It wasn't exactly heavy, just the sensation of a slight weight leaning against me and the faint, rhythmic sound of her breathing. To be honest, it took me a few seconds to process what was happening.
Actually, once my brain kicked back into gear, the situation was clear enough—but "my mind went blank from the shock" would be the most accurate way to describe my immediate reaction.
It sounds simple when put into words: Kaori had fallen asleep against me. I could guess why, too.
She’d mentioned earlier that she might pass out the second she hit the sheets, so she must have been exhausted. After the cocoa and the casual chat, she probably felt a wave of relief that allowed sleep to overtake her all at once.
In a way, it was proof that she trusted me enough to feel safe sleeping right next to me. While that was flattering, it left me with a problem: what now?
I felt guilty waking her when she looked so peaceful, but I couldn't just leave things as they were. If she slept in that position, she’d definitely wake up with a stiff neck.
What were my options? I could wait and see if she woke up soon, or I could try to lay her down. Since she was only leaning lightly, I could probably support her and move her away without waking her.
If she were only going to nap for a few minutes, that would be one thing, but if she was out for the count, I felt it’d be better to move her to the bed rather than leave her on the sofa.
Getting her all the way back to the guest quarters would be a hassle, but I could at least put her in the bed here. I could always sleep on the sofa myself, or use a bed in another room.
Once I decided to put Kaori in my bed, I gently laid her back against the sofa for a moment to clear the duvet. Then, I scooped up the peacefully sleeping woman in a princess carry.
Thanks to my Physical Enhancement Magic, she felt incredibly light as I lifted her. However... man, she smelled wonderful. The soft sensation of her in my arms made my heart race.
Her pajamas were made of thinner fabric than I’d expected; I could feel her body heat right through them. I might have been a bit too impulsive with the princess carry.
It felt a bit inappropriate to do this to a woman in her sleepwear when we weren't even dating, but it was too late to turn back now.
Trying to keep my mind as blank as possible to avoid any stray thoughts, I carried her over to the bed.
Then came the next hurdle: positioning. I wanted to put her in the center so she wouldn't roll off, but the bed was so massive that I couldn't reach the middle just by standing beside it. I had to climb onto the mattress on my knees to gently settle her down near the center.
Her sleeping face was incredibly cute. Now that she was on her back, my eyes naturally drifted toward the slight rise and fall of her chest, but I forced myself to look away. I reached for the duvet with a singular focus.
I pulled the covers over her as softly as I could.
"Mmm..."
My heart skipped a beat. Had I woken her? No, she was just shifting in her sleep. Good. Now to just finish tucking her in...
I’d been worried I’d woken her, but since she seemed fine, I went back to tucking her in. That was when it happened.
"Wait, what?"
To put it simply, to reach across the massive bed and tuck the duvet in properly, I ended up leaning over her body. For a brief moment, our physical proximity was intense. Just then, Kaori shifted onto her side and suddenly wrapped her arms around my waist.
She gripped me tight with both hands, as if I were a giant body pillow.
As a result, I found myself pinned over the sleeping Kaori, completely unable to move.
What on earth was I supposed to do now? This was bad. She had a lock on my waist, so I couldn't just pull away. Staying like this was even worse.
Beyond the toll this was taking on my mental state, it was just physically exhausting to hold myself in this rigid position.
Was there any way out? Could I slowly shift my body? Maybe if I used my waist as a pivot point... No, if I did that, I'd just end up lying down right next to her. But then again, I couldn't keep supporting my weight on my arms forever. I didn't have much of a choice...
Serious-senpai: "Wha—!? Ending up in bed together like that... She—she's loved by the God of Love Comedy! Damn it, my body is starting to swell again... Guaaaaah!"
Machina: "I’ll make sure My Child stays asleep for now, but I won't let her let go... No, let's use Causality so that when My Beloved Child lies down, her arms move from his waist to his chest..."
Serious-senpai: "You bastard! What are you doing?! Just because it’s a love comedy event between your children, you’re going to use illegal fate manipulation?!"
Machina: "It's—it's not anything as grand as 'Fate Manipulation.' It's just a little nudge to support one of many possible futures. I've already confirmed they like each other, so... well... I just want to see the precious sight of My Beloved Children sleeping together in harmony!"
Serious-senpai: "Don't you dare try to act like this is okay!"