Chapter 75: Secret story

A soft, fleeting touch, a brush of lips against lips. I opened my eyes slowly as we pulled apart, the brief contact leaving a lingering warmth.

“…” And then I saw her, Aya, her eyes closed, her face flushed crimson, the delicate skin revealing the rush of blood beneath, a stark contrast to her usual cool composure. This wasn’t the Aya I knew.

‘…Ugh…’ My own face burned, my heart pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears. We stood there, frozen, our gazes locked, our breaths mingling in the quiet air.

“…Um…” Aya started to speak, her voice barely a whisper, and I quickly interrupted her, waving my hands frantically.

“I-It’s okay! It was… just a penalty…!” But even as I said the words, I wanted to disappear. What was I even saying?!

“…Right, a penalty…” Aya nodded, but her attempt at reassurance only made her blush deeper, a vibrant crimson that made me wonder if it was even possible to blush any harder. Another awkward silence settled between us.

And then, “Hee hee~?”

Mizuki’s voice, a playful sing-song, broke the silence. She looked at us, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“What’s with you two~? Are you embarrassed because it was your first kiss~?”

“N-No!” “It’s not like that!” Aya and I exclaimed simultaneously, then, realizing we’d spoken at the same time, we both fell silent, our eyes meeting briefly before we quickly looked away.

‘Ugh… this is so embarrassing…!’ I covered my face with my hands, shaking my head.

“Hee hee hee~”, Mizuki giggled, a knowing sound that made me want to crawl under the covers and disappear. This was all Mizuki’s fault! But I couldn’t say that out loud, the embarrassment too overwhelming.

I retreated to the far corner of the bed, curling up and burying my face in my hands. Then, I felt someone sit down beside me.

“…I’m sorry,” a soft voice murmured, and I looked up to see… Aya, her silver hair shimmering in the dim light. Aya… apologizing? I quickly looked up.

“No…! It was just a penalty… you don’t have to apologize…!”

Aya smiled faintly, a small, almost imperceptible movement of her lips. “Still… I was worried you might not like it.”

Her words made my heart skip a beat. ‘I didn’t dislike it… I actually… liked it…’ But I couldn’t say that out loud, so I just shook my head, my face still hidden in my hands, mumbling incoherently.

“Well, well~ the penalty is over! It was just a penalty! But you two are dating, right? You didn’t just… kiss, did you? You haven’t… you know… taken the next step, have you?!”

“M-Mizuki!” Aya glared at Mizuki, her cheeks puffed out, her arms crossed. Mizuki just shrugged, grinning mischievously, her eyes darting between Aya and me.

“What~? You’re at the perfect age~…..Eeh~? Aya-ring’s reaction… was that really your first kiss…?”

“Mizuki!!” Aya’s voice, laced with exasperation, made Mizuki laugh even harder. Aya, usually so calm and composed, was completely flustered, which seemed to amuse Mizuki immensely.

“Hee hee~ just as I suspected~”

Mizuki’s words were the final straw. I buried my face in my pillow, mortified, as Aya playfully tackled Mizuki, the two of them wrestling like children, and I, unable to watch, could only hide, my face burning.

****

I finally lifted my head, cautiously peering over the edge of the pillow, to see… Mizuki with a band-aid on her cheek. She grinned, seemingly unfazed by the injury.

“Hee hee, I haven’t seen Aya-ring like that in ages.”

“Hmph…” Aya, still slightly out of breath, glared at her, but Mizuki just grinned and pulled something out of her bag.

“Can’t have a sleepover without this~!”

“…This?”

Mizuki opened a small, beautifully decorated box, revealing an assortment of macarons and chocolates. We’d already had chips and other snacks earlier…

“Sweet treats for our late-night chats!”

“Mizuki, when did you even prepare this…?”

“Hee hee, I came prepared~” She proudly arranged the treats on the table in front of us. “Choose wisely! And then, spill all your secrets~!”

I picked up a macaron, the sweet flavor melting on my tongue, a soothing balm to my still-flustered nerves. “Mmm… delicious…!”

“Glad you like it~ sugar is the best, isn’t it~?” Even Aya, who seemed to be sweating slightly, quietly took a chocolate and nibbled on it. …Her lips, coated with a thin layer of chocolate, glistened in the dim light.

Mizuki, watching us, said cheerfully, “Now, for the real main event of our sleepover! Secret-sharing time!”

“Secret-sharing…?”

“Yeah! Relationship talk, school gossip, or any secrets you’ve been keeping~” She grinned mischievously, then flopped onto her designated bed. “Should we turn off the lights and get started~? It’s getting late anyway, so we can chat and fall asleep~”

“…Okay.” Aya, having regained her composure, nodded, so I reached over and switched off the main lights, the room now bathed in the soft, warm glow of the nightlight.

“Ooh, this is nice.”

“It is.”

“I bet we can see the stars from here.” We could, although the city lights made them less visible. But the view, the stars above and the cityscape below, was still breathtaking.

“Okay~! Let’s get started! Rina-tan first!”

“W-What…? Me first?”

“Tell us your secrets, Rina-tan~!”

I glanced at Aya, who was lying on the adjacent bed, fidgeting with a small chocolate, her gaze subtly directed at me. So, tonight was sleepover night… a night for sharing secrets, for saying things we normally couldn’t… I took a deep breath.

“Um… Aya, why… why do you like me…?”

And with that question, the chocolate slipped from Aya’s fingers, her face flushing crimson, as Mizuki burst out laughing.

“Ehehe~! This is going to be an interesting night~!”

But Aya remained silent, a tense silence filling the room. She slowly picked up the chocolate, her face still burning, and as the silence stretched, as I began to regret my impulsive question…

“…I wasn’t sure at first…” she finally said, her voice barely a whisper.

Mizuki and I held our breath, waiting for her to continue.

“I… I thought of you as a friend. But then… being with you felt… comfortable… and you were always on my mind…”

She turned slightly, facing me, her fingers tracing the outline of the chocolate in her hand. Her shy smile, illuminated by the soft glow of the nightlight, was so captivating, it made my breath catch in my throat.

“And then I realized… I… I liked you.”

Her words, soft and hesitant, echoed in the quiet room, a sweet melody that made my heart pound. I curled up slightly, my face burning. “Aya…”

It was the first time she’d spoken so openly about her feelings. Perhaps the sleepover atmosphere had emboldened her, but… seeing her like this, her vulnerability so… endearing… I smiled, my own heart overflowing with a warmth that mirrored hers, when…

“Hey, don’t ignore me~”, Mizuki said, her voice slightly petulant. She was lying on the bed near the window. She pointed at me, her chocolate-smeared finger accusing. “Aya confessed, so it’s Rina’s turn~!”

“Huh…?” My turn? Aya also looked at me expectantly, and I… I liked Aya… because she was the heroine of the novel, because she was beautiful, because I’d been captivated by her illustration from the moment I saw it… But more than that… it was because of that first encounter, in this world… The words, echoing the original Rina’s feelings, tumbled out.

“…I liked you from the beginning,” I said, the confession surprisingly easy, liberating even, so I continued, emboldened by the sudden clarity. “From the moment you talked to me at the entrance ceremony… you were so beautiful… I admired you… your kindness… when we became friends, I couldn’t believe it…” I clasped my hands together, my fingers intertwined, then turned to look at Aya.

“I liked you… from that moment on.”

Aya looked up from her pillow, her eyes meeting mine, a flicker of something in their depths, a warmth, an affection… that mirrored my own.