Vol. 1 Chapter 28 – Night Alone Together

“Show…er…?” (Reiya)

I didn’t understand the meaning, but I repeated the word, thinking it had a somehow pleasant ring to it.

“Yeah, it’s your bed, Kageyama-kun… I thought it would be bad to sleep in it like this…” (Hikaru)
“Ah, ahh… Shower, right, shower…! Yeah, you’re right… S-Sorry…! I’m totally inconsiderate!” (Reiya)
“N-No! It’s just me being impudent!” (Hikaru)
“No, not at all! Please, feel free to use it… Um… You can use the bath towel in the changing room… As for a change of clothes…” (Reiya)

I looked at Asahi-san’s appearance again.

A white-based tennis wear with a feminine touch, and short pants.

There were no dirt stains, but if she came straight from practice, it must have absorbed sweat.

Even if she washed off the sweat in the shower, sleeping in these clothes again would defeat the purpose.

She seemed to be empty-handed and didn’t appear to have a change of clothes.

“If that’s the case, I’d be happy if I could borrow a shirt too…” (Hikaru)
“R-Roger… It might be a bit big since it’s menswear, but…” (Reiya)

I took out my own loungewear from the closet and handed it to her.

“Thanks. I’ll borrow it then.” (Hikaru)
“P-Please, take your time…” (Reiya)

Passing by the kitchen, Asahi-san entered the changing room.

The time passed ten o’clock, and only the faint sound of distant cars could be heard from outside the window.

A short pause after the sound of the door closing, then the faint rustling of clothes clearly transmitted through the air.

Every time I heard that sound, I felt like I was doing something wrong and became restless.

Following that, the click of the bathroom door opening sounded.

Entering the bathroom meant that Asahi-san was now in her initial equipment state (as she was born).

Just beyond this single wall, she was showering in that state right now.

My brain functions inevitably tried to make me imagine that sight.

While thinking how creepy that gloomy type mindset was, I couldn’t help but be conscious of it.

Mixed with the almost deafening pounding of my heart, the faint sound of running water echoed.

“…Hey, what am I listening so intently for!” (Reiya)

Coming to my senses, I hurriedly sat in my chair, put on my headset, and blocked out the sound.

If I listened any longer, my head might really break.

I opened the workbook borrowed from Taiju-san on the desk.

To prevent the one-in-a-million, one-in-a-billion chance from happening, I faced the difficult mathematical formulas to calm my spirit.

Looking back, I don’t think there was ever a time in my life I concentrated so hard on studying, before or since.

And so, after a period that felt almost infinite—

“Phew~… That was refreshing…” (Hikaru)

Asahi-san emerged from the changing room.

Clad in baggy menswear loungewear, her whole body was faintly flushed.

Seeing her like this, different from how she looked at school or when we usually played games, made my heart rate jump again.

I had thought she was cute or beautiful countless times, but this might have been the first time I thought she looked erotic.

Feeling lust in this situation made me feel guilty.

“Thanks for letting me borrow it. The water was nice and warm.” (Hikaru)
“N-Not at all… So, it’s a bit early, but shall we get ready for bed…?” (Reiya)
“Yeah, let’s.” (Hikaru)

Pretending to be calm despite being anything but, I finally started preparing for bed.

Asahi-san rustled as she slipped into the futon I always used.

“Well then… Good night.” (Reiya)
“Yeah, good night.” (Hikaru)

I operated the remote and turned off the room lights.

Lying down in the dim room lit only by the night light, I couldn’t make out the situation on the bed at all.

Still, I could hear her breathing and slight movements, confirming that Asahi-san was definitely there.

Closing my eyes and lying down… my body, exhausted both mentally and physically, should immediately fall asleep—

…But it refused to drop off.

As if the earlier sleepiness was a lie, my eyes were wide open.

I felt alert enough to clear a whole long RPG from start to finish right now.

“Mm… Haa…” (Hikaru)

Asahi-san’s faint breathing sounds came from the bed.

Even such normally innocuous sounds now pushed me further from sleep.

Just as I started thinking my head might really break at this rate,

“Kageyama-kun, are you still awake?” (Hikaru)

Asahi-san’s voice echoed from diagonally above, from the bed.

“Y-Yeah, I’m awake, but…” (Reiya)
“Ehehe, I’m still awake too.” (Hikaru)

Her bashful laughter held a slightly different stiffness than usual.

“Somehow… it’s still a little nerve-wracking, isn’t it…” (Hikaru)
“Well, yeah, obviously…” (Reiya)

In this situation, being told not to be conscious of the other person is impossible.

She didn’t mention the specific reason, but knowing she was in the same situation was slightly reassuring.

“But, Kageyama-kun, you live alone… Don’t you have other friends stay over sometimes?” (Hikaru)

It felt like the emphasis on the “other” part was slightly stronger.

“No, not really… I don’t have many friends.” (Reiya)
“Not really means it does happen sometimes?” (Hikaru)

Perhaps prompted by this strange situation, she delved deeper into personal matters than usual.

“Among guys, Hayato… Kazama from Class C has stayed over before.” (Reiya)
“Hmm… I see. So it has happened.” (Hikaru)

Despite just stating the facts, she replied in a tone that sounded faintly displeased for some reason.

…Eh? Did I step on a landmine somewhere?

“So, did Kazama-kun sleep in this bed too?” (Hikaru)
“N-No… I never even suggested it… He’d probably hate it anyway…” (Reiya)
“I see… Well, that’s fine then.” (Hikaru)

…What is?

“What about you, Asahi-san…? Have you ever had friends over to your house for a sleepover…?” (Reiya)

It seemed I was forgiven for whatever it was, so I continued the conversation.

“Hmm… Friends, well, mostly Ayaka, I guess~” (Hikaru)
“You two are really close.” (Reiya)

At the completely expected answer, laughter couldn’t help but escape me.

“Well, we’ve been best friends since elementary school. Ah, nostalgia… Back in elementary school, we often slept together in the same futon…” (Hikaru)

Recalling that time, her voice bounced cheerfully.

“And every single time, we’d talk about our future dreams. I always said I wanted to become a pro tennis player, and guess what Ayaka always replied?” (Hikaru)
“What could it be… ‘Me too’… doesn’t sound like Hino-san…” (Reiya)
“The correct answer is~… ‘Then, I’ll become a lawyer and be your agent when you turn pro, Hikaru. You’ll probably get tons of sponsorship contracts and commercial offers,’ she’d say~” (Hikaru)
“Hahaha… That sounds very much like Hino-san. An elementary schooler talking about being an agent…” (Reiya)

Hearing her recount the words, even mimicking the matter-of-fact tone, made me laugh too.

But indeed, just replace her current uniform with a suit, and she already has the presence to pull it off.

“Right? Ah, keep this a secret from her, okay?” (Hikaru)
“Of course, we promised we’d face Hino-san’s wrath together if it came to it.” (Reiya)

Saying that, we accomplices laughed together again.

“But it’s amazing that she’s really working hard now to become a lawyer because of that, isn’t it?” (Hikaru)
“She’s almost always ranked first overall in the school exams, and high up in the national mock exams too… But, I see… If that was the secret behind her good grades, then it makes sense…” (Reiya)
“Yeah, that’s why I always think I’ve truly been blessed with the people around me. Ayaka, of course… my mom has been teaching me tennis since I was a kid… the people at the management company who introduce me to modeling jobs, the people at the manufacturer who always provide equipment, I can’t thank them enough… Oh, and my brother too, I guess…” (Hikaru)

Asahi-san spoke reflectively, expressing gratitude towards the people supporting her life.

However, from the edges of her words, a faint sense of guilt also came through.

Perhaps she felt that her current self was causing trouble for those people.

“Though it seems there’s also a bad man trying to drag you down.” (Reiya)
“Ahahaha. But it seems like that person has helped me out a lot too.” (Hikaru)
“Is that so. Even though he might not intend it that way, and might just be having fun himself.” (Reiya)
“Still, the fact that I’m being helped doesn’t change… Thank you…” (Hikaru)

Words of gratitude, faint yet filled with definite warmth, reached my ears.

After that, we continued talking about trivial things, and the initial tension gradually eased.

As the tension eased, our responses to each other began to lag more and more.

And then, at some point, the conversation ceased from both sides…

Suu… suu… Soft, comfortable breathing sounds began to echo from her direction.

I sat up slightly and looked towards the bed.

My eyes, accustomed to the darkness, could clearly make out her sleeping face.

“…Good night.” (Reiya)

I whispered softly, so as not to wake her, knowing she must be tired from various things.

Lying down again and pulling the covers back up, my whole body was immediately enveloped in a pleasant slumber.

The next morning, we, having both fallen into a deep sleep, were woken by Taiju-san’s arrival.

Taiju-san, in a rare serious tone, apologized to me repeatedly, and scolded Asahi-san with a slightly sharp tone.

Perhaps because she was aware she had caused her brother trouble, she offered words of apology meekly.

In the end, Taiju-san agreed to mediate between her and their mother, and the two left.

Needless to say, as she departed, she and I made another promise with a ‘See you.’