After a proper round of fussing, Amane had finally settled down considerably.
At least, that's how it seemed to Horikita.
As she slowly turned the pages of her book, she couldn't hear any noise at all. Amane was nestled obediently beside her, peeking over like a little animal watching its owner.
"Aren't you tired after such a long day?"
Horikita pulled the covers up over Amane for her. Classwork seemed to come easily enough to Amane, but the evening archery session had drained a lot of her energy.
If she didn't get to sleep soon, she'd probably doze off in class tomorrow.
"I want you to read to me…"
"If you dare ask me to read a bedtime story…" Horikita gave Amane a particularly kind smile.
Amane shrank back a little. "But I can't fall asleep, what am I supposed to do?"
Horikita frowned. Why was this child so against sleeping lately?
"Amane-san, I know a trick to help you fall asleep fast."
"Really?"
Amane's eyes sparkled.
"See what's outside the window?"
"Outside?"
Amane instinctively turned to look—then felt a sharp pain in her neck.
She slumped into Horikita's arms.
"Physical methods are still more effective." Seeing Amane's peaceful sleeping face, Horikita casually switched off the lamp.
"Good night." She didn't know if Amane could still hear her, but it was only right to say it anyway.
She'd originally planned to leave Amane on her own side, but somehow she was reminded of the body pillow she had at home. Amane was soft… probably not much different from that pillow.
So in the end, Horikita held Amane as she gradually drifted off to sleep.
Only when Horikita's breathing became slow and steady did Amane open her eyes. She rubbed her sore neck.
Oww.
That really hurt.
Horikita's chop was strong, and precise too. But Amane was used to blows like that—it wasn't enough to knock her out. She was left fully conscious, stuck feeling the throbbing in her neck.
She'd thought about giving Horikita a scare in return, but Horikita played dirty—pulling that "face-in-the-chest" move on her.
So Amane just…lay there quietly for a long while.
Finally, she could breathe again.
Gazing at Horikita's cute, sleeping face, Amane couldn't resist reaching out to touch her cheek, and then—
Suddenly, Horikita's hand shot up and caught hers.
In the dim moonlight, Amane stared blankly back at Horikita's sharp gaze.
Horikita didn't say a word. She just tucked Amane's hand back under the covers, then wrapped her arms around her again.
"Good night. Go to sleep early."
"G-good night."
--+--
Before they knew it, nearly a week had passed.
The day Horikita and Amane walked into the classroom, they could tell the class atmosphere was off.
The girls were whispering among themselves with clear disgust, while the boys were chatting excitedly, some even staring right at Amane.
What was going on?
"Good morning, Amane-san."
"Good morning, Kikyo-chan~ By the way, why does the class feel so…"
Amane didn't finish, but Kushida understood.
"Eh? Amane-san, you didn't hear? We have swimming class today. The boys are probably just excited about that. But I'm sure they don't mean anything by it… probably."
Kushida's smile was a bit strained. That "probably" didn't reassure Amane at all.
Now that she thought about it…If it was swimming class, then that meant…
She'd get to see Horikita in a swimsuit!!!
That… actually made her a little excited too.
No—more like she couldn't wait.
Soon, swimming class arrived.
The boys and girls entered separate changing rooms to get into their swimwear. Even though they were all girls, changing still felt a little embarrassing.
The first one finished changing was a girl named Onodera.
"Onodera-san, you changed so fast!"
Kushida looked at her in surprise as Onodera started warming up.
"Ah, I used to be a student athlete—swimming was my main event. For girls in sports, changing in front of others is just part of the routine. If you're shy and hesitant, you'll get made fun of."
As she said that, she pointed over to Wang Mei Yu, who was being laughed at in the corner.
The reason was that all girls had to wear one-piece swimsuits for class, but Wang Mei Yu had been too shy and fumbled awkwardly.
Then Karuizawa, passing by, teased her a little and even compared… certain feminine features with her.
After "winning" that comparison, she seemed to have mocked Wang Mei Yu quite harshly.
"What's wrong, Suzune?"
After changing, Amane went over to Horikita's side. She had to admit—seeing Horikita in a swimsuit made her eyes lock on. It perfectly showcased her feminine charm.
"What she did was too much."
Horikita's gaze toward Karuizawa was cold.
"Suzune, you don't like Karuizawa-san?"
"You could say that. My personality doesn't mesh well with people like her. Maybe she was just joking, but the prank went too far. She didn't consider how the teased student would feel at all."
It was rare for Horikita to say so much. Amane didn't reply, but after meeting Horikita's eyes, she understood exactly what she meant.
"Then I'll go."
"Try not to start a conflict."
"Mhm."
Amane walked over to Wang Mei Yu.
By now, several girls had gathered around Karuizawa—all part of her usual circle.
They'd practically formed a little group with Karuizawa at the center.
Wang Mei Yu, on the other hand, was in Kushida's circle and usually hung out with her, but Kushida and her friends had already changed and gone out.
Wang Mei Yu, being a step slower, had ended up cornered by Karuizawa.
"Mei Yu-chan? You're not changed yet?"
Amane naturally stepped in front of Wang Mei Yu.
"Amane-san…"
"Get your swimsuit on properly first."
You're risking a wardrobe malfunction here~
Even if you're not that well-endowed, the shape is still quite nice.
Ahem.
Not that she was looking on purpose.
"Miyako-san? Are you standing up for Wang Mei Yu? Too bad—we're not bullying her."
The one speaking was Sato. That was a pretty clever thing to say—immediately dismissing any accusation of wrongdoing and making Amane's intervention seem unnecessary.
If no one was being bullied, then Amane didn't need to stand up for her.
"I just noticed Mei Yu was taking a while to change, so I came to check on her. I didn't expect everyone to be so… enthusiastic about teaching her how to put on clothes. What good classmates we have in Class D."
Amane flashed a hollow smile. For a moment, the surrounding girls looked uncomfortable.
Enthusiastically teaching someone to dress?
Did Amane even believe her own words?
Karuizawa shot a glare at Amane.
"Let's go. There's no fun to be had here anyway."
Karuizawa waved a hand and made to leave.
"Karuizawa-san, aren't you changing?"
"None of your business. I'm not feeling well today, so I'm sitting out of P.E. I already got permission—got a problem with that?"
Karuizawa stared irritably at Amane. She didn't like girls who smiled so brightly.
Why could she be so happy, while she herself could only cry alone under the covers?
It wasn't fair at all.
Unconsciously, Karuizawa touched her lower abdomen.
Beneath her clothes, the scars there seemed to ache faintly.
--+--
T/N: Why are you blaming her for being happy?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.