One was a knee-length negligee and lace cardigan set she predicted Amane would like. Though it did leave her collar uncovered, the negligee itself wasn’t made of see-through fabric, and it was cut just right to emphasize her figure. When she put the cardigan on over it, it would keep her from being too exposed. She could tell from watching the way Amane usually acted that he liked this type of outfit. Rather than clothes that openly asserted her sex appeal, he liked conservative garments that were moderately flirtatious. Indeed, he liked neat, tidy outfits. So I really ought to seal this one away somewhere. She glanced at the other outfit she had piled the cardigan set on top of, as if to hide it underneath, and her excuse for buying it surfaced in her mind. She’d really gotten it just in case, just for that. She had purchased it because of Chitose’s enthusiastic encouragement and her remark that, “There’s no harm in having one outfit for when you want to tempt him,” but the racy negligee, or rather, underwear set, was no comparison to the other negligee and cardigan. It was something Mahiru in her right mind would never actually wear. First of all, the fabric was see-through and was structured in such a way that if she shifted it just a little, it exposed places that ought to be hidden. It was much too flimsy. She had no doubt if she put that on for Amane, he would think she was much too eager, and he would pull away from her. There was no way she could even put on such an embarrassing garment in the first place. Though she thought she had been a fool for buying it, no matter how strongly Chitose had pushed her, she also felt afraid of the part of herself that would put it on if it seemed like it would make Amane happy. T-today I’ll wear the one with the cardigan. Feeling like it had been unthinkably obscene of her to buy such a thing, she looked away from it and picked up the normal negligee. In the end, the normal negligee had probably been the right choice. Amane was sitting on the sofa as usual, watching television, but when Mahiru approached, he looked up at her, and his cheeks were more flushed than could be explained by his having just gotten out of the bath. He looked openly relieved when he took in Mahiru’s appearance. She thought that was probably a sign he’d been worried about what sort of advice Chitose might have given her. Though she did give me a big push… Mahiru was really glad she hadn’t put on the other outfit. Amane definitely wouldn’t have been able to make eye contact with her if she was wearing something like that. She wouldn’t have even had the confidence to step out in front of Amane in those clothes in the first place. She didn’t dislike the look he gave her, a mixture of relief and a little bit of excitement, but she did feel awkward, standing around in her nightclothes in a brightly lit room. Amane had seen her in her pajamas when they’d stayed at his parents’ house, but those pajamas were just normal house clothes, and they had hardly exposed anything. Even so, she’d been a bit embarrassed, but that was nothing compared to how she was dressed now. Amane’s eyes traced back and forth over her, thoroughly taking in what she was wearing, so she shrank back a little bit. But she had put it on specifically to show to Amane, so she didn’t hide herself. “D-does it look weird?” She knew it didn’t, based on Amane’s reaction, but she couldn’t stop herself from asking anyway. Amane seemed to misunderstand her question as a sign of insecurity. He shook his head slowly. “No, it’s cute, and it suits you well. It’s different from what you wore at my parents’ house; that’s all.” As he said that, he was looking her over coolly, even as he was taking it all in. “O-obviously it wouldn’t be good to wear clothes like this at your parents’ house, would it? And since you’re the only one who’s going to see me, I kind of…made an effort, I guess.” It wasn’t quite right to say she’d made that effort for Amane exactly; she could admit it was more like she did it because she wanted to make Amane happy or because she knew he found things like this tantalizing. She found herself squirming, wondering if those might be shameful reasons for her to even think about, but Amane cast his eyes downward, as if he felt embarrassed by Mahiru’s words. It was obvious they were both feeling embarrassed, and it didn’t seem like they were going to get anywhere like this, so Mahiru hesitantly took a seat next to Amane. She could feel him stiffen beside her. But Mahiru also wanted to be in closer contact with Amane—she wanted them to be together—so she nervously tilted over to lean against his body. Her movements were clumsy and awkward because the anxiety and anticipation over not knowing what was going to happen after this was filling her body with tension. Amane, being who he was, stiffened up considerably, but maybe because he was trying as best he could to act casual, he supported Mahiru without shrinking away, and he felt dependable and solid. “…Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if you came out wearing some kind of amazing lingerie.” He muttered those words quietly, and she couldn’t help but tremble for a moment. “Actually I kind of held back a little.” Far from holding back, she had actually bought the lingerie, and had even brought it over, but there was definitely no way she could tell him that. “Now listen—” “But, um, I—I worried that if I overdid it, you might pull away.” That was why she had refrained from wearing the other outfit, this time at least. But it was possible Amane might have been expecting something like that. Even so, she still would have been embarrassed to wear something so showy and suggestive on what was probably just going to be the first day of many staying over, so she quietly mumbled, “I’m sure of it,” as she remembered the nightgown, or rather, the underwear she had hidden with her change of clothes. It occurred to her that she didn’t feel like hiding it anymore. Meanwhile, Amane seemed to have imagined what it might be, and the color in his cheeks got even darker. “…I wouldn’t pull away. I’d be happy you were wearing something for me.” “I—I wouldn’t wear something like that, you know.” “Well, you’re not.” “Do you want me to?” She had heard a little bit of disappointment in his voice, so she asked him a question back. …I have a feeling the excitement would be too much for Amane. And not only in terms of the fabric and the size of the garment. More than anything else, there was its design, which was meant to show off all the parts she normally kept hidden. Mahiru was worried he might faint the moment he saw it. He was probably imagining some sheer, frilly thing, and actually Mahiru also thought clothes like that were pretty over the top, but the item Mahiru had brought with her this time would definitely leave her exposed as soon as she tried to show it to him. She was certain it was much more extreme than whatever Amane was imagining. “Well, I mean, maybe someday…um, if you want to wear it, that is. If you want to show that to me, then do it.” “…Someday…okay?” “Sure, someday… For now, you don’t have to force it.” Though she was relieved he did want to see it someday, she had slightly complicated feelings about how easily Amane had backed down. At the same time, she was grateful for his respectful attitude. Be that as it may, she still shot him a look questioning whether he should really be such a gentleman, but Amane just tilted his head in confusion, so all she could do was tell him, “It’s nothing.” Amane smiled at her a little and squeezed the palm of her hand with his strong fingers. Though she knew that was something he always did when he wanted to help her calm down, because of the situation they were in, she seized up for a moment. But then the soft warmth of his hand quickly spread to hers and melted away her tension. Wordlessly, he told her not to overthink things. A soft warmth spread through the depths of her chest, and her lips curved gently into a smile. That didn’t change the fact that her heart was pounding, but that was less of a painful thing and more of a faint feeling of pressure, a gentle sensation derived from both excitement and apprehension. At any rate, the message that Amane treasured Mahiru came through loud and clear, and still feeling that happy feeling, she leaned her head against him. Amane’s eyes were on the television, where someone was droning on in a monotonous voice. On the screen, the two hosts were explaining current topics in calm, clear, easy-to-hear voices. But not a single word they said registered in Mahiru’s mind, because of the person beside her. Slowly, Amane also shifted his weight toward Mahiru, but it felt less like he was leaning on her and more like he was kind of snuggling up to her sweetly, which was probably the right way to put it. Both of them absentmindedly listened to a newscaster going on and on in a buoyant tone of voice, and quietly, the moments passed. Mahiru’s wildly beating heart got its composure back and fell into a drowsy, comfortable rhythm as she felt their combined warmth. She was feeling the regular pulse of her heart, back to its familiar tempo, and enjoying the warmth of Amane by her side and the feel of his fingers, when suddenly, Amane’s fingers moved. Until just a moment earlier, Amane had been squeezing her hand, trying to calm her down, but now he wasn’t just holding her hand. Amane had grabbed hold of Mahiru by sliding his fingers in between hers. In his gesture, she sensed less of a command for her not to run and more of a wish not to part from her, and Mahiru chose to squeeze him back gently again. “…Should we go on to bed?” He softly lowered his voice and spoke in a tender tone, and Mahiru silently squeezed Amane’s hand once more. Amane didn’t push Mahiru along or pull her along. She went into his bedroom of her own free will, hand in hand with him. Though she had prepared herself for the worst, she had to pretend not to notice the nervousness and embarrassment that rose inexorably up inside her, and in order to do so, she looked around his room, which ordinarily she tried not to examine too closely. Since he had gotten involved with Mahiru, Amane had started to clean up properly after himself. He also had the advantage of not having many things to begin with, and his room was now really clean and tidy. It may have been a sign of his personality, but Amane had very few decorations in his room. What stood out to her was the beanbag sofa that had shown up that spring. It tempted people and had made Mahiru its prisoner. The other thing she noticed was the stuffed animal on top of the desk he used for his studies and other work. When they’d gone on their date that past Golden Week, Mahiru had tried many times before finally winning that stuffed animal, and here sat the fruit of all her labor. Everything else in Amane’s room was simple, and the toy was the one thing that added charm to the space, as well as a conspicuous pop of color. And Amane must have been looking after it, for it was enshrined there on the desk without a speck of dust on it. “…You’ve got your stuffed animal very neatly displayed, don’t you?” “Well, I just make sure it doesn’t get too dusty. I don’t hold it while I sleep or anything, like you do.” “A-are you making fun of me?” The thing he was referring to, that she held in her sleep, was definitely the stuffed bear Amane had given her on her birthday. Sure, she did go to bed almost every night holding it, and she also took good care of it, but it was embarrassing to have that pointed out to her. It was like he was calling her childish, even though she was already a high school student. “What do you mean? I have no reason to make fun of you, when you look so cute doing it. I’m happy that you treasure my gifts.” Mahiru couldn’t protest, not when he sounded so serious. “…I’ve been taking very good care of the one you gave me, Amane.” “Thanks… You didn’t bring it with you today, did you? The bear.” “Well, today I have you, so…” “…Yeah.” That night, she was letting her teddy bear mind her place while she was gone. The stuffed animal she slept with every night was relieved of duty, just for the evening, because tonight, Amane would fill that role. Of course, Mahiru wasn’t sure whether she would be the one holding him, or the one being held, but in either case, she had come this far because she intended for them to touch one another and fully feel the heat between them. Her chest had started to hurt again with the realization that she was in Amane’s bedroom, but when she curled in on herself, for some reason, Amane covered the stuffed animal with a blanket without saying a word. The blanket itself had been hanging over his chair, so she knew where it had come from, but she didn’t understand the meaning of his action at all, and the thumping of her heart immediately overwhelmed her thoughts. “…Is something the matter?” “Ah, w-well…I sort of…felt like we were being watched, and I couldn’t relax.” “Heh-heh, so it was bothering you, too, Amane?” “Oh hush.” “I find that part of you cute, you know?” “That’s rich, coming from someone who sleeps holding her teddy bear.” “I thought we finished that conversation earlier, geez.” There must have been something funny about Mahiru’s huffy expression, because Amane smiled in amusement. Mahiru used her free hand to jab at his side and mete out suitable punishment, but Amane didn’t seem to care. Instead he looked at her with amusement and delight and love, so Mahiru couldn’t help but feel nervous under his warm gaze. It was the fact that he could see right through to this one childish habit of hers that made her feel more embarrassed than anything else. She looked at him with her eyes narrowed, feeling just a little bit annoyed with Amane, who was ready to accept everything about her, but Amane didn’t seem surprised by the look she gave him, and a gentle smile formed on his lips. Then he softly caught hold of her little hand, the one she was using to attack him, and he trapped it in his big hand. His grip wasn’t forceful. He simply entwined their fingers so their palms met. And that alone was enough to make Mahiru go limp. At that point, she resigned herself to what was to follow, and she automatically let Amane guide her over to the bed. She didn’t resist him, but once they were sitting on the bed, she suddenly thought about what was going to happen, and the throbbing in her chest grew violent. …I…I wonder what Amane wants to do. She glanced up at him, but before she got a proper look at his face, he let go of her hand, and she fell into his arms. “…So is it all right if we pick up where we left off in the bath?” When she lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him, she met his obsidian-black eyes, which were still gentle but also reflected an urgent, somewhat impatient look. She felt like she was being swallowed up by those eyes, and as much as she was panicking on the inside, she replied, “Y-yes,” in a squeaky voice. She knew she was acting just a little bit awkward, but that was because she was startled by how Amane’s demeanor had changed. Whether or not he knew about the turmoil inside Mahiru, Amane gave her a little smile. As she was reeling from the shades of meaning she saw in that smile, clumsy fingers lifted her chin, and he gently bit down on her lip. She didn’t even have time to make a sound. Lips that felt a little bit firmer than her own touched hers gently. It seemed like Amane had started taking better care of his lips lately, too; they weren’t chapped at all. Those thin, firm lips caressed hers, as if he was trying to soothe her anxiety. The heat she felt in his lips was so much more intense than her own. Mahiru had finally gotten used to kissing, but in an attempt to ease her tension, Amane gently placed his lips over hers and slowly rubbed them together. That felt ticklish, but not uncomfortable, and indescribably tantalizing. One thing she was sure of was that the longer their lips touched, the more she would lose her strength, like it was being sucked right out of her, and the more she would end up leaning on Amane. She felt like she would sway and fall backward if she weren’t being supported by Amane’s arms. As his slightly firmer lips pecked at hers, she felt something difficult to describe but akin to ticklishness, and she laughed unintentionally. Amane, who had been kissing her, also laughed at Mahiru’s reaction. Amane kept going, ever so gently, and his kisses got deeper and deeper, like he was trying to savor Mahiru. The hot, coarse tip of his tongue slipped inside, and though he used restraint, it searchingly explored the inside of Mahiru’s mouth. Though she did have some experience with it, she wasn’t really accustomed to that kind of kiss. Even so, she wanted to accept Amane’s passion, and everything Amane was doing to her felt good—Mahiru found it in herself to answer in kind, just a little. Through their lips, the heat of their bodies melted together. She was aware that her breath was coming out just as hot as his, and both their breaths and their tongues entangled as they exchanged kisses, indulging their joint passions. Though her head was in the clouds, her body was extremely sensitive to any stimulation, and just the feeling of Amane’s palm brushing across her back to support her gave her chills as an unfamiliar sensation arose deep within her. She couldn’t tell whether he’d gotten more skilled, or whether he’d been holding back until now. Amane’s kisses quickly grew more intense, until sounds began to escape Mahiru’s lips, along with little sighs. Her voice was so excited and breathy. She had no idea where those noises were coming from. The gasps for air she was making almost sounded hoarse, somewhere between a pant and a moan. It wasn’t just her voice. Her body also felt strangely loose, as if she had completely melted, and it yielded completely to everything Amane was doing. Mahiru answered Amane’s kisses with kisses of her own, while a voice that was so sickly sweet, she could hardly believe she was the one producing it spilled from her mouth. In response, Amane softly allowed one hand to start moving. As he traced his hand over the curve of her waist, which was covered by her negligee, it made her body quiver for a moment, but she didn’t want to stop him at all. Though the feeling of his hand slipping slowly upward sent a shiver up her spine, his kisses soon laid a different feeling on top of that. —At this rate… If she let Amane do as he pleased, she knew where they were headed, without even needing to think about it. And she didn’t intend to refuse. But her body reacted to the idea by trembling dramatically, and Amane’s hands immediately let go of her. Not only that, but his lips pulled away, too, and when she saw how he looked, wearing an expression that was a mix of desire and guilt, Mahiru immediately buried her face in Amane’s chest. She also grabbed on to his hand, which had been moving slowly and with great care. “Um, I don’t…have any intention of revising what I said when I asked to stay over, so…” Amane must have taken her earlier shiver for a sign of fear or rejection. That’s not it. It would have been a lie for her to say that she wasn’t scared at all. Scared of exposing herself to another person for the first time, scared of learning sensations she had never felt before, scared of accepting desire. She thought most people on the receiving end felt that fear. It was only natural. Giving her body over to someone else meant that anything could happen to her, after all. Even so, Mahiru had made up her mind to accept Amane. When she looked up at him from within his arms, she saw a shade of surprise had colored his expression from earlier. Ultimately, he had been trying to take a step back from himself. No matter how aroused he was, or how much he wanted Mahiru, he respected her and was trying to wait until she was ready for him. There was just no way she could refuse Amane, when he was so consistently kind and selfless. She wanted to accept Amane’s passion, his heart, and his body. She wanted to make him hers. She wanted him to understand that he wasn’t the only one who desired his partner. With her eyes, she tried to say that although the embarrassment was making her hesitate, her determination had not wavered. She looked at Amane with eyes that were a little wet from the intensity of their kissing, and Amane let out a sigh. She trembled, worried his sigh meant she had upset him somehow, and Amane roughly brushed his hair back from his forehead, took several deep breaths, and fixed his eyes on her. In his obsidian-black eyes, along with a passion that burned so brightly he couldn’t completely conceal it, there also dwelled a twinkle of levelheadedness. “So, well…” “Y-yes?” “Speaking just for myself, I want to make you mine, Mahiru.” “…Yes.” She knew those were his true feelings. Though it was vulgar of her, she shifted her gaze downward a little, where she saw something that spoke more directly to that point than his words ever could. “…But the thing is…I’m not old enough to take responsibility, and if something were to happen, it’d be you who would have the most trouble. Well, of course I would take responsibility, but it’s not like I can promise we’d immediately have a legally clear relationship.” Mahiru wasn’t dull or distracted enough to miss his meaning, once he’d said that much. “Precisely because I care about you so much, Mahiru, I want to respect you. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of what you want to do with your future, or keep you from studying what you want. When I consider the fact that I’m going to spend a long time by your side, I know it would be awful to ruin your life over a moment of passion and desire.” “…Sure.” “I’m prepared to walk through this life with you, Mahiru. But I—” “You don’t need to say anything more.” She understood without him having to say it. Really, this guy is… In all respects, in his thoughts and actions, he cared for her. It wasn’t as if Mahiru hadn’t considered things at all. She’d thought about the fact that the act that was the culmination of their love could create another life. Birth control wasn’t an absolute guarantee. No matter how careful they were, there was no guarantee. As slight as it might be, the possibility would still be there, and if they were unlucky, Mahiru would end up growing a new life in her belly while she was still a student. If that happened, there were sure to be some difficulties with school, and even if there weren’t, she would probably be slandered and criticized behind her back. Moreover, her troubles wouldn’t end after the child was born. They would have to raise the baby. She didn’t want to risk creating another person like her, a second Mahiru. What a lucky girl I am. Amane had considered everything and weighed it against the chance to unleash his own desires, desires he’d been suppressing for so long, and still he had chosen Mahiru’s future. She gently reached her hand out for his cheek. “Amane, I understand that you respect me so much and that you love me deeply. You treat me with such incredible care, I…I’m a really fortunate person.” Amane was hot to the touch. She keenly felt just how cared for, loved, respected, and treasured she was. Though she had been filled with happiness ever since they’d started dating, there had been some parts of her heart she hadn’t been able to fill for some reason, where a cold draft had always blown through the cracks, but now those spaces were filled up with the person known as Amane. All the empty spaces inside her heart had been completely filled by Amane. With her mind and her body, Mahiru grasped what a tremendous blessing that was. She was so happy she felt like she might cry. Without even trying to suppress the euphoria that was arising within her, Mahiru put as much feeling into her smile as she could, and she put her own lips over Amane’s. “…And I love you the way you are, from the bottom of my heart.” Mahiru was confident that, in that moment, no one was happier or more content than she was. As she was on the verge of tears, everything about Mahiru slackened, and this time a rain of soft kisses from Amane poured down on her. Amane’s gentle kisses lit up her body and heart like faint rays of sunshine, and he gently wrapped her body up in his. “Will you wait for me, until I’m able to take responsibility?” She thought about what he could mean by that. Amane’s voice trembled a little, as he restrained himself in order to be able to walk with her into the future. Under the gaze of those loving eyes of his, which also had just a little hint of resolve and rushed impatience in them, there in his embrace, it was easy for Mahiru, too, to imagine how much pressure Amane was enduring. As proof of that, she could feel the embodiment of his urges asserting itself, as if to convey to her how he was just barely managing to keep himself in check, because they were in such close contact. Because she had glanced down, she had accidentally caught sight of it, and it made her feel embarrassed, but since Amane’s determination was visible, she didn’t find it disagreeable at all. She nodded bashfully at her boyfriend, who tried so hard and was so patient in everything he did, then she buried her face in his sturdy chest again. As soon as she did, she was greeted with the intense pounding of his heart, and Mahiru’s own heart leapt, as if in sympathy with his. “Until then, I’ll let you take good, good care of me.” Mahiru smiled as she said this to Amane. She was filled with awe at how fortunate she was. Amane nodded with a satisfied expression and gently embraced Mahiru again. “I’ll treasure you,” she heard him whisper. Filled with sweet and mellow hopes, Mahiru closed her eyelids. They quietly embraced each other, their steady heartbeats overlapping, giving the illusion they had completely melted into one another. “…So, um…” After she had surrendered herself to the sensation, which was similar to dozing off in a gentle sunbeam, she heard a quiet voice. “Yes?” “Can I say something pathetic?” For some reason, Amane was mumbling and stumbling over his words. Mahiru smiled in spite of herself, wondering what he could possibly be hesitating over at this point. “Go ahead. I’m ready to accept every part of the person I love, the cool parts and the pathetic parts, and any requests.” Mahiru was prepared for everything, and she loved everything about this person. She beckoned Amane to her, and even as she puzzled internally over what he might be considering pathetic, Amane falteringly brought his lips to her neck. She trembled just a little at this sudden contact, but it wasn’t like it had caused her any pain; she had just felt the heat of his breath, and Mahiru stiffened for just a moment, then relaxed. “…Um, well…could I…touch you? Just a little bit.” Mahiru blinked dramatically at his request. His voice sounded quiet and husky but unmistakably filled with passion. As for accepting Amane with her whole body, she didn’t think he intended to take things that far. With that in mind, asking if he could touch her meant— Though the blood rushed suddenly to her face as soon as she understood what he meant, Mahiru looked up at Amane before her embarrassment had abated, then she cast her eyes downward. “…J-just be gentle, please.” She liked being touched by Amane. Though she knew that it would probably give her sensations she had never known before, she didn’t intend to refuse. If Amane was going to teach her something, she was certain it couldn’t be a bad thing. Besides, they’d promised. They’d sworn to have all their first times together. There was no way she could reject Amane giving her one of his firsts. When she answered quietly, biting back her embarrassment, Amane broke into a happy grin, tugged on Mahiru’s hand until they collapsed onto the bed, and covered her. With the brightness of the ceiling light against his back, Amane was staring down at Mahiru in excitement. Affectionately, lovingly, yearningly, pleadingly. Deep inside his obsidian-black eyes flickered a simmering heat he couldn’t completely hide, and mysteriously, just being looked at by those eyes made her whole body hot. Her heartbeat, pounding away much faster than usual, didn’t feel like it was her own. The hands that always touched her so tenderly and shyly were still reserved, but they moved with definite intention as they traced over her body. She wasn’t scared at all. “…So if anything’s uncomfortable, or painful, make sure you tell me. I’ll stop right away.” He must have been concerned when his touch caused her to shiver just for a moment out of nervousness, because before he touched her bare skin, Amane looked at her steadily and very seriously told her that. Unintentionally, Mahiru laughed at the deeply earnest look of concern he gave her, which was enough to make her wonder where the sexiness from earlier had gone. “…As a girl, it would make me happier if you would do what you like, though.” “Th-that might be true, but I don’t want to force anything on you.” In response to his word, which showed such stubborn concern, Mahiru quietly laughed and reached out toward Amane. When she placed her hand against his cheek, flushed from nerves and excitement, he got even redder, as if she had added fuel to the fire, and his eyes opened wide. “Everything you do for me makes me happy, Amane… Please, let me accept your feelings.” Even if it did hurt a little, if it was something Amane was doing, she intended to accept it. There was no way Amane would do something painful for no reason, and she was well aware a little pain might be necessary. Her resolve had taken that into account, too. When she stared firmly into his eyes and smiled, Amane moved his mouth around wordlessly and swallowed like he was trying to resist something, then he put the hand that had been touching her body on Mahiru’s chin and lifted her face up. She did have some idea of what he was going to do to her, and although she squeezed her eyes shut, she could still imagine Amane looking nervous but wearing a smile he couldn’t quite manage to suppress. “…I’ll do my very best to make it as good as possible for you, too, Mahiru.” He quietly dropped those words on her after planting a soft kiss that was really just a prelude, and Mahiru gently lowered her hand from Amane’s cheek. She was convinced, body and mind, that it was all right to entrust everything to Amane. …It’s okay. As long as it was with him, from then until forever. Filled with such deep reassurance and euphoria, Mahiru accepted the hand that was gently starting to trace a path to places she had never let anyone touch before. When Mahiru woke up in the morning and realized where she had been sleeping, she instantly pursed her lips tightly together. If she hadn’t done so, she would have ended up sending Amane flying to his feet. He was wrapped around her, breathing peacefully as he embraced her in his sleep. After somehow managing to contain the scream that very nearly escaped her mouth, Mahiru glanced over at her sleeping beloved as she tried to quiet her pounding heart. It was already worn out from enduring such a shock so early in the morning. It seemed to be early enough that the morning sun had only just begun to peek out, and the curtains were also closed, so the light from the side lamp that they had forgotten to turn off was glaring. Amane, gently illuminated by that light, was sleeping with a truly peaceful expression on his face. In his sleep, he looked deeply satisfied, and his face was a little sweeter and more innocent than usual. Just seeing it was enough to make her crack a smile. From the outside, he probably looked like a small child holding his stuffed animal, as he embraced Mahiru with a soft smile on his face, looking greatly satisfied. That youthfulness was adorable, but it made her even more aware of the gulf between the boy she saw now and the young man he had been the night before—which brought to mind all sorts of other things. She pressed her lips together into a line. …That’s not good. The “not good” referred to Amane from the night before. The previous night, she had learned all sorts of things, none of which she had known before. They had taught each other as they went along. As a result, her knowledge in certain unexplored areas had increased, and she had also seen new sides of Amane. For example, she’d learned that Amane was much more dexterous than she’d imagined, and he had greater powers of observation. She also found out that, despite everything else, he was still surprisingly fainthearted. She’d also learned that the urges he had been resisting up until then had been even greater than she’d imagined. Just thinking about what she’d learned brought to mind once again the way his eyes, fingertips, and lips had tenderly touched her as he’d explored her body meticulously. Her cheeks burned. When she turned back the sheets to take a quick glance at the parts of her they were covering, she saw that she’d put her original outfit back on properly…or it had been put back on her.
Chapter 183
31 min read