Now then, was it about time for the call to come?
I glanced at the clock while preparing for my next shift and realized it was already around the same time as yesterday.
If the timing was the same, she should be calling any second now...
Piro-piro, piro-piro...
Rather than a standard call, the chime for an incoming RAIN call rang out. Assuming it was a video call just like the night before, I checked the screen. It was her.
When I accepted the call, the lovely Sara-san appeared. Seeing her for the first time in a full day made me so happy that I had to fight back a stupid grin.
"Good evening, Kazunari-san."
"Good evening, Sara-san."
Wait...?
Sensing a slightly different atmosphere than usual, I caught myself staring at her through the screen, trying to figure out what was different.
Then it hit me—unlike yesterday, Sara-san was wearing a yukata. Seeing her in an unfamiliar outfit made my heart skip a beat.
I had seen Sara-san in a yukata once before during that night festival, but there was something different about the yukata provided by an inn.
"Fufu, is something the matter?"
"No... did you just get out of the bath, Sara-san?"
"Yes, actually. It has not been long since I stepped out."
I thought so. I had seen Sara-san after a bath a few times before, but just knowing she was wearing a yukata made my pulse quicken.
"Kazunari-san, by any chance, is there something wrong?"
Sensing the shift in my reaction, Sara-san asked me with a hint of anxiety.
I hadn't intended to act so strangely, but realizing I had been suspicious enough for her to notice was honestly a bit embarrassing.
"S-Sorry. It's just, your yukata..."
"Oh, this? In the flow of our conversation tonight, we all decided to wear them. ...Does it look strange on me?"
Sara-san began to look herself over nervously, so I hurried to tell her the truth.
"...My heart was pounding."
"...Eh?"
"Your appearance just made my heart pound, Sara-san."
Sara-san's eyes went wide, and she fell silent.
To be honest, saying it was embarrassing, but it wasn't like anyone else was listening. I wanted to be blunt and convey my true feelings.
It seemed to work. Sara-san broke into a radiant smile and leaned closer to the screen. It looked like she had propped her smartphone up against something to talk.
"Kazunari-san."
"Yes."
"I am... so happy. If you were right here in front of me, Kazunari-san, I am certain I would be hugging and kissing you right now. It is truly frustrating to be separated by this screen."
My gaze unintentionally drifted toward Sara-san's lips.
Sara-san was a bit of a closet kiss monster—whenever her emotions ran high, she would kiss me without hesitation. Her words made me acutely aware of her.
"I feel my heart pounding just by looking at you, Kazunari-san. Just being by your side does that to me. Of course, I feel the same way right now. When we touch and hold each other, my heartbeat becomes so strong that I worry you can feel it through my skin. It's quite embarrassing."
For me, being hugged by Sara-san usually resulted in one of two states: my heart pounding as a mess of emotions swirled together, or feeling so at ease that I just pampered her without a single thought in my head.
"No, I'm the same way. Just touching you, Sara-san..."
"When I hold your face against my chest, I feel your warmth and your breath slowly melting into my body, and my heart pounds even harder... It makes me so happy that I find myself wanting to stay that way forever."
...!
...!
With a slightly flushed face, Sara-san's expression shifted into one of longing.
If Sara-san were in front of me right now—if I were there—we definitely would have been holding each other.
"Um, I get so happy that everything else just flies out of my head."
"Fufu... if my hugging you makes you feel happiness and peace, Kazunari-san, then that is more than I could ever ask for. In fact, if that is how you feel, then I welcome it."
Sara-san really was consistent. Her way of thinking never wavered.
She placed me before herself, acting for my sake through and through, truly believing that my happiness was her own.
That was exactly why, for her upcoming birthday party, I wanted her to feel a happiness that didn't just come through me. I wanted her to be genuinely delighted for her own sake.
"By the way... do you prefer this kind of yukata, Kazunari-san?"
"It's not just the yukata. Seeing you in one made my heart pound, Sara-san. I just... I wish I could see it with my own eyes instead of through a screen."
"If you go so far as to say that, Kazunari-san, I want to show you as well. ...Ah! In that case, I will prepare a sleeping yukata. How about I wear it the next time I come for a staying over at Kazunari-san's house?"
Eeeeeeeh!!!!!!!!!!
Wait?
I thought I heard a faint, noisy commotion just now.
Was there someone making a fuss in the next room?
No, more importantly, the yukata. I couldn't let her go that far just because of my idle comments.
"You don't have to do that! I'm sure there will be a chance for me to see it someday, so I'll save the excitement until then."
"...Are you sure? I was prepared to get one immediately if it would make you happy, Kazunari-san. Besides, I could hold you and go 'there, there' while wearing it, you know?"
I was incredibly tempted by the alluring prospect of being held by her in a yukata, and I almost gave in... but no, I couldn't. I didn't want to be a burden on Sara-san.
"Ugh... no, I can't let my selfishness go that far. Please show me your yukata when we go on a trip together someday. I'll save the pleasure for then."
It was a spur-of-the-moment suggestion, but Sara-san seemed convinced and nodded with a smile.
"Fufu... very well. Since I am forcing you to endure for now against my own wishes, you must make up for it by pampering me plenty while I'm in my yukata during our trip, okay?"
"Y-Yes, thank you."
I wasn't entirely sure how the conversation had ended up there...
But as long as Sara-san was happy, I had no complaints.
As a side note, this promise would be fulfilled in the not-so-distant future.
And not just between the two of us, but right in front of our friends...
"Haaa... the bath felt amazing~"
"Honestly, you. Trying to swim just because the tub is big—are you an elementary schooler?"
"Seriously. If Satsukawa-san hadn't scolded you, you definitely would have done it."
"S-Stop! Don't remind me!"
Yuri was childish enough that she might have actually gone through with it, but she stopped immediately once Sara stepped in.
Lately, Sara had softened up, so she didn't sound as harsh as she used to, but...
"It will cause trouble for the other guests, so shall we stop now?"
The words themselves weren't much, but they were backed by a heavy pressure that screamed, "Cut it out already, okay?" Anyone who wasn't a total blockhead would feel the bloodthirst and stop at once.
"I am sorry. Was I a bit too firm?"
"It's fine. Yuri is an idiot, so being told that clearly is just right for her."
"Yeah, yeah, exactly what Natsumi-chan said."
"Actually, I'm just impressed she listened after being told once."
"No, that bloodthirst was real..."
So she was sensitive enough to feel Sara's pressure, after all.
In any case... it seemed we were acting as a shield. I noticed several boys who looked like they wanted to talk to Sara, but they all gave up.
"Still, Satsukawa-san is popular. I counted at least four guys staring."
"Ooh~ as expected of Yuri, being pointlessly sharp."
It seemed Yuri had noticed too. I thought there were only two or three.
Regardless...
"Any guy who loses his nerve just because we're here is a hundred years too early to be confessing to Satsukawa-san."
"No, no, Yuri, that's a bit too harsh."
"Even without us, the hurdle to confess to Satsukawa-san is already sky-high."
"Well, that's true."
"Is that so? Kazunari-san gave me a firm confession even while Natsumi and the others—and even my mother—were present, you know?"
"""Hah!?"""
The expressions of the other three shifted to pure shock.
Oh no. We were back on the topic of Takanashi-kun. We have to get back to the room, fast...
"Save that talk for when we're back in the room. Let's go, quickly."
The three looked at Sara with intense curiosity, clearly dying to hear more, but I couldn't let her recount Takanashi-kun's tale of bravery in the middle of the hallway.
"I am sorry, it is later than I realized. Please let me make my phone call first."
Once we were back in the room, Sara checked the time and spoke up with a hint of urgency, smartphone in hand.
It was true that the bath had run a bit long tonight.
"Go ahead~. In exchange, you have to tell us about Takanashi-kun later."
"Eh? Yes, I don't mind..."
Good grief, I'm staying out of this.
Sara headed to her bed at the far end of the room, set her smartphone on the table, and began her call.
She was going for a video call again tonight.
The three girls near me looked somewhere between excited and terrified. Which was it?
But they were apparently prepared for the noise, as they started grabbing pillows and towels to muffle their own mouths. They wanted to eavesdrop that badly...
"Good evening, Kazunari-san."
"Good evening, Sara-san."
The call connected instantly. Sara's face lit up with a smile that bloomed like a flower, practically radiating her joy.
If any of the other boys at school saw that "I-love-you" aura, they'd probably break down in tears.
The two continued their conversation while the three girls watched with bated breath.
"......My heart was pounding."
"...Eh."
"Your appearance just made my heart pound, Sara-san."
"Whoa, the boyfriend's got moves."
"Yeah, hearing it makes even me feel embarrassed."
"Typical stupid couple..."
Takanashi-kun was often pushed around by Sara, but he said what needed to be said and acted when it counted. Because he could be bold in crucial moments, he was able to say those things for Sara's sake despite his embarrassment.
"When I hold your face against my chest, I feel your warmth and your breath slowly melting into my body, and my heart pounds even harder... It makes me so happy that I find myself wanting to stay that way forever."
"Hiiiii!!!!"
Yuri shook her head violently, covering her scarlet face with her hands.
Again...
"Yuri! Cal-cal-calm down!!"
"You too!"
"Satsukawa-san's lovey-dovey space is too powerful!!"
"Is this really the same Satsukawa-san!? She's not a double, is she!?"
To think Sara would make such a pining expression... people really do change. She looked like a different person compared to when she said she didn't understand love.
As for the three girls, they were just like they were yesterday. It didn't look like they'd be developing any immunity anytime soon.
"If you go so far as to say that, Kazunari-san, I want to show you as well. ...Ah! In that case, I will prepare a sleeping yukata. How about I wear it the next time I come for a staying over at Kazunari-san's house?"
"""Eeeeeeeh!?"""
That was close. I almost screamed myself!
Wait, what was that!? "Staying over"? No, no, no way...
"Wait, wait! Didn't she just say something really scandalous!?"
"No, this is bad! Everyone, keep quiet about this!!"
"No way... could Satsukawa-san be..."
"Don't say it! Don't you dare!!!"
"Sa-Sara... Sara... Sara..."
"Natsumi-chan! Pull yourself together!!"
I sat there in a daze for a while, completely missing when Sara finished her call or when the patrol notification came and the other three went back to their beds.
When I finally came to my senses after Sara tapped me on the shoulder, I tried to ask her about it indirectly because I was too scared to hear the truth. But, oblivious to my internal crisis, Sara just gave me the straight story without me even asking for the details.
Thanks to that, I realized she really had just stayed the night and nothing more, which was a huge relief.
But seeing Sara's innocence made me feel for Takanashi-kun's struggle. It's a secret, but I felt like I should give him a pat on the back later.
Still... explaining this to those three tomorrow is going to be a nightmare.