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“Thank you for the meal.”
“It was nothing much. ...Even though there was so much, I didn't think you'd eat it all. As expected of a high school boy's stomach...”
Certainly, the plate had been piled high, but well, I could handle that much.
However, I couldn't deny the feeling that I'd overeaten. It didn't look like I'd be able to move for a while.
As I leaned back in my chair to rest, Riran already began clearing the plates.
“Wouldn't it be better to rest a bit longer?”
“No. If I don't soak them in water quickly, the stains won't come off, right? I have to soak the oil in hot water to make it easier to wash.”
She’s a total housewife. To be precise, she isn't a housewife yet, but she's giving off a 'young wife' vibe.
It can't be helped. I have to move too. I don't know what she'll say to me later if I don't.
I also gathered my own plates and took them to the sink.
“Thank you. But, you can keep resting. You're full, right?”
“But, I can't just leave everything to Riran. You did the cooking, so at least let me do this much.”
“...Th-thank you.”
We carried the dishes and washed them side-by-side.
I was in charge of washing, and Riran was in charge of wiping.
As I washed them efficiently, Riran kept glancing over at me.
“What is it?”
“N-nothing. It's just... I thought a man delicately washing dishes with such sturdy arms is somehow... nice.”
“I-is that so?”
For me, it's something I did at home too, so I didn't think much of it.
Even my father would help my mother when he was home.
I guess those things differ from house to house.
By the time we finished soaking what needed to be soaked and washing all the things that could be easily cleaned, it was already past 20:00.
Despite the small amount of luggage I'd unpacked, perhaps because of the unfamiliar environment, I was already feeling quite sleepy.
“Fwaaah~...”
“Akito, are you sleepy?”
“Well... I think I'll take a bath and go to bed.”
When I checked the bathroom earlier, there should have been body soap and shampoo.
I stood up from my seat to head toward the bathroom. And then—a serious problem crossed my mind.
“Ah.”
“What's wrong?”
“...What are we doing about the sleeping arrangements?”
“Ah.”
Riran must have remembered too, as she froze in place.
Sleeping arrangements. In other words, the bed... When we looked around this house, excluding the guest rooms, the only place with a bed was the master bedroom on the second floor.
In other words, Riran and I would be sleeping there, but...
My eyes met Riran's.
Immediately after, Riran's face turned bright red like an apple.
I'm sure I was turning just as red.
S-sleeping in the same bed as Riran... Th-that's way too problematic no matter how you look at it.
Even if we're connected by the Dark Scarlet Thread, a man and woman who aren't married sharing the same bed is definitely out, regardless of how you think about it.
I thought about sleeping in a guest room, but we can't keep doing that forever...
“T-today, I'll sleep on the sofa. Riran, you sleep in the bed.”
“Then Akito won't be able to recover from your fatigue. I'll sleep on the sofa...”
“That's out of the question. You're a girl, so you should sleep in a proper place so your body doesn't get cold.”
“In this day and age, arguments about being a man or a woman are out of the question. Regardless of being a man or a woman, it's decided that you shouldn't let your body get cold.”
Well, then I think it's also bad for Riran to sleep on the sofa.
But what to do... For now, I guess I have no choice but to search every room and see if there are any spare futons.
As I was thinking that.
“Isn't it fine? If we sleep in the same bed.”
“Th-that's, you see...”
“What's the problem? Of course, I think it's a problem for a man and woman who aren't dating to share a bed, but we're tied by the 'Red Thread of Fate' and we are dating, right? There's no problem at all.”
Certainly, if you put it into words or on paper, there's no problem.
Ryūya and Neika. Rio and Riza-san. Other people would probably be fine.
However, we are Dark Scarlet. Our physical compatibility is dozens of times better than the peach thread.
Us in the same bed... Riran should know that too.
“Akito, you're overthinking it.”
“I-Is that so...?”
“Yes. We'll be fine. Physical compatibility isn't just about physical things, right? I think spiritual compatibility, where you feel at peace being together, is also important.”
Ah—I see. Certainly.
...Wait, do we have good spiritual compatibility? We were at each other's throats before the Red Thread appeared.
I glanced at Riran beside me.
But Riran herself was facing the opposite direction from me.
Her ears, which I could slightly see, were bright red, and even her neck had turned red. She acted like she wasn't bothered, but she was totally bothered by it.
“Th-then, I'll go to the bath first...!”
“O-oh.”
Riran hurried out of the living room.
After being shown a face like that, it's impossible to tell me not to let it bother me.
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One hour later. As I was waiting in the living room while messing with my smartphone, the living room door opened.
“A-Akito, sorry for the wait. You can go next.”
“Ah, oh. Got it...!?”
Ri-Ri-Riran... that's...!
A pink roomwear set. However, the bottom was short pants that left her bare legs exposed. The top was a short-sleeved button-down shirt.
It was cute and it suited her, but... to be blunt, the level of exposure was high.
“Th-that...”
“Wa-wa-wa-wait, I like roomwear that's loose or easy to move in...! Th-this is also normal. It's normal, okay!?”
“I-I see...”
Come to think of it, Kotono also wore roomwear consisting of short pants and a camisole.
That also had quite a high level of exposure. Compared to that, this is normal... maybe I'm overreacting.
“Then, I'll go take a bath too.”
“Ye-yeah. ...Don't drink the bathwater, okay?”
“What kind of pervert do you think I am!?”