"How's the pressure? It's not painful, right?"
Her voice was as soft as her touch—gentle, warm, and full of genuine care.
The angel, Shiina Mahiru, sat with quiet grace as she looked down at him. Her fingers moved delicately across his scalp as if handling something fragile and precious.
"Mm… it doesn't hurt at all. Actually, it feels… really nice."
Natsukawa Kanade squinted his eyes, giving in to the comforting sensation. The rhythm of her fingers, the warmth of her lap, and the tickle of her breath—it was all far too relaxing. He was starting to feel like a pampered cat curled up in the sun.
"I see. I'm glad," Mahiru smiled, a soft glow lighting up her face. "I heard that this is something boys dream about… so, Kanade-kun's little dream has come true today?"
"Uhh… maybe just a little," Kanade muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"So Kanade is a boy after all."
Mahiru giggled, and her fingers gently grazed his cheek, sending a tiny shiver down his spine.
"What else could I be?" Kanade replied with a mild groan.
If he wasn't a guy, then he wouldn't be battling this emotional chaos inside. His heart wouldn't be thumping this hard just from a bit of lap pillow contact.
Really, boys were hopelessly simple creatures. A single gesture from a cute girl—a bit of closeness, a whisper of kindness—and their entire being could short-circuit. And when that girl was Mahiru, the angel of their school, with a bond already forming between them… well, resisting was impossible.
"Hehe… it's just, Kanade-kun always acts so proper and polite. I figured… maybe you weren't really into this kind of thing," Mahiru said, her voice laced with just the tiniest pout.
Her words trailed off into something almost sulky. Apparently, the image she'd built up in her head wasn't matching the reality in front of her, and that little contradiction had started to frustrate her.
After all, she'd heard all about "boys being carnivores"—easily provoked, shamelessly bold—but Kanade showed none of those signs. No predatory instincts, no sudden moves. Just awkward calm and painfully obvious restraint.
But today… he was different.
"Even if I am usually polite, do you really think it's that easy to stay composed right now?" Kanade finally opened his eyes and stared up at her. "A cute girl is giving me a lap pillow, and now she's offering ear-cleaning service too. There's not a single guy in the world who wouldn't react!"
He let out a small sigh, then added in a more serious tone, "That's why Mahiru should be careful. Guys… even the well-behaved ones—when no one's watching—they might just… snap."
It was a half-warning, half-confession. And entirely too honest.
"Hmph."
Mahiru pouted again, but this time she pinched his ear gently and tugged at it. "Then this is your punishment. Besides… I'd never do this kind of thing for anyone else."
"Wait, that's the takeaway?!" Kanade raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't it important?" she shot back with an innocent blink.
Kanade froze. Yeah… it was important. Very much so. The thought of Mahiru treating someone else this way—it made his chest tighten in an uncomfortable way.
He didn't want to see her this close to anyone else.
…Well, girls were fine. Watching girls being affectionate was just heartwarming. But another guy? No thanks.
Still, he couldn't just come out and say that. It would make him sound like he had impure motives… or worse, like he was jealous.
So, he kept his mouth shut, choosing silence over accidental confessions.
Mahiru, seemingly unbothered by his lack of response, simply resumed her task and continued cleaning his ear with slow, careful movements.
After a while, her soft voice broke the silence again.
"Kanade, you can turn your head now. It's time for the other side."
Kanade nodded and reflexively rolled over.
But the moment his face adjusted to the new angle, he realized—he had made a grave mistake.
Right in front of him… was Mahiru's bare midriff. And a little lower…
Because of the warm weather and the fact they were home alone, Mahiru was dressed lightly—just a simple T-shirt and shorts. So with the angle he was in, lying on her lap, his eyes were dangerously close to forbidden territory.
D-Don't look! Don't even breathe too loud!
Panicking, Kanade tried to lift his head slightly to shift his line of sight. But before he could even move—
Push
Mahiru gently pushed his head back down.
"Geez, Kanade, don't fidget," she said, her tone a little firmer than usual. "You'll get hurt if you move too much."
With no escape, Kanade had no choice but to close his eyes.
But the moment he did, everything else intensified.
The soft warmth of her thighs… the faint, sweet fragrance drifting from her skin… it was all magnified. A scent like flowers and sunlight, and something uniquely Mahiru, wrapped around him like a spell.
This wasn't just relaxing. This was danger. This was… a blissful trap.
He didn't know if this was heaven or hell. All he knew was that he was caught somewhere in between, and the line separating pleasure from torment had never felt so thin.
"Kanade-kun… what's wrong?" Mahiru's gentle voice drifted down from above, soft with concern. "Your body just trembled a little."
"Eh!? I-It's nothing! Really!" Kanade practically jolted awake, dragged out of the syrupy bliss he had sunk into. "Maybe… maybe I just got a little cold or something, haha…"
It was a flimsy excuse. One so paper-thin it could've been blown away by the lightest breeze. But it was all he had. There was no way he could explain his current inner chaos. Just how was he supposed to tell her, "Oh no big deal, I'm just on the brink of spiritual collapse because you're too sweet, soft, and close"?
Unthinkable. If he said that out loud, he might as well dive into a block of tofu and disappear forever.
Mahiru tilted her head, obviously puzzled, but she didn't question him. Instead, she paused for a second, then reached over to the side and grabbed her favorite fluffy blanket. Without hesitation, she draped it over him.
"Here… this should help. You're not cold anymore, right?"
"…"
Kanade was frozen—emotionally, not physically.
He couldn't exactly say "no," because of his earlier lie. But now, wrapped in her blanket while lying on her lap, he really was starting to feel like a pampered kid getting spoiled by his mom.
This is bad… this is really bad, he thought, his dignity slowly dissolving.
Her motherly instincts were simply too powerful. At this rate, he was going to get spoiled into a helpless little child.
Unable to figure out what to say, he gave a weak little hum of acknowledgement. It was a half-hearted response, but Mahiru didn't seem to mind at all.
Or rather… it seemed like she wasn't even focused on that.
Instead, she hesitated for a moment before gently asking, "Nee, Kanade… once I'm done with this, can I stroke your hair a little longer?"
Her voice was soft, almost like a shy request for a treat. It was rare to hear her like this—so openly wanting something for herself.
She really must've enjoyed having her head patted so much that now, she wanted to return the favor. For her, this was probably something like emotional intimacy, a quiet exchange of affection.
Kanade, still wrapped in warmth and softness, nodded faintly. "Y-Yeah… of course. For as long as you want."
Truth be told, even if she hadn't offered the lap pillow and ear-cleaning as part of the deal, he would've agreed. If she'd just asked, he would've let her touch his hair until the stars fell out of the sky.
Even though logically he could escape this torment right now by simply getting up—his body refused. His mind was foggy, his limbs numb. His soul had already surrendered.
He was completely at her mercy.
So much for willpower. Maybe he really was weak, after all.
Compared to the tangled mess in Kanade's head, Mahiru's thoughts were clear and simple. Her emotions weren't complicated. They were just warm.
She genuinely enjoyed being with him like this. She liked patting his head. She liked seeing him relax. And most of all, she liked the quiet closeness they shared in these moments.
"Almost done, so hang in there just a little longer, okay?" she murmured sweetly.
Kanade, utterly resigned to his fate, didn't respond. He just gave a small, helpless nod as Mahiru resumed her movements.
Her fingers moved more slowly now, softer than before—like she didn't want to finish. There was a delicate sense of finality in her touch, as if she too was feeling a little sad it was coming to an end.
And somehow, that feeling passed to Kanade too.
Now he found himself treasuring every last second, wondering when—if—he'd get this kind of service again.
"Okay, all done," she said at last, her voice low and lingering.
The faint ticklish sensation of the ear pick ended, replaced by the smooth glide of her fingers brushing through his hair.
"Ah…"
Kanade blinked.
So when she said she wanted to 'stroke your hair'… she meant his hair. Not the other way around.
"Is something wrong?" Mahiru asked, noticing his tiny gasp.
"No… it's fine. Go ahead," Kanade muttered quickly, swallowing the weird mix of surprise and embarrassment rising in his throat.
Right now, Mahiru's hand was still gliding gently through Kanade's hair. Her movements were elegant and unhurried—like she was coaxing a small animal to sleep. On paper, it really did look like she was treating him like a child.
But somehow, it didn't feel that way. Not at all.
There was no trace of condescension in her touch. Only warmth. Only care. In fact, it felt more like she was saying: "You can let your guard down with me. I'll spoil you… even more if you let me."
And that… that was dangerous.
Kanade's mood, of course, became complicated. If it were up to him, he definitely wouldn't want to be treated like a child. He was a guy, after all. Even if he wasn't some aloof, brooding anime lead, he still had his pride.
But this situation—being gently pampered by Mahiru like this—was… irresistible.
In this rare moment, he couldn't help but surrender to it. Maa… it's fine just this once, right?
"..."
He didn't say anything. He couldn't. He was too busy basking in her scent, the softness of her lap, and the faint sound of her breathing.
It wasn't like when he had carried Kaguya or Yukino before—back then, his mind had been clear, focused. His thoughts hadn't drifted into strange or dangerous territory. But now…
Now, the situation was the exact opposite. It was the kind of comfortable, drowsy bliss that made one want to be lazy. His willpower was practically melting.
And the worst part?
While enjoying the gentle brushing of his hair, Kanade was also being lulled by Mahiru's warmth. Her scent was sweet like spring, and her touch was kind beyond reason.
He felt… happy. Like, truly happy.
And that happiness was a problem.
The current atmosphere was just too tempting. Too perfect. A few times, Kanade almost said something dumb. Something dangerous. Something like:
"Wouldn't it be great if I could live like this every day?"
And that kind of thinking? It was the gateway to ruin. He knew it.
Sure, living a life where Mahiru spoiled him like this daily might turn him into a useless, spoiled NEET… but weirdly enough, that didn't sound completely unbearable right now.
Still, those were just thoughts. Dangerous, foolish thoughts.
Because deep down, Kanade knew better. He couldn't let this kind of indulgence continue unchecked. Mahiru might misunderstand, might think he was trying to go back to how things used to be between them—back when feelings were messier, when the lines between affection and something more had started to blur.
And this time, if she did get the wrong idea, it would be even more complicated. Because this time… it wasn't about teasing or convenience. It would be real.
Maybe that's why, even as his heart swayed, Kanade kept quiet.
Unlike before, he had learned to think before speaking. All the events leading up to now had forced him to mature, even just a little. He wasn't the same impulsive idiot anymore. Now, he paused, considered the consequences, and—sometimes—chose silence over confession.
That said… perhaps he was overthinking things.
With a quiet sigh, he gently shifted his head, adjusting the angle until it rested more comfortably against her thigh. In doing so, he unintentionally released a faint sigh of contentment.
Then, from above, a small laugh rang out.
"Kanade-kun is being spoiled~," Mahiru said, amusement clear in her voice.
"..."
Kanade's cheeks immediately flushed.
Caught red-handed. He'd been so focused on not saying anything stupid that he forgot to hide how relaxed he looked. With a small grunt of protest, he turned his gaze upward—just enough to look at her.
The expression on his face said it all: Whose fault do you think this is, huh!?
"I know, I know," Mahiru giggled, brushing a hand through his hair again. "It's my fault for making you like this. But when I look at you, Kanade-kun… I just want to pamper you. Touch your hair. Spoil you. Is that so bad?"
She smiled, her voice soft and sincere. "Also, your hair feels amazing, you know?"
Kanade groaned quietly, half-mortified. "Even if you say that… that's not the kind of thing you should be praising people for so openly…"
Mahiru tilted her head. "Why not?"
"Guys don't really care about their hair, you know?" Kanade grumbled, crossing his arms. "It's not like we rely on it to win duels or anything…"
Seriously, this wasn't some bizarre card game anime where your hairstyle determined your battle power. He didn't need gravity-defying spikes to qualify as a protagonist.
But Mahiru just smiled sweetly. "Fufu~ I get it. But Kanade-kun is already cool without needing flashy hair. No matter how you look, you'll always stand out…"
Her voice trailed off, a hint of something else behind her words. It wasn't jealousy exactly, but maybe a quiet sort of frustration—one born from how easily he drew the attention of others.
Then, suddenly, her expression shifted.
"Well then," she said, her tone a little too casual, "since you think your hair doesn't matter that much, how about you just shave it all off?"
"Eh!?"
Kanade's eyes went wide. "Where did that idea come from!?"
"I take it back! I take it back!! Please spare my hair!! I'll treasure it more from now on, I promise!!" he cried dramatically.
He thought that would end her teasing. But instead… it only made her puff up with even more dissatisfaction.
Seriously, what kind of logic was that!? He was trying to avoid embarrassment, and now she was getting madder?
Girls really were mysterious beings. More confusing than philosophers. Probably more dangerous, too.