The atmosphere between them was electric, charged with unspoken emotions and tension—until an untimely voice from outside the door broke the mood.
"Dear guests, shall I prepare your breakfast now?"
"…"
"…"
Both Kanade Natsukawa and Utaha Kasumigaoka froze, their eyes meeting in a wordless exchange before they quickly looked away, embarrassed.
"Yes, please! We'll be up shortly!" Natsukawa called out loudly.
He had already arranged for breakfast with the innkeeper last night, knowing they needed to catch an early train. That was also why he had set an alarm, though he regretted its timing now.
After responding to the innkeeper, Natsukawa got up briskly, tidying his yukata while calling over his shoulder. "Senpai, no more sleeping in. We're in public; it's time to get up. I'll go wash up first."
Though the intimate moment had been interrupted, he hadn't entirely calmed down yet. Putting some distance between himself and Kasumigaoka seemed like the best course of action.
Grabbing his clothing basket and phone, he headed toward the bathroom.
Kasumigaoka, on the other hand, remained silent, nodding faintly as if unfazed. But the moment she heard the bathroom door close, she suddenly pulled the blanket over her head and began muffling her voice with it.
"Ugh… That was close… Almost couldn't resist…"
Morning might mark the start of a new day, but it also brought with it a reset of suppressed desires. Last night, she had barely managed to discreetly deal with her feelings without being noticed. Now, after just a few hours of sleep, the same emotions were bubbling up again.
Am I… actually that lewd?
She shook her head violently under the blanket, trying to banish the thought.
Meanwhile, Natsukawa had his own battles to fight. Thankfully, cold water was his ally. After repeatedly splashing his face, the heat within him gradually subsided, along with his racing thoughts.
He worried briefly about whether Kasumigaoka would grow suspicious if he stayed in the bathroom too long. But since he hadn't heard any noise from her, he eventually relaxed. Once he felt composed enough, he opened the door and stepped out.
To his surprise, Kasumigaoka was still lying on the futon, eyes closed, looking as though she was peacefully napping again.
With a sigh, he walked over, crouched down beside her, and shook her gently. "Senpai, wake up. No more sleeping. Let's go eat breakfast. You can nap on the train later, and if that's not enough, you can sleep more when you're home."
His persistence paid off. Kasumigaoka slowly opened her eyes, her face radiating a lazy charm. "Kouhai-kun… My body's so tired… I don't want to move…"
"…"
Natsukawa shot her a skeptical look. You were perfectly awake just moments ago. How did you suddenly get this drowsy?
"Senpai, stop messing around. If you don't get up soon, breakfast will get cold."
"Hmm… then… Kouhai-kun, pull me up…" She rubbed her sleepy eyes with one hand while propping herself up with the other.
Her messy sleeping habits were no secret. The neatly tied yukata she had worn last night was now disheveled, barely clinging to her shoulders. As she slowly sat up, one side of the yukata slipped further down, revealing just enough of her smooth skin to make Natsukawa's heart skip a beat.
He instinctively reached out to help her but froze mid-motion, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before quickly averting his gaze.
"Your yukata! It's slipping!" he blurted, pointing in her direction.
He thought this would prompt her to adjust herself, but Kasumigaoka seemed entirely unbothered. Instead, she extended her hand toward him again, her tone casual and innocent.
"What does it matter? I'm going to change anyway. Why don't you help me take it off, Kouhai-kun?"
"Like hell I will! What are you, a three-year-old?!" Natsukawa retorted, flustered.
Muttering under his breath, he grabbed her clothing basket and shoved it toward her. "Get dressed already, Senpai. I'll wait outside."
Having finally calmed himself, he had no intention of subjecting himself to further temptations. He left the room, leaning against the door to wait.
To his relief, the approach worked. In just a short while, Kasumigaoka emerged, fully dressed.
Natsukawa glanced at her and was about to lead the way when he noticed something off.
"…"
"Why are you staring at me, Kouhai-kun?" Kasumigaoka asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Seeing his unwavering gaze, she smiled mischievously. "Regretting not helping me get dressed earlier? It could've been your chance, you know~."
"Of course not," Natsukawa shot back, shaking his head. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "It's just… You feel a bit different from yesterday?"
"Oh?" Kasumigaoka blinked, her expression suddenly turning playfully disdainful. "Tsk, tsk. I never thought you were that kind of person, Kouhai-kun…"
"???"
"Ah, well, since it's you…" she said, her voice light and teasing. "Hold out your hand."
Confused, Natsukawa did as told. To his surprise, she placed something soft and slightly cool in his palm.
Looking down, he saw a crumpled ball of black fabric. It took him a second to realize what it was.
"My stockings," Kasumigaoka said cheerfully. "I wore them all day yesterday. Consider them a gift~."
With that, she turned and strode off, leaving Natsukawa standing there, utterly dumbfounded.
His thoughts raced. Wait, aren't those the stockings she took off last night? She didn't even wash them! Why would she give these to me?!
"I'm not into this 'original scent' nonsense!" he muttered in frustration.
Determined to return them, he tried to catch up with her, but Kasumigaoka had already put some distance between them.
Before he could chase after her, the innkeeper appeared at the corner, forcing him to panic and shove the stockings into his pocket.
There was no way he wanted to be caught holding something like this.
I'll find a way to return them later… he thought grimly, resigning himself to his predicament.