"Then that means you agree, right?"
Shichen tightened his arm and pulled Tokisaki Kurumi into his embrace.
From such a close distance, with his head lowered, he could clearly see her flushed face and couldn't help but smile.
Her thick black hair spilled forward over her bangs, hiding her eyes, but her small delicate nose, soft moist lips, and refined little chin were all clearly visible.
Her skin was so smooth and fine, white as milk.
Under her pajamas, her body was a little stiff—she was obviously nervous.
Shichen didn't care about her nervousness. He pulled her more firmly into his chest, feeling the softness of her body.
Her warmth came through the thin pajamas, and it felt like her temperature was rising.
"Kurumi," Shichen called her name gently.
"Mm…" Kurumi answered through her nose, too embarrassed to look up at him.
Shichen slipped his right hand in under her neck, wrapped his left arm around her waist, and suddenly flipped them over so that she was lying on top of him.
This way, he could see that shy expression on her face even more clearly.
"W–When did—?" Kurumi only felt the world spin, and then realized she was sprawled on top of Shichen. She hurriedly buried her face against his chest.
Amused, Shichen let go of her waist and instead cupped her cheeks, gently lifting her face so she had to look at him.
Her eyes were beautiful—one deep red like a ruby, and the other a golden clock face.
After becoming the Spirit of Time, one of her eyes had turned into a clock, a symbol of time itself.
It didn't ruin her cuteness at all; if anything, it added a strange, fantastical charm.
Shichen really liked it.
Honestly, he'd always thought having heterochromatic eyes himself would be cool—so stylish.
Of course, what men and women find cool are often different things.
"Kurumi, do you care about your eyes?" he asked softly.
"Eh?" Kurumi froze for a second.
Being held like this, with her face in his hands, she'd thought he was going to do something shameless… and instead he dropped a question like that.
Not that she was hoping for anything shameless, of course.
"Shichen… why are you suddenly asking that?" she asked shyly.
"I was wondering if it bothers you. I can fix it if you want," he said.
To him, dealing with a manifested spiritual trait like that wouldn't be difficult.
"So you can even heal this?" Kurumi said in surprise.
"It's not that hard."
"As expected of you…" Kurumi raised a hand and touched her clock eye lightly, a nostalgic look in her expression.
That eye had changed the path of her life, pulled her out of an ordinary world and into something fantastical.
It had let her do what she wanted to do, punish evil, try to save people… and nearly hurt her dearest friend. But it had also led her to meet Shichen.
Without that eye, there would be no "her" as she was now. In a way, she was grateful for it.
"You don't resent it?" Shichen asked, seeing her expression.
"No. It's part of me now," Kurumi said softly.
"Then that's fine. As long as you like it."
"What about you?" Kurumi suddenly countered.
"Me?"
"Mhm… you brought it up out of nowhere. Don't tell me you don't like the way it looks?" she asked.
"How could I not? I think it's beautiful," Shichen said with a shake of his head and a smile.
"Beautiful?" Kurumi blinked in surprise.
"Really beautiful," Shichen said, stroking her cheek, his thumb tracing gently around her eye.
"Mm…" Kurumi's face heated up all over again.
"Kurumi."
Seeing her about to duck her head, Shichen held her face steady and called her name.
"W–What is it?" Kurumi asked, heart pounding.
"I like you," Shichen said, smiling as he said it plainly.
"Eh?" Kurumi blanked, wondering if she'd misheard.
"What did you say?" she asked.
"I said, I like you," Shichen repeated.
"W–Why are you saying that so suddenly…" Kurumi started to fluster, not knowing where to put her hands.
He could practically feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. "I just hadn't told you before," he said, "and suddenly felt like saying it."
"Mm…"
"Do you like me?" Shichen asked.
"I… I…" Kurumi's mind was a mess.
"So Kurumi doesn't like me?" he asked in mock disappointment.
"That's not it!" she blurted immediately.
"Oh?" Shichen looked at her with a teasing smile.
Kurumi felt more and more embarrassed under his gaze. She bit her lip, gathered up her courage, and stammered, "I… I like you too. I like you a lot… a lot."
Once she got the words out, she didn't dare look at him at all. She tried to turn her head away, but his hands on her cheeks kept her facing forward.
"I see. That's great," Shichen said, laughing in genuine delight.
"Mm…"
"Kurumi, can I kiss you?" he suddenly asked.
"W-Why do you have to ask something like that?" Kurumi said, flustered.
"Because I'm afraid you'll say no."
"I already said I like you… how could I refuse," she muttered in a tiny voice.
"Is that so? Then…" Shichen leaned in and slowly pressed his lips to hers.
Kurumi let out a quiet "mm," then shut her eyes tightly like a little lamb accepting her fate.
He savored the softness for a moment, then gently parted her lips, drawing her tongue into his own rhythm.
Kurumi's mind went blissfully blank; she could only let him lead.
It was only her second time kissing, but this felt even more intense. Her heart thumped faster and faster, heat spreading through her body.
She couldn't help wrapping her arms around him, eyes squeezed tight.
When Shichen felt her getting short of breath, he finally let her go, then rolled them so they lay side by side, facing each other.
The previous position had been a bit uncomfortable—hard on his neck and not easy to move.
This was much better.
He leaned closer to murmur in her ear, "Can I touch you a bit?"
"Eh?" Kurumi's eyes flew open, staring at him in panic.
"T-touch what, exactly?" she asked.
"Just like earlier during the day," he said.
"T-that…"
"I'll only touch you a little," Shichen breathed softly into her ear, his warm breath making her shoulders twitch.
Seeing that, he didn't press her for an answer; his hand simply moved, searching on its own.
"Mm!"
Within a heartbeat, Kurumi gasped softly, her heart skipping a beat.
"It's okay. Relax," Shichen whispered at her ear, his fingers starting to move in a slow, measured rhythm.
Kurumi was beyond words now, her breathing turning shallow and quick.
Why was he… so good at this?
Shichen was no amateur, of course. And the material of her pajamas was almost too thin, making it easy to feel everything.
Still, it wasn't quite as good as having nothing in the way at all.
Kurumi's sleep shirt was buttoned down the front, and the buttons weren't exactly sturdy. While his fingers played, he easily undid the top two.
She hadn't noticed yet—until she suddenly felt his hand against bare skin where there definitely hadn't been bare skin before.
"Shichen?!" Kurumi snapped her eyes open, her whole face blazing.
"I'm not going to do anything else, I'll just leave my hand here," he said quickly.
It didn't feel like "just leaving it," but she couldn't bring herself to push him away.
The room fell quiet for a while.
Eventually, Shichen couldn't hold back and let his fingers move again.
"…," Kurumi bit her lip, just as she'd expected.
"Are you okay?" Shichen asked cheerfully, as if he weren't doing anything outrageous.
Kurumi glared at him, face scarlet. She made a silent decision that she would never again take his words at face value.
They were all lies!
He lulled her into dropping her guard, then broke the agreement—it really was impossible to see it coming.
Who knew how many girls had been tricked by exactly this?
"I feel like your pajama top might get damaged," Shichen murmured. "Let me take it off for you."
"…" Kurumi opened her mouth, wanting to refuse.
There was no way she believed he was actually worried about the shirt—he obviously just wanted easier access.
But somehow, she couldn't say no.
And so, Kurumi's pajama top was removed in a few easy motions.
With nothing underneath, the dim room instantly seemed washed in pale moonlight, everything taking on a soft glow.
Shichen leaned toward her ear again, his breath warm as he asked, "Think I could… rinse my face a little?"
"R-rinse… your face?" Kurumi shrank her neck down, staring at him in confusion.
"That counts as a yes," he said.
"Wh—wait!" she squeaked, as Shichen rolled over her and lowered his head.
This definitely wasn't any kind of normal "face wash"…
"I'm just using a little 'cleansing foam,' that's all," came his muffled, joking explanation.
"…"
Kurumi felt like her heart had been squeezed tight. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.
Did he ever run out of lines like that?
Her thoughts tangled into a mess as she tried to distract herself—anything to stop her mind from focusing on what he was doing.
But her body wasn't listening to her at all. Instead, her arms circled around his head, holding him close, almost on instinct.
It was the only way she could catch her breath.
The room fell completely silent again; the world narrowed to the warmth of the bed, the faint sounds of breathing, and the wild fluttering of hearts.
At some point, Shichen's throat went dry and his lips felt parched. A different kind of craving rose in his chest.
He shifted lower.
"W-wait, that's—!"