Episode 61 – Note* We’re not dating

The time was past eight o’clock at night.

After dinner, I had already taken a bath and changed into a jersey. On the TV screen, a comedian was giving a funny quiz, but my hearing was not picking up the sound, and I was trying hard to hear the sounds of daily life coming from behind me.

Of course, it is not conscious.

But the more I try not to pay attention to it, the more I become aware of the sound of dripping water or moving something. As an adolescent boy, I hope you will forgive me.

Currently, Kohinata is in the bath I usually use.
There’s a fully clothed Kohinata within a 10-walk radius, you know? There is no way I can remain calm. If the student council – the KCC guys – were here, an ambulance would probably be parked in front of the apartment building with its red lights on right now.
I can picture the president and vice president falling to the ground in a flurry. Even I would have inadvertently blown out a nosebleed, not to mention those perverts.

Soon after, Kohinata came back to the room with her own towel on her head, rabbit style, after getting out of the bath. The towel on her head still looked dry, as she seemed to have wiped off all the moisture with the bath towel I had given her.

In Kohinata’s hand was a hair dryer, which she had apparently pulled out of the outlet in the changing room and brought with her. She had apparently pulled it out of the outlet in the dressing room and brought it with her.

“Welcome back. Did you have any inconvenience?”

I asked her, looking back at her while she was sitting on the floor, and she shook her head. She then walked over to me and silently settled into my legs.

The scent of shampoo and body soap that I usually use is wafting from her body, and it makes me feel very comfortable. –You sat in front of me without hesitation, Kohinata. That was quite dangerous. Nosebleed-wise.

“Aren’t you going to dry your hair?”

I asked her, trying not to let her realize how flustered I was, and she lifted her chin and bent her head back to look at my face. I knew she wouldn’t be able to see my face with just that, so I started peeking at her from above. Her face is very close.

“Aah, …… you want me to dry you off–is this another one of those ‘I’ll do anything’ things?”
“………… (kokkoku).”

She is a very pampered girl. I can’t help it because it’s so adorable.

By the way, Shizuka-san said before that Kohinata was a ‘very spoiled kid’. So does this mean that Kohinata is back to her old self, and can we say that this is a good trend ……?

“…… Feel free to tell me if I’m not good at this. I’ve never cleaned anyone’s head or anything, so I don’t know.”
“………… (kokkoku)”

I almost sigh at Kohinata who is so unguarded.
I wonder if I just hugged her tightly, she wouldn’t complain about Kohinata being so unguarded and acting like this. Thinking of this, I put my hand on her small head and began to scrub and wipe Kohinata’s head.

I toweled off Kohinata’s head while watching TV and then used the hair dryer to blow dry her hair, but the biggest problem was yet to come.

“I’m going to check again, are you sure it’s okay…..?”
“………… (kokkoku)”

We brush our teeth side by side and then move to my room. We are now both sitting on the bed side by side.
It is really easy to open the closet and take out a set of bedding, but that is unnecessary.

From the blushing – and the faster than usual nodding speed, I think Kohinata is currently both amused and embarrassed.

If I had not known why Kohinata had lost her expression – if I had not known that, I would have naturally thought, “Maybe she likes me?” If I had not known that, I would have misunderstood her. But I know.

I’m sure she is spoiled by me the way she is spoiled by her father.
That’s probably the basis of her wanting to sleep with me.

But I don’t have a sister, I don’t have a daughter, and I’ve never had a girlfriend.
Unlike Kohinata, it is very difficult for me to think of her as family. But I have to. For Kohinata’s sake, and no one else’s.

When Kohinata is fully recovered, I might hug her in anger, saying something like, ‘I’ve been holding back for a long time’. If she pushes me away, I will probably cry. I would welcome a head butt, though.

We got into the futon with only the orange lightbulb on, but it was after 10 o’clock, a little early for me to go to bed. But Kohinata seems to be just in time, and her eyelids are slowly losing their strength.

“…… too small?”
“………… (Furufuru)”

I confirm that Kohinata shakes her head, and I reply shortly, “I see”. I turned my gaze to the ceiling again.
Kohinata is on the wall side of the bed and I’m in the middle of the room.
It’s a single bed, so it’s not big enough for the two of us to sleep in, but I’m the one who’s going to roll off the bed, so it’s not a problem.

Kohinata uses the pillow I usually use, and I use the one Keiichi and the others use.
Kohinata was looking at me with her face turned to the side, staring at the ceiling. I can see it because it’s in my field of vision.

“What’s wrong?”

She was staring at me so intently that I turned my face sideways to look at Kohinata. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, then slipped under the covers and hugged me around my stomach. In addition, she presses her face against mine quite forcefully.

……..you’re still in a sleepy state,……Kohinata, you’re still awake normally, right?
I’m happy, but …… I’m happy, but still! We’re not a couple! Do you understand, you angel?

However, I’m not the kind of person who can refuse to do that,

“W-Well, well, I said I’d do anything.”

I muttered to myself, so that Kohinata could hear me, and so that I could tell myself that I would do anything.