Kanade thought the awkwardness was finally over once the innkeeper led them to their room. But as it turned out, things were only getting started.
"Sorry about this," the innkeeper said apologetically, "but we only have one set of bedding left. Luckily, there's an extra pillow, so it should work out…" She turned to them with an apologetic look. "I can give you a discount for the trouble… But since you're siblings, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Kanade: "..."
What was he even supposed to say?
He hadn't expected this. He'd carefully chosen a highly-rated inn, assuming it would have standard rooms with beds. He was even prepared to sleep on the floor again. Instead, it turned out to be a traditional tatami room with a single futon.
"This… might not work," he began hesitantly, thinking it'd be better to find another inn.
But before he could finish, Utaha spoke up.
"It's fine. This will do," she said calmly, her expression serene, as if the idea of sharing a futon didn't faze her in the slightest.
Kanade blinked, wondering if he'd misheard her.
Utaha followed up casually, "Where's the bath? I got a little wet from the rain, and my hair feels sticky…"
Now he was certain she had no objections.
But… seriously, Senpai? Sharing a futon wasn't the same as merely sharing a room!
The other two in the room, however, paid no attention to his inner turmoil.
"The bath is at the end of the hallway," the innkeeper replied warmly. "Feel free to use it. I'll bring a yukata for you shortly."
Utaha nodded and turned to Kanade with a teasing smile. "I'll head to the bath first, Nii-san~"
Kanade: "..."
He wanted to bury his face in his hands. Not because of what she said, but because every time she called him Nii-san, he felt his heart flutter slightly.
What a disgrace.
"Uh… sure. Go ahead…" he muttered, feeling more defeated than ever.
After Utaha left, Kanade considered lying down and falling asleep immediately. If he managed to knock out quickly, whatever happened later wouldn't be his responsibility.
But as he stared at the single futon, he began to feel restless. His clothes stuck to his skin, and a faint itchiness crawled over his body.
"...I should take a bath, too," he decided.
A quick rinse couldn't hurt.
After notifying the innkeeper, Kanade made his way to the men's bath at the end of the hallway. It was located right next to the women's bath, separated by a solid wooden partition.
This setup was common, designed for efficiency in both space and plumbing. Kanade, of course, had no intention of peeking. He wasn't that kind of person.
He stripped in the changing room, gave himself a thorough rinse, and sank into the hot water of the bath.
The temperature was perfect, soothing his tired muscles. Though it wasn't a natural hot spring, the bath was still excellent for unwinding. And the best part? The men's side was empty—he had the whole place to himself.
In contrast, the women's bath seemed lively, with occasional laughter and chatter filtering through the walls.
Kanade finished washing up relatively quickly but hesitated to leave immediately. Since Utaha had gone to the bath first, there was a chance he'd bump into her on his way back. To avoid the awkward encounter, he decided to wait a bit longer.
As time passed, the sounds from the women's bath gradually faded away, signaling that most of the guests had finished. Kanade gave it a few more minutes before deciding to leave—he didn't want to risk passing out from staying too long in the hot water.
After drying off and donning the provided yukata, he grabbed a cold drink from a nearby vending machine. Leaning against the wall, he sipped slowly while staring at the posters on display.
Don't look at anything else, he told himself firmly. The last thing he needed was to accidentally spot the vending machine's selection of condoms. That would send his mind into a spiral.
Kanade wasn't normally this anxious about sharing a room with a girl. After all, it wasn't his first time doing so. But sharing a futon? With someone who wasn't his girlfriend? This was uncharted territory.
He trusted himself to maintain control, but when it came to Utaha… he wasn't so sure.
Her calm demeanor only made him more uneasy. If she had been flustered or shy, it would've put him at ease. Instead, her composed attitude left him on edge, convinced she might try something.
And if she did… what would happen next? Kanade couldn't say for sure.
I'm no saint, he admitted to himself.
"...Let's just take this one step at a time," he muttered, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp before tossing the can into a nearby bin.
He approached the vending machine again, hesitated, and finally bought something else. Hopefully, I won't need this…
Stuffing the item into his pocket, he gave himself a pep talk, slapped his cheeks lightly, and set off toward the room with a composed expression.
When he reached the door, he froze. Doubts crept into his mind.
Am I overthinking this? Maybe Senpai just trusts me and isn't worried about anything. If that's the case, doesn't my overpreparation make me seem like the one with bad intentions?
What would she think if she discovered what he'd bought? She might not believe his explanation. She could even accuse him of premeditation.
If she didn't outright call the police, it would be because she had a saintly level of tolerance.
Maybe I should take extra precautions, Kanade thought. What if I tie my hands up? That way, even if I lose control, I won't be able to do anything.
The more he thought about it, the more the idea seemed like a good solution. But when he considered how he'd justify borrowing a rope from the innkeeper, he froze again.
"Excuse me, can I borrow a rope? I need to tie myself up to avoid doing anything inappropriate."
The innkeeper's likely response? "Aren't you supposed to be her brother? Why would you need a rope? I'm calling the police!"
Kanade sighed, stuck in yet another dilemma.
Why do I always overthink everything? he lamented. If only he were simpler, less prone to overanalyzing. By now, he'd be in bed, fast asleep, instead of agonizing over the situation.
This is all because I have too much energy, he concluded. Maybe I should start exercising more to burn it off.
But now wasn't the time to reflect on life choices.
"...Forget it," he muttered. "Just go with it."
Resolving to stop overthinking, he cleared his mind and reached for the door.
Whatever happens, happens.