Done washing, we both got into the tub. It was generous-sized — easily two-person, with room to spare. Family bath, naturally.
“You’ve gotten a more manly build than you used to have. Way more solid than as a kid.”
“Seventeen, growth spurt mostly over — would be sad if I weren’t getting some build.”
At the April physical I’d grown only one centimeter from last year, so realistically my height was capped.
Asking to hit my brother’s 180 was a stretch, but I’d hoped for at least 175 — wishing the growth spurt would stick around a little longer.
“My body’s gotten womanly compared to as a kid too, right? Chest, hips, that kind of thing?”
“No comment.”
I stared at the wall without sparing her a glance and answered. In the tub Kano was wrapping zero towels.
In other words, every part of her was visible with nothing concealing anything. If I so much as glanced over, things would get… bad.
“Aw, we haven’t bathed together since elementary — be happier about it.”
“The bigger problem is that a second-year high school student and a first-year college student are bathing together at all.”
Like I said before, the situation now is entirely different from then. A dating couple bathing together I could understand — Kano and I aren’t even a couple.
“Maybe you’ll never get to bathe with your big sister again, you know?”
“You literally just said you’d invite me again.”
I deflected her halfhearted complaining. And really — I’d already achieved the bathed with Kano checkpoint, so I could leave any time.
I started slowly standing up, still facing the wall, and headed for the exit. But she caught my right wrist.
“Hey, hey — Yuito, where are you going, leaving me here all alone?”
“I’m getting a bit dizzy. Time to get out.”
“You literally just got in.”
“My body’s surprisingly delicate.”
“Stay a little longer.”
She showed no sign of letting go. As I was wondering what to do — she made a move I could not have predicted.
“There!”
“What?!”
She’d hugged me from behind, breasts squarely against my back. I startled, lost my balance, and we both went down spectacularly.
I’d shut my eyes on instinct mid-fall. When I opened them, the pink-and-skin landscape of her bust was filling my entire view.
“You’re surprisingly bold for how you look, aren’t you, Yuito.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
I realized my face was buried in her chest and recoiled. If a third party had walked in, there’d be no way to interpret what they were seeing other than us crossing a major line.
I fled toward the exit. There was no way I could meet her face after that.
She didn’t follow this time, and I got out cleanly. No sign of pursuit either.
”…What kind of face am I supposed to make at her after that…”
I’d seen Kano fully nude. She’d seen what I’d been hiding below — and seen the lower half react to her. Catastrophic.
She would, without doubt, despise me. I could already picture the trash-tier-being look I’d be getting from her now.
Back in the room I was in knots. As soon as she came back I’d flat-bow and apologize.
Or that was the plan, anyway — but when she returned her expression was not what I’d anticipated. She looked… extremely cheerful.
I hadn’t seen her this cheerful since she got into her high school or college. Which honestly confused me more than anything else.
“Hey, why are you on all fours like that?”
“I was going to apologize for earlier.”
“It’s fine — really not a big deal.”
“But I showed you something embarrassing…”
“Ah, that — that’s just a physiological reaction, can’t be helped. Honestly, I was almost relieved — proof Yuito’s a healthy male.”
She’d gotten exactly what I meant in an instant. I had no idea why she was this happy about it, but she did not seem angry.