Interlude: A Visit to the Hino Estate, Part 3

Interlude:
A Visit to the Hino Estate
Part 3

N AGAFUJI WAS FLOATING in the bathwater, her limbs spread in every direction, naked as the day she was born. Lying on her back, the highest point on her body was her chest. You’d think it’d be her nose, like a normal person, but no. Damn you, Nagafuji.

“Must be nice to have a huge bathtub!”

“One of the perks of being rich,” I replied absently as I shampooed my hair.

Admittedly, the tub at Nagafuji’s house was a relic from the era in which the house was built—which is to say, eons ago—and it was so small, you couldn’t even stretch your legs out all the way. The two of us fit inside it just fine when we were kids, but these days it would be impossible. Mostly because of Nagafuji.

“Ah , I’m so happy!”

To express her joy, she kicked her feet in the water. The momentum sent her sailing all the way to the side of the tub, where she hit her head and sank like a rock. She was acting like a kid at a ryokan, and I was terrified she was going to try to make this a regular occurrence.

After our bath, we sat on the edge of the porch to cool down. That said, I couldn’t exactly “cool down” with Nagafuji pressed right up against me…and yet I couldn’t bring myself to scoot away, either.

“Ooh, look at the sky,” Nagafuji murmured, slack-jawed. It was the first words she’d spoken since we got out of the tub. “I like windy days. It’s easier to see the stars.”

“Huh? Oh…yeah, I guess…”

If I had to guess, it was probably the swift movement of the clouds that kept things interesting. Not that Nagafuji was thinking that deeply, of course. She accepted everything in the world at surface value without reading into it, for better or for worse.

“Plus, you guys have a huge yard, so there’s lots of greenery to look at. I love this place.”

Yet again, she complimented my house. Me personally, though, I was inclined to disagree. If she actually came here often enough for the novelty to wear off, she’d realize just how exhausting it was to live here.

“Nah. I wish my house was as small as yours.” That way it wouldn’t take so long to get from room to room.

“Wow. You’re so greedy.”

“Excuse me? If anything, I’m the opposite of greedy! I’m saying I want less !”

“Oh. Good point,” she shrugged casually, kicking her feet back and forth as they dangled from the porch. “Wanna trade?”

“Ooh. Now there’s an idea.”

If it was that easy, I’d do it in a heartbeat. And I’d bring all my brothers and maids with me, too. How would a guy like Goushirou handle living at Nagafuji’s place? When I tried to picture it, I nearly burst out laughing. Knowing him, he’d probably get a ruler and measure the space between each product on display to make sure it was just so . Who knows—maybe he’d actually make a good butcher.

Just then, Nagafuji leaned her body up against me.

“Are…are you bored of looking at the sky or something?”

Then she took my hand…and brought it…toward her chest …?!

Silently, my palm pressed against her. Flustered, I stared in shock. She laughed. “I figured I’d let you touch them every now and then, since you like them so much.”

“Wh-what?! Now look here, you…!”

“See, aren’t I nice? Just don’t squeeze, okay?”

Why would I?! I blushed all the way to my ears as I sat there, perfectly still, with my hand against Nagafuji’s breast. I couldn’t feel much of anything, save for her fingers wrapped around my wrist.

“Having fun?”

“It’s really warm.” Not just her, but my face, too. What are we doing right now? I couldn’t even look at her. “Alright, that’s enough. Thanks.”

Unable to bear it a moment longer, I pulled my hand away. But just then—

“Whoa!”

—Nagafuji grabbed my head and drew it close. Caught off-guard, I collapsed against her chest. Her post-bath warmth made me start sweating all over again.

“Man, what is up with you tonight?”

“You’re just so cute, Hino!”

She stroked the bath towel between her hand and my hair, almost like I was her beloved pet or something. She was so forward with her compliments… That was what flustered me more than anything. As she ruffled my towel, it felt like I was seeing the real her.

In elementary school, our teachers treated her like a clueless ditz, but when it came down to it, she was just really, really open and honest. Considering she accepted everything at face value, she probably took this stance with her own feelings, too…and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to counter it. Me, I could never be that open about myself. The most I could do was mask my embarrassment with sarcasm.

“You sure like me a whole bunch, huh?”

“Yup!”

…At least blush about it a little, would you?

~Today’s Adachi Forecast~

When I saw the pure, innocent smile on Shimamura’s face, I realized: Oh, this is a dream. Which means I can get away with asking for just about anything, right? Right?

With this decided, I spread my arms out wide. “Sh-Shimamura! I want a piggyback ride! And headpats! And a big hug! And—”

“Give me a break!”

She smiled awkwardly, and I thought to myself: Oh god, what if this isn’t a dream after all? But right as I started to freak out, the next thing I knew, I was looking at a darkened ceiling. My heart was pounding a mile a minute. I clutched at my chest.

Brain, please, just let me sleep.