Chapter 281: Sleeping with Kaguya for One Night
Inside the shrine.
Shinomiya Kaguya lifted the paper cup and took a sip of sweet sake.
"Delicious. A little sweet."
Kaguya: ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)
"Kaguya-san has never drunk this before?" Sakurai Saki also held a cup.
"The Shinomiya family's New Year ceremony is always held in the morning, with tedious rituals, and we have to stand for a long time, so there's basically no chance to drink." Shinomiya Kaguya quickly finished a cup. "This year I was supposed to visit Inari Taisha Shrine, but you rescued me. I don't know what my older brother and father were thinking to actually agree to your request."
Inari?
That deity is at home cooking right now—really makes one wonder who the Shinomiya family is actually worshipping. Sakurai Saki silently complained in his heart.
"The Shinomiya family has a bit of cooperation with my mother." He didn't explain further.
Sakurai Saki finished his cup and tossed it into the trash.
Shinomiya Kaguya, on the other hand, went to get another cup.
"This can actually be refilled for free?" She looked surprised.
"Like the unlimited drink refills in a family restaurant."
A strange comparison, but when Shinomiya Kaguya said it, it didn't sound awkward at all. An Ojou-sama truly is a wondrous being, able to turn the ordinary into something magical.
"Kaguya-san, don't drink any more." Hayasaka Ai offered a word of caution.
Shinomiya Kaguya had never drunk sake before, and Hayasaka Ai wasn't too reassured.
"No… it's fine~" Shinomiya Kaguya's small face was already tinged with red.
"I won't get drunk; this alcohol content is really low."
Kaguya: ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)
She spoke while tilting her head back, draining the warm sweet sake in her hand.
This time, she didn't go for another refill.
Hayasaka Ai supported her and led her to draw an omikuji fortune slip.
For New Year's omikuji, people usually draw "Blessing." It's said that the chance of drawing "Misfortune" is only three in a thousand, and if someone actually draws "Misfortune," it's ironically considered a sign of good luck—ordinary people really can't draw it.
But Sakurai Saki clearly wasn't ordinary.
"..." He opened the slip and rubbed his brow.
Sakurai: "(ノ _ <,, )
Kaguya: ( ≧ᗜ≦)
Hayasaka: ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)
"Someone actually drew Misfortune?"
Shinomiya Kaguya held a Great blessing slip in her hand and let out a soft laugh.
Even Hayasaka Ai couldn't help but smile; she drew a Small blessing slip. Though not Great blessing, it was still a good fortune.
"'Three women should not meet, and the alliance has yet to be announced… Do not give birth to unreasonable desires, do not make empty promises you won't fulfill.'" Sakurai Saki glanced at the interpretation.
Truly unlucky.
"'To become wealthy you must look up to the mountains; prosperity comes from oneself… It says that after overcoming hardships, you will receive heaven's blessings, and your status will rise accordingly.'" Shinomiya Kaguya tilted her head, speaking slowly after drinking sake.
Hayasaka Ai also looked at her own fortune's explanation: "'Beware of hidden arrows, as if in the dark night you must guard against arrows that could fly from nowhere. Some difficulties can be foreseen.'"
Accurate indeed, that slip.
After that, Sakurai Saki tied his slip to a tree in the shrine, then led the two girls back. On the way, Shinomiya Kaguya began to babble nonsense, the sweet sake apparently taking effect; her alcohol tolerance was on the same level as Miko-chan's.
Kaguya: (⸝⸝๑﹏๑⸝⸝) I'm not drunk!
...
When they arrived home, Sakurai was honestly a bit worn out.
Shinomiya Kaguya kept yawning; her biological clock was similar to Sakurai Saki's—they both had to sleep before midnight. Staying up late today left the two of them with little energy, while Hayasaka Ai was still quite awake, having been used to late nights for the past ten years.
After bathing and returning to the room, Sakurai Saki took out a set of pajamas from the closet and spread it on the floor.
This room didn't have an air conditioner, but because it was small, it wasn't too cold.
Sakurai Saki took off his clothes, changed into a thin set of pajamas, then turned off the light and slipped under the blanket.
"Good night." He said it to himself, then went to sleep.
He closed his eyes.
...
...
No idea how much time passed when footsteps sounded in the hallway.
On the second floor, the bathroom was at the end of the hall.
Shinomiya Kaguya, half-asleep and yawning, walked into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, after washing her hands, she staggered into a room and pushed the door open.
Seeing the bedding, still drowsy, she didn't think much and lay down directly. She had drunk a little at the shrine earlier and had only just sobered a bit.
"Hmm?"
(｡· v ·｡) ?
Are, why is it so warm?
Shinomiya Kaguya knew her own constitution well; she was the type who felt cold in summer and even colder in winter. A futon couldn't possibly be this warm.
She instantly became more alert, but not fully awake.
Still half-asleep, her mind lagging behind her reactions, Shinomiya Kaguya wrapped her arms around Sakurai Saki and closed her eyes.
Sakurai Saki, thinking it was his girlfriend entering the room, reached out and drew the person into his arms.
...
New Year's Day.
Shinomiya Kaguya woke very early, opening her eyes before six o'clock, earlier than Sakurai Saki usually got up.
She quickly noticed something unusual.
Shinomiya Kaguya stared at the masculine face right in front of her, her mind blank for a few seconds, then a few more. She pinched her own cheek to confirm she wasn't dreaming.
After another ten seconds, she looked up at the ceiling, gradually accepting the fact that she and Sakurai Saki had slept together for one night.
Sorry, Ai-san.
(๑-﹏-๑)
But it's fine; I didn't do anything to him, and he didn't do anything to me. Then there's no problem, umu. Shinomiya Kaguya secretly nodded to herself.
Then she carefully prepared to leave the bedding.
Just as she was about to get up, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, slowly moving upward.
Wait!!! What on earth are you doing?
No, wait! Hayasaka Ai, what do you two usually do in the mornings? Why are his movements so practiced?
Shinomiya Kaguya's face turned crimson. She didn't even dare to struggle, afraid of waking Sakurai Saki.
But his actions were truly indecent.
"Ai-chan, you're smaller," Sakurai Saki mumbled in his sleep.
Kaguya: (ꐦ ಠ益ಠ) !!!
Shinomiya Kaguya gritted her teeth.
Who are you calling small?!!
Your Ai-chan isn't that much bigger than me anyway!
"Getting as small as… Kaguya-san," Sakurai Saki continued to talk in his sleep.
Kaguya: (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
A few minutes later, when Shinomiya Kaguya's breathing had grown quick and shallow, he finally let her go.
Her face flushed bright red with embarrassment, she finally escaped the "claws of the Beast," yet—why did she feel a strange sense of defeat?
Kaguya placed a hand on her own chest.
"..."
(ಥ﹏ಥ)
Actually… it's quite big, almost too much for one hand to hold.
Shinomiya Kaguya hurried out from under the blanket. The room was cold, and she shivered as soon as she stood.
She slowly opened the door.
Suddenly.
Footsteps sounded outside.
"So cold~"
It was Hayasaka Ai's voice!
Her former maid woke very early—Shinomiya Kaguya knew this well.
She's not coming this way, right?
Please, Hayasaka, I'm begging you, spare me, okay? Shinomiya Kaguya prayed silently.
But unfortunately, Hayasaka Ai was heading straight toward Sakurai Saki's room.
A dozen seconds later.
The door to Sakurai Saki's room opened, and Hayasaka Ai quietly slipped under his blanket.
So warm. Ai-chan didn't think much.
"What's wrong?" Sakurai Saki rubbed his eyes and turned to find his girlfriend staring at him.
"Sorry for waking you."
"It's fine."
He usually woke at 6 a.m.; judging from the light outside, it was almost that time.
Hayasaka Ai softly kissed his face.
"Wanna do it~?"
"It's still early morning."
"Morning exercise—we always used to, didn't we~?"
Hayasaka: (˵ ¬ ¬˵)
A few minutes later.
"Harder~" Hayasaka Ai murmured coquettishly.
Meanwhile, inside the closet, Shinomiya Kaguya crouched in a corner, expressionless, hands covering her ears.
Kaguya: (っ º - º ς)
What is this feeling of being a third party caught red-handed?
Even though she really did sleep with Sakurai for a night, they hadn't done anything. Hayasaka, do you really have to get intimate right in front of me so early in the morning?
Too loud, Hayasaka—you're way too loud. Is it really that good?
I want to die. Please let me out.
In all her seventeen years, Shinomiya Kaguya had never felt such torment!
(っ˃̣̣̥ -˂̣̣̥ς)