A sleepover... with Airi?!
It was the kind of windfall event every guy dreamed of, something most would give their right arm for. In other words, I was actually staying the night with Airi... right?
"Oh? Didn't I mention this was going to be an overnight trip?"
"N-No, you didn't!"
Talk about an overkill reward! My head had been filled with nothing but rose-colored delusions for the last several minutes.
"Wait, does your house have a curfew, Ryouta? Or are you not allowed to stay over at friends' places?"
"I don't think so, but I'll call and ask for permission later just to be safe."
"Really? Thanks, Ryouta! Give my best to your mom."
Airi... she didn't seem bothered by the idea of staying the night with a member of the opposite sex at all. She was far too defenseless. Even if we were just friends, I was still a guy. What if I tried to pull something while she was sleeping? ...No, I was way too much of a coward for that.
(I guess she really doesn't see me as a 'man' at all.)
There was a distinct possibility she viewed me as nothing more than a close platonic friend. I moved to follow her inside, but she came to a sudden halt in front of the sliding door of the old farmhouse.
"Hm? Airi?"
"Um... to be honest? I thought I'd be too nervous staying over with just you, Ryouta, so I really wanted Yuria and Rui-chan to come too... but in the end, it turned into a sleepover for just the two of us, didn't it?"
Airi spoke with a conflicted expression, her brows furrowed even as a small grin tugged at her lips.
"I think I really might get nervous after all."
H-Hold on. Does that mean... she is conscious of me as a man? Or is it the other way around? I had a sinking feeling this was going to be a very confusing night.
☆☆
"E-Excuse me," I mumbled with a polite bow, slipping off my shoes before stepping inside.
The floorboards groaned under my weight. Between the weathered wooden walls and the shoji screens that practically begged to have holes poked in them, the place radiated a sense of homey nostalgia, despite the fact that I'd never set foot here before.
(What is this place? It’s like the literal embodiment of nostalgia.)
"Hey, Grandma? Is that the only room where we can stay the night?"
"That's right, dear. The other rooms are all filled with storage now."
It seemed Airi and her grandmother were talking about where we’d be sleeping tonight...
"Where is 'that' place?"
"The attic!"
"The... attic?"
Since it was a low-set traditional house, I didn't think there was a second floor, but apparently, this place had an attic. I followed Airi up the ladder that led to the upper crawlspace.
"So this is it, huh?"
The room was reasonably large, with a gabled ceiling that slanted inward like hands held in prayer. A carpet covered the floor, but aside from a dresser and a low table, the space was entirely bare. It was a simple, functional room.
It seemed they weren't using this particular space for storage. Airi opened a small window to let some air in, and a cool breeze flowed into the dusty attic.
"I love this room! Doesn't it feel like a secret base?"
"Yeah. It's the perfect kind of place to satisfy a kid's sense of adventure."
"Hmph! I'm not a child!"
She was definitely a child. Well, in every department except for those massive breasts.
"So, am I okay to sleep here?"
"Yep! We'll lay our futons out side-by-side tonight, and then tomorrow morning, we'll head out for the real insect hunting!"
"Oh, okay... wait. Side-by-side?"
"Yeah!"
"Y-You're sleeping here too, Airi?"
"Of course! The house is small, so the attic is really the only place guests can stay."
No freaking way! That meant I'd be literally spending the night together with her! I didn't even bring that with me today!
"If you're uncomfortable with it, Ryouta, I could always sleep under the table in the dining room..."
"Don't be ridiculous! Fine, I get it. This is fine!"
I tried to act like I was just resigning myself to the situation, but internally, I was practically throwing a party.
"...Okay! Then let's sleep together!"
"O-Oh."
I had no idea what was going through her head, but I hadn't slept in the same room as a girl since nap time in preschool. My nerves were starting to fray.
(If things somehow escalate into an all-nighter with Airi, catching beetles is going to be the last thing on my mind...)
"Ah! This was still here!"
As I stood there slightly hunched over to hide my impure thoughts, Airi found something in the dresser and pulled it out.
"Is that a photo?"
"Yeah! It's Grandma when she was young. She was a total beauty, wasn't she?"
"Huh... Wha—!?"
The monochrome photo Airi handed me showed a young woman who was clearly her grandmother... but damn.
(Her chest is huge.)
Standing by the sea in a white sundress, she had a retro, old-fashioned hairstyle, but her chest was at a level of "stacked" that could never be shown on a family-friendly TV slot. It was top-tier, world-class sexiness.
(So even Grandma was that busty back in the day... Talk about powerful genes.)
Now I was dying to see what Airi's mother looked like.
"I want to hurry up and become a mature woman, too."
"Don't worry about it. You're already plenty... developed."
"You were just treating me like a kid, and now you're calling me developed? Which is it?"
Busty Grandma—or BB—had truly passed down a wonderful gift to her granddaughter. BB, your genetics are top-notch.
"Ryouta? Why do you look like you've just reached nirvana?"
"Ah—no, it's nothing. Anyway, you mentioned we had something to do this evening. What's the plan?"
"Hehe, I'm glad you asked! Once evening rolls around, we're going to go out and spread the 'honey'!"
"H-Honey?"