[Ding~]
[CG67: Surging (Honami Ichinose)]
[Shall we speed things up from here?]
[Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Skill Card: Depravity (draws out the darkness buried deep in a person's heart and amplifies it)]
Morning light slipped through the gap in the curtains, scattering thin bright lines across the room. Honami Ichinose opened her eyes slowly, those deep blue eyes still hazy and unfocused with sleep.
She shifted a little, meaning to sit up.
And right then, Honami Ichinose felt something pinned against her chest, something impossible to ignore.
It was Shikime Natsu's arm. Was her sleeping posture really that terrible? She'd trapped his arm without meaning to.
The warmth of it came through with perfect clarity, and Honami Ichinose's face went hot all over again — especially since the smallest movement let her feel Shikime Natsu's touch.
Because of the way it was wedged there, his hand hung straight down, which meant it reached exactly that place.
The sensation was a soft, tingling numbness, like a current racing through every inch of her.
Her body felt like it might melt. Color spread from her cheeks all the way to her small earlobes, and her pale neck took on a tempting pink sheen.
Honami Ichinose didn't dare move carelessly now. If she did, her own feelings might get stirred up again — and by her own doing, no less. That wouldn't do at all. How could she do something like that alone?
It was around then that Honami Ichinose noticed Mako Amikura's side of the bed. She'd thought her own sleeping posture was bad enough, but there was someone far worse.
Mako Amikura had wrapped herself around Shikime Natsu like an octopus, clinging with everything she had.
Her arms circled his waist, her legs were tangled with his, and she'd practically hung her whole body off him.
There was a satisfied little smile on her delicate face. She looked like she was sleeping very sweetly indeed.
And it was then that Honami Ichinose's gaze settled on Shikime Natsu's sleeping face. So calm. And so handsome, too.
Asleep, Shikime Natsu gave her a feeling that was somehow special — just watching him sleep left her strangely content.
As for the situation at her chest, she chose not to squirm anymore. Squirming would only make things worse. Besides, what she'd had pinned against her last night had been far more embarrassing than an arm.
Thinking back to last night's madness still left her head swimming. She was usually so reserved — how had she done those things?
It wasn't like her at all.
While Honami Ichinose was still lost in her wandering thoughts, Shikime Natsu's pale gold eyes opened, meeting hers directly.
A moment ago he'd seemed sound asleep, yet there wasn't a trace of drowsiness in those eyes. He looked entirely, perfectly awake.
He simply watched her in silence — her flushed face, her deep blue eyes darting around in a fluster, her faintly trembling lashes.
Then a gentle smile touched his lips.
"Good morning, Honami."
His voice sounded like music from another world, and it landed in her ears with real weight, leaving her calm and unsteady at the same time.
Except… their current state was a little improper. Neither of them had bothered changing into pajamas after what they'd done last night. Still, she answered him with a touch of shyness.
"G-good morning… Natsu…"
Watching her nervousness, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.
Then he shifted slightly and drew the trapped arm out. She felt the pressure disappear — and what followed wasn't relief but an odd, nameless emptiness.
Only moments ago she'd been panicking over what to do, and now that the problem was gone she found herself missing it.
Calm down, Honami Ichinose. You're not that kind of lewd girl. Although — if Shikime Natsu liked that sort of thing, she could become one.
When her eyes met his again, a fresh wave of bashfulness rose in her, and she looked away in the most unnatural manner possible.
Whenever she held his gaze, she felt like he could see straight through her, and when she accidentally recalled the events of last night, the flutter in her chest only grew stronger.
Even now it felt unbelievable. Only a day ago, she'd been someone who knew nothing at all.
Or rather, a girl with theoretical knowledge and no practical experience.
And now? Now she had the practical experience too.
For Honami Ichinose, that was an enormous change.
And… she'd done it together with Mako Amikura.
The thought passed through her, and something complicated flickered in those deep blue eyes.
But she had no regrets.
Because she'd given the most precious thing she had to Shikime Natsu.
To the person she loved most, cared about most, wanted to spend her whole life with.
Apart from Shikime Natsu, she couldn't imagine ever falling for anyone else.
He was special to her.
The kind of special she couldn't forget if she spent an entire lifetime trying.
Thinking that, her lips curved into a sweet little arc.
Then something else occurred to her, and confusion flickered through those deep blue eyes. By all rights, after doing something like that, she should be in pain.
After all… it had been her first time.
Yet aside from a faint soreness, she felt no discomfort whatsoever.
In fact… her body felt better than it had yesterday.
Lighter all over, her spirits clearer too.
The feeling was… as if her body had been strengthened by something.
Was this another one of Shikime Natsu's mysterious abilities?
The thought turned over in her mind, and those deep blue eyes filled with speculation.
There were more and more things about Shikime Natsu that she couldn't make sense of.
As she thought it, her gaze drifted back to him without her deciding to.
He was leaning against the headboard, those pale gold eyes on the morning light beyond the window, a faint smile on his lips.
That profile, that outline, that presence… the longer she looked, the faster her heart went.
It was around then that Mako Amikura opened her eyes as well.
Those bright eyes were still clouded with sleep.
She stirred a little, then noticed Shikime Natsu, and noticed Honami Ichinose too.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"Good morning, Natsu. Honami-chan."
There was a lazy note in her voice, and a satisfied one.
"Good morning, Mako," Shikime Natsu said, amusement threading through the words.
"Mako-chan, good morning…" Honami Ichinose's voice still carried a trace of shyness.
Mako Amikura sat up and stretched, her long purple hair swaying gently in the morning light.
Then she turned to look at Honami Ichinose, a sly glint in those bright eyes.
"Honami-chan, how'd you sleep last night?"
At the question, color rose in Honami Ichinose's delicate face all over again.
"P-pretty well…"
Her voice was tight with nerves.
Watching her squirm, Mako Amikura's smile widened.
She didn't press further. She just got up, entirely unbothered by the state she was in — after what had happened last night there was hardly any point in being bothered — and headed for the washroom.
"I'll wash up first," she called, a bounce in her voice.
Soon the sound of running water came from inside.
Honami Ichinose, meanwhile, pulled on that oversized boyfriend T-shirt. It hadn't been on her for very long at all, and it did nothing to cover her long, softly rounded legs.
She went into the washroom as well. Shikime Natsu's room turned out to be well stocked with disposable supplies — toothbrushes, cups, all of it brand new. She took a set and started getting ready.
"Honami, Mako, here are your clothes."
Shikime Natsu set two sets of clean uniforms in front of them. Well… along with the uniforms, their underthings were there too, without so much as a mark on them.
As if everything had been laundered with the press of a single button.
"Mm, thanks, Natsu." Mako Amikura nodded with a smile and changed quickly.
"Thank you, Natsu."
Beside her, Honami Ichinose put on her uniform as well. As she did, she caught a faint clean fragrance clinging to it — Shikime Natsu's scent. It smelled wonderful.
While she was still quietly savoring it, Shikime Natsu had breakfast ready. His cooking was as delicious as ever.
Once he'd finished washing up, the three of them left his dorm together — a completely new experience for Honami Ichinose.
Shikime Natsu walked in the middle, Mako Amikura on his left, Honami Ichinose on his right.
Mako Amikura hooked her arm through his left one, the motion so natural it might have been done a thousand times before.
Honami Ichinose watched her do it and hesitated.
Then she reached out too, and lightly took hold of his right arm.
She was his girlfriend now as well, after all. So she had every right to hold his arm like this, didn't she?
It was a slightly bold move on her part — walking arm in arm with him made it very easy for people to notice. Then again, that was one way of announcing exactly what she was to him.
The thought lifted her mood considerably.
And so the three of them headed for the elevator, stepped inside, and waited as it descended to the first floor. And right then — whether by coincidence or not — the same people met in the same place.
A figure appeared in front of them: a girl with long silver hair and purple eyes, composed and elegant in every line of her delicate face.
It was Sakayanagi Arisu. She had been in a fine mood, right up until her gaze landed on the three of them, at which point she froze completely.
Something complicated flickered through those purple eyes. Why did this scene feel so familiar, as though it had happened just yesterday?
Then, like a fog lifting, she remembered. Yesterday morning she had been the one holding Shikime Natsu's arm when they ran into Mako Amikura and Honami Ichinose.
Yesterday morning she'd deliberately staked her claim, arm hooked through his, greeting the two of them.
And today?
Today the ones holding Shikime Natsu's arms were Mako Amikura and Honami Ichinose.
One on each side, no less, looking thoroughly happy about it.
Just then Mako Amikura's voice broke the silence.
"Good morning, Sakayanagi-san." There was laughter in her tone, and an easy naturalness.
Honami Ichinose hurried to greet her as well, nerves audible in her voice. "Good morning, Sakayanagi-san…"
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze settled on Honami Ichinose.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
She remembered… yesterday morning, Honami Ichinose had not been Shikime Natsu's girlfriend.
Yesterday morning, the way Honami Ichinose had looked at him had been that complicated look, all envy and quiet disappointment.
And today?
Today Honami Ichinose was holding his arm with a sweet smile on her face.
That change… wasn't it far too fast?
The thought ran through Sakayanagi Arisu's mind, and something complicated flickered in those purple eyes.
So Honami Ichinose was a cat sneaking a taste of the fish after all. Sakayanagi Arisu had assumed that, with a personality like hers, doing something as improper as what she herself had done would be all but impossible. It seemed she'd underestimated Honami Ichinose. The girl was stronger than she'd imagined.
Sakayanagi Arisu merely inclined her head slightly and answered in a soft voice.
"Good morning, Amikura-san, Ichinose-san."
"And… Natsu."
____
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