Night…
After the trio left, Sara-san and I spent the rest of the day focused entirely on our work.
I handled most of the cleaning, but I decided to take the opportunity to organize my personal belongings as well. As a result, the workload ended up being far greater than I’d anticipated.
Still, it was worth the effort. By evening, I had finished sorting through my things and even managed a light rearrangement of the furniture. I’d ended up leaving the major tasks to Sara-san, but considering our usual routine, I felt good just having contributed to the housework.
Chop, chop, chop, chop…
♪～♪～
In the kitchen, a collaborative performance was underway: the sound effects of a rhythmic kitchen knife and a sizzling frying pan accompanied by Sara-san’s adorable humming.
She moved her body to the music, looking genuinely happy as she cooked. She seemed to be in a wonderful mood.
Even though Sara-san loved cooking, it was rare to see her this cheerful in the kitchen. She had seemed her usual self during the day, so I couldn't help but wonder what had brought this on.
Hoping to get a better look without getting in her way, I tried to peek over her shoulder. Suddenly, as if sensing my presence, she spun around. She had realized I was approaching.
"Hehe… No mischief allowed, okay?"
Since I had been trying to sneak up on her, she must have mistaken it for a prank. She poked my forehead with her index finger, giving me a playful scold with a beaming smile.
"N-No, it’s not like that! You just looked so happy that I wondered if something happened."
"…Did I really look that cheerful?"
"Yeah."
"I see. I thought I was acting the same as always…"
Sara-san seemed oblivious to her own excitement. When I pointed it out, she offered a slightly embarrassed smile. Then, as if to explain herself, she turned her gaze toward the kitchen knife, the frying pan, and the rest of the cooking utensils.
…Ah, I see. That was it.
What Sara-san was looking at was the set of new cooking utensils we had bought along with the tableware during our recent shopping trip.
Apparently, she had wanted new ones for a long time, and she’d been overjoyed when we finally decided to buy them. Since these were tools she would use every day, we had spent a long time selecting them, even incorporating my opinions. It was a collection of the "finest tools," so to speak, and they were all lined up before her now.
"These are mine… cooking utensils that Kazunari-san and I chose together. From now on, I will use these to cook every single day. In our life together, using these things that only the two of us selected, I will prepare Kazunari-san’s… our meals."
Watching Sara-san’s joyful expression made me feel happy too. Because she was so passionate about cooking, her emotional attachment to things like this was likely very deep.
"I can’t quite put it into words, but it makes me so happy. Surrounding ourselves with all this new furniture… it makes it feel as though our life with just the two of us has truly begun. It’s finally hit me."
"No, I get it. We bought these things specifically so the two of us could live together."
I understood what she meant, at least in part.
Everything we had picked up during that trip was purchased for our shared life. To me, there was a significant difference between buying daily necessities and buying furniture. Furniture shapes the way you live. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that this furniture represented the reality of our cohabitation—and the fact that we intended to keep living together from here on out.
"Yes! And… well, this experience made me realize something else. I finally understand why people who get married want to choose all their furniture from scratch together."
Marriage was still a somewhat abstract concept to me. But through this, I felt I’d gained a sense of what buying furniture "meant." Considering that, Sara-san's desire to decide everything together for our future marriage seemed natural—even obvious.
"…I agree. Thinking about it now, I definitely think that’s how it should be when we get married."
"Yes! I’m so happy to hear you say that. In that case, may I ask for a promise?"
"Sure. To make it happen, I’ll work as hard as I can once I find employment."
It might have sounded a bit flippant coming from me…
After all, I had never even earned my own living expenses yet, so my words probably sounded like mere talk. But after seeing how my dad and Masaomi-san carried themselves, I knew that I would have to step up one day too.
"Well, I guess I’m a hundred years too early to be talking like that. But I promise."
"I don’t think that at all. I am absolutely certain that you will become a wonderful husband, Kazunari-san."
"I-I’ll do my best. I’ll definitely keep my promise."
"Yes. I shall look forward to that day… Darling♪"
Sara-san gazed at me with eyes that were purely sincere. Her look made me feel that she wasn't just being sweet; she truly, deeply believed in me.
That was exactly why, in order to live up to her expectations, I…
……………
………
…
We had bought a double-sized futon so we could sleep together, but seeing it actually laid out in the room brought its size home to me all over again.
I’d thought it was big when we hung it out on the balcony to dry, but it looked even larger now. I’d seen the floor model at the store, but perhaps having the room itself as a comparison made the difference.
Sara-san was patting the surface of the newly laid futon, testing the feel of it. She looked thoroughly pleased, so she must have been satisfied with the purchase.
"Kazunari-san, shall we get into the futon soon?"
"Y-Yes!?"
I wasn't thinking anything inappropriate, but being asked so suddenly made my voice crack.
We had both finished our baths, but usually, this was the time of night we spent relaxing, watching TV, or drinking tea. We were tired from working all day, but to be honest, it felt a little early for bed.
"Hehe… Is something the matter?"
"I-I’m fine. It’s just, isn't it a little early to sleep?"
"Yes. It is a bit early, but… why don't we lie down and talk?"
"Talk?"
"Yes. Since we have a new futon, after all. And…"
"And?"
"……I want to cradle you in our new futon as soon as possible."
"…………"
I was embarrassed—and I didn't know how to respond.
Sara-san seemed a bit shy about being so direct, but her desire to hold me clearly won out. Because she said it without hesitation, it actually made it harder for me to find an answer.
"A-All right."
I gave my consent, and Sara-san nodded happily. She pulled back the duvet and climbed into the futon first.
Usually, Sara-san prioritized me in everything, but when it came to getting into bed, she was always the one to move first.
That was because…
"Kazunari-san, come here…"
She held up the duvet and spread her arms wide, waiting to welcome me in. The reason she always went first was specifically to set up this position.
"E-Excuse me then…"
The moment I felt the most nervous was always this one—the second I had to go and be held by her of my own accord. I always felt bad making her wait, but I couldn't just boldly dive in.
I forcibly suppressed the feeling that I might burst from the tension, steeled myself, and slowly moved into Sara-san's arms. Once I was settled, she closed her arms around my back and pulled me in firmly, hugging me tight from behind.
"S-Sara-san…"
"Let’s stay like this for a while until you’re calm."
She moved her hand across my back, patting me gently in a rhythmic, soothing way. Sara-san always noticed my nervousness, so she made sure to do this every time until I relaxed.
Eventually, the comfort of it drained the tension from my body, and I let my strength go, surrendering to her. Noticing the change, Sara-san wrapped her arms around my head and back, pulling me in even tighter until she was embracing me with her whole body.
Caught up in the moment, I pressed my face against her, acting a bit spoiled.
"Kazunari-san, you can go deeper if you like."
"!? N-No, this is fine…"
"Don't be shy♪"
Nudge…
She added a little pressure to the hand on the back of my head, and I ended up with my face buried in her chest, just like always.
"Hehe… As I thought, this position feels the most right. It’s so calming… it feels stable."
"I-Is that so?"
"Yes. You’re very huggable. Besides, if we do this…"
Squeeze…
For a split second, the sensation of being enveloped by her whole body made me feel a flash of panic as a man, and I reflexively tensed up. However, that was quickly smoothed over by the pleasant feeling of having my head stroked, and the panic faded away.
Noticing that I’d relaxed into a sense of security, Sara-san loosened her embrace just enough to talk. She didn't stop stroking my head, though.
"You’ve finally stopped resisting… You really are such a shy person, Kazunari-san."
It seemed she mistook my earlier wariness for me being too embarrassed to be honest. While that was partly true, in this case, it was more that I simply needed a moment to settle my feelings in more ways than one.
"Still… perhaps it’s because the futon is different? I feel as though the way it feels to hold you has changed."
"Has it?"
"Yes. So, please let me verify that…"
"Verify?"
Squeeze…
The embrace she had just loosened became firm once more. I felt like I was going to melt from the sheer comfort of being wrapped up in her softness.
"It wasn't my imagination. It was the right choice to change the futon. I feel like I can sense Kazunari-san even more clearly now."
"Can you really tell the difference that much?"
"Yes. Inside these covers, it’s a world for just the two of us. Nothing and no one can come between us. Right now, there is nothing for me to feel except you, Kazunari-san, so the change is very obvious."
I felt like I understood what she meant, in a way. Being tucked away in the limited space of the futon did feel like we were in a closed-off space, shielded from the outside world. And with only the two of us there… it really did feel like a world of our own.
"That is why getting a large futon was the right decision. By being more deeply enveloped than before, our world is clearly defined."
"I think I get that. And since the futon is bigger, our world has expanded, hasn't it? That means we can afford to be a little more relaxed—oomph…"
I thought I was playing along well with her topic, but for some reason, she pressed me against her even harder, cutting off my words. Did I say something weird?
"Even if the futon is spacious, the place where you belong is right here, you know?"
Apparently, my comment about being "relaxed" had been taken to mean I wanted to move further away. I hadn't meant it that way, though it was true I’d worried that doing this every single day might be hard on her.
To Sara-san, it seemed that no matter how the world changed, my sleeping position was non-negotiable. She was holding me close as if to say she had no intention of letting me go.
And, as usual, my face was firmly planted in the heaven that was its fixed position…
Which meant that when Sara-san said "here," she specifically meant here… no, I was definitely overthinking it.
"Phew…"
"Hehe… What is it?"
"Nothing… I’m just so happy… I feel like I’m going to be spoiled rotten."
Between the comfort, the bliss, and the touch of heaven, my true feelings slipped out. I realized my mistake the moment the words left my mouth, but it was too late to take them back.
"Whenever you are with me like this, please feel free to be as spoiled as you like. I will take full responsibility."
"Responsibility?"
"Yes. From now on, and even after we are married, I will always take care of you like this…"
"Haha…"
As long as Sara-san wanted this, our nights were clearly going to be like this forever. For my part, if I could feel this kind of happiness every day, it was more than I could ever hope for.
Still, even though I knew it made her happy, a part of me worried if it was okay for a man to rely on her this much.
I resolved to make up for it in other ways…
"I say 'responsibility' as if it’s something grand, but it’s actually a very simple story."
"Eh?"
"In the end… I just want to do this for you, Kazunari-san."
"I-I see."
"Yes. So, please, lean on me… I would hate it if you were reserved with me…"
Sara-san’s whisper was filled with a pained, uncontrollable affection.
She tightened her arms, pressing me against her as if to merge our bodies.
I didn't resist. I let myself be held, completely enveloped by her kindness.
Thump… Thump…
We were so close I could hear her heart beating. Yet, I didn't feel the usual tension or the impatient heat of a man. I just felt peaceful, as if I were simply being wrapped in her love.
"Today… our new furniture arrived… and our life has finally taken on its true color. Today is the start of our life together in the truest sense. That is a very important thing. Because every day from here on out will lead directly to our future marriage."
"………You’re right. It will."
"I am so incredibly happy that I could welcome such a meaningful day—a day that will stay with me for the rest of my life—with you, Kazunari-san, and no one else. I’m… so happy."
Our life today would build into our life tomorrow… and eventually into our marriage. Everything was connected. Sara-san was saying that we had finally taken that first real step. There was no way I could remain unmoved by that.
And she told me she was happy that I was the one by her side. I couldn't have asked for anything more.
That was why, for her sake, and for our future!
"I’m going to work hard! For our future, for our life together… First, I’ll focus on my studies and definitely fulfill my promise to Masaomi-san! If I’m with you, Sara-san, I can do anything. I can push myself. So, together, the two of us—mmph!"
The emotions filling my heart had started to overflow, and I couldn't stop the words from coming. I began to speak with a desperate heat, but I wasn't able to finish my sentence.
Before I knew it, Sara-san had covered my mouth with hers. It was only then that I realized I was being kissed.
And then, my vision and my senses were dyed entirely in her color.
Eventually, she slowly pulled away, a smile of pure bliss on her face.
Even as we gazed at each other from inches away, I didn't feel any of my usual shyness. My heart was too full of love and happiness for anything else to fit.
"…Your feelings made me so happy that… I just couldn't help myself."
"Sara-san…"
"Let’s work hard together. I will always be by your side to support you… and I will always be here to heal you like this. For your sake, I would do… anything…"
"Thank you. And for your sake, I’d…"
I truly believe that today was the second starting line of our lives.
Just as Sara-san said, the happiness of welcoming this day with her was beyond words.
I won't forget how I feel right now. For Sara-san, and for our happy future, I will fulfill my promise to Masaomi-san.
----------------------Bonus: Just Before Bed---------------------------
"……Kazunari-san."
Mwah.
I felt Sara-san’s soft lips against my cheek. Actually, this was already the third time.
"S-Sara-san… what is it?"
"……I was just so happy today. So… it’s your fault, Kazunari-san."
Her voice was a whisper in my ear, playful and yet thick with sweetness and longing.
Hearing that sent my heart rate skyrocketing all over again.
"I love you… Darling…"
Mwah.
I was happy, but… it didn't look like I was going to be getting any sleep tonight.