“Amane doesn’t look too bad.”
“Ah, well, since I prefer a quieter atmosphere, I’m not too bothered.”
“Good for you, I can’t stand it at all. I really want to go out for a run
instead.”
“The ground’s really wet now. If you want to go for a jog, you should
wait until the rain clears. You might fall, injure yourself, or muddy your
clothes.”
“Then it won’t wash off… ugh, I guess I’ll just wait.”
Her voice sounded a little weak, probably because of Makoto.
Even Chitose was so drained. Amane was thinking about what would
happen to Mahiru, but she didn’t break her usual composure and continued
talking calmly with the girls, albeit with a slightly more serious expression
than usual.
Mahiru didn’t seem to notice Amane’s gaze and carried on chatting
happily among the girls.
He was thinking of the time they could spend together later when
Kazuya asked, “Ah? Is Amane jealous?”
Mahiru often garnered the attention of the surrounding people, so it
was understandable not to notice Amane looking. However, he completely
misunderstood, and Amane smiled wryly.
“Ah, I’m not so bad as to be jealous of her fellow female friends. I was
just thinking that after she changed her hairstyle, the atmosphere she gives
off is different.”
Amane didn’t want to reveal his real reason for watching Mahiru, so
he used this as a cover. Kazuya seemed to accept it and replied.
“True, her hair is tied up today.”
Like Chitose, Mahiru tied up her hair. However, since her hair was
long and naturally had more volume, she seemed to work them into three
loose braids.
Since Mahiru didn’t change her hairstyle all too often, their classmates
also thought it felt quite fresh. Amane could hear the boys saying, “the
Angel brings a sense of warmth to us even in this muggy weather” and
“only the air around the Angel feels as fresh”.
“I’m so envious of Mahirun…”
Chitose kept holding on to her damp and disobedient hair while eyeing
up Mahiru, who up-kept her hair dry and healthy. When they met together
in the morning, Amane also got caught up in her hair. It seemed that he was
quite envious of someone who didn’t have to care about the moisture in the
air.
“I can’t say I’m in high spirits, but I’m not as depressed as everyone
else. After all, when it rains like this, life just gets tougher. I just hope that
the rainy season will end soon. Besides, there are so many clouds about that
they block out the sky.”
“You’re in the Astronomical club, after all, Makoto. Every time it rains
like this, your problem is that you can’t see the stars nearly as clearly.”
(Amane)
“Actually, our club activities don’t just involve looking at the stars. If
you want to stargaze at school, you need to be accompanied by the club
leader, and you have to apply to use the roof as well. Activities in our club
generally involve more researching rather than gazing at the stars.”
“That’s a headache.” Chitose nodded in agreement at Makoto’s words.
At this point, Mahiru seemed to have finished her conversation and moved
over to stand next to Amane.
Amane gently pulled out a chair to let her sit and then summarized the
past conversation to her.
“We’re just talking about how annoying this weather is.”
Mahiru obediently sat in her seat and smiled wryly at the topic of the
weather.
“Well, I suppose Chitose especially hates this kind of weather. Neither
can she go out to play or exercise outside, and her hair easily gets messy.”
“I always thought that Shirakawa was full of energy during the rainy
season, but thinking about it, she was also this quiet back in junior high
during this period.”
“A-ah, if it’s about me in middle school I don’t want to listeeen~~”
Chitose, not wanting her past deeds to be dug up, simply covered her
ears and turned her head aside. Makoto just shrugged.
“Although you’re a bit noisy sometimes, the Shirakawa now isn’t too
bad.”
Amane wasn’t sure whether he was trying to comfort her or annoy her.
“…Are you picking a fight, Makoto?”
“I didn’t plan on doing that… but you can indeed be noisy. You’re
quite lively, aren’t you?”
Chitose frowned and slapped the table in dissatisfaction. Her exchange
with Makoto seemed to restore some of her energy since her face became
clearer. This could be Makoto cheering her up in his own way.
Seeing Chitose in an irritated and awkward mood, Amane and Mahiru
glanced at each other and smiled softly.
✧₊✦₊✧
As a result of the weather, the rain didn’t stop until school ended, and
the color of the sky remained a dull gray.
The roads that would’ve normally been lively were exceptionally
quiet, and many students sped up their pace trying to get home.
Amane tugged Mahiru under his big umbrella as they walked home
together.
He held her bag, as usual, carefully walking at her pace to not get her
wet. Amane glanced to the side, and maybe it was because of today’s
general mood and weather, but Mahiru seemed a little depressed and sighed
slightly wearily.
“…The rainy season is so humid, it always makes me feel like I can’t
get enough energy.”
Mahiru seemed to notice Amane’s gaze. As her bag was taken by
Amane she had nothing to do, and fiddled randomly with the ends of her
hair, twirling them before whispering in a low voice.
“My hair also becomes difficult to manage, and it easily becomes
messy, it’s so troublesome.”
“It takes a lot more effort than usual to maintain your hairstyle when
damp. I think your hairstyle now is also very cute, but I guess it can’t be
helped.”
To Amane, it was a blessing for him to see Mahiru’s various hairstyles.
But for girls, a messy hairstyle was a matter of life and death, especially for
Mahiru as she worked harder than others in dressing up and enhancing her
appearance.
Mahiru’s hairstyle looked different than usual, which was quite cute in
itself, but she may not like it herself.
Mahiru repeated “c-cute” in a low voice, and then shied away. She
patted Amane’s arm with her fingertips as if trying to hide her shyness.
“…It’s very troublesome to take care of my hair in the summer. It
easily gets damaged by the sun, so maintenance is essential. In winter, it
gets too dry, but during weather like this, it gets too damp. Depending on
the season, I have to change the way I manage it, so it can be very hard…”
“It’s not easy for girls.”
“That’s why, I admire the quality of your hair a lot, Amane-kun.”
Seeing Mahiru suddenly mention him, Amane blinked and found her
looking at his hair slightly enviously. Today, because it was a lot of trouble
to wax his hair, Amane only combed it instead.
“Your hair is so refreshing, Amane-kun. It doesn’t feel damp at all. It
doesn’t take that much effort to maintain it, right?”
“At most, I use shampoo from a beauty salon.”
“After all, Amane-kun, your hair is already very nice. If you took care
of it even more, your hair would become even silkier.”
“I never thought about maintaining it at that level, but… I’ll work
harder if I have time.”
Since Mahiru was very happy to touch his hair, Amane was motivated
to work hard on it. Though his hair now didn’t have any problems, if it
made Mahiru happy he thought it would be worth it.
Amane looked at Mahiru and saw a faint, but almost clear smile appear
on her face, but perhaps due to the rain, her face was much more haggard
than usual.
Looking at her light-skinned face, Amane sighed gently.
“Rather than that, it’s more uncomfortable for me not to be able to go
jogging because of the weather. I’d developed a habit of exercising, but
now the laziness is creeping back.”
In any case, running for long periods on rainy days wasn’t a good idea.
If he caught a cold now, it’d be troublesome, to say the least.
Therefore, he would do more indoor exercises instead of jogging.
“I mentioned this before, but Amane-kun is exercising now more than
ever before.”
“It’ll take a while to see the results of my hard work, so I don’t want to
revert now.”
“Fufu, such a serious and good boy. You’re amazing, Amane-kun.”
Seeing Mahiru smiling and gently patting his back, Amane felt shy.
Looking away, he gazed at the sky once more.
It was still grey, but he also had a pleasant feeling inside him, so he felt
it wasn’t too bad.
The biggest reason for that feeling was the presence of the people
around him.
“Although there are some things to dislike about today, it still feels
quite nice to walk home with you like this. Rainy days also have the
advantage of giving off a unique atmosphere. The air is crisp, and it feels
great when it’s not raining. Walking home on a quiet day like this isn’t so
bad, either.”
Although girls who paid more attention to their image hated this kind
of weather, Amane enjoyed the gentle atmosphere of the rainy season.
Whether it was the dull and quiet light that illuminated the cloudy day,
the soft sound of rain gently falling to the ground, or even the faint smell of
rain seeping into the air, Amane liked it a lot.
For him, the rainy days were not just a bleak and secluded landscape.
The air and scenery he felt made him rather comfortable.
And now, Mahiru was beside him.
Just by gently holding her hand, the world in front of him became
colorful. As long as one changed their perspective when looking at things,
as long as there was someone they cherished nearby, the scenery they see
would appear peaceful. The two of them walking together side-by-side had
already made this scene a beautiful one.
“This time here to talk with you also isn’t bad. I think a time like this
is also an irreplaceable experience for me.”
Although part of the reason he liked it was because this was the first
season of his relationship, Amane also believed that the fact they were
walking side-by-side was very meaningful in itself. This time wouldn’t
come again, and so Amane cherished the present moment.
“And…”
“And?”
“On rainy days, there’ll be more discounted products in stock. There
are fewer people shopping when it’s raining, so it’ll be more convenient to
choose from a wider range of products, right?”
Joking around, Amane smiled and explained why he liked rainy days.
Mahiru was stunned for a moment, but then gradually began to show a
gentle smile.
“Fufu, so this is the knowledge you’ve learned from living by yourself
all year round. Although, I knew that as well.”
“Isn’t it good then? I’m the type that makes the most of everything.”
“I didn’t say it was bad, fufu.”
Mahiru laughed heartily until she slowly calmed down, and then she
raised her head to look at Amane.
“Being able to live like that is impressive. You’re really good at
discovering the different pleasures in what you see and feel, Amane-kun.”
“What makes you suddenly say that?”
“Well, I was just thinking how great it is to get enjoyment out of
different things from different perspectives.”
“I think everything looks so bright because you’re by my side. You’ve
taught me so much that I didn’t know before, so thank you.”
Mahiru showed a look of envy at first, but then softly muttered when
Amane looked into her eyes and told her it was because of her. Her
caramel-colored pupils shook slightly as if to leak tears.
Not from sadness, however. Instead, she was becoming much more
joyful.
“…I, too, learned a lot of things from Amane-kun. Thank you for that
as well, and I’d like you to teach me more things in the future.”
“That’s great.”
Amane didn’t know if Mahiru had noticed, but her words indicated
that she was willing to be with him for the far future. Amane truly hoped to
keep his position as her lover from now on and forever.
He didn’t intend to give up this spot, no matter what happened.
Amane took her hand and smiled. Looking at Mahiru, her face had the
most relaxed expression of the day.
“…Then, after we go back, I’ll teach Mahiru how to enjoy these rainy
days.”
“What will we do?”
“We can buy some food from the supermarket, and then go home and
watch some TV shows or DVDs, or listen to music and leisurely kill some
time. After all, you didn’t seem to be in the best of shape today.”
Amane kept staring into Mahiru’s caramel eyes. Perhaps he had
guessed correctly since Mahiru’s shoulders shook slightly and her eyes
started to drift.
Amane had felt that something was off on the way to school. After
arriving in the classroom, he was convinced that Mahiru wasn’t feeling very
well.
The smile she always wore was somewhat listless, and her complexion
wasn’t the same. In addition, her movements seemed sluggish.
Whether this abnormality was due to the rainy weather or possibly a
period, that’s a private matter, and Amane didn’t intend to pry. In short,
Amane could tell that she was pretending to be energetic and simply wanted
to help ease her pressure.
Amane cautiously looked at Mahiru, who then seemed to admit it,
leaning her head upon Amane’s upper arm.
“Although this is one of Amane-kun’s strengths, it’s also one of your
shortcomings. I can’t hide anything from you.”
“Mahiru just isn’t good at hiding things. If you’re unwell, doesn’t your
behavior become a little strange?”
“For example?”
“Not to mention, I’m afraid you’re hiding it on purpose.”
The way she laughed, her manner of walking, and her other actions
were indicating that Mahiru was behaving strangely. However, if Amane
told her this, she’d be careful to hide them next time so Amane refrained.
Mahiru puffed up her face in dissatisfaction, but Amane didn’t falter.
“I cannot-” Amane refused to answer her question, and instead gently
squeezed the hand he was holding. Her hand was colder than usual and
wasn’t simply a result of the day’s weather.
“How about relying on me more? How about we go to the supermarket
over there to buy some food? What do you want to eat? I’ll cook today.”
“…Onigiri.”
Although she didn’t resist, Amane could see that she was reluctant,
which saddened him a little. He thought it would be great if he could take
care of her more.
Amane decided to care for her seeing that she wanted to keep up her
façade in school, and had pushed herself to do so. He promised that he
would help her.
Amane held Mahiru’s hand again and laughed. She no longer
concealed her slightly tired demeanor, leaning against his arm again.
“I can also make some more dedicated dishes if you want. It doesn’t
matter if you want something bigger.”
Amane thought that Mahiru was holding back, considering he wasn’t
the greatest at cooking. However, it seemed she actually just wanted to eat
Amane’s onigiri.
“Can’t I?”
She looked towards Amane with a weak gaze.
“Of course, if you say you want some onigiri, then I’ll prepare some
for you, Mahiru.”
“I want to show off my housekeeping skills,” Amane said jokingly, to
which Mahiru happily replied, “I’m looking forward to it.” She looked a
little more relaxed, which made Amane happy as he kept a soft expression
on his face as they walked into the supermarket.
“Speaking of which, Fujimiya, you and Shiina started dating during
the Sports Festival, right? So, has your life changed at all since then?”
The courtyard couldn’t be used when it was raining, so the girls went
to the gym for physical education, and the boys went to health class. As
soon as the teacher walked out of the classroom, the classmates took the
opportunity to question Amane.
Because of the question, everyone’s curiosity changed the atmosphere
in the room, and Amane decided to tread carefully. Thinking about the
question, Amane felt that his mind hasn’t changed much.
The question caused some boys to look at him in interest, making
Amane feel uncomfortable.
“Well, sometimes when at school, I’ll get surrounded like this...”
“Okay, that’s fair. Other than that though, how far have you two
gone?”
“…Not that far? At most, we go home together after school.”
Two weeks had passed since the confession, and there was no clear
change in Amane’s life. After all, they already had a lot of physical contact
even before they were dating, and Mahiru often came over to his house
anyway.
The only change that could be mentioned was that at times, they were
physically closer than before, but his day-to-day was no different than
before.
“Liar.”
“What was a lie?”
“Well, because, just look at it, man.”
“Look at what?”
“Shiina likes you to the point of no return. Haven’t you progressed
already?”
“Wait wait, w-we haven’t done-”
“Amane, shut it. That standard of yours has long since been abnormal.
Judging by normal people’s standards, you two are already very close.”
Itsuki, evidently dumbfounded by the fact that Amane was denying it,
couldn’t manage to stay on the sidelines of the conversation. Amane
couldn’t help but glare at Itsuki, but he carried on smiling carelessly.
“…Even if you say that, we haven’t done anything too much. We’re
still just living as usual.”
“You call that normal???”
“Itsuki…”
“I think Yamazaki is right. Even though the pair of you think you
haven’t gone all that far outside, what we’ve seen is already excessive. With
that, it must be even more excessive when you’re at home.”
As far as the results themselves go, their behavior displayed to others
just how good their relationship was. Amane wanted to argue that none of it
was intentional, but even if he said that the people here wouldn’t listen.
Amane fell into silence, and the surrounding boys reacted to the word
“home” one after another. Only then did he realize that Itsuki had leaked
some extra information.
“The thing is, Shiina is usually at Amane’s home, and the atmosphere
between them two must be so sweet. Instead of a high-school couple,
they’re more like a married couple.”
“Itsuki!”
“You can’t hide this kind of thing for long, so it’s better to say it out
loud beforehand. Besides, someone saw you two walk into the same
apartment complex when you went home. Before anyone has any strange
misunderstandings, please correct them with the truth as soon as possible.
Let’s go”
(In any case, letting others have wild misunderstandings will just
cause Shiina trouble)
Itsuki’s eyes conveyed such and once again he made Amane
speechless.
If you cause people to think that you spend the night together shortly
after dating, that’s not a good thing at all. Amane didn’t want to see Mahiru
be despised by others because of something like this.
There have been cases of her staying overnight but more accurately, it
was Amane lending his bed to Mahiru, and they didn’t sleep together in the
same room. It was true that Mahiru had asked Amane to sleep with her
unconsciously, but they didn’t actually sleep together at that time, so it
probably doesn’t count.
“Speaking of which, so you and Shiina live nearby… is her
neighborhood particularly close?”
“…Well, she’s in the same apartment as me after all, hence why she
often comes over.”
“In other words, as long as you visit Fujimiya’s house, you can stop by
Shiina too…”
“Firstly, I won’t ask you to come with us and second, even if you go
by yourself, you’ll only reach the front hall of the apartment. If you try to
commit a crime and sneak in, you’ll just be taken out by security.”
Although the apartment where Amane and Mahiru live wasn’t as
luxurious as to always have a guard stationed at the front desk, the security
facilities it did have were quite adequate. This apartment was geared
towards the more affluent class. Not only does it have its own courtyard,
but also has a few security guards roaming on duty. If anyone behaves
suspiciously, they’ll be taken away by security.
“I was joking just now… So Shiina stays at Fujimiya’s house all day
long?”
“Well, it’s not to the point where it’s ‘all day long…’ but we do stay
together a lot.”
The description, ‘all day long’ can be inappropriate. Since Mahiru
stays in Amane’s room except for bathing and sleeping, it was close to the
point of living together. However, if he mentioned this, he was afraid it
would cause a lot of trouble so Amane chose to remain silent.
That information alone had already caused the boys to carry on with
their eyes wide open. Judging from the constant movement of the chairs,
they were quite shocked about it.
“Hey, hey, this is too shameful!”
“This kind of plot is taken straight right out of a light novel! I don’t
think this is good!”
“But it’s true, the relationship between these two is better than good.
It’s too good. As a bystander, I just want to shout out that you two should
go even further and quickly.”
“What are you even trying to say…”
After two weeks of dating, it would be too impatient of them to delve
into that kind of intimacy, not to mention that Amane was still anxious
about something deep down - if he adores Mahiru so much that he yearns
for her, would it make her think that he only likes her for her body? What
about Mahiru herself?
Amane wasn’t such a beast, and he didn’t want to impose his own
ideas on Mahiru just to burden her. What’s more, they haven’t even kissed
yet, how can they just go and do ‘that’ kind of thing so soon?
“If we take things slowly step-by-step, then when the time comes it
can be considered a mutual agreement, but I can’t rush such a thing now by
imposing my desires on her.”
This kind of topic always made him feel bashful when talking about it.
Amane’s voice became quieter and quieter, and Itsuki looked around them
and deliberately shrugged his shoulders.
“You see this? For Shiina, this is also a major factor in why she likes
Amane. This guy is super gentlemanly. He’s already cautious and
considerate of her to the point of being a coward.”
“Fujimiya, do you actually have ‘that’? Can you get it to stand? Or are
you actually a girl?”
“Are you kidding me?!”
“Why don’t I seem like a boy anymore to you guys?” Amane couldn’t
help but frown, but the people around him started to chat among themselves
again, “Why is such a lovely girl like the Angel beside you, yet you won’t
push her down?” Or “this coward” or something, Amane started to frown
even more.
“Don’t say anything else, I don’t care about what you say. We just
have to interact together at our own pace, without others interrupting us.”
“But it seems that Shiina has consulted Chi for some advice.”
“Then please remind Chitose not to let her instill Mahiru with some
strange thoughts, otherwise I’ll have a headache.”
Although Mahiru has common sense and judgment, she has no
experience in dating. Because of this, Amane is worried about whether or
not she’ll filter out the strange bits of insight people will tell her.
“Do you actually mean, ‘I’m the only one who can train the innocent
Shiina’ or something like that?”
“Can you stay quiet for a bit?”
“Where did you get that idea from?” Amane stared at Itsuki
accusingly, but Itsuki pretended to be completely unaware.
“Alright, alright. Besides even if you stop Chi, there’ll be other girls
who will say various things to Shiina themselves. According to them,
they’ll do it because ‘Shiina, who’s now so deep in love is too cute, I’ll
need to give her some advice.’”
“What if Mahiru retains some strange knowledge from that?”
“That’s called ‘Shiina’s cute effort in love.’”
“I won’t deny that, but I hope you’ll also know how I feel when my
heart is teased by her.”
“My girlfriend’s going all out for you two, isn’t that great?”
After that was said, Amane couldn’t deny it so he frowned, but he
didn’t spit out any further dissatisfaction this time. Itsuki likely predicted
that Amane would react in such a way, and smiled.
“Anyway, all the effort here is to make you like her more, so you
definitely won’t refuse it, right?”
“The bad thing here is that your girlfriend can’t distinguish the
importance of which things needs to be taught to others.”
“I don’t think Chi would teach her something too radical. She can be a
reasonable person too.”
“Really…”
“But about two days ago, I saw Shirakawa talking to Shiina about what
she should do when embracing someone, she also said, ‘This week will be a
very happy one.’”
“Itsuki, as her supervisor, you are being too negligent.”
“Blaming me!?”
“Sure enough, Mahiru is being taught strange things!” Amane looked
at Itsuki with reproach. It’s not difficult to imagine that Chitose will instill
all kinds of knowledge (in both a good and a bad sense) regarding the
interaction between men and women. The only person able to put the brakes
on Chitose was Itsuki, so of course, Itsuki should stop her before she goes
too far.
“Really…” Amane sighed. The people around him didn’t know what
to say, all of them quietly looking toward Amane.
“So you have done it?”
A single boy spoke out on behalf of everyone. Although Amane
replied with, “…I didn’t mean that,” none of the boys listening believed his
answer.
✧₊✦₊✧
“Speaking of which, the boys looked quite lively in physical education
today, did anything interesting happen?”
After returning home from school, Amane was suddenly asked such a
question. Unprepared, he was taken aback and the mobile phone he was
holding fell onto his lap.
Amane’s phone was heavy as it had a flip-type protective case, and it
hurt when it hit his leg. In face of the pain, he turned his gaze back to
Mahiru and found her beside him looking puzzled.
It seems that Mahiru knew about the boys’ conversation during gym
class. At that time, everyone talked until the end of class. When Mahiru
returned to the classroom, she must have heard their voices.
“Uh, how should I say this, please don’t mind it.”
I can’t tell her that my classmates were asking “Which step have you
progressed to?”. Amane looked away, making Mahiru even more confused.
“Huh…? But when Amane-kun says that, it seems to refer to things
that actually involve me.”
“Anyway, it’s just a bunch of things that boys talk about when they’re
together.”
“This, is… is it something that you don’t want to talk to me about, or
can’t talk about it?”
“Should I say that I can’t say, or that it’s hard to say…”
It seems that there’ll be some misunderstandings if things were left
like this, but Amane was too shy to elaborate himself. He ended up giving
her a very vague answer. As a result, Mahiru looked at Amane and fell into
silence.
Either she didn’t know what to say, or was she dissatisfied with his
answer… Amane couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable, but then
Mahiru smiled as if she couldn’t help it.
“Ah, if Amane-kun is unwilling to talk about it, it doesn’t matter if you
don’t mention it. It’s not always good to ask to share everything, and
Amane-kun has his own privacy too. Men must only talk to men on some
topics, with it not being mentioned to women. It’s okay just to ask about it.”
“Honestly, I feel a bit complicated when you’re being very
understanding like this… But it’s not something that Mahiru has to think
about so secretly. Do you think it won’t matter if you don’t ask me about
it?”
“Amane-kun certainly doesn’t want to carelessly ask me about things
that only girls can talk about, right?”
“Of course. Because it’s easy to offend others, I won’t ask about things
that others don’t want to be asked. Even if Mahiru is my girlfriend, it
doesn’t mean that I can limit your life or even your thoughts.”
Girls will say all kinds of things in girls’ circles, and Amane knew
that. Although he was also concerned about what Mahiru was going to say
to them, their topics of discussion always scared him a little, so he didn’t
feel like asking her clearly. Having said that, there are some other people
who are in a similar situation, and they instead want to get to the bottom of
it.
Amane felt that Mahiru has her own life, so even if he was her lover he
must respect her privacy.
“There are bounds that should be clearly separated.” He looked
straight into Mahiru’s eyes as he said this, and saw her giggling with a soft
smile.
“I feel the same way as Amane-kun. I think it’s wrong to know
everything about you even if I like you. Even if I don’t understand some
things, my feelings for Amane-kun won’t change.”
“…I think this is also part of Mahiru’s charm.”
“That’s the same for Amane-kun.”
Mahiru’s voice was very elegant when she laughed. She nestled herself
onto Amane’s shoulders, showing off her deep trust in him. This feeling
made Amane’s heart feel a little restless. While gently caressing the back of
Mahiru’s delicate hand with his fingers, he asked her softly, “Are you really
not going to ask?”
Although those words weren’t to be spoken in front of everyone, they
weren’t considered secrets that had to be kept to Amane. If Mahiru felt
uneasy about not knowing, it’s better to tell her what happened. Amane was
thinking as such, but Mahiru was still cuddling with him, smiling.
“If Amane-kun wants me to ask then I will, but if you don’t want to
say it, that’s fine too.”
Mahiru gave the decision to Amane. Amane hesitated for about ten
seconds before speaking up slowly.
“…Well, that’s, how should I say it, they asked me if there’s been any
changes since I started dating Mahiru, and where I have progressed to.
Anyway, they were just a bit of gossip.”
Maybe those people had further fantasies in their heads, but since they
didn’t say them out loud, Amane didn’t respond to them. However, the boys
did want to know about the changes in himself, so Amane answered Mahiru
with it as the main topic.
Mahiru smiled bitterly and said, “Everyone really cares about that.”
She seemed to understand Amane’s hesitant voice.
“But what has changed after our relationship started… that’s, I think
that only our mentality changed, and we consciously want to touch each
other more.”
“After all, the distance between us is very close. It’s not so much that
we’ve changed, but maybe that the environment around us changed a lot.”
Amane recalled his previous experiences with Mahiru and found that
they had skin-to-skin contact expected of lovers, but there were also some
aspects not done between lovers, such as acting as a flower-protector for
Mahiru. His hands hugged her tightly for comfort, and he even kissed
Mahiru’s cheek as a way of fighting back.
Now that he wanted to stay beside, it made him very embarrassed, but
it also made Amane question why he didn’t respond to Mahiru’s intentions
earlier. In fact, it was precisely because of his inner cautiousness - or rather,
it was him being overly cautious that he wasn’t able to make his mind up.
Back at that time, Amane didn’t act very considerate but he was
determined to work hard from now on so that he could lead Mahiru and
conduct himself properly.
“Really. Since Amane-kun started to tidy up his appearance, you look
completely different from before. It has become easier for girls to talk to
you now.”
“They only talk to me to cheer me on…”
“But some girls said that Amane-kun is very handsome now and that
you’re cute when you smile”
“That’s probably the smile I give to you, Mahiru… I don’t care about
other people.”
Amane felt that his girlfriend appeared to be subtly jealous just now,
and he tried to calm her down using a low voice. She seemed very happy
and rubbed against Amane’s shoulder with her forehead.
This appearance was very innocent and extremely cute, but if he said it
out loud, Mahiru would retort with “Are you treating me like a child?” So
Amane smiled quietly and left this sentence in his mind.
He looked at the happy Mahiru with a smile and recalled the scene
back when he was surrounded by classmates. About that, there was still one
more thing he had left to ask her.
“By the way, I also heard a piece of information that I can’t ignore.”
“Hm?”
“Mahiru, it seems you asked Chitose and other girls for advice. They
didn’t tell you anything strange, did they?”
“You didn’t talk about our relationship in too much detail, did you?”
Amane looked at Mahiru and asked her in a confirming tone. As a result,
Mahiru looked up at Amane stiffly, and then suddenly looked away.
“…Just a little bit.”
“So there were some parts you told them… I’m not saying you can’t
but if we made our relationship completely public, then it’s better for you
not to do this kind of consulting. Otherwise, everything we do will be
exposed to them, and I’ll be ashamed to death. ”
“I-I will be careful.”
The consultation itself won’t cause any problems, but Amane must
prevent both of them from being exposed completely. Although he believes
that Mahiru had the ability to judge things herself, she also has a pure side,
so there was nothing wrong with her asking for advice.
Mahiru probably realized that she was telling too much to her friends,
and her body curled up.
Amane himself isn’t entirely disagreeing with what Itsuki or Yuuta
said, but he’ll filter out the content so she doesn’t involve too much
information. He then realized something, could it be that Mahiru felt some
kind of dissatisfaction or anxiety?
“…Or do you feel uneasy about something when you’re with me?”
“No, it’s not about being uneasy or something… Well, I…, I just asked
them about what I should do to make Amane-kun happier.”
“As long as you can stay with me, I will be very happy…”
“Mm… Amane-kun always said, ”It’s enough for you just to be by my
side.“ You’re also not very materialistic, and you don’t make many
demands on others.”
“I think this evaluation is true for Mahiru as well.”
And in fact, it also fit Mahiru perfectly, but Mahiru’s caramel eyes
blinked, and then she smiled seductively.
“…I am very greedy though? Because I want to dominate Amane-kun,
I want to spoil you like a baby, and I also want to be spoiled by you a lot.”
“I still think your sentences can be said about you as well.”
“So Amane-kun wants to act spoiled to me too?”
“…B-because I like you so of course, I do want to, and I want to get
more familiar with you too. But acting like that is still limited to when
we’re at home, and I’ll be patient outside.”
Mahiru may not have any obvious feelings about it, but Amane
himself thinks that he’s a person with a strong desire to be possessive.
Common sense and reason told him that Mahiru has her own feelings
and her own life, she should be given freedom. Amane himself intends to
respect this… However, he also feels that his girlfriend shouldn’t be seen so
casually by others.
He knew that Mahiru was very popular among the students, and he
accepted that. However, Amane also hugged her in his arms, expressing that
this cute girl only belonged to him. He hoped that Mahiru’s sweet
expression was only shown to him, and he was the only one in the world
who could act spoiled to her in return.
Amane’s fascination with Mahiru had reached such a point that he
wanted Mahiru to be completely his.
“Unexpectedly, my perception of love was so heavy…” Amane
laughed at himself in his mind, but Mahiru appeared to be inexplicably
happy and shy.
“…I’ve noticed one thing that changed in you after we started dating,
Amane-kun.”
“What is it?”
“Amane-kun can honestly express his feelings and love for me.”
Mahiru shyly looked up at Amane, not only was she not bothered by
the heavy feelings that Amane felt himself carry, but also cuddled with him
hoping to accept all these feelings.
Amane found that he had indeed become more candid than he was
before.
The long-buried emotions in his heart finally bloomed. He hoped to
cherish his girlfriend and not confuse her with his words and deeds. For
this, he would naturally speak in a softer tone, clearly expressing his liking
for Mahiru, so as not to make her feel lost.
“That’s the thing, just talking or just relying on your own attitude isn’t
enough. I heard that if you can’t express your feelings well, your love won’t
go smoothly.”
“That really suits what you do, Amane-kun.”
“Don’t you think it’s a good thing?”
“No, of course, I think it’s good, but… um, sometimes it’s not good for
my heart.”
“You’re too sleazy.” Mahiru pouted up slightly.
(That look is so unreasonably cute) Amane thought to himself while
patting her head.
“How can you say that? You treat my heart so badly too sometimes”
“What did I do?”
“You’re too adorable sometimes and you do some things without
realizing it. It makes me restless.”
“…You’re not good for my heart either, Amane-kun.”
After saying so, Mahiru began to lightly hit Amane’s chest. Amane
couldn’t fight back in the same way, so he only poked her cheeks.
“Amane-kun, something came up today. I’ll be going home separately
this time.”
After school had ended, Amane planned to return home with Mahiru
as usual, but she suddenly notified him otherwise.
Normally, they would return together since they were neighbors.
Amane hadn’t thought that she would make such a request and ended up
staring at her, deep in thought.
Even if Mahiru had something to do, she would often go with Amane.
Since she tactfully refused to include him this time, there must’ve been
something she didn’t want Amane to know.
Judging from her expression, Amane understood that it wasn’t
anything bad, so he wasn’t worried.
The nights during the summer arrived late. As long as she didn’t take
too long to finish her business, there wouldn’t be any issues, but Amane
was still sad about not being able to stay with her.
“Well, that’s okay, I’ll see you later then.”
Amane knew that Mahiru would still spend time with him at home,
and so he respected Mahiru’s wishes.
Mahiru seemed relaxed now that Amane had accepted, but then
suddenly realized something, seemingly worried.
“…Please don’t go home with other girls.”
“Do I look like the type of person to do such a thing?”
“I don’t think so, but there may be a girl who would invite Amane-kun
herself… it’s not impossible, so I don’t like it. Also, there were some girls a
while ago who asked to talk to you…”
It was a miracle that Amane stayed silent.
(…I-Is she jealous?)
Anyone who saw Amane’s attitude towards Mahiru would find it
impossible to invite him out, but Mahiru still seemed worried.
Also, the girls who asked to talk to him earlier supported their
relationship, and only wanted to congratulate and cheer them on. There was
nothing to worry about.
Mahiru looked a little uncomfortable, looking up at Amane with
anxiety. Amane, who thought this entire debacle was too cute, had the urge
to pat her head. However, looking around at the mass of people, he gave up
on the idea.
The last time he did such a thing, many bystanders were petrified by
Mahiru’s smile. He was careful not to repeat the same mistake.
“It’s okay, my heart is only for you. I won’t agree to other people’s
invitations. The most that will happen is Chitose dragging me around
somewhere.”
“…That’s okay.”
Chitose seemed to be within the permitted scope. After all, she had
Itsuki, so she couldn’t look at Amane that way.
Hearing Amane say this, Mahiru relaxed again and looked up at
Amane, this time wearing a shy expression on her face.
“Also, it would be bad if you misunderstood me, so I’ll tell you where
I am going.”
“You don’t need to keep it a secret?”
“…Uh-huh”
Although she said it wasn’t confidential, Amane felt her hesitation.
However, it seemed she still wanted to tell him so Amane waited.
“Then, it’s that… I’m going shopping.”
“Really? Then what’s there to be shy about?”
“Chitose and I… are going to buy swimsuits.”
“Swimsuits?”
Indeed, in July the mall officially began to sell swimwear.
There was an area specializing in swimwear in the mall that Amane
frequented often. Amane clearly remembered that some girls in the class
said they were going to buy some.
However, Amane never thought that Mahiru would buy swimsuits by
herself.
After all, Mahiru didn’t know how to swim.
She once said that because she didn’t want to swim, she chose a school
that didn’t make swimming lessons a compulsory subject.
Because of that, Mahiru needed to buy a new swimsuit.
“…Don’t you want to go to the pool together…?”
Mahiru shuddered and shrank shyly. Amane froze when he heard her,
and then covered his face.
(…Don’t say that with such a cute expression)
Unsurprisingly, the classmates who stayed in the classroom were all
looking at Amane’s side.
From the dull looks to the warm smiles, the various expressions
toward Amane made him feel embarrassed and ashamed, unable to calm
down. Amane’s heart was beating violently when he saw Mahiru’s shy
expression, and since he was being stared at in this atmosphere, he wanted
to dig himself a hole to crawl into.
“…That’s it. Then… you go.”
“Okay, okay… which type of swimsuit is better?”
“The kind that’s not dangerous.”
Amane had to answer immediately.
With a figure like Mahiru’s, no matter what kind of swimsuit she wore,
she would look great, but it’s best if she doesn’t show too much skin.
After all, Amane had been dating Mahiru for a few weeks, and he’d
still barely seen Mahiru’s exposed skin.
At school, Mahiru would button up all the way to her neck and wear
tights. Dressing up so tightly often made people worry if she was ever too
hot.
At home, the clothes she wore always covered her chest, and most of
her skirts were the long kind. When wearing shorts, she also wore a
pantyhose or leggings.
In other words, Amane has hardly seen the skin of Mahiru’s body.
After all, there was no chance to.
In this situation, if Mahiru chose a sexy swimsuit Amane would surely
faint.
Seeing Amane decisively say this, Mahiru’s eyes widened at first, but
then she smiled softly.
“That’s Amane-kun’s style.”
“I would drop dead. Fancy styles are no good.”
“Hmph, what should I do~?”
“Mahiru…”
“I shall discuss it with Chitose and choose the one that will make
Amane-kun the happiest.”
Looking at the shy Mahiru, Amane tightened his lips.
(I need to send a message to Chitose, I’d better tell her not to
recommend her any extreme swimsuits)
This matter was not only one of life and death to Amane; He would’ve
eventually had to stop Chitose in the future anyway.
Chitose seems to be with some friends from another class, so she
wasn’t in his classroom. Amane decided to send her a message, and then
poked Mahiru – who seemed to be planning a prank – on her face.
✧₊✦₊✧
In the end, Mahiru didn’t tell Amane what kind of swimwear she
bought. Instead, she changed the subject and dodged the question by saying,
“Please look forward to the day I wear it.”
Although Amane urged Chitose, it was difficult to say whether she
listened to him. On the contrary, Amane felt that she would happily
recommend something saying “I’m sure Amane will like this” and then give
a highly revealing swimsuit to Mahiru.
“Please don’t be a fancy one.”
Amane’s self-talk echoed in the bathroom, but only he could hear it.
As Mahiru took the initiative to take care of the dishes, Amane left her
to clean up after the meal. She was taking a shower to wash away the sweat
sticking to her body, but her appearance in a swimsuit lingered in Amane’s
mind.
Amane is also a male high school student, of course, he wondered
what kind of swimwear his girlfriend decided to wear.
The way she showed off her slender body without reservation would
be fascinating without a doubt. Mahiru originally had a rugged figure, if she
put on a bikini despite this, Amane definitely wouldn’t be able to look
directly at her right away.
What Amane just imagined made his heart beat noisily and his body
turn hot. Although they’re symptoms related to soaking in the bathtub, he
became hotter in another sense of the word.
(…Any kind of wear would really suit Mahiru, but I’d be too
embarrassed to even look at her. Also, would I be able to properly stand
next to her?)
Amane has the right to look at Mahiru, and he has the right to be by
her side, but standing next to Mahiru will make him look inferior in all
respects.
Looking at his body, he’s still far away from his ideal build. Although
Amane didn’t have cellulite and the bumps on his abdominal muscles were
visible to the naked eye, he still hasn’t reached his ideal body shape just yet.
In the eyes of others, the impression left by his body is primarily ‘skinny,’
and he wouldn’t be regarded as a reliable-looking or stylish man.
Amane thought it would be better if he had stronger bones, but given
that both his parents were quite thin, it was probably hereditary and
therefore no solution. However, Amane was pretty tall, for which he was
very grateful to his parents.
“…Let’s hit up Kadowaki, I’ll do more muscle training.”
His foundation has been defined, but apparently, his recent muscle
exercises happened to be a little insufficient. He now had to increase the
intensity of his exercises within the range that he could tolerate. By the time
he wears his swimsuit, his body shape should be better than it is now.
Now that he has decided to stand beside Mahiru, he mustn’t neglect his
efforts. Even if it’s just to increase his self-confidence, he has to work even
harder.
He sighed and soaked half of his face in the water.
Amane thought about Mahiru’s appearance in a swimsuit and imagined
himself standing beside her, now beginning to worry more and more, he
ended up taking a bath for much longer.
Usually, Amane only soaks for about 10 minutes, but this time it takes
more than half an hour. One could tell how distressed he is.
It took him three times as long to take a bath, and it was a little more
than half past 10 at night. Amane confirmed through the waterproof clock
in the bathroom, just to make sure. Mahiru usually returned to her own
apartment at 10 o’clock, so she should’ve gone back by now.
’It’s natural she’d go back,’ Amane concluded. He wiped off the
excess water dripping from his body and quickly put on some clothes. Since
he’d been soaking for too long his body was very hot, so he didn’t put on
his shirt and planned to rely on the air conditioner to cool himself off.
Only wearing a pair of sports pants with a bath towel wrapped around
his head, he left the dressing room and walked back to the living room. If
seen by his parents, they’d probably say that Amane is being ‘sloppy’ and
then warn him with a ‘be careful of upsetting your stomach.’
Wondering whether there were any good programs on TV, he strolled
into the living room. As he did this, he spotted some familiar flaxen hair
drooping over the back of the sofa.
(So she hasn’t gone back just yet)
Normally Mahiru wouldn’t be here at this time, but this time seems to
be a rare case.
She lowered her head slightly, her arms moving about. She was
probably studying what she would’ve revised in her own home. Seeing
Mahiru’s continued efforts, Amane approached her with admiration.
“You’re still here at this time. It’s really rare to see you at this time.”
Amane picked up the remote control on the table and spoke to the
concentrating Mahiru as he changed the channel. Then, she seemed to
notice Amane and raised her head, but then solidified.
“Ah, um, um…”
“What’s wrong”
“W-why, shirtless…”
After taking a shower in summer, Amane would often dress like this,
and he didn’t think it was that strange. On the other hand, Mahiru visibly
panicked, covering her face with her palm, and red skin could be seen
between her fingers.
“It’s really hot right now?”
“I-I’m still here, please don’t dress like this”
“No, I thought you already headed back… it’s already 10:30.”
“I planned to talk with Amane-kun and then go back.”
Amane understood the reason why Mahiru was still here, and sat next
to her.
Immediately afterward, her shoulders shook suddenly and Amane
couldn’t help but laugh.
“…Are you still shy?”
“That’s for sure!”
“However, since you bought a swimsuit, you do plan to see my
swimsuit too, right? I don’t think I’m as exposed now as I am in a swimsuit.
Is that okay?”
“Well…”
Mahiru said that she bought a new swimsuit to go swimming with
Amane.
In this case, she should’ve thought of both of them wearing swimsuits
together.
In other words, seeing Amane half-naked was a prerequisite.
Nevertheless, she was now embarrassed when she saw Amane’s half-naked
body, which made Amane worry about whether she would be able to go to
the pool.
Since she was this shy when she looked at Amane, he questioned
whether or not she could stand the swimsuits of all the other men around
her.
Even before they became lovers, Mahiru was embarrassed to see
Amane half naked, indicating that she was reluctant to see a man show his
own skin. It was hard to say whether she can go to places like swimming
pools and the seaside.
“…I’ve got a swimsuit prepared, but we might not be able to go to the
pool.”
“I still want to go.”
“Then get used to it now?”
Amane is less exposed than his swimsuit right now. This is an
opportunity for Mahiru to get used to it, but Mahiru shook her head again
and again.
“I, I can’t do it. If Amane-kun looks like this, I just can’t do it.”
“Why?”
“…Amane, Amane-kun, you look so sexy.”
“Sexy?”
“Amane-kun, you just finished taking a bath, and I can’t take it.”
From the very beginning, Mahiru didn’t meet Amane’s eye-to-eye, and
it seemed it wasn’t just because she was looking at his body.
Even if Mahiru says he’s sexy, Amane himself thought he has no
charm. However, Mahiru didn’t seem to think so.
Indeed, Amane would be incredibly charming when he had just taken a
shower. The person she likes right after getting out of the shower would
appear like that in Mahiru’s eyes.
Usually, Amane was the one embarrassed by Mahiru. Just now, when
he saw Mahiru’s shy face, Amane’s sadistic nature was slightly kindled, and
it made him feel a little happy. However, if he goes too far Mahiru would
become too shy to bear with it.
“If you really don’t like it, I’ll go and put on a shirt.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t like it… Please, please wait a moment, I’ll try
harder.”
“If you can’t stand it after you try again, then I’ll still put my clothes
on--”
“I, I want to get used to it now! Because I want to go swimming at the
pool with Amane-kun later.”
After saying so, Mahiru glanced towards Amane’s side and his face
flushed, his eyes drifted around aimlessly. Hearing Mahiru’s pitiful
determination, Amane calmed himself and watched her give it another
attempt.
Amane didn’t ridicule Mahiru’s reaction much more, because if the
person in Mahiru’s position was him, then he would definitely not know
where to put his gaze either, and he might even just run away.
“I’ve been watching Amane-kun’s recent efforts. I can see the results
of Amane-kun’s hard work. I am also very happy that I have always
supported Amane-kun.”
“Um”
“No, but… it’s that… Recently, Amane-kun has been a bit too
handsome. Since he gained confidence, Amane-kun has been too handsome
and can’t stand it, Amane-kun is also bad-hearted!”
“Bad--”
“You’re the one making my heart beat so fast, Amane-kun.”
“…This isn’t right.”
Amane knew that he was making Mahiru’s heart beat faster, but
Mahiru thought that Amane’s heart was calm, which surprised him. Now
Amane’s heart was acting just like Mahiru’s, beating faster than usual.
What’s more, Amane had to sit right next to Mahiru, and he had to
worry about ‘holding it in,’ something she didn’t have to worry about. For
Amane, the wicked one was clearly Mahiru.
Amane thought that Mahiru would eventually understand her own
feelings, so he stretched out his hand to Mahiru and hugged her slender
body with both his arms.
Probably because she didn’t look at Amane carefully enough, Mahiru
was careless for a moment to let Amane easily hug her, and even her face
was now attached to Amane’s body.
The small body in his arms trembled conspicuously.
“Amane- Amane- Amane- Amane-kun!”
“…You can scold me later for sexual harassment or you can run away
right now, but I just want you to experience exactly how I’m feeling now.”
Hugging each other while shirtless is something Amane wouldn’t have
usually done. Rather, Amane would never intentionally appear shirtless in
front of Mahiru, but there was nothing he could’ve done today.
“In other words, my heart is also beating non-stop right now… Since
after all, I am a male, so there’s nothing wrong with Mahiru.”
Of course, Amane knew very well that he was responsible for the
current situation, so he wasn’t blaming her, but besides, even being alone
with his lover at night is enough to make Amane unable to calm down.
Therefore, it was certainly impossible that Mahiru’s heartbeat alone
sped up.
In his arms, Mahiru’s cheek pressed against Amane’s chest, her face
flushed. She seemed to hear Amane’s heartbeat and blinked repeatedly in
surprise.
Feeling that Mahiru had understood what he meant, Amane released
his hands from Mahiru’s body, but Mahiru continued to lean on Amane’s
body and had no intention of getting up.
“…I’m sorry to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“No, I didn’t feel uncomfortable… It’s just that, that… leaning into
Amane-kun’s arms like this, I thought that Amane-kun really is masculine.”
“Then what did you think of me before?”
Amane felt that Mahiru had just said something a bit rude, and
frowned slightly, but seeing her eyes panicked and her body trembling,
Amane eased the expression on her face.
“No, it’s not that I didn’t think that before. It’s just that… touching
Amane-kun directly like this… it made me feel that Amane-kun is very
masculine.”
Although a little hard to tell, Mahiru expressed her feelings to Amane.
As she spoke, she stretched out her hand and stroked Amane’s body.
Although hesitating a little, her movements were very careful and gentle, as
if she were handing a fragile object. Rather than being shy, Amane felt
fidgety.
“…Amane-kun, you’re so thin…”
“Sorry, I look pretty unreliable, right”
“No such thing. It’s harder and stronger than I expected, so I’m
surprised…”
Mahiru slowly traced the center of Amane’s body with her fingers.
Although Amane doesn’t have any prominent muscles, thanks to his
exercise he was still firm and solid. Mahiru’s fingers crossed Amane’s
abdominal muscles, seeking how it feels.
Although he said it was for Mahiru to get used to seeing his skin, now
itchiness, embarrassment, and shame were all rushing up together, forcing
Amane to grit his teeth in order to stop himself from making any weird
sounds.
“I haven’t touched a male body before. It feels very firm and it’s
surprising...”
“…Feel free to keep on touching if you want, but if you touch me too
much then something troublesome will happen.”
Mahiru raised her head and blinked as she gazed at Amane. Despite
the evident shyness in her eyes, they were extremely pure. Seeing Mahiru’s
flawless eyes, Amane realized that he was the only one enduring and was
slightly annoyed.
However, the feeling of her fingertips touching his skin made Amane’s
body react quite badly. At this point, he still had time left to stop her. He
didn’t want to make Mahiru afraid.
“You’ve been touching me for a while, so maybe I’ll touch you too”
Amane jokingly touched Mahiru’s waist lightly, but then she shook her
body with a “…Yeah”. Mahiru was always extremely ticklish, and even a
light touch would make her tremble. Amane didn’t exert much force, but
she made a very sensitive reaction to his movements regardless.
Amane originally planned to touch Mahiru for a while and then stop if
she gets angry, in which case he’d immediately let go and apologize. But
Mahiru was shyer rather than angry. She squinted lightly and then pressed
her forehead into Amane’s chest.
“I…, I like being touched by Amane-kun, so I don’t mind but um…
don’t tickle me please.”
Mahiru’s whole body was completely being embraced, and she raised
her head to look at Amane. It seemed that she had no awareness of her
offensive capabilities.
Mahiru’s words, Mahiru’s expression, Mahiru’s eyes, Mahiru’s
posture, and Mahiru’s sweet breath all destructively eroded Amane’s
rationality, and there was only one last blow he could endure before
Amane’s rationale finally collapsed.
Amane bit his lower lip with his teeth, barely suppressing his impulses
with pain, and looked towards Mahiru’s cheek. There was neither
doubtfulness nor warning in her eyes, just a pure, innocent expression.
“…Is it really okay to touch you?”
“Why not? I already said that I want you to touch me, Amane-kun.
Since I touched you first, you can touch me back too.”
“No, no, it’s true I made the mistake first, but our current situation
really isn’t good… you know what I mean?”
Amane felt that Mahiru didn’t realize their current situation, and there
was no turning back once they went a step forward, so he asked her in a
confirming tone. After hearing that, Mahiru blinked several times, then a
shade of red gradually appeared across her face.
Mahiru’s small mouth opened and closed as if she was about to say
something, but she shrank back in silence and lowered her head.
She didn’t appear to be running away, but her ears peeking through her
hair were dyed red, presumably from shame.
“Umm, that is, that’s… later, let’s talk about it then…”
Mahiru squeezed out this sentence as best she could, and begged
Amane for a breather. Amane turned aside and nodded when he heard her.
“…I beg this of you too… I might’ve gone further if I wasn’t careful…
I am afraid that I’ll act on impulse.”
The rationality of a male high school student was simply unreliable, so
seeing Mahiru’s unsuspecting demeanor, he might just hug her directly into
the bedroom.
Amane has already decided to cherish Mahiru. In the future, he also
wanted to gradually cherish each and every minute, second, and experience
they had together. Amane was unwilling to let his instincts go wild and
advance straight to last base with Mahiru. Not to mention that if it happens,
it’s Mahiru that would be affected, not Amane - it would also be her who
would be in more pain.
Amane also tried his best to squeeze out this next sentence of his.
When Mahiru heard it, she trembled and secretively peered at Amane.
Amane endured the shame that he just couldn’t hide, and gently touched her
head.
“Please. I want to cherish you, so pay more attention.”
Amane told her gently. “I-I will try my best...” In Amane’s arms,
Mahiru responded shyly in a voice lacking confidence.
A month had now passed since starting their relationship.
Amane hadn’t even kissed her actively until now, and he didn’t know
how he should go about getting closer to Mahiru.
Although he and Mahiru had held hands and hugged each other, they
didn’t go any further than that.
A few days ago, Amane had embraced her while naked in the upper
body but didn’t do anything more. If Itsuki heard of it, he’d definitely
laughed at him. Of course, Amane felt that the judgment he made at the
time wasn’t wrong, but he also understood that it wouldn’t be surprising if
he was accused of being a coward.
Amane wanted to deepen his relationship with Mahiru, but he was
afraid to go any further. If she rejected him, or if he hurt Mahiru and made
her cry, Amane would never forgive himself. He also knew that this was the
reason why people called him a coward.
Amane glanced at Mahiru, who was sitting next to him.
A few days had passed since Mahiru said that he could touch her.
Although she had been a little restless the next day, she probably knew that
Amane didn’t plan on doing anything too much, and now she reverted back
to her prior mental state. Amane was thinking that the attitude of the person
doing the touching, himself, was a problem, but inevitably he was just
nervous.
“…What’s wrong?”
Mahiru noticed Amane’s look on his face, but she didn’t seem to
notice Amane’s inner conflict.
“Uh, that is, how should I say it… well, I don’t know how I should
touch Mahiru.”
“I want to touch you, but I wouldn’t dare to touch you so casually,”
Amane added in a low voice, being frank. These words seemed to remind
Mahiru of what happened a few days ago, her eyes widening as they started
to drift away.
Mahiru seemed to have completely forgotten about it, and her reaction
couldn’t help but make Amane laugh.
“Hmm, what does Mahiru want me to do?”
“…Why are you asking me?”
“Well, that’s because you’re the one being touched? I don’t want to do
things you don’t like, and I want to be gentle with you as much as
possible.”
It was absolutely out of the question for Amane to make Mahiru feel
unpleasant. Amane would be condemned by his conscience and reason, and
if his parents caught wind of it, he would definitely be scolded by them.
It was inevitable that he would be at a loss since it was his first time
doing so. If Mahiru was dissatisfied, Amane would also be hurt inside, so
he hoped to satisfy Mahiru’s desires.
With such thoughts in mind, Amane looked straight at Mahiru. She
wriggled her body, unable to sit still, and simply leaned on Amane’s
shoulder.
“Well, Amane-kun only needs to do what he likes, and I can accept it.
Just don’t tickle or pinch my stomach.”
“…There is not enough fat there to pinch your stomach though, right?”
“I do a good job managing my body as a girl, but regardless of whether
there is fat or not, I wouldn’t like being pinched there by my boyfriend.”
“Ah, I didn’t plan to do something that annoys you, but… is it really
okay?”
“I said it’s okay.”
Although Mahiru clearly said it was okay, she still seemed a little
embarrassed. As soon as he touched her shoulders, Amane could feel a
slight tremor.
Amane was happy to comply, yet at the same time, he reminded
himself to be careful.
He had a strong urge to caress her, but Amane didn’t know where to
begin. After hesitating for a full ten seconds, Amane held up Mahiru, who
was leaning on him and gently hugged her body.
Amane found that Mahiru’s petite body was shivering slightly in his
arms, so he patted her back with gentle movements to relieve her stiffened
body.
This careful action was just to tell Mahiru that Amane didn’t plan to do
anything that scared her, so she relaxed her body and leaned back on
Amane.
“…Don’t worry, I won’t do anything weird.”
“I-I’m not afraid… well, I don’t know if I should be shy… but I am
still expecting something else.”
“Expecti-?”
“Mm… a kiss, or something…”
Mahiru pressed her face to Amane’s chest and murmured while she
shrank. This time it was Amane’s turn to tremble.
“…I-I know that Amane-kun likes me very much, and I also
understand that Amane-kun cherishes me like treasure…but, I think,
Amane-kun should love me more.”
Mahiru said something touching and affectionate in Amane’s heart.
The usual Mahiru was radiating cuteness in all directions, and now she
unconsciously threw all that cuteness directly at her lover at once. Thanks
to Mahiru, Amane’s head and reason were beginning to falter.
Amane was afraid that if he didn’t pay attention, he would pick her up
and bite her skin directly. He had to substitute her with his lip to restrain the
impulse with pain.
“I didn’t intend to urge Amane-kun, and I also know that my request is
too…, too shameless…”
There was a mixture of shy and apologetic expressions on Mahiru’s
face as she whispered in a weeping voice. Amane really couldn’t help it
anymore and buried his face into her shoulder.
“…This is bad.”
Mahiru seemed to hear Amane’s whisper and was shaking anxiously.
Amane worried that the other party had misunderstood his meaning, so he
stared at Mahiru’s tearful eyes.
“Beyond this point is bad. I don’t think I can control myself after
hearing those words, and I don’t want to let you go.”
“Think about how I feel when I hear such sweet words,” Amane
muttered and tightly hugged Mahiru’s body.
“I think Mahiru should cherish herself more.”
“I-I do care for myself, but I love you, Amane-kun, so I want to do
this.”
“Please stop for now… don’t say such dangerous words anymore. You
can’t test a man’s rationality like this.”
“Test…?”
“…If you know just how much I love you and still say stuff like that,
then you really are a little devil.”
Amane also thought that Mahiru could’ve tempted him like this
because he was always unwilling to make a move. However, he then
rejected that idea since he thought she was too innocent to do such a thing.
Regardless, that meant Mahiru had tempted Amane without even realizing
it herself, which terrified Amane’s sanity.
Probably noticing that Amane was trying his best to endure, Mahiru’s
cheeks were slightly flushed, and she looked up at him with a coquettish
look.
“…I believe in Amane-kun?”
“I always feel that the trust you have in me is somewhat a bit too
much.”