"W-what's wrong? Is something not right?"
Sayaka grew nervous under his intense gaze.
"No, everything is perfect. You look stunning with your hair down, Sayaka."
"R-really? I'm used to tying it up for kendo practice, so it's become a habit over time..."
She grabbed a lock of her hair to examine it, then picked up a towel to dry it.
Though she appeared calm, her slender voice carried a hint of unease and tension.
However, midway through drying her hair, Sayaka's movements paused subtly. She tilted her face slightly away, as if deliberately preventing Mahiro from seeing her expression.
Her cherry-colored lips parted slightly as she whispered, "...Mahiro-kun, could you help me dry my hair?"
"Of course!"
...
The hair dryer hummed as warm air blew out continuously.
Standing behind Sayaka, Mahiro held the dryer in one hand while gently lifting her gorgeous black tresses with the other, carefully drying them strand by strand.
It had to be said—Sayaka's hair was truly exquisite, smooth yet soft, thick yet fine.
But aside from her hair, something else was drawing his attention.
Since they were both wearing yukata, from his angle, he could just catch a glimpse of the deep valley between her—
Like a proud winter plum standing tall in the cold.
Watching the glistening droplets from her damp hair trickle down her delicate collarbone and slip inside...
Hiss—
He secretly drew in a sharp breath to steady himself.
Sayaka remained silent the entire time, her expression unreadable, creating an intensely ambiguous atmosphere between them.
Until Sayaka took the first step—
She leaned back slightly, as if falling into his embrace.
Mahiro paused, then understood.
Setting the hair dryer aside, he wrapped his arms around Sayaka, pulling her fully into his embrace.
Thanks to her rigorous training, Sayaka's figure could be considered top-tier for her age in every sense. The elasticity evident everywhere exuded a vitality and softness synonymous with health—an absolute delight to behold.
Of course, this was also his first time being this close to a girl.
Breathing in the scent of shower gel from Sayaka and feeling the soft warmth of her in his arms, Mahiro couldn't help but squint his eyes in contentment, letting out a long, relaxed sigh.
At the same time, he noticed that Sayaka was also nervous.
She was trying to steady her breathing, slowly calming herself down as her body gradually relaxed, nestling completely into his broad embrace.
Hearing that sigh of contentment, her mood instantly brightened.
This change, brought about by her, filled her with an emotion she couldn't quite name—whether it was happiness or reassurance. But thanks to it, her nervousness eased slightly.
She tilted her head slightly, listening to the steady thump-thump of his heartbeat resonating from his sturdy chest.
Just like Mahiro, she had never been this close to a boy before.
Perhaps only her father had held her like this, but Mahiro's embrace was different—even more so than when they were in the infirmary last time.
It made her feel safe, yet at the same time, stirred an inexplicable flutter in her heart.
Until the owner of this embrace suddenly spoke.
"Hey, Sayaka… isn't this kind of like you tempting me? Aren't you worried I might take advantage of you?"
Though it was just a simple joke, the words made Sayaka's body stiffen abruptly.
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she remained silent, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her yukata, her face flushed in an unusual way.
The silence stretched on for so long that her hair seemed to dry naturally in the air before she finally replied in a soft voice—
"If it's Mahiro-kun… then… it's okay if you take advantage of me."
Such a simple sentence, spoken in that shy tone, was enough to awaken the most primal madness in a person.
And Mahiro was no exception.
...
...
By the time he regained his senses, it was already past midnight.
His mind still echoed with the image of Sayaka, her cheeks flushed, biting her lip lightly.
Now, the girl lay curled up in his arms, fast asleep, her head resting on his arm.
Her nose twitched slightly.
Her shoulder-length hair, as soft as willow silk, cascaded like an inky stream, looking both enchanting and mesmerizing.
The dim bedside lamp cast a warm, orange glow over her, tracing the gentle curves of her body and making her skin appear as smooth as jade, glowing softly.
As if afraid of the cold, her shoulders curled slightly inward.
The blush on her delicate face made her look as beautiful as a peony blooming at dawn, adorned with morning dew.
"Mmm…"
Then, with a soft murmur, Mahiro suddenly felt the girl in his arms stir. Her closed eyes slowly fluttered open, her drowsy gaze meeting his.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Mm… no. Mahiro-kun, aren't you asleep yet?"
After a long silence, Sayaka finally responded in a low voice.
Her voice sounded slightly dry and muffled, as if she were a little parched.
"I'm not really sleepy."
"I see… actually, me too."
Though she had dozed off for a while, her body still felt exhausted, yet her mind was unusually awake.
As if instinctively seeking warmth, she curled up slightly, nestling closer and resting her head against his chest, listening to the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Mahiro naturally noticed Sayaka's little gesture, and he gently raised his hand to rest on her shoulder, his fingertips clearly sensing the smooth, creamy texture of her skin.
"Since neither of us wants to sleep, how about we chat for a while?"
"...Mmm, okay."
Sayaka gave a slight nod.
However, though they wanted to talk, neither could think of a good topic right away.
The two of them remained silent in the darkness.
Until, after a while, Mahiro was the first to speak.
"By the way... do you have any regrets?"
The sudden question made Sayaka's delicate body tremble slightly.
It was an unexpected tension, but soon her stiffened form relaxed again.
Because Mahiro hadn't finished speaking.
"I think you should know about my identity. I mentioned it at the banquet before—I'm an Adjusted-type magician from the Yotsuba family. You must know what the biggest drawback of adjusted individuals is, right?"
Lifespan.
All adjusted individuals face the same issue—their lifespan.
He and Miyuki hadn't shown such a drawback yet, but Sakurai Honami, another adjusted individual, had already met an early end due to overuse of magic.
And the same was true for Kudou Minoru, the grandson of Kudou Retsu from the Kudou family.
Because he was an adjusted individual, his magical power was incredibly strong, but he was frail and sickly, confined to his bed for years.
Mahiro didn't know if he would end up like that in the future.
But after a long silence, Sayaka spoke softly.
"...I know."
"Though I don't understand much about adjusted-type magicians... I only know one thing—that you, Mahiro-kun, saved me."
It was like reaching out from a pitch-black quagmire, unable to speak, only silently praying and pleading.
Yet, no one paid her any attention, leaving her to watch helplessly as she sank deeper into the abyss.
At that moment, Mahiro-kun appeared, firmly grasping her hand and pulling her out of that mire.
"After everything you've done for me, Mahiro-kun, I've already fallen deeply in love with you—irrevocably, helplessly in love."
Helping her reclaim her true self, standing up for her, even single-handedly wiping out a terrorist organization to spare her from legal consequences.
Thinking of this, the girl couldn't help but bury her face in his chest, murmuring in a muffled voice:
"So, from that moment on, I made up my mind. I may not be as outstanding as President Saegusa or as beautiful as Shiba-kouhai, but as long as you need me, Mahiro-kun, I'll always stay by your side."
Though her voice was soft, it lingered in the quiet room like a gentle echo.
Though the room was too dark to see her face, Mahiro could almost feel the intensity of her gaze, shimmering with emotion.
And then there were her words.
Mahiro didn't know how others might react to them, but at this moment, he felt a stirring in his heart.
It reignited his madness.
With Sayaka's startled gasp, Mahiro embraced her once more.
...
This night was destined to be restless.
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