The next morning.
Minamoto Senya felt a sudden tickle at the tip of his nose. When he opened his eyes, Shiyu was gently twirling a small strand of his hair between her fingers, brushing it lightly.
Seeing that he was awake, she made no move to hide or stop herself. She just gave a cheerful smile.
"Good morning," she said.
"Morning." Senya rubbed his eyes, turned his head, and glanced at his phone to check the time.
Only 5:30 a.m. No wonder the sky outside still looked dark.
Before he could fully turn, Shiyu pressed herself against him, her body curling over his like a flowing ribbon. In the next moment, she wrapped around him even more tightly, like a water snake.
Her hands clutched his neck, her cheek pressed to his chest in an intimate embrace. If not for the fact that she had to stretch her toes to barely touch his calves, she might have tried to entwine her legs with his as well.
She marveled at the strange and wonderful dynamic between a man and a woman. Once the line was crossed, embarrassment faded quickly, replaced by a deeper, more intense affection, bringing them closer than ever.
She liked this change.
Senya's hands moved over her smooth, soft back, occasionally drifting to give her soft bottom a gentle squeeze. His voice carried a tender teasing:
"Not going to sleep a bit longer?"
"I've slept enough." Shiyu nestled against him like a content cat being petted.
Unlike a cat's purring, she let out a soft, lazy bubble of a sound, half-closing her eyes.
"We only went to bed after midnight last night," he reminded her.
"That's earlier than my usual one or two a.m. bedtime," she replied.
"Why stay up so late normally?"
"Writing novels, reading novels… and, well, mostly thinking about you, then…"
"Then?"
"Like this~"
"!"
Under the covers, Senya felt her move subtly.
He took a deep breath. "Looks like you rested pretty well last night. Your body's fine now, right?"
Realizing his implication, Shiyu immediately stopped her teasing, withdrew her hands, and reclutched him around the neck, whispering into his ear, feeling like the happiest woman in the world.
In this cozy cocoon, neither noticed how time had flown until the alarm on the bedside phone rang, finally pulling them apart reluctantly.
Senya dressed first and went to the living room, where Saeko was already up, having prepared bento boxes. She must have been busy in the kitchen for some time.
From behind, the high school girl wearing an apron looked youthful and graceful, radiating an irresistible charm. Fresh from the warmth of Shiyu's embrace, Senya couldn't help but hug her from behind.
Saeko had already heard his footsteps, so she wasn't surprised. Smiling sweetly, she gave him a gentle reminder:
"According to the agreement I had with Shiyu, until I have her official forgiveness, you mustn't act beyond a friend with me, Senya."
"A hug between friends isn't a big deal, right?" Senya wasn't bothered. "And honestly, I was present when you and Shiyu made that agreement, but I never gave my opinion on it."
In other words, their pact doesn't concern him. He was free to act as he wished.
His early-morning boldness pressed firmly against Saeko's waist.
Blushing, Saeko struggled to keep her chopsticks steady. "Don't do this, Senya. Shiyu would get angry if she saw."
"Don't worry. The clothes she changed out of last night are still drying outside. She won't leave her room until I'm gone."
"That's not allowed either." She turned the stove flame down, set aside her pan and chopsticks, and faced him. "I know you're struggling, but this is important to me. Please, just a little longer, for my sake."
Senya sighed in mock despair. "If you put it that way…"
Blinking, Saeko added slyly, "If you're really that impatient, you can always put in more effort with Shiyu later."
"Effort?" Senya paused, connecting the word with Saeko's recent actions after confessing to Shiyu, and began to understand. "You mean…"
"I said nothing. Breakfast is almost ready. Go give Shiyu her clothes—new toothbrush and towel are ready too. You'll see them in the bathroom."
Saeko turned back to continue cooking eggs and bacon.
Senya thoughtfully collected Shiyu's clothes and returned to the room.
Shiyu's body had recovered significantly since last night; at least she could dress herself.
Walking was still a little awkward, though.
If she stepped too far or too quickly, a sharp, tearing pain would flare up. Not unbearable, but noticeable, enough for an observer to see something was off.
This was a bit troublesome.
After washing up, the three of them sat down for breakfast.
Saeko first expressed concern. "Shiyu, if you go to school like this, someone might notice. And when you go home, your parents might see something's wrong."
Shiyu shrugged. "School is fine—I don't have many friends there, so strangers don't matter. As for Mom and Dad, I'll act normal at home. Once I'm back in my room, it'll be fine."
"Still, at school some busybodies might gossip, and at home you still need to go to the kitchen or bathroom."
Shiyu hadn't considered it that much and fell silent, reflecting.
"Maybe… you should call in sick to school, then rest in your room at home. But that might worry your parents too much." Saeko quickly rejected her own suggestion.
"Don't worry. I've got a plan," Senya said. "For now, let's just eat."
After breakfast, Senya had Saeko fetch the first-aid kit.
He instructed Shiyu to sit and remove her black tights.
"Why take off the tights?"
"You'll see soon. Just do as I say."
"…Then turn your face away."
"Come on, last night I saw even your most private parts…"
Seeing Shiyu's warning glare, he shrugged and turned around.
Shiyu quickly removed the tights, and Saeko returned with the kit.
Senya placed her foot on his thigh, applied some antiseptic to her ankle, and wrapped it with a bandage.
"All done. Tell people you sprained your ankle and need a few days to heal. No one at school will question it, and your parents won't worry. Later, if the bandage is uncomfortable, you can remove it. It's an internal injury, so no external wound will raise suspicion."
He had her change into short socks, leaving the bandage partially visible—part of his plan.
After tidying up the kit, he asked Saeko where to put it and left.
Shiyu glanced at her ankle, then exchanged a meaningful look with Saeko. Both understood something unspoken.
Later, they left for school.
Senya took a different train after Saeko assured him she'd take care of Shiyu.
Saeko linked arms with Shiyu on another train. Crowded and full of strangers, she didn't speak much.
Once off the train, she asked casually, "How are you feeling?"
Shiyu nodded solemnly. "I need to be careful. Senya is pretty skilled at hiding things from others—I can't be careless around him."
"I wasn't talking about that."
"Oh?"
"I mean last night… your first time with Senya. How did it feel?"
"…!"
So direct!
Shiyu had understood Saeko's intention but intended to feign ignorance, thinking the topic would die once they reached school.
But Saeko was relentless.
"Not talking because last night was too… enjoyable and overwhelming, so you can't put it into words?"
"That's not true!"
"But you looked so blissful just now, completely immersed in happy memories, unaware of anything around you."
"I wasn't!"
Saeko raised her hand, showing a photo on her phone: Shiyu shyly looking down, utterly flustered.
Shiyu blushed violently.
"Delete that now!"
Back in class, it took Shiyu two periods to recover from Saeko's relentless teasing. By the third period, she began to notice a pattern:
Saeko seemed to be playing a strange game, testing her boundaries and pushing her shame limits.
Shiyu realized that Saeko's acts of kindness and attention weren't without purpose. She was being guided into Saeko's world.
Sitting at her desk, Shiyu quietly pulled out her bento and reflected on everything, recalling Saeko's careful orchestration and manipulation.
A sly, mischievous smile appeared on her face. Now that she understood Saeko's intentions, she regained her confidence and planned to deepen her closeness with Senya while keeping Saeko dangling, curious about how she would react.
She bit her thumb lightly, her legs trembling slightly, eager to see the composed Saeko falter.
After school, Senya went straight home with Rikka.
He had originally planned to pick up Shiyu, but a call was refused.
It was too hot, and Shiyu didn't want him running back and forth.
Besides, after what happened last night, having her mother see him escort her home would feel awkward.
She decided to wait until her body recovered and would seek him out herself.
Her voice over the phone grew softer and flirtatious, leaving Senya both restless and eager.
Back home, while cutting watermelon in the kitchen, he heard the front door open.
"Phew, it's so hot!"
"Come in, Senya! They're back. Want ice cream?"
"Yes!"
"There's some in the fridge—help yourself."
"Don't mind if I do."
Soon, two high school girls joined him in the living room.
"Long time no see, Senya-kun!"
Yukino waved exuberantly, walking beside Tohka.
…