Volume 5 Chapter 4

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Chapter edited by: Kashima

♥

When I woke up, I was embraced by Takkun’s bare arms.

“…Huh? Uh… H-Huuuuuuhhhh?!”

The moment my sleepy head understood the situation, I yelled and got up immediately.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

Yes… I was imagining things after all.

Wide shoulders, muscular chest, a toned abdomen.

The upper body of the man was peeking from under the sheets… was completely naked. If the sheets could move a little more, I could see the parts I shouldn’t see.

Takkun was sleeping naked next to me.

Or rather… It looked like we had been sleeping together until now.

“W-W-Why?! Why are we both in the bed…?! Why is Takkun naked…?! Huhhhh?! W-Why am I also naked?!”

I was so focused on looking at Takkun’s naked body that it was only after a long time that to my surprise, I was also naked.

My clothes aren’t here!

I’m not wearing anything!

I’m completely naked!

Both of us are naked…

“J-Just what does this mean…?”

“…Hng… Ayako-san…?”

While I was a mess, the sleeping Takkun woke up.

Since I was sitting naked, my entire upper body was showing.

I tried covering my chest with the sheets by reflex.

“You woke up early, good morning.”

“G-Good morning… Wait, what good morning, what’s all this?! W-What’s happening here?”

“What do you mean?”

“W-W-W-Why are we sleeping together? And also… n-naked…”

“You don’t remember?” asked Takkun calmly while I was panicking. “After what happened yesterday… things just kind of happened.”

“Things just kind of happened?!”

No way!

Did it end up in that kind of mood?!

Then what was the point of that entire conversation we had before we went to bed?!

After all that, we ended up going with the flow anyways?!

“Ayako-san, you were so cute.”

“…”

“At first, you were embarrassed and blushing so much, but once we got into it, you got really passionate and even took the initiative…”

“R-Really?! Did I really… No way…”

I was still trying to process the situation, when Takkun suddenly hugged me.

His naked body hugged my naked body.

Our bodies were so close that it was really bad…

“Huh? Huh? Huuuhhhh?!”

“…Sorry, but after seeing you, I couldn’t resist.”

“W-Wait a moment… S-Stop, Takkun! Because… I need to work today! Besides, it’s too early to do it… Ngh! S-Stop!”

Ignoring my resistance, his hands softly caressed my skin. He kissed my neck, leaving me numb and without any strength to resist. His big and muscular hands eventually made their way all over my body…

And then… I suddenly woke up.

The shame and self-loathing made me want to die.

“~~~~”

W-What the hell am I dreaming about now?!

This is so embarrassing!

Way too embarrassing!

I can’t believe I’m having wet dreams now… I-It’s like I’m frustrated!

And more than that, I’m embarrassed about how light everything was!

Despite it being a wet dream, the details were very vague.

The important parts weren’t described at all.

And the direct parts were cut off.

It’s like a shounen manga from a magazine.

B-But it can’t be helped!

Because I’ve never done it!

I’ve never seen it!

I’ve never seen Takkun’s… Well, technically I have.

I’ve taken a bath with him before.

However… What I saw back then was something like a cute cocoon, but I’m sure it’s a lot more manly now…

“No, no, w-what the hell am I thinking right now?!” I shook my head to dispel all dirty thoughts. “…Yes. Nothing’s happened. It’s impossible for something to have happened. Both of us slept in separate beds.”

“…Hng, Ayako-san…?”

While I was muttering to myself in bed, trying to get rid of the graphic images displayed in my brain, Takkun, who was sleeping next to me, woke up.

He got up slowly.

I got nervous for a moment, but obviously, he was wearing his pajamas.

There was no way he was naked.

“Ah, sorry Takkun. Did I wake you up?”

“It’s fine… It was about time to get up anyways,” said Takkun while he checked his phone next to the pillow.

I also checked mine and saw that it was 6:50 am.

Since I had set the alarm for 7, you could say that it was about time to get up.

“I’m sorry, I had this weird dream and…”

“A weird dream…?”

“…Ah.”

“Looks like it was really terrible, what did you dream about?”

“N-Nothing special! Just a trivial dream… I already forgot it. Can’t remember anything about it at all.”

I got up from bed, desperately playing dumb.

After getting dressed, we prepared breakfast together.

It was a simple breakfast with toast, fried eggs and yogurt…

We sat at the table and started to eat together.

It was our first breakfast living together.

“Takkun, you like putting hot sauce on your eggs, right?”

“Yes, and so do you, right?”

“Yes.”

We each took a turn to put on some hot sauce.

We haven’t been dating for long, but we’ve known each other for a decade.

We’ve eaten together many times, and to a certain extent, we know each other’s tastes.

But,

I felt like this moment was different from the other meals we’ve had before.

“Somehow… having breakfast with you like this feels new.”

“Yes. We’ve had breakfast together a couple of times before, but Miu was almost always there too.”

“This is the first time we’ve had breakfast by ourselves,” I said and Takkun nodded.

“Maybe since it’s a breakfast between us as a couple… it’s a little special.”

“Special?”

“Be it lunch or dinner, they are meals that you can eat with your significant other, even if you just started dating. You can even eat it with someone that’s not your significant other, but breakfast is… something that you rarely get to eat with someone that’s not your relative. Even among couples, it’s something that you only get to do once your relationship has progressed to a certain point.”

“…I guess you’re right,” I nodded deeply in agreement. “Having breakfast together means that they’ve spent the night together. The fact that the couple has spent the night together means they’ve…”

I stopped mid-sentence, but it was too late already.

Takkun started blushing… And my face was probably no different from his.

“…I’m sorry for saying such weird things in the morning.”

“I-It’s fine, don’t worry! I-I’m also sorry…”

What a blunder…

Takkun skillfully chose his words to make it sound romantic, but then I ended up making it all sound vulgar when I said it so explicitly.

Although the mood became a little awkward, we enjoyed our first special breakfast together.

It’s a very common pattern to get up early, take it easy thinking that you don’t need to hurry up, until you realize you don’t have any time left.

This is bad.

It’s really bad to be late on your first day.

Today is the first time I’m going to the office from this apartment, so I thought about going out a little earlier, just in case I got lost, and despite that…

I went to the bathroom to dress up, put on makeup and then headed to the kitchen.

It looked like Takkun had just finished doing the dishes and was washing his hands.

“Sorry for making you do the dishes, Takkun.”

“Don’t worry, I have no plans for the day, so I don’t mind,” Takkun said with a smile.

Apparently, his internship didn’t start until tomorrow.

“I’ll do chores and start organizing my luggage. And, I’ll also go buy anything I need, so if there’s something you are missing, please tell me.”

“Thanks, you’re a big help.”

I headed to the main door and put on my heels.

Takkun also came to see me off.

“Well then, I’m heading out.”

“Have a good today.”

“…Fufu.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Is something wrong?”

“It feels weird. I never thought there would be a day you’d see me off with a ‘have a good day.’”

“It does feel a little weird,” Takkun also nodded and laughed.

It’s a really weird feeling.

But I wonder if I’ll eventually get used to this situation.

Maybe during these three months… or when we live together someday.

I wonder if this tingling situation will become a normal part of my daily life…

“…Uhm, Ayako-san,” said Takkun, suddenly getting serious. “Can we do the daily morning event that couples who live together do?”

“Morning event…?”

I tilted my head in confusion, but after pondering for a moment, it immediately came to me.

“D-Don’t tell me…”

“Uhm, well, a farewell kiss or something like that…”

His voice was getting quieter and quieter, but I managed to clearly hear the important part.

My face heated up as if it were in flames.

“Uh, ah… Takkun, a-are you the type of guy that likes to do those things?”

“If we’re talking about whether I want to do it or not… Well, I’d say I do, like any other person.”

“O-Oh… I see… You want to do them, like any other person…”

“You don’t want to, Ayako-san?”

“I-It’s not that I don’t want to, but…”

“…Then.”

“W-Wait a moment! Wait, wait! After all… I-Isn’t it too embarrassing?! It’s like we were a very close couple… and a very passionate one, too.”

“And what’s wrong with that? It’s not like someone is looking at us,” he said.

And then, Takkun grabbed me by the shoulders and slowly got closer to my face.

I felt a little forced, but I didn’t complain… I simply closed my eyes in silence without resisting.

Eventually, our lips touched.

Besides, this isn’t the first time we’ve kissed.

The first time was when I lost control and kissed him on impulse, and then we kissed several times during our flirting week.

But I still wasn’t used to it at all.

My heart was beating incredibly fast, my chest was full of a sweet sensation and my entire body felt like it was about to blow up.

“…”

When our eyes met after the kiss was over, we quickly looked away.

“…It’s a little embarrassing after all. I feel like I shouldn’t be doing this early in the morning.”

“T-That’s what I was telling you…!”

“Haha, sorry.”

After a giggle, Takkun looked at me directly once again.

“Have a good day.”

“…Yes, I’m off.”

After bidding each other farewell, I went out the door properly this time.

My face was flushed.

I could still feel the touch of his lips on mine, and my head felt dizzy.

Haah…

I wonder if I’ll be able to do my job properly today after experiencing such bliss this early in the morning.

My head was very lively due to the sweet morning I had, but when I got to the train that was full of people, my mind suddenly shifted to corporate slave mode.

So tight…

It’s hard to travel in a busy train…

Both physically and mentally.

For the residents of Tohoku, who tend to travel in cars and rarely take trains, using the busy Tokyo trains is incredibly tough.

Having said that, peak hours have already passed and it’s not so busy that people are pushing each other. So, if I were to complain about this, salarymen would probably laugh at me, since they travel in ‘truly’ busy trains on a daily basis… But I don’t care, it’s hard.

After a happy farewell and a hellish train trip, I arrived at the office.

LightShip.

Our company’s office is on the 5^th floor of a multiple floor building.

I’ve already been here several times, but it was the first time I had come to work in the morning.

I guess this type of daily life will continue for the next three months.

“…Alright.”

With renewed determination, I went inside the building.

It was time to work.

First of all, I have to greet people. Since I’m going to work in a new environment today, I need to greet everyone properly.

I greeted the people I already knew, and the ones I had met for the first time, and the ones I had seen in online meetings but never met in person.

While I did that, the morning passed in an instant.

While I was thinking about going out for lunch…

“…Yo, Katsuragi-kun.”

I met up with Oinomori-san, who had barely just arrived like your regular company executive.

Well, even if executives get to work late, our company is pretty flexible with our work schedule, so each person decides when they want to come to work. And in this free corporate culture, the person that works with the most freedom is the president, in other words, this person.

“Are you going out to eat?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then let’s go together.”

“If you’re paying, then I’d be glad to.”

We decided to have lunch together immediately.

…It’s a little concerning that the first thing she’s doing after arriving is eating, but I’m also happy that she invited me, so I won’t say anything.

“How’s everything going?” Asked Oinomori-san suddenly while we went down to the first floor on the elevator.

“I haven’t worked much yet, so I can’t really say. I’ve spent the entire morning greeting everyone.”

“I don’t mean that, I’m talking about your cohabitation and love life with Aterazawa-kun.”

“Pff,” I snorted.

Oinomori-san looked at me with eyes full of happiness.

“I’d love to hear your impression about the night you spent with your young boyfriend. I mean, even I don’t have experience with a man 10 years younger than me.”

“Nothing happened. It was a normal night, normal I’m telling you!”

“You can’t be serious, can you? How can a couple that just started going out spend the night in the same room together and nothing comes of it?”

“What do I know? Even if something did, I wouldn’t tell you, Oinomori-san.”

“Oh, are you sure it’s okay to treat the homeowner like this?”

“Even if you’re the homeowner, that doesn’t give you the authority to pry into the private life of your tenants.”

“Fufu. Well, it’s alright. This isn’t the type of thing that you talk about in broad daylight. You’ll tell me about it later after a drink or two.”

When I heard those scary words, a chill went down my spine.

The moment the elevator reached the first floor, I quickly got out trying to escape.

Oinomori-san followed me while she laughed.

“By the way, what’s Aterazawa-kun doing today?”

“He’s in the apartment, he said he would do several things, like chores and some shopping.”

“Oh, quite the useful man. I wonder if he would want to come to my house next time.”

“Of course not, Takkun is not a butler.”

“Why not? You could even rent him to me every now and then. Lately, I can’t even be bothered to clean and wash my clothes.”

“I said no. Seriously… Oinomori-san you’re so…”

I was about to give a brief lecture to my boss due to how careless she was with her own personal life, but then I suddenly remembered something.

“Cleaning and… washing clothes?

Takkun is doing the chores in the apartment by himself, which means that…

“…Ahhhh?!”

When I noticed something terrible, I let out a scream and stopped in place.

I quickly took out my phone, with a surprised Oinomori-san next to me.

“Hello, what’s wrong Ayako-san?”

“T-Takkun?! Where are you right now?!”

“Where you ask… In the apartment. I’m already done with all the chores, so I was thinking of going shopping after lunch.”

“A-Are you done with everything…? Does that mean you already did the laundry?”

“Yes, I just finished hanging up the clothes,” he said casually, and I felt my cheeks tense up.

“There’s some good weather today, so I wanted to hang up the clothes early.”

“Uhm… Takkun? I’m happy that you did the laundry, but… w-what did you do with my underwear?”

“…W-Well.”

A clearly embarrassed voice came from the phone.

After a few seconds of silence…

“Uhm… I washed it,” said Takkun.

And I… almost fell to my knees.

It’s over.

It’s completely over.

I realized it too late.

The underwear I wore all day yesterday… I put it in the clothes basket after taking a bath and left it there. At that moment, I was so worried about our first cohabitation night that I didn’t even think about who would be washing clothes.

“W-What do I do?

Takkun washed my underwear.

Which means that… he saw and touched the bra and panties I was wearing yesterday all he wanted.

“I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t make up my mind… I was thinking that it would be wrong to wash it without permission, but if I were to wash everything else and only leave the underwear out, it would be like I was being too conscious of you, and I thought that would be even more repulsive.”

“…”

“B-But I didn’t do anything weird! I tried to not look at it as much as possible, and washed it with as minimum contact as necessary! I also checked how to wash it and put it in the mesh so it wouldn’t lose its shape, and I also hung it making sure it wouldn’t be seen from outside…”

“…Y-Yes, that’s fine.”

I managed to pretend to be calm, but I wasn’t mentally.

Not only was it embarrassing that he had seen my underwear, he also had washed it.

I was embarrassed and felt sorry for myself, a complicated feeling…

“Sorry you had to wash my underwear, it must have been unpleasant.”

“Of course not…! It wasn’t unpleasant at all! In fact, I’d gladly wash your underwear every day!”

“…”

Uhm…

What does that mean? TL/N: A popular old-school wedding proposal in Japan is “Will you make miso soup for me every day?” Takumi changed the words, but it could still be taken as “I want to grow older with you,” or basically a wedding proposal, hence her confusion.

…Hmm. Right, it should have no deeper meaning than that, right? He just says it as my boyfriend, now that we live together, he’s willing to wash my clothes without issue. That’s what it means, right?

“…Haah.”

When I ended the call, I exhaled a tired sigh.

“Fufu. Looks like you’re enjoying a healthy cohabitation life,” said Oinomori-san who was next to me, making fun of me. “This brings back some memories, about the times when I also got embarrassed over things like underwear long, long ago.”

“…Just leave me alone, please,” I replied dryly, but Oinomori-san simply laughed.

“I’m happy to know you’re enjoying your happy and embarrassing cohabitation life… But I suggest you change your state of mind.”

Suddenly, she lowered her tone.

And then, as if to remind or stimulate me, she said, “After lunch, the ‘Script Reading’ will begin.”

“…Yes,” I nodded silently.

I felt that my head, which had relaxed from embarrassment, had tensed instantly.

Yes.

This afternoon I have the anime project meeting.

That’s why I came to work in Tokyo.

‘I want to be your childhood friend.’

Popularly known as ‘KimiOsa.’

It’s a light novel by the author under my care, Hakushi Shirando-sensei.

It’s a romantic comedy.

Currently, 5 volumes have been published.

It’s been really popular since its release and it’s on its way to an anime project.

There’s still some time before the notice is announced to the public, but it’s not rare for anime projects to be worked on for several years without the public knowing.

The reason I was assigned to Tokyo on my own… well, with my plus one, was so I could get involved in the ‘KimiOsa’ anime as much as I pleased due to being the editor in charge of the novel.

Today’s task is called ‘Script Reading.’

The supervisor, the scriptwriter, the producer, the director and the editorial’s editor, rights manager and other people related to the anime will meet to discuss the script once it’s written.

This meeting is commonly known in the industry as ‘Script Reading.’

Once this anime project has been confirmed and it starts moving seriously, the ‘Script Reading’ is done almost every week.

In short… It’s really important.

It’s an important reunion that greatly influences the anime’s quality.

In the case of an anime based on a light novel like this one, my role as an editor in charge during the ‘Script Reading’ is being a representative of the editorial and the author.

The original author, Shirando-sensei, lives in a rural area, and can’t attend these weekly meetings.

So I have to speak as the representative of both her and the original story.

I can suggest ideas or examine the ideas of other people.

And, sometimes, even fight against the people on the anime’s side.

For the anime project to be a success, the representatives from each industry meet up and discuss among themselves.

People with different perspectives defend their own ideas and make arguments and concessions until they reach the best answer possible to a question that doesn’t have just one right answer.

That’s why the ‘Script Reading’ is passionate, exciting, gratifying, satisfactory, and makes you feel as if you were working… But it’s also really tiring.

“…I-I’m home.”

It was past 7 pm.

I finally returned to the apartment, completely exhausted.

“Welcome back. A-Are you okay?”

“Yes… Somehow.”

While Takkun welcomed me worriedly, I took off my heels and got into the apartment.

The ‘Script Reading’ started at 2 pm.

Originally, it was supposed to last for two hours, but before I realized, it had been extended for two more hours.

The meeting continued until 6 pm.

Since it was the first time, we were only supposed to have an informal meeting, but when we started, the discussion got incredibly heated.

And since I was the main representative from the original side of the meeting, I was talking with my head spinning around all the time for four hours.

It was tiring.

I’m exhausted.

“Sorry for coming so late… Are you hungry? I’ll go make something right now”

“If you mean dinner, I already made it.”

“…Huh?”

I then looked at Takkun again and realized it.

He was wearing an apron.

When I headed to the living room, there was food on the table.

Vegetable salad with carbonara and tofu.

Before getting on the train, I had informed him around what time I would be returning, and from the looks of it, he decided to prepare dinner for us as a result.

“Amazing, dinner is ready…!”

I couldn’t hold back my emotions.

What’s this? It’s amazing.

To think that I’d find dinner ready after returning from an exhausting day of work…!

“I also heated the water for bathing, but, what do you want to do first?”

The bath is ready too?!

“U-Uhm… I’d like to eat first.”

“Okay, I’ll heat up some soup.”

After saying that, Takkun returned to the kitchen and started to serve soup.

“…Sorry for having you do everything for me.”

“What are you saying? I was free all day, so it’s natural to do this,” said Takkun, with a ladle in hand. “Originally, I was planning to support you in Tokyo.”

“Support me…?”

“Even if I work as an intern, I don’t have to work extra hours or during holidays. I definitely have more free time than you, so I want to do everything possible to support you, be it chores or manual work. That way, you can focus on your work.”

“Takkun…”

My boyfriend is so nice and kind that I almost started crying.

I changed my suit for some home clothes, and we started to eat dinner together.

“Mm, this carbonara is delicious.”

The moment I ate a bite, I couldn’t help but raise my voice in amazement.

“Really?”

“Yes, it’s really good. Wasn’t it hard to make this?”

“No, not at all. It’s a simple dish I found online. I made it while I was watching a video.”

“You’re really amazing, Takkun. You can do all the house chores and cook on your own. It’s hard to believe you’re a university student and can cook better than me.”

“You’re praising me too much, this much is normal. If push comes to shove, you’re far more amazing than I am. You can do all the house chores and cook better than me.”

“H-Huhh? I’m not at all. I’m ordinary like most people.”

We both acted modestly to each other’s praises.

After enjoying Takkun’s home cooking and washing the dishes…

“Is it a hard job after all?” Asked Takkun worried when we sat on the sofa.

“Ah… Yes, I guess today was a tough day,” I said with a vague smile. “The script reading… Ah, uhm, there was a reunion to discuss the anime’s script, but it got really heated and prolonged due to it…”

“Does that mean there was some dispute?”

“A dispute, huh…? I wonder if it was. It’s hard to tell, no one wants the anime to fail, but everyone has their own position.”

And the anime’s side has their own reasons and circumstances, just like the editorial and the original author have theirs.

It’s not like only one person is right, but everyone is.

That’s why it’s important to share their opinions in ‘Script Readings.’

“They had talked to me a lot about it and said that I would find it interesting, so I had always wanted to participate in these meetings… but there’s a big difference between hearing it from others and being there personally… The day after tomorrow, besides the script reading, there will also be an advertising meeting with everyone in the group to discuss sale strategies…”

When I joined the meeting, I realized that my involvement was a lot more serious than I had expected.

Had I stayed in Tohoku, I would have never been in this position.

“Sounds complicated…”

“Yes… ah, of course, there are also many fun things. The clash of opinions can give birth to new ideas we could have never thought of on our own.”

I thought that I would only complain if I kept going like this, so I decided to add a more positive story. I didn’t want to talk about the tough parts of the job with Takkun, who was about to start his internship.

“The main scriptwriter of this project is Hisashi Sugisawa-san, a very experienced one. He’s been my favorite scriptwriter for a long time, so I’m very happy to work with him.”

“Oh.”

“Today was the first time I’ve spoken with him in person, but he’s very nice. He’s got a clear focus, but is also humble and kind. And in this script, he’s managed to carefully pick up the charm of the original work, and at the same time introduced exquisite changes thought of as exclusive material for the anime… I think I’m an even bigger fan now.”

“…I-I see.”

I spoke passionately about the scriptwriter’s charm, but Takkun’s reaction wasn’t very good.

At the beginning, he seemed to enjoy listening, but little by little, his expression became grimmer.

Huh? What’s wrong?

Was he actually not interested in talking about this industry?

“This person, that Sugisawa-san… is he a man?”

“Huh? Y-Yes, he is. Hisashi Sugisawa seems to be a real man.”

When I replied, Takkun’s expression became even grimmer.

It was an angry and sulky face.

Hm?

Why does he care about Sugisawa-san’s gender? Is Takkun the kind of otaku to be prejudiced against scriptwriters and authors by their gender?

If that’s not the case, why does he care about Sugisawa-san’s gender so much?

“…Ah, c-could it be…” I thought of an idea suddenly and spoke my conjecture, “Takkun… are you jealous?”

“…”

Takkun stiffened and made a sulky face.

“I-It’s not that I’m jealous… It’s just that hearing you praising him so much wasn’t that interesting…”

“…Isn’t that what everyone calls jealousy?”

After all, he does seem to be jealous.

I praised another man, so he got into a bad mood.

Uwaa.

What should I do? He was jealous…!

What’s this soft feeling?

I know it’s probably wrong to say this, but I feel somewhat happy about it.

Besides,

Jealous and sulky Takkun… is kind of cute.

“…Geez, you’re such a dummy.”

I gave him a small smile and stretched my hand toward him.

And took his hand softly.

“I respect Sugisawa-san as a scriptwriter, but I don’t think of him as a man. Besides… Sugisawa-san is married.”

“Huh? R-Really?”

“Yes, he has 3 children,” I continued, trying to calm down Takkun. “In the first place, Sugisawa-san is a veteran 10 years older than me. I can’t see him as a love interest at all.”

“So he is quite the elder.”

“If he’s 10 years older than me, then he’s from a completely different generation. How could I fall in love with someone like him?”

“You’re right. If there’s such an age gap, it’s not likely that you’ll share the same values or interests.”

“Yes, exactly. Even if we were to date, it wouldn’t work.”

“It would be difficult.”

“Yes, incredibly difficult…”

“…”

“…”

Exactly at the same time, we both felt a lot of grief.

Looks like we both realized at the same time.

We wanted to take the topic of jealousy lightly… but we ended up hurting ourselves heavily.

What a slip up…

We also have an age gap of over 10 years!

We’re from completely different generations, and we have a romance with an age gap where we don’t seem to share the same values and interests!

Ahh, and I couldn’t have done a worse job messing up… I had to go and say ‘Even if we were to date, it wouldn’t work’ or ‘Incredibly difficult.’ What the hell is up with my words coming back to haunt me…?

“…Well, it’s alright,” said Takkun while I was depressed.

And then softly held the hand I was taking.

“I’m sure we can make it work. A 10-year age gap is trivial.”

“…Yes, you’re right.”

His words penetrated deeply into my heart.

If someone else would have told me that the age gap was trivial, it wouldn’t have phased me, I’d simply think they said it to cheer me up because it’s someone else’s problem.

But,

If it was Takkun who said it, I could believe it.

I’m sure that he’s the one who has thought about the ‘age gap’ the most between us.

He’s been worried about this gap for 10 years, so I cheered up and calmed down when he told me it was trivial.

“…Hey, Takkun. Is there something you want me to do?”

“Something I want you to do?”

“You made dinner and prepared the bath for me, right? So I want to give you something in exchange, as a reward.”

“That’s… not necessary. It’s normal to at least do that much.”

“Don’t say that. If I don’t do something for you, I won’t be able to calm down.”

“…Then,” said Takkun after some brief hesitation. “Can I cuddle with you?”

“…Huh?”

“I want to cuddle with you, Ayako-san…”

When I asked again, Takkun repeated his words timidly, but with clarity.

Seems like I didn’t hear wrong.

I felt my cheeks heating up.

W-What’s this guy saying?

“Uhm… That’s like a hug, isn’t it?”

“Y-Yes, and if possible… I want to do it more intensely than usual.”

“Ah… Huh…? R-Really?”

“Yes.”

“That’s what you want as a reward?”

“That’s what I want.”

“…W-Wait. We’re talking about your reward here, you know? Despite that, you only want a hug…?”

I was so embarrassed I simply said what I was thinking.

“That’s what I want as a reward.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Takkun put his arms around me.

And hugged me tightly.

Just as he had said, he hugged me more intensely than usual.

“H-Huhhh?!”

“…You can’t do that, Ayako-san. You shouldn’t make such cute sounds.”

“C-Cute…? It’s not that, I simply… Geez, Takkun.”

Though at first sight, I looked disgusted, I couldn’t help but crack a big smile on my face.

It was my first day of work in Tokyo.

There were a lot of things I wasn’t used to, but thanks to my kind boyfriend, the work’s exhaustion completely disappeared.

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There’s the second one to make up for last week. 6 is a short chapter, so I’ll try to get 5 and 6 for next week, but no promises.