Episode 311: Towards Tomorrow

Leaving the cafe, we went around the remaining classrooms in order. There were no particular problems, and naturally, today’s patrol ended successfully.

We in the student council group still had reports and other things to do, so we couldn’t head home yet, while Natsumi-senpai and Hayato headed off to their club activities.

That meant we had to part ways here, and even though I felt a bit reluctant…

「Well then, we’ll head home now. There’s still tomorrow, after all.」

Nishikawa-san, Tachikawa-san, and Yuji all decided to head back together in Nishikawa-san’s car.

The two had planned to take the train, but Nishikawa-san made the offer, so they decided to take her up on it.

「Today was fun! Haa, I wish our school allowed the general public to attend too…」

「Well, that’s probably impossible. The only saving grace is that our dates don’t overlap.」

The high school Yuji and Tachikawa-san attend doesn’t open its festival to the public. Only family and alumni are allowed in, so the scale is naturally smaller.

But thanks to that, the dates for our festivals, which usually clash, were shifted, which turned out to be lucky.

「Speaking of that, my school doesn’t even have a festival yet…」

「Eh, is that so!?」

「We just consolidated, after all. School events like that are still to come.」

From what I heard, Nishikawa-san’s school’s student council isn’t even functioning properly yet, so real events probably won’t start until next year. Thinking about it that way, the current third-years are a bit pitiable…

「Well, I don’t know what will happen next year, but even if we do have a festival, I’d want to shift the dates for my own personal enjoyment. I really want to invite all of you, after all.」

「Ah, I’d love to visit Nishikawa-san’s school too!」

「I want to go as well!」

Of course, even without saying it out loud, I and everyone else felt the same. Looking at everyone’s faces, it was easy to tell.

Ding-dong-dang-dong

「Yahoo, it’s Minamin. Haa… why does time fly so fast when you’re having fun? It’s a shame, but it’s time to wrap things up for today~」

The voice of Fukazawa-san coming from the speakers lacked its usual bottomless brightness. It sounded a bit low-spirited, even a little melancholic.

「But there’s still tomorrow. Get some rest today and let’s make a scene… I mean, let’s work hard again tomorrow!! And so, the first day of the School Festival is now officially over. Good work, everyone~」

Clap clap clap clap!!!!

We, the people around us, and surely everyone else in this school… enveloped in the unending applause and cheers, the fun first day of the festival came to a close.

The slight loneliness I felt was quickly erased by the excitement of knowing there was still tomorrow.

「Well then, shall we head home? See you tomorrow…」

「See ya~」

「I’m expecting great things tomorrow, Natsumi-san.」

「Don’t put unnecessary pressure on me!!」

The sound of everyone’s laughter felt so good, it made me wish every day could be like this.

Such a fun day was finally coming to an end.

But for me, in many ways, the real event is tomorrow.

I’m aware I’m about to do something pretty bold, but I don’t feel any anxiety at all.

I’m doing this… for our sake.

Ding-dong-dang-dong

「Ah, sorry, I forgot. A business announcement for the idiot couple who caused all sorts of trouble today. …Even a saint’s patience has its limits, you know? That is all.」

Ding-dong-dang-dong

「「「……………」」」

I’m sorry…

「How should I put it… it’s been a long day.」

After eating dinner and taking a bath, all that’s left is to sleep. Now that we’ve reached this point, I feel like I can finally take a real breath.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been moving since morning on such a dense schedule.

「Yes, but I feel like this is the first time I’ve ever felt such a sense of fulfillment from a school event. Last year, I just did my work half-heartedly and before I knew it, it was over.」

「This is the first time I’ve been this invested in a school event too. But I’m sorry, Sara-san, you must be tired, and yet you even handled dinner…」

I told her that maybe we should just get bentos or eat out today… but Sara-san said she was fine and ended up preparing dinner just like always.

I’m happy about it, but still… you know.

「Fufu… it’s because I’m tired that I did it, you know? Seeing Kazunari-san happy is where I get my energy, after all.」

Squeeze…

Stroke, stroke…

While saying such sweet things, Sara-san tightened her hug a little. She gently stroked my head.

By the way, as for our current position… we’re lying down on the futon, and I’m right in the middle of being doted on by Sara-san for all she’s worth.

Wait, I did ask if there was anything I could do for her since she was probably tired, right?

Then she suddenly pulled me close and pushed me down… I mean, before I knew it, we ended up in this position.

I don’t really mind, though…

「Fufu… being like this makes the day’s fatigue just melt away.」

「…Well, if that’s the case, then that’s good.」

「I am truly satisfied just being like this. Besides, it makes me happy that Kazunari-san is thinking of me.」

In reality, if someone asked me if there was a specific「something」I could do for Sara-san, I’m pathetic enough that I can’t think of anything on the spot.

I can let her act spoiled or things like that…

But in Sara-san’s case, it’s more like… well.

「Kazunari-san?」

「Yes… mph…」

Chu…

Suddenly called by name, I lifted my face from the heaven it was buried in…

Only for my lips to be blocked by Sara-san’s as she suddenly moved in.

「Mnh…」

Chu…

Five seconds… ten seconds… Sara-san didn’t pull away for a long time. The suddenness made my head spin, but only for a second. Even if Sara-san is the one taking the lead as usual, I want to show her that I’m actively accepting it…

So I pressed back against her just a little bit.

「Fufu…」

While kissing, Sara-san let out a tiny, happy sound. She wrapped her arm around my head, fixing my face in place. Now I couldn’t run or avoid her even if I wanted to… in other words, I was completely at her mercy.

「Kazunari-san, once more… ngh.」

Chu…

This time, with her holding my head, our lips pressed together even deeper than before. The sensation… the softness of Sara-san’s lips and everything else made so many emotions well up that I felt like my heart was going to overflow…

Of course, the feeling at the very core was「happiness,」so my honest thought was that I wanted to just stay silent and accept it.

But… well, you know… as a guy, a「certain」alarm was ringing in my head telling me that any more would be dangerous…

In other words, just staying silent and accepting this was starting to get a bit bad… or so it seemed.

「…Kazunari-san.」

「…Sara-san.」

As her lips pulled away, I felt like I could see all sorts of emotions for me in Sara-san’s eyes… which was why I couldn’t look away from her. Staring at each other for this long at such close range would usually be so embarrassing that I’d look away immediately.

But today… right now, more than embarrassment, I felt like I was being sucked into Sara-san’s beautiful eyes…

「…I am sorry, I accidentally…」

「No, I’m happy to be like this with you too, Sara-san.」

「Yes. Kazunari-san, this way…」

Sara-san loosened the arm that was holding my head and, just like before, guided my face to her chest. I didn’t resist, and instead buried my face「there」in a way that was almost a hug.

Haa… being like this really puts me at ease… it really does.

「Fufu… Kazunari-san is such a good boy.」

Stroke, stroke…

She must have been certain that I’d entered full spoiled mode, because happiness started to overflow from Sara-san’s voice. I know this already, but Sara-san really does seem happier when I’m the one acting spoiled…

「Tomorrow will be busy too, so shall we sleep like this for tonight?」

「Yeah…」

I figured that was her plan from the start… but I didn’t mind. Even though it’s an everyday thing, this time I spend acting spoiled with Sara-san until I get sleepy is an irreplaceable, happy, and blissful time for me.

Beep…

Sara-san turned off the light with the remote by the pillow and lifted the futon with one hand. It was a task that would be easier if she let go of me, but even so, she didn’t let go for a second… of course, it’d be uncool to point that out, so I didn’t plan on saying anything.

「Fufu… it’s warm, isn’t it?」

「I could say the same about you, Sara-san.」

As we head into winter, it’s starting to feel a bit chilly at night, even if the days are okay.

Since the two of us sleep stuck together, one comforter is enough for now. But in a little while, we’ll probably need to bring out the winter ones.

「Kazunari-san… thank you for the cat plushie.」

「No, I’m just glad you liked it. But if we’re going that far, we should bring the other plushies too…」

The cat plushie that joined our group today is currently sitting on the vanity Sara-san usually uses.

But for my part, I think we might as well bring all the other plushies left at the Satsukawa house… though Sara-san said they’d get in the way.

「I believe the day will come when I can welcome those little ones back… so for now, I’ve left them in charge of watching the house.」

「…You’re right, I’ll work hard too.」

When I said I’d work hard, I didn’t actually have a specific plan for what to work on. But the words just slipped out, or rather, I instinctively felt that handling it was my job.

「Yes… let’s work hard together.」

「Yeah, together… both of us…」

Stroke, stroke.

Sara-san didn’t touch on exactly what we’d be working on… but I felt like it was something related to our future.

「Come to think of it, Tachikawa-san said you used to use a big plushie as a body pillow…」

「Yes. To be honest, there were times when I’d sleep with one as a body pillow when I was at home.」

「I knew it. You had a few big ones by your pillow on the bed, didn’t you?」

「Yes, those little ones were especially comfortable to hold…」

In other words, the ones there were the chosen elite. But imagining Sara-san sleeping while hugging a plushie… it’s so cute I might just lose it. That might be a bit too much moe-power…

「However, I no longer have any need for a body pillow…」

Squeeze…

Smoosh…

Sara-san’s right hand tightened its hold on my head. Along with that, my face was pushed even deeper into the layers of heaven.

And her left arm pressed against my back, pulling me into an even closer position…

「Fufu… Kazunari-san is like a heaven to hold♪」

「…I’m happy too.」

I’m the one who’s in heaven here!

…But there’s no way I could say that.

「It’s going to get colder from here… so let’s keep each other warm like this every day.」

「Yeah, it’s warm like this…」

Stroke, stroke…

Wrapped in Sara-san’s endless kindness, my heart pounding at her sweet voice, every day is just so full of happiness…

I’ve heard the phrase「so happy it’s scary,」but I never dreamed the day would come when I’d experience it myself.

「Sara-san…」

It’s not that I actually felt scared, but I just felt like giving her a big hug back. If I do this, Sara-san will be happy and hold me even tighter.

I could definitely feel Sara-san’s warmth, enveloped in happiness… it’s okay, this happiness isn’t a dream.

「Fufu… you really are a spoiled one♪」

「…Is it bad?」

「…No. Please… act spoiled with me more and more… Dear.」

「…Okay.」

Sara-san’s voice was so sweet that my heart started pounding without limit. It was pounding so hard I thought even the neighbors might hear it, let alone Sara-san.

But even though it was pounding this much… strangely enough, I didn’t feel that「something that isn’t good for a man」that I used to feel at first.

Or maybe I was just thinking something romantic, like Sara-san’s endless kindness was wrapping up even「that」as it tried to sprout inside me.

But if that’s the case… I feel like I can act spoiled without any worries…

「♪~♪~」

Then Sara-san started humming a tune that felt gentle, like a lullaby to calm my feelings.

Matching that rhythm, she slowly stroked my head and gave my back a light pat… pat… pat…

It felt so good that my intense heart pounding slowly but surely began to settle down.

「…Kazunari-san… thank you.」

「…Sara-san?」

「This has given me the strength… the courage to get through tomorrow.」

「Um…?」

Tomorrow is an important day for me, for Sara-san’s sake… and to remove even a few of the obstacles between us. But for Sara-san, it’s a day she probably isn’t looking forward to at all.

So I felt like her words meant… she’d been given the energy to get through such a day.

「I am not afraid of anything as long as Kazunari-san is by my side. It’s not that I’m taking today’s tarot results literally, but to grab hold of our happy future…」

「…You’re right. For our future.」

Sara-san’s behavior felt strangely meaningful, and for a second I panicked thinking she’d figured out my plan… but it didn’t seem like that.

Or maybe she was just feeling anxious about the Miss Contest in her own way.

But… just like Sara-san said, even if「future」is an exaggeration, tomorrow is an important day for our school life, and to put an end to even a few of Sara-san’s worries.

That’s exactly why I’m going to cause a massive scene.

Old me would never have even thought of doing something so bold, but current me can say it’s「nothing special.」

For Sara-san’s sake, this much is absolutely nothing at all.

Sara POV

「…Kazunari-san?」

「...zZz… zZz…」

「Fufu… have you fallen asleep…」

Stroke, stroke…

Pat… pat…

While gently stroking Kazunari-san’s head as he sleeps with such an innocent, truly adorable face… I pull him a little closer, carefully so it doesn’t become uncomfortable. Matching the rhythm of my heartbeat, I give his back a pat… pat… pat… to help him sleep soundly.

Kazunari-san falls asleep so quickly when I do this… fufu.

Feeling Kazunari-san’s breath and looking at his cute sleeping face as the day ends. There is nothing more happy than this…

「…Dear.」

This way of calling him was originally something I thought of on the spot to rival my mother. But now, for me, it has become something that carries truly special feelings.

Because… this is originally a word a wife uses for her husband, after all.

However, I am not unaware that calling him that even now makes my feelings quite heavy.

But… when I think of Kazunari-san, my feelings just overflow, and I cannot suppress them, and I cannot stop them.

I love him… I love him… I truly love Kazunari-san so much…

Even if people around us say I am overdoing it, I have no intention of changing how I express my love. If Kazunari-san found it a nuisance, I would be willing to stop immediately…

But as things stand, I know Kazunari-san is happy, and it makes me happy that he accepts me.

If that is the case, then I truly have no reason to hold back.

Besides, Kazunari-san has started walking a path for my… for our future. If that is the case, then I have a duty to support him with all my strength and heal him like this.

…Well, putting it that way might make it sound like I am doing it out of a sense of duty.

But in the end, it is just that I want to do all of it… it is just a valid excuse, so to speak.

Since I personally feel great happiness from this… it is not just killing two birds with one stone, but three or four.

「…Sara… san…」

「Yes… I am right here…」

Squeeze…

When I tightened my hug slightly at Kazunari-san’s sleep talk, he snuggled against me as if acting spoiled… haa… he is truly adorable♪

When I am shown such a cute side of him, it makes me want to kiss him again.

But if I did that, I would wake up a sleeping Kazunari-san… so, I will just give his forehead a gentle

Chu…

Wriggle wriggle.

Maybe the kiss tickled him, because Kazunari-san started fumbling around as if trying to crawl into my chest… fufu, now I am the one being tickled♪

…I am truly happy.

I wish the two of us could just stay like this forever.

But, I must sleep soon as well…

「Tomorrow is finally here, isn’t it…」

Tomorrow is the final day of the School Festival.

And the day of the Miss Contest.

I have not even a shred of friendliness to show to those nobodies, so I do not care what the result is. If a winner is crowned, whether it is that… I forgot her name… her or anyone else, they can do as they please.

Such a thing has no value to me at all.

However… I shall make them pay the price for dragging me onto that stage.

My only regret is that I will cause trouble for Kazunari-san because of it… but I am sure you will forgive me, won’t you?

This is all for the sake of our future school life, and so that the malice of fools does not turn toward Kazunari-san…

I no longer have any need for a convenient reputation like「lonely,」after all.

「Dear…」

With the warmth of Kazunari-san sleeping at my chest and his love, I have nothing to fear. I have no hesitation.

I shall never again show such a pathetic side of myself like I did back then.

For Kazunari-san’s sake… from now on, in the future, no matter what happens.

Stroke, stroke…

「…Mnh…」

「…Good night, Dear.」

Chu…

A final kiss right before sleep, to wrap up the day… being careful not to wake Kazunari-san.

So that is all for today.

Next will be tomorrow… a good morning kiss after waking up… fufu.

Well then, good night… Kazunari-san.

Sweet dreams…

I yearn for you…

I love you from the bottom of my heart… Dear♪