Kaori’s consciousness slowly surfaced from the depths of her slumber. The first thing she noticed was a comfortable, cozy warmth. Her eyes flickered open as her hazy mind gradually began to awaken.
It feels so warm and nice... Did I sleep that well? Wait, it’s still dark... Did I wake up ear—
The room remained shrouded in darkness, but her eyes had adjusted enough to see through the gloom. A faint sliver of light—perhaps from the stars or the moon—filtered in, illuminating her surroundings just enough.
As her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was a man’s chest, clad in loose-fitting clothes. She looked up, only to find Kaito’s face right there, peacefully asleep.
.....................?
Her mind ground to a complete halt. Faced with a situation she hadn't prepared for in the slightest, Kaori’s brain temporarily ceased to function.
If her mind had been a computer screen, an "unresponsive" icon would have been spinning endlessly. It wasn't even a matter of being unable to process the situation; her thoughts had simply ceased to exist.
She remained in that state of total paralysis for nearly a minute before her internal system finally rebooted.
...Huh? What? W-Wait, what?! Wh-What’s happening? W-Wait, what on earth is... Wh-What is going on with me right now?!
She nearly screamed reflexively, but her subconscious consideration for the sleeping Kaito clamped her mouth shut.
That didn't mean her panic subsided, however. Though Kaori managed to keep quiet, she fell into a frantic state of alarm, her eyes darting around with desperate intensity as she tried to assess her condition.
Despite the shadows, she could piece together the situation from the tactile sensations and what little she could see. She was currently curled against Kaito’s chest, and his arm was draped over her back. To put it bluntly, they were sleeping in each other’s arms.
No way... Did I... let alone a triple jump, did I advance our relationship at a rocketing speed and go straight to the Wake-up Coffee Course?! N-No, wait, calm down. I did have some alcohol, but it was only enough for a light buzz. My judgment might have been a little impaired, but I wasn't drunk enough to make a One-night Mistake or lose my memory. I remember... I remember everything clearly. If I just think back to what happened before I fell asleep...
Her thoughts nearly leaped to wild conclusions in her agitation, but she desperately forced her mind to settle. Surprisingly, despite the embarrassment making her face feel like it was about to boil over, being held by Kaito felt incredibly soothing. This strange sense of relaxation allowed her to force her brain back into gear.
After considering the sequence of events leading up to this moment, Kaori’s cheek twitched with an indescribable expression.
...Oh. This is definitely my fault. I’m the one who caused trouble for Kaito-kun. Knowing him, he probably tried to tuck me into bed without waking me up after I fell asleep from the cocoa. He’s so kind... he probably intended to let me have the bed while he slept on the sofa or in a Separate Room.
Kaori understood Kaito’s character well and trusted him. At the very least, he wasn't the kind of man who would take advantage of a sleeping woman to satisfy his beastly desires. She was certain that the current state of Sharing a Bed was due to some form of force majeure.
And when she considered what that force majeure might be... the evidence pointed squarely at herself.
It’s probably that. Based on all the romance novels I’ve read, the scenario is obvious: I must have unconsciously grabbed Kaito-kun’s hand or clung to him in my sleep. And since I felt like I was sleeping incredibly soundly, I probably never let go. Or maybe he didn't have the heart to wake me and tried to wait until I moved, only to drift off himself.
Given the circumstances and Kaito’s personality, her deduction was almost certainly correct.
...Okay, I understand the situation. I understand it, but... setting that aside... what do I do now? It was definitely me who grabbed him first, so I’m the one to blame, but since Kaito-kun is holding me back now... I can’t move.
Just because she understood the situation didn't mean she could resolve it. Since she was clinging to Kaito and he was returning the embrace, their bodies were in such close contact that she couldn't even shift without waking him.
While she could have forcibly broken free, she couldn't bring herself to wake him in the middle of the night, especially since she was convinced she was the one who had inconvenienced him in the first place.
B-But this is still bad, Kaito-kun! This is way too intimate! The contact is just... so much... Wait, do I have to stay like this until Kaito-kun wakes up? ...What time is it?
It was currently 2:00 AM. If she intended to wait for his natural awakening, she had a very long night ahead of her.
Machina: "Magnificent! I am!! Utterly moved!!! You showed such care for My Beloved Child, didn't you?! My Child cherishing My Beloved Child even while swallowing her own shame!! Deepening their love through respect!! This is exactly the world I desire, right here before my very eyes!!!"
Caramel Popcorn: "Those sound like the last words of someone about to be obliterated by the sheer force of pure romance..."