Chapter 167

Amane’s chest prickled with embarrassment at Mahiru’s lovey-dovey act, which she knew he would tolerate. But even so, Amane still let himself sink into the happiness that welled up inside him. Amane felt so embarrassed he could die as Mahiru hand-fed him his slice of cake. Wearing a satisfied smile, she happily gazed at Amane as he blushed. “Was it good?” “…It was delicious, but did you have to feed me?” “I did. You’re the birthday boy.” “It would have been utterly humiliating if anyone else had been around to see that. It’s fine when it’s just the two of us, though.” If Itsuki and the others had been there, Amane would have been subject to relentless teasing. Either that, or they would have given the happy couple lukewarm looks and smiles. Mahiru seemed to be in an even better mood than Amane himself, so she might not have paid any attention to anyone watching. But Amane, who would have been the center of attention, would have been horribly embarrassed. Deciding to pay Mahiru back when it was time to celebrate her next birthday, Amane took a sip of milk as a palate cleanser, since Mahiru had sweetened it in more than one way. Mahiru smiled and pulled something out of the handbag next to her. It was a white box a little bigger than the palm of her hand, decorated with a navy-blue ribbon. Naturally, Amane wasn’t so slow that he couldn’t guess what it was, but when he reflexively looked at Mahiru, she bashfully broke into a smile while blushing faintly. “Here’s your birthday present. I don’t know whether you’ll like it or not.” She sounded a little unsure of herself as she gently put the box in Amane’s hand, then watched closely to see how he reacted, fidgeting nervously. She probably wanted him to open it in front of her, so he untied the ribbon. When he took the lid off the box, he found another box inside, covered in velvet. He felt slightly let down by the bait and switch because he had been confident his present would be directly in the gift box, but that was tempered by the knowledge that Mahiru was trying to surprise him. Wondering what on earth could possibly be so thoroughly packaged, he gently opened the inner box. Inside was what looked like a clip with a subdued, white shine. For a moment, he didn’t know what it was. There was an engraving of a flower on it. Eventually, he recognized it was something he wore to school ceremonies. “…A necktie pin?” “Exactly. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to give a guy. A lot of people give wristwatches as gifts, but they’re too expensive, and I thought you would feel awkward getting one. Plus, I thought we might have different opinions on what looks good. You already have a wristwatch anyway, and you seem to like it, so…” As a general rule, Amane always had his smartphone on hand and rarely wore a wristwatch. The only times he wore a watch was when he was going out, and the watch he wore had been a gift from his parents for entering high school. They had apparently splurged a little on it, so naturally, he was hesitant to wear it at school. Amane didn’t go out all that often, so he’d had few occasions to wear it. But even so, since he had worn it each time he had gone out with Mahiru, she seemed to remember it. “That’s why I decided on something you could wear more often and that you would normally never buy for yourself. At our school, other than at ceremonies, you’re free to wear a necktie pin as long as it’s not too showy, right? And I thought I’d get you something you could use once you’re a working adult, too.” The only necktie pins they were allowed to wear at ceremonies were pins with the school emblem on them, but outside of that, they weren’t particularly restricted. Most of the boys didn’t wear them at all because they were too much trouble. Amane also didn’t usually wear one. In fact, he had totally forgotten about the pins’ existence. But now that Mahiru had given him one, it seemed he would be wearing one daily. In all likelihood, she had selected this sort of everyday pin as a gift precisely because she wanted him to wear it. “I also looked at neckties since you’ll need plenty of them once you enter the workforce, but…while you’re a student, your tie is already decided for you. School rules are school rules, right? I can pick out some of those once you have to wear a suit.” “…Mm, thanks. I’ll take good care of this while I use it.” She was indirectly telling him she intended to always be by his side, so his chest naturally filled with joyful warmth. Of course, Amane had felt that way from the start, but this made him realize Mahiru also had that feeling, and he was embarrassed but, more importantly, happy. Amane smiled at Mahiru, etching a vow into his mind to never, ever forget to treasure this necktie pin and Mahiru, along with this warmth in his chest. Mahiru looked relieved as she put on a weak smile. “Thank goodness. I was a little worried about whether you would be happy with it. Honestly, I knew it wasn’t a normal gift for a high school guy.” “I’m confident I would be happy with anything you gave me, Mahiru.” “Heh-heh, I know that. But if possible, I wanted to give you something you needed, Amane. You’re not very materialistic, and you take good care of your things, so I was worried about what to get you.” It sounded like Amane had caused her some trouble. Since he typically didn’t desire specific things, all he could do was give her a strained smile. “From my perspective, I’ll generally be happy with anything you give me, you know?” “…It’s scary to think you might be happy even if I gave you an old candy wrapper or something.” “I’d figure you had some reason for doing it, like maybe it had an interesting or a cute pattern on it or something, and I’d keep it.” “But I would never do that! Before giving you something like that, I’d pick something more normal and just give you the actual candy!” “I mean, I know you were just joking… Any gift that you put thought into would make me happy, Mahiru.” “…Geez.” She didn’t sound especially pleased, but she was still smiling, so he figured she was probably just hiding her embarrassment. After looking at Mahiru in delight, he gently put the necktie pin away, determined to start wearing it the following day. Mahiru timidly grabbed the hem of Amane’s shirt. “And there’s one more little present, actually.” Amane tilted his head in confusion at her somewhat hesitant tone of voice, wondering what was going on. “Today, from now until the day ends, I’ll do anything you ask me to do.” The second he heard that, he nearly choked. He was glad he hadn’t been drinking the milk. If he had, he was sure it would have shot right out of his mouth. After coughing a little, he looked at Mahiru, who stared back at him like she had made up her mind. She had said it in earnest. “…That’s a dangerous thing to suggest…” “It’s for my boyfriend, so…” “Even then, that’s…” He couldn’t help but feel he had talked to her about this before. It was an extremely dangerous thing for a girl to say she would do whatever a guy asked of her. Even if they were dating, a dangerous thing was a dangerous thing. “…Amane, you won’t ask much. You’re not that selfish.” “That’s not the problem… You can’t say that. You’re a girl.” “I don’t believe for a second that you would do anything extreme.” “…And if I did?” “Like you said yourself, I would make you take responsibility, so…” Mahiru stared directly at him with a gaze full of pure trust, and Amane felt himself unconsciously start to give in as he gently scratched his cheek, then softly extended a hand toward Mahiru’s body. “I’ll take responsibility even if I don’t do anything, but listen…you dummy.” Mahiru was definitely indulging him, and he did think she would be okay with whatever he did to her, but it was still a little scary. Even though he had made her a promise, he was a healthy young man, and there were bound to be times when his self-control stopped working. Though I guess that’s one way to show how much she loves me. Thinking that, no matter how he looked at it, she was being too trusting, he gently embraced her soft body and buried his face at the base of her neck. He inhaled deeply and smelled her bodywash, a little stronger than usual, telling him she had already been in the bath. I bet if I told her I wanted her right now, she would probably agree to it. He didn’t have the slightest intention of breaking his vow to himself, but as embarrassed as he was, he could easily imagine her going along with it. His sweet girlfriend was frightening. He couldn’t tell when he might lose himself. A man’s self-control was flimsier than tissue paper and could vanish as soon as he got stirred up. He focused and reminded himself again that he had to be careful. Then he slowly slid his lips over to her cheek and exhaled softly. The second he did, Mahiru’s body shook with a jolt. Anyone could have seen by looking at her that she was on high alert and very ticklish. He didn’t intend to let anyone else see her like this. As long as Amane was the only one who knew she was so sensitive to touch all over, that was fine. As long as he was the only one who knew her weak spots, everything was fine. Amane smiled a little at Mahiru, who squirmed in his arms but didn’t resist, and gently brought his lips to her ear. “…Let me see. It’s been a while, so I wonder if you would let me lie in your lap.” Mahiru seemed to want Amane to ask her for something, so Amane made a request that would allow him to be pampered as much as possible without obliterating his self-control, and Mahiru suddenly went red in his arms. He really did mean to lie in her lap. He wasn’t implying he would do anything else, but he had a feeling she was imagining some weird fantasy. Amane naturally had no intention of doing what they had done the last time she had stayed over, at least not now. He had only just managed to stop himself last time, and he didn’t know what might happen next time. “…I really just meant let me lie in your lap… What did you imagine?” “N-nothing! I would never imagine anything lewd!” “I never even asked you whether you imagined anything specific, though.” When he pointed out that he hadn’t mentioned anything specific, the redness in her cheeks grew even more intense. Mahiru’s face grew so red he wondered if steam might start coming out. She turned her eyes, half flooded with tears, up at Amane and glared at him slightly, then twisted her body around and escaped from his arms. “D-dummy, you dummy, Amane!” “I didn’t do anything!” “Uh…but…you’re being mean.” “Okay, that’s true. I’m sorry. You’re so cute, I just…” Mahiru was way too charming to resist when he thought she didn’t mind being touched. Without thinking, he had said some teasing things, but there was no questioning the fact that she pouted when he picked on her too much. And so, anticipating her reaction, he meekly apologized. Mahiru didn’t seem like she was going to voice any further complaints. Instead, she began venting by banging her fists lightly against Amane’s chest. She didn’t even attempt to hide her red cheeks as she took her anger out on him. Amane chuckled quietly and patted her head, but as he might have expected, her mood didn’t completely recover. He could mainly tell by how her cheeks still looked like they were stuffed with little balloons. “…I’m bringing a change of clothes over, so while I’m gone, please go take your bath.” She saw Amane’s tentative smile didn’t change, and Mahiru swiftly escaped, leaving the apartment. Of course, she had promised to return quickly. Though he was taken aback for a moment by Mahiru fleeing as fast as she could, the joyous feeling that welled inside him after she’d left was enough to make him laugh out loud. When Amane finished his bath and returned to the living room, Mahiru was already back. She had already changed into her nightclothes, and this time, she was wearing the light-pink bunny onesie pajamas she had purchased. Amane also had a set of cat onesie pajamas that weren’t quite a match for hers. But he hadn’t expected Mahiru to come back dressed like that, so he was wearing his regular nightclothes. Mahiru’s hair, which usually flowed down her back, was tied into two loose bunches below her ears, and she had the hood on the pajamas pulled up, so she looked different and extremely adorable. The last time she had stayed over, Mahiru’s revealing negligee had seriously challenged Amane’s self-control, even though she had worn a sweater with it. But this time, it seemed like he could rest easy. “…That looks great on you. Very Mahiru.” “What do you mean by that?” “I mean, the way it’s small and fluffy and cute, and the way it’s lonesome, it’s a lot like you…” His image of rabbits differed a bit from the ecology of real rabbits. Still, according to how he imagined them, they were cozy, soft, fluffy, adorable, and lonesome, so he would say a bunny costume was a perfect match for Mahiru, who also got lonely easily. Initially, he’d thought he’d been complimenting her, but Mahiru didn’t look very happy. After peering up at him with a sullen face, she looked at his damp hair and frowned again. “I already knew what you thought about me, Amane. More importantly…am I right in thinking you intentionally didn’t dry your hair because I’m here?” She took him to task, questioning why he hadn’t dried his hair with the hair dryer as she pinched it between her fingers. A faint smile rose to his lips, and he thought, Of course, she would notice something like that. Whenever Mahiru wasn’t around, he always dried his hair thoroughly. It was only when she was there and her hands were free that he sometimes toweled off his wet hair so he could get her to dry it the rest of the way. He knew it was extra trouble for her, so he only did it occasionally as his own little way of demanding attention. It made him happy to get touched by and care from Mahiru, so he did it against his better judgment. He thought it was childish, but he couldn’t stop. “You’re imagining things…is what I’d like to say, but I did it on purpose. I wanted you to do it for me.” “Geez…it’s fine, though. I enjoy doing it. Because it seems like your way of telling me you want to be spoiled.” He had complicated feelings about how thoroughly she had seen through him, but he gave up and went with it when he saw how tickled she looked. He sat down on the sofa at her urging, while Mahiru looked resigned. However, she couldn’t hide her delight, breaking into a smile as she turned on the hair dryer. His hair dryer in his apartment was a low-noise model, so it didn’t make too much sound while warm air blew at him from Mahiru’s hands. He had gotten most of the water itself out with a towel, so all that was left to do was blow off what remained. But Mahiru felt his hair as she blew warm air on it, mumbling, “I see you’re not neglecting your hair. I’m glad you’re taking it seriously.” Just as Mahiru put a lot of effort into her skincare because she wanted it to be smooth when Amane touched her skin, Amane also thought Mahiru would be happy if it felt nice when she touched him, and he had been doing a fair amount of grooming himself. Thanks to that, he had improved the smoothness and glossiness of his hair, so when she dried it, she no longer faced any difficulties getting it untangled. “…Amane, you really do have naturally good hair, don’t you?” “I get it from my parents. Though it’s the soft type, so it also tangles easily.” “That also means it’s easy to make it smooth and glossy, so isn’t that great? Maybe I should have given you some haircare supplies for your birthday present.” Mahiru finished drying his hair, going on about how much smoother and glossier it could be, then produced a comb from out of nowhere and quickly tidied up his hair, which was fluffed up with all the air in it. Once she had done that, she combed it into his usual hairstyle. “If it would make you happy for my hair to be smoother, I could get some better haircare products,” he suggested. “I—I don’t know about happy…I just think it feels nice, and I enjoy combing it out,” she replied. “Then maybe I’ll ask Kadowaki for some recommendations. As long as you’re happy, Mahiru, I’m happy.” Besides, it might make her more likely to touch his hair regularly. He decided not to mention that was his real objective. As part of his self-improvement plan, anything that made Mahiru happy was worth doing. And it would probably be a good thing to do anyway because it was linked to his self-confidence. As he thought this, Mahiru placed the comb on the table and ground her forehead against his upper arm. Chuckling at this familiar way of hiding her embarrassment, he watched as the ears on her hood bobbed back and forth with every shake of her head and smiled even wider. “All four of the bunny’s ears are pink, huh?” “Oh, be quiet… Since we went to the trouble of buying them, you should wear your pajamas, too, Amane. I’m the only bunny here.” “Then we’ll have a cat being groomed by a bunny.” “Won’t that be cute?” “…I’m okay with you being the only cute one.” He thought the very idea of a cat and a rabbit, who could easily become predator and prey, doing something so harmonious could be amusing. But Amane felt that even if he became a cat, he wouldn’t be especially charming. Recently, compared with before, his build had been improving, and he was gradually losing his baby-face features. He objected to Mahiru calling him cute when he thought he had left cuteness in the distant past. But that was how Mahiru felt, and his objections didn’t amount to much. The redness in her cheeks must have settled down slightly because Mahiru looked up at Amane. For some reason, she thought he was cute. He deliberately gave her no warning before stealing a kiss. Mahiru blinked sharply several times, then her cheeks flushed even redder, but there was no resistance. Instead, she seemed happy, and all the strength left her body as if to tell Amane he could do as he liked while holding her. As he ever so gently feasted on her glossy lips, he slowly, slowly and carefully pressed them open like the two shells of a pink clam, and Mahiru meekly accepted him in without any protest. Recently, it had been happening bit by bit—Mahiru had begun accepting Amane and doing the same things back to him, which was genuinely adorable. As he savored her softly spilling, feeble voice, the cute little bunny accepting the wolf even as she trembled made his heart leap in his chest. It wasn’t like Amane was used to this kind of kissing, either, and honestly, his passion seemed likely to get the better of him. But since he had seen Mahiru grow frightened when he’d devoured her greedily the last time she’d stayed over, he kissed her as tenderly and deeply as possible. “…We should have bought you a wolf onesie instead of the cat.” A few moments after they had quietly pulled their lips apart, Mahiru muttered this with a hint of bitterness as she tried to catch her breath. In response, as he swallowed the shame raging inside him over the kiss, Amane smiled. “If we did that, little bunny Mahiru would be the only cute one, though.” “Meanie.” Mahiru pouted, sticking out her moistened lips, and this time, she head-butted Amane’s arm like she was intent on sulking. “…Why do you suddenly stop being cute at times like these?” “I never was.” “That’s a lie. I mean, look at how inexperienced you are.” “Oh, be quiet.” It was his first time dating anyone, so his inexperience was inevitable. Somehow, for the moment, he had managed to ease the awkwardness and nervousness that came with trying the things lovers did. But being new to it meant that, of course, he lacked experience. If that innocence equated to charm, then he was happy to let Mahiru be the only charming one. He didn’t want the person he loved to see him at his limit. “…Next time, I’ll have to surprise you, Amane. You’re always doing it to me,” Mahiru quietly mumbled, scheming. To keep her from putting more of her plots into words, Amane covered her mouth with his again and had his fill. After they kissed for a while, Amane and Mahiru moved into the bedroom. Even though she had been there many times and had even slept over there before, Mahiru was gripping Amane’s hand with a little force as if she was somewhat nervous. Smiling slightly at Mahiru acting like that, he gently traced his fingertip over her palm in a tickling way to dissolve her stiffness as he guided her over to the bed. Mahiru trembled slightly on the bed, showing her shyness. Amane thought she looked like a baby bunny about to get eaten by a wolf. In response to her cuteness and charm, Amane retracted his fangs, and rather than pounce on his prey, which seemed ready to leap away at any moment, he sat beside her and stroked her head to reassure her. Even though he’d said earlier that he wasn’t going to do anything, she was nervous, which must have been because they were in the bedroom. “I’m not going to eat you or anything. Today, just like I said, I want you to let me lie in your lap.” “A-are you sure?” “…Were you expecting more?” “N-no, I wasn’t! But, well, you just kept on…” “I kept on what?” “…You got really calm and acted really manly all of a sudden, and I guess I’m just feeling embarrassed. It’s…it’s not fair.” Mahiru’s body got smaller as she squirmed like she couldn’t stand being there. She looked up at Amane, and in response, he smiled a little, realizing that somehow he had been skillfully keeping up appearances. Sure, maybe he looked calm on the surface, but in reality, he was not at all. In fact, he wasn’t calm because he had already been intimate with Mahiru once before. But he had been trying to keep his cool because he knew he couldn’t devour her. If he got too greedy, it would only frighten Mahiru, and he thought it wouldn’t be fitting for a man to get so worked up. That was all. “I thought I told you earlier, though. I’m really not calm at all. I’m just not letting it show on my face because I want you to think I’m cool.” “If I told you to let it show, would you?” “No way.” “No fair.” “I would look pathetic, right? All flustered with my face bright red.” About five months had gone by since they’d started dating, and it would be pathetic of him to blush every time they kissed or touched each other a little bit. He figured girls preferred guys they could depend on and that if he kept his composure at times like this, Mahiru would also stay calm. But Mahiru timidly moved to grab onto the hem of Amane’s shirt. “…Is it selfish of me to want to see you as you are, Amane?” She asked him quietly and uneasily, and Amane hid his face with his hand for a moment and quietly sighed. It sounded like she was unnecessarily worried by Amane’s attempts to look cool. “…Please understand that I love you, so I wanted you to see me looking cool.” Amane drew Mahiru, who was beside him, into his arms and placed his forehead on her collar. Mahiru stiffened for a moment, but her quiet laughter reached his ears. “You’re always cute and cool, Amane.” “The ‘cute’ was unnecessary.” “Heh-heh… I get the perk of getting to see both sides.” Amane couldn’t say anything when he heard how happy she sounded, and in an attempt to keep her from seeing how embarrassed he looked, he fell right onto the bed, Mahiru and all. Because he fell in such a way as to minimize the shock as best he could, this merely resulted in a gentle swaying of Mahiru’s tied-up hair, but the shock to Mahiru’s heart must have been severe, and she blinked sharply at him several times. Sure enough, Mahiru’s stare embarrassed him, but nevertheless, Amane immediately embraced her and buried his face in her curves. Perhaps because it was wrapped in a onesie, her supple body was extremely warm, fluffy, and soft. And they also had the exquisite scent of Mahiru’s apartment, which combined sweetness and freshness. If the mood had been what Mahiru had apparently been imagining with equal parts anticipation and worry, Amane probably would have been excited. But now he was in relaxation mode, and even he wasn’t thinking about laying a hand on her, so only pleasantness and happiness filled him. Mahiru stiffened up momentarily, but she started stroking his head once she saw he wasn’t doing anything. That felt even better. “You need a lot of pampering today, huh?” “…That’s all right, isn’t it? Let me have it.” “Yes, yes.” It sounded like Mahiru had seen right through him, hiding his embarrassment, and a small burst of her giggling laughter reached his ears. “You’re being quite bold today, Amane.” “At least today, I thought I’d touch you a lot.” “Of course, that’s fine, but it’s just, how do I put this…? You’re touching me like you usually do, right? Um, I was sure… I thought you’d touch me a little more directly.” “Oh, well, I do love feeling you, and I want to get to know you like that, but it’s also true I feel satisfied just being beside you and feeling your warmth.” He lifted his head out of her soft curves, and this time, he embraced Mahiru, wrapping her dainty body in his arms. Amane didn’t intend to do the things Mahiru had apparently been imagining. In fact, he was confident if they did those sorts of things every time she stayed over, at some point, his self-control would fail him. She let him do as he pleased while reacting very cutely, so he knew he would start wanting more and more, with no end in sight. But he really wasn’t planning to do anything that day. Being a man didn’t necessarily mean he wanted only one thing. He felt plenty of happiness just calmly spending time with the girl he loved. Maybe his physical satisfaction was lower than the last time she had stayed over, when they had had much more direct contact, but emotionally, he didn’t feel unfulfilled at all. There he was, with the girl he loved enough to promise his future to lying beside him, snuggled up to him with trust and affection in her eyes. There was nothing that filled him more with feelings of security, happiness, and satisfaction. As if in agreement with Amane, who felt content just to be touching her, Mahiru put on a soft, contented smile and snuggled up against his chest. “…Me, too. I’m happy just being by your side, Amane.” “I’m glad. If it were just me, it would feel kind of unfair because I’m so easy to please.” “I get the same way when I’m with you. As long as you’re here, Amane, that’s all I need, but…” “But?” “I’m even happier when we’re touching.” Mahiru said this extremely sweet thing and looked up at Amane, appealing to him with eyes that asked if they could touch. “You want to touch me? That’s fine. But I’ve got a guy’s body, so I don’t think it’ll feel very nice to the touch.” “Oh really? I think your muscles feel nice… When I run my hands over your stomach, it feels so rugged.” As soon as he gave her permission, Mahiru shyly started reaching toward him with her fingertips, running them over his chest and stomach. He stirred slightly at the ticklish sensation. Even though he thought this was definitely Ayaka’s influence, Mahiru seemed to enjoy touching him, so Amane decided to let her go for it and enjoy the sweet sensation. “I’m seeing results from weight lifting every day. I wonder if we can say I’ve grown out of my bean sprout phase.” “I think we can. At least you don’t have any useless flab. Everything’s so solid. You’ve gotten quite sturdy, you know, compared with before.” “…I’d rather you didn’t recall how I used to look, please. I was so gangly.” He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when she brought back memories of when he had first met her. Although Amane was currently decently firm and muscular now, he had had an extremely slender build in the past. He hadn’t had that much flab, but his build had been what one might call spindly, and he had been weak as well. He definitely wouldn’t have been called sturdy, and whenever he thought back on it now, it made him want to punch his former self and tell him to try harder. Since Mahiru seemed to like his current body type better, he was happy he had made the effort. Since he also looked better in stylish clothes now that he was in shape, he figured he could say he had made the right call back when he had decided he would become worthy of Mahiru. “Heh-heh. But I was very aware you were a guy, you know? When you carried me on your back, I thought about how different we are, from your bones to your muscles.” “Well, the thing about that…is you have a petite frame, Mahiru.” She had developed a soft and dainty body, even though it was kept firm through her own efforts. But even Mahiru’s frame, which had nothing to do with those efforts, was dainty. One could say she was small overall. “…I may be small, but I’m sturdier than you think, Amane.” “Even so, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re dainty. It makes me think I have to touch you gently. Like you might break.” “And yet I’ve never once seen you use enough force to break me.” “Still…I want to treasure you, so it’s something I always keep in mind. That’s how important you are to me.” Amane wanted to be as gentle and considerate toward Mahiru as he possibly could. From that moment and for the rest of his life, he intended to cherish her and be by her side to protect her, so he needed to be careful. It wasn’t that he wanted to be overprotective, but even though Mahiru was the type to work hard and keep in shape, she was still a girl. No matter what she did, because of her sex, she wasn’t as strong or sturdy as most men, so Amane knew he had to take good care of her. He did know being swaddled was not what Mahiru wanted, so he wanted to treat her with care in a way that made it easy for her to live while respecting her free will. He wanted to be certain he never made Mahiru cry. Amane intended to make her happy for the rest of his life. When he murmured that with determination, Mahiru blushed even redder than Amane had ever made her blush before and responded quietly, “Th-thank you… Even though it’s your birthday, Amane, I feel like I’m the only one getting presents.” “No, I’ve gotten more than enough already! Besides, the date just changed over.” He had received so many gifts from Mahiru, and his desire to treasure her came from the bottom of his heart, so surely it wasn’t anything Mahiru had to worry about. Besides, before he knew it, the date had already changed. His birthday was over. It seemed quite some time had passed without them noticing while they had been cuddling and kissing on the sofa and the bed. His birthday had been over too soon, but Amane was confident he had received more than enough happiness for one day. “You’re right. Aw, I was hoping you would ask me for a few more things.” “The time really flew by. I guess I can’t expect you to listen to any more of my requests, huh?” “Well, tell me what you were planning to ask for.” “…I wanted a kiss from you before we went to bed.” They had just been kissing earlier, but that had come from Amane. It was very rare for Mahiru to initiate. She was even more bashful than he was, after all. She seemed to like the kissing itself, but unfortunately, she also seemed embarrassed by it, which led to her almost never being the one to kiss him. Since this was a special occasion, he wanted Mahiru to kiss him the way she wanted to kiss him, and since it was his birthday, he figured he would try asking for something he would be embarrassed to ask anyone else for. He thought it was fine to ask, but for some reason, Mahiru was making an awkward, slightly exasperated expression. “…You really don’t ask for much, do you, Amane? I thought I could get you to beg me for something bigger.” “When I’m this satisfied, I don’t know what more I could ask for. You celebrated the day I was born, and you’re beside me, giving me your warmth like this. That’s already enough. I’m not saying I don’t have any other desires, just that I’m satisfied for now.” “…In that case, I’ll be greedy.” “You will?” Amane had always thought greed was a word that was far removed from Mahiru, but Mahiru nodded with an earnest look on her face, then frowned intensely. “Listen, the truth is that now that you’re working, I’m always lonely and wondering if you might come home early. I also worry about you being approached by other girls. You’re so cool, so I don’t know what to do if you become popular. I have no intention of interfering with something you want to pursue, and I’m not worried about you cheating, but I do get anxious. I constantly find myself hoping you won’t go.” Mahiru grumbled about not wanting to stand in Amane’s way and pressed her face into his chest. “I don’t want you to leave me, and I want you to touch me more. I want you to be by my side, always and forever… And I think the part of me that wants those things is greedy and overbearing.” His mouth seemed ready to curve into a smile against his will at the sentiment she expressed. That was how much Mahiru cared for him, how much she treasured him, and how much she loved him. She wanted to be by his side forever. Amane realized he was incredibly blessed. As he chuckled a little at Mahiru, who had described her intense feelings of love as greed, he squeezed her with his arm around her back. “…I’m just guessing here, but I’d say I’m needier than you are, Mahiru. Much needier than you think.” Mahiru had called herself greedy, but if that was true, then Amane was far greedier. Because he never intended to leave her. If it would make Mahiru truly happy, he could probably convince himself to swallow his bitter tears and part with her, but unless that happened, he never intended to leave her. He would make her happy himself and spare no effort to do so. He didn’t mean to shift the responsibility onto Mahiru by saying he was doing it all for her sake. Amane had decided on his own that he wanted to make her happy, and he had chosen to put in all the effort, living his life while holding on to so much love he could hardly carry it all. “I’m just as needy in love as everyone else in my family, you see. I don’t think I’m likely to be the exception. Though I think that probably hasn’t sunk in for you yet, Mahiru. It’s not the kind of neediness that constrains you, but my feelings for you are wide and deep. I’m never going to be able to let you go. I don’t want you to have eyes for anyone but me… So sometimes I wonder what I’ll do if you ever get sick of me.” Amane knew how much he needed Mahiru. Since treating this as a casual relationship would have been rude toward Mahiru, he had pursued a serious relationship with the intention of staying together for life. Still, from an outside perspective, it probably looked too serious. They had promised to spend their long lives together while they were still in high school. That was as serious as it got. And yet, Mahiru smiled joyfully. She gave him a happy-looking, soft smile. “If that’s how much love I’m getting, then I think I’m a fortunate girl. Don’t you think it’s ideal for you to hold on to me and never let go, and to only have eyes for me?” “Are you really sure?” “I am… I will never let you go again, Amane, so the feeling is mutual. I’m absolutely never going to let you take your eyes off me, okay?” He could hardly believe she had said such a thing, but Amane nodded in agreement, and Mahiru smiled contentedly and shifted just a little closer to him. There was a mischievous smile on Mahiru’s lovely face. “I’ll give myself to you, Amane, so please give yourself to me, too, okay?” She whispered to him passionately, and the remaining distance between them evaporated. Their faces were close enough that their breaths intertwined, and there was nothing between them when they made contact. Even though they just touched their lips together gently, even though it was that kind of kiss, Amane felt a burning passion. And yet, there was a pleasant calmness to it that combined security and elation that warmed his chest. Even though the kiss only lasted for a few seconds, Amane felt a sense of satisfaction that was entirely unlike when they kissed deeply, and when his eyes met Mahiru’s, he smiled. He was sure both of them only had eyes for the other. He didn’t have to worry at all. “…Good night, Amane. Sweet dreams.” “Good night, Mahiru.” Mahiru clung to him and melted into a smile that seemed to say he belonged to her, and Amane returned a gentle smile as his eyes softly drifted closed.