Episode 168: The Day Before the School Trip

「Thanks for the meal.」

「You’re very welcome. I hope it was to your liking.」

I’d finished the dinner Sara-san made for me.

Sara-san is going on her school trip starting tomorrow, so I won’t be able to eat her cooking or her homemade lunches for a whole week… Basically, this was my final meal for a while.

Maybe that’s why dinner tonight was my favorite: Hamburg steak.

But it wasn’t just about the food.

I’d known this was coming, but I won’t be able to see Sara-san for an entire week.

Thinking about those days starting tomorrow, a sudden wave of loneliness washed over me.

「…Shall I make some tea?」

「…Yeah.」

I knew Sara-san felt the same way I did, and sure enough, she seemed a bit down.

It wasn’t like we were saying goodbye forever, but having experienced a similar loneliness before, the thought of tasting it again…

I sat on the edge of the bed and aimlessly checked the calendar on my phone while it was charging. One week… seven days. That’s two days longer than the last time.

While I was lost in thought, Sara-san had come over without me noticing. She sat down next to me with a soft thud and leaned her weight against me.

Right. Sara-san is just as lonely as I am…

Usually, it would be about time for her to go home, but Sara-san didn’t move, and I didn’t say anything to prompt her.

Since I had a feeling we were both thinking the same thing, I steeled my resolve and decided to be the one to ask this time.

「…Sara-san, why don’t you stay over tonight?」

「Eh?」

She’s stayed over before, but it was usually because she was worried about me and judged that she needed to be there.

Since I was the one suggesting it this time, her surprise was only natural.

But Sara-san immediately broke into a smile, pulled out her phone, and started making a call.

「Mom, I’m going to stay over at Kazunari-san’s house tonight… Eh? Yes, I understand. Please do.」

Did Mayumi-san say something?

I felt a little anxious…

「Um, it seems Mom expected me to stay at your house tonight, so she said she’d bring my things over right away…」

H-how embarrassing…

That means she saw right through us, knowing we’d want to be together because we’d be lonely starting tomorrow…

But Sara-san seemed more happy about staying over than anything else, and she stared at me with a grin.

Then, she suddenly seemed to hit on an idea.

「Oh, I know! Since you were kind enough to invite me, Kazunari-san, I’ll wash your back for you. It’s been a while.」

Sara-san clapped her hands together happily as if she’d found a brilliant plan.

She seemed unusually excited. Was she really that happy?

But… while this isn’t the first time, it’s basically synonymous with being told「Let’s take a bath together.」Well, I just have to be careful.

It’s fine. I’m a man who can work hard for Sara-san’s sake.

「Takanashi-san, sorry for the constant trouble, but I’m counting on you… (Try to hold back until marriage, okay?)」

I’m glad she trusts me, but is it really okay to give permission for her to stay at a guy’s house so easily…?

Also, I couldn’t quite hear her, but did she mutter something at the end?

「Yes. Actually, I was the one who asked her to stay this time…」

「Oh, is that so? No wonder she looks so happy.」

According to Mayumi-san, the fact that I was the one who asked is why Sara-san is in such a good mood.

「Kazunari-san, are you finished talking?」

Sara-san returned after bringing in her travel bag, the last of her luggage, and naturally linked her arm with mine as she stood beside me.

「Honestly, Sara-chan. I know you two are close, but let me talk to Takanashi-san for a bit, too.」

「I’m not exactly in the way. Is there something difficult to say if I’m here?」

Despite her slightly sharp words, Sara-san’s face still looked happy. Was it really because I was the one who asked, like Mayumi-san said…?

「Goodness… well then, this third wheel will get out of your hair. Takanashi-san, please look after her. Sara-chan, since I won’t see you tomorrow, I’ll say it now. Have a good trip. Be careful, okay?」

「Yes, I’m off.」

「Mayumi-san, thank you very much.」

She hopped into the car with a wave and a smile, and then drove off into the distance.

The two of us saw her off, and after glancing at each other, we both started walking toward the front door at the same time…

Calm down… you’ve done this plenty of times.

I was sitting on a low stool in the bathroom, waiting without even turning on the shower. From an outside perspective, I probably looked pretty stupid.

I could hear the faint rustle of clothes from the changing room, which meant Sara-san was undressing.

After waiting for a while…

「Kazunari-san, excuse me.」

The bathroom door opened along with her voice. While trying my best not to look directly at her, I caught a glimpse of her… today, instead of a bath gown, she just had a bath towel wrapped around her body!?

Right. Even Mayumi-san wouldn’t have anticipated a situation where a bath gown was needed, so of course she wouldn’t have packed one.

「Kazunari-san, um… if you stare that much, I’ll get embarrassed…」

Despite telling myself not to look, I’d apparently been staring with everything I had.

Realizing this, I hurried to turn around so my back was facing Sara-san.

「S-sorry.」

「N-no, it’s fine. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Well then, I’ll start by washing your back.」

She turned on the shower to rinse my body, and I heard a scritch-scratch sound. She was probably lathering up a body towel with soap.

「I’ll start washing now. Please let me know if you need anything.」

With those words, I felt the sensation of the body towel against my back, and it slowly began to move.

Haa… that feels good…

It’s the same body towel I always use, so the sensation against my skin should be the same, but why does it feel so completely different from when I wash myself…?

After she finished washing my back, she rinsed me off with the shower.

Is that it…? Just as I was feeling a bit disappointed that it ended so quickly, Sara-san, who should have been done, didn’t move.

「Since we’re here, let me wash a bit more.」

With that declaration, I felt hands holding the towel reach out from under my armpits, and she started rubbing my chest and stomach.

Whoa!?

I was a bit startled, but I just let her do what she wanted without making a sound.

Sara-san seemed to be taking the task seriously.「This is harder than I thought… maybe like this?」she muttered as she moved her hands.

…But honestly, I was facing a serious trial.

The serious Sara-san was probably so focused on figuring out how to wash me that she wasn’t paying attention to anything else.

But this position was basically like she was hugging me from behind, and the sensation against my back was… well… calm down…

「Ah, this makes it easier to wash.」

She seemed to have gotten the hang of it. Her hand movements became smoother and her reach expanded.

Just as I thought she’d gained some leeway in her posture and pulled her body away from me for a second…

「Kyat!?」

Sara-san let out a small yelp and suddenly pulled her arms back.

「Are you okay?」

「Y-yes. Please wait a moment. The towel…」

「The towel!?」

I could pretty much imagine the situation from those words.

「No, it’s nothing!」

I could feel her moving around busily behind my back. She was likely fixing her bath towel.

Even though I knew I shouldn’t, the image of what was happening popped into my head…

「Sorry to keep you waiting.」

「…………」

「Kazunari-san?」

「…………」

Pinch!

「Ow!?」

She gave my cheek a light pinch, bringing my consciousness back from my imagination.

「S-Sara-san?」

「…You’re such a pervert, Kazunari-san.」

Apparently, she’d fully realized what I was imagining. It had been a while since she called me that…

In the end, Sara-san didn’t seem satisfied yet. After resetting her mood, she washed the rest of my body a bit more and then left the bathroom with a look of accomplishment.

…I worked hard today, too.