“Did I keep you waiting, Arisa?”
“N-no… I’m fine.”
Arisa, seated on the sofa, greeted Yuzuru as he came out of the bath.
For some reason, she seemed fidgety, avoiding eye contact.
Perhaps it was just because she’d recently bathed—but her skin looked faintly flushed, tinged pink.
“…Is something wrong?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
Yuzuru hesitated slightly as he answered.
Because, to him, Arisa looked… incredibly alluring.
There was a lot of exposed skin.
Not that she was wearing anything like a bikini—just a simple short-sleeved white shirt and shorts, perfectly normal loungewear.
But lately she’d been dressed in winter clothes that concealed her figure—
So comparatively, this felt far more stimulating.
It was about the same level of exposure as gym clothes.
But during the marathon, she’d worn a tracksuit over them except when running.
He’d caught glimpses of her chest moving then, sure—
But he hadn’t really looked at her body in detail.
And besides, what she was wearing now…
…was thinner.
Gym clothes were made of sturdier fabric.
But this looked like soft, casual wear—something meant for relaxing or sleeping.
The fabric was thin, clinging enough that the contours of her body stood out clearly.
He could even faintly see the white camisole underneath.
Her shorts were black, so nothing showed through—but that only made the whiteness of her skin stand out even more.
More than anything, this casual, unguarded look—so different from her usual stylish outfits—
Stirred Yuzuru’s desires.
(…Is she doing this on purpose?)
Coming into a guy’s room, suggesting a massage, dressed like this—
Normally, anyone would assume she was doing it deliberately. That she was inviting him.
But at the same time, Arisa could be a bit airheaded.
So there was a real chance this was completely natural.
“Um, Yuzuru-san? If you keep staring…”
“Ah—sorry.”
Apparently, he’d been staring.
Arisa fidgeted shyly.
Yuzuru quickly apologised and looked away.
(…If she were trying to seduce me, that reaction feels off…)
That wasn’t the kind of shy reaction meant to entice a man—
It was the kind that made him feel guilty.
Like fragile glass—something delicate and easily broken.
Adorable, yes.
But not something you’d want to pounce on.
(…Maybe she picked the outfit intentionally, but now that she’s actually here, she’s embarrassed and regretting it?)
That felt like the most likely answer.
Smart, but a little clumsy—very much like Arisa.
Though, if she was an inexperienced girl, then Yuzuru was just as inexperienced himself.
So who knew.
“…So, how should we do the massage?”
Trying to break the slightly awkward mood, Yuzuru spoke.
Arisa held out her fist.
“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors. Winner goes first.”
“Sounds fair.”
Arisa won.
“Then… excuse me.”
She climbed onto Yuzuru’s bed and lay face down.
In front of him was her slender back, visible through the thin fabric of her shirt.
(…When you think about it, this is a strange situation.)
Then again, their relationship itself was already hard to define.
From an outsider’s perspective, they’d look like a couple.
They were even technically engaged.
And they were almost certainly in love with each other.
Yet they hadn’t said it outright.
“Alright, I’ll start.”
Yuzuru placed his hands on her shoulders.
Even with just a light touch, he could tell they were quite stiff.
After all, running that distance while carrying… extra weight on the chest would strain the shoulders.
“Ah—”
When he pressed slightly harder with his thumbs, Arisa let out a small sound.
It didn’t sound like pain—more like a reflex.
“Is this pressure okay?”
“Mm… a bit stronger, please…”
At her request, he put more weight into it, working her shoulders and back.
Even with firm pressure, it seemed just right for her tense muscles.
“Ah… nn…!”
“…”
Was she doing it on purpose, or not?
Every time he pressed, she let out soft, almost suggestive sounds.
(…More importantly… what’s happening to her chest right now? It’s probably flattened… but doesn’t that hurt?)
Even thinking about something that trivial—
Yuzuru could feel his composure starting to slip.
Still, he held himself together.
If he lost control here, everything would fall apart.
“How is it, Arisa?”
“Y-yes… it feels really good…”
Her voice was soft, almost melting.
She genuinely seemed to be enjoying it.
…So the sounds were probably natural.
(I wish she wouldn’t mix calculated behaviour with pure instinct like this…)
Still, even that was endearing.
Thinking that, Yuzuru took her right arm.
Stretching it slightly, he pressed into the right side of her back.
“Ahh… I like that…”
His heart skipped.
“…Glad you like it.”
Don’t say things like “I like it” so casually.
Thinking that, he switched to her other arm and repeated the motion.
“This area’s pretty tense too.”
“Mm… is it?”
Gradually, his hands moved lower.
As he pressed around her lower back, his gaze dipped slightly.
There—
Was her hips.
For her age, they were quite… full.
The thin fabric of her shorts outlined their shape clearly.
If he looked closely, he could almost—almost—see through to her underwear.
(…Hips are actually pretty nice…)
Maybe he liked them more than her chest.
That thought crossed his mind—
But touching them felt like crossing a line.
So he stopped himself.
Next—
Her legs.
“I’m moving to your legs.”
He looked at her long, pale legs.
They were almost translucent in their fairness—and looked soft.
“Okay—ah!”
The moment he touched the base of her thigh—
Her body jolted.
“…Did that hurt?”
“N-no, it just tickled a bit. I’m fine.”
Since she said she was fine, he continued.
But as he worked—
He realised that beneath the soft layer of fat was firm muscle.
A solid foundation, with a thin softness over it.
That was probably the secret behind her beautiful legs.
He focused on such trivial thoughts—
Because otherwise, he might lose control.
(…Her hips are nice, but her legs are just as good… I can’t choose.)
Thinking like a hopelessly indecisive man, he moved down to her calves.
They felt slightly swollen from fatigue.
“Ah… that feels good…”
“You’ll do this for me later, right?”
“Mm… yes…”
Her voice was drowsy.
But if she fell asleep now, he wouldn’t get his turn.
That would be a problem.
So he moved on to her feet.
Pressing into the arch with his knuckle—
“Eek!!”
A small, startled cry escaped her.
That one must have hurt.
“You okay?”
“Y-yes… I’m fine… ah—”
Each time he pressed, her body trembled.
She gripped the bedsheets tightly.
Watching her like that made him feel a bit sorry for her.
“If it hurts, I can stop—”
“N-no, I’m fine… please continue—ahh!”
Another cry.
Still, if she said she was fine—
He trusted her.
So he continued pressing firmly.
Each time, she trembled.
…It was a little amusing to watch.
Just a little—
It stirred a faint sense of mischief.
“Ah… Yuzuru-san.”
“What is it?”
“…You’d better remember this later.”
She glared at him with slightly teary eyes.
Even that expression was cute, Yuzuru thought to himself.
