The Start of the New Semester

"Listen, I'm not a kid anymore, you know." Amane's exasperation was obvious from the

way he answered his mother's phone call. He was about to attend the school entrance

ceremony that marked the start of his second year of high school, after all.

Amane couldn't decide whether he was more impressed or irritated by her ability to

time her call for the one free moment in his busy morning routine. She worries too

much, he thought as he sank into the sofa.

His mother had gotten used to the idea of him living alone, but she was clearly still

concerned that an old wound of his might have opened again, dredging up memories

of something from his second year of middle school.

As far as Amane was concerned, though the scar ached sometimes, it never bothered

him much. And more importantly, he didn't want to worry his parents.

"I'm fine. Really—I'll be all right on my own."

"You come tell me anytime it gets tough, okay? Oh, even better, you can lean on sweet

Mahiru!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Why is she so hung up on Mahiru and me?

His mother had taken a liking to Mahiru and clearly wanted them to spend more time

together, but Amane felt like it was really none of her business. When it came to

matters of romance, he didn't ask for or want any parental meddling, even if she only

meant well.

Most of all, Amane didn't want his mother to figure out just how fond of Mahiru he

really was, so he opted to kept quiet and didn't engage.

"I bet Mahiru would be very receptive."

"Uh-huh…"

"At any rate, if you're having a rough time, make sure to ask someone for help, okay? It

can be anyone. I still think Mahiru would be just perfect, but—"

"Look, I've gotta go soon, so I'm hanging up. Thanks for worrying about me so early in

the morning."

Amane didn't want his mother speculating about his relationship with Mahiru any

further, so he quickly thanked her and ended the call. He could already imagine her on

the other end of the line, probably pouting in displeasure.

She was concerned about him, but she was worrying way too much.

His scars did ache, but not so much that it would bring him to his knees.

Besides, it wouldn't bother him if he just didn't think about it.

…Better to not reach out if I don't need to.

As long as the people I trust stay with me, everything'll be fine.

Amane wasn't worried about the class changes for the new semester. After all, there

was nothing he could do, so he'd decided to do his best to accept whatever came.

Staring at his own gloomy, melancholic reflection in the darkened screen of his phone,

Amane smiled bleakly.

If Chitose and Itsuki saw me like this, they'd slap me right on the back, he thought as he

stood up from the sofa and left for the first day of school.

Walking to school after two weeks off felt a bit nostalgic. After arriving, Amane

approached the central bulletin board, intending to check the rosters for each class

posted there.

Although he had come a little earlier than usual, it was the start of the new semester,

so plenty of other students were already there—and surprisingly, one of them was his

friend Itsuki, who emerged from the crowd to greet him.

"Yo, what's up, Amane. Looks like you just got here."

"Morning. Is the sky falling or something? I can't believe you got here before I did."

"My dad chased me out of the house," Itsuki replied with a small grin. "He said I should

at least be early for the first day." He shrugged, as if there was nothing interesting

about it.

Itsuki was at odds with his father, as usual. Since meeting Chitose, he didn't seem

inclined to do anything his parents wanted. Itsuki's father stubbornly refused to

approve of his relationship with Chitose, and ever since then, the two of them never

saw eye to eye. Of course, Itsuki's father could be pretty stern, even before his son had

started dating, Amane thought that he was overall an earnest and sensible man—and

a decent parent.

That said, Itsuki's current situation really made Amane appreciate his relationship

with his own parents. They could be more than a little overbearing at times, but on

the whole, they respected their son's wishes, and Amane almost never argued with

them. After all, they had gone to a lot of trouble to send him to school far away from

his hometown. And they never gave him a hard time about who he associated with—

if anything, they fully supported him on that front.

Amane hadn't told his parents about his feelings toward Mahiru, but they were

obviously quite taken with her—even openly mentioning that she'd make a wonderful

daughter-in-law. If by some slim chance he did one day happen to find himself in that

sort of relationship with Mahiru, Amane was sure his parents would approve.

Amane was well aware that he was blessed with a loving family.

…Considering Mahiru's situation, I've seriously got it made, huh?

Amane fell into an uncomfortable silence as he recalled the chilling expression he'd

seen Mahiru's mother brandish, only for Itsuki to flash him a flippant grin. It seemed

like he had already regained his usual cheer.

"Well, my dad's not worth worrying about. Come on, let's check out the class lists."

"From the way you're smiling, I can more or less guess what got posted."

Amane shot Itsuki a weary look when he saw his friend's ordinary smile had become

a devious grin, then searched for his own name among the crowd of students who

were doing the same.

It didn't take him long to spot his name. As he started confirming who his classmates

would be for the year, Itsuki's impish smile began to make more sense.

There were many familiar names on the roll sheet.

Several belonged to students who had been in his class last year—namely, Itsuki and

the boy who was often referred to as the prince, Yuuta Kadowaki.

Amane also spied Chitose's name, which certainly explained Itsuki's good mood.

And there was one more he recognized.

Mahiru Shiina—the name of his next-door neighbor who always looked after him, the

secret object of his affections.

If I didn't know any better, I'd swear somebody planned it all out.

Of course, class assignments were decided by the school administration, meaning

Amane and his friends had no say where they ended up, but he never expected to be

placed with so many familiar faces.

"We got real lucky, didn't we, Amane?"

"I don't know what's so great about it. I guess it's a relief to have you with me."

"What's up, you getting embarrassed for once?"

"Shut it. And if anyone's lucky, it's gotta be you, right? Being in the same class as

Chitose and all."

"I really am, man. I was worried that they'd heartlessly tear us two lovers apart…"

"On second thought, maybe putting some distance between you two would've been

better for everybody."

With this excitable couple around, there wouldn't be a single moment of boredom—

or peace. And their constant displays of affection were almost guaranteed to bother

all the single students.

Amane was happy to be in the same class as his friends Itsuki and Chitose, but on the

other hand, he could already tell that this year was going to be turbulent and difficult.

"Why so harsh? Ah, don't tell me—it's because you're single, right?"

"Try saying that to the other guys. If looks could kill, man."

"I'm joking, I'm joking! But seriously, this turned out pretty great, yeah? You finally get

to be in the same class as the girl you like."

"…Shut up." Amane turned sharply away from Itsuki's teasing.

A cheerful voice interrupted their banter. "I could be wrong, but Fujimiya looks a little

pissed, doesn't he?" There was a quiet laugh. "He'll start to hate you if you tease him

too much, Itsuki."

Amane felt himself frown as he looked up and saw Yuuta, the class prince, standing

beside Itsuki with one hand resting on his shoulder.

It was impossible to miss the flickering glances gathering on him in the hallway. This

level of attention must have been completely normal to him, because he didn't seem

bothered in the slightest. Yuuta was just showing Amane a friendly smile.

"Morning. We're in the same class again this year. Looking forward to it."

It didn't seem like a very significant interaction. He had seen Itsuki and Amane

conversing by the bulletin board and had come over to greet them. Yuuta got along

okay with Itsuki, so that wasn't strange, but it was unusual for him to be so friendly

with Amane.

Amane felt a little uncomfortable talking with such a popular guy. There was nothing

wrong with Yuuta as a person, but Amane disliked attracting too much attention.

Besides, making new friends like this at the beginning of the new semester threatened

to remind him of the past. The pain welling up slowly but steadily from the deep

crevices of his chest was nostalgic. It was a feeling he thought he had buried a long

time ago.

"…Fujimiya?"

"Eh? Ah, sorry; I spaced out for a second. Hope we have a good year."

Amane smiled back weakly at Yuuta, who was now frowning slightly, looking worried

for a moment before finally letting his face soften into a relieved smile.

You should save a smile like that for your fangirls, Amane thought briefly. But Yuuta

looked genuinely happy, so Amane was also relieved.

At that point, a couple other boys came over, and Yuuta left to chat with them.

Itsuki, who had been silent until then, had his eyes fixed on Amane, as if he was

forming some conjecture. "Is it just me, or are you on your guard around Yuuta?"

"…No, that's not it. It's just… I was thinking how weird it is for him to try to be friends

with me."

"Really, dude? You're always way too hard on yourself. Look, it's not like Yuuta has

some ulterior motive for being friendly with you, ya know? Not everyone who acts

nice is looking to gain some advantage. You're one cagy guy, Amane."

"I'm sure that's true," Amane replied, "but—" The moment he noticed Itsuki glaring at

him with exasperation, he gulped back down the words he was going to say next. —

But there are people like that out there.

Not that he suspected Yuuta was one of them or anything.

They had only spent the past year as classmates in passing, but even so, Amane knew

that Yuuta was a good guy. With his kind, honest, charming personality, it was hardly

a mystery why the boy was popular, and no wonder he had lots of friends.

Still, this particular time of year brought back many unpleasant memories for Amane,

and it made him extra suspicious, even when he knew there was no reason to be.

"It doesn't really have anything to do with what kind of guy Kadowaki is. I'm just shy,

so I get spooked when someone suddenly wants to talk to me."

"Well, I guess that's fair. You are the shy type. The first time we talked, you got all

wound up like a nervous cat."

"Who're you calling a cat?"

"Tell me I'm wrong. Timid and quiet as could be as long as no one touched you, but the

moment someone made contact, bam, your hackles would be up."

Amane frowned at Itsuki's analogy. As a cat lover, he didn't appreciate his sulky

attitude being lumped in with such adorable, free-spirited creatures.

"Anyway, I think you'd get along with Yuuta if you gave him a chance. Since middle

school, we've been in the same class for three years, so I can vouch for him. He's a good

dude."

"I can tell that just by watching him, but it's my feelings that are the problem. Besides,

I've never really talked with him…"

"I'm pretty sure it won't be long before he changes that himself."

"Wait, why?"

"What do you mean? It's 'cause even Yuuta can tell you're a good guy."

Itsuki said that with another big grin, but Amane frowned reflexively. He simply didn't

understand.

"Mooorniiing! Looks like we're in the same class this year!"

After Amane entered his new classroom, found his assigned seat, and checked that

there were no mistakes in his school paperwork, Chitose approached him, looking like

she'd just gotten out of bed.

This year, both Chitose and Itsuki were in his class, so he knew this was only the first

of many boisterous and heartburn-inducing days.

"Good morning. You didn't come with Itsuki today, huh?"

"Yeah, I overslept. Honestly, I totally forgot about the new semester, and my mom had

to wake me up. Where's Itsuki?"

"He went to the vending machines a minute ago."

"Gotcha. Guess I'll message him and ask for a milk tea. Ah, Mahirun, Mahirun! We're in

the same class this year! I can't wait!"

Waving her hands excitedly, Chitose, who wasn't bashful around anyone, bounded over

to Mahiru, who had just entered the classroom. Mahiru, surrounded by a slew of boys

and girls, blinked in surprise. Everyone around her stiffened when they heard Chitose

address her so casually, but when Mahiru reacted normally and instantly donned her

angelic smile, it was clear that Chitose was permitted to talk to her that way. That was

when the crowd's mood changed to one of jealousy.

Watching Chitose rush over to Mahiru with so much energy that early in the morning

left Amane feeling equal parts frustration and admiration. When his gaze fell on Mahiru,

their eyes met for a moment, and he thought he saw a flicker of change in her soft

smile. But the next instant, she shifted her gaze back to Chitose with a tender look in

her eyes.

"Mahirun, school lets out early today, so let's go eat crepes on the way home! The crepe

place in front of the station is super tasty!"

"That sounds nice. I'd like to go if you really don't mind."

It might have been Amane's imagination, but he thought he saw her glance in his

direction again. As far as Amane was concerned, she certainly didn't need to get his

permission every time she wanted to go somewhere, and he had no intention of being

a burden who kept her from going out when she wanted. He could always eat fast food

or go to a convenience store for lunch. Mahiru was cultivating a budding friendship,

and Amane was happy for her.

Chitose was very good at connecting with people like that, so he hoped they would

have fun together—and that she would show Mahiru, who didn't typically hang out

with many other people, a good time without wearing her out too much.

Mahiru was probably the one who would benefit most from having Chitose in the same

class. She was already smiling happily, despite Chitose's intensity. Amane felt a smile

of his own slide into place.

The first day of the new semester consisted of an opening ceremony, then selfintroductions and general announcements in the classroom. Once that was all over,

the students were dismissed.

Since school let out before lunchtime, Amane had been planning to eat with Mahiru, but

instead, he bought a boxed lunch from the convenience store he had come to rely on

less and less frequently. After getting home and devouring his basic meal, he sprawled

out lazily on the sofa.

Amane had many acquaintances in his new class, and from what he could tell, most of

the other students were on the calm side, so it seemed like he would be able to manage

one way or another. It was a huge relief to know so many of his classmates. It would

have been depressing to spend a year's worth of classes without even one friend.

Amane had enough self-awareness to understand he had a gloomy disposition, so he

expected it would be quite a hurdle to make new friends and get to know them. He

had a hard time trusting people in general.

While idly thinking about what a feat it was to have befriended Itsuki and lauding his

past self for his foresight, Amane slowly let his eyes slide shut.

Being in an unfamiliar classroom had been a bit taxing. Coupled with post-meal

sleepiness, it meant that Amane drifted off in no time.

For Amane, brushing up against the memories he had sealed away brought a small yet

sharp pain, like grazing a hangnail.

Normally, he was able to forget about them and chase them to the depths of his mind

by focusing on the many good things in his life.

Since meeting Mahiru, he had barely even thought about them anymore, and when the

memories did reappear, they were like bubbles that burst the moment they hit the

surface of the water. Those pinpricks only lingered briefly. The recent, sudden increase

might have been due to the new school year, or maybe it had been triggered when he

learned about Mahiru's past. Or possibly because he'd realized that Itsuki, who had

been his first new friend after everything had happened, was also buddies with Yuuta.

"Let's have a great year."

There had been another boy once who had said that and extended a hand to Amane.

At the time, Amane had been more trusting—and less wary of others. He had always

been surrounded by good people and never learned to recognize when someone

meant to hurt him.

And so he didn't doubt the boy. He didn't doubt any of them.

"—You… from the very start—"

Amane jolted awake, and the words he knew came next faded away.

Through blurry eyes, he could see spring sunlight streaming in through the window,

gently illuminating the dark, familiar apartment.

There was no one there except Amane and no sound other than his own breathing,

which was rougher than usual.

He let out a heavy sigh as he looked at the clock and noted that about an hour had

passed since he'd dozed off. A considerable nap, but Amane still felt completely

exhausted, probably because of his bad dreams.

Given how tired his body and mind felt, he could have easily gone to sleep again, but

he had suddenly lost any inclination to try and rest.

I should at least wash my face and clear my head.

Hoping that a little fresh water might wash away any lingering dregs of melancholy,

Amane headed for the sink.

"…You don't look so good, Amane."

Although he had washed up, the hazy feeling in Amane's chest hadn't cleared up. It had

only receded just enough for him to stow it in the depths of his heart and wait to forget

about it again. He thought he'd managed to wipe any traces of it from his expression

so he wouldn't arouse Mahiru's suspicions, but she was very perceptive and wouldn't

be fooled so easily. She had come by after her outing with Chitose, and when they had

settled down after dinner, she studied Amane's face and questioned him.

"…Are you feeling sick?"

"No, nothing like that… Uh, it's just that… I took a nap, but I had kind of a bad dream, I

guess."

"Oh, you had a nightmare?" She gave him an inquisitive look.

"Mm, sort of." Amane shook his head. "Not a big deal, really. No need to worry." It was

a thin excuse.

Mahiru is sharp. She'll leave it at that if it's clear that's what I want. She's the type to let

up if she knows I don't want to talk right now.

Amane didn't want to shut her out completely, but it was still a sore spot for him, so

he kept her at a bit of a distance. He knew Mahiru wouldn't press the issue.

Mahiru seemed to have sensed that Amane had no intention of opening up at the

moment, and she was simply staring intently at him with focused caramel-colored

eyes. She clearly wasn't angry, or sad, or troubled. It made him feel a little awkward,

but Mahiru didn't stop staring, as if to say she understood what he was going through.

"What is it?"

"Nothing; just thinking that your hair looks especially soft."

"Huh?"

He had been on his guard, wondering what she was going to say next, so this sudden

non sequitur caught him by surprise. He had been anticipating an interrogation of

some sort, so the mention of his hair left him struggling to respond.

Mahiru was examining Amane's hair with her usual expression.

"Can I touch it?"

"What is this, all of a sudden…? I mean, you can if you like, but—"

"Oh really? In that case, come here."

Mahiru moved to the edge of the sofa and patted her lap.

Amane responded once more with, "Huh?"

He didn't understand.

"Put your head here so I can reach."

"No, no, no."

Mahiru stared quietly at Amane, who shook his head sharply at this incredibly unusual

development. Amane was extremely confused as to why she had suddenly proposed

such a thing. Mahiru, on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm, which only heightened

his confusion.

"Is there something wrong with my lap?"

"N-no, that's not—"

He quickly shook his head when he detected the displeasure in her voice.

The opportunity to rest your head in the lap of the person you like is a rare moment

of exceptional good luck.

But whether he should simply go along and accept the favor was a different question

entirely. No matter how much physical contact they'd had before, laying his head in

her lap was a whole new level of intimacy. There was a good chance he would die of

embarrassment. Their hug the other day had been urgent and for the sake of soothing

and comforting Mahiru, so he hadn't felt too self-conscious then, but this was a whole

other matter.

"It's fine; just get over here already."

"N-no, that's…"

"Amane."

"…Fine."

He had been trying to resist, but his willpower crumbled the moment Mahiru called his

name with a smile. Her latent powers of persuasion revealed themselves once again

as she invitingly smoothed the fabric of her skirt, wiping out all remaining pockets of

resistance.

Thank goodness she's wearing a long skirt, he thought from the bottom of his heart as

he hesitantly went to lie down on the sofa to rest his head in Mahiru's lap. He had his

back to her, looking out over her knees, as he felt the firm softness of her thighs.

Her slim legs, lean but still undeniably feminine, supported the weight of his head

perfectly. Her lap was at just the right height, and he could smell her faint, sweet scent

and feel the heat of her body. The last of his willpower dissolved as she brought a hand

down and gently brushed his cheek.

"What would you do if I did something really rude while I was down here?" he muttered

in a brusque voice, making his final attempt to put up a fight.

He heard a quiet laugh.

"I guess I would stand right up and then stomp on you."

"Sorry I asked."

Recently, Mahiru had been a bit more reserved, so hearing her tease him after so long

was almost nostalgic. Amane apologized right away, in case the threat was serious, but

Mahiru was smiling in amusement at Amane's reaction.

"Well, I know you wouldn't do anything like that. You don't seem to have the courage

or the energy."

He had some complicated feelings about being called a coward so casually, but the truth

was that he did not, in fact, have the nerve to try anything because he thought Mahiru

would hate him if he did, so she wasn't exactly wrong.

"Well, why don't you just relax instead? It'll be easier to reach you if you settle down."

Amane didn't have much reason to refuse as she gently ran her white fingers through

his black hair, so he kept his mouth shut.

…She must be worried about me.

This was probably Mahiru's way of cheering him up.

Amane guessed that she realized he was feeling stressed lately and decided to help

him decompress. He wasn't sure why her first thought was that it would be relaxing

for him to lie down on her lap like this, but it was actually surprisingly comfortable, so

he wasn't going to complain. And his heart wasn't pounding as hard as he'd expected,

possibly because he was so worn out.

A pleasant drowsiness washed over him. He had no idea it could feel so nice to have

someone gently comb their fingers through his hair. It had been a long time since he

had been spoiled by someone like this, and he wasn't sure what, if anything, he should

do. He could feel himself sinking gradually into a deep sea of happiness and

contentment. It probably wouldn't be long before he was on the cusp of sleep.

Just as soft slumber was about to completely overtake him, Amane heard Mahiru say,

"Well, doesn't the young gentleman have a single thing to say about what it's like to lay

his head in a young lady's lap?"

His eyes snapped open as he exhaled sharply.

"Ah, well, see—"

"I heard from Chitose that when a boy is tired, if you let him lie down on your lap, it's

like a dream come true and should help him feel better."

Amane now realized he had Chitose's meddling to thank for this unusual bit of intimacy.

Though, he couldn't honestly say she'd been completely off the mark. Actually, he

really ought to thank her.

Amane pursed his lips as he thought about how he should answer Mahiru's question.

While he ruminated, she kept tapping his cheek with her finger.

Frankly, it was the greatest feeling ever, and he wished he could enjoy it every day. But

he was worried if he said that, she would be disgusted or taken aback, so he didn't say

anything at all.

He couldn't be completely honest, but on the other hand, he had to say something nice.

He was being pampered here, so he couldn't lie and claim it wasn't all that special.

However, he could practically envision himself saying something dumb and blunt that

would drive her away.

After puzzling over it for a few moments, Amane decided to respond with some mild

praise.

"…I think it's really great. But don't take that to mean anything weird."

"How can I when it's the first time I've done it?"

Amane couldn't keep his heart from leaping at the words first time. He remembered

that she didn't like getting too close to boys and really avoided most physical contact

altogether. Of course he would be the first.

When he realized how much Mahiru must trust him to let him get so close, Amane felt

his chest and face grow hot. But Mahiru didn't seem to notice and simply kept running

her fingers through his hair with an air of satisfaction.

"Well, it's something I wanted to try, so you just sit back and relax. I'm only petting you

anyway."

"…I guess."

Mahiru emphasized that she was just doing as she pleased, so he didn't need to hold

back or be anxious. Feeling a bit sheepish about it all, Amane decided to take Mahiru

up on her offer.

"…Amane, what do you think of our class this year?"

She had played with his hair in silence for a little while before casually posing the

question.

"Hmm, well, I never thought we'd end up in the same class."

He'd been hoping to have at least one friend in his class, but it hadn't occurred to him

that everyone could end up together.

"Heh-heh. It was fun to see you so stunned."

"Hey… But yeah, it definitely caught me by surprise. I'll have to be vigilant."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll need to keep my distance so I don't speak to you too casually or act overly familiar."

On the one hand, Amane felt relieved that his friends would be nearby, but on the other

hand, since Mahiru was there, he would have to be careful about how they interacted.

He would avoid talking to her whenever he could, but if he slipped up and let on that

they were close, it would probably become a huge spectacle.

In spite of his feelings, he didn't want to be indiscreet about his relationship with

Mahiru at school. As far as Amane was concerned, as long as they could spend time

together at home, that was fine by him. He had no desire to go out of his way to make

enemies out of most of the boys at school.

As long as people didn't know about their relationship, they wouldn't try to talk to

him. He planned on acting like the two of them were strangers. Thinking that surely

Mahiru must understand, he let his eyes close—but she pinched his cheek between

her fingers.

"…What's wrong?"

"…Oh, nothing. I understand your logic, but I couldn't let it slide without doing anything,

so…"

"What's that supposed to mean…?"

She seemed very sulky for some reason, but there was nothing Amane could do. He

surmised that she wanted the two of them to talk like they always did, even at school.

After all, she could relax around him. But she wasn't the one who'd end up in trouble.

If Amane had been a popular and attractive guy—like Itsuki, for example—then maybe

the two of them could hang out whenever and wherever they wanted. But since Amane

was not popular or even sociable, it was a different story entirely.

It wasn't hard to imagine that there might be people who would decide that Amane

wasn't worthy of the angel's attention and hound him.

Amane was accustomed to being alone. What he didn't need was the ire of his classmates.

"…Well, I'll go along with it… for now," Mahiru said eventually.

"I dunno how I feel about that 'for now'…but it's a start."

"We'll still act normal at home, though, right?"

"Of course… But if we're going to act normal, shouldn't I get out of your lap?"

"This doesn't count."

Mahiru announced this strange exception and brushed Amane's hair again. Or rather,

she played with it like she was kneading it. Amane knew that if he said anything more,

Mahiru would pout again, and as long as he kept his mouth shut, he could keep savoring

this blissful moment. It was an easy decision.

Maybe because she was pleased by Amane's silent and docile reception, Mahiru

started arranging his hair more deliberately.

Her movements were gentle and affectionate, as well as a little awkward, but Amane

submitted to the comforting sensation, and it wasn't long before he was utterly at her

mercy.

…I'm really being spoiled…

If she kept this up, he would without a doubt sink into the deepest of slumbers. He felt

his eyes start to drift closed again as he basked in Mahiru's warmth, and another wave

of sleepiness washed over him. Truly, there was no defying the lulling power of the

angel's lap.

He resisted the urge to roll over toward her and burrow into the inviting warmth and

surround himself with her smell. He knew that if he did that, there would be no turning

back, so he deliberately kept his back to her, just barely holding his ground.

As Mahiru continued stroking his head affectionately, he began to feel heavy, and after

another moment of resistance, he finally surrendered to the irresistible comfort.

"…You look sleepy."

He heard her quiet murmur but no longer had the energy to lift his eyelids.

"It's all right; I'll wake you up in a bit. Go ahead and rest."

As he listened to her soft whispers, Amane could no longer stay awake and quickly

yielded to the embrace of the sandman.

When he lifted his heavy eyelids, Amane was looking up at two mountains covered by

a blouse, and beyond that, Mahiru's face, wearing a tender expression. He immediately

sat up, eyes wide with surprise.

Apparently, he had turned over at some point in his sleep to face the ceiling. Because

of that, he had been greeted with a rather bracing view upon waking, and his heart

was thumping strangely.

"…How long was I out for?"

At this question, Mahiru let slip a faint smile.

"About an hour. You look so cute when you're sleeping."

"Don't stare at me, geez."

"You're one to talk."

He had attempted to rebuke Mahiru for her teasing, but she immediately turned the

tables on him. It was true, he had watched Mahiru sleep several times before—and

had gone as far as to touch her face once—so he really didn't have much room to

complain.

"I let you see me with my guard down, so I thought it was time to even the score."

"But you fell asleep all on your own… so… mghnhgh…"

"Oh, so you're talking back to me now?"

She gently pinched both his cheeks.

"Showwy…," Amane meekly apologized, still struggling to talk properly.

"Very well. Good grief."

Apparently satisfied with Amane's apology, Mahiru stopped tugging at his cheeks and

started poking at them instead. In the end, it didn't change the fact that she was

touching his face, but Amane had also pinched her, so this was his just deserts.

His cheeks were less pliable and stretchy than Mahiru's, so he didn't see how pinching

them could be all that much fun. Still, Mahiru kept it up with a happy smile, slowing

tracing a finger down his cheek.

"You look much better now."

"Did I really look that worn out earlier?"

"Not exactly. But I see you every day, so I can tell. I mean, you notice whenever I'm

having a hard time, right, Amane?"

"Guess that's true."

"It's that sort of thing."

Mahiru made this declaration with a blank expression, then traced over Amane's

cheek again and smiled impishly.

"Whenever things get tough, I want you to lean on me, okay? Just like you let me lean

on you."

"…I'll try."

Suddenly, Mahiru pinched him again, gripping his cheeks between her thumbs and

two fingers.

Hoping to save his poor face from further pinch-related damage, he replied in a panic,

"F-fine, I understand!"

Mahiru nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

"…This is coercion, you know."

"Women can be forceful when we need to be. Besides, I never let anyone other than

you see me behave this way, so there's no problem, really."

"Uh, there's plenty of problems."

If anything, that's scarier.

Mahiru had also just admitted that she gave Amane special treatment. But she didn't

seem particularly concerned about the implications of what she just said and simply

smiled when she saw Amane's obvious embarrassment.

"You dummy," Amane muttered, turning away in a weak attempt to hide his chagrin.