Ch.265265. Instead of Sunbae, Oppa (4)

I should have realized it with just a little thought. Why did I overlook that?

Was my brain temporarily paralyzed by the excitement of teasing Renias?

She’d been wearing the same clothes day and night before collapsing in front of me, and she had no other clothes, barely managing to dry her rain-soaked outfit by the campfire before wearing it again.

She couldn’t move while it was raining in the cave. And after coming down from the cave, we had to head straight to the village because monsters had appeared.

Zero seconds spent at the Lantana duchy. No mention of anything else.

Under those circumstances, how could Renias possibly have spare clothes? You idiot!

“That’s why I… asked you to open the door for a moment…”

Because she had no clothes.

Because she couldn’t go outside after bathing in this state.

“…I’m sorry.”

I have nothing to say except apologize.

What was I thinking? Just because I didn’t want to freeload and have my chores taken away? I trapped a girl with no change of clothes in the bathroom and blocked the door?

Ugh… I’m really something else.

“For now… could you give me some of your clothes?”

“My clothes?”

“I-I have nothing to wear right now…”

Right. This isn’t the time for self-reproach.

The hot water in the bathroom has already been turned off, and I can’t just leave Renias alone in there. I need to quickly find something for her to wear.

I grab whatever clothes I see and knock on the bathroom door.

“I’ll turn my back. For now… change into these and come out.”

I hold out just my hand with the clothes in front of the bathroom, and the door opens cautiously.

“Into these…?”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“N-nothing. I’ll change and come out soon.”

Clunk.

‘What was that? There seemed to be a pause… was it my imagination?’

I thought Renias would quickly grab the clothes since she must be embarrassed, but contrary to my expectations, she seemed to take a bit longer to take them.

I just grabbed whatever I saw—a top and bottom—so even if they were too big, they shouldn’t have been unwearable.

Unless… was something wrong with the clothes?

That chilling thought made me decide to check what I had given her while she was changing.

Of course, there’s nothing strange about my clothes. I’m not some nobleman who wears fancy clothes, nor do I have that kind of personality.

But this could happen.

What if I accidentally grabbed my underwear and that’s what ended up in her hands?

…The thought makes me dizzy.

‘I need to check quickly.’

If I look through my clothes, I should be able to figure out what’s missing, right? Please, please don’t let it be underwear or swimwear or some other ridiculous situation.

As I rummaged through my belongings, I realized what had gone to Renias.

“Gasp.”

Why did it have to be that? I couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

And at that moment, the bathroom door opened.

“I-I put it on, but…”

Ah.

“The pants just slide down when I wear them. So…”

Good heavens.

Renias looked like a girl in an extremely short miniskirt, holding down one side of the garment with her hand to cover her private parts. With her other hand, she was holding out the neatly folded pants that were too big for her to wear.

But there’s no way that shirt collar could cover anything. And since she wasn’t wearing pants, her slender bare legs were completely exposed.

Why did it have to be my school uniform that I grabbed…!

No wonder she hesitated when I first gave it to her!

Seeing her bare legs fully exposed, I instinctively turned my head away.

Renias then slipped into my field of vision like a fox eyeing its prey.

“Why are you looking away? Hmm? Hmm?”

“…Hey. Your bare skin is showing. I shouldn’t be looking at that.”

“Hmm. Why not? I’m wearing your clothes, aren’t I? Or does it not suit me?”

Renias moved closer and started turning around to check her side profile.

She clearly had a mischievous look on her face. She probably wanted to tease me because I was flustered. That’s why she was deliberately making the situation more awkward.

“Ahaha! I want to tease you when you react like that! So… I’m going to sleep in these clothes tonight.”

“What?!”

What shocking words are these? She’s going to sleep in that?

“It doesn’t matter, right? Your size wouldn’t fit me anyway.”

“No… but there must be something more suitable…”

Renias placed her index finger on my lips to silence me.

“This is punishment for trying to take away my dishwashing duty and locking me in the bathroom. Hehe.”

I can’t argue with that.

It’s true that I tried to take over the dishwashing, and I did force her into the bathroom to buy time. I even did that when she had no clothes, so today Renias has every right to be assertive.

“As punishment, I won’t listen to your nagging today. Got it?”

And I… cannot defy those words!

Ah. God, Buddha… well, they don’t exist here, but whatever unnamed deity of the Kempriton continent. Why do you test me like this?

I just wanted to do the dishes myself because I didn’t want to freeload, was that so wrong? Huh?

…Somehow, I feel like I can hear mocking laughter. Damn it.

“If it gets uncomfortable later, make sure to change into something else. Understood?”

“Yes~ I’m not sure if it’ll be uncomfortable, but I proooomise!”

Damn. I’ve lost face, and because I’ve done something wrong, Renias has completely taken control.

Today, no matter what I say, she definitely won’t listen, so I just have to endure it somehow.

Right. The dangerous part is the lower half. If I just focus on her face and upper body, it should be fine, right?

Or so I thought.

-Pop.

“Oh?”

At the sound of tearing seams and buttons falling to the floor, I had to cover my eyes with my palm.

Renias quickly turned around and checked the state of the clothes in the mirror.

“You should have told me if it was too small…”

“A-actually, it did feel a bit tight…”

…Right. There’s no way that shirt could withstand Renias’s chest.

Because that uniform was from before I really started growing—I wore it until the third semester of my second year, so it’s smaller than my current size.

Thanks to that, even the upper body, which had seemed safe, became quite risky.

“…Would you consider changing into different clothes now?”

“I actually looked at some other options like you suggested… but I think anything else would slide off even more.”

“Why?”

“Because your shoulders are so broad…”

“Ah…”

I see.

If I had given her different clothes, they would have slipped right off and been unwearable.

The size is completely wrong—even now, one shoulder is slightly exposed. After I built muscle for combat training, those clothes wouldn’t fit me anymore. It seems she’s not wearing that outfit for no reason.

“But it’s okay, oppa. After it tore once, there seems to be more room… I don’t think it’ll tear anymore?”

I’m not sure if I should consider this fortunate or not.

But this is a precarious situation… no, beyond precarious. One wrong move and her private parts would be completely exposed.

This won’t do.

This definitely won’t do.

“Could you tell me what size you usually wear? I’ll go buy something right away.”

“…Right now?”

Renias pointed at the clock as she said that.

Wow. It’s pitch dark.

Too dark to go buy clothes.

The only thing Renias can wear right now is my clothes with several buttons torn off, which might expose her chest or pelvis at any moment—they’re practically rags now?

“Just in case I need to ask… what about what you were wearing before?”

“…I can’t wear that. You know that.”

“Hah… I guess so.”

And she has to sleep in this state?

…I don’t think I’ll be sleeping comfortably tonight.

“More importantly, oppa. What’s that in your hand?”

“Oh, this?”

Come to think of it, I’d forgotten. This should be the first priority.

***

Renias sits on the bed, carefully extending her leg with a pillow.

Under the peeled skin, reddish scabs cover the wound area.

However, other foreign substances like pus and discharge were completely gone.

Even though it was an injury, she must have gritted her teeth and cleaned it, thinking it had to be washed.

“Didn’t it hurt a lot when you washed it?”

“…It stung quite a bit. But I had to clean it.”

How admirable that she endured the pain so resolutely. Finding her endearing, I gently patted her head.

She must really enjoy being patted—she’s smiling happily even though I’m about to apply medicine that might hurt.

“I need to apply medicine down here. Could you cover yourself with the blanket?”

“Ah, yes!”

Renias finally tensed up as she covered her exposed thighs with the blanket.

Every time I applied the medicine, she suppressed her sounds of pain with “ugh, ugh.” Though tears welled up in her eyes from the pain, she endured it well.

Thanks to that, it only took a few minutes to wrap the bandage.

…But.

‘Why does this feel so familiar?’

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

“Oppa…?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Is it… all done?”

“Yes. You did well, Renias.”

But that sense of déjà vu was just momentary. Seeing Renias with tears in her eyes, I felt I should pat her back to comfort her.

Any remaining wounds can be treated by getting medicine from a doctor, and today is slowly coming to an end.

“Let’s go to sleep, oppa.”

“Mm. We should.”

“Huh? You said we’d sleep, so why are you getting up?”

“Well, I can’t sleep with you in the bed.”

“Why not?”

“Well, that’s…”

I know that if a grown man and woman sleep together in a bed, something serious could happen… right?

For someone like me, steeped in Confucian values, this was very obvious.

“W-we can just sleep together. We’ve already slept holding each other in our underwear…”

“Ahem! That was an unavoidable situation because of your body temperature…”

“But oppa, you’ll be uncomfortable sleeping in a dining chair, won’t you?”

“It’s not particularly uncomfortable. I’m used to sleeping that way.”

Seemingly bothered by my comment about being used to sleeping that way, Renias tightly embraced my head with both arms.

“Do you know that I have much happier dreams when I’m held by you than when we’re just holding hands?”

“…Huh?”

“That’s why I want to sleep together with you in the bed.”

I thought she was just being playful or stubborn, but there was a rather straightforward reason behind it.

“My dreams always used to be about my parents, who held my hands, leaving me. It made me feel like if someone just held my hand, they might let go and leave someday. But when you embraced me completely… I didn’t feel that anxiety anymore.”

Because I was holding her tight.

So she says she kept having happy dreams because it didn’t feel like I would ever leave.

“So I won’t let go until you agree to sleep with me in the bed. Even if it’s just my stubbornness… I want you to sleep next to me, making a pillow with your arm.”

The strength leaves her arms, and her dark purple eyes gaze at me imploringly.

…Alright. Today, let’s do as Renias wishes.

“Okay. Let’s sleep together.”

“No taking back your word?”

“I mean it. Let’s get under the blanket before you catch a cold.”

“Yes!”

Renias’s face as she answered looked truly like happiness incarnate.