On the night of the fireworks festival, Chisato didn't return home. Instead, he chose to stay over at Kazusa's house.
Just as he had suspected, Kazusa's request for him to fetch her clothes and help her scrub her back was, in truth, just a poorly concealed excuse.
Her real intent was not as simple as she made it seem.
At first, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
When Chisato entered the bathroom, Kazusa sat on a small stool with her back to him, using a towel to loosely cover her front.
From the back, nothing was visible.
But knowing that Kazusa was currently sitting there completely bare, Chisato couldn't help but let his thoughts wander as he scrubbed her back.
His eyes burned with curiosity, wishing they could somehow bend around to the front.
Still, until Kazusa explicitly stated otherwise, he restrained himself and maintained his composure.
Then, just as the gentle back-scrubbing session ended and Chisato was about to stand up and leave, Kazusa suddenly grabbed his hand.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her downcast eyes were filled with shyness.
She didn't say a word. The confined space of the bathroom seemed to amplify the sound of their rapidly beating hearts.
Then, after a brief moment of resolve, she slowly moved her hand, the one holding the towel in front of her, and let it slip away.
"Let's bathe together. I'll help scrub your back too…"
That's what she said.
Chisato swallowed hard.
With a signal this clear, there was no longer any reason to hesitate.
Kazusa was utterly overwhelmed.
From that moment on, everything spiraled out of her control.
When she first caught sight of Chisato's toned and well-defined physique, she felt too embarrassed to look directly at him, using the act of scooping water and splashing her face as a distraction.
How could someone who looked so tall and lean actually have such an incredibly sculpted body underneath his clothes?
Chisato had similar thoughts.
Kazusa, someone who spent most of her time napping on her desk at school, somehow had a figure that showed none of the laziness her habits suggested.
Usually, she never stood out in that regard, but now, seeing her up close like this, she was… even more remarkable than Utaha.
At first, they both remained a little reserved as they soaked together in the bath. But as they lathered each other with body wash, that restraint gradually melted away.
By the time their breathing had turned increasingly erratic, neither of them could endure it any longer.
They barely managed to rinse off their bodies before Chisato scooped Kazusa up into his arms and strode straight out of the bathroom, heading directly for her bedroom upstairs.
How impatient was he?
So impatient that he didn't even bother putting on slippers, leaving a trail of wet footprints across the floor.
So impatient that Kazusa didn't even have time to put on her nightwear.
So impatient that the living room lights and air conditioning were left running all night long.
Back in the familiar comfort of her room, with Chisato's weight pressing down on her, Kazusa thought she would feel nervous, maybe even afraid.
But instead, a deep sense of peace washed over her.
Chisato anchored her restless heart, like a ship finding its harbor.
And as the night unfolded, while basking in waves of euphoria, she suddenly found herself understanding her mother a little better.
No wonder she kept changing boyfriends…
This kind of thing really was just that good…
…
Kazusa woke up naturally, blinking drowsily as the morning sun streamed into her room.
It was already past nine.
Even if she stayed up late, her body's internal clock usually woke her around seven for school. But today, it had utterly failed her.
All thanks to a certain someone.
Her biological clock had been completely broken by him.
But… It wasn't a bad feeling.
The first thing she saw upon waking was Chisato propping his head on one hand, gazing at her with a lazy smile.
It felt… really nice.
"...Morning."
After staring at each other for a long moment, Kazusa finally squeezed out the word.
Chisato chuckled and greeted her back.
Seeing her adorable reaction, he felt another urge welling up inside him, but recalling how she had almost been in tears by the latter half of last night, he decided to hold back.
"Today's Monday, right?"
"Yeah."
"What time is it?"
"A little past nine."
"Aren't you supposed to be at school?"
"Nope."
Chisato shook his head.
"I woke up around seven and called Miss Yukino to get us both excused for the day. So don't worry about it."
"You… got me excused?"
"Yeah."
He nodded, wrapping an arm around her.
Kazusa wasn't entirely used to this level of intimacy yet, but her body was honest, instinctively leaning into his embrace and finding a comfortable position.
"She already knows we're dating, so when I told her you weren't feeling well and there was no one at home to take care of you, she didn't even question it.
She approved the request right away and even asked if you needed her to check in on you after class."
"...Miss Yukino really is a good teacher."
"She is."
"And yet you still lied to her."
"I just told her a different kind of truth. It might not be the same as being traditionally 'sick,' but you do need someone taking care of you right now, don't you?"
"...Shameless."
A faint blush crept onto Kazusa's face. She lowered her head slightly, but couldn't help letting a small smile slip through.
They lingered in bed for a while longer, enjoying their shared warmth.
For the first time, Kazusa experienced the luxurious feeling of having someone else help her get dressed.
Though…
"Don't kiss my feet."
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself."
"You… You must do this kind of thing to the other girls around you too, don't you?"
Kazusa knew she shouldn't be asking such a question at this moment, but she just couldn't hold it in.
Chisato slid the over-the-knee socks onto Kazusa's feet, not even looking up as he replied in his usual casual tone,
"Which part is Kazusa referring to? Helping with dressing or kissing the instep?"
"B-Both of them."
Chisato paused to recall for a moment before answering honestly,
"Helping with dressing, this is the first time for you, Kazusa. As for kissing the instep…
Well, I have done it before. Not only have I done it, but the actual situation was a lot more intense than this."
"Wait a second, that's suspicious. W-What do you mean by 'a lot more intense'?!"
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