Chapter 1: What Lay Before Me When I Opened My Eyes
This must be heaven on Earth…
Just moments after waking up, this thought surged into Amane’s mind, his senses still clouded from his slumber. The very first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was his beloved girlfriend. She was nestled comfortably in his arms, and her flowing, silky flaxen hair was softly tousled. As her carefully kept hair, which gleamed with a rich luster, draped over one of Amane’s arms, she looked up at him with eyes reminiscent of precious gemstones, tucked snugly in his embrace.
Amane, still in a drowsy haze, felt confusion flicker through his mind for a moment as he registered Mahiru’s presence beside him. He recalled the memory of her staying the night before—then it clicked. As it turned out, Mahiru didn’t slip away immediately like she had during their previous sleepover. Instead, she’d decided to wait until Amane had roused from his sleep.
Mahiru realized right away that Amane had woken up, and wriggled a few times in his arms to find a pleasant position before turning to him with a shy smile. “Good morning, Amane-kun.”
“…Morning. How long have you been awake?”
“Roughly ten minutes, I suppose. I thought it would be nice to enjoy this warmth while savoring the sight of your sleeping face before I start to prepare our breakfast.”
“…Is it fun watching me sleep?”
“Yes, of course. It serves as my energy source, you know?” Mahiru’s face beamed with satisfaction and spirit. “Thanks to you, I’m full of energy this morning,” she added. Her words alone were enough to stir a flutter within him, so Amane hugged her tightly in an attempt to mask the curious ticklish feeling.
Amane’s sudden embrace had taken Mahiru by surprise, but she quickly relaxed before wrapping her arms around his back after he softly whispered, “Give me some energy, too.” Considering that Mahiru was taking her time, it meant they still had plenty of time to spare. Amane enjoyed the moment, seizing the opportunity to relish her softness, her warmth, and her refreshingly sweet scent. Smiling at the sight, Mahiru joked, “Oh, are you indulging yourself again?”
Amane almost wanted to retort, Just whose fault do you think that is? But he decided against it, as the answer to that question was surely obvious to Mahiru. Without saying anything further, she let Amane snuggle up to her, allowing him to do as he pleased.
In his arms settled a beloved existence, one to whom he could swear with utmost certainty that he could dedicate his everything, and that she too would accept him in return.
I feel true happiness, from the bottom of my heart.
Amane allowed this boundless joy to permeate every fiber of his being, earnestly savoring the warmth he found reluctant to let go.
He was living such a merry morning that, without thinking, he almost let his eyes close once more. However, Mahiru noticed that his breathing had relaxed to a rate akin to sleep, and promptly patted his back in a gentle manner.
“Amane-kun, please don’t fall back asleep.”
“…The option to lie in bed and skip class is a tempting one.”
“That doesn’t sound like something an honor student such as yourself should say.”
Amane couldn’t help but chuckle at Mahiru’s teasing whisper as he reflected on those words. He may have uttered them, but both Amane and Mahiru were seen as disciplined students, with no records of being tardy or absent at school. That being said, the situation at hand was so tempting that it seemed capable of bending even their diligent personalities.
“Do you really want to stay in bed that badly? Could this be the magic of the futon?” Mahiru joked.
“It’s more like your magic, I’d say.” Mahiru’s presence proved much more tempting to Amane than that of the futon, which suggested that if they weren’t careful, they might end up skipping school, sacrificing Mahiru’s attendance as well.
Mahiru, who was becoming more and more of a temptation for Amane to fall back asleep, let out a sigh not of scolding, but of equal parts amazement and embarrassment at Amane’s reply. “Geez.” Then, she finally began to shift herself, moving to slip out of his arms.
“Then, if I move away, you’ll be freed from this magic spell. Come on, get up and get dressed.”
“…I know I need to, but still…”
“I won’t spoil you when it comes to everything, you know. Come on, get up, wash your face, and freshen yourself up.” While Mahiru readily indulged him when the time was appropriate, she was firm about switching gears. Easily anticipating Amane’s attempt to wrap himself up in the futon, she playfully snatched the blanket away from him.
Amane was going to get up even without Mahiru’s urging, but seeing her rousing him so cheerfully, he smiled in a way that wouldn’t catch her attention.
In the future, this certainly wouldn’t be a bad way to wake up.
For the record, Amane was fully capable of waking up on time if he really intended to, but he couldn’t help thinking it was nice to fool around like this, as long as it didn’t trouble Mahiru. He didn’t want to make mischief, but he believed it was acceptable to rely on her and act a bit spoiled from time to time seeing as Mahiru seemed to enjoy taking care of him.
As Amane thought that, a chill spread across his body. He got out of bed and started to take out clothes to change into. The moment he opened the closet, Mahiru’s demeanor shifted, and a sudden tension lingered in the air. This prompted Amane to stifle a laugh with his hands over his mouth. His shoulders shook visibly.
“How should we change?” he then asked. “Should I go to the bathroom first?”
“…Please do. But you mustn’t peek.”
“As if I’d peek. Don’t you think that’s something we’d have to ask permission for?”
They may be dating, but Amane didn’t consider actually watching her change. That would be an invasion of privacy, and after all, their current feelings of embarrassment were much stronger than before. For Amane, seeing Mahiru change wouldn’t be much of an issue beyond her feeling embarrassed and shrinking away. However, the same couldn’t be said for Mahiru. It was clear that they wouldn’t be able to look each other in the eyes for a while, and they both might feel like dying from mutual embarrassment after.
“D-Do you want to see?”
“…I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to. But I don’t want to do anything that might upset you, and it’d be a bit of a problem to get too excited so early in the morning.
“Y-You’re right, but…”
“Yeah, so let’s not go there. It’s not always right to expose every little thing about each other.”
This went without saying, but Amane was curious. However, he knew better than to act on said curiosity at the moment. He believed that such private matters should only be shared after establishing genuine consent, and certainly not first thing in the morning on a school day.
“That much I can say for certain.” Amane shrugged his shoulders and was about to leave the room when Mahiru returned in a slightly exasperated voice back, “That’s one of your strengths, yet also a cause of frustration, Amane-kun.”
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
After changing, as Mahiru had said she would prepare the day before, Amane enjoyed a solid breakfast consisting of dashimaki tamago, Kyoto-style salmon, a few pre-made side dishes, miso soup, and white rice. Once finished, he focused on getting ready for school by making himself look presentable.
Since he had already prepared his textbooks and other items the day before, all he had to do was tie his necktie and put on his blazer, but he paused with the tie in hand, lost in thought for a moment.
“Is something the matter?” Noticing Amane’s contemplative pause, Mahiru approached him with a curious voice. Amane, although feeling a tad hesitant, extended the necktie he was holding along with a tie pin he had kept hidden towards Mahiru.
It was his birthday present—the tie pin she had given him the day before. He wanted Mahiru—the person who gave it to him—to be the one to put it on him for the first time.
“Could you tie my tie for me?”
When he asked timidly, Mahiru blinked in surprise, but soon understood his intention and smiled brightly, nodding in agreement. “Okay,” she said. Very respectfully, Mahiru took the tie and tie pin, then knelt in front of Amane, who was sitting on the sofa, to wrap the tie around his neck.
Although tying a tie on someone else should be different from doing it for oneself, Mahiru managed the task smoothly and quickly fastened Amane’s tie without any hiccups. She then attached the beautiful flower-engraved tie pin to the tie with movements that could only be described as impressive and gracious.
Although Amane rarely wore tie pins outside of formal occasions, this one somehow felt just right—perhaps due to the fact that Mahiru had been the one to choose it for him.
“…Does it suit me?” wondered Amane.
“Of course. I picked it out especially for you, so naturally it suits you.”
Seeing Mahiru smile with unwavering confidence, Amane’s cheeks naturally softened into a smile as well. “You have a good eye for this kind of stuff, so if you say it suits me I can rest easy.”
“It’s perfect,” Mahiru assured. “Paying attention to accessories is also crucial to being fashionable.”
“I just wanted to know if the present you gave me suited me, not necessarily if it was fashionable.”
“Rest assured, it certainly suits you.”
While Mahiru had a tendency to view Amane through rose colored glasses, she always tried to offer an objective perspective when it came to matters of appearance, so there didn’t seem to be any issues on that front. As the tie pin was barely visible beneath the lapel of his blazer, it may only make a subtle difference, but such fine touches to one’s attire were truly crucial in elevating one’s appearance.
Amane naturally straightened his back, as wearing something chosen by Mahiru brought him incredible joy. It was possible that his desire to seem worthy of standing by her side had influenced him greatly.
Feeling the gift from Mahiru, pinned close to his heart, Amane experienced a gush of happiness and newfound confidence surge from within him, this time even stronger than before.
“…Truly, you become so strikingly handsome when you look confident that it genuinely catches me off guard, Amane-kun.” Mahiru muttered quietly as Amane adjusted his shirt and donned his blazer.
“And when I don’t look confident?”
“You look more on the cute side, I would say. Still handsome, though.”
“Well, there are plenty of things I want to say about that, but it doesn’t matter. I’m handsome now, right?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“…To the point where standing next to you wouldn’t be a problem?”
Amane wouldn’t hesitate when it came to standing by her side. However, he occasionally wondered if he looked out of place in that position. Regardless of what others may think, he had no intention of leaving her side, but it would be impossible to claim that he wasn’t concerned about how he was being perceived.
He had continued to work on improving himself, but whether those efforts were visibly paying off was another question. Amane, knowing Mahiru’s answer but asking anyway, received a response filled with an indulgent smile. “Honestly, Amane-kun…” Mahiru then lovingly caressed his cheek. “Don’t worry. You’re handsome on the inside and the outside. I won’t let anyone complain, but even ignoring my personal feelings, you’re a wonderful person.”
“I see. That’s good then… Shall we head to school?”
“Yes.”
As Amane stood up and extended his hand, Mahiru grasped it without any hesitation. Because Mahiru always offered him her genuine feelings, Amane could stand tall beside her and walk forward, holding her hand. It was thanks to her that he had managed to change himself to this extent.
I can’t ever let go of her.
Vowing once again to never let her go and to always make her happy, Amane gave Mahiru a soft smile as they left the house together.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
“…From the looks of it, you must’ve really enjoyed yourself last night, eh?”
After parting ways with Mahiru, who’d apparently had some errands in the staff room, Amane entered the classroom only to be greeted by a grinning Itsuki. As Amane had expected, he’d instantly become the object of Itsuki’s teasing at school, just one day after his birthday. Incidentally, it looked like Chitose hadn’t arrived yet.
While it was nothing new, facing Itsuki’s teasing in person brought on an even stronger bout of embarrassment than Amane had imagined, causing his eyebrows to naturally furrow reflexively. “Don’t make it sound so suggestive. We just celebrated like one normally would.”
“Sure, sure—whatever you say.”
“Oh, come on…”
Itsuki noticed Amane’s raised eyebrow and patted his shoulder with a knowing grin. “Just kidding, man. Anyway, it looks like Shiina-san’s preparations went off without a hitch. I’m glad.”
“Thanks for helping her out.” Amane sighed, unable to bring himself to scold him, and instead let out a brief grunt.
“That said, I didn’t really do much, though. If anything, Chi and Kido-san were the ones who did most of the work. They were the ones giving advice and helping out with everything.”
“Even so, you went out of your way to keep it a secret, right? I’m really grateful.”
“Well, a surprise is what makes it all the more special, don’tcha think? I’m glad you had a memorable birthday. Once again, Happy Birthday.” Itsuki, being the considerate friend he was, smiled and gave Amane a pat on the shoulder again.
“…Thanks.” Amane responded quietly. His cheeks, flushed with a mix of happiness and embarrassment, almost relaxed as he bit his lip.
Chitose isn’t here yet, so I’ll have to thank her later as well, Amane considered, given that she had offered plenty of advice to Mahiru. Chitose would almost certainly tease him for it, but it felt like a small price to pay for her kindness. Amane was ready to accept it graciously.
Savoring the simple joy of having friends who were willing to celebrate his birthday, Amane let out a sigh, which seemed to attract the attention of classmates who had apparently been listening in.
“Huh? It was Fujimiya-kun’s birthday?” a girl in class called out.
“Yep, yep—it was yesterday, actually.” When Itsuki confirmed it, their classmates exclaimed in a somewhat loud voice, “Really?!” and turned to look their way.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” the same girl reacted. “Shiina-san and everyone else didn’t mention anything about it, so I had no clue!”
“U–Uh, well, it was meant to be kind of a surprise and stuff, so…” Amane muttered.
“Oh, gotcha. But not telling us kinda sucks… Now I don’t have anything to give you today… Would juice be okay?”
“Then I’ll give you this candy,” one boy offered. “It’s a limited edition ‘enoki mushroom rice’ flavor.”
“That sounds nasty as hell… C’mon, don’t just dump it on him.”
“What was that?! More like addictive as hell! It’s so good!”
“Terrible taste, much?” retorted the girl.
“You’re so mean! Enoki mushroom rice is delicious!”
“I guess? It’s way too bitter. I wouldn’t say it’s a suitable flavor for candy to begin with.”
“Your logical argument hurts both me and the company making it!”
Amane was left wholly and utterly bewildered as his classmates gathered around in droves, apparently having caught wind of their little conversation. Itsuki smiled a little and whispered, “They’re nice people, aren’t they? Don’t think too hard—just accept them.”
Ever since Amane decided to change his behavior in front of everyone, he had felt a slight shift, bringing him a bit closer to his classmates... But this was the first time they had approached him so freely to celebrate, and it made his heart feel inexplicably warm. Had he remained shut away, avoiding interaction with others, he never would have been surrounded by people like this.
“…Um, thank you everyone. I’m really happy.” As he thanked them, unable to fully hide the embarrassment in his voice, the classmates around him broke into bright, genuine smiles, prompting Amane to mutter “Thanks,” once again, a bit more softly.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
“…It seems that Amane-kun has become quite popular in the short time I was away.”
Having finished her errands and returned to the classroom, Mahiru saw Amane being surrounded by his classmates. She looked amazed yet happy at the sight. Her surprise was understandable, given that seeing Amane at the center of attention wasn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. Yet, what truly captivated her was not his sudden surge in popularity, but rather the warmth enveloping her heart as she observed their classmates celebrating him.
“Ah—good morning, Shiina-san! And don’t you worry, we won’t steal Fujimiya-kun away from you or anything!”
“I—I wasn’t worried about that. I was simply surprised to see him surrounded by everyone.”
“True, the only other time Amane was surrounded like this was when he announced his relationship with Mahirun. I’m surprised too.” Chitose, who had entered the classroom with her, was also astonished to see the commotion surrounding Amane, her eyes widening. When her eyes met Amane’s, she flashed him a playful smirk. “If the old you saw this, he’d be gobsmacked.”
“Well, I do believe I’d have been speechless.” Amane himself acknowledged that his former self carried a gloomy aura, which was worlds apart from the person he had become. The old him might have found the person he was now difficult to deal with. That didn’t mean, however, that Amane disliked who he had become.
He had learned to put in the effort to stand beside the person he cherished most, and although he wouldn’t say he’d stopped belittling himself entirely, he did so less often. Perhaps the most accurate way to put it was that gaining confidence had given him peace of mind.
Having experienced firsthand how love could influence a person, Amane looked back on his past self with a blend of embarrassment, bitterness, and a touch of nostalgia. Swallowing those feelings, he simply smiled weakly.
Chitose, bubbling with excitement, exclaimed, “You’ve become so much more open than before, haven’t you? You’re a prime example of how falling in love can change someone.”
“Shut up. Is that a problem?”
“Nope! I think it’s a good thing, really. Not that you were bad before, but you look much happier now. You smile way more,” Chitose said, poking her cheeks with her index fingers to emphasize her point, causing Amane to instinctively touch his own cheeks.
Glancing at Mahiru, he saw her nodding with a tender smile, as if the shock had already worn off. “Also, your smile is much gentler than before. Isn’t that right?” Mahiru asked.
“Exactly!” one girl agreed. “The look in your eyes is totally different. It’s not as obvious as when you look at Shiina-san, though.”
“Well, obviously he’d be totally smitten when it comes to Shiina-san. Just look at how much he adores her.”
“It’s gotten to the point where lately, you look like you might even be more smitten than the Angel herself,” another claimed.
“…I get it, so please don’t look too much,” Amane urged. “I’m aware that I’m sweet to Mahiru.”
Amane was careful not to let his guard down and reveal too relaxed of an expression around Mahiru, though it looked as though his classmates had already noticed his tendency to soften up when they were together. Voices of agreement could be heard around them from both male and female classmates.
Amane felt a renewed sense of embarrassment welling up from within and a ticklish sensation around his lips. Sensing this, Chitose clapped her hands to change the mood, saying, “Anyway, we should probably leave it at that before Amane starts sulking.”
She shouldn’t have started it then, Amane reasoned, but he also understood that she had her own unique way of celebrating him.
With a slight smile, Chitose pulled out a wrapped box from her bag. “So, even though it’s a day late, here’s a present from me and Ikkun!”
“…Really, thank you so much for being considerate and going through all this trouble with Mahiru.”
“Heh heh heh. Well, I am Mahirun’s one and only best friend, you see~. I’m always ready to get on board with my adorable friend’s schemes and plots. Here you go!” Chitose handed the surprisingly heavy box to Amane with a burst of excitement in her voice.
If Itsuki and Chitose had chosen the present together, it probably wasn’t one that missed the mark. While Amane hoped that it wasn’t something too silly or nonsensical considering the timing, he would be grateful to receive anything from them, unless it was utterly outrageous.
The pair had great taste, so Amane wasn’t worried about their choice of gift, but the unexpected weight made him look at it with curiosity. What could it be?
“…Just asking, but what’s inside?”
“Aw, you’re asking that now? I mean, I could tell you, but…”
A wave of unease washed over Amane as he glanced over at Mahiru for a moment. “Hey, what’s with that suggestive response?”
“Aha ha. Just kidding, just kidding. It’s nothing dangerous—it’s a set of bathing powder and bath salts. Some with scents that Mahirun likes and some that are perfect for metabolism, according to the reviews. I thought maybe the two of you could use them.”
“…Why are you assuming we’ll be using them together? Normally, you’d use them on your own.” Amane appreciated the gift, but her unnecessary comment caused him to frown.
While they had some level of physical intimacy, their relationship was a pure one. Amane didn’t want them to be known as a couple who often bathed together. Not that they hadn’t bathed together before, but it was always with swimsuits or towels. Plus, it wasn’t as though they bathed together each and every time Mahiru stayed over.
“Others will get the wrong idea,” said Amane, frowning, to which Chitose replied with a dissatisfied “Awww…” in a way that made him want to pinch her cheeks, but he managed to refrain.
“Don’t say anything that people might misunderstand,” Amane repeated.
“This is what you call being a wimp.”
“Itsuki, be quiet.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure thing… Though even if I don’t keep quiet, I feel like everyone already knows you two are getting pretty hot and heavy… Ow, okay, I get it.”
Amane pressed his fist into Itsuki’s waist as he walked over, the plain, hard sensation that returned made him feel a slight sense of defeat. However, having successfully silenced Itsuki, Amane let out a deep sigh.
“I genuinely appreciate the gift and the thought both of you put into it, but please, don’t say anything you shouldn’t.” While saying this, Amane somehow managed to keep his cheeks from burning up with shame as he returned to his seat with the present held carefully in his hands.
Itsuki followed, placing a hand on his waist in an exaggerated manner. “Say, Amane…” Once away from the group of classmates, Itsuki leaned in close to Amane’s ear.
“What?”
“Nobody said anything about you having to bathe together. The assumption was that you’d take turns if one of you stayed over…”
“…Shut.”
“I whispered that super quietly, though!?”
Amane, realizing all too late that he’d shot himself in the foot, bit his lip and turned away, while Itsuki laughed and slapped Amane on the back to tease him.
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