Kuroha Akira had fully expected Shinomiya to choose the top bunk. It was a predictable quirk of human nature—like a child on their first flight insisting on the window seat, or anyone encountering a bunk bed for the first time gravitating toward the upper berth. The allure of novelty was a powerful force.
However, that novelty came with a price: inconvenience! A window seat on a plane meant a struggle to reach the aisle. The top bunk meant clambering up and down a ladder for every little thing.
Heh heh heh… Shinomiya Shion! Just you wait until you need something in the middle of the night! Only when you call me 'Onii-sama' will I consider fetching it for you!
"Alright then, let's get ready to turn in."
"Mm. But first, I need to drink this."
Shinomiya retrieved the milk bottle from her jacket pocket. She'd poured most of it out for Kuroo, but had deliberately saved one last mouthful. After all, this was milk bought with half her future; she had to at least taste the 'flavor of her destiny' (laughs).
Besides, it was said that drinking milk after a bath had a unique, satisfying quality. It was a common sight at public bathhouses: people emerging steamed and pink, chugging an ice-cold bottle of milk with a contented sigh. Shinomiya had always wanted to know what that felt like.
The last time she'd visited a public bathhouse was in elementary school. Back then, she wasn't 'Shinomiya' yet, and money was tight. Her mother could barely afford the entrance fee; extras like milk were out of the question. So, little Shion would always watch, wide-eyed and secretly envious, as other children happily sipped their post-bath treats.
As she grew older, the memory had faded… until just now. Wrapped in a towel in the changing room, she'd spotted the milk bottle she'd left on the washing machine ledge, and the long-forgotten yearning resurfaced.
Now, I can finally try it.
She unscrewed the cap, tilted her head back, and drank the final swallow.
It wasn't chilled, so there was no refreshing chill. But perhaps because dinner had been that soul-scorching curry, this mouthful of milk carried a sweetness she'd never experienced before—a sweetness that seemed to seep all the way into her heart.
"So sweet… It's this sweet…"
"Really? I should've taken a sip too."
"..."
Hearing his words, Shinomiya's first, utterly unbidden thought was: I wish I hadn't swallowed it all.
The immediate, flustered realization that followed was mortifying. Let him drink from the same bottle? From my… my mouth?! No way! Absolutely not!
Ugh! What is wrong with me?!
"I-I'll go wash the bottle!" she stammered, fleeing the room to hide her internal turmoil.
While Shinomiya was in the bathroom rinsing out the bottle, Kuroha Akira took the opportunity to retrieve a certain 'valuable item' from his school uniform pocket: the class representative's underwear.
Now, where to stash this treasure?
The options were limited. His room was, to put it kindly, minimalist. It currently contained exactly one piece of furniture: the bunk bed. There wasn't even a desk. The sheer emptiness made the small room feel oddly spacious.
After a moment's thought, he decided the pillow was his best bet. It was the only viable hiding spot. Sleeping with the class rep's underwear as my pillow… maybe I'll dream of a glimpse under her skirt. A dubious, if hopeful, notion.
A problem arose: there were two identical-looking pillows on the bed. In his haste earlier, he hadn't paid attention to which was his.
As he picked up both pillows, trying to discern any difference, he heard Shinomiya's returning footsteps. Panicking, he randomly chose one, shoved the underwear deep into the pillowcase lining, and withdrew his hand just as she entered.
Shinomiya saw him holding both pillows. "Is something wrong with them?"
"Nope! Just… testing the softness!"
Crap… Which pillow did I use? It's stuffed inside the filling; I can't tell from the outside…
Shinomiya tilted her head, curious. "So, which one is softer?"
"Uh… they're about the same."
"I see." She walked over, carefully placed her now-clean milk bottle on the small cupboard, then casually picked up the pillow on the right. "Then I'll take this one."
She climbed up to her top bunk and settled in. Once she was lying down, Akira quickly felt inside his own pillow's lining. Nothing.
So it's in hers. Asking to swap pillows now would be weird. It's just for one night; she probably won't find it.
He decided to leave it for now and find a chance to switch them tomorrow.
With that settled, he got up and switched off the light. Darkness enveloped the room as the two of them prepared for sleep.
…
…
Just past midnight.
Shinomiya lay on her back on the top bunk, her mind stubbornly clear, sleep feeling miles away. From the faint glow below, she could tell the boy was also still awake, likely scrolling on his phone in the dark.
"Akira-kun… are you asleep?"
"Not yet. But I should be. School tomorrow. Can't be late on the first day back."
"I see… Then, before you sleep… can we talk for a bit?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"How to put it… I just don't feel sleepy at all right now. It all feels a bit like a dream…"
Kuroha Akira understood that feeling perfectly. On his first night after transmigrating, when Granny Kobayashi had brought him to this very room, he'd felt the same swirling disorientation—a sense of unreality clinging to everything.
He'd experienced milder versions before, with new jobs, moving cities, having to re-map his life in unfamiliar surroundings… The rootless anxiety of being adrift. For a high school girl, being forced from her home at this age must have been a uniquely painful kind of displacement.
However, Akira was completely mistaken. At this moment, Shinomiya wasn't feeling sad at all. If anything, a quiet, fizzy excitement was bubbling in her chest. She was clearly past the age of getting excited over school trips or amusement parks… so what was this giddy feeling?
Pondering it with his adult mindset, Akira concluded that in times of uncertainty, tangible comfort was key. And the most tangible comfort was money. He pulled the 10,000 yen note from his pocket—folded into a neat vertical strip—sat up, and reached over to hand it up to the edge of her bunk.
"Hey, Shion."
"Yes?"
"I've got school tomorrow. Take this and buy your daily necessities. Toothbrush, cup, towel… you'll need clean underwear, too. And maybe some basic cosmetics… Though the cheap ones will have to do for now. We're on a budget."
"Ah…"
Shinomiya tilted her head to look at his hand and the banknote held between his fingers, a soft sound of surprise escaping her lips. Just earlier, when Granny Kobayashi had tried to take this money back, he'd fought tooth and nail. Now, he was handing it over without a second thought.
To be honest, Shinomiya had never been particularly motivated by money. Compared to her peers, her material desires were almost pitifully low. The last time she'd felt real envy was as a child, watching other kids buy cheap snacks and trinkets at the corner candy store.
In middle school, when other girls began experimenting with makeup, she never bothered. Her bare face effortlessly outshone their efforts anyway, which only made the whole affair seem more pointless… She'd subconsciously convinced herself she didn't need to prettify herself further. It wasn't arrogance; it was a form of self-preservation.
But receiving this 10,000 yen now… it sparked a genuine, warm happiness in her heart. It reminded her of the expression her mother used to wear when she'd receive her allowance from her father. Shinomiya realized now that her mother's happiness hadn't come from the money itself, but from the gesture—from him being willing to provide for her.
For the first time, she felt she could understand the mother she'd once found utterly incomprehensible.
"Then, Akira-kun, do you need anything? I can buy it for you."
"Hmm…"
Cigarettes…
No. Impossible. Japan required ID for cigarette purchases. Besides, this body hadn't developed the habit, and Akira wasn't even that eager to start again. It was just a phantom craving, a habit etched into his soul from a past life. Truthfully, he hadn't even been a heavy smoker before—it started as a crutch during brutal overtime, snowballing into a pack-a-day addiction he couldn't shake.
"I don't need anything. But you should be frugal. No unnecessary purchases. This ten thousand yen is our entire starting capital." Knowing she came from wealth, Akira was worried she might have a casual relationship with money. Ten thousand yen wouldn't even cover a rich girl's pocket change.
"Okay."
Shinomiya, who already treasured the money, now felt doubly determined to spend every single yen of it wisely, making each one count! Even if she became a wildly successful voice actor in the future, this habit would never change!
"By the way, Akira-kun… aren't you going to ask about my family?"
"Do you want to tell me?"
"..."
She did want to tell him. But she was also afraid his view of her might change once he knew. This conflict left her silent.
"Seems you're not ready. That's fine. Tell me when you feel like it. Everyone has a past they can't easily share. I'm no different."
"Mm…"
"Shion, I don't know your family situation. But I want to say this: you're only fifteen years old right now."
"Akira-kun, you're also fifteen…"
I am not. If you added the years from both his lives, he'd be pushing forty-five, though his mental age felt stuck around thirty. For now.
"What I mean is, your life has only just begun. It would be a tremendous waste to give up on it now."
"…I know. I won't give up on myself again."
"Good. Anyway, get some sleep. Good night."
"Mm… Good night, Akira-kun."
Today was only the first day. The road ahead was long. Perhaps one day, she would learn the meaning behind the nickname 'Shirako' and use it to tease him… By then, their relationship might have deepened considerably…
Just a short while ago, she'd been in a state of numb despair, unsure how to go on living. Now, she was actually looking forward to the future.
All of this… is thanks to Akira-kun.
With that thought, a natural, peaceful smile curved her lips as she drifted into sleep.
Kuroha Akira also turned off his phone, noting the time had just slipped past midnight, before closing his eyes.
The final day of summer vacation—the day he'd met two remarkable girls—had drawn to a close.
For Kuroha Akira, a new chapter had truly just begun.
…
That night, Shinomiya Shion slept deeply, but was visited by a strange dream.
In the dream, her face was burning with shame as she lifted the hem of her skirt. Kuroha Akira was gripping her thigh, his face leaning in so close she could feel his breath, his gaze intense and unwavering.
To make matters worse, she was wearing particularly flashy underwear—white, lace, translucent, with daring cut-outs…
No… don't come any closer…
It's so hot…
The young girl, Shion, experienced her very first wet dream.