Night. Inside Utaha's apartment.
Splash splash—!
38°C hot water poured from the wall-mounted showerhead.
Miyahito, with only a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, sat obediently on the small bathroom stool, letting the hot water cascade from head to toe.
At this moment, instead of relaxing, Miyahito looked inexplicably tense and fidgety. His hands, resting properly on his thighs, were slightly clenched.
Utaha's... bathroom...
Sneaking a glance at the body wash and shampoo by his feet, Miyahito couldn't control his thoughts. Unconsciously, he started imagining... a certain beautifully proportioned light novel author taking her daily shower...
Smack!
He slapped both his cheeks hard, covering his face tightly. Through gritted teeth, he sternly warned himself.
"Stop imagining things! Stop it! Stop it!"
However, even as he warned his brain against picturing inappropriate scenes.
The more he mentally emphasized don't imagine it... the more vivid, pulse-quickening, R-rated scenes flooded his mind.
N-no... I can't keep showering in hot water!
Fighting the hot water streaming down his face, Miyahito 'struggled' to open his eyes and quickly reached for the shower knob.
In one swift motion, he turned the 38°C water down to cold.
"Hiss!!" The sudden temperature drop made Miyahito, accustomed to the heat, gasp sharply... and accidentally inhale some cold water into his mouth.
Ice cold! So freezing!
But indeed, if you want to calm down an overexcited mind, nothing works better than a cold shower.
Pressing his outstretched palm slowly against the bathroom wall, head bowed and breathing slightly through his parted lips, Miyahito tried hard to expel all the "colorful" thoughts from his head.
Just then.
The washroom, connected to the shower and separated only by a thin frosted glass door, was pushed open from the outside.
Before Miyahito, who was still struggling to suppress his urges, could react.
"Miyahito! I put your pajamas on the shelf."
"And I left your underwear outside too~~"
"!"
Utaha! When did you buy my intimate apparel?!
With a hint of panic in his eyes, Miyahito's mouth fell slightly open as he stared blankly at the blurred silhouette on the frosted glass.
Meanwhile, standing in the washroom with arms crossed and an amused expression, Utaha watched with playful interest at the completely frozen silhouette of Miyahito pressed against the glass.
Hehe~~ Foolish now, Miyahito.
Let's see if you can still use "I don't have spare clothes" as an excuse to go home and sleep.
Dame yo, anata. (No way, darling.)
Don't even think about going home tonight~~
"Oh, right. I ordered sushi and pizza for dinner tonight. Don't take too long."
Finishing her words, Utaha turned elegantly, her smile a mix of cunning and triumph, and pushed the door open, leaving the washroom.
As for a certain popular singer still using cold water to cool his brain...
"Mou, looks like I'm really staying over at Utaha's place tonight."
Miyahito shook his head, a mix of amusement and helplessness.
Well, she even bought me underwear. Where's my excuse to not stay over now?
"Alright, alright. I'll stay." Accepting reality with a sigh, Miyahito applied shampoo to his head, rubbing his hair while thinking.
Thinking about it, usually Utaha is the one staying over at my place. Every time I come here, I just eat, clean up, and head home.
Sigh... At least my place is a two-story detached house. Utaha's is just a 1DK studio apartment. Ahhh, looks like I won't be sleeping tonight....
(Don't get the wrong idea. "Not sleeping" here doesn't mean that kind of "not sleeping".)
...About ten minutes later.
Click—!
"Finished showering?"
"Yeah." Wearing the cyan pajamas Utaha had personally bought for him, feeling the surprisingly perfect fit of the intimate clothing, Miyahito looked slightly embarrassed.
Good lord, when did Utaha figure out my size? It fits perfectly.....
Shoving the upcoming, imagination-sparking scenes out of his head, Miyahito, with a large blue towel draped over his wet hair, kept a slightly stiff expression. He walked over to Utaha, who was smiling brightly, and plopped down on the empty space beside her.
"Oh my, why did you come out without drying your hair?" Utaha lightly chided him, her lips carrying a lingering smile. She stood up, took the towel from his head, and sat on the mattress behind him.
Gently, with tender movements, she began wiping his still-damp hair with the towel.
"If you don't dry your hair properly, you'll get headaches when you're an old man."
"That's a myth, Utaha." Miyahito shrugged casually. "Just wiping it with a towel is fine. Besides, I'm not going to sleep right away."
"Usually, we just sit on the engawa, enjoy the breeze, and look at the yard, right?"
Hearing this, a warm memory surfaced for Utaha. Her lips curved into a soft smile, and her hands moved even more gently.
"Yes, yes, yes. We'll sit like an old married couple, holding cups of hot tea, watching the stars in silence."
"Mou, I'm only 16. Why does dating you feel like we've been married for years?"
"Isn't that a good thing?" Miyahito chuckled. "I think it's proof that our compatibility is really high."
Hearing this, Utaha pouted slightly, sounding mildly dissatisfied.
"It's not good."
"Eh? Why not?"
"Because we're still lovers, not married yet!" Utaha's wine-red eyes seemed to laugh as she playfully chided. "My Mr. Miyahito hasn't filled out the paperwork yet, so I don't want to jump into married life prematurely."
"Then I'll write a letter to the Prime Minister later."
Miyahito's eyes also crinkled in amusement as he feigned a carefree tone.
"Ask if they can lower the legal marriage age for boys to 16. Sigh, it's really unfair."
"Girls can apply to marry at 16, but boys have to wait until 18. I still have to guard you fiercely for two more years before I can officially bring you home."
Listening to his resigned tone, Utaha, who had been sitting on the bed drying his hair, burst into a soft, snickering laugh.
Then, laughing so hard she couldn't sit still, she naturally leaned forward, resting her entire weight against his solid back. She buried her face in his neck, continuing to giggle.
Already accustomed to the feeling of Utaha's generous curves against him, Miyahito calmly suppressed his heartbeat, waiting with a helpless expression for her to finish laughing.
"Hehe, my dear Mr. Miyahito, do your best!" Her eyes sparkling with joy, Utaha extended her right index finger, gently poking his cheek while her tone turned slightly doting.
"Two more years. You absolutely must keep a close eye on me, and don't make me angry."
"Otherwise~~ hehe~~"
Hearing her playful warning, Miyahito lowered his head to think for a moment, then turned back with a completely serious and firm expression.
"How about we use the names Miyani and Kasumi Utako to launch a public appeal, urging the government to lower the marriage age for boys?"
Looking at Mr. Miyahito, who looked utterly serious and completely devoid of any joking intent.
My dear Ms. Utaha froze for a few seconds, then couldn't help but laugh, opening her arms and clumsily throwing herself into his embrace.
"Hehe.. Miyahito... hehehe..."
「Mou, atashi no kareshi ga konna ni kawaii wake ga nai.」
(Seriously, there's no way my boyfriend is this cute.)