65 Homecoming, and Revealing the Relationship

"Did you lock all your doors and windows?"

"You watched me do it, didn't you?"

In the hallway in front of their apartments, Mahiru

reminded Amane as if she was his teacher or something, and

he answered with a small, wry smile.

Normally she wouldn't go out of her way to say something

like that, but she seemed to be worried, since their places

would be vacant for a while.

They were leaving that day to go back to Amane's family

home for about two weeks, and Mahiru was making sure

that nothing would happen while they were away.

"I did see you do it, but I'm asking just in case."

"Okay, okay. My turn—you didn't forget anything, did

you?"

"I didn't. We already sent everything we needed ahead of

time, and I checked my handbag again early this morning.

Everything is locked up tight, and I took out the garbage

from your place, and then I went over the contents of the

fridge, so you can rest easy."

"Thanks for going to all that trouble."

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Naturally, there was no way they could carry everything

they needed for two weeks with them, so she had employed a

parcel service so nothing would go overlooked. On top of

that, Mahiru had taken care of everything at Amane's

apartment. He was no match for her.

Feeling grateful that she paid attention to such details,

Amane took Mahiru's bag from her and replaced it with his

hand.

After blinking several times, Mahiru said quietly and

bashfully, "That's one thing I like about you, Amane," and

squeezed his hand.

Amane's family home was located a little more than an

hour's distance away by bullet train from where he and

Mahiru lived in the city.

The two of them sat down in their reserved seats and

amused themselves by chatting and enjoying the scenery,

and in no time the train was pulling into Amane's

hometown.

It had been about a year since he had seen that station,

but it felt longer, and an inexpressible wave of nostalgia

came over him as he pulled Mahiru along by the hand to the

rendezvous spot.

"So this is your hometown."

"Mm-hmm. Well, that's not exactly right, since you can't

get to my house without changing trains or going a little

farther by car."

The bullet train only stopped at major stations, so they'd

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had to get off here, but it would actually take a little more

time to get to where they were going.

This time, his mother had been available, so she had

offered to come meet them, and they had taken her up on it.

Her offer was probably motivated by the desire to see

Mahiru as soon as possible.

Walking toward the large pillar near the ticket gates that

was often used as a meetup spot, Amane spotted his mother,

even at a distance.

Naturally, Amane felt awkward about holding hands in

front of his mother, so he let go of Mahiru's hand. He sensed

a slight air of dejection coming from her, so he patted her

back lightly.

Forgive me just this once, since we haven't told her we're

dating yet.

It had become routine for them to hold hands, so he was

likely to take her hand without thinking about it, which he

would need to be more careful of while they were visiting.

Even Mahiru, who was a little reluctant to let go, seemed

to understand once she spotted Shihoko and regained her

usual expression.

Once Amane's mother saw the two of them, she put on a

charming, cheerful smile as they approached.

"So nice to see you again."

"Welcome, welcome, Mahiru dear! I'm so glad that you

came!"

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Amane smiled wryly, thinking it was just like his mother

to greet Mahiru first.

Mahiru seemed a little overwhelmed by Shihoko's energy,

but she gracefully bowed with a smile. "Thank you very

much for inviting me. And thank you for allowing me to join

you during your precious family time…"

"Never mind all that; we wanted to see you, Mahiru dear!

Actually, we wanted to see you over spring break, too, but it

didn't work out… Oh, Amane, what's wrong?"

"You're not going to greet your son?"

"Oh dear. Welcome home, Amane. Thank you for bringing

Mahiru."

"Yeah, sure."

He knew his mother was only teasing him, so he wasn't

particularly upset by it. When she noticed how brusque he

was, she pressed him further. "Oh, quit sulking, dear. Of

course I'm happy you've come back to visit, Amane!"

He couldn't help but be irritated by the way she smirked

at him.

Brushing off his mother's hand with a huff, Amane looked

around. He was surprised his father hadn't come to meet

them as well. Amane was sure he also had the day off from

work and had thought that both of them were coming.

"Where's Dad?"

"Your father's at home now fixing lunch."

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"Got it."

That made sense once she said it.

His father liked cooking and enjoyed hosting guests, so he

was getting everything ready at home.

"We're in luck, Mahiru; Dad's cooking is great," he told

her, swallowing his opinion that it wasn't as good as

Mahiru's, though.

Mahiru giggled softly. "So I've heard. I'm looking forward

to it."

"Oh-hoh-hoh. Please, come enjoy the tastes of our

homemade food."

"Look who's talking; it's not like you're the one doing the

cooking… Well, Dad is better at it anyway, so that's fine."

"Really, that was uncalled for."

Shihoko puffed out her cheeks in an immature expression.

But it was a fact that Shuuto was the better cook.

Amane's mother made the meals on weekdays while his

father cooked on the weekends, so even though Shihoko had

more chances to practice, his father's cooking always tasted

much better. That wasn't to say that Shihoko was an

especially bad cook, just that when it came to the issue of

seasoning, Shuuto's food was tastier. Of course, Amane was

grateful to them both for cooking.

"Well, that's fine; Amane being uncooperative is nothing

new. More importantly, should we head home? If we leave

now, I think we'll get there just in time for lunch. The car's

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this way; come on."

Shihoko beckoned them toward the exit, saying the train

station was no place to be having a long conversation.

Amane looked at Mahiru for a moment.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes."

Mahiru gave a little nod, and he squeezed her wrist gently.

Naturally, he couldn't entwine his fingers with hers, but

by holding her wrist, he could play it off as making sure she

didn't get lost.

Mahiru opened her eyes wide, then leaned in a little bit

closer to him, wearing a happy but slightly bashful smile,

and Amane started walking slowly behind his mother, also

feeling a little shy.

They rode in the car for thirty minutes, bringing Amane

and Mahiru's travel time to about two hours, before they

arrived at the Fujimiya household.

A fairly large, detached house stood before their eyes. It

was a spacious home with a den, a big kitchen, and spare

rooms, and it must have been bigger than Mahiru was

expecting, because her eyes widened.

"It's huge!"

"Oh, thank you. We built it to have extra space. We really

wanted a daughter, too, so we included extra rooms, but we

can't get everything we want in life, can we? …You can come

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live with us if you like!"

"Ah, um, I—"

"Mom, don't tease Mahiru; she doesn't know how to

answer."

"My, my."

His mother smiled brightly, but it seemed like she was

grinning at Mahiru's reaction.

Mahiru cast her eyes down in embarrassment, which he

knew would only feed his mother's happy delusions. As for

Amane's feelings on the matter, he hoped they would one

day be more than just fantasies, but of course he couldn't tell

his mother that.

"Come on, it's hot out here; let's hurry up and get inside."

"Yes, yes, you're no fun."

"What's that supposed to mean…?"

Amane herded his mother toward the house. He could tell

that it was hopeless. She was grinning with delight as she

unlocked the front door.

They heard footsteps from the interior. Amane's father

had noticed their arrival.

"Welcome home."

When they stepped inside the house, as expected, Shuuto

was waiting for them.

"I'm home, Shuuto. And I brought Mahiru!"

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"It's nice to see you again, Shiina."

"It's been a while; I'm glad to see you're doing well."

It had been about half a year since Mahiru had last met

Amane's father, and as expected, she seemed nervous. His

mother acted frank, friendly, and too forward with Mahiru,

so they were probably on more familiar terms, but he figured

Mahiru still felt distant with his father.

Amane's father noticed Mahiru's slightly stiff demeanor,

and he put on an amiable smile. "Oh, you don't have to be

formal around an old man like me," he said.

"Oh no, I wasn't…"

"The problem is that you don't look like an old man, Dad."

"Oh, what a nice thing to say!"

It was true, Amane's father looked much younger than his

actual age. He had what they called a baby face. Nobody

could have ever guessed he was in his late thirties the first

time they met him.

"You're looking good yourself, Amane."

"Have I changed that much in just six months?"

"Mm-hmm. You look more manly—or like you've gained

some confidence. And you're filling out well."

Since he was traveling with Mahiru that day, Amane had

dressed up. But his father must have meant that Amane had

never been very confident in the past, and now that he was,

it made a big impression.

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Amane felt slightly embarrassed that his dad could see

through him like that. He pressed his lips together, and his

father chuckled quietly.

"Well, Shihoko dear, can I leave it up to you to show them

around? I still have some refreshments to prepare."

"Sure! Come on in, kids. The house isn't much, but make

yourself at home, Mahiru."

"No, not at all… Thank you for your hospitality."

Mahiru bowed sincerely and took off her shoes before

stepping up into the house. Amane also removed his and

wore house slippers.

He didn't need a tour of his own childhood home, but

Amane intended to go along and stand guard so his mother

wouldn't tell Mahiru things he'd prefer she not know.

Shihoko watched Shuuto go back into the dining room,

then beckoned the two of them toward the stairs. "This

way!"

Most of the bedrooms and the guest room were on the

second floor, so it seemed like she was going to show them

that first.

Amane had planned to go to his own room and take a

peek inside the bag he had shipped ahead, but he thought

about it for a second and remembered where the guest room

was. An uneasy expression crossed his face.

…When I looked last year, there was only one other room

that hadn't been turned into storage space.

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That room, with a balcony that connected to his, had

apparently been built to use when his parents had another

child. In the end, the family hadn't been blessed with

another one, so it had gone unused, but the interior had

been finished and set up so people could stay there.

They rarely visited anymore, but when Amane's cousins

had come to spend long holidays with his family, that was

the space they had used.

Not that he and Mahiru were going to do anything, but his

stomach hurt a little as he wondered whether it was okay for

members of the opposite sex to stay in rooms that were so

directly connected.

"All right, Mahiru sweetie, you can use this room."

Just as Amane had suspected, his mother led them into

the room next to his, and he let out a soft sigh.

"Thank you so much for preparing a room for me."

"Don't mention it. The second-floor bathroom is over

there, and the room next to you is Amane's. Sorry, but the

balcony is connected."

Mahiru blinked in surprise when she heard that, then

averted her eyes awkwardly.

"I'll make sure to lock my side of the balcony, and you can

lock yours, too."

"I-I'm not worried about that."

"Just…please do it."

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"Oh-hoh, how precious." His mother laughed. "Well, I'm

going to help with lunch, so you two check your bags, okay?

We've already carried yours up to your room, Mahiru."

"Thank you so much."

"No problem. All right, see you in a bit."

Amane's mother smiled and went downstairs. He watched

until he couldn't see her back anymore, then let out a huge

sigh.

"Sorry, I think this was the only available room."

"N-no, it's fine!"

"It's fine because we're together, but if we weren't, it

would be awful, right? But I don't think my mom knows

about us… Geez."

"It's really okay. Besides, um… If the veranda connects,

we can look at the stars together," Mahiru said quietly with a

bashful look.

Amane smiled once he realized she wasn't worried about

him visiting her in bed, and when she mentioned spending

time together at night, happiness gradually welled up inside

him.

"…Well, we can meet on the balcony later if we get a

chance. Go ahead and get settled."

"Okay."

He wasn't sure whether Mahiru could tell that he was

trying to hide his embarrassment, but she giggled happily

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and went into her assigned room.

It hit Amane again that they were going to spend two

weeks together in the same space, and he covered his face

with his hands as he stepped into his own room.

Lunch was like a welcome reception for Mahiru, and

Amane's father treated them to some of his home cooking.

Shuuto was the type of person who, like Mahiru, could

make all sorts of food, and apparently on Shihoko's request,

the day's main dish was paella.

Of course, there wasn't just paella; the table was also set

with bisque and salads loaded with seafood.

Naturally, everything was delicious, and Mahiru was

genuinely delighted. It seemed Shuuto had impressed her

with his culinary talents.

"Our son's not giving you any trouble, is he?"

A few moments after they had finished eating, Shuuto

began to talk to Mahiru.

Shihoko took care of cleanup, and they could hear her

washing dishes in the kitchen.

Mahiru blinked at the question and immediately shook

her head.

"Trouble…? No, nothing like that."

"You can be honest, if you feel like you're being forced to

take care of him."

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"…I've never disliked spending time with Amane or

considered it a burden. I always have a good time with him."

"Good to know."

Amane couldn't think of anything to say. His reply came

out more clipped than he intended.

"Don't be shy, Amane; you ought to thank her for what

she does."

"…I'm always grateful."

"Yes, I know."

Mahiru had picked up on him trying to hide his

embarrassment, and she laughed in her clear and beautiful

voice. That made him feel even more mortified, and in his

vexation, he repeatedly pressed and unpressed his lips,

which only made her giggle even more. It was hopeless.

He looked at Mahiru, ready to warn her that she would be

sorry for this, but all he could see was her charming smile,

and it was obvious that his words wouldn't do much good.

Amane couldn't stand it any longer and turned away. Even

his father began laughing at him.

"You just can't be honest, can you? Really. That is one of

the cute things about you, though, Amane."

"Why would you call a guy cute? Are you making fun of

me?"

"He's right; you are cute."

"Mahiru, we're going to have to talk about that later."

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"Okay. Let's talk later."

She answered cheerfully, and Amane was at a loss for

words. Mahiru was being more assertive than usual. He had

been worried that she might be feeling nervous, but she

seemed to have loosened up.

Simply by sharing this kind of exchange with Amane, she

was showing how familiar they were.

Amane's father watched their exchange with interest.

Suddenly, he blinked dramatically, as if he had just

remembered something important.

"Oh, right, Shiina, if you don't mind, would you go

shopping with me? Shihoko asked me to pick up a few

things."

"Why are you trying to take her with you?" Amane

objected emphatically.

His father continued smiling calmly. "Relax, it's not like

I'm going to drag her all over town chatting and giggling like

your mother, you know?"

"I know that, but—"

"Anyway, you can stay home and watch the house."

"What, why?!"

"Well, because I'm going to tell her about old times, and

it'll be a nuisance if the centerpiece of the story is there."

"Did you just call me a nuisance?!" Amane demanded.

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"I did," his father smoothly confirmed.

Amane was again at a loss for words.

His father looked at Mahiru. "So you don't mind going on

an errand with an old man?"

"No, not at all. It would be my pleasure," Mahiru said.

"Great, I'll be glad to have you accompany me." He smiled

broadly. "While we're out, I want you to help me pick out a

present for Shihoko."

Mahiru looked bewildered. "P-present? Is today an

anniversary or something…?"

"Dad often buys Mom gifts, even on days that aren't

anything special."

Amane's father was a ladies' man who was extremely kind

to women—and especially to his beloved wife. He frequently

gave her gifts, even when there wasn't any kind of occasion.

He said that he did it out of gratitude for the things she

did every day, as proof of his love, and because he wanted to

see her happy face. Amane had also accompanied his father

on such shopping trips when he visited home.

His father had probably invited Mahiru so he could get

suggestions from a female perspective. But his main goal

was definitely to tell stories about Amane.

"…You're a lot like your father, Amane."

"I don't do as much as he does, though."

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"You found me stuffed animals and cute little things and

bought them for me, didn't you?"

It was true he had bought gifts that he thought would

make Mahiru happy or look good on her, but he gave her

those things because of how he felt about her and as thanks

for looking after him on a daily basis.

Maybe that did mean he was like his father, but he didn't

think his efforts were as frequent.

"Well, I mean, you do help me out every day, so…"

"…Yeah, and that's my point?"

Mahiru seemed exasperated with Amane, who answered

by making excuses, and yet she laughed with a joyful,

humorous tone.

Amane's father also looked over at him with apparent

amusement, so Amane stumbled to his feet and made for the

kitchen where his mother was cleaning up the dishes,

running away under the pretense of going to help her.

"Oh, Amane? Wouldn't you rather be talking with

Mahiru?" Shihoko asked.

"Mahiru's planning to head out with Dad soon to do some

shopping."

Amane glanced back into the living room, where the two

of them were smiling and getting ready to leave.

They were moving quickly. Amane's father obviously

wanted to give Amane some space to cool off after he started

sulking. He was sometimes intimidated by his father's ability

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to see right through to the inner workings of other people's

minds.

"Ah, they're going shopping, are they? And I think your

father has some things he wants to ask Mahiru, so this is

probably a good time."

"What is he planning to ask her…?"

"Just normal stuff, probably? It's not like I always know

what Shuuto's thinking."

Amane's mother handed him the paella pan after she had

washed it and put it on the burner to dry, so he obediently

returned it to the shelf where the cookware was stored.

While he was doing that, Mahiru and his father departed.

Amane gave a somewhat forlorn glance across the living

room, in the direction of the door they'd left through, and

then went back to help his mother finish washing up, drying

the clean dishes and putting them back on that same shelf.

It was work that he frequently helped Mahiru with, and

Amane was proud of how skillfully he handled the task. His

mother's eyes widened when she saw him.

"You've really mastered those movements, Amane."

"Thanks for noticing."

"I'm relieved to see that you're not just making Mahiru do

everything."

"What kind of worthless, awful guy did you think I

was…?"

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Of course, he wasn't the kind of shameless person who

would make Mahiru do all the work.

He would feel guilty, first and foremost, if he left

everything to her.

She handled the hard work of cooking for him, so Amane

figured he should help where he could and be sensitive to

her needs.

He looked pointedly at his mother, as if to say it was only

reasonable that he would help.

Still looking impressed, she addressed him again, "…Say,

Amane?"

"What is it?"

"How far have you gone with Mahiru?"

"Pff?!" Amane sputtered. He had certainly not been

expecting that question.

His mother calmly finished washing a plate.

Without thinking, he took the clean plate and wiped the

water off it with a towel, but he couldn't hide his agitation

and furrowed his brow.

"Why are you so nervous? You're obviously dating; I can

feel it in the air. That's just like you—you can't hide

anything."

Once she said that, he couldn't deny it.

The atmosphere between Amane and Mahiru had

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changed since their shrine visit at the start of the year. That

was only natural, since they'd begun dating, but he had

thought he was hiding it quite well from his parents.

Since his mother had seen right through him in the end,

that effort had been meaningless.

"…Is that a bad thing?"

"No? Actually I was hoping that she would one day visit as

our new daughter-in-law, so she's very welcome."

"…Really?"

"The way you were looking at each other, the air between

you two was so charged, I thought for sure you had already

gone all the way, though."

"Bah! No way!" Amane's eyebrows shot up at her

outrageous suspicion. "…Mom, you can't say stuff like that in

front of Mahiru."

But his mother didn't seem ashamed. "Of course I'm not

going to say that to sweet Mahiru. But personally, I do want

a daughter. I'm counting on you!"

Amane didn't blame her, since he understood her feelings

as a mother who wanted a daughter but hadn't been blessed

with one, so he just pursed his lips.

"…Just don't put any pressure on her."

"I know that. That's why I've got to get you to keep her

around."

"Do you really think I would let go of something I truly

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want?"

In the past, he had thought that so long as Mahiru was

happy, he didn't care if he wasn't her partner and had been

prepared to let her go, but now he couldn't say that.

Maybe he had become petty, which was probably true, but

he could also say that his desire to cherish Mahiru and never

give her up had only grown stronger. He wanted to make her

happy—and make her fall for him so hard that she wouldn't

think about anyone else. He wanted to treasure her and keep

her to himself.

He wasn't going to let Mahiru slip between his fingers.

Shihoko was momentarily taken aback by Amane's

confident assertion, and then she chuckled cheerfully. "Haha, you're like your father in that regard, too, you know. He

loves me just as much today as he did long ago."

"I didn't inherit Dad's natural skill with the ladies,

though."

"I wonder? Shall we ask Mahiru?"

"Hey, don't you dare."

If his mother asked something embarrassing like that,

Mahiru would probably have a fit, so Amane had to do

whatever it took to prevent that.

He glared at his mother to tell her to stop, but it didn't

seem to have any effect on her. Cheerfully, she said, "I can't

wait until Mahiru gets back," and Amane frowned again.

After several hours, Amane's father and Mahiru returned

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when it was around time his mother said they should be

getting started on dinner preparations.

Amane had fled his mother's relentless teasing and

headed up to his room to unpack his bags and kill some time

with his school books. Mahiru came to see him right after

she returned.

Amane had taken most of his furniture with him to his

apartment, so there wasn't much to look at in his room, and

his mother cleaned it periodically, so he wasn't embarrassed

to show it to her. He invited her in casually, but she seemed

a little restless.

He couldn't tell whether that was because they were alone

together, or because they were in his room, or maybe

because of her outing with his father. But at any rate,

Mahiru didn't seem as if she would calm down soon, so he

put a cushion on the floor and motioned for her to sit down.

"Welcome back, Mahiru. Are you tired?" Amane asked as

he brought over barley tea for two and placed the cups on a

small folding table. After blinking several times, Mahiru

smiled.

"No, we were sitting the whole time we were traveling on

the way here, so moving my body was just what I needed."

"I see… So the reason you're fidgeting so much is because

of something you heard from my dad?"

Apparently he had hit the bull's-eye. Mahiru averted her

eyes nervously, and Amane sighed.

He wasn't upset with Mahiru, but there were several

things he would have liked to say to his father. However,

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there was no way to tell whether Shuuto would be vague and

evasive, or turn around and make fun of him, so he wasn't

going to say anything.

"Geez, my dad… What did he tell you?"

"It wasn't that big of a deal. He just asked how you were

doing and told me you were cute when you were a kid, stuff

like that."

"…What did you hear?"

As would be expected, Amane had only a vague

recollection of things he did in childhood, and he wasn't

even sure if there were things he would be embarrassed

about.

Nevertheless, if his father had gone out of his way to tell

Mahiru stories, that must have meant he had done

something memorable. He had probably told her stuff that,

from a parent's perspective, made for cute and funny

anecdotes, but from Amane's standpoint, stories of failure

from his childhood were embarrassing and no laughing

matter.

He narrowed his eyes and looked to Mahiru for details,

but she blatantly turned away.

"Th-that's, um… Well…"

"Why are you looking away?"

"The only thing I learned is that you're definitely cute."

Mahiru gave a reply that didn't answer anything, and

Amane let out a dramatic sigh.

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"Wh-what is it?"

"This is what happens to bad girls who won't answer

seriously."

Mahiru had been sitting off to the side, and he pulled her

toward him and made her sit between his legs. He embraced

her from behind, wrapping himself around her, and touched

Mahiru's belly.

She seemed surprised by this and twisted her body

around to look up at Amane.

"Ah, um, Amane?"

"You're pretty ticklish, right, Mahiru?"

"…W-wait, please! Let's talk about this!"

"If you had fessed up in the first place, it wouldn't have

come to this."

He slowly moved his hands over her sides, following her

body over her clothes, and he clearly felt her squirm.

Feeling her slim figure, he ran his fingers slowly over the

smooth line of her waist and heard a small gasp.

Her reaction was so enticing that, against his better

judgment, he wiggled his fingers, gently grazing her skin and

tickling her again.

Seeing Mahiru squirm in his arms filled him with all sorts

of problematic feelings, but it was too late to stop.

"Ha, hey, wait…hee-hee, Amane…"

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"Wow, you really are ticklish, Mahiru."

He only touched her very gently, but Mahiru was

apparently very sensitive. She was clutching her knees to her

chest, trembling, and letting out little gasps of air.

Amane wasn't sure whether to think it was cute or be

shocked by how stubborn she was.

As he was tickling her softly, he made sure not to touch

any risky places. Perhaps unable to stand it any longer,

Mahiru suddenly turned her whole body around to face

Amane.

She glared at him with slightly flushed cheeks and eyes

teary from the tickling, and Amane's heart pounded for

several reasons.

"A-Amane, you dummy. That was mean."

"If you had told me everything right away, this never

would have happened."

"W-we really didn't talk about anything important. He

told me about when you had a head-on collision with a

utility pole when you were little and cried a lot, and how you

used to cling to your mom on Mother's Day and tell her you

loved her in baby talk, and how you once put wax in your

hair because you wanted to look cool like your dad and

ended up with hard, spiky hair. That kind of stuff, that's all."

"Those are the worst kind of stories!"

When he learned that Mahiru had heard about such

embarrassing incidents that he didn't even remember,

Amane covered his face with his hands.

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He had figured that his parents would tell her stories from

his childhood, but he would have liked to know why they'd

decided to only share the embarrassing ones.

From his parents' perspective, those were probably just

charming anecdotes, but to Amane, they were part of a dark

past.

"I—I thought they were cute?"

"Don't compliment me. Forget those stories."

"…I refuse, since you tickled me."

Amane knew that the stories would probably have been

burned into her memories even if he hadn't done that, but

when he heard the slightly peevish tone behind her words,

he regretted that he might have pushed things too far and

wrapped his arms gently around Mahiru from behind.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."

"…Next time you tickle me, I'm going to whisper all the

stories I heard right into your ear, Amane."

"Hold off on the psychological warfare… I get it, I get it.

Sorry."

He hugged her and stroked her hair to calm her down,

and Mahiru settled docilely into Amane's arms and buried

her face in his collar.

"Mahiru dear, go and have your bath."

They were sitting around after dinner, and it was getting

about time for everyone to take a bath, when Shihoko turned

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to Mahiru, who was sitting beside Amane watching the

television.

"I can go after…"

"You're our guest, so don't hold back, okay? If you don't

want to get in alone, we'll lend you Amane for a bit."

"What a stupid thing to say, Mom." Amane's eyebrow

furrowed when his mother made an outrageous suggestion

with a broad grin.

When she said she would lend her son, she was suggesting

Amane should get in the bathtub with Mahiru, something

that Mahiru almost certainly would not consent to. Even

though they had splashed around in their swimsuits the

other day, getting fully nude together was still unthinkable.

Sure enough, Mahiru's face went bright red.

She glanced over at Amane, then flushed an even deeper

shade. She had definitely imagined seeing his body and

gotten even more embarrassed.

Amane knew he would also be writhing in shame if he

imagined anything in detail, so he did everything in his

power to not think too much.

"S-so we'd be, um, naked…"

"Oh, should I lay out an extra towel?"

"N-no, thank you…"

"Goodness, you don't need to be so embarrassed! Shuuto

and I bathe together all the time."

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"Th-that's…"

"Mahiru, don't take her too seriously. I mean, Mom and

Dad do get in the bath together a lot, but we don't have to do

that."

His mother had been joking around, but there was more

to it. Amane's parents were intimate with each other all the

time. If they went out walking together, they invariably held

hands and smiled at each other, and when it was time to

sleep, they both shared a bed. They were that consistent.

No matter how you looked at it, the two of them were

head over heels for each other, which was kind of

embarrassing for their son. But around town, they were

known as a couple of lovebirds. The two of them even took

their baths together. They believed that spending lots of time

with one another was important to maintaining a happy

marriage. Shihoko may have only been teasing, or she may

have honestly considered it their chance to get closer.

Either way, it's none of her business.

Amane was quite likely to dye the bathwater red with a

nosebleed if they got in together.

"You don't want to…? What's the matter with you young

people?"

"Whether we want to or not, do you think I could stand to

do that in my parents' home?"

"But I heard you were considering it at your apartment."

"…That's not up for discussion right now."

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He had realized what a convenient phrase that was the

other day at the pool when Mahiru had used it.

Amane could see that her eyes were darting around in

embarrassment, but in his heart, he couldn't say that he

didn't want to bathe together, so the best he could do was

dodge the question.

Honestly, he knew it would be incredibly awkward and

that the both of them would probably die of shame if they

tried. But at the same time, as a teenage boy, he couldn't

help but want to do it, just a little. He didn't think it would

happen, though.

Amane's father had been listening to the conversation

with amusement. He looked at Amane's stiff face and curled

his lips upward in somewhat of a wry smile.

"Shihoko dear, don't tease them too much."

"All right, fine," she relented.

Amane was immensely grateful for his father's

intervention.

"Go on, ignore my mom and go have your bath."

"O-okay. I'm going, then."

"You're such a cold fish, Amane. Have a good soak,

Mahiru dear."

Amane showed Mahiru to the bathroom to prevent

Shihoko from delaying her all night, then returned to the

living room.

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When Amane's father saw how exhausted he looked, he

chuckled and gave him a sympathetic smile.

Once Mahiru finished her bath, Amane's turn was next.

Knowing that his parents were going to get in together

and flirt happily in the tub, Amane had to take it before

them.

He felt his heart beat as he passed by Mahiru on his way

to the bathroom, and he quickly went to bathe.

He wasn't able to soak long because the thought that he

was sitting in the same water Mahiru had used kept popping

into his head, making him feel restless and dizzy.

Once Amane got out, his parents took their turn, so he

was left alone in the living room with Mahiru.

"Th-they're very intimate," Mahiru mumbled almost

unconsciously as she watched them go. Shuuto had his arm

around Shihoko's waist.

"They've been like that for as long as I can remember. I'm

used to it."

"…I think you have a great family."

"Thanks for saying so. Sometimes they give me heartburn,

though."

"Heh-heh."

Amane rubbed his chest and stuck out his tongue, and

Mahiru giggled quietly, covering her mouth.

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"…Just asking, but are you going to be all right staying

here? You're not worn out or anything?"

"I'm fine. The two of them are being so nice to me… Like,

they're treating me as if I'm their real daughter…"

"Well, I guess it's because my parents always wanted one.

Now that such a cute, nice girl has shown up, they probably

want to dote on you."

"R-right."

Amane's parents had readily accepted Mahiru.

Of course, they were impressed with Mahiru's sweet

personality. Shihoko was practically smitten—and keen to

spend plenty of time with her.

Mahiru's cheeks were faintly red, maybe because she felt

bashful from being called cute.

"If you like, I don't mind letting my parents pamper you.

Ever since I left home, they have been starved for someone

to spoil. If there's anything you want, or any place you want

to go, just tell them, okay?"

His parents, especially his mother, seemed like they

would grant any wish Mahiru had with big smiles on their

faces.

"Y-you know I couldn't pester them like that… But—"

"But?"

"I—I would like it if we could all go out together… I've

always wanted to go on a big family outing…"

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At those final words, which she added in a truly fragile

voice that was barely louder than a whisper, Amane felt a

great pressure thumping in his chest.

He knew that Mahiru had a poor relationship with her

own family. Amane figured that, for Mahiru, being able to

develop a rapport with his parents allowed her to experience

something she never had with her family. He hoped she

would come to feel that way, but he knew it wasn't

something he could force. So instead, he decided not to

mention it—and just focused on treating Mahiru as if she

was part of his family.

"Is that so? Well, I'll tell Mom. Although I'm warning you,

if you don't have a particular place in mind, my mom will

probably pick whatever she wants. Some amusement park or

shopping mall, most likely. If there's somewhere you want to

go, you should ask, otherwise she might take us to some

weird places."

"Heh-heh, as long as I'm going with you and your parents,

anywhere is fine."

"If you say that, my mom's going to take us someplace

strange…"

Mahiru smiled happily at Amane's words, and Amane felt

quietly relieved. Then he told her about some of the odd

destinations they had gone to in the past and coaxed even

more smiles out of her.