For Arisa, it was an unusually bold request.
“S-sharing a bed…”
“…Is that not alright?”
She tilted her head anxiously.
“Last night… it felt really warm and comforting. …I’d like you to. If we sleep together, I think I’ll be okay.”
Her voice was soft—almost pleading.
It wasn’t that it was a problem.
If anything, he’d call it a reward…
(But my self-control…)
Yuzuru wasn’t confident in his own restraint.
His defenceless fiancée would be right beside him.
Could he really hold himself back in that situation?
Still—
(I can’t exactly refuse.)
He was the one who made the initial request.
Turning her down now would feel wrong.
More than anything, refusing an invitation like this from his fiancée felt… disrespectful.
“…Alright. I understand. Let’s sleep together.”
“Thank you.”
She looked visibly relieved.
After discussing it, they decided to sleep together on a futon.
The reason being—there was a chance one of them might fall off the bed.
Neither of them had particularly bad sleeping habits, but sharing a single bed still carried that risk.
With a futon, there was no such worry.
“P-please take care of me…”
For some reason, Arisa said that while sitting formally on her knees.
It made Yuzuru feel a bit strange.
He scratched his cheek.
“Well then… shall we sleep?”
“Yes.”
But Arisa didn’t get into the futon right away.
Instead, she gazed at him with slightly teary eyes.
“…Arisa?”
“…Good night.”
She said it in a way that felt like she wanted something.
At that, Yuzuru finally understood.
“…Yeah. Good night.”
He gently kissed her on the cheek.
Instantly, Arisa’s face turned bright red, and she collapsed onto the futon.
She buried her face in the pillow, clearly embarrassed.
It was incredibly cute.
Yuzuru turned off the light and slipped under the futon as well.
“Yuzuru-san…”
His fiancée moved closer.
She clung tightly to his arm, wrapping herself around it.
“Are you alright?”
“…Yes.”
Arisa pulled his arm closer against her body, holding it in place.
His arm sank into something soft.
A faint, sweet scent brushed his senses.
“…Arisa.”
Yuzuru drew her closer as well.
He could feel her warmth and softness all over.
“…” “…”
Her scent.
Her warmth.
Her breath.
In the darkness, they confirmed each other’s presence.
As if seeking one another, they drew even closer.
“…Yuzuru-san.”
“…Arisa?”
She suddenly called his name.
When he responded, there was a brief silence—
then she spoke.
“…Do you want to?”
Her sweet voice brushed against his ear.
Yuzuru’s body heat rose.
Reflexively, he held her tighter.
“Um… I’m… okay, you know?”
In the darkness, Arisa spoke.
Her expression couldn’t be seen.
“I’m not… a prude or anything. So it’s really fine, I mean…”
“Arisa.”
Gently, Yuzuru kissed her forehead.
Then he held her hand firmly.
“I do want to.”
He whispered it clearly into her ear.
Arisa’s body trembled.
“Th-then…”
“But there’ll be plenty of chances from now on, right?”
As he said that, Yuzuru gently stroked her hair.
He held her face against his chest.
“You don’t have to force yourself.”
He continued to stroke her head reassuringly.
Arisa, meanwhile, silently buried her face into his chest.
“I’m not going to start disliking you over something like this. Ever.”
“But…”
She clutched tightly at his clothes.
“…You want to, don’t you?”
“I’m not going to make you do anything you’re not ready for.”
After saying that, Yuzuru gently touched her face.
He stroked her cheek, held her chin, and lightly pressed a finger against her lips.
“This should come first, shouldn’t it?”
“…Yes. That’s true.”
The tension left Arisa’s body.
Then, as if reassured, she began to breathe softly in sleep.
(…Did I make her overthink it?)
A girl’s heart was complicated.
Thinking that, Yuzuru slowly closed his eyes.
