Chapter 65: Secretly, Just the Two of Us #3 |
“What do we do now...?”
“... I don’t know.”
That was our conversation, standing motionless in the room, gazing at the remnants of our intimate encounter scattered around.
The blanket, shoved aside in the midst of our actions, was fine. The pillows were sweaty but otherwise in good condition. However, the bed cover absolutely needed washing.
Taking it out meant Miyuki’s family might see it. This is why I didn’t want to do it... I blame myself for not resisting the temptation of the moment.
But then again, who could resist after seeing Miyuki’s body? Isn’t it strange not to? I was only doing what was natural.
So I rationalized in my head, convincing myself of my just actions.
“Shall we crack open the door to check if it’s clear, and if it is, rush to the bathroom to hand-wash it?”
“The laundry soap and such are in the laundry room... And the detergent too...”
“No, we can’t... It’s already...”
Miyuki trailed off, her gaze dropping to her lower half.
Soaked through her shorts, she stood there. Unable to bear putting on her even wetter panties, she was now in a panty-less state.
“Matsuda-kun...! Don’t look at me like that...!”
Caught with a lascivious gaze fixated on Miyuki’s lower half, I quickly shook my head.
“Alright.”
“It’s ridiculous... even in a situation like this...”
Isn’t it better than hiding my thoughts?
“So, how are we going to handle this?”
“Hmm... Ah...!”
As if struck by a brilliant idea, Miyuki clapped her hands and pressed her nose against me.
Sniffing around, she finally spoke.
“My parents don’t really come looking for me if I’m not in my room! Matsuda-kun, unlike me...”
Miyuki suddenly caught her breath.
She seemed about to say that I wasn’t as disheveled as her, but then embarrassment seemed to hit her. After rolling her eyes briefly, she quickly continued.
“Since... you’re in better shape than me, go downstairs first and pass the time. I’ll quickly wash and bring down the cover and blanket after I shower. If Mom and Dad ask where I went, just say I went to take a shower.”
“What if they suspect why you’re taking a shower all of a sudden?”
“It’s hot today... It’ll be fine. I do it often...”
“I smell like sweat too.”
“You smell good...”
I lifted my arm to sniff my armpit. Miyuki chuckled at my action.
“I’m telling you, you don’t smell.”
“I get it... but I feel uneasy. Wouldn’t it be better to go together and get it done quickly?”
“But I need to shower...!”
“So do it. You shower, I’ll do the laundry.”
“But there’s only one bathroom on the second floor...”
“So?”
Miyuki was momentarily stunned by my nonchalant suggestion of showering together. Her mouth agape, she stared at me incredulously, her face turning red in real-time.
“Are you crazy...? No way...”
“Why not.”
“Why not? We just can’t... First, Matsuda-kun, go check if the hallway is clear. I’ll start rolling up the cover...”
As Miyuki finished speaking, she cautiously began to gather the bed cover. She bundled the blanket and underwear inside, making a parcel of sorts, then frowned at me standing there dumbfounded.
“What are you doing...?”
“I was watching you.”
“Why...?”
“Just because.”
“....Go, go check first...”
I quietly opened the door and peeked through the slight gap. Glancing down the corridor, I could faintly hear Midori and Wateru conversing on the first floor. Kanna seemed to be in her room.
“There’s no one around.”
“Can I go out now?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay... Oh, and Matsuda-kun. That, that...”
Miyuki’s gaze drifted towards my lower half. It seemed like she wanted to ask if I had cleaned up properly... I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I cleaned up thoroughly. Right in front of you.”
“... I didn’t see it... Anyway, you go ahead... I’ll follow soon...”
“Just a minute.”
I turned to embrace Miyuki but hesitated upon seeing the bundle she was holding. Recognizing my intention, she blushed and giggled shyly.
“Hug me later...”
I smiled wryly at her, now devoid of the earlier mischievous air, and stepped out of the room without making a sound. Then, Miyuki and I exchanged glances on the stairs before heading down to the first floor.
***
“Auntie.”
As I called out to Midori, who was intently staring at the Go board, she responded while pondering where to place her next stone.
“Hmm?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to place it here? It would limit the white stones’ space and disrupt their formation.”
“Really? Here?”
“Yes, right there.”
Midori placed a black stone where I had indicated. A look of frustration replaced Wateru’s previously confident expression.
“Hey... Hey! Didn’t you say you don’t know how to play Go?”
“I don’t.”
“But you saw that move?”
“Just a feeling...”
Wateru’s agitated reaction caught Midori’s attention, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a bright smile.
“Looks like you’ll have to do the shopping tomorrow.”
“We’re not done yet... wait...”
Midori chided him as he began to nervously shake one leg, “Don’t shake your leg. They say it makes you lose money.”
Wateru just ignored her words and said, “... Matsuda, stop giving advice from now on.”
“You were the one asking Matsuda-kun for help just a while ago... Why so petty? Is it that important to beat a beginner like me?”
“I just don’t want to go to the market this weekend.”
I like his honesty. Anyway, Wateru’s reaction indicates that the move I played must have been critical.
Is this the so-called protagonist’s buff in action? Or just the luck of a true beginner?
Probably the latter. Go is a sport that requires mental, not physical skill. It makes no sense for someone like me, who’s physically able but not the sharpest tool in the shed, to have a talent for Go.
“What are you doing? Why Go?”
Miyuki, having finished her shower, inquired. Midori, who had been focusing on the game, scolded her.
“You take such a long shower with guests around?”
Miyuki glanced at me, giving me an awkward smile.
“I... it’s hot, so I just...”
“No matter how hot, isn’t it a bit rude to keep guests waiting?”
Feeling somewhat guilty as if I were the reason she was getting scolded, I saw Miyuki give me a brief glare and then apologize sincerely.
“Sorry... I’m going to start studying again, so I’ll take Matsuda-kun with me.”
“Again? Why not just go out and have fun?”
“That won’t do... We need to work hard to avoid failing the midterms...”
Saying that, Miyuki gestured for me to follow her. As I stood to leave, Wateru sighed in relief, while Midori looked somewhat disappointed. I excused myself and left with Miyuki to return to our room.
The window was wide open, with the blanket spread out on the frame, and a fan whirling fiercely inside the room. And the bed cover was precariously draped over the wall where the clock was hung. Even a hairdryer was plugged into the socket.
Looking at the setup Miyuki had prepared, I asked,
“Are you planning to dry them like this?”
“We don’t have much choice... Mom and Dad are downstairs, so we can’t go to the laundromat...”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay... we both wanted it...”
I pulled Miyuki into my embrace and kissed the top of her head, which smelled sweetly of plums. Then we began to chat and diligently work on drying the cover and blanket.
The weather was fine, and the wind was quite strong. The blanket and cover weren’t very thick, and Miyuki had wrung them out well, so drying them didn’t seem like it would take too long. But knowing Miyuki, she’d probably run them through the washing machine late at night anyway.
“What about your sister?”
As I dried the cover with the hairdryer, I asked. Miyuki replied,
“I listened at her door after my shower... I didn’t hear anything. She might be sleeping.”
Just as she said this, relieved,
Thump thump!
“Miyuki! Lend me a book! Something brainy!”
Kanna’s clear voice came from outside the door.
Right, it wouldn’t be complete without such a cliché.
Startled, Miyuki looked at me. After a brief moment of stunned silence, she regained her composure and headed to the desk. While I folded the cover and blanket, she took out a few books from a storage labeled [Mystery Novels] and went to the door.
Click.
“Here, read these...”
Miyuki, only slightly opening the door, handed over the books. Kanna, receiving them, asked,
“Are you studying with Matsuda-kun?”
“... Yeah. About to start...”
“I heard the hairdryer.”
“Was drying my hair...”
“Why dry your hair?”
“Just showered...”
“Why did you shower?”
“It’s, it’s hot...”
“Do you want some fruit or snacks? Should I bring some?”
Kanna’s face, peeking through the door gap, was lit up with mischief, not just brightness. Her voice too was full of playfulness.
‘She knows.’
Even if she didn’t know the specifics, she definitely sensed something intimate had happened here. This makes me even more curious about her reaction. I feel like saying I’ll stay over tonight.
“No, we don’t need it...”
“Too bad. Are you going to study now?”
“That’s what I said...!”
“What are you studying?”
“Why does Unnie care...! It’s not like you’re studying with us...”
“I want to study too.”
“Why would you study...! Just go...!”
Watching an agitated Miyuki, Kanna chuckled, left a meaningful comment about having fun, and then closed the door quietly.
“...She knows...”
Miyuki, hand on her chest as if her heart was racing, spoke softly.
“Yeah. Seems like it.”
“What should we do...?”
I smiled gently at Miyuki, who was worrying more than necessary.
“Judging by how she joked about it, I don’t think it’s something she’s taking too seriously. Just talk to her later. She might react much better than you think.”
“Really...?”
“Definitely. And I’m sorry. For making things complicated.”
After my sincere apology, Miyuki’s expression softened. She came closer and gently fixed my hair, saying,
“It’s okay, isn’t it? We both wanted it...”
Tap, tap.
As I locked eyes with Miyuki, a sound hit the window frame. It’s starting to rain. With flashes of lightning in the distance, it seems like a downpour is imminent...
Every time Miyuki and I do something romantic, it rains like this. Is there something to it? Somehow, this rain felt like a part of us, and it lifted my spirits.
Did Miyuki think the same? With a smile lingering on her lips, she closed the window and said,
“We can’t leave until all this is dry.”
“Okay. Shall we continue?”
“Yeah. But don’t use the hairdryer.”
Kanna’s words seemed to linger in her mind. I let out a light laugh, nodded, and spread out the cover in front of the fan, while Miyuki spread the blanket next to me.
“Mom and Dad were playing Go earlier, right?”
“Yeah. They bet on who has to do the shopping tomorrow.”
“They always do that. And then end up going together no matter who wins.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“So they’ll be busy with Go for a while and won’t come up here, right?”
“Who would know better, you or me?”
“Why do you always have to be so contrarian? Don’t get annoyed.”
“Isn’t that what you said earlier as well?”
Mentioning our intimate moment made Miyuki’s head droop. Seemingly annoyed at my nonchalant way of talking, she lightly stepped on my foot and pressed down.
As we bickered, I thought to myself. It was a relief that things had gone smoothly without much trouble.
Still, I should refrain from doing such things here in the future. It’s okay if Kanna notices, but it would be awkward if Wateru and Midori found out.
***
After finishing up everything, I returned home in the evening and gulped down some water. The rain continued, just as intense as expected.
Sigh… If I don’t close the window, Miyuki will nag me.
Imagining Miyuki scolding me – Matsuda-kun! I told you to close the window! Why don’t you listen! – I closed the window and flopped onto the bed.
It’s a bit too early to call Miyuki since she said she was going to bed tired... Should I tease Renka? No, there’s something else I need to do. That’s to further my relationship with Chinami.
As I had thought before, it’s up to me to create events with Chinami. So what should I do? Like when I went out of my way to meet Miyuki during vacation, should I take the initiative to make events happen?
I opened the messaging app to send a message to Chinami and noticed her profile picture had changed.
The usual cute, round-faced peach character now had an angry expression.
Something definitely happened with Chinami.
This was a perfectly and artificially timed opportunity when I had some free time...
If I ignore this, I’d be failing as a Love comedy protagonist.
I immediately tried starting a conversation with Chinami.
[Sensei, what are you doing?]
Not long after, I got a reply.
[Right now, I’m outside.]
[What are you doing outside?]
[I’m stuck in a difficult situation.]
I knew it.
[What kind of difficult situation?]
[It started raining heavily out of nowhere, and now I’m stranded.]
[Why don’t you take a bus or a taxi? Or buy an umbrella?]
[Haha, I lost my crossbody bag with my wallet and transportation card in it.]
Why are you saying it like it’s something to be proud of?
[At least you didn’t lose your phone.]
[I was holding it in my hand.]
[Don’t you use mobile payments?]
[No... I should have registered my card for it.]
[Where are you now?]
[I’m in Ikebukuro.]
Why is she alone in a busy area? I’ll ask that later. For now, I need to take care of Chinami.
[I’ll come to get you soon. Send your location. I’ll drive you.]
[W-what? No, it’s okay. I can just browse the department store until it stops raining.]
Or she could contact her parents. Or ask a friend nearby for help.
Whatever the case, I’m making my move first.
[I checked the weather forecast. It’s going to pour all night.]
[Really?]
No, I didn’t actually check that.
[Yes. So mark your location and send it to me. I’m free right now, so I’ll come.]
[Ah... if it’s not too much trouble, could I impose on you?]
[I’ll just take a peach ice cream from you later.]
[Alright. I’ll give you two as a thank you.]
Today feels like two days in one. Thank you for losing your crossbody bag, and thanks for being so careless.
Gratefully expressing my gratitude to Chinami in my mind, I got up from the bed and grabbed an umbrella.
︵‿︵‿୨ * ୧‿︵‿︵
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