Suddenly, the rain came pouring down.
Heavy, fast, and without warning—
I hit the brakes instinctively, pulling the bike to the side of the road as water splashed all around us.
"Crap," I muttered under my breath.
Nana and I quickly scrambled off the bike, both of us already getting soaked. I popped open the seat compartment and pulled out a single raincoat—the only one I had.
"Here," I said, handing it to her. "Put this on."
Nana shook her head immediately, her wet ponytail flicking water. "No. I'm not wearing it if you're going to get sick."
I frowned. "I could say the same to you. You're already shivering."
"I don't care, I— I won't let you get cold because of me."
We stood there for a few seconds, both stubborn, both drenched. The rain wasn't letting up anytime soon.
Then I spotted it.
Right next to us—a small business hotel, its glowing sign casting a warm light through the storm.
I pointed. "Alright, how about this—we wait out the rain in that hotel. Just until it clears."
But Nana immediately shook her head again. "N-No. I'd rather stay here."
I glanced at her. She was trembling. Cold.
"Nana… look, you have two choices. Either you wear the raincoat and we try to get home through this storm, or we take shelter in the hotel until it calms down."
She hesitated. Her eyes lowered.
"I hate difficult choices," she murmured.
I sighed softly and stepped closer. "I don't want you to get sick. Not because of me."
She went quiet again, her lips pressed together, eyes shifting. Finally, with a very soft voice, almost like a whisper, she replied—
"…Alright. Let's go to the hotel."
But… something about the way she said it made my chest tighten.
The tone. The pause. The flush in her cheeks.
I wasn't sure if she misheard me, or if I was overthinking it. But I nodded anyway.
"Okay. Let's go."
We walked inside together. The warmth of the lobby hit us immediately. I approached the front desk, booked a room, and received a keycard from the receptionist, who barely looked up from his screen.
Nana stayed close to me the entire time, her small hand gripping the hem of my jacket. She hadn't said a word since agreeing.
The elevator ride was silent.
When we reached the second floor, I found room 274, pressed the keycard to the lock, and the door let out a soft beep.
Click.
I opened the door, flicked on the light switch.
Nana was still right behind me, her hand lightly holding onto my jacket—quiet, tense, and frozen in place.
We stepped inside.
Both of us dripping wet.
Both of us silent.
And both of us… wondering what exactly we'd just stepped into.
I told Nana to go dry herself off, and she nodded quietly before heading toward the bathroom.
I could hear the faint rustle of clothes being taken off—and suddenly I realized just how sharp my hearing had become. Why was every little sound so clear right now? It felt… strange.
A few minutes later, Nana came out wearing a soft robe that hugged her figure just enough to make her look even more captivating.
I blinked in surprise.
"Why did you change your clothes?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
She looked down, cheeks flushing a light pink. "My clothes were still wet… so I changed."
I thought about how innocent she was—changing clothes in the same room with me, a guy. So naïve, yet so trusting.
I just nodded and focused on drying off myself and my soaked clothes.
I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped out.
Nana suddenly opened her mouth as if to say something—and before she could, I quickly ran over and gently covered it with my hand.
"Calm down, Nana. It's okay."
She blinked, still a little shocked, then whispered, "Why are you… just wearing a towel?"
I shrugged. "My clothes were wet too, so I'm drying mine."
She nodded slowly, comprehension dawning on her face.
A quiet silence settled between us.
In that stillness, I thought—maybe this was the chance she'd been waiting for. She was tired of being alone, just like me. Maybe she wanted to feel something more… intimate.
And honestly, I wanted that too.
I glanced at Nana again. Her hair was still damp from the rain, droplets clinging to the strands framing her soft, pale face. She looked so pure—so innocent—that I felt my heart pound in my chest.
Without thinking, I reached out slowly and took her hand in mine.
She flinched a little, but didn't pull away.
I slowly leaned closer to Nana.
At the same moment, I could feel something stirring within her too.
Our hearts began to beat in sync—fast, nervous, yet somehow comforting.
I couldn't hold back anymore.
Without a second thought, I wrapped my arms around her.
Nana gasped softly, startled—but she didn't pull away.
Instead, I felt her body trembling against mine, her heartbeat racing just as wildly as mine.
I looked into her eyes—wide, innocent, and flushed with a shy smile.
Without hesitation, I closed the distance.
I pressed my lips gently against hers.
Nana returned my kiss.
[Affection: Nana +1%]
A soft, rising sound escaped her lips, and suddenly our kiss deepened—longer, sweeter than I ever imagined.
I felt myself growing more and more drawn to her, overwhelmed by the closeness between us.
Nana, the girl I worked with every day, the beautiful one, always admired by the male customers, the shy, adorable girl who often got flustered—was now kissing me.
When we finally pulled apart, our breaths were heavy, and my heart was pounding wildly.