Love-talk over, time to sleep — and we hit a deadlock over sleeping arrangements.
“I’m sleeping on the couch.”
“It’s a double bed. Sleep with your big sister.”
“I’ve said it ten times — no.”
“After we bathed together?”
“That is a separate matter.”
We were going in circles. Neither side budging.
”…Yuito, you’re stubborn.”
”…Same to you.”
We glared at each other in front of the bed for a while. Then she got tired of waiting and grabbed my arm to drag me into bed.
But strength-wise I’m not so weak that a girl can manhandle me. I played soccer through middle school — I’m above-average for a guy in power and stamina.
The tug-of-war seemed to favor me — until she made a move I did not see coming.
”!”
She blew softly on my ear. I jerked, my strength fled, and there was no way Kano was going to let that opening go.
With my body limp, she yanked hard, I lost balance and toppled onto the bed. She mounted me, straddling me.
“Caught you — there’s no way you’re escaping tonight.”
“All right, you win…”
“Mm-hm. Obedient — good.”
She wore the most satisfied expression. If the genders were reversed this would be a crime. Honestly, regardless of gender, this is a crime. I’m not going to file a complaint, but.
”…Could you maybe get off me now?”
“Why? Am I heavy?”
“For your height you’re on the light side, actually.”
She’d looked momentarily concerned. So even she has the normal-young-woman worry about that, apparently.
“Time to sleep.”
”…Could you back up just a little?”
She’d gotten off me but was now thoroughly attached. Too close — way too close.
“You know, I always sleep hugging a body pillow, but I forgot to bring it this trip.”
“And?”
“So Yuito’s filling in as the pillow.”
“That is — what.”
Being her body pillow meant being in continuous contact with her all night. That was, from a self-control standpoint, terrible.
“So! Going forward.”
“H-hey?!”
She gripped me tight and shut her eyes. She was actually going to sleep like this.
”…Sleeping is going to be impossible.”
My mutter echoed pointlessly through the room.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
”…Morning.”
Somehow I’d actually fallen asleep, and was woken by sunlight slipping through the curtains. Kano was still asleep, looking blissfully content.
I was running on minimal sleep and very much wanted to roll over and pass out again, but breakfast time was fixed, so I had to get up.
“She’s completely defenseless…”
If I’d wanted to make a move on her in this state, I could have done it easily. (I obviously wouldn’t do anything that cowardly, but.)
“Kano really does have features close to Suzuno’s.”
I muttered, looking at her sleeping face. They look quite different now, but as kids they’d been mistaken for each other constantly. I gave her shoulder a gentle shake.
“Morning. Time to get up.”
“It’s morning…?”
“Yeah. Breakfast is coming up.”
She’s never been a morning person, so I’d braced for her to take forever to wake — but she got up cleanly. She stretched and turned to me.
“Sleep well, Yuito?”
“Thanks to you, not at all.”
I went full sarcastic. She grinned.
“Was it that big sister was right next to you and you got worked up and couldn’t sleep?”
“T-that’s not what I meant.”
“Mm-hm. Yuito’s a man, after all.”
She nodded to herself as I flailed. Honestly, sleeping next to her and not getting worked up would be the surprise.
Especially when she so closely resembles the girl I like. (I will never say that out loud.)
“Let’s get changed and ready.”
“Yeah.”
We peeled off the yukata and changed into clothes. I had nothing to do beyond washing my face and fixing my bedhead, but Kano had a whole morning routine to get through, so she was going to take a while.