"Um... Kanade, do you not find it unpleasant?" They hadn't been talking much—just leaning closely against each other, soaking in the warm comfort of the bath—when the angel suddenly broke the silence. "Even I think, sometimes, things don't go as planned, or what I want to do doesn't meet my expectations."
"Uh..." Natsukawa Kanade was caught off guard for a moment. "Oh! You mean this?—How you try so hard, only to end up losing to your embarrassment."
"How could I possibly dislike that? After all, I know perfectly well that it's all because you like me so much."
"You don't have to say it out loud just because you know it!" The angel seemed visibly flustered.
Kanade simply chuckled, finding her utterly adorable, especially when she became bashful over the most unexpected things.
"Honestly, since you already know, what's the harm in going along with me?" Mahiru mumbled in a soft voice, her words growing quieter and shyer as she spoke. She curled up further into his arms, her posture exuding vulnerability.
Kanade wasn't oblivious; he could easily guess what Mahiru wanted to say, or hoped for. But he also knew that if he gave in to his desires and acted on impulse, things might escalate far beyond her expectations. And so, he decided it would be better to show restraint.
"Actually, it's because I'm not confident I can hold back. So, if you tease me too much, it'll be tough for me too," Kanade admitted sincerely.
"Even though you're saying that... you've been acting so calm this whole time," Mahiru replied with a hint of suspicion in her expression.
"That's not true at all," Kanade shook his head in protest. "If you don't believe me... how about you come a little closer and check for yourself?"
If she really put her ear against his chest, she'd undoubtedly hear his heart pounding uncontrollably—like a muffled thunderclap.
Hearing this, Mahiru hesitated briefly before shifting to face him directly and resting her ear against his toned chest.
Kanade managed to keep his expression composed, and any flush on his face could easily be attributed to the heat of the bathwater. But his racing heartbeat was a truth he couldn't hide—it was beyond the control of his mind.
Sure enough, the rapid thudding of his heart made Mahiru blink in surprise before lifting her head to look at him.
"It's so loud..."
"See? I told you—I'm not calm at all," Kanade shrugged slightly.
After all, the current situation was this: with his girlfriend's explicit permission, he was sharing a bath with her—his first and only girlfriend. Of course, he wanted to touch her. He even entertained the idea of discarding the thin layers of fabric between them and taking things further.
The only reason he hadn't acted on those impulses was because he didn't want to hurt Mahiru and wanted to consider their future. Acting now simply wasn't the wise thing to do.
"...I thought you were so used to this that you were just naturally composed," Mahiru murmured.
"As if that's possible. I want to touch you. I want to do so many other things—I'm just holding myself back," Kanade confessed, shaking his head. It seemed like his girlfriend had some sort of misconception about him.
"S-so many other things..." Mahiru's face turned crimson as she seemingly imagined what he meant.
Kanade grinned slightly and then reached out to pat her head. Immediately, Mahiru settled down, obediently letting him stroke her hair.
This type of touch didn't seem to make her shy or resistant. Kanade thought to himself as he gently patted her, slowly transitioning to softly tracing the contours of her face. He mischievously tickled her cheeks with his fingertips.
Mahiru squinted her eyes contentedly, looking like a cat basking in comfort. She even closed her eyes completely, as if entrusting herself entirely to him.
Her attitude stemmed from her trust in Kanade. It was sweet, yet incredibly seductive.
Kanade bit his lip slightly before using his fingers to lift her chin... but just as quickly, he released her.
"Huh?"
"If I kiss you here, I can already see you passing out from the heat," Kanade explained.
Truthfully, he was dying to kiss her right then and there, but in this situation, it would likely leave her lightheaded and dizzy. Besides... the most important reason was that even he wouldn't be able to keep his composure.
Since they weren't particularly experienced with deep kissing, there was a real risk they'd lose control and drown in the moment, possibly melting away all sense of reason. With that in mind, Kanade chose to stop himself.
However, Mahiru looked visibly disappointed after hearing his explanation.
"...Is that so?"
It seems she was clearly anticipating something, her evident attitude making Natsukawa Kanade chuckle. However, Mahiru gently slapped his chest in response, prompting him to suppress his smile. He then used the pad of his thumb to slowly trace circles on her lips.
If we can't do the real thing… I'll just take a little interest instead.
The smooth, soft texture of her lips seemed to tremble slightly under his touch. He could feel it—not just above the water, but even beneath it—Mahiru's body was faintly shaking.
"Feeling disappointed?" Kanade teased with a grin.
"You're so mean..." The angel pouted and refused to look at him.
Maybe because she felt she was being teased, Mahiru slipped into a subtle sulk. After lightly slapping his chest again, she turned around and settled herself back between his legs. Kanade, of course, knew she wasn't really upset. Still, ignoring or joking about her shy gestures wouldn't have been right, so he sincerely apologized with a quiet "Sorry," and gently wrapped his arms around her.
Despite her bashfulness and natural reactions, Kanade hesitated for a moment, but eventually let go of his reservations. Slowly, he moved his hands around to her stomach, pulling her closer so their bodies pressed more intimately together.
Her back, exposed without any barrier, pressed fully against him. Their bare skin overlapped, and Mahiru's body jolted slightly at the contact.
Her reaction was understandable, but there wasn't much either of them could do about it. After all, Kanade knew Mahiru had come here fully aware of what such closeness entailed.
"So warm," Mahiru murmured.
"...Yeah," Kanade replied softly.
"Let's stay like this a little longer, okay?" His gentle tone conveyed that he wouldn't do anything improper, and he followed through by holding her tenderly. It was this warmth that helped Mahiru relax and let herself go entirely, surrendering to his embrace.
Her acceptance made Kanade feel a sense of relief. He softly ran his hand along her slender stomach, only for Mahiru to squirm as though it tickled.
Even without the effect of water, her skin was silky smooth to the touch. There wasn't any excess fat; instead, her figure was soft in a distinctly feminine way. It felt almost surreal.
Although Mahiru didn't seem to dislike it, the sensation of being touched on her stomach left her feeling a bit conflicted. She lightly tapped Kanade's arm in protest but quickly shifted into a gentle stroking motion, signaling that she wasn't truly rejecting him.
She playfully retaliated with small, affectionate movements on Kanade's arm. Then, with a light splash of water, she leaned her full weight into him, tilting her head back slightly to glance at him.
"Kanade."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Um... about what we were talking about earlier."
"Earlier?"
"You know... about kissing..."
Though Kanade wasn't exactly in a position to judge, Mahiru seemed particularly awkward about expressing herself directly. Her words came out hesitantly, even stammering a little.
"And? What about it?"
"Does it... um... does it mean you'll do it after the bath?"
Her bashful question made Kanade instinctively pull her into a tight hug. Resting his face against her shoulder, he chuckled softly as Mahiru panicked and began flailing her hands against his arm.
"W-why are you suddenly doing this?"
"Nothing, it's just... the way you said that was so cute. Well, if we're on the same page, then once we're done with the bath, be prepared." Kanade nuzzled against her shoulder playfully.
His girlfriend was simply too adorable! It was hard not to feel the constant urge to tease her mercilessly.
"Huh? Ah, um... j-just forget I asked!" Mahiru stammered, startled by his words.
She knew very well that once Kanade got serious, she wouldn't stand a chance. Realizing this, she began trying to back out of the situation, but Kanade held her gently in place, preventing her escape.
"I don't want to."
"...Guh, you're bullying me."
"I am bullying you," Kanade admitted with a nod. "But since I'm just teasing my own girlfriend, no one else can really complain, can they?"
Hearing Kanade's calm murmur, Mahiru couldn't seem to take it anymore. She muttered, "Idiot," under her breath and retaliated by pressing her fingertip firmly against his knee in mock frustration.
And so, the two began another playful round of teasing and lighthearted squabbling.
...
Since lingering in the bath any longer while staying this close risked making them both dizzy, they decided to get out of the tub after a while.
Mahiru still had her nightly self-care routine to complete in the bathroom, so Kanade left first, heading to the living room to dry his hair and wait for her.
For a brief moment, Kanade considered not drying his hair, just so he could pout and playfully seek attention from Mahiru later. But since Mahiru was a strong advocate for hair care (and knowing her, she'd scold him for letting his hair air-dry, warning him about potential headaches), he decided against it and dried it properly.
Kanade had initially thought about waiting in the bedroom, but doing so would have meant welcoming Mahiru in an atmosphere heavy with the tension of "what's about to happen." To calm his nerves, he stayed in their usual hangout spot—the living room.
To further distract himself, he turned on the TV and focused on a random, meaningless program, hoping to tamp down his restless thoughts.
Just then, he heard footsteps coming from the hallway.
For some reason, he felt too self-conscious to turn around immediately. He pretended to be engrossed in the TV program instead, but he could sense Mahiru's presence as she approached and stopped beside him.
Finally, Kanade looked up—and let out a small sigh of relief.
If Mahiru had shown up in some overly provocative lingerie, he might've suspected she was testing his self-control. But thankfully, she wore a knee-length nightdress paired with an open-front cardigan.
The nightdress itself had a silky texture with a faintly glossy finish, layered with sheer materials that added a sense of delicacy. While the design was slightly transparent, it didn't outline her figure excessively, maintaining a graceful elegance instead of giving off a vulgar impression.
Perhaps it was Mahiru's naturally pure and angelic aura—Kanade thought even if the dress had been revealing, it would have only added to her charm rather than making her seem improper.
The dress had a sleeveless camisole design, but the lace cardigan draped over it made her exposed skin appear subtle rather than prominent. The overall effect was demure yet irresistibly lovely.
Mahiru, noticing Kanade's gaze, shrank back slightly in embarrassment but didn't try to cover herself. Instead, she looked at him questioningly. "Is... is it strange?"
"No, it's really cute. It suits you perfectly," Kanade replied honestly, shaking his head. "I was just thinking how different it is from what you wore at home before."
By "home," he wasn't referring to their current apartment but to the time she'd visited his family's house.
"W-wearing something like this at your parents' place wouldn't have been appropriate... But, um, since it's just the two of us here, I thought I'd make a little effort," Mahiru explained shyly. Despite her words, she cautiously sat beside Kanade and leaned her body gently against him.
The lightweight texture of her outfit, combined with a sweet yet refreshing fragrance slightly stronger than what he'd noticed in the bath, reawakened the stirrings in his chest that he'd worked so hard to suppress.
Just sitting beside her had this effect—if he held her in his arms, the scent would surely grow even more intoxicating.
"To be honest, I was wondering what I'd do if you showed up in something really daring," Kanade admitted with a small chuckle.
"I actually considered it," Mahiru replied with a nod.
"Huh?" Kanade blinked, stunned.
"But, um... I was worried that if I went overboard, you might find it unpleasant," Mahiru explained hesitantly.
"How could I possibly dislike it?" Kanade countered with a laugh. "If anyone saw how cute you are right now and felt anything but admiration, they'd have to be out of their mind. Honestly, I'd be thrilled if you wore something like that for me."
"I-I'm not wearing it," Mahiru huffed, puffing out her cheeks in protest.
"Aw... you won't?" Kanade sighed dramatically.
"You really wanted me to?"
"Of course I'd love it if you wore something like that... but honestly, I'd prefer it even more if you chose to wear it when you want me to see it."
"Ugh..."
"So don't feel like you have to push yourself, okay?" Kanade reassured her. Noticing she seemed a bit down, he leaned closer, gave her a light hug, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead to comfort her.
While her shy reactions were undeniably adorable, Kanade didn't want her to force herself into anything. What mattered most to him was that her choices were made willingly.
He sensibly changed the topic after that. Mahiru, however, seemed like she wanted to say something, tilting her head slightly as if debating with herself. Finally, she raised her voice just slightly and said, "It's nothing!"
Kanade didn't press her further, instead gently taking her hand in his.
As always, Mahiru's body tensed the moment he touched her, but Kanade remained silent, enclosing her hand warmly in his until she relaxed. Finally, she rested her head on his shoulder.
Mahiru's gentle leaning never felt imposing—it was more like she was silently promising, "I won't leave."
Kanade naturally tilted his weight slightly toward her in response.
Though their bodies were close, the bond between their hearts was even closer.