NOVEL NEXT Chapter 75
When I close my eyes, I feel a bit of an illusion.
This is my room, and right now, Hayashi is just in the bath. As for me, I am being overcome by drowsiness after eating too much dinner, trying to sleep with the sound of the shower as a lullaby.
It feels like a regular scene from our daily life.
My eyelids are heavy.
My body is heavy, too.
Hayashi brought me here because she said she was tired. I realized that I probably didn’t adamantly refuse her invitation because I was tired, too.
We spent the day cleaning. Cleaning.
And then we went out in the afternoon and enjoyed ourselves, just the two of us.
Rainbow Bridge.
Dinner.
And then the show.
She let me experience things that I couldn’t in our normal daily life.
And now, she’s even trying to provide me with such a comfortable bed.
Earlier, Hayashi told me that I don’t understand her feelings at all.
Well, that doesn’t matter right now.
No, maybe it does matter.
But to me, right now, it didn’t matter.
My eyelids were heavy, my body was heavy… and my consciousness was fading.
Until just a moment ago, I was on edge.
It’s only natural, considering I came to this kind of room with Hayashi, who has been acting differently than usual.
But… in the end, this view was also a paper-thin illusion. Once I close my eyes, this place is no different from my daily life.
Oh, I see.
So, to me, the existence of Hayashi has become a part of my everyday life.
“… Guh.”
“Wake up.”
After a gentle voice, my cheek was lightly tapped.
How long had I been asleep?
How long had I made Hayashi wait?
I was taken aback.
When I opened my eyes, the sight before me was… Hayashi in a bath towel.
Her hair was wet, probably not yet fully dry, and her skin was slightly red.
I found myself captivated by Hayashi in this state.
“… What kind of outfit are you wearing?”
“… You’re not excited, are you?”
“Huh?”
“Because we’re a family, after all.”
Hayashi said this with a provoking tone.
I had no idea what she was upset about.
All I knew was that I had somehow upset her, and now we were in this situation.
What had I done to her?
… What on earth had I…
My thoughts weren’t coming together.
My face was hot.
I wanted to look away…!
Yet, I couldn’t.
“…Put on some clothes.”
Hayashi said nothing.
“Aren’t you cold?”
Still, she said nothing.
“Hey, it’s my fault…!”
Hayashi remained silent and approached me.
I backed away on the bed. The provocative woman in front of me was cornering me.
Hayashi’s soft skin…!
Despite being accustomed to seeing her in a light outfit of a T-shirt and shorts in this hot season.
… I was a bit flustered.
At this rate.
At this rate… maybe I should just give in.
Perhaps, if I give in here, I’ll be teased about it forever.
I’d be constantly mocked by the Hayashi in front of me.
But I started thinking that might not be so bad.
I finally gave up when Hayashi did not stop coming closer.
I stopped running away and instead, little by little. Gradually…
I came back to my senses when I heard a voice from the next room. I couldn’t tell what kind of voice it was.
Just that, I was saved by the thin walls.
Well, in a way, maybe I wasn’t saved.
Shaking and blushing, Hayashi took a step back.
It seemed she had also come to her senses.
“I’m… I’m sorry…!”
Hayashi swiftly turned around.
She bent over to cover her skin.
With one crisis averted, I felt relieved… and then the scene that had been imprinted on my just-awakened mind resurfaced, making my cheeks turn red.
Scratching my cheeks, I hastily made her wear my jacket.
“I’m sorry. I was out of my mind…!”
“Ah, that’s right.”
I let out a sigh.
“…I won’t deliberately ask what happened.”
“Even so…”
“But… I’m still a bit surprised.”
“… Yeah.”
“… S-sorry.”
Feeling a little guilty, I apologized.
Damn it. Despite always playing the cool character, my voice was shaking.
“I’m going to sleep.”
“A-…me too.”
“Yikes!”
Hayashi dived into the bed I was about to sleep in.
Inside the futon, Hayashi’s soft skin touched me, and I cried out.
“W-why are you sleeping in this bed?”
“We have no choice! There’s only this bed!”
Ah, I see.
I was silent.
“That’s right…! We have no choice. There’s no choice…!”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No!”
“Ouch!”
“… Ah. Sorry.”
My side hurt because Hayashi suddenly hugged me.
With Hayashi behind me and unable to give me a glare, I tried my best to send a resentful look.
“Really… I’ve been played around by you all day today.”
“… Sorry.”
I thought a bit about Hayashi, who was apologizing.
Really… today, no, recently… I’ve always been led around by Hayashi.
She gets scared of heights when we go up the Rainbow Bridge.
Suddenly, she starts running to get on the train quickly.
All of a sudden, I was brought to a place like this.
Before this, I was even told to talk to a guy from the same department in the university, a task I found impossible.
Really.
I, who used to be called the queen, have been recently at her mercy.
…But it’s strange.
“… Well, it was fun, so it’s fine.”
“… Eh?”
“…Today was fun. I had a valuable experience.”
I thanked Hayashi.
Because she…
For someone like me, she braved her fear and went up the Rainbow Bridge.
She made sure I didn’t miss the last train so I could rest early.
She brought me here to let me rest.
To begin with, all the impossible tasks, like talking to some guy, only happened because she arranged it all for me to make friends.
And after experiencing all that, I am, for some reason or another, having fun.
…Then, it’s even shameful to complain.
“Thanks for everything, Hayashi.”
“… Say it again.”
“Eh?”
“Say it again. Say it again.”
“… Eh, no way.”
“Come on!”
Overwhelmed by the shouting Hayashi behind me, I fell silent for a while.
“Thanks for everything.”
“Say it again.”
“Huh?”
“Say it again.”
“… Thanks, always.”
“Attach ‘Hayashi’ properly.”
“Thanks for everything, Hayashi!”
There was no reply from Hayashi.
Had she fallen asleep?
No, that’s not it.
The hand hugging me began to tighten.
Had she finally been satisfied?
Had her mood been diverted?
… Really, I’ve been led around by her recently.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Yamamoto.”
“Hm?”
“Thanks for everything.”
“… Yeah.”
My back itches a bit.
All of this is Hayashi’s fault…