thigh was the finishing blow. It was more than enough to level the playing field of an adolescent boy’s fetishes.
“I was curious about this too, so I asked Nanase-san, and she said, ‘Ufufu. Isn’t it obvious? It’s to please the gentlemen.’”
Shirasu finished with a wink, tracing Nanase-san’s words. What do you mean, to please the gentlemen? As if that could be true. And she should be scolded by the designer.
“Well, let’s not worry about the details. More importantly, what do you think, Senpai? Am I cute as a maid?”
“…ute.”
“? What did you say? Please say it louder!”
Shirasu took a step closer, demanding an answer, and I couldn’t help but take a step back. Perhaps because they were more liberated than usual, they swayed with even the slightest movement. What, you ask? Needless to say.
“Come on, come on! Hurry up and tell me, Senpai! If you do, I’ll do something nice for you.”
“…H-Huh?”
I realized my own voice was trembling.
Something nice, she said. What on earth is “something nice”? What is she going to do for me in this maid outfit? For example, using those two flexible water balloons—wait, what am I thinking?
“Oh my? What’s wrong, Senpai? Your face is turning red. Don’t tell me my maid outfit is making your heart pound?”
“…You little…”
My fists trembled. This junior of mine knows exactly what I’m thinking and is asking me anyway. It’s definitely on purpose.
“That’s right! This maid outfit is cute, isn’t it! It’s no wonder your heart is pounding, Senpai!”
“…Hm?”
“If a female classmate were wearing this, I’d be captivated too! Oh, right! Maybe I should propose a maid cafe for this year’s cultural festival. What do you think, Senpai?”
What is this princess talking about with such an innocent face? Her classmates, especially the boys, would surely agree with this proposal with open arms. If I were in their shoes, I would have gladly nodded in agreement. But as a senior, as a fiancé, and as someone who is having her act as a commuting wife, my opinion is—
“—No. Absolutely… no.”
“? Why?”
Why is she tilting her head in confusion? If she can read my mind, she should know the reason for my refusal without me having to say it. I let out a big sigh.
“Because if you wear that at the cultural festival, the whole school will be in an uproar. That’s why it’s absolutely out of the question.”
“An uproar? Chaos? Would that happen just because I wore this?”
“…Shirasu. Please, for the love of god, become aware of how you’re perceived by others…”
I could only be dumbfounded by her reaction, which was the complete opposite of her calculated words just a moment ago. If you’re going to feed her ideas, I wish you’d teach her everything from one to ten.
“How am I perceived? Am I not just a female student?”
“Yeah, that’s right. You’re definitely a female student. That’s true. But with the modifier ‘an exceptionally cute, big-breasted’ one. There’s no way a girl like that would fit into the box of ‘just a female student’!”
“C-Cute!? Senpai, did you just call me cute!?”
Shirasu wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed herself against me. The view below, of her twin hills pressing against my body and their shape squishing, was a magnificent sight. Squish. In addition, the sensation was as moist and soft as the finest silk. My brain felt like it was about to boil over.
“Ehehe. Senpai called me cute. Thank you! I’m so, so happy!”
I couldn’t help but flinch at her words, delivered with a smile as innocent as an angel’s.
An alluring body, just a short reach away. The devilish temptation to have it all to myself. A sweet trap that makes you want to step into it, even knowing it’s a bottomless swamp. I hardened my heart and gently pushed Shirasu’s body away.
“Then, as promised, tonight I’ll be your maid and yours alone! What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything for you.”
“Anything… what specifically will you do?”
When I asked timidly, for some reason, Shirasu let out a small laugh. There shouldn’t have been anything to laugh at.
“…What’s so funny?”
“It’s just as Nanase-san said. She said, ‘If you say you’ll do anything, I’m sure Senpai-san will ask, specifically?’”
As expected of someone who works in the shadows as Shirasu’s fixer. She understands a man’s heart well.
“So, Nanase-san taught me a lot of things. What to do to make a gentleman—Senpai—happy. And I have mastered all of those techniques!”
I’ve been certified, Shirasu said, puffing out her chest.
The devil in my mind whispered for me to ask what she had mastered, while the angel insisted that I pretend I hadn’t heard and give her a haori to cover her skin.
“Well, Senpai. Please don’t hesitate to release the desires you have pent up in your heart! I will grant them all for you!”
“…Did Nanase-san also tell you to say that?”
“Yes, she did! She told me that if I wear this maid outfit and say this line to you at the end, I’ll be able to make even a blockheaded and iron-willed Senpai’s brain short-circuit!”
“…I see.”
Seeing Shirasu’s face, which showed no doubt in her personal maid, I looked up at the heavens and let out a deep sigh. And what the hell is a “brain short-circuit”? Well, it’s true that my brain was on the verge of malfunctioning, so it’s infuriating.
“Well, well! What do you want me to do? A chance like this might only come once today, you know? Or are you the kind of idiot who would let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away, Senpai?”
“You little brat. If I let you talk…”
As Shirasu took advantage of my indecision and got carried away, a feeling akin to anger welled up inside me.
Is this okay, Midou Tomoya? Are you okay with being on the receiving end all the time, Midou Tomoya? The answer is no. I took a deep breath and decided to teach this junior, who was enjoying teasing people, and the maid behind her, a lesson.
“Alright. Then I think I’ll have Shirasu wash my back later.”
“Wash your back? What does that… mean?”
Shirasu tilted her head. Come on, you’ve got to be kidding me. Didn’t she just say Nanase-san taught her all sorts of things? What is she, a chicken, forgetting her own words from a few seconds ago?
“I said, let’s take a bath together. Is that a problem?”
“So that’s what you meant! Of course it’s okay! I’ll wash your body clean for you, Senpai!”
I’ll go get ready, Shirasu said, and headed to the bathroom with a skip in her step. My eyes were almost stolen for a moment by her fluttering skirt, but I forced myself to look away and stared up at the ceiling again.
“I thought she’d be a little more embarrassed…”
I never expected her to agree so readily. If a girl her age is asked by a guy to take a bath together, the answer should normally be the opposite. Even if it’s not, she should at least be a little embarrassed.
“Don’t tell me she’s going to say, ‘I used to take baths with my dad until I was in elementary school, so I’m used to it!’”
I said it half-jokingly, but then I found myself agreeing that in Shirasu’s case, it was very possible. Or, if she has a personal maid, it’s also possible that she’s used to having that person wash her body.
“Senpaaaai! I have some things to prepare before I get in the bath, so could you wait a little longer?”
Shirasu peeked her head out from the washroom and called out. Unlike guys, who can just hop in the bath without a thought, girls need to prepare various things. I gave a light reply of, “Got it,” and decided to kill time by watching TV.
＊＊＊＊＊
Pitter-patter… pitter-patter… The sound of water dripping from the shower echoed in the bathroom.
I had a towel wrapped around my waist and was blindfolded, so my hearing was more sensitive than usual. The reason I had my sight blocked was because Shirasu had told me to put on a blindfold before getting in the bath. It is by no means a personal hobby of mine.
“That Shirasu… what on earth is she thinking?”
I muttered to myself in the pitch-black world.
After she told me to wait, more than ten minutes passed. When the announcement that “The bath is ready” sounded, it was fine up until she said, “Please go in first,” but I had no idea why I was being made to do this kind of special play.
And after waiting naked for over ten minutes, I heard the sound of the door opening with a click, and the sound of footsteps, pat, pat. The main character had finally arrived, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Senpai.”
“…You’re finally here. I was getting tired of waiting.”
“I’m sorry. I was having a little trouble getting ready… Oh, I’ll take off your blindfold.”
As she spoke, I felt Shirasu’s presence strongly behind me. Now that I had lost my eyes, which account for the majority of my information gathering, not only my hearing but also my other senses were sharpened.
“So bright… Shirasu, why did you make me wear a blindfold?”
“To surprise you, Senpai. Here, look in the mirror.”
Don’t pull a surprise on me at this stage, I retorted internally, and as I was told, I looked at the mirror in front of me. Reflected there was the figure of Shirasu, wrapped in a pure white bath towel.
“Now, here’s a question for you, Senpai. What do you think is under the bath towel?”
“…What did you say?”
The maid outfit also showed a lot of skin, but this was on a whole other level. After all, she was only wearing a single piece of cloth. Because of that, the ripeness of her bountiful fruits, which was visible even through her clothes, was even more emphasized.
The crucial towel itself only reached above her knees, shamelessly exposing her beautiful, plump yet toned legs.
In other words, I was at a loss as to where to look, and I couldn’t spare the mental resources to think about what was underneath.
“Oh, you don’t know? Then I’ll give you a special hint.”
Shirasu said cheerfully and reached for the shower from behind me. In the process, her twin hills bumped against my head with a poof, and I almost let out a scream.
“There are two choices. Do you think I’m wearing a swimsuit underneath? Or do you think I’m wearing nothing at all?”
“…Hm? Wait a minute. Did you say nothing at all?”
“Yes, I did. Is there a problem?”
“No, no, no! Shouldn’t the choices be about the type of swimsuit!? Why is it a choice between a swimsuit and being naked!?”
In response to my protest, for some reason, Shirasu puffed out her cheeks with a dissatisfied look. She seemed to be saying that it was strange for me to complain when she had gone to the trouble of giving me a hint, but I wanted to say that the question itself was flawed.
“If the question was to guess the type of swimsuit, the difficulty would go up, wouldn’t it? This is my own way of being kind.”
“I’m saying you don’t need to make it a question in the first place! You’re going to take off the bath towel whether I get it right or not, aren’t you!?”
“Eh… don’t tell me, Senpai, you want to rip off my bath towel? Are you the type who gets excited by undressing people?”
As she spoke, Shirasu tried to cover her body with both hands, but I wonder if she noticed that the shower hose was caught between her cleavage. Its shape changed with a squish, vividly demonstrating its flexibility, and my gaze was drawn there, making her attempt to hide it counterproductive.
“…No. Well, not no, but no right now! If you’re going to take it off anyway, then I’m saying you shouldn’t have come in wearing a bath towel in the first place!”
“O-Oh my… so that means you want to see me naked, right? You’re such a pervert, Senpai.”
“How did it come to that!? I’m saying you should have come in wearing a swimsuit, not a bath towel!”
If you ask me whether I want to see Shirasu completely naked or not, the answer is, of course, the former, but I can’t say such a desire out loud.
“But I… if you really want to see, Senpai… then it’s okay.”
“…What did you say?”
Shirasu muttered in a small voice, like the buzzing of a mosquito. The fact that her face and even her ears were bright red was definitely not just because of the steam.
“S-So if you ask me to show you… I said I’ll take it off for you.”
I could almost hear the sound of a boiling kettle from Shirasu’s bowed head. And her shoulders were trembling slightly. If she’s embarrassed and scared, she doesn’t have to force herself to say it.
She probably meant to tease me, but this was completely counterproductive. This is the very definition of a schemer drowning in their own scheme.
“Honestly… I wish you’d say things like that in the bedroom, not the bathroom. Well, in the first place, if you’re that scared, you shouldn’t have said it to begin with.”
I shrugged as I spoke. No matter how much of a healthy high school boy in the prime of adolescence I was, I had no intention of forcing myself on a scared girl. And I believe that this kind of thing should only be done when two people have feelings for each other. Well, that might not be the case when I become an adult.
“Oh my… why have you always been so kind, Senpai…”
“Hm? Always?”
The first time I met Shirasu should have been the other day, when I saved her from being hit by a car. If we had met before that, there’s no way I would have forgotten.
“I-It’s nothing! M-More importantly, Senpai! Have you decided on an answer!? Do you think it’s a swimsuit, or nothing at all—Ouch!?”
“Either way is fine, so let’s just get in the bath already. You don’t want to catch a cold by standing around naked, do you?”
Just when I thought she had become docile, Shirasu’s head, which had quickly regained its composure, was met with a chop from my left hand. I wanted to make her drink a decoction of the word “reflection.”
“Muu… okay. Then I’ll just force you to hear the answer! The correct answer is—a swimsuit!”
“Yeah. I thought so.”
“No way!? That’s not the reaction I was expecting!?”
Whyyy, Shirasu held her head, but considering the flow of the conversation, this was easy to imagine. Or rather, the trope of making someone think you’re naked under a bath towel only to be wearing a swimsuit is a well-worn classic. If there’s a girl out there who can pull off the surprise of actually being naked, I’d like to be introduced. I’ll give her a lecture.
“Ugh… Nanase-san, you liar. She said I’d be able to win Senpai over with this…”
Shirasu’s shoulders slumped. She seemed to be lamenting the failure of her plan, but in reality, I was desperately trying to maintain my composure.
The thing Shirasu was wearing was probably a swimsuit, since she called it one. But the amount of fabric was so small it could rival a micro-bikini, and it was a wonder if it could even be called a swimsuit. The fact that it only covered the important parts made it even more provocative than being naked.
“I guess I should have gone for the unexpected to surprise Senpai…”
She can slump her shoulders all she wants, but to be honest, I wish she’d put the bath towel she just ripped off back on. It’s going exactly as planned, I thought, but I didn’t say it out loud. More than anything, I didn’t want her to realize I was flustered.
“Ah, Shirasu. Could you please grant my request now?”
“Ugh… okay.”
I think it’s a bit forceful, but we won’t get anywhere at this rate, so I changed the subject to what we should be doing. But saying it myself, “Could you grant my request?” gives me goosebumps.
“Okay. Then I’ll wash your back, Senpai.”
As she spoke, Shirasu reached for the faucet.
SHAAAAA… The sound of cold water flowing out echoed in the bathroom, but to my ears, the sound of Shirasu’s heated breath was even louder.
“Please let me know if the shower is too hot.”
After confirming my nod, Shirasu slowly ran the shower over my back. My body had gotten cold from waiting naked, so it felt hot enough to burn me at first, but it gradually changed to a comfortable warmth.
“Your back is pretty big when I see it like this, Senpai. You’re kind of like my dad.”
“You think so? I’ve never compared it to anyone else’s, so I wouldn’t know.”
“Thank you for protecting me.”
After she had finished rinsing my body, Shirasu took the bottle of body soap and, for some reason, poured the liquid into a basin. She added a small amount of hot water and started stirring it.
“Um… Shirasu-san. What are you doing right now?”
“I’m getting ready to wash your body, Senpai. I was taught that it’s easier to wash if you lather it up like this beforehand.”
As she spoke, Shirasu immediately poured the foamy liquid over me. It felt cool and pleasant on my warmed body.
“Now I’ll wash your body.”
She spread the foam over my body with her hands, making it familiar. As I was feeling ticklish from the touch of Shirasu’s slender fingers, she suddenly wrapped her arm around my waist, and something soft like a water balloon was pressed against my back. Squish.
A definite warmth of human skin, not just softness. It took me exactly three seconds to realize that it was Shirasu’s bountiful twin hills.
“Sh-Shirasu… what are you doing?”
“Nngh… ssh…! Ah, Senpai. Please don’t move. I can’t… aahn, wash you properly.”
“No, no, no! Do you even know what you’re doing when you say ‘wash’!?”
“What do you mean… with my body… aahn, sho. I’m just… washing your body, Senpai.”
As Shirasu spoke, her voice gradually became rougher. At the same time, it began to take on a beautiful, lustful heat. She was casually rubbing my body with her own, but she didn’t understand how dangerous this act was.
“C-Can we calm down and talk for a moment? This is not normal, you know?”
“Nanase-san said that there’s no man who wouldn’t be happy with this… aah, how is it? Does it feel good, Senpai?”
Whether it felt good or not, the answer goes without saying. My heartbeat quickened exponentially, causing blood to circulate throughout my body and my temperature to rise. Furthermore, a desire began to well up from my toes to my lower body. To put it simply, it was dangerous.
“Hey, please answer me, Senpai. Does my… body… feel good?”
“Y-Your body…”
“Haah, haah, haah… aahn, S-Senpai… nngh, I think… I’m starting to feel strange.”
Her breathing became ragged, Shirasu’s voice and breath became sweet and syrupy, and as if she had lost all strength, she leaned against me. The arm wrapped around my waist tightened to keep her from falling, increasing our proximity.
My breathing became ragged. THUMP-THUMP, THUMP-THUMP, my heart pounded. A strange sensation as if the sound was echoing throughout the bathroom. My body flushed, my sense of balance was paralyzed, and I couldn’t even tell if I was sitting or lying down.
“Senpai… Senpai… aah, nngh.”
She muttered in a high-pitched voice, yet the speed of her up-and-down rubbing increased. Furthermore, a twist of her hips was added, resulting in an unnatural movement for washing one’s body.
“Sh-Shirasu… isn’t that enough for now? In fact, I think it’s more than enough.”
Any more than this would be really bad. There’s a limit to how much I can suppress my instincts with reason. In fact, it’s a miracle that I’m still conscious after having my body washed by the peerless beauty Shirasu, using her alluring body like a sponge. If it were anyone but me, they would have lost control unconsciously by now.
“No way… I’m not done washing yet. Or are you saying you want me to stop because it doesn’t feel good?”
“No one said it doesn’t feel good. In fact, I’m saying to stop because it’s the opposite.”
“Ehehe… it feels good, doesn’t it, Senpai? Then it would be a waste to stop. And I don’t want to stop either…”
“Sh-Shirasu, let’s stop moving for a moment and calm down.”
It would be better for both of us, I said, and Shirasu finally stopped. Thank goodness, it was a close call, but it seems we can avoid an accident.
“How rude, Senpai. I’ve been calm from the beginning to the end. So I’ll wash your front too, not just your back.”
My relief was short-lived, and in fact, I wanted to punch my past self for feeling relieved in the first place, but as if to prevent me from regretting or reflecting, Shirasu spun around with the agility of a mixed martial artist and moved in front of me.
“The front is fine! The back was more than enough, so please get away from me!”
“No way. I have to wash your front too! I’ll scrub you with my body, so just be quiet!”
As if she were a mother soothing a child, Shirasu sat down on my thighs, wrapped her arms around my neck, and clung to me like a koala.
The warmth transmitted directly from Shirasu’s almost naked body, and the softness that only a girl possesses, made my brain boil and my consciousness grow hazy. It might be happier to just lose consciousness.
“Sh-Shirasu… I can wash my own front, so please, I’m not kidding, get off.”
“…No. I won’t let go.”
My desperate plea was in vain; instead of getting off, Shirasu only tightened her grip. Her bountiful twin hills were pressed against my chest so hard that their shape was distorted with a squish. Faced with such a sight, I couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Y-You won’t let go… don’t be so selfish at a time like this. I’ll do anything if you just get off… just get off.”
Block out the sense of touch. For now, just erase the existence of Shirasu Yuika that you feel with your whole body. Otherwise, something irreversible will happen.
“Haah, haah, haah… aahn, ah, aahnn…!”
As I was halfway to panicking, Shirasu pressed her attack even further. She clung to me tightly and, of all things, began to piston her hips up and down. She let out a sweet, scaldingly hot breath in my ear, and the bath chair creaked. Creak, creak.
“Senpai, Senpai… Tomoya-senpai…!”
Shirasu’s breathing became increasingly ragged and beautiful. In her excitement and heat, Shirasu didn’t know what she was doing.
Perhaps she really thought she was just washing my body, but if I don’t stop this soon, she herself will be sad later.
“Senpai, am I… am I doing it right? Your body… haah, aahn, am I… cleaning it properly?”
“Y-You are! It’s more than clean enough, so let’s stop! It’ll be too late after an accident happens!”
“An accident…? What kind of accident… is going to happen?”
Shirasu muttered as if in a delirium, leaning against my shoulder. Nevertheless, her hips didn’t stop; in fact, they changed from an up-and-down motion to a circular one. This brought an intense stimulation to my lower abdomen that I had never experienced before.
“Senpai… I… with Senpai… with Tomoya-san…”
Shirasu lifted her head and stared at me with a flushed face and moist eyes. I wasn’t unaware of what her bewildered expression was asking for, but I didn’t want to think about it. If I gave in to the heat of the moment, I would definitely regret it.
Angel and devil. Reason and instinct. As a result of their fierce battle, the one who raised a cry of victory was—
“STOOOOOOOOOOOP!! Get a hold of yourself, Shirasu!”
I reached for the shower and doused her head with a powerful stream of water.
“Hya, hya!? H-Hey! What are you doing all of a sudden, Senpai!?”
It’s cold, Shirasu protested as she jumped back from me. Seeing this, I let out a sigh of relief internally. For now, this should be fine. But unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. Now it was time for a lecture.
“That’s my line! How many times do you think I told you to stop!?”
“That’s a lie! Nanase-san said that ‘stop, stop’ means ‘don’t stop’!”
“Even if you say it cutely, no means no! We were about to get into a lot of trouble! And besides, do you even know what you were doing!?”
“What do you mean… I was just washing your body, Senpai. That’s right—wait, why are you spraying me with the shower again!?”
“Shut up! And stop trying to seduce men! If you keep doing things like this, you’re going to get hurt someday!”
At my shouting, even Shirasu slumped her shoulders and looked down. I felt bad for raising my voice, and in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t asked her to wash my back, but I pushed those thoughts aside. This was a situation where I had to harden my heart and scold her.
“…I won’t.”
Shirasu muttered, still looking down.
“What? Did you say something?”
“I won’t take a bath with anyone but you, Senpai! The only person who will wash my back is you, Tomoya-senpai!”
“Sh-Shirasu? What are you talking ab—”
“You’re an idiot, Senpai! A womanizer! A forgetful person!”
Who’s a womanizer? Before I could retort, Shirasu had run out of the bathroom. You’ll catch a cold if you stay wet, so come back, I was about to reach out, but the back of the beautiful girl in the swimsuit disappeared in an instant. This is the very definition of fleeing like a scared rabbit.
“…What do you mean, ‘a forgetful person’?”
If I’m forgetting something, I wish she’d tell me. I can’t even remember anything that I might have forgotten.
“I guess I’ll take a bath…”
To cool down my heated body in many ways, I doused my head with cold water. But the sensation of her bountiful fruits pressed against my chest and back didn’t fade, and the heat that had built up in my lower abdomen like magma from the stimulation of her rotating hips didn’t go away easily.
＊＊＊＊＊
When I got out of the bath and returned to the living room, Shirasu, who had changed from her swimsuit into pajamas, was sitting on the sofa, hugging a stuffed animal and sitting with her knees to her chest.
“…Senpai. Can I sleep with you tonight?”
Shirasu said in a sulky voice, hiding her face with her knees. Has she already forgotten that I just got angry at her in the bath? I shrugged.
“Sleep with me… don’t tell me you mean in the same bed, right?”
When I asked with exasperation, Shirasu gave a small but definite nod. You’ve got to be kidding me, I muttered internally, but Shirasu beat me to the punch with a killer line.
“Senpai, you said you’d do anything in the bath just now, didn’t you?”
“…Whoops.”
“I kept my promise and got off your lap. So isn’t it your turn to keep your promise?”
Shirasu said with a pouted lip, spouting some outrageous logic. And she’s making it sound like she got off on her own, but I’d like her to stop distorting the facts. If I hadn’t doused her with the shower, she would have definitely stayed sitting there.
“Sleep together… where are we going to sleep? We don’t have any guest futons. You’re not going to say something stupid like we’ll sleep together in my bed, are you?”
“Of course that’s what I mean. In fact, where else is there?”
Shirasu said it so matter-of-factly that I couldn’t even sigh. Since we had just engaged in some body-washing play in the bath, sleeping in the same bed might not be a big deal, but it’s easier said than done.
“If you don’t like the bed, we can spend the night on this sofa. We can wrap ourselves in a blanket and snuggle up for the night!”
“Don’t emphasize the ‘snuggle up’ part. Well, it’s better than the bed, but…”
“Then it’s settled! I’m going to take a bath, so please wait for me without running away, okay? Well, it’s useless to try to run away anyway.”
Gufufu, Shirasu let out an ominous laugh. She had the triumphant look of a master detective who had anticipated the culprit’s escape and set a trap. A chill ran down my spine.
“…What do you mean?”
“To put it bluntly, this house is completely surrounded. To explain properly, Nanase-san is on standby around the house, so if you try to run away, she’ll catch you immediately.”
“Shouldn’t it be the other way around!? It’s weird to prevent me from escaping!”
It’s definitely strange for a maid to be waiting to prevent the escape of her master’s target (?) instead of helping her master in a pinch. Is this common sense for a princess raised in a sheltered environment, and I just don’t know it?
“And why is Nanase-san near our house? Don’t tell me you called her, did you?”
“You need a lot of things for a sleepover, don’t you? So I called her while you were meditating in the bath.”
Come to think of it, the only things Shirasu brought with her when she came to the house were dinner ingredients, a maid outfit, and a swimsuit. She’s too ill-equipped for a sleepover.
“Nanase-san also brought me these pajamas… what do you think?”
“What do I think…?”
Today is a day where I’m being asked for my opinion a lot. How many times do I have to say “cute” and “it suits you” before she’s satisfied?
“Girls just have times when they want to be praised for no reason. So please tell me your opinion, Senpai.”
“Honestly… you selfish girl.”
Oh, brother, I sighed and shrugged. I can’t say I don’t understand the feeling, but I’m not that knowledgeable about women’s fashion, nor do I have a large vocabulary. But one thing that can be said in common with her previous outfits is that these pajamas have a moderate amount of casualness mixed with cuteness and suit Shirasu very well.
The fluffy fabric of the camisole boldly exposed her from her décolletage to her cleavage, and the bountiful fruits whose softness I had just experienced a few dozen minutes ago looked like they were about to spill out. The matching shorts shamelessly exposed her plump thighs.
It was an outfit that could easily make one at a loss as to where to look, but the reason it wasn’t was because she was wearing a long, thin cardigan over it. This one piece of clothing managed to suppress any more than necessary allure, which can only be described as a wonderful combination.
I spent a few seconds thinking about these impressions in my head. If I said this long sentence out loud, it would be a little, or rather, a lot, creepy, so I’ll summarize it. The result, the impression I came up with was—
“Ah… how should I put it, you look like a doll in your pajamas, and it’s very cute.”
“A doll?”
Shirasu tilted her head, her eyes wide. To say “a doll” of all things, how pathetic of me. There must be a more witty expression, but it’s impossible for me to accurately put Shirasu’s cuteness into words.
“So that means you want to keep me by your side forever, right?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Because dolls and stuffed animals are things you keep by your side, right?”
As she spoke, Shirasu thrust the rabbit—a cute-ugly one with a bow tie—stuffed animal she was holding at me.
“I can’t sleep soundly without this little guy.”
“I-I see…”
Don’t add any more moe points at this stage, I screamed internally. It’s terrifying that even with so many attributes, they don’t interfere with each other and become saturated, but instead have a synergistic effect that multiplies her charm.
“So, to say that I’m like a doll means that you want to keep me by your side, right?”
“Wait a minute. How did it come to that?”
“I didn’t know you were so possessive, Senpai. Ehehe. Oh my, if that’s the case, you should have just said so sooner!”
Guhehe, Shirasu let out a sloppy smile. I never thought that praising her by saying she was like a doll would be misinterpreted this much. This is bad, I need to do something quickly.
“Well then, Senpai, it’s about time, so I’m going to take a bath. I know you’ll be lonely by yourself, but I’ll be back soon, so please be patient.”
“…Don’t mind me, take a long bath.”
“Let’s watch a movie when I get out of the bath! Nanase-san has prepared a selection of her finest works for us to watch all night!”
“All night!? We have school tomorrow! The week has just started!”
It would be a lie to say I’m not curious about what Nanase-san chose, but there’s no way we can watch movies all night.
“Then shall we skip school tomorrow? I’ve always wanted to skip school just once!”
Shirasu said something unbefitting of a princess with an innocent smile. Perhaps because she’s a sheltered princess who was raised with loving care, she has a yearning for “bad things.” I can’t say I don’t understand the feeling, and there are about 12 days out of 365 where I’d rather stay home and laze around than go to school.
“It’s not a big deal if we miss one day! If we have Nanase-san cover for us, there’s no problem! What do you think, Senpai? Would you like to spend a day of idleness and debauchery?”
“I’ll pass on the debaucherous day. Come on, stop talking nonsense and get in the bath!”
You’ve already done something debaucherous, the devil in me said with exasperation, but I ignored it with all my might and pushed the whining Shirasu’s back, escorting her to the bathroom.
“Muu! You’re so mean, Senpai! You could at least grant my once-in-a-lifetime selfish request!”
“Too bad. Your selfish request was used up when I agreed to sleep with you. If you want me to grant another one, you’ll have to do something worthy of it!”
I pushed the grumbling Shirasu in and slammed the door shut. Seal complete, case closed. By the time she gets out of the bath, her desire to skip school will have probably dissipated. It would be helpful if her desire to sleep with me also disappeared.
“I’ll hold you to that, Senpai.”
A low voice came from the bathroom I had just pushed her into. I felt an ominous premonition at those words and turned around to see Shirasu’s pouting face peeking out for some reason.
“…Hm? Did you say something?”
“You’ll grant my selfish request if I do something worthy of it. You said that, didn’t you, Senpai?”
“…Whoops.”
I wanted to ask her if she knew what a figure of speech was, but even if I did, Shirasu probably wouldn’t listen.
“Y-o-u d-i-d, d-i-d-n-’-t y-o-u?”
“Yeah, yeah. I said it. I admit it, so hurry up and get in the bath!”
“Yay! Then I’ll have Nanase-san teach me a bunch of other things that will please you, Senpai!”
Shirasu said in a cheerful voice and slammed the door shut with a bang. Immediately after, I heard cheerful humming. I was exasperated by her roller-coaster-like tension, but this cute side of her suited her better.
“Ah, there’s one thing I forgot to say!”
“Hm? What is it—Shirasu!?”
Is there something else? I thought, and when I turned around, this time Shirasu had opened the door wide, not just peeking out. And she was wearing only a camisole, having taken off her cardigan and shorts. My brain was about to short-circuit from the defenselessness and the accompanying allure. I averted my gaze and hurriedly covered my face with both hands.
“I left a paper bag from Nanase-san on the chair in the living room! It has movie and drama discs in it, so please decide what you want to watch!”
“Got it! I’ll choose, so hurry up and go back! Don’t come out in that state! At least put on your cardigan!”
“Oh my… what are you talking about now, Senpai? You just saw me in a swimsuit a little while ago. Compared to that, this is—”
“It’s not ‘nothing’! Do you know the term ‘clothed erotica,’ Shirasu!? I don’t think you do, so I’ll tell you: sometimes, a single piece of underwear can be more erotic than being naked or in a swimsuit!”
“I-I see…?”
Confusion appeared on Shirasu’s face as she watched me suddenly start lecturing. I’m aware that I’m saying something strange, but there are times when a man has to lecture, even if it means swallowing his pride.
“Got it? If you got it, then hurry up and get in the bath and wash yourself. I’ll choose what we’ll watch in the meantime.”
Without waiting for Shirasu’s reply, I strode back to the living room. I retrieved the paper bag from the chair and plopped down on the sofa.
“Well-prepared, or rather… if you’re going to prepare this much, you should have just brought a whole set of bedding.”
Well, before that, I wish she’d do something about the chastity education of the princess she serves. As I was thinking that, I checked the contents of the bag. Seeing the lineup, I looked up at the heavens as if to avert my gaze from reality.
“…It’s not pleasant to know exactly what someone is thinking.”
The works Nanase-san had prepared were classic Japanese horror movies and mystery dramas, perfect for a midnight viewing, and all of them were super scary.
“How should I put it… if you’re going to pull a little trick like this, I wish you’d hide it a little better.”
It’s so obvious that she’s aiming for the suspension bridge effect, or rather, it’s even possible that she’s doing it on purpose to make me notice.
It’s clear that she’s planning to use the jump scares as an excuse to get close to me and create a natural flow of, “I’m too scared to sleep, so can I stick close to you?”
By the way, I’m not good with this genre, so while I know the names, I’ve never seen any of them. In fact, just the titles are enough to give me goosebumps.
“It would be funny if it turned out that Shirasu is actually good with scary things… but there’s no way that’s true.”
I wish she wouldn’t add any more elements that would make me feel a moe gap, I muttered to myself, and a suspicion arose that she knew I was bad with them and was trying to create a situation where I would be the one to ask to sleep with her.
The thought that it was ridiculous and the thought that it wasn’t impossible with the Shirasu and Nanase-san combination mixed together, and a cold sweat ran down my back.
“…This is way more horrifying.”
I couldn’t even manage a wry smile. Hoping from the bottom of my heart that it was just my imagination, I waited for Shirasu to return.
＊＊＊＊＊
“S-Senpai… y-y-you’re next to me, right?”
The time is just past 1 AM. I am currently being held captive in my own bed, with Shirasu clinging to me.
It was fine up until we got out of the bath, got ready for bed, and watched a movie as she had declared. But it was a mistake for Shirasu to choose the scariest work from Nanase-san’s selection.
Of course, I tried to stop her. Even though it was an old work, the scariness wouldn’t have faded, and more than anything, I didn’t want to watch it. Seeing me tremble, Shirasu gave a wicked smirk.
“Eeeh!? Senpai, are you perhaps scared? By the way, I’m good with horror, so it’s no problem for me!”
She had teased me. Once that happened, it was a war of words. I’m not adult enough to back down silently after being provoked by a younger girl.
And what happened as a result was that Shirasu herself, who had been doing the provoking, got scared and became a clingy bug. A schemer drowning in their own scheme, or something like that. By the way, I didn’t feel that scared, which made me a little sad. Is this what it means to become an adult?
“Senpai, please don’t go anywhere, okay? Please don’t leave me alone.”
“If you hold me this tightly, I can’t leave even if I wanted to…”
After we finished the first movie, Shirasu was so scared that she was groggy, and we unfortunately had to give up on the all-night viewing. In that case, since the sofa was too small to spend the night, I once again suggested that Shirasu sleep in my parents’ bed, but…
“Do you have no blood or tears, Senpai!? It’s impossible! There’s no way I can sleep alone! What if Sada●ko comes out!?”
“It said this work is a work of fiction…”
“Can you say with 100% certainty that it’s fiction!? There’s a one in a thousand, one in ten thousand, one in a hundred million chance that ●ko will come out of my smartphone, isn’t there!?”
“So she’s updated to modern specifications… not bad, Sada●ko.”
“Don’t make fun of me!!”
She protested with all her might, her eyes filled with tears, and in the end, she forcibly crawled into my small bed, which brings us to the present.
“You’ll say that and then move to the sofa, leaving me alone, won’t you!? Are you saying you’re okay with me being cursed to death!?”
“If a black-haired woman were to come out of a smartphone, I’d be cursed along with you no matter where I was. It’s just a matter of sooner or later…”
“So that means we’ll be together until death do us part…? Senpai, are you skipping dating and going straight to a proposal?”
“…Very well. If you’re that energetic, you can sleep alone.”
“I’m just kidding! Please forgive me! Please don’t leave me alone, just for tonight! I’ll do anything!”
SQUEEEZE! Shirasu tightened her grip, like a baby koala that would never let go of its mother. As if that wasn’t enough, she even wrapped her legs around me, so I really couldn’t move.
“Alright. I’m not going anywhere, so could you at least stop wrapping your legs around me? I can’t even go to the bathroom if I wanted to like this.”
“I’ll go with you then! I’m not leaving your side for even a second tonight!”
Even a newborn baby wouldn’t hate being alone this much, I muttered internally, trying not to think about the sensation I felt on my back.
Even if she had taken off her cardigan before getting into bed and was wearing only a camisole. Even if the scent of the shampoo I usually use was wafting from Shirasu, I would absolutely not be swayed.
“Besides, regardless of the movie, I can’t sleep unless I’m hugging something.”
“…So what do you usually do?”
“I hug a stuffed animal.”
“Ah… that rabbit one.”
Come to think of it, she did say she couldn't sleep soundly without this thing. I just never imagined she was using it as a body pillow.
"Let me make one thing clear," she declared. "You are not allowed to hug that thing today. It has to be me, Senpai!"
"Just for tonight, okay? Not that I plan on letting you stay over that often anyway."
"Fufu. You can say that now, but I'm sure things will be different in the morning. After one night, you'll be begging me, ‘Shirasu, please stay again tomorrow.’"
"Hahaha. That's a pretty good one, for you, Shirasu."
That would only happen if the heavens and earth were to flip upside down. And even if, by some miracle, I did feel that way, my reason would crush the impulse without a second thought.
"...What if I said it's not you, but me who wants to be together like this?"
Her tone shifted completely. Shirasu's voice, whispering by my ear, became moist and heavy, a sweet poison that coursed through my body and quickened my pulse.
"What if I said one night isn't enough? That from now on... even after your injury heals, I'll still want to hold you tight like this sometimes... that I'll want you to hold me? What would you do then?"
"Shirasu... that's enough of that kind of—"
"It's not a joke. I wouldn't... I would never joke about something like this."
Her murmur was stronger and more earnest than ever. In tandem, the question that had risen and fallen in my mind countless times began to swirl once more.
"You really are... a truly kind person, Tomoya-san. You haven't changed one bit... Being like this with you makes me feel so safe."
So we have met somewhere before. But I can't remember. Yet, if I were to ask her directly, I feel like this fragile, thin-ice relationship we have would shatter into a million pieces. So I said nothing.
"I really want to take better care of you, Senpai. But all I ever do is rely on you..."
"What are you talking about? You've already done more than enough for me. I can't thank you enough, Shirasu."
"Nuh-uh. This isn't enough. Compared to what... you did for me, Senpai... it's not... nearly..."
Perhaps she was just overtired from the scary movie, or maybe she was mentally drained from the unaccustomed experience of playing dress-up in a maid outfit and swimsuit to wash my back. Whatever the reason, her voice gradually faded until it was replaced by the sound of soft, adorable breathing.
"...Honestly. What is it they think I did...?" I muttered, the comfortable warmth of her back pressed against mine.
What had the "me" in Shirasu's memories done?
"...Time for sleep."
If I can't remember no matter how hard I think, then thinking is just a waste of time.
Giving up, I closed my eyes. Come to think of it, I do have a gap in my childhood memories—
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