Through the faint light shooting in from outside the window, Hikari looked at Akane's peacefully sleeping delicate face, and the slightly relaxed willow brows on Tachibana Yui's pure face.
She recalled that yesterday Akane was always somewhat inexplicably excited, and now she finally understood why.
Just as Akane had joked before.
Now they really were good best friends, for life.
Standing up softly, Hikari alone turned over and got out of bed.
Clutching in his hand the bedsheet with red plum blossoms that Tachibana Yui had painted yesterday, he walked slowly into the bathroom.
After putting the damp bedsheet and some intimate clothing such as dresses into the washing machine, Hikari walked into the shower.
Turning on the tap, cool water poured down from the showerhead above his head, making the still slightly drowsy Hikari completely awake.
After lightly rinsing off the traces of Akane and Tachibana Yui, this pair of good best friends, from his body, Hikari dried himself, blew his hair dry, and then walked out of the bathroom.
But what surprised Hikari a bit was that just as he walked back into the bedroom, he saw two pairs of bright eyes staring at him.
"Hikari-kun~", A crisp, delicate call sounded, and Hikari looked at the pair of best friends on the bed.
While he was bathing, they had actually woken up too.
Although he had moved very lightly, that previous left-and-right embracing posture inevitably had some shifting, so they must have felt it.
At this time Akane was half-sitting on the bed, smiling at Hikari, and even opening her arms, wanting a hug.
Tachibana Yui, however, still had most of her body hidden under the blanket, only showing half her small head, her cheeks slightly flushed, seeming still a little shy.
After all, this was Tachibana Yui's first time studying together with a boy, and even her first time coming to a boy's house. Different from the experienced Akane.
Last night's tutoring session was crazy. At the time, in the heat of studying, she dared anything, which was normal, but being shy today was not strange.
Looking at the two best friends with different expressions, Hikari smiled and said, "Did I move too much just now when I got out of bed, waking you?"
"N-no…", Tachibana Yui blushed and shook her head slightly.
"No, it's that Hikari-kun's embrace was too warm, when you left I felt cold. Yui, you woke up for the same reason, right?", Akane smiled at Tachibana Yui.
"Uh…", Tachibana Yui instinctively wanted to nod, but facing her best friend's half-smiling expression, she was embarrassed to admit it, and just tucked her head further under the blanket.
Akane smiled at this scene and didn't say more, turning her head and opening her jade arms, requesting in a coquettish tone to Hikari, "Hikari-kun, hug~"
Seeing Akane like this, Hikari said nothing, stepped back onto the bed in one stride, and hugged her.
Akane also skillfully nestled her delicate body into the warmth of Hikari's embrace.
"As expected, Hikari-kun's arms are still the warmest, much warmer than the blanket," Akane wrapped her arms around Hikari's waist, revealing a smile.
Seeing this, Tachibana Yui on the side seemed about to speak but stopped.
"What is it?", Hikari asked when he noticed.
"I…", Tachibana Yui's tongue stumbled, her lips moving slightly.
Akane helped by saying, "I'll say it for Yui-chan, just now she said she wanted to ask Hikari-kun if she could come to Hikari-kun's house to play again in the future."
Hearing Akane's words, Hikari turned his head to look at Tachibana Yui, who was still curling her delicate body tightly in the blanket.
Tachibana Yui's small head nodded slightly, a bit of anticipation showing on her face.
Hikari roughly understood what Tachibana Yui's question meant.
Although last night he and Tachibana Yui had already broken through the boundaries of ordinary friends, and he had taken certain cherished things from her, before that their relationship hadn't actually been very close.
She was just his girlfriend's best friend, the relationship between a best friend and her boyfriend. Hardly even friends.
Their acquaintance could be considered quite shallow.
But yesterday they indeed had a deep exchange.
After such a deep exchange, the relationship between him and Tachibana Yui became a bit awkward.
That previous "my best friend's boyfriend" relationship could no longer continue.
After all, they had engaged deeply in front of Akane. To still call it an ordinary friendship wouldn't be quite right.
So Akane was asking for Tachibana Yui whether she could still come to Hikari's house in the future.
If Hikari agreed, their relationship would naturally go a step further.
If Hikari refused, then… Tachibana Yui didn't dare imagine that scenario.
Looking at the slightly trembling Tachibana Yui in the blanket from nervousness, Hikari didn't answer directly.
Instead, he turned to the side to look at Akane, who seemed to be watching a good show.
He threw the question directly to her, "Akane-chan, do you agree with Yui-chan's words?"
Hearing this sudden redirect, Akane was slightly stunned.
But she quickly smiled and said, "Hikari-kun, you're asking me? Of course I agree!"
"Yui is my best friend. Good things, of course, should be shared between best friends."
"So regarding this matter, I completely agree."
"So Hikari-kun, do you agree?"
Seeing her fluent, unhesitating answer, Hikari smiled and shook his head.
As expected, this question was no problem for Akane at all.
If this question had been given to Natsuha, that little jealous jar, she would probably hesitate for a long time, maybe even disagree.
But for self-cuckolding Akane, this wasn't even a problem.
Best friends should share a blanket in the first place.
'Hikari-kun is so good, so excellent, you should enjoy him too.'
That was Akane's mindset.
Understanding this, Hikari looked at her smiling face, and Tachibana Yui's nervous yet expectant expression, and said with a small smile, "I agree too."
Hearing Hikari's reply, Tachibana Yui finally let out a sigh of relief.
But before she could smile, a jade hand suddenly lifted the blanket and pulled her out.
"Ah?", Tachibana Yui let out a delicate cry and was pressed to Hikari's side.
"Yui, Hikari-kun already agreed you can come play again in the future, so why hide in the blanket? Come out and play together."
Akane pulled Tachibana Yui into Hikari's arms, smiling at her.
"I… okay…", Freeing her delicate body from the blanket and completely exposed to Hikari's gaze, Tachibana Yui was still a little shy, her fair face blushing.
But she still agreed softly, even imitating Akane by stretching out her fair little hand to wrap around Hikari's other waist.
Seeing this scene, almost identical to before he had gone to wash, Hikari stretched out his hands and embraced the two best friends, one on each side.
Feeling those strong arms holding her, Tachibana Yui happily nestled into his embrace, tracing circles on his solid chest with her hand, murmuring softly, "Hikari-kun…"
Looking at her soft murmur, Hikari gently patted her smooth jade back.
To Akane's suggestion and Tachibana Yui's request, of course Hikari would not disagree.
After all, last night he had let these two best friends share a blanket, becoming truly sisters through shared hardship.
Moreover, Tachibana Yui's obedience and gentleness last night also proved her affection.
Hikari wasn't some playboy, nor some disgusting yellow-haired bull-headed man who, after a deep exchange, would throw a girl to others or to film.
So naturally, he would agree to Tachibana Yui.
But Akane and Tachibana Yui were both, at different times, managers of the baseball club, and both were famous "manager goddesses" of the club.
Now both had been taken by him.
If the baseball club members knew, they'd probably be furious.
Luckily, yesterday he had already dealt with most of those in the club who had opinions.
So there was nothing to worry about.
While gently stroking Tachibana Yui's smooth beautiful back, Hikari casually chatted with her.
After such intimacy, they both wanted to know more about each other, especially Tachibana Yui.
But before they had chatted much, Akane, seemingly bored on the side, interrupted.
"Yui, you're happy too early," Akane suddenly smiled at Tachibana Yui.
"Eh?", Seeing her best friend's half-smiling expression, Tachibana Yui was confused.
"If you want to stay at Hikari-kun's house, you have to give something, you can't eat for free. After all, Hikari's house doesn't raise freeloaders~", Akane smiled at Tachibana Yui.
???
Hikari's face showed confusion, 'When did my house have such a rule?'
'How come I don't know?'
"Th-then what should I do?", Tachibana Yui on the side completely believed her best friend's words, and dumbly asked Akane.
Akane smiled, "When I come to Hikari-kun's house, I often cook for him and feed him. So Yui, you should also give something."
Seeing Tachibana Yui's still somewhat confused look, Akane hinted more strongly, "In the morning, Hikari-kun usually has quite a bit of fire…"
Hearing this, the usually dazed Tachibana Yui instantly understood.
She nodded, slipped from Hikari's embrace, and dove back into the blanket.
Soon Hikari's face changed.
He didn't look at the strange situation under the blanket, instead turned his head away.
Sure enough, Akane was grinning at him.
"Akane-chan, you…"
Looking at Hikari's expression shifting from frown to relaxation to enjoyment, Akane gave him no chance to complain.
She stretched out her arms and hugged him, pressing her upper body completely against his chest, and in a coquettish voice whispered, "Hikari-kun, I still want more~"
From under the blanket, Tachibana Yui also poked out her head, wiping the liquid from the corner of her mouth, "I… I still want more too…"
Hikari shook his head, patting them both on the head helplessly, "We have to go to class soon, you still want to secretly make up lessons at home?"
Akane said, "Hikari-kun, judging from Yui-chan's condition, she probably can't go to school today. I plan to stay home and accompany her."
Tachibana Yui, still squatting and moving up and down, also nodded, "Mm, my legs are still sore, I'm going to take a leave today."
Hearing this, Hikari immediately understood.
No wonder these two dared to make requests after all last night's fuss, they had nothing to fear.
'But Yui, saying your legs hurt while still squatting, isn't that too much?'
Looking at the two fearless best friends, Hikari said no more, and pulled the blanket over them all at once.
———
[About an Hour Later]
After completing a round of morning exercise, Hikari was fully dressed, picked up his bag, and left the house, ready to head to school.
But walking on the road, just as he was going to school, Hikari suddenly remembered, today there seemed to be some activity to be held at the school.
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