Kaori’s eyes darted restlessly as she processed the reality of being held. If she still possessed enough composure to think at all, it was only because she had experienced a hug with him once before.
Of course, sharing a bed was a completely different beast from a simple hug, but the fact that she had already undergone such close physical contact served as a slender emotional support to lean on.
Dawn was still far off. Kaito seemed to be sleeping soundly, and escaping the situation without waking him would be a challenge. While she could have used Physical Enhancement Magic to pull away by force, she couldn't bring herself to wake him in the middle of the night—especially after she had already caused him so much trouble.
In terms of sheer physical ability, Kaori far surpassed him when using magic; it wasn't as if she was physically trapped. However, she felt a wave of hesitation. She was the one who had fallen asleep first and clung to him unconsciously. Kaito must have eventually given up and fallen asleep himself. Realizing this, she felt too guilty to simply bolt.
Teleportation magic was also out of the question. Fetching a magic tool from her Magic Box would require too much movement, and Kaito’s house was protected by a powerful teleportation interference field. In other words, she had no subtle way to slip away.
Kaori stole a glance at Kaito's face. In the dim light, she couldn't see him clearly, but his faintly visible sleeping expression struck her as undeniably cute.
It couldn't be helped, she told herself. It wasn't as if she hated the situation. On the contrary, his presence felt incredibly reassuring and calm. She decided it was fine to stay like this for the time being.
The embarrassment was certainly there, but there was no sense of discomfort. Instead, she felt a profound sense of coziness. Her guard was already quite low around Kaito, whom she had come to realize she had significant feelings for. Furthermore, since he was fast asleep, she didn't have to worry about him seeing how red her face had become.
Under the noble pretext of not wanting to disturb his rest, a desire to savor the moment just a little longer began to well up inside her.
They were already pressed together, after all. If she tried to pull back the hand she had draped across his back, she would almost certainly wake him. She convinced herself that staying put was the only logical choice. Since the situation was unavoidable, she figured it was only natural to settle back into him.
While feeding herself these justifications, Kaori softly pressed her flushed face against Kaito's chest. She didn't squeeze him any harder, but as their intimacy increased, she thought she could hear her own heart thumping loudly in her ears.
Kaito always seemed a bit slender because of his gentle aura, but his chest felt surprisingly firm beneath her. She realized he must have been getting a fair amount of exercise. Even if he didn't fight often, his habit of joining Hina’s morning runs and the physical labor of grooming the massive Bellfried had clearly paid off.
That unexpected "gap" between his gentle appearance and his sturdy, masculine build made her heart race even faster. She was in trouble. She realized she might be even more seriously in love with him than she had previously acknowledged. The sheer happiness of the moment was overwhelming. Though she knew it wasn't quite proper since they weren't officially lovers, she decided to let it slide given the circumstances.
A sense of peace washed over her. Still burying her face in his chest, she allowed a small smile to form. She wondered how Kaito had felt before he fell asleep. He had stayed by her side even after she had passed out. She knew with absolute certainty that Kaito wasn't the type of person to take advantage of a sleeping woman, but she found herself hoping, just a little, that he had at least been conscious of her as a member of the opposite sex.
Enveloped in that happy warmth, drowsiness began to pull at her again. Dawn was still far off, and Kaito showed no signs of waking. It was warm, she was happy, and the bed was comfortable. Kaori closed her eyes and let herself sink back into the depths of sleep.
Machina: "Wonderful. I have such high expectations for their future progress."
Popcorn-senpai: "Ah, your name finally returned to normal. Setting that aside, Kaori is a total maiden in love now! Even if this was all based on a script with a massive assist from Machina, she’s playing the heroine perfectly!"
Machina: "Now, please don't misunderstand. I had nothing to do with My Child drinking that cocoa and falling asleep, nor her clinging to My Beloved Child’s waist. I did add a few touches afterward, but I certainly didn't tamper with either of their thoughts. I didn't make My Beloved Child embrace My Child while she slept, nor did I have anything to do with My Child deciding to sleep on My Beloved Child's chest just now. Oh, and for the record, while I ensured My Beloved Child felt relaxed while being clung to, I didn't do a single thing to My Child herself."
Popcorn-senpai: "So Kaito's Love Comedy Constitution is the real culprit here... Also, it's pretty much a given now that Kaori is deeper in love than she even realizes."