"...Huh?"
It seemed I had fallen asleep right after talking with Horikita yesterday. I hurriedly checked my phone, and the time was approaching 4 AM. I had completely passed out.
"Ah, I'm so tired."
So, I parted ways with Horikita around... just before 7 PM yesterday, I think. Wow, I slept for a long time. I haven't eaten or taken a bath.
For some reason, the bed feels a little small...? Wait a minute.
"Mm... you're being noisy. Can't you be quiet in the morning?"
The single bed already felt cramped, and a pajama-clad Arisu-chan was sleeping right along my back. No, why am I calmly analyzing this? There's something I need to do first.
"Umm..."
I got out of bed and checked what I was wearing. My lower half was... covered.
"And what would you have done if they weren't, on the contrary?"
"Well, first, the morning-after pill..."
"That is a refreshingly scummy thing to say."
No, getting pregnant in my first year of high school would be bad. I've decided not to have kids until after I graduate from college.
More importantly, why is Arisu-chan here? I could understand it if it were Horikita, since in my previous life, I often invited close female friends to my place and ended up sleeping with them.
"You seem quite confused. I had dinner with the cup noodles that were here yesterday."
"Oh."
That's right. We eat together every day. Crap, I forgot to contact her...
This is bad. If she finds out I stood her up and brought another girl home, she'll kill me. Think... all the tough situations I got through in my previous life will give me strength!
"Can you imagine how I felt when I came here worried after you didn't contact me and saw a moron lying on the bed in his school uniform?"
"Ah... I'm sorry."
There's no way around it; this is my fault, so I apologized honestly. Okay, at least she doesn't seem to know I brought Horikita home.
"Why did you forget to contact me? You weren't tired from school, were you?"
"You know how we were talking about class points yesterday? I got back late because of that, got tired, and just fell asleep."
Yep, I'm not lying. A perfect statement.
"Is that so? Then, there was a strand of what appeared to be a woman's hair on the floor. Does that also fall under 'various' things?"
"Wha—"
Is that really how it gets exposed? ...Wait, we're not even dating, so shouldn't I just apologize for standing her up?
"Umm... yes, I brought someone home. But honestly, I had no improper intentions whatsoever."
"Oh, really? By the way, the hair part was a lie. I saw dishes on the desk, so I was just trying to see if you would tell the truth."
"You lied..."
That's right. This girl is by far the smartest girl I've ever dated. I completely forgot.
As I was thinking that, Arisu-chan paused for a moment and muttered quietly. Her tone was almost the same as usual, but since we've known each other for a long time, I could tell she was sulking.
"...It's not like we're dating, so I can't really say anything, but at least contact me. I was worried, you know?"
So cute! The desire to have me all to herself and her pride were clashing. Her usual dignified demeanor and this kind of behavior are a great contrast. I like it, a lot.
Perhaps she thought my standing there in silence was strange, because Arisu-chan burrowed back into the bed.
"Don't make too much noise. I'm going back to sleep."
The small lump of her body wiggled. I almost laughed at how defenseless she was, but... well, after spending most of our lives together, it's bound to be like this. With her behind me, I prepared to take a shower and make breakfast. Since we couldn't eat together yesterday, I'd make something a little more luxurious today.
As I was getting ready, I saw Arisu-chan sleeping soundly in my bed.
"I'm sorry," I whispered as I gently stroked her head. The words came out without me even thinking about it.
To me, Sakayanagi Arisu was a friend, a childhood friend, like a little sister, and she filled the gaps in my unstable heart. To be honest, I thought a childhood friendship that started in first grade would naturally disappear as we grew up, and I never expected it to last this long.
"You... you left me! ...Why didn't you fall with me?"
At that moment, I remembered the sight of a woman straddling me, shedding tears. Honestly, it was a memory I never wanted to recall.
"Tch..."
A dull pain ran through my side. It's strange, but it seems my memories can still feel the pain even though my body has changed.
This pain will probably follow me for the rest of my life until I find the 'answer.' However, I don't have the courage to find that 'answer.'
"...What do you see in a scumbag like me, Arisu-chan?"
I muttered, then slid into the bed, holding her from behind, and buried my face in her back, falling asleep again.
"...Don't say whatever you want without knowing how I feel."
============
🚀 Want Full Access NOW & Bonus Content?
"Loving this story so far? You can read ALL chapters RIGHT NOW by joining my P4tr3on!
✨ Unlock instant access to the full completed novel
✨ No waiting for daily updates
✨ Support your favorite degenerate author (that's me!)
Only $5.99 for the full experience!
🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!
Free readers - don't worry, I'll still be posting daily updates here. But P4tr3on members get the VIP treatment!
Your support helps me create more wild stories like this. See you on the dark side! 😈"