"Haa... that was a good soak."
I had washed myself thoroughly, and soaking in the tub washed away all my fatigue. I didn't think there were bathtubs large enough to stretch your legs out in outside of public bathhouses.
...I didn't wash myself thoroughly for any ulterior motives, okay? Really.
Who am I even making excuses to?
I put on a T-shirt and half-pants, then applied moisturizing lotion and milky lotion. This wasn't just for today; it's my daily routine. I don't want to have a face full of wrinkles and spots in the future.
To become a cool adult man, it's important to start building up now.
As I was carefully moisturizing my skin, the bathroom door suddenly opened.
"Akito, are you done?"
"Yeah, I'm out. But knock first, okay? What if I was completely naked?"
"Ah. S-Sorry."
Since it's Riran, I thought she'd at least knock even at home. I guess she has a surprisingly careless side too.
"Heh... Akito, you use toner and things too?"
"Well, it's a habit."
"That's amazing. I don't hear about many high school boys using toner."
"High school boys in particular tend to be indifferent to this stuff. I've been doing it for a long time, and besides..."
"Besides?"
"...When I think about living with Riran from now on, I can't afford to have a half-baked appearance."
She's already a peerless beauty now. But it's obvious she'll grow even more into a world-class beauty in the future.
The one walking beside such a Riran is nobody else but me.
That's why I'll work hard starting now. To the point where I won't feel ashamed standing next to her.
"I-Is that so. For my sake..."
"Why are you blushing? Get used to this kind of thing already."
"I-I can't just get used to it! Do you know how much I've been thinking of you...!"
Gyun! Riran, her face turning bright red again, fled from the dressing room.
What did she even come here for?
"............ (peek)"
Oh, she came back.
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's just... being in the bedroom alone is a bit unsettling."
"Alright, let's go right now, let's go immediately."
"T-That's not it! It's not like I'm lonely or wanting something like that!!"
Right, right. You're so easy to read, Riran. I finished my moisturizing, brushed my teeth, and headed to the bedroom with Riran.
"............"
"............"
However, the tension spiked the moment we entered. We were about to sleep in the king-sized bed in front of us. No, I don't mean that in a lewd way. I mean exactly what I said—just sleeping.
But man, I'm nervous!
No matter how much I pretend to be calm, I'm nervous! I mean, I'm pure!? A virgin!? A cherry!? Is it okay for someone like me to share a bed with a beautiful girl like Riran!? Is it really okay!?
"W-Well then... shall we sleep?"
"Y-Yeah, let's do that."
Riran got into bed first, sliding under the covers until the bottom half of her face was hidden.
"T-Then, excuse me."
"Y-Yes."
I slowly slipped under the covers and rested my body on the pillow.
"Whoa, I'm sinking...!"
"Y-Yeah. It's my first time in such a fluffy bed too."
"It might be similar to those mattresses athletes always do commercials for. My waist, neck, and shoulders feel so relaxed."
When you exercise, your joints and body can get sore sometimes. This makes it easy to sleep; it's great.
"Hey, Akito."
"Hmm? What... is... it...?"
When I looked to the side, Riran's face was right there. And then it hit me again. Right now, I am lying in the same bed as Riran. While I was thinking about that obvious fact, Riran's hand gently reached out toward me. I reached out and touched her hand timidly. Without either of us leading, we slowly interlaced our fingers and gazed at each other.
"Even though it's time to sleep, Akito is right there..."
"Well, this happened once before. You know, at the sea."
"That's true. But you were unconscious back then, Akito."
Ah, that's right. Riran had walked into the bathroom, and I got dizzy from the heat. ...I just remembered something embarrassing again.
"But it's different now. We're both conscious and can talk like this. I'm happy."