Chapter 8 – Sharing the Same Bed

Read on ​KatR​eadi​n​gC​af​e​

Since becoming a high school student, I had never slept with anyone else.

When I was very young, I occasionally had sleepovers at the taekwondo dojang I attended, and I had slept alongside friends during training camps. But by the time I reached high school, I had dropped out for various reasons, so I never had the chance to do that again.

At home, my parents were always busy, so I spent most of my time alone. For me, nighttime was a solitary time, not shared with anyone.

“Sigh…”

After finishing my shower, I dried myself thoroughly with a towel. Then, I took out the clothes from the basket Andreina had provided.

It was a long-sleeved dress that looked like it was made from a white tablecloth? I wasn’t sure what to call it, but it looked like it would be very warm.

I guessed I could just slip it on. After putting on the magically cleaned underwear, I felt the fabric against my skin—it was incredibly soft and smooth. I couldn’t quite describe it, but wearing it made me feel good.

I suppressed the smile creeping onto my face and carefully opened the door. Through the crack, I saw Andreina sitting at the table, reading a book.

Does my current appearance look strange? I wanted to check in a mirror, but the steam from the shower had fogged it up, making it hard to see.

I roughly combed my hair with my fingers, took a deep breath, and fully opened the door.

“Ah, Andreina. Thank you for letting me use the shower…”

As I delivered my pre-planned words, Andreina smiled softly and replied.

“No need to thank me. I’m the one who invited you to stay. By the way, the clothes suit you well. Are they comfortable?”

“Yes, very.”

In fact, they were so comfortable that it almost felt like I wasn’t wearing anything. That made me a little uneasy.

A small complaint lingered in my mind, but I didn’t voice it. It wasn’t a big enough issue to mention.

“I’m glad they’re comfortable. They’re clothes I wore when I was younger, so I was worried they might not fit.”

“Ah, these are clothes you wore…?”

“I wore them when I was around ten… so exactly ten years ago.”

“How nostalgic.” Andreina hummed casually, but I couldn’t help but feel restless.

After all, while I might look like a young girl on the outside, inside, I was a grown man.

If Andreina knew the truth…

‘A man disguised as a girl wearing my old clothes… How shocking.’

“Eek…”

As the imaginary Andreina in my mind glared at me with cold eyes, my legs gave out. But before my knees hit the ground, I remembered that Andreina’s clothes might get dirty, so I quickly caught myself with my hands.

Slap—!

“Ouch…!”

“Mari? Why are you suddenly on the floor?”

The smooth wooden floor stung my palms as I caught myself, sending a sharp pain up my arms. The tingling sensation made me shiver, and Andreina asked with a puzzled voice.

I felt like crying, but I didn’t want to worry Andreina again. I forced a smile and looked up.

“I just tripped. That’s all. I’m fine…”

“…You don’t look fine at all with that expression.”

What kind of expression am I making? I thought I was smiling properly and my voice wasn’t trembling. I looked at her in confusion, and Andreina sighed, pulling out a hand mirror from her inventory and showing it to me.

“See? Your expression right now?”

“Eek…”

My overly forced smile, the strained look in my eyes, and my pale face made for a bizarre combination. No matter how pretty the base, ruining it this much made for a grotesque expression.

Wait, have I been making this face all along? Realizing this, I quickly relaxed my expression. Andreina put the mirror away and lifted me by the armpits, placing me back on the chair.

“Ah, thank you…”

“Mari, can I see your hands?”

“Huh? My hands…?”

I held them out when she asked, but I didn’t know why. Tilting my head, Andreina gently took my hands.

Ah, it’s warm… No, it’s tingling?!

“Eek…!”

“Does it hurt? I’m not holding them that tightly, so if it hurts, your muscles must be strained.”

“Eek, eek…”

Andreina continued to massage my hands as she spoke. Each touch sent a sharp pain through me, making me shiver.

This is torture…

“Really, getting hurt again while I wasn’t looking. You’re so careless, Mari.”

“I’m sorry… I’ll be more careful…”

After a while of massaging, Andreina used a healing spell to fix both my hands.

I promised to be more careful and placed my healed hands neatly on my lap.

Then, silence fell. Feeling the sudden quiet, I glanced at Andreina.

For some reason, I felt like I should start a conversation. But I didn’t know what to talk about… Ah.

I did think of something, but I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to bring up.

What if it’s a topic Andreina finds uncomfortable?

“Shall we get ready for bed?”

“Huh? Ah, yes…”

While I was still pondering, Andreina spoke first. Relieved, I swallowed my thoughts and stood up.

By the way, where am I supposed to sleep? The bed was obviously out of the question. As the guest, I couldn’t possibly take the bed while the host, Andreina, was still here. That left the floor.

The floor, huh? Even if she provided a futon, the idea felt awkward since people here usually wore shoes indoors. But as a guest, I couldn’t complain.

“Then I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Huh? The floor? Is there a reason you have to do that?”

“Huh? Well, I’m the guest… and this is your room…”

I hadn’t expected her to question me, so I stumbled over my words. Andreina looked puzzled, then smiled as if she understood.

“Is that how it’s usually done in your world?”

“Usually…? Uh… maybe…?”

I couldn’t remember how guests were treated where I lived. I had never really hosted anyone at home.

As I hesitated, Andreina smiled and said, “But in the world I come from, it’s customary to give the guest the best spot.”

“Your world…”

“So there’s no need to refuse. Come here, and take off your shoes.”

I was led by Andreina’s hand to the bed. The comfort that enveloped me made me blink.

This is way better than the one at my house. It felt so comfortable that I could fall asleep right away if I closed my eyes.

I struggled to keep my eyes open, and Andreina chuckled.

“If you’re sleepy, just go to sleep. There’s no need to stay awake.”

“But… where will you sleep…?”

“Don’t worry about me. This church is the cradle of the Lord, and I am His saintess, so this place is my cradle too.”

So she’d sleep somewhere on the floor or wherever she found space. If she didn’t mind, then it was fine… but for some reason, my chest felt tight.

“Then, good night, Mari.”

Andreina patted the blanket briefly and turned to leave. She really seemed intent on sleeping elsewhere. I watched her back, then clenched my eyes shut and forced myself to sit up.

“Ah, Andreina!”

“Yes?”

“If you don’t mind… would you like to sleep together…?!”

Andreina looked at me with surprise. I quickly added, “In your world, you give the guest the best spot, but in my world, it’s normal for the host to take the best spot… So, let’s compromise…”

“Sleep together in the bed. Is that it?”

“Eek…”

I had rambled on, but that was the gist of it. I hid my flushed face in my hands, and Andreina chuckled.

“Why are you so embarrassed? It’s just sharing a bed.”

“B-But…”

“Alright. If you insist, I’ll agree. Sorry, but could you make some room?”

“Ah, yes.”

I shifted slightly toward the wall, and Andreina nodded.

“I’ll turn off the lights now.”

Click. The room was plunged into darkness.

But the moonlight streaming through the window faintly illuminated the room, allowing us to see each other’s faces.

Andreina’s approach seemed slow in the dim light.

For some reason, it made my heart race, so I quickly lay down and pulled the blanket up to my nose.

Soon, I felt Andreina slip under the blanket. The sound of fabric rustling soon stopped.

I could hear Andreina’s soft breathing right beside me. I held my breath and stared at the ceiling.

My heart pounded. The weight of sharing a bed with someone else, the fear, and a little tension… I cut off the thoughts and clenched my eyes shut.

With a soft exhale, my consciousness sank into deep sleep.

–

“She’s already asleep.”

Andreina looked at the sleeping Mari with a wistful expression.

When Mari had suggested sharing the bed, Andreina had been genuinely happy. Mari, who was usually so shy, had made the offer herself, so Andreina thought she was finally starting to feel comfortable.

She had hoped to chat and bond more, but Mari had fallen asleep so quickly. Still, Andreina smiled and gently stroked Mari’s hair.

“Good night, Mari.”

May tomorrow bring even better things.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
They only slept.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Nothing happened in bed, only a lot of bad dreams, and torture.

Placeholders