Chapter 79: Morning Chuun and Shutter Sounds |
I was dozing off in deep tranquility.
There was something by my side, and it exuded a soft and comforting warmth.
Surrounded by a sweet scent that melted my instincts, there was nothing but blissful rest.
– Shutter sounds –
As if cuddling up to a mother cat, I indulged in the most peaceful sleep. My whole body was enveloped in immense relief, and everything felt satisfying.
Kacha, Kacha, Kacha!
…But what is this noisy sound?
“Uhh…?”
Due to the annoying noise, I woke up from my blissful slumber. Opening my eyes, I saw a ceiling that didn’t belong to my room, with the dazzling morning sunlight pouring in through the window.
While the chirping of sparrows sounded pleasant, the continuous mechanical noise drowned it out.
“What is that noise… and Kanako…?”
I turned my drowsy gaze towards the direction of the sound and saw my sister, wearing a T-shirt and denim pants. However, something seemed off.
She had a slightly flushed face, and with a wide grin, she excitedly exclaimed, “Woohoo…!” while aiming her flip phone towards me and taking photos at a furious pace. It seemed that the rattling sound was the shutter of the camera.
“Uhh… What are you doing?”
“Oh, looks like you’re awake. Good morning, big brother!”
Still in a half-asleep state, my mind not fully functioning, I addressed her. Why is she so hyper in the morning?
“Hehehe, what am I doing? Obviously, taking pictures! I can’t miss capturing such an exciting and rare scene!”
“Huh…? What rare scene…? Wait a minute…”
As my foggy mind gradually cleared, I suddenly noticed a warm sensation against my chest. It wasn’t just warm; it was soft and silky, and there was a sweet fragrance.
Finally, I realized our current situation.
Shijouin-san was leaning against me, peacefully breathing in her sleep. We had been sharing a towel blanket and sleeping side by side all this time.
“Wha- What is this!? Why is Shijouin-san sleeping next to me!?”
Could it be that we’ve been like this the entire night!?
I tried to move away from the sleeping Shijouin-san, but she had her head resting on my chest, making it impossible to budge. The intense heat and weight of the girl pressed against me made my heart race at full throttle from the early morning.
“But… Wow… Shijouin-san’s sleeping face is incredibly cute…”
No matter how flustered I was, my love-stricken brain couldn’t help but be captivated by her. The sight of the beautiful Yamato Nadeshiko peacefully sleeping stole my gaze.
“Hehehe… It was fun last night, wasn’t it?”
“What?! There’s no way anything happened!”
“Huh…? Is Haruka-chan awake?”
“Ah, I see. Haruka-chan, you’re still dreaming, right?”
“What?”
Um… Shijouin-san? Are you still half-asleep?
“Oh? Haruka-chan is awake?”
“Oh, good morning, Shijouin-san! Um… This situation isn’t because of any improper intentions on my part…!”
“…Niihamakun… slept in my room… Ah, I see, it must still be a dream…”
“Huh?”
Wait, Shijouin-san? Are you still half-asleep?
“Oh… Haruka-chan woke up?”
“Ah, that’s right… I was a little surprised when I woke up without Kanako-chan… Oh, I see, it’s still a dream…”
“Huh?”
It seems that Shijouin-san is still half-asleep and unaware of the situation.
“Uh… Can you please wake up, Shijouin-san…?”
“Hehehe… Even though you’re a boy, you’re not rough at all… You’re smooth and squishy…”
I desperately wanted to shout that it was her fingers that were smooth and squishy. They were so silky and smooth, it felt oddly pleasant…
“…Huh…? But… In my dream… I didn’t know… anything…?”
Shijouin-san, who seemed absent-minded, suddenly stopped moving as if realizing her surroundings.
Her unfocused eyes gradually regained clarity, and she stared at her own hand, which was pinching both of my cheeks. Her beautiful face instantly turned bright red.
“A-Ahh…!? I-I’m… I-I’m so sorry…! I… I completely slept-talked! I… I was sleepwalking!”
“Ah, well, if you’re awake, then that’s fine…”
With Shijouin blushing and pulling away, I finally regained my freedom.
Although I outwardly responded calmly with adult rationality, internally I was still in disarray from the shared sleep with Shijouin and the squishy cheeks in the morning.
“By the way… why were the two of us sleeping on the sofa…? I remember we were drinking tea and chatting together yesterday…”
Even if I fell asleep, why didn’t Shijouin go back to Kanako’s room to sleep?
“Well, after chatting for a while, both I and Niihama-kun started dozing off at the same time… I was so sleepy that I said, ‘I’m sorry… I’m too sleepy, I can’t go on anymore,’ and then Niihama-kun said half-asleep, ‘I see… then we can just sleep here…’ So we stayed like that…”
Even though it might be because of sleepiness, did I really say something like that?! Just by hearing those words, it sounds like an invitation to bed!
“I, um, apparently I ended up leaning on Niihama-kun all night… Wasn’t it too heavy? And even though the air conditioning was on, wasn’t it suffocating to be so close…?”
Normally, it would be a situation where I should scream upon waking up to find myself sleeping together, but Shijouin timidly asked if it wasn’t a bother.
And of course, being in close proximity to an angel was not a bother to me, but rather a heavenly experience.
“No, it wasn’t a bother at all… But I’m sorry too. I mean, even though we were both sleepy, as a guy, I shouldn’t have slept beside…”
I’m confident that I’ve become quite close with Shijouin, but this is a different matter.
From a gentleman’s perspective, I should have stayed awake and returned Shijouin to Kanako’s room before going to sleep.
“Oh, no, it’s okay. I didn’t find it uncomfortable at all, really.”
“I-Is that so?”
Shijouin, sitting next to me, said nonchalantly as if there wasn’t anything unpleasant.
“Yes, of course, I admit it was a little inappropriate, and it’s a bit embarrassing to see each other’s faces like this in the morning…”
Blushing slightly, Shijouin spoke with a shy voice.
The following words she spoke seemed to indicate that, despite her usually ethereal demeanor, she had to endure some embarrassment.
“But, it’s you, Niihama-kun.”
“Huh…?”
“You’re my closest friend and a very reliable boy. That’s why there’s nothing unpleasant about it. In fact, I felt incredibly safe and slept very comfortably!”
I was left speechless by Shijouin’s words, spoken with a smile that was angelic in itself.
Those words went beyond simply saying it was okay because we were friends.
She acknowledged that it was “a little inappropriate” to have fallen asleep together, but she sincerely expressed that she felt “incredibly safe and slept very comfortably.”
That… although aware of my male attributes, it sounded like she was saying that we were close enough to include that as well.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to mention the most important thing, even though it’s such a precious morning!”
Whether she knew or didn’t know about my inner thoughts, Shijouin turned towards me on the same sofa.
“Good morning, Niihama-kun!”
Shijouin’s smile was as radiant as the morning sun in summer, and I heard the best “good morning” I’ve ever heard in my life.
“Ah… Good morning, Shijouin-san.”
In celebration of the morning welcomed together with the person I love, I returned the greeting with a smile to the best of my ability. Under the refreshing air of a sunny sky that made last night’s heavy rain seem like a lie, we shared a serene and harmonious atmosphere, laughing together.
By the way, Kanako later sent me a photo titled “Morning Snuggle♪” that was too straightforward, so I made sure to tell her not to let anyone else see it! And in secret, I saved the photo that captured Shijouin’s sleeping face.
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