Chapter 97: In the same bed

We slowly walked back to the villa.
Perhaps because of what happened on the beach, my heart was still pounding, and a faint warmth lingered on my face. I didn’t say a word as we walked under the starlit sky. Just being next to Aya was enough.

The villa looked breathtakingly beautiful at night.
The white walls and blue roof, bathed in moonlight, somehow reminded me of Aya.

I opened the front door and headed towards the guest room.

“Goodnight, Aya.”
“Goodnight, Rina. Sleep well.”

I waved lightly and opened the door to the guest room.
Sena-senpai was sleeping soundly on one of the beds, and Reina-senpai was lying on the bed next to her. Mizuki was curled up on the remaining bed, sleeping like a kitten.

‘Oh…’

I quietly closed the door, careful not to wake anyone, and looked at Aya with a troubled expression.

Aya tilted her head and walked closer, peering into the room through the slightly open door. She smiled awkwardly and whispered, just loud enough for me to hear,

“Rina, should we go upstairs?”

‘Upstairs is your bedroom.’
‘It’s okay. I can’t let you sleep on the floor.’
Aya gently took my hand and led me upstairs.
Her touch sent shivers down my spine, and I froze.

‘Uh… Yeah… Let’s… sleep together.’

I replied shyly, and Aya smiled, leading me further.

She opened the door to her room on the second floor and turned on the light. Inside, there was a large king-sized bed and a small sofa. A large window offered a stunning view of the beach, sparkling under the starry night sky.

I was mesmerized by the view and only then noticed Aya sitting on the sofa.

“Aya?”
“Yes?”
“You should sleep on the bed. This is your room.”
“It’s okay, I can sleep on the sofa.”
“No… I’ll sleep on the sofa. You use the bed.”
“But Rina, you’re the guest. You should sleep on the bed.”
“But… the bed is… big…”

Big…?
What…?

I realized what I’d just implied, and my mind went blank.
‘No! Of course, if Aya has a room, Reina-senpai must have one too!!’

It dawned on me too late. The words were already out.
Aya stared at me, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Uh… I mean… Since… the bed is big… We could both sleep on it…”

My awkward attempt at an explanation only made things worse.
But Aya simply smiled and stepped closer.

“Yes… Okay. Let’s sleep together, Rina.”

While I stood there dumbfounded, Aya turned off the lights and led me to the bed, taking my hand. Lying side-by-side on the bed, my heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears.

‘Ugh… Rina… What have you done…!’

I awkwardly lay down, thinking I’d sneak over to the sofa once Aya fell asleep.
Aya covered me with a thin blanket and slipped under it herself.

We were so close that our shoulders touched.
“Rina.”
“Hmm…”

We turned on our sides, facing each other in the same bed.
Thump, thump. My heart, refusing to obey me, started beating even faster.

I screamed internally, but Aya’s voice drowned out my silent cries.

“Goodnight.”
Aya whispered softly, closing her eyes.

Her face, illuminated by the faint moonlight, was captivatingly beautiful.
Was Aya some kind of mythical fairy…?

As I was admiring her face, still feeling awkward, I heard it.

Knock

A knocking sound.
As if someone was knocking on the door.
Aya flinched and moved closer to me under the covers.

“Huh…?”
“It’s… a ghost! Someone’s knocking…”

Aya’s voice trembled.

I was momentarily flustered, not because Aya was scared, but…

‘No, I fixed that… Was there another one?’

A faint knock, knock sound came from behind the wall.
Aya trembled slightly and pressed closer to me.

“Rina… I’m scared of that sound. Is there… a ghost in this villa?”

Aya visibly shrunk back, practically clinging to me.

“It’s okay, Aya… That sound is definitely not a ghost. It’s just… the building is old, it’s probably the structure making that noise.”

Even though the sudden, ghostly sound was unnerving, seeing Aya’s vulnerability gave me courage.

“What do you mean?”
“It’s the sound of water dripping in the empty space between the walls, creating a resonating sound. I checked it out earlier.”
I carefully explained, trying not to frighten her further.

Aya listened intently to the knock, knock sound and seemed to realize that it wasn’t someone knocking on the door but the sound of dripping water.

She slowly relaxed, but her eyes were still wide with fear as she looked at me.

“That’s a relief. I would have been really scared tonight if you weren’t here, Rina.”

And then, before I could react, Aya hugged me tightly.

The knock, knock sound continued, but I didn’t mind anymore.

Aya soon fell asleep, her breathing soft and even.
Even though I knew I should probably move away… I drifted off to sleep as well.

****

The next morning, warm sunlight streamed into the room through the window.

Aya slowly opened her eyes, her consciousness returning.

‘What… is this…?’

She instinctively hugged the thing nestled in her arms.

A soft, warm feeling, and the steady rhythm of quiet breathing…

The moment she realized what it was, Aya froze.

She opened her eyes a little wider and looked down. There, in her arms, was Rina, sleeping peacefully with her brown hair spread across the pillow.

‘Ah…?!’

Aya was suddenly wide awake.
The events of last night flashed through her mind.

The walk under the starry sky…
The kiss on the beach…
And then, falling asleep holding hands in the same bed…

As the memories flooded back, her face flushed crimson.

‘I… I slept with Rina…!’

Despite her inner turmoil, Aya maintained a calm exterior. She took slow, deep breaths, just as her mother had taught her, trying to control her flustered expression.

But her heart was still racing. Being so close to Rina like this, the memory of last night’s kiss made her blush even more.

‘This is bad… I need to get up…’

“Hmm… Aya…?”

Rina, just waking up, mumbled sleepily.

Aya froze again.
But she managed to respond in a calm voice.

“…Rina, did you sleep well?”
“Yeah… I slept well.”

Rina woke up with her usual bright smile, still sleepy, and rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed.
Every single one of Rina’s actions was so adorable that Aya couldn’t take her eyes off her.

“Did… you sleep well, Aya?”

While internally panicking, Aya managed to maintain her usual elegant composure and nodded slowly.
“Yes… I slept well too.”

Aya’s heart was in complete chaos.

Was Rina not embarrassed about last night?

‘Or… am I the only one flustered?’

She maintained her calm, elegant facade, but inside, her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid Rina might hear it. She held her breath.

“Ah, uh… I’ll… go downstairs and wash up first.” Rina suddenly became flustered and hurried downstairs.
Aya was grateful whenever Rina expressed herself like this.
It let her know that… she wasn’t the only one feeling embarrassed.