Within Arm’s Reach
A Guy’s Determination
Mizuto Irido
I surveyed the entrance to a convenience store a decent distance from our house for no particular reason. If I went straight, I’d hit the shelf with the onigiri on them. If I made a left, that’d get me to the magazine rack. Then there was a certain area that I never usually paid attention to, but today, I couldn’t help but zero in on it.
I couldn’t help but remember how, when I was in middle school, I’d gone to a pharmacy to procure a certain item, but I didn’t know where they were, so I had to go around the huge store twice. Even after finding it, it had taken me another three laps around the interior of the store until I’d worked up the nerve to actually grab it. I must’ve looked so suspicious, I was surprised I hadn’t been reported for suspected shoplifting.
But today was different. I finished everything on my first try. I bought a drink I didn’t really want, headed towards the magazines, picked out a manga magazine at random, flipped through the pages before putting it under my arm, and then extremely naturally turned around. There, I saw a good number of boxes with white masks drawn on them, but they weren’t what I was looking for. I dropped my gaze to the shelf beneath them and spent a few seconds looking around until I finally saw them. They’d been hidden between the bandages and wet wipes as if they were trying to tell me that they weren’t to be touched.
I ignored the fancy design on the package. All I could focus on were the numbers on the small box that read “0.01 or 0.02.” The only ones who’d understand the meaning to those numbers were the people who came here with the will to buy these products.
For a few seconds, I stared at the masks before steeling myself and casually looking back down at the small box at the bottom of everything. The differences between the small boxes were just the numbers representing how many were inside each one and the number value of the items themselves. Last time, I’d thought that it’d be best to buy ones with more as long as they were the same price, so I’d bought a box of twelve.
But could I make the same decision now? Maybe quality was better than quantity in this case. If I was gonna buy these, then it’d probably be better to go with something nicer. It’d probably be better for her that way too, right?
That being said, buying a three pack was kinda... I mean, going off of pure simple math, it was four times as expensive as a pack of twelve. Hypothetically—strictly hypothetically—if we ran out, I’d have to go out and buy more. I don’t think I could survive having to come back over and over again to buy these. Worst-case scenario, we’d run out in the middle of things...
If that happened, could I really trust myself to think straight? I shuddered imagining the situation. If that happened, I might’ve ended up making a mistake I’d never be able to take back. If I wanted to avoid that risk as well as show consideration and respect to her, then the choice was clear. I decided to buy the six pack for a thousand yen. But as I reached for it, a thought crossed my head. Do I really need them?
After tomorrow, dad and Yuni-san were going on their trip, leaving me and Yume alone for two and a half days. I’d thought that we might need these, especially since the ones I’d bought in middle school had vanished from my desk about a year ago. But do I really need these? I’d been ready to use them before, but ended up fumbling the attempt completely.
No. I grabbed the box. It doesn’t matter if we go through with things or not. I should have these. It was partially my show of will as well as my responsibility. Surely I had matured from my childlike thinking from middle school and gained the ability to think about things more optimistically.
So then I took the box of contraceptives to the counter, hiding it behind the manga magazine I was holding. I might’ve had the determination to buy them, but I wasn’t nearly brave enough to buy them without anything hiding them.
A Girl’s Determination
Yume Irido
I...really bought it. I was currently in my room staring at the clothing I’d laid out on my bed. I didn’t normally put that much effort into picking something like this out, since it wasn’t meant for showing off, but I had an upcoming opportunity to do just that. I mean, sometimes it’s nice to just buy something cute for yourself, but this wasn’t for me.
See, the “clothing” I’d bought just so happened to be lingerie. I had no doubt that a hundred percent of people would agree that the baby doll and matching panties in front of me were lingerie. I’d chosen to get something with an intricate flower design that was mostly black—a color I didn’t wear too often. If that’s all it had going on for it, one might’ve written it off as an expensive-looking set of underwear, but there was more to it. The top of the cups and the sides of the panties were made of see-through lace.
The translucent fabric would display the skin underneath, both heightening the confidence of its wearer and alluringly hiding just enough of the naked body, only allowing for small glimpses. By doing so, it would entice its prey to approach, almost like a carnivorous plant. Lingerie was meant to be shown to the opposite sex.
Most people called this the underwear that one would wear when going in for the kill. I’d been thinking for a while that I might need lingerie. After all, I was living with Mizuto. Who’s to say that when our parents weren’t around, we wouldn’t get in the mood sometime?
But also, buying lingerie could’ve been interpreted as me hoping for that kind of situation to arise, which was incredibly embarrassing, so I’d put it off. I’d also been busy with the student council, so I’d ended up dragging my feet until today. As soon as our parents had announced their trip, it was almost as though a deadline had been set. I’d...had to buy it.
I knew that I’d regret this for the rest of my life if I chickened out. My thinking was that I should at least have things ready just in case. I’d researched what I should buy a long time ago, so when I got to the lingerie shop, it honestly didn’t take too long to make a decision. When I put the lingerie over my clothes, I felt a strange sense of excitement from how adult it made me feel. But after that excitement faded, I was left with an unprecedented amount of anxiety. The fact that I had the lingerie meant that in the near future...it would happen.
What am I thinking? Of course it will! That’s why I bought the lingerie! My inner voice was practically screaming this. Even so...having something so related to the event made things feel fake, somehow. I couldn’t help but ask myself if this was really happening and it wasn’t just one of my fantasies. It was as if I was trying to run away from reality. I would hear rumors every now and then that people saw me as the student council’s ambassador of morality. For the record, President Kurenai was the ambassador of coolness, Aso-senpai was the ambassador of seductive cuteness, and Asuhain-san was the ambassador of tsunderes. I’ve never seen her act sweet, though. Rumors were stupid, but I couldn’t help but keep in mind what people thought of me, so I ended up acting the way they expected someone with high morals to act. But now, I’m finally gonna...
I paused as a slight nervousness ran across my body, making me tremble.
No. Nuh-uh. Calm down, Yume. You’re being way too self-conscious. We’d been home alone without our parents plenty of times, and nothing had happened. Having a piece of lingerie like this—that’s essentially just underwear—was totally fine. I might not have known what I was going to do with it, but I knew it was better to have than not. That’s all it was. There was no deeper reason than that. Thinking that, I neatly folded it all up and put it away in a drawer.
Now, with those black, see-through articles of clothing out of sight, I felt like I could finally breathe again. Sheesh. Our parents haven’t even left yet, but the way I’m acting is gonna raise eyebrows. How long did we have to put it off? It’d already been a year since we’d started living together. We’d been stepsiblings for an entire year already. I thought about this while going down to the first floor.
Mizuto arrived at the exact same moment. “Hey.”
“Oh. Welcome back.”
“Thanks,” he said, greeting me as he normally did before slightly nodding and walking past me.
As he did, I realized that he was carrying something under his arm. A manga magazine? Since when did he buy those? As I tried to figure out this puzzle, I realized something else. There was something inside Mizuto’s jacket pocket. It was a little bulge that opened his pocket a little, allowing me to catch a glimpse of a small box with a familiar design. I know what that is. About a year ago, I threw something like that away.
I clammed up as the sound disappeared around me, only leaving my loudly beating heart in my ears. Oh. I see. We’re...really gonna do it.
Day One: Part One
Mizuto Irido
“Bye, kids!” Yuni-san said.
“Bye, have fun!” Yume said.
“You can reach out if anything happens, Mizuto.”
“I get it already. Don’t worry about us,” I muttered, brushing off dad’s worry.
Then our parents said goodbye to us one more time before leaving. After the door shut behind them, Yume and I were left standing there, listening to their footsteps and voices disappearing farther and farther into the distance. Eventually, Yume slowly lowered her hand.
Not a word was said between the two of us as the silence became increasingly louder in the entrance. Starting today, for two days and some change, it’d just be us here—unsupervised.
There was absolutely no fear of anyone overhearing our conversations or need to be careful about anyone seeing us together. No matter what we did...we didn’t have to worry about frantically stopping whatever we were doing because our parents might stumble in on us. We could keep going and going without stepping on the brakes.
Still, neither of us could find the words to say. Sounds like the floorboards creaking became amplified. Most likely, Yume was shifting her weight to one of her legs. Being able to hear that was proof of how heightened my senses had become in this situation.
What should we do? Even though we’ve already been living together for a year, I have no clue where to go from here. At the very least, staying in this silence is dangerous. The longer this goes on, the longer we’ll be trapped in this situation and the less we’ll know how we should handle things.
“So—” I was finally able to open my mouth, but at that exact moment, there was a loud click from the changing room, making my shoulders jump slightly.
Most likely, it was the lid of the dryer unlocking because the cycle was done.
“I-I...” Yume stammered, obviously flustered. “I’m gonna go fold the clothes...”
Then she scurried off to the changing room as if she were running away. Is she running away from me? Or did I let her go? But as I watched her disappear into the changing room, I also couldn’t help but wonder if she might be wary of me. No way...right?
Day One: Part Two
Yume Irido
“Hey—”
“S-Sorry, I’m busy!”
He tried again later.
“You got a sec?”
“Oh, I... I need to go grocery shopping!”
Then again later.
“Hey.”
“Sorry, phone call!”
Each time he tried talking to me, I ran away. Despite it finally being just the two of us, I kept running from him. There were so many things I’d wanted to do with him, but I got so nervous whenever he called out to me that I had to run away because I couldn’t handle it.
It was still early in the day, so I should’ve known that he wouldn’t be trying to jump right into things. But when night came... Thinking about that, I couldn’t help but become more and more aware of what was potentially to come.
Are things going to work out? Will Mizuto ask me...tonight? But how? What will he do? I couldn’t imagine what was going to happen even a half day into the future, but it was making me so incredibly anxious. I might’ve been overthinking things. This all might’ve simply been my usual overly self-conscious side talking. In the first place, that small box I’d gotten a glimpse of yesterday might not have even been what I thought it was. It could’ve been a box of candy for all I knew.
By the time I’d cleared the negative thoughts from my head and calmed down, Mizuto was calling out to me while I was on my phone in the living room.
“Hey,” he said.
This time, I wasn’t going to run away. I just needed to stay calm and talk to him like usual. “Yeah?” Good. Just like this. Keep things normal. There’s no guarantee that something’s happening toni—
“Do you know where the...nail clippers are?”
Nail clippers? Though something about that caught my attention, I couldn’t figure out what the intention behind him asking about them was.
“I’m pretty sure they’re...” I got up and went to a small drawer by the door and pulled them out. “Right here,” I said, offering them to him.
“Thanks.”
As Mizuto took them from me, I looked at him. It was just a fraction of a second, but from what I saw, it didn’t seem like his nails were really that long. Usually, he found maintaining his nails to be too annoying, so he’d wait until they got really long to cut them. Before I knew it, my heart was beating quickly before I realized why. He’s cutting his nails just in case? Oh, right. I guess that’s one of the things to do in preparation.
“U-Um,” I suddenly called out to him as he turned around. “Let me have them after you...okay?”
I’m not misreading the situation, nor am I being overly self-conscious.
Day One: Part Three
Mizuto Irido
While I tried to look calm by focusing on reading, night fell. This was around the time that Yuni-san would happily be cooking. Realizing that I’d yet to talk to Yume about dinner, I went down to the first floor. As I opened the door to the living room, I heard the sound of the refrigerator door closing.
“Oh...” Yume turned around to face me from the kitchen.
In her arms were various vegetables, tofu, and other items from the refrigerator. I walked to the kitchen as she put everything down by the sink.
“So...I was thinking about making dinner for us. Well, I mean, it’d pretty much just be miso soup, but...”
“What about the rice?” I asked.
“It’s cooked.”
I looked at the rice cooker, which was currently keeping the rice warm, before moving next to Yume. “I’ll help.”
“Th-Thanks...”
“I’ll be eating this too. Of course I’m helping.”
Over the past year, Yume’s cooking skills had developed to about the same level as mine. There was absolutely no worry in leaving all the cooking to her, but it kinda felt like I was being that kind of guy, and I didn’t like that.
I took my position next to her and silently helped. After we were all done, we had miso soup, a salad, and store-bought hamburger steak on the dining table. Lastly, Yume brought our rice over and sat down. Yume neatly took off the apron she’d been wearing and then took a seat where Yuni-san usually sat, right across from me.
“Thanks for the food.” Yume politely put her hands together before starting to eat.
I followed suit, picking up my chopsticks, and for a bit, there was nothing but the sound of our utensils and bowls. The silence hurts. Usually, I wasn’t bothered by it, but today was an exception. After all, when we were done eating, we’d take a bath, and then... By that time, I was supposed to have worked up the nerve to do what was gonna come next, but it didn’t feel like I was even close.
I turned on the TV with the remote. Despite never watching the type of show that was on, the cheerfulness of it somehow soothed me.
“Hey...” I wasn’t sure if it was because of the TV, but Yume hesitantly began asking me something. “Do you...have any plans for tomorrow?”
“No... Not really.”
“Oh...”
“You?”
“Me neither...”
“Oh...”
Then silence once again. Our conversations were going nowhere. It wasn’t as if we were constantly having conversations at home, and we weren’t exactly chatty when we’d dated in middle school either. So the fact that we weren’t really talking to each other wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary, but for some reason, today felt worse than usual.
Since no words were really exchanged, I finished my meal quickly. Before I knew it, the plates in front of me had been cleared, and I was full. As a result, there was no need for me to be here anymore. As a last-ditch effort, I tried to stick around by washing my own dishes, but that had a limit.
Yume brought her plate and everything over a little later. “See you...” she said, surprising me.
“Yeah,” I said, grasping at straws to buy more time. “I’ll clean the bath.”
“Oh. Yeah... Thanks.” Yume nodded before leaving the living room.
Are things really okay like this?
Day One: Part Four
Yume Irido
I sighed, exhaustedly looking up at the bathroom ceiling as I soaked myself up to my shoulders in the hot bathwater. We hadn’t done anything, but today had been so stressful. I might’ve been more anxious than on the day of the entrance exam. At any rate, this was when things got real.
I loosened up my tense body with the hot bathwater and then got out to stand in front of the mirror. I wiped away the fog on it and checked out my naked body in the opening I’d made. I’m okay...right? I didn’t see any excess fat around my stomach, and there weren’t any marks from my underwear. I felt very justified in all the effort I’d gone through to care for myself.
Now all that’s left is... I looked down at my breasts. I’d honestly gotten a little bigger over the past year. In terms of bra sizes, I was about a C or a D a year ago, but now I was an E cup. When I had gotten measured at the lingerie shop, I’d been surprised that my top bust had grown from eighty-one to eighty-five centimeters.
Sure, I was normal in comparison to the crazy ninety-eight centimeters of Higashira-san, but I was apparently on the thinner side in regards to underbust, much to the envy of the store clerk who’d helped me. Most likely it meant that overall, I was at a good size, and that they should feel...good. I had someone with a 60F and someone with an H cup around me, so it was hard to tell, but I was pretty sure I was right.
Currently standing in front of the mirror was a girl fondling herself with a stern expression. Maybe the world was against me having any kind of confidence. I had a body that would usually make anybody feel confident, but those two girls were so abnormal and irregular that my self-esteem was struggling. It was also funny that they were the same two people who I couldn’t even imagine ever getting a boyfriend.
Mizuto was used to seeing Higashira-san’s boobs. Would I really be able to compete with her? No... No way, right? After futilely fighting against reality with my boob massage, I spread some soap onto a towel and carefully washed every last nook and cranny of my body. I had my own good points. I had no choice but to trust that.
After I was done, I carefully washed my hair until I felt ready.
“Okay...” I muttered before stopping the shower.
Tonight’s the night. I’m going to climb the steps to adulthood. I’m finally going to finish what I started two years ago. I’m ready. Let’s do this!
My heart beat loudly as I used the blow dryer, and again as I heard Mizuto come out of the bath. Then, once more when he bid me good night outside of my room. Then again as I lay in my bed under the sheets.
Uh...huh? My eyes had become accustomed to the darkness as I lay there, staring holes in my ceiling. As I did, I couldn’t help but wonder how I was going to bed without anything happening. Huh? Why? Why?! Was today not the day?! I’d thought this would be the day to retire as the student council ambassador of morality. I’d thought that as it got later into the night, there’d be more or less be some kind of signal, and he’d end up on top of me! Then I paused my thoughts, realizing something. “More or less”? “End up”? What’s with all those wishy-washy ideas? Now I see. It’s all clear to me. I’m an idiot. How could I not have realized this?
For normal couples, being in the same room was already some kind of signal to engage in those kinds of activities. A couple living together would usually already have had their first time together, so they probably had some kind of signal for when they were in the mood. Mizuto and I had neither of those.
We lived together, but had yet to have our first time together. We had no kind of signal at all. We had no way of knowing when it was time. It was impossible for us to know when the other person was ready! The only way was for one of us to come out and say that we wanted to get down and dirty!
Day Two: Part Zero
Mizuto Irido
Morning came, and with it, a wave of lethargy that felt like an adhesive mud. Nothing happened... There had been no sexy mood between the two of us, and Yume hadn’t come to my room either. Of course she hadn’t. Just because our parents weren’t home didn’t mean that things would just naturally progress to that.
If I didn’t express what I wanted to do—or conversely, if she didn’t—then nothing was gonna happen between the two of us. But also, there was one very clear reason I hadn’t made a move. Coming out and declaring that I wanted to get down and dirty with her was just way too embarrassing.
Ideally...in a perfect world, she would’ve made it obvious that she was okay with the idea, giving me the green light. If she did, it would’ve made it easier for me to say something. Without any kind of sign, it’d just seem like I was pressuring her and it’d turn her usual slander of calling me a closet perv into a true statement. In other words...
Day Two: Part Zero
Yume Irido
In other words, initiating things was the losing move. As I carefully washed my underwear for the ensuing battle, I finally understood the rules. With my pride as the ambassador of morality, I couldn’t be the one to initiate. It’d simply be too embarrassing.
In conclusion, I needed to drag the words out of him instead! That’s the game we were playing. We both only had one first time, and it was time to see who’d reign supreme. The battle that would hang over our heads for the rest of our lives had already begun!
Day Two: Part One
Mizuto Irido
I changed out of my pajamas, left my room, and took one step after another down the stairs. I felt my will becoming stronger with each step I took. We’d been annoyingly stubborn about a lot of things until now. We used our sibling rules as a stupid way to try and get a leg up over each other. We’d done this so many times in this house—a stupid battle trying to gain a sense of superiority over the other person by trying to show how one person was so one-sidedly into the other, and vice versa.
This would probably be our final battle. Tonight, we’d probably finally get rid of the natural barrier between guys and girls. The outcome of whose efforts would bring that about would affect our very future.
In middle school, I’d always thought I was one step ahead of Yume. But now, Yume was on the student council while I was just a normal student. I had to teach her that titles meant nothing. I’m not ready to be left in the dust by you, and I need to shove that in your face. I need to prove that your boyfriend is still the same guy you look up to.
So with that in mind, I decided not to show any of my desires so easily. I wasn’t going to let our once-in-a-lifetime experience be called a folly of youth. I yanked the frosted glass sliding door into the living room aside. It was too late to be called morning or early afternoon, so I knew that an honor student like Yume was already awake. As expected, she was sitting on the couch reading a book.
She noticed me and looked up. “Morning.” After that short greeting, she went back to her book.
“Morning...” I said back to her before walking to the kitchen.
I grabbed two slices of bread and put them in the toaster, setting it for five minutes. In the meantime, I got water out of the refrigerator and drank some while shooting Yume a side-glance. She’s keeping a poker face... Doesn’t she know what I’m going through?
When the toaster chimed, I put the toast onto a plate and brought it to the dining table, then went back to the refrigerator to get butter. As I coated the toast with butter, I used my other hand to check Isana’s account on my phone.
After a while I heard Yume suddenly call out from the couch. “Hey.”
“Hm?”
Yume twisted her body to turn to me. “What do you wanna do about tonight?” I felt my heart jump out of my chest. Wait, does she mean...? “For dinner.”
Hearing these words made all the tension in my body dissipate. Oh, she’s talking about dinner? “We can make something or just order in. They left us money for food.”
“Let’s make something, then.”
“Why?”
“We don’t get the opportunity to make meals for ourselves very often.”
“That’s your only reason?”
“Ordering in with just the two of us feels like a waste.”
Oh that’s what you mean? “Sounds like a pain...”
“I can make dinner by myself if you want.”
“Pass. Not sure if I fully trust you yet.”
“You of little faith...” Like hell I’ll let this all end with me missing our window because I get food poisoning! “Then let’s go shopping later.”
“Don’t we have stuff here?” I asked.
“Yeah, but I don’t know what to make.”
“If we’re just making curry or fried rice, we can get it done with what we have.”
“That sounds like a meal for a guy living by himself!”
“Who are you trying to show off for?”
“I’d rather you interpret this as your cute girlfriend trying to show off her growth,” Yume said, frowning.
I snorted. “Fine.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll go with you as the bag holder and advice giver.”
“And since when did you have the right to act all high and mighty?”
After that, Yume went back to her book. After finishing my toast, I didn’t really have a reason to stick around, so I left. It all felt too routine for us. Does she really understand what’s going on?
Day Two: Part Two
Yume Irido
I had one advantage: I’d seen that Mizuto bought contraceptives the other day. But Mizuto had no idea! In other words, Mizuto was not aware of whether or not I was prepared to do it. He might not have known I was ready, but I knew he was. There was a high possibility that in this situation I could lead him on and also act like I had no interest, seducing him without him even noticing it! All I had to do was naturally stimulate him. That way I could get him in the mood without actually having to come out and say anything!
I was going to use this advantage, which was so big it practically ensured my victory, spend the entire day egging Mizuto on to bring home the win. When night came around, I’d attack and get him in one fell swoop! This was the best course of action!
Day Two: Part Three
Mizuto Irido
Holing up in my room wasn’t gonna get me anywhere, so I came up with an excuse to go down to the living room. As usual, Yume was there as if she was waiting for me, but it wasn’t as if I had anything to talk to her about, so it wasn’t long before I found myself back in my room. Unfortunately, it felt like I was running away with my tail between my legs, which slightly grated on my pride.
By the time it was three in the afternoon, I was getting peckish, so I used that as a new excuse to go back downstairs. I’d had udon for lunch, but it didn’t keep you full for too long, so I decided to look around for a snack.
As expected, Yume was still there. Most likely, she’d finished her book, which was why she was now watching TV and browsing her phone. Seriously. It’s like she owns the living room. As I opened the cabinet in search of something to snack on, I noticed from the corner of my eye that Yume’s gaze had fallen onto me.
“You want some cookies?” she asked.
I turned around and saw that there was a plate with a stack of cookies on top of the coffee table.
“Where’d those come from?” I asked.
“From me. Akatsuki-san taught me how to make them when she helped me for Valentine’s Day.”
“So they’re homemade?” That’s a pretty girly thing for you to do.
Yume wryly smiled. “Well, yeah. I haven’t tried to make them when mom’s around because she’d tease me.”
“Oh. Gotcha...”
Parents loved to overreact when they saw their kids doing something out of character. That was partially the reason I’d never said anything to my dad about having a girlfriend in middle school. It would have been too embarrassing.
Since I couldn’t find anything I wanted to eat, I decided to take Yume up on her offer and indulge in some of her cookies. As I walked over, she opened up a spot next to her, and I took it without making a fuss.
Just as I did, I felt my pocket vibrating. “Hm?” I took out my phone and saw a familiar name; I was getting a call from Isana Higashira. “Hello? What’s up?”
“Hello, I’ve something I wish to discuss with you.”
“Yeah?”
We’re done with the April Fool’s picture, so she should be working on a new one, unrelated to any seasonal event. Though normally discussion was to be praised, Isana’s topics of conversation weren’t productive, nine times out of ten.
“I don’t seem to be able to prevent the nipples from showing.”
“Not surprised.”
“Not mine!”
“I know. So, what do you want from me?”
To the untrained ear, this might’ve sounded like a straight-up vulgar conversation, but it wasn’t to me, so I tried to give her my full attention. As I did, Yume suddenly leaned against me.
“Mizuto-kun?” Isana asked.
I must’ve stayed silent for longer than I expected. “It’s nothing...”
I glanced at Yume, who was now resting her head on my shoulder, similar to what happens when you fall asleep on the train. She was looking up at me as if she wanted something. Do you want attention? I’m on the phone with Isana right now. You do know you’re a person, not a cat interrupting someone at work, right?
“As I was saying, the girl I’m drawing doesn’t wear a bra when she’s at home!”
While listening to Isana’s passionate explanation, I mouthed to Yume, asking her to move away. But she just mouthed back her refusal, and instead began rubbing the back of my hand. I couldn’t tell if she was acting this way because I was talking to Isana or because it was the second day of us being alone in the house.
“What my heart desires is the fantasy of a beautiful girl who has impossibly perky breasts! To that end, it is imperative that I casually, however blatantly, depict the fact she is not wearing a bra!”
“I mean, in that case, couldn’t you just have her wearing a strapless bra or something?”
“Keep your ideas to yourself and allow me to draw nipples!”
“So that’s what this is all about...”
While I continued the conversation with Isana, I used my free hand to deal with Yume. As I did, the situation evolved in terms of difficulty. Yume’s head slid from its position on my shoulder to my lap. As I looked down at her, her lips curled into a smile, which made it obvious she was up to no good.
“I wish to be intimate with a girl whose nipples are visible beneath her clothing! I’m speaking of how I wish I could live a life in which I am a guy whose eyes inevitably fixate on a girl’s nipples, even if I have no intention of doing so! There’s value in a SFW-only artist such as myself occasionally dipping her toes in more lewd art!”
Can you stop saying “nipples” so much, especially considering the situation I’m in? When I looked down to see if Yume was able to hear our conversation, she was reaching towards the table to grab a cookie. Then, she brought it near my mouth with one hand.
She grinned as she mouthed for me to open wide. I doubt she’ll be deterred if I ignore her. Ultimately, I resigned myself and opened my mouth slightly before she shoved it in. It’s sweet. A little hard around the edges, but the taste gets passing marks.
“Are you...eating something?” Isana asked as I munched on the cookie.
“Sorry. I’ve got cookies.”
“This isn’t the time! I’m baring my heart to you about this serious topic!”
I’m sure that’s true in your mind. I felt a little bad, especially because I had no doubt that she’d be pissed if she could see what was happening on the other side of this phone call. I could easily see her saying something about how she was perfectly happy without a real-life example.
But of course, Yume wasn’t like the girls Isana was talking about, who’d be so unguarded that they’d let their nipples show through their clothes. Yume was wearing her usual knitted off-shoulder sweater with a knee-length pleated skirt, paired with familiar black stockings. The only person who’d go around the house in the kind of outfit Isana was envisioning was probably Isana herself.
Yume continued to take cookies from the plate and bring them to my mouth, and I continued eating them while listening to Isana ramble endlessly about her fantasies, or rather, whatever her imagination could conceive.
“Fine,” I conceded. “As long as they’re not too conspicuous.”
“I’ve your permission?!”
“If we lean too hard into being SFW-only, it’s gonna hurt your brand down the road when I let you draw whatever you want. Just make sure you do it in a tasteful way that won’t lose you any of your female fans.”
“Leave it to me! There’s no better person for the job since I am a bona fide girl myself!”
“See, that’s what worries me...”
“I’ll send you the rough sketch once I’ve completed it!” Isana said excitedly before hanging up.
Finally, I could move my phone away from my ear. After I did, I just stared down at Yume, who was still curled up on my lap.
“Seriously?”
“Did she notice?” Yume giggled. Her behavior suggested she wouldn’t have cared even if we had been caught.
“What would you have done if she had?”
“Nothing. We’re dating,” she said matter-of-factly.
“We were having a serious discussion, you know?”
“But I...” Yume rolled over and buried her face into my stomach. “Every now and then I want to be like Higashira-san... All over you.”
Her sweet, almost childlike plea struck a chord in me, and I knew exactly why. If I were the same as I’d been in middle school, the cuteness, preciousness, or the endearing attributes of her actions might’ve put me down for the count. But I was a little bit more callous than I was back then. I didn’t let any of what I was feeling show on my face.
I ran my finger through a lock of her hair while whispering, “She hasn’t been too clingy lately.”
“Yeah, but she was before.”
“It wasn’t that bad, right?”
“When you two watched a movie here, she was lying on your lap.”
“Oh, right...”
“It would have been totally natural if you’d started fondling her.”
“Even she would’ve gotten pissed off if I’d done that.”
Then again, I can picture her instead simply berating me, not for fondling them, but for not giving her any warning. Yume glanced at me before turning her body again, this time so that she could look up at me. She extended both her arms up like a dog surrendering.
“I...wouldn’t get pissed off, though.”
I looked down at her, forgetting to breathe as the two swellings wrapped in her knitted sweater welcomed me in. Wait...is it possibly time for that? But it’s not even night yet. Then again, there’s no law or anything saying these things have to happen at night.
I thought back to about a year ago when we’d just started living together and Yume had come out of the bath, wearing nothing but a towel. Both of us had almost lost our minds, leading us to nearly cross the line on this very couch. If our parents hadn’t come home right then and our lips had touched... I had no doubt that we wouldn’t be the same people as we were now.
“Liar...” I said, delaying things again. “I’m sure you’d get pissed. You’d be all on my case for not choosing a better time or place.”
Yume stared at me for a bit before her face loosened. “True. You got me.”
“Of course I did. It’s already been a year since we started living together.”
“Yeah, I can’t believe it’s already been a year...” Then Yume sat up and ran her fingers through her hair to straighten it up before standing up. “Wanna go shopping now?”
“Yeah... It’s gonna be busy.” I stood up too. “I’m gonna get my coat,” I said, leaving the living room.
I still had no clue whether or not she’d been serious or joking about being okay with me touching her boobs. Even so, I’d been able to confirm one thing. You’ll be okay so long as I choose the right place and time, right?
Day Two: Part Four
Yume Irido
“What are we making?” I asked Mizuto.
“Curry or fried rice.”
“Are those the only two things you can make?”
“Those two are just the least of a headache to make. It’s a waste of time to spend ages cooking.”
“I get what you’re saying, but still...”
“What do you wanna make, then?” he asked.
“Hm... How does omelet rice sound?”
“That’s a pretty clichéd suggestion...”
“Rude.”
“Well, worst-case scenario, it’ll just end up being stir-fried rice with ketchup.”
“Don’t make it sound like you’re convinced I’m gonna mess up putting the omelet on top!”
We continued our debate about dinner as we walked around the supermarket. There was no trace of nervousness between us like there’d been a year ago. This was no more than an errand to us. I used to look down on my middle school self as being a kid, but looking back, I was plenty childish just last year. I began thinking about what I’d lost while we made our way to the meat section.
“Hm.” Mizuto stopped in front of the pork. “We could do ginger pork instead.”
“It’d taste good, but...”
“But what?” he asked.
Ginger has a smell to it, doesn’t it? I’m not sure if I want the memory of my first time to be sullied by curry or ginger. Sure, the ketchup from omelet rice might present the same problem, but I think it’d be a simple matter of brushing our teeth.
“O-Oh, hold on,” I said, pretending like I’d received a message. I turned my back to Mizuto so I could look at my phone.
I quickly searched whether or not ginger pork gave you bad breath. Wait, what? It has the opposite effect?!
“Sorry about that! Just got a quick message,” I said, putting my phone away and turning back to him.
“You good?”
“Yeah, it’s not life-or-death or anything. So what was that about ginger pork again? I think it’s a good idea.”
“Okay, then. Let’s buy the pork,” he said.
“Yeah.”
It might actually be the perfect dish for today. What a coincidence... Wait, is it a coincidence? Don’t tell me he suggested it on purpose... We made our way to the produce section after putting two people’s worth of pork into our basket.
“Do we have cabbage at home?” Mizuto asked.
“Uh...we might not.”
“But we have ginger at home—the kind that comes in a tube, right?”
Mizuto efficiently led us around the supermarket as he carried the basket. Is this all a part of his plan? Is he making preparations for tonight? Is the real entrée tonight not the pork, but me?! No. Nuh-uh. There’s no way he knows what’s going on in my head. Besides, sexually speaking...there’s no way he’d be so straightforward in his approach. At the very least, I was sure that he was thinking about things, and he’d chosen the ginger pork because he was hoping that things would turn in that direction. Or at least I think so... Probably...
After buying what we needed, we left the supermarket. Mizuto carried what little we’d bought without a word. The sky was already growing dark, meaning night was coming...a night that I’d remember for the rest of my life. I felt a pleasant nervousness while matching Mizuto’s walking speed. I didn’t feel particularly worked up or anything. I surrendered myself to the natural silence between us and felt the presence of my family member next to me.
“This feels kinda nostalgic...” I said, finally breaking the silence. Mizuto slightly turned his head towards me. “It’s been a while since we’ve passed the time by so peacefully.”
“True. You’ve been busy with one thing after another lately.”
“Yeah...”
I’d been working on getting used to my new life at school and living with Mizuto, all while doing my best to maintain my grades. From the second semester onward, I’d worked on the cultural festival committee and met President Kurenai.
After joining the student council, I’d had new experience after new experience. I’d had to negotiate with clubs and committees, had to help with preparations for school matters, and I had even gone on a trip. Finally, right as the year ended, Mizuto and I got back together, and we’d been working hard to make sure that neither anybody at school nor our parents found out.
“Everything I was busy with felt so new. I kinda liked it...” I’d never had these experiences in middle school. I hadn’t been capable of much, so my world was small. “But yeah, it’s nice having these kinds of moments too,” I said.
Everything required stamina. Though I’d looked forward to the seemingly endless school activities, in reality, after doing them, I couldn’t help but find myself being tired every now and then. When I did, I felt so happy and fortunate that I had someone who could pull me away from it all.
I was probably incredibly blessed. In the past, I’d been extremely unhappy with who I was as a person. I’d worried about how I was going to act like a normal person, but that all turned on its head when I met Mizuto.
I wouldn’t blame anyone for saying I was shortsighted because that’s exactly what it was. If I hadn’t met Mizuto, I doubt I would’ve tried to change. I wouldn’t have even attempted a high school glow up. As cringeworthy as it might have been, my life was influenced by love. But that’s how I became the person I was today. The only reason I was going in the right direction is that I fell in love with Mizuto. If it’s Mizuto—the guy I’m walking side by side with—then...
“Mizuto?” I asked shortly, not waiting for his response before I grabbed his hand and leaned against him, feeling his warmth.
“What’s gotten into you?”
“Want me to stop?”
It’s okay. I know it is. He hasn’t seen through my resolve. I’m just being a cute girlfriend and this is just a cute girlfriend’s brand of physical intimacy. Actually, no. This war of attrition and stubbornness is probably a form of our physical intimacy. It’s like stretching before exercising...before destroying the last wall between us.
We both fell quiet and didn’t say another word until we got home. All I could hear was my heartbeat quickening.
Day Two: Part Five
Mizuto Irido
We finished eating dinner without incident. The ginger pork turned out perfectly, and nobody got hurt julienning the cabbage. There were no awkward silences as we ate dinner. We had a perfectly normal conversation about the books we were reading and the start of the school year in April.
“You can take a bath first.”
“You sure?” I asked Yume.
“I’m gonna take longer,” she said.
I took her up on her offer and submerged myself up to my shoulders in the bath, heaving a long sigh.
“Okay...” I said softly.
Then I took more care than usual cleaning myself before switching with Yume. After I was done, I went upstairs to begin preparing.
Day Two: Part Six
Yume Irido
After getting out of the bath, I first stood in the changing area in just my towel so I could dry my hair. After I finished, I grabbed my change of clothes, which included the battle underwear that I’d left out to dry in my room after last night’s failure. Luckily, they’d dried in the nick of time.
I got the feeling that the sexy lingerie I’d bought didn’t really suit me, so until the very last minute, I thought about wearing my usual underwear, just a cuter pair, but ultimately, I’d decided to go with the determination I’d had when I bought the lingerie.
I fit my boobs into each of the cups. I would never say it to Aso-senpai’s face, but this was a part of a girl’s charm. After checking myself in nothing but my underwear, I put on my pajamas.
“Okay...” I said softly before leaving the changing room, undoing my hair from its usual low pigtails hairstyle. Then I exchanged looks with Mizuto as I entered the living room.
Day Two: Part Seven
Mizuto Irido
I glanced at Yume as she came into the living room after finishing her bath. She walked over to me wordlessly and sat next to me on the couch. There was about a person’s space between us. If I reached out, she was right there. If I didn’t, she felt insurmountably far away.
We stayed in silence, but it didn’t feel like an awkward one this time around. If anything, it was a bashful one. We were covered in a ticklish silence that stemmed from a mixture of anxiety and nervousness.
While we continued to not say anything, I put my hand on the couch, about halfway between us. There were certain things that needed to be spelled out. It was tough to get the timing right, but we managed it. By placing my hand there, I was signaling to her what I wanted without being too obvious about it. I believed that we had a connection of trust strong enough that she’d understand without me having to say anything.
Day Two: Part Eight
Yume Irido
I put my hand over the hand that Mizuto had put down. I gently squeezed it, making him slowly look at me.
I slightly smiled and whispered, “I win.”
Literally, Mizuto had been the one to make a move first.
But then he grinned. “Don’t you remember talking about the right place and time?”
“Oh...” Well, what do you know? Looks like I spilled the beans already. “Should I call you ‘Onii-chan’?”
“Why?”
“The rules,” I said, bringing up what we’d decided on a year ago.
“Oh... Nah, forget it.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re not stepsiblings right now.”
Oh, right. That’s true. Mizuto squeezed my hand back and quietly got up. I followed his lead.
“You...nervous?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he responded immediately, but he was gently smiling. “Not nearly as much as you were when you asked me out, though.”
“Can you forget about that? That was forever ago.”
I used my free hand to lightly tap on his chest, making him softly chuckle. Then, we left the living room, holding hands. There was nobody else but us in this house, but we still went up the stairs quietly. As we entered the second floor’s hallway, I lightly tugged his hand.
“Mizuto...”
“Hm?”
“Let’s do it in...my room.” Mizuto turned to look at me. I could feel my face getting red. “If...there’s blood, and someone sees, then...”
“Oh... Right.” Mizuto sheepishly looked away. “Good idea. Let’s do that...”
He didn’t put up a fight, seemingly sensing what I was trying to say. His understanding of what I was thinking felt so nice.
Then the two of us walked into the same room, our fingers entwined.
Day Two: Part Nine
Mizuto Irido
The light flickered on, revealing Yume’s room—a sight that I’d become accustomed to. I’d only really seen glimpses through the crack in her door, but because of how busy she’d been with the student council, both her desk and floor had been messy. She’d obviously cleaned up since then.
Her room was also warm thanks to her heater being on. She must’ve turned it on before taking her bath. After all, it was still plenty chilly in March.
Yume closed the door behind her and let go of my hand to grab the remote by her pillow to dim the lights.
“U-Uh, so...” Yume, noticing my gaze, turned around and stammered out an explanation. “I-I was just thinking that it’d be better if it wasn’t so bright...”
“Yeah...probably...”
I found myself looking at the window. The curtains had already been closed. Yume sat on the edge of her bed, and I hesitantly took a seat next to her. She nervously began running her hand through her hair, but it wasn’t as if she was especially worried about it being messed up and she needed to fix it. She was simply unsure of what to do next.
Everything was already set in motion; that’s why it was best for me to take the lead here, so I gently touched her shoulder.
Day Two: Part Ten
Yume Irido
I unintentionally let out a soft yelp as I felt Mizuto’s hand on me. He pulled back.
“Oh...” I nervously looked at Mizuto, thinking I’d messed up.
He was stuck in the same position, halfway between raising his hand and trying to touch me. I could sense a nervousness that was absent from his usual levelheaded persona, making me giggle before I even knew it.
“You’re so cute,” I whispered.
Mizuto looked unhappy with my words, but seeing him like this only made me want to play with him more, so I gently gripped his raised hand and began rubbing his palm with my thumb. He seemingly gave up and relaxed his shoulders, instead placing his hand against my face.
“Yeah,” he said, pausing before whispering the rest. “You’re cute too.”
Good job. I internally complimented him as I felt his lips press against mine.
Day Two: Part Eleven
Mizuto Irido
I gently held Yume’s shoulders as we locked lips, moving my tongue deeper than I’d ever gone before. After kissing, we opened our eyes, but didn’t move apart. We just continued looking at each other in close proximity.
When we kissed again, I slowly began moving my hand down her shoulder. I might’ve been rushing things, but I got the feeling that I needed to make it clear that we were doing this. I slowly but surely moved my palm downwards until I touched the swellings on her chest.
Feeling them through her clothes didn’t really change my life or anything. I honestly wasn’t really sure how I felt. But Yume didn’t move away. That fact was enough to give me courage to keep going.
Day Two: Part Twelve
Yume Irido
Even after we stopped kissing, we continued looking at each other, softly breathing. I could feel his hand on my breast, but he wasn’t dirtily fondling it. It was as if he was trying to find my heartbeat. I don’t hate this feeling.
My heart might have been beating hard, but it was peaceful. Thinking about how that was being conveyed to Mizuto made me feel at ease. I put my hand to his chest and felt his heart racing. This should be so matter-of-fact, but why does this make me so happy? The sound of my clock and our breathing faded, leaving nothing but the sound of our heartbeats. When it felt as if our heartbeats synced, I felt Mizuto press gently against my other shoulder.
I made a sound of resistance, stopping Mizuto in his tracks.
“Our clothes...” The words that naturally fell out of my mouth pushed us further forward.
Day Two: Part Thirteen
Mizuto Irido
Yume had turned her back to me, pulling up her pajama shirt over her head. Her porcelain skin was revealed for a brief second before her long hair came fluttering down to cover it. I found myself entranced by the sight and couldn’t tear my eyes away.
“Not fair...” Yume said, turning around to me, her eyes seeming to accuse me of something.
Oh, crap. Right. I need to take off my clothes too. While I was undressing, Yume finished taking off her pants. I was a little sad that I’d missed all of that, but that regret only lasted a second before I was stunned silent by the sight of her sitting on the bed, her legs to the side, in nothing but a black bra and panties.
As soon as her visage entered my eyes, my heart, which had already been beating out of my chest, practically exploded. The bra that supported her bountiful breasts was translucent at the top. It was a sexy design that was probably something a high schooler shouldn’t have been wearing. I’d no doubt that she’d worked hard to get them just for today. That was predominantly sweet rather than only sexy. She shifted her butt, which was clad in panties that matched her bra, as she looked at me, her face red, waiting for something.
“U-Uh...” I couldn’t find anything clever to say. “I-I think you look very pretty...”
Even I’m surprised by how ordinary a comment I made. But I couldn’t think of any other combination of words that would honor my girlfriend, who’d gone out of her way to pick out this underwear for me.
“Th-Thanks...”
Yume put the arms that she’d been using to hide her waist behind her. I could have stared at her forever in this sexy underwear that I’d never imagined her in, but this wasn’t the main dish. We were just getting started.
Yume let out a long exhale to calm herself down. Then she pursed her lips and moved her arms behind her back. In the next moment, there was a decisive click. I could easily tell that the straps of her bra had loosened. Yume held down the cups of her bra while lowering the straps, past her shoulders. Then she kept her eyes shut, her hands trembling as she let the bra fall to her knees.
I had no words to describe Yume’s naked upper body. Neither the shape nor the size mattered. Seeing them meant that a wall had been broken between us. It was the final wall between us. That was the most important part of all this.
“Yume.”
Before I knew it, Yume softly yelped as I gently pushed her down against the bed. Her untied hair flowed across the sheets. Right now, the most important girl in the world was right before me.
We had no words to say as we stared at each other in the dimly lit room. The girl before me was the same age as I was. But she was more than that, and I wanted her to continue being more than that. There wasn’t anyone more important to me at present, in my past, or in the future.
I reached out, touched her, and wrapped my hand around her breasts. No walls were left between us.
Day Two: Part Fourteen
Yume Irido
Love is full of things I didn’t understand. I wondered about what he liked, what he was looking at, what he wanted to touch, and whether I was a part of those thoughts at all. I made guesses and delusions about somebody I couldn’t even see, fretting about it all on my own.
Day Two: Part Fifteen
Mizuto Irido
Even though I felt like I understood, I was immediately set straight by realizing I was misunderstanding things. It was like I was getting scolded for getting ahead of myself. If that was the case, all I had to do was learn from my mistakes, but I kept making excuses—probably because I wanted someone to understand me.
Day Two: Part Sixteen
Yume Irido
It wasn’t possible to always look into the heart, regardless of your understanding or affectation. Just when you thought you had come to an understanding, the next day came, and you’d find something else you disagreed on and fight again. But each time that happened, it felt like you were making progress. Slowly but surely, you were getting closer to taking down the wall between you two.
Day Two: Part Seventeen
Mizuto Irido
After the wall disappeared, your words reached the other person. When those words reached, they resonated in their heart. If you could do that, you could reach out to them. When I reached out, you were there.
Day Three: Part One
Yume Irido
I was sure that we’d squabble with each other again tomorrow. We’d be stupidly stubborn and try to protect our pointless pride. But I was sure that by the next day, we’d feel like we understood each other a little more.
Day Three: Part Two
Mizuto Irido
It was okay if we didn’t really understand each other.
Day Three: Part Three
Yume Irido
It was okay if our understanding of each other was just surface level.
Day Three: Part Four
Mizuto Irido
If we kept digging, then eventually...
Day Three: Part Five
Yume Irido
...We’d come to treasure each other more than anyone else in the world.
Day Three: Part Six
Mizuto Irido
“You’re too bony. It’s hard to sleep like this,” Yume unfairly complained, making a displeased expression as she rested her head on my arm.
“You’re the one who insisted on trying this.”
“Can you blame me? This is up there with a princess carry for things that girls wanna experience. Are you saying you’re not interested...?”
“I’m losing interest with each passing second. My arm’s getting super numb.”
“Seriously, where’s the romantic in you?”
Yume lifted her head a little, allowing me to move my arm out from under her and put it underneath the blanket. Yume fell back onto her pillow, her face still a little sweaty. I saw a strand from her ruffled hair across her face, so I brushed it away.
Yume yawned. “I wanna sleep, but I kinda wanna take a bath before that...”
“You okay?” I asked, trying to be considerate.
“Yeah...I am.”
“That’s good...”
“If you’re so worried, wanna join me in the bath?” she snickered, sweetly smiling at me.
“I guess it’d be more time efficient.”
“The bathwater’s probably not warm anymore, though...”
“I’ll make an exception and heat it up again, just for you,” I said.
Yume grunted, reaching over the bed and down to the floor, inevitably pressing her upper body against me. As she did, I couldn’t help but curiously stare at her boobs as they squished against my body.
“I’m pretty sure it’s around here... Found it!” Then in the next moment, she picked up her bra. The bed creaked as she sat up and began threading her arms through the straps.
“You’re putting your clothes back on?” I asked, curiously.
“Huh?”
“What’s the point when you’re just gonna take them off again?”
Yume froze, her hands on the straps of her bra. You’re gonna take your clothes off to take a bath anyway, right? It doesn’t make sense to get dressed right now, does it?
“B-But going downstairs buck naked’s kinda...”
“No one’s home. What’s it matter?” I asked, pulling back the sheets and sitting up to get off the bed before walking to the door. “Besides, it’s the dead of night. Even the mailman’s not gonna...” Then as soon as I opened the door, I was met by a cold gust of air, prompting me to quickly shut it. “It’s freezing...”
Oh, right. Yume might have warmed up her room, but the hallways haven’t heated up at all. It might be March, but we might as well still be in winter. I determined that this was not the kind of weather to be walking around naked in.
“Might be better to put on clothes...” I concluded.
“Y-Yeah... True... Now that I think about it, the water won’t get hot immediately either.”
I could tell that there was disappointment in her face and voice. “Let me guess. You wanted to give it a shot?” I grinned.
“O-Of course not...”
“It’d be the perfect adventure for the student council’s honor student and ambassador of morals.”
“How do you know what people call me?!”
Suddenly, she was filled with embarrassment again and quickly used the blankets to cover herself up. She kind of reminded me of Eve once she’d gained knowledge.
“I understand why the idea of it entices you, but it’s better if you get dressed. What’re you gonna say to our parents if you catch a cold?”
Yume groaned. “True. I don’t want us to be outed by something so stupid...”
She then began to eagerly finish putting her arms through the straps of her bra and then hooked it closed. Then she put her feet on the floor and picked up her panties. Finally, she put her legs through the holes while sitting, and then stood to pull them up the rest of the way.
I found myself folding my arms as I observed her body. “Y’know, seeing you like this again...”
“Huh?” Yume gave me a confused look.
Like this, I was able to see her skin through the see-through design of the underwear. “You really put in a lot of effort.”
“Wha—?!”
“I didn’t think you really had any knowledge about this kinda stuff, but you’re surprisingly well-read.”
“Shut up and put your boxers on already!” she yelled, throwing them at my face.
That’s rude. I was thanking you for all the effort you went through. I guess this side of her won’t ever change. After putting our underwear and pajamas back on, the two of us went downstairs.
As we waited for the bathwater to heat up again, I decided to get some water for my parched throat. After I felt satisfied, I fought back my fatigue by going on my phone and looking at my feed, which wasn’t updating at all since everyone was asleep this late at night.
“Oh. The water’s ready,” Yume said, rubbing her eyes as she slowly got up from leaning against my shoulder.
After that, we went to the changing room. Yume began to undress, letting out small noises as she took off each piece. All I could think about was how this would be the second time I was witnessing such a sight. Not too long ago, my heart was about to explode, but this time, I felt calm. It seemed that it was true that there was a certain composure that came from experiencing it already.
I quickly followed suit and took off my pajamas and boxers before throwing them into the washing machine. Yume left her bra and panties on the edge of the sink, apparently because they needed to be hand-washed.
“Be careful making sure our parents don’t find those,” I cautioned.
“Yeah, I know.” Yume wryly smiled while looking down at them. “I can only imagine the follow-up questions...”
In the next moment, Yume took a hair tie and used it to deftly tie up her long hair. I briefly considered offering to help, but she was a pro since she had done it daily for so long. Anyway, after we were done, we went into the bathing area.
“Eek, the water’s cold!” Yume recoiled as the water came out from the showerhead. Seeing this, I pointed the showerhead at her for a quick second. “Ack! Come on! Really?!”
I chuckled as Yume knitted her eyebrows. As revenge, Yume took her cold, wet hand and touched the back of my neck. While we messed around, the shower water heated up. I gave myself a quick rinse and then turned the showerhead to Yume. The water flowed down the curves of her body like a river.
“Want me to wash you?” I offered.
“Perv.”
“Yeah, so?” There wasn’t any reason to hide anymore.
“Maybe later,” Yume said, stealing the showerhead from me to rinse herself.
As she did, I submerged myself in the bathtub. I looked over at Yume as she showered. It went without saying, but this was a new sight. We were both naked, being ourselves without putting on any appearances.
“Hey,” Yume said, water dripping off her skin as she put her hand on the edge of the bathtub. “Make some room for me.”
“It’s cramped.”
“It’ll be okay.”
I bent my knees a little, making room for Yume to put her legs into the tub. My impression was that she’d sit across from me, so imagine my surprise when Yume shoved her butt in my face. Her white-as-snow backside descended in front of me and landed right in between my legs. The water splashed and overflowed, immediately going down the drain outside the bathtub.
“Phew...” Yume exhaled as she lay back against me, relaxing.
“Why are you sitting like this?” I asked as I looked down at her.
“Oh... Well, you know...” Yume nervously laughed. “I don’t think I could relax with you sitting across from me, ogling my naked body.”
Oh, I see. “Surprisingly, when we were doing it, I didn’t really have the chance to see anything but your face and your pillow,” I said, wrapping my arms around her waist.
“Yeah...I only really saw your face and the ceiling.”
Then again, looking down, I could see the reflection of two pale swellings on her chest.
Yume let out a long exhale. “We...really did it.”
“Any regrets?”
“Nope. None.” She rested her head against my shoulder and looked up at the ceiling. “I was pretty nervous after hearing about Aso-senpai’s first time, but now that everything’s all over, it’s like...”
“It felt good, yeah?”
“Ew. Shut up.” At this point, I know that I can joke with you like this. “To be honest, I’m still not really sure if it did. That being said...it’s like our connection’s gotten deeper, or maybe like I feel fulfilled?”
“I get what you’re trying to say.” After all, you’re not alone on that front.
“Thanks, by the way...”
“For what?”
“For working your hardest to try and be a gentleman.”
“I’m always a gentleman.”
“Just in the beginning.” Hearing me clam up, Yume began giggling. “Heh heh.”
Her face melted into a smile and she submerged herself a little bit more. I tightened my arms around her waist to support her.
“Washing my hair is such a pain...” Yume complained.
“Didn’t you already wash it today?”
“Oh, right. I did.”
“Just wash off the sweat and let’s get out.”
“Yeah...” From her unsteady voice, I could tell that she was slowly getting more and more tired. “Mizuto?”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s sleep together.”
“Sure. After we get out of the bath.”
“Yeah...”
“I guess you don’t care what’s gonna happen to you if you fall asleep, do you?”
“Mm...”
Then there was silence before my next move, which was promptly broken by a surprised shriek from Yume. I’d tried sucking the nape of her neck like a vampire, to astounding effect.
“What if that leaves a mark?!” Yume angrily exclaimed.
After that, the two of us got out of the bath.
Day Three: Part Seven
Yume Irido
I gripped onto something nice and warm as my consciousness became hazy. It took a bit for my five senses to come back online. When my hearing booted up, I heard someone’s soft breathing as they slept. As I relinquished my body to its rhythm, I gradually remembered what’d happened last night as if it had just been a dream.
Oh...right. We... I slowly opened my eyes and Mizuto’s face came into focus. I wasn’t surprised by him sleeping next to me. I neither panicked nor felt embarrassed. We had entered the next stage of our relationship.
“Mm...” My eyelashes fluttered as I searched around my pillow, still half asleep, for my phone. When I finally found it, I checked the time. “It’s already this late?”
It wasn’t morning anymore; it was pretty much the afternoon. The blanket had gotten warm from our body heat, and it sucked me in like a bottomless swamp. Fighting back the urge to sleep again was hard, but the realization of how late in the day it was made me wake up whether I wanted to or not.
Wait... “This is your phone.”
I sluggishly got out of bed and put the phone back where I found it. Then I picked up the phone next to it and carefully placed my feet on the ground, making sure not to wake Mizuto up.
“Close one,” I said as I almost kicked a pile of books.
I almost forgot—I’m in Mizuto’s room. I wasn’t sure if it was the smell, atmosphere, or whatever, but sleeping together in my room had kinda felt weird, so we’d slept here instead.
Hearing him groan in his sleep, I turned around. Mizuto rolled over and cracked open his eyes a little.
“Morning,” I said.
“Morning...” he hoarsely replied.
“I’m gonna go wash my face.”
“Mm-hmm...”
“Don’t go back to sleep. You’ve already slept enough.”
“Mm-hmm...”
He’s definitely gonna pass out again. But that’s cute, so I’ll cut him some slack. I’d thought about giving him a good morning kiss, but I’d heard that some people got pretty bad morning breath... I decided to err on the side of caution and go brush my teeth first.
I put my hands on my waist and stretched my back. My body feels fine. I left Mizuto’s room and thought about going straight downstairs, but then I remembered something I needed to take care of, so I went back to my room.
I’d left my window open overnight to make sure that none of the smell remained. I also have to take care of the sheets. Of course I had to worry about stains, but I also had to worry about the smell. It would’ve been better to wash everything last night, but then we would have had to wait for the washer machine to end its cycle, and I definitely hadn’t been in any condition to do that since I’d been on the brink of passing out.
Our parents were coming home tonight, so I’d probably make it in time if I took care of it now. I took the sheets and carried them downstairs. I put them down for a bit when I entered the changing room so I could take out our pajamas and underwear out of the washer. That’s when I realized that I’d left my sexy underwear on the edge of the sink!
First, I put the sheets in a mesh laundry bag before tossing them into the washing machine. Then, I turned it on. Next, I quickly washed my bra and panties. I had no choice but to dry them in my room, and I wasn’t sure if they’d dry in time. Worst-case scenario, I’d have to hide them while they were still damp.
After all that, I could finally heave a sigh of relief and wash my face. This is a lot more work than I expected. Akatsuki-san was right—sneaking around your parents’ house is essentially a fantasy.
After washing my face, I began getting ready to brush my teeth. That’s when I heard someone coming downstairs. When the door opened, I was greeted by Mizuto with bedhead.
“Morning...”
I turned around, holding my toothbrush. “That’s the second time.”
“Hm?”
“Saying good morning.”
Mizuto tilted his head. You really aren’t a morning person. I put my toothbrush in my mouth before opening the cabinet above the sink. Mizuto walked over next to me while using his hand to try and fix his hair.
“Oh...”
But before he turned on the water, he turned around and noticed the washing machine. “I forgot...”
“I took care of everything.”
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
“For leaving everything to you.”
I wasn’t sure if it was just because he’d woken up, but he was so earnest, I almost felt bad. He must be trying to be considerate.
“Don’t worry about it,” I reassured him.
“I’ll take out the trash...”
“Thanks.”
Then it was silent except for the sound of me brushing my teeth. Mizuto quickly washed his face and then followed my lead and brushed his teeth. By that point, I’d already gotten to the point where I was gargling, but I waited with Mizuto until he was done. Finally, he gargled, spit, and wiped his mouth with a towel.
As he turned to me, I gently smiled. “Good to go.”
Mizuto tilted his head in confusion as I stood before him and tilted my chin up slightly.
“Mm!” I made a noise to get his attention.
“Oh...”
Mizuto wryly smiled and then put his hands on my shoulders. I closed my eyes and felt his lips press against mine.
“Mm?!” He’s sticking his tongue inside?!
As he held me in place, he had his way with my mouth until he let go of me, finally allowing me to protest.
“Really?! This early in the day?!”
“I thought you were egging me on,” Mizuto chuckled.
Wow, here I was acting nice, and you take advantage of that? What a horrible personality. Can’t you act lovey-dovey like a normal person?
“I’m starving. Wanna change and grab a bite somewhere?” he asked.
“Like?”
“I mean, we still have a good amount of money left from our parents, so we could stand to go a little big. Y’know, as a celebration.”
“Celebration...” I wryly smiled while walking out of the changing room. Right as we did, my phone buzzed. I checked it to find that I’d gotten a message from mom. “They’re apparently gonna be back at four or so.”
“That’s sooner than I thought.”
“So that leaves us about another four hours, huh?”
“I guess we’ll have to get back in time...get back to being a family.”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“But,” Mizuto said, lightly cozying up to me. “A little more won’t hurt.”
We were a couple, but we were also stepsiblings. We had no intention of being one and not the other. So long as we were both, I was sure that we could remain happy.
Shout of Victory from the One Left Behind
Ran Asuhain
I stared at the ceiling of my room, but my focus was on the memory of something that’d been burned into my brain. It was a large, white piece of paper that’d been posted onto a bulletin board. It had a good number of names written on it. After seeing it, I’d immediately gone to a certain place where I had the highest chance of meeting a certain person.
“What should girls do on White Day?”
“We gotta hunker down and brace ourselves!”
“It’s hard to just sit around and keep waiting.”
I opened the door, hearing three familiar voices. As I did, they all turned to me.
“Oh, hey, Asuhain-san!”
After running here, I was out of breath, but even so, that didn’t stop me from going up to her.
“Irido-san! Did you see?!” I asked.
“Huh?”
“I...”
I stopped myself from replaying the scene again. I’d already played it back in my mind a million times. Instead, I got up from bed and looked at my answer sheets for the finals that I’d left out on my desk about half a month ago. The majority of the papers had “100” written at the top of them. What’d been written on the large, white piece of paper that’d been posted onto the bulletin board was the school rankings for the finals.
1st: Ran Asuhain
2nd: Yume Irido
Irido-san... Irido-san, I won, you know? Irido-san? Hey...
Class 2-7
Mizuto Irido
After two weeks passed, it was the first semester of the new school year. Yume and I were now heading to our classroom.
“I can’t believe we’re in the same class again,” Yume said, smiling happily, contrary to the expression one might expect from her words.
A new year meant a new class, and we’d just received our new school IDs with our new class written on them: 2-7. From what I could remember judging by our first-year class, it hadn’t been like the school had assigned classes by the quality of the students’ grades, but ultimately it seemed that the school had decided it’d be okay to treat Yume and me as a paired set and moved us to the same second-year class.
I’d heard that we’d be separated into different classes depending on our plans for the future when we became third-years. I was bound for a literary track while Yume would most likely do something related to science. That meant this would probably be the last time we’d be in the same class.
“I wonder if Akatsuki-san, Maki-san, and Nasuka-san are in our class...”
“Must suck to have to worry about all that. I’ve got it real easy in that regard.”
“Such optimism from a guy with no friends.”
We began looking at the placards above the doors for our class. As we did, I saw the figure of a familiar girl who was nervously waiting outside of a classroom.
“Isana?”
“Wha—?!” Isana Higashira turned around to face us. Before seeing us, she’d been shrinking her shoulders, but as soon as she saw us, she excitedly surveyed the two of us. “Oh! C-Could it be?! Are the two of you perhaps in class 2-7?!”
“Yeah, but... Wait, are—”
“Thank goodness!!!” she wailed, letting out a heartfelt sigh of relief as she hugged Yume. “I’m so relieved! I won’t have to be alone this year!”
“Are you in our class too, Higashira-san?” Yume asked, finishing her thought.
“Indeed!”
“Oh, yay!”
Yume took Isana’s hands and began jumping for joy with her. This went without saying, but Isana didn’t have grades even remotely similar to ours. Most likely, the school had shown Isana mercy and put her in our class instead of leaving her isolated.
We cut the touching reunion short to open the door to our new classroom and go inside. As we did, I felt all sorts of gazes fall on us. As expected, I didn’t know most of them, but it seemed like they knew us because I heard them whispering.
“Whoa, she’s from the student council!”
“Those are the Irido siblings!”
“Aren’t they too smart for this class?”
As expected, I stood out with Yume by my side. Isana quickly avoided their gazes by taking cover behind me.
Suddenly someone flew at us like a flying fish. “Yume-chan!” It was Minami-san.
“Whoa!” Yume exclaimed as she caught her small body.
“Same class?!”
“Same class!”
Then resumed the excited squealing. But aside from the familiar excitement, there was a guy who quietly walked up to me.
“’Sup, Irido?”
“You’re here too?” I asked.
“You make it sound like you hate that. Sheesh, that hurts.” Kogure Kawanami made a fishy smile, making me shrug my shoulders.
Regrettably, this felt like one of those times we couldn’t get away from each other. After Yume and Minami-san stopped their squealing, Yume looked around the classroom.
“What about Maki-san and Nasuka-san?” she asked.
“They ended up in different classes, but there’s still another familiar face around here for all of you.”
It seemed that Minami-san had included not only Yume, but me and Isana in this statement. She pointed into a corner and right at the front desk by the window, desk number one. For some reason, there was a tense atmosphere that only existed in that area of the classroom. It seemed to originate from the student sitting there. She was small-framed, but had a very strict aura about her. I distinctly remembered her.
“Oh!” Yume let out a sound of surprise while quickly going up to her.
Up until then, the tense aura had been keeping everyone else away, so Yume was the only one to try getting close to her. She easily slipped into her territory and energetically put her hands on the girl’s desk.
“We’re in the same class! Looking forward to it!”
The girl who was simply gazing out the window, her face in her hand, turned her head to look at Yume.
“Likewise...Irido-san,” Ran Asuhain said in a low, emotionless voice.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login