“So — I got drunk and hyper, ran amok and vomited everywhere, ruining my clothes, and that’s why we ended up at a love hotel.”
“Yep, ended up here out of necessity.”
Calmed down, I’d gotten the full story from Kano. It explained my current state.
“I owe the senpais an apology…”
“Personally I think Kamishiraishi-senpai bears some blame for putting her oolong-hai in such a confusable spot.”
“Maybe, but still.”
I’d derailed the entire after-party — the guilt was crushing.
The Engineering senpai had been working hard to get Kano into the goukon — to end with this must have been particularly punishing.
The love-hotel-as-recovery idea, apparently, had been Kamishiraishi-san’s. Initially she’d been planning to bring drunk-clothes-ruined me to a love hotel herself.
Kano outed me as a high schooler, which made Kamishiraishi-san back off. Even a younger-guy enthusiast wouldn’t take a high schooler to a love hotel.
“What’s the explanation if anyone finds out I was in here with you?”
“I’d say we’re in a serious relationship aimed at marriage. Heard that gets you out of the underage-relations charges.”
”…That essentially means I’d have to marry you for real.”
“I would not mind that one bit.”
She smiled. (Is it really okay to decide one of life’s biggest events with that energy?)
“Did you not like that?”
“T-that’s…”
I’d been steadily warming up to her recently — no wasn’t the answer. I just didn’t have the courage for marriage at 17.
Ten-years-future me might answer. Seventeen-year-old me — too heavy.
“Pressing you for a marriage answer right now would be unfair, so fine. But the one standing beside you in the future won’t be Suzuno — it’ll be me.”
She winked.
She was the first person to fall this hard for me. I felt my heart hammer.
(I was now nearly as aware of Kano as I’d been of Suzuno. Getting confessed to and immediately starting to fall for her — I’m cheap, frankly.)
“Anyway — let’s drop this. Take a bath. I undressed your dirty clothes but didn’t do anything else.”
“Right.”
I headed for the bath, also to hide whatever expression was on my face from her.
I stepped in — and immediately noticed something. The bath walls were glass. Fully see-through.
(Right. Love hotel.) Through the glass, Kano grinned like a prank had landed.
“Genuinely can’t relax in here…”
We’d already seen each other nude in Hakone, so the nudity itself was fine, but being watched mid-wash was uncomfortable. I rushed through and got into the tub then out.
”…I never told Mom about this.”
I’d said I’d be late for dinner, but I hadn’t planned on overnight.
“I covered for you — told her you’re at a sleepover study session with me.”
“Thanks — wait. Sleepover?”
“Yep, that’s what I said.”
“You’re planning to stay here tonight?”
“Yeah, getting home now is a pain.”
She said it like nothing. Already in the love hotel together — at this point, why argue.
“It’s getting late — sleep?”
“What — no love-talk?”
“We exhausted that in Hakone — no more material.”
(Also you already know I love Suzuno and you’re the one I love, what is there to discuss.)
“Fine, no love-talk tonight.”
“Lights out, then.”
“Mm. If you do a night-crawl, use a condom, okay?”
“W-where did that come from?!”
She was being shy and bashful. Hot — but I would not. Only a double bed, so we had to share, but I’d hold the line. I made the silent resolution.