It was getting late. The variety show on TV had ended, and now the calm voice of a news anchor filled the living room.
Natsukawa Kanade sat there, half-asleep, lulled by the comfortable warmth of the person beside him. This drowsy state kept him from focusing entirely, leaving him to absentmindedly listen to the news. Yet, even in this haze, his hand shifted in its hold with his girlfriend's.
What had been a simple, encompassing grasp of her hand turned into their fingers intertwining—his touch conveying a quiet plea, a wordless declaration that he wouldn't let go.
Perhaps because she'd just come out of the bath, Mahiru's delicate fingers were warm, completely free of the usual chill. She didn't pull away. In fact, her hand responded gently to his, squeezing back as if to assure him she felt the same.
"Shouldn't we head to bed soon?" Kanade asked softly. Though the suggestion was innocent, coming from him, it somehow carried an unintentionally mischievous tone. Still, lingering like this forever wasn't an option.
"Mm, let's go to sleep then."
With her quiet response, Mahiru once again gave his hand a light squeeze.
Kanade took the lead, pulling her gently to her feet before guiding her toward his bedroom.
There wasn't much to see in his room—no surprises, no extravagant decor. Mahiru had been there many times before, but she still took a quick look around as if scanning her surroundings. Maybe it was her habit, or maybe she was distracting herself from the nerves she likely felt about what might come next.
Her gaze eventually settled on the desk. A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"You've got the stuffed animal displayed so nicely," she remarked, pointing to the cat plushie they'd gotten during their Golden Week date at the amusement park.
The rare holiday break had been precious to her, and she'd been the one to suggest the outing. They'd spent the day visiting several places before Mahiru, on a whim, decided to try her hand at the claw machine. It hadn't taken her much effort to win the plushie, which she'd then proudly gifted to Kanade.
Although the cat plush didn't quite match the vibe of his room, Kanade had left it out on display. After all, Mahiru had worked so hard to win it for him, and stuffing it away somewhere felt like a waste—and even a little sad.
Originally, he hadn't thought anyone else would care about what he kept in his room, so leaving it there had been no big deal. But now, with Mahiru—the person who gave it to him—pointing it out, he couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed.
"It's not exactly 'decorating,'" he explained. "If I stuffed it in a cupboard, it'd get dusty and lose its scent. That said, I'm not going to sleep with it the way you do."
"Guh?!" Mahiru let out a small cry, her expression immediately flustered. "A-are you teasing me?"
"Huh? Why would you think that?" Kanade asked, a little startled. But honestly, her embarrassed reaction was so adorable that he couldn't help wanting to tease her more. "It's actually really cute. Why would I make fun of you for it? I'm glad you treasure it so much."
He was, of course, referring to the giant teddy bear he'd given her for her first birthday after they'd met. Mahiru had taken a liking to it right away, and according to reports, she often hugged it while she slept.
As for who told him this… well, who else but her devoted little informant, Shinozaki Rio?
"...Mmm." Mahiru seemed caught in a mix of emotions, squirming slightly with an embarrassed pout. She looked like she wanted to cover her face but was holding herself back.
Being told she hugged a stuffed animal while sleeping probably made her self-conscious, even if the person pointing it out was her boyfriend.
Her gaze wandered for a while, as though silently protesting the sharpness of Kanade's words. But after several earnest compliments from him, the prickliness in her expression softened. Eventually, only a shy, flustered look remained.
"A-anyway! I just thought… since it was something you gave me, I should cherish it," she muttered, pouting slightly. It seemed like she didn't want to come off as a child still prone to clinging to stuffed toys.
"I appreciate that," Kanade said with a small nod before something occurred to him. "By the way, you didn't bring the bear with you tonight, did you?"
Earlier, while Kanade had gone to the bathroom, Mahiru had gone back to her apartment to grab her overnight necessities. He hadn't seen her bring much, so he had no idea what she'd packed.
"Of course not," she answered earnestly. "Because you're here tonight."
"...Huh." Kanade was momentarily speechless.
Did that mean he was her substitute for the bear? Or had the bear always been his stand-in when he wasn't around?
Either way, it was good news for him. Regardless of how Mahiru saw it, he had no intention of holding back tonight. He was ready to embrace her fully.
Of course, everything he had in mind was perfectly within legal boundaries.
Kanade felt a strong urge to hold her right then and there, but his gaze happened to shift toward the cat plushie beside her.
Its large, round eyes, so meticulously crafted, seemed imbued with life—watching silently yet meaninglessly. However, the moment Kanade stopped looking at it, it felt as though it was staring intently at him.
An inexplicable discomfort settled over him, akin to the awkwardness of being caught in an intimate moment by an innocent child. Even though he and Mahiru hadn't reached that kind of relationship yet, and such a scenario was foreign to him, the sensation was surprisingly familiar. Unable to bear it, Kanade quietly took his jacket from the chair and draped it over the plushie.
"What are you doing?" Mahiru asked, her expression puzzled.
"Well... I don't know, it just feels like it's watching us, and I can't focus," Kanade explained.
He knew full well that it was just a stuffed toy, not a living being, and even if it "saw" something, it wouldn't matter. Yet, for some reason, the thought of it "witnessing" what he was about to do—or more accurately, what he wanted to do with Mahiru—made him uncomfortable.
Of course, he wasn't planning to lose control or let things go too far. Still, he couldn't shake the idea that those pure, innocent eyes shouldn't reflect the intimate moments he shared with her.
"..." Mahiru looked at him as if seeing him in a new light, then offered a tender smile. "I didn't expect you to care about something like that."
How could I not care? Kanade thought to himself, unable to say it out loud.
"But that side of you is pretty cute, too," she added. Mahiru, seeing through the eyes of love, was far from teasing him.
Still, Kanade wasn't one to take this lying down. "And you're the one to talk, considering you sleep hugging a giant teddy bear."
"Ah! Didn't we already finish that conversation earlier? Geez!" Mahiru puffed her cheeks in mock annoyance, clearly flustered.
Her irritation, however, didn't last long. Kanade slowly closed the distance between them, his movements calm yet deliberate, gradually melting away her defenses.
Before she knew it—or rather, before she could react—Kanade leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Her soft giggle, almost like a ticklish reflex, escaped her mouth.
That sound, one only he could hear, was intoxicating to Kanade. No one else could hear it; it was theirs alone. Driven by the desire to hear more of that sweet, addictive laughter, what started as a fleeting kiss deepened naturally. Their lips pressed together firmly, growing in intensity as they sought each other's warmth.
This kind of passionate kiss was new for Mahiru. Kanade had always been gentler before, pulling back quickly after light touches as if afraid of going too far. But now, something was different—this time, his kiss carried a pull so deep it felt like it could swallow her whole.
Her mind grew hazy, and her vision filled entirely with him.
She wasn't used to this level of closeness—or perhaps it would be better to say she hadn't yet grown accustomed to it. But after tonight, she realized that Kanade might never again settle for simple, fleeting kisses. He would likely crave more, and even now, he wanted more.
When he noticed Mahiru wasn't pulling away—on the contrary, she was beginning to respond to him—he understood that their bond had grown even closer tonight.
Every time a sweet, breathy moan escaped her lips, his excitement surged, the sound stoking a fire deep within him.
Kanade knew he was simple—or, rather, that boys like him were simple. They could easily let their desires lead them, whether guided by their hearts or something lower.
As the heat between them grew, an invisible force seemed to drive him forward, pushing his boldness further.
Mahiru's slender body, initially tense, had softened against him, growing pliant and relaxed. She leaned against him, her delicate frame pressing into his own. Just imagining her softness beneath the thin fabric of her nightdress made Kanade's thoughts spiral even further.
Unable to hold back, he let his hands roam. One arm, which had been holding her tightly, slid down to her waist, caressing her gently over the thin fabric. Her body quivered lightly at his touch—subtle, yet unmistakable.
Encouraged, Kanade's hand slowly moved along her waist. Even this small act caused Mahiru's body to arch and squirm slightly. But it wasn't a movement of resistance—it was more like she was adjusting herself to better accommodate his touch.
This realization only added fuel to the fire burning within him.
Following a natural rhythm, Kanade's hand started to move upward, seeking even more of her. But just as his palm brushed against the soft curve above, Mahiru's body gave a sudden, sharp jolt, and her eyes squeezed shut tightly.
In that moment, Kanade snapped back to his senses, realizing what he was doing. He immediately pulled his hand back and broke the kiss, trying to create some distance between them.
But Mahiru, face flushed an intense shade of red, buried her head in his chest and refused to let him go. Her expression, with her face nearly melting from embarrassment, was so endearing it made Kanade's heart ache.
Her slender hand chased after his retreating one, intertwining their fingers once again, as if silently pleading for him to stay.
"Um… I don't intend to go back on what I said when I asked to stay the night," she murmured.
"..."
Her words, muffled against his chest, carried a quiet, resolute honesty. This time, it was Kanade's turn to stiffen.
She means… that, doesn't she?
He glanced down, and at the same moment, Mahiru timidly lifted her head, their gazes meeting.
Her face, still flushed from their earlier kiss, looked as though it had been painted by fire. Her expression was earnest, almost pleading. Those caramel-colored eyes glistened as if sweet droplets were on the verge of spilling over, trembling as they studied his every move.
Kanade swallowed hard.
Maybe... No, he was certain now—Mahiru would accept whatever he did.
Even if it meant offering up her most precious first, she would willingly give it to him. Kanade couldn't shake the thought that she might even be glad to do so.
Such was the depth of her trust in him and her love for him.
Kanade knew this, not as a baseless assumption but as something he had come to realize through her everyday actions.
At first, he had always been the one to initiate, and she would shy away. Slowly, however, the roles had reversed—she had begun to take the lead while he, for the most part, hesitated to respond.
He knew exactly why that shift had happened. But the real question was, could he truly live up to Mahiru's trust and love?
Especially now, in this moment… He had prepared himself to do nothing more than hold her in his arms as they fell asleep. Yet here he was, feeling as though all those noble resolutions were little more than a joke.
Conflicting emotions churned violently within him—his body's desire to be closer to her clashing with the genuine love and care he felt for her. Together, they threatened to dismantle his reason entirely.
Even the simple act of exhaling made Mahiru's body tremble against him.
She had entrusted everything to him, likely torn between anticipation and nervousness. After all, in situations like this, she had no choice but to rely on him. A woman's vulnerability in such a moment wasn't something he could take lightly. Her small, delicate frame wasn't built to bear the consequences of a mistake—she would be the one to suffer.
And yet, she had shown such courage, far more decisiveness than he had.
Taking this into account, Kanade felt like he had finally arrived at an answer.
"Mahiru—I will love you for the rest of my life," he said, his tone calm but his expression deadly serious.
"Until death do us part."
"..."
Mahiru's eyes instantly welled up, shimmering with tears.
She didn't respond with words. Sometimes, actions were far more powerful. She leaned up to meet him once again, a gesture that spoke louder than anything she could have said.
Facing this girl who occupied every corner of his heart, Kanade knew that her love for him was endless—so vast that a single night would never suffice to convey it all.
In the end, her feelings were distilled into just two simple words.
"Hold me..."
"My pleasure, Princess."