Chapter 26
“Right… what should we do?”
“Y-yes… what should we do…”
The moment they stepped into the changing room, that was the first thing they said.
There was really only one answer.
“F-for now… shall we undress?”
“Y-yes!”
At Yuzuru’s suggestion, Arisa nodded.
And yet—
She made no move to undress.
Instead, she stared at him.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Would you undress me?”
“…Huh?”
Yuzuru blinked in surprise.
But Arisa simply kept looking at him.
“…Is that not okay?”
“No… it’s fine. I was just surprised…”
As he answered, Yuzuru reached for the obi of her kimono.
He loosened it.
As the fabric parted—
Her pale skin was revealed.
“Alright… I’ll take it off.”
“…Yes.”
He gently slid the kimono down, pulling the sleeves from her shoulders and arms.
She was left in black underwear.
“…It suits you.”
At his words, Arisa quickly turned her face away.
“W-why would you say that all of a sudden…”
“I-I just thought I should… was that wrong?”
“…It’s not wrong, but…”
She puffed her cheeks slightly.
More embarrassed than upset.
“Then… your turn.”
“…My turn?”
“…I thought we’d take turns undressing each other.”
Scratching his cheek, Yuzuru explained.
“Um… was that not what you meant?”
“N-no, that wasn’t my intention, but… it’s fine.”
Arisa nodded, then crouched down.
She untied his obi, then stood and placed her hands on his shoulders.
“…I’ll undress you.”
“Yeah… please.”
She pulled the kimono down.
Yuzuru slipped his arms free.
Now, both of them stood in nothing but their underwear.
“……”
“……”
After a brief silence, Yuzuru spoke.
“Am I next?”
But Arisa quickly raised her hands to stop him.
“W-wait, please!”
“Uh…”
“I-I need to mentally prepare…”
Her face was bright red.
It wasn’t just embarrassment—
She was clearly nervous.
“…Should we stop?”
Yuzuru asked gently.
He wanted to bathe together—
But not at the cost of making her uncomfortable.
Still, Arisa shook her head firmly.
“We’ve come this far… we can’t stop now.”
Her voice was resolute.
“J-just… give me a moment.”
She needed time.
But standing around in just underwear was cold.
So Yuzuru made another suggestion.
“…Then can I go first?”
“Ah… I see. Yes.”
Arisa nodded and reached for his shirt.
“Could you raise your arms?”
“Like this?”
“Yes.”
As he did, she lifted the fabric and pulled it over his arms.
“…Could you do the rest too?”
Yuzuru asked.
Arisa immediately shook her head repeatedly.
“N-no… I can’t!”
“Then… should I do yours?”
After a brief silence, she gave a small nod.
“…Please.”
“Alright.”
Yuzuru moved behind her, reaching for the clasp of her bra.
But his fingers trembled.
He couldn’t undo it properly.
“…Can you manage?”
“Y-yeah! Of course… j-just give me a second…!”
“I won’t run away, so please calm down.”
Strangely—
Watching him panic seemed to calm her instead.
Soon enough—
Click.
The clasp came undone.
He carefully slipped the straps from her shoulders.
As the fabric fell away—
Her chest was revealed.
Even without support, it retained its shape, firm and lifted.
“Mm…”
Arisa flushed deeply, turning her face away.
“…Your turn now?”
“Yes… of course.”
She nodded and reached for his underwear.
“I-I’ll pull them down…”
“…Okay.”
With his permission, she lowered them.
Cool air brushed against him.
“Um… Arisa. Are you okay?”
Yuzuru asked.
Arisa covered part of her face with one hand—
Then slowly stepped back.
Peeking through her fingers, she looked at him.
“I-I’m sorry… it was… different from what I imagined…”
“…Different?”
“From what I saw earlier…”
She meant the video.
Of course, there was no comparison between then and now.
“I see… well… Arisa?”
“…Yes?”
“It’s cold like this… is it okay?”
“…G-go ahead.”
She turned her face away and nodded.
With permission, Yuzuru reached for her last piece of clothing.
Carefully—
He slid it down.
Now, neither of them wore anything at all.
“……”
“……”
Arisa, blushing, kept her face turned away—
But didn’t try to cover herself.
Her hands fidgeted instead.
Yuzuru, unsure where to look, ended up glancing around awkwardly—
Which only made him seem more suspicious.
“Um… Arisa.”
“…Yes.”
“It might sound cliché, but…”
He scratched his cheek.
“…You’re really beautiful.”
“…Thank you.”
Her lips softened into a small smile.
“Um… Yuzuru-san too… you’re… handsome—no, that’s not quite—well, it’s not wrong, but…”
She struggled to find the right words—
Then finally looked at him.
“I think you look… very well-built.”
“Thanks.”
And then—
They both turned their gaze towards the bathroom.
Looked at each other—
And nodded.
—Let’s go in.
