While Sara-san was in the bath, I pulled the spare futon out of the closet and laid it on the floor beside my bed.
I’d actually wanted her to take the bed while I slept on the floor... but if I’d suggested that, she would have definitely turned me down.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
When Sara-san emerged from the changing room, she looked a little surprised.
I'd heard the device running, so she must have actually used it.
"Um... Kazunari-san, that hair styler..."
Before she'd gone in, I had set out the women's hair styler I’d bought for her at the washbasin. She’d clearly noticed.
"I wanted to have one ready so you could stay over whenever you like, Sara-san."
I’d bought it in secret. Since I never used a dryer myself—let alone one for women—I’d had no idea which one to get. I’d eventually settled on one after checking reviews online.
"Thank you so much. I shall make good use of it every time I stay over from now on. ……May I take this as a sign from you, Kazunari-san, that I am welcome to stay whenever I wish?"
"Wait, what!?"
I hadn't intended to be quite so bold, but seeing how happy she looked as she said it, I decided I didn't mind if she took it that way.
"Hehe... I am only teasing. However, as long as you are okay with it, Kazunari-san, I am happy to stay over anytime."
She was in a truly wonderful mood today, even cracking jokes she wouldn't normally make.
If things kept going like this, I was afraid I’d end up completely spoiled by her... though it was probably a little late to worry about that now.
"Oh, thank you for the futon. But..."
Sara-san thanked me as she looked at the bedding on the floor. Then, she walked straight to my bed, folded up the entire bedding set, lifted it, and lined it up right next to her own futon.
I’d debated doing that myself while I was laying it out, but I’d been afraid she’d think I was being too forward. It felt like a bit of a shock, but I guess this was just how things were going to be.
"There, this will do perfectly. Now, please forgive me, but since tomorrow is so early, we should probably get some rest..."
The meeting time for the second-years tomorrow was earlier than the usual school start time, which meant waking up even earlier.
"Ah, right. Honestly, you don't have to worry about making breakfast tomorrow..."
"I cannot do that. Preparing a meal for you, Kazunari-san, is very important to me."
Given the meeting time, I didn't think I should let her do it...
Interrupting me with a smile that left no room for argument, Sara-san looked as if she absolutely refused to back down.
"Alright, sorry. I'll leave it to you then."
"Yes, please do. Well then, it is a bit early, but let us get some sleep."
Satisfied with my answer, Sara-san dimmed the lights with the remote and climbed into the futon. Once she was lying down, she made sure to leave plenty of space as she waited for me.
To be honest, with the two futons lined up, there was plenty of room... but since our pillows were side-by-side, I had no choice but to enter that space.
The moment I turned off the lights completely and slipped into the spot, she pulled my head toward her chest as if she’d been waiting for that exact moment.
Whenever we slept together, Sara-san always held me like this.
"...I will be lonely, but it is only for a week. I will call you every day."
She stroked my head slowly as she spoke.
"It's okay. It won't be like last time. I'll be right here waiting for you to come home. So, make sure you have the best time on your school trip, Sara-san. I’m looking forward to hearing all about it."
I tried my best to sound cheerful so that she could enjoy the trip without worrying about me.
"...Yes, I promise. I shall enjoy myself to the fullest."
As we talked about nothing in particular, we both eventually drifted off. And so, the last night before the school trip came to an end.
Incidentally, when I woke up the next morning, I was the one holding Sara-san for some reason. She must have woken up before me, because she was smiling happily against my chest.
After finishing breakfast and our final preparations, we left the house earlier than usual.
The sound of Sara-san's travel trunk case echoed as she dragged it along. As we walked, we met up with Natsumi-senpai at the usual convenience store; she was rolling her own trunk case.
"Sigh... Honestly, you could have taken the morning off today."
Natsumi-senpai seemed to have realized that Sara-san had been taking care of me right up until the morning of her busy trip because I was with her.
She let out a sigh of pure exasperation... but I wondered what she’d say if she knew Sara-san had actually stayed the night.
"I could not do that. Taking care of Kazunari-san is my top priority."
"Yes, yes, thanks for the feast so early in the morning. Let's get going."
Natsumi-senpai skillfully brushed it off, and the three of us headed toward school.
She must have been really looking forward to it, as she spent the walk passionately explaining everything she wanted to do at their destination. Sara-san nodded along with a pleasant smile.
As we approached, we could see the buses lined up in front of the main gate, even from a distance.
Looking closely, I saw several female students waving vigorously toward us. They were likely friends from Sara-san's class.
"Sara, they're calling for you. Let's go!"
"Yes. Well then, Kazunari-san, I am off."
"Have a safe trip, Sara-san! Natsumi-senpai!"
When I called out and gave a small wave, Sara-san waved back with a smile.
Then she turned toward the bus and started walking, rolling her travel trunk behind her... or so I thought. Suddenly, she spun around and let go of the trunk's handle.
She ran back to me, pressed her body against mine in a light hug, and used that momentum to lean in close.
Chu.
"I'm off, Kazunari-san."
I felt something soft against my cheek. As I stood there, frozen by the surprise attack, she gave me one more beaming smile and a greeting before walking away again.
"Sigh…… I honestly don't care what happens to you two now."
Natsumi-senpai let out a deep sigh and followed after her.
That was when I noticed the group of girls who had been waving a moment ago. They were all standing there, frozen in shock...
"Good morning, everyone."
Sara greeted them, but no one replied.
All four of them were turned to stone.
I looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed the scene, but fortunately, it seemed they were the only ones.
"Um, everyone?"
"“““Hwah!?”””"
It looked like they had finally snapped out of it.
"Good morning!"
"M-Morning, Satsukawa-san."
"Morning, Satsukawa-san. M-More importantly, what was that just now...?"
"No way, was that... a kiss?"
"Okay, stop right there. You didn't see anything... understood?"
When I cut in, they all fell silent instantly.
I could tell they were dying to ask, but this topic was way too dangerous.
"Hey, Satsukawa-san, we're definitely looking forward to some love talk tonight, okay?"
As expected, having seen that, these young maidens couldn't suppress their curiosity.
"Love talk?"
"Yeah, yeah! We'll all talk about who we like and... you absolutely have to tell us about what happened just now!"
"Just now? ...Are you referring to Kazunari-san?"
"“““Kyaaaaaa!!!”””"
"The name! She called him by his first name!"
"This is huge! The Goddess having a lover is the ultimate scoop!"
Good grief. At this rate, Takanashi-kun is in for a rough time.
The buses started pulling away one by one.
I waited at a distance so as not to be a nuisance.
Since they were departing so early, I’d managed to stay and see them off.
One by one, the buses left in class order. Next up was Sara-san's class.
I didn't know exactly where her seat was, so I just watched, hoping she’d be on my side of the bus. Then, our eyes met—Sara-san was by the window, looking right at me.
"Have a safe trip!!"
I waved my hand broadly and shouted, even though I knew she couldn't hear me through the glass.
Sara-san pressed herself against the window until the very last second before she went out of sight. She seemed to be saying something to me, but then the bus passed by and she was gone.
Have a safe trip, Sara-san.