After we finished chatting under the starlit sky, the hour grew late, and we decided to call it a night. The cottage was sprawling, offering more than enough rooms for just the two of us.
In fact, it was almost too large. Each bedroom was furnished with high-end beds that looked exceptionally comfortable to sleep in.
"Heh, this is a nice bed. It feels great, and there’s plenty of space."
"……"
Something was off. We had definitely decided on our separate rooms earlier, so why was Fate-san here? Not only was she in my room, but she had already dived onto the mattress before I could even get there.
"Um, Fate-san?"
"Yes?"
"We decided on the room assignments, didn't we?"
"We did."
"This is my room, you know?"
"Yeah, of course I know."
I asked just in case she had simply mistaken the rooms, but she replied as if she were stating something completely obvious.
"……Fate-san."
"Yes?"
"What exactly are you doing in here?"
"Huh? Let’s sleep together. We went through all the trouble of coming here just the two of us, so there’s no point in sleeping in separate rooms, right?"
"…………I see."
I could easily imagine that Fate-san didn't have any impure intentions at all. She was saying it quite casually, as if we were just going to take a nap together.
What can I say? When someone approaches you with the intentions of a Pure One, simply wanting to be near their partner, it’s hard to say no.
Well, as long as I didn't let my thoughts wander in a strange direction, it should be fine. We had shared a nap on a Floating Cushion before, and since Fate-san usually fell asleep quickly, she would probably be out soon.
"I suppose you're right. Well then, shall we sleep together?"
"Mhm, mhm!"
I left the room briefly to change into my pajamas and then returned. The bed was plenty wide, so it didn't feel cramped even with two people.
Keeping that in mind, I lay down on the bed where Fate-san was already reclining. Her face was much closer than I expected. A faint, sweet scent drifted from her, making my heart hammer against my ribs.
"Kai-chan, Kai-chan, what should we do tomorrow?"
"First, we'll have breakfast. I'll just whip up something simple... After that, how about a walk? Not toward the lake, but toward the mountains. From what I saw when we arrived, there were quite a lot of flowers blooming there."
"Oh, that sounds lovely! It'll be fun!"
Huddled together under a single blanket like this, I felt a strange sense of warmth, far more than when I was alone.
It wasn't that we were pressed tightly against each other; there was a respectable amount of space between us. Even so, it felt as though her body heat was being transmitted directly to me.
Ugh, this was no good. My mind was inevitably leaning toward the gutter. On the other hand, if I got too absorbed in our conversation, she would end up staying awake far longer than she should.
Since Fate-san didn't strictly need sleep, I wasn't sure if she even felt drowsy. Maybe she just slept when the mood struck her? As long as we were enjoying our talk, she probably wouldn't drift off.
Would it be better to just keep talking all night? Aside from the fact that I’d be exhausted tomorrow, it didn't seem like a bad idea.
Or should I try to fall asleep first? But could I actually sleep? Simply sharing a bed with my lover made me incredibly self-conscious. I was already overthinking everything, and any sense of sleepiness had vanished.
"Hey, Kai-chan, look at me."
As I was lost in thought, Fate-san lightly tapped my shoulder. I realized I had been focusing too much on my own head instead of the conversation.
"Ah, my apolo—"
"Ei!"
"—Mmh!?"
I turned to apologize, only to be met by her stunning purple eyes. A split second later, a soft sensation pressed against my lips.
It took me a moment to realize she had caught me with a surprise kiss. My brain stalled. After the kiss continued for several seconds, Fate-san finally pulled away, and I finally came to my senses.
"Fa-Fate-san!?"
"Hey, Kai-chan... do you remember the day we first met?"
"Eh? What’s this all of a sudden? I mean, of course I remember, but..."
Without mentioning the kiss at all, she pivoted to a seemingly unrelated topic. I tilted my head in confusion. Her voice was more serious than usual—the kind of tone that made me reflexively catch my breath.
When I replied, Fate-san smiled gently.
"It’s funny. Things turned out completely different from what I imagined when we first met. You really can't know your own destiny, can you? Hey, Kai-chan. Can I ask you something?"
"W-What is it?"
"On the day we first met, you tried to run away. But if... if I made you that same offer right now, would you accept it this time without running?"
"Fate-san..."
"Kai-chan... I love you."
As she spoke those words, I saw her face drawing closer once again.
Serious-senpai: "……"
???: "Wait, what's with this Sugar Statue? Seriously, does Serious-senpai undergo Sugarification when the Sugar Content exceeds her limit? Just how hilarious is this woman's biology...?"