Chapter 49

Silence enveloped the surroundings.

"......"

"......"

Yuu stood before me, staring straight at me. Her face was blank—eyes wide, mouth slightly agape.

As for me, I was just... confused.

...What the hell is this situation?

I shifted my gaze downward, away from Yuu's face.

There, wrapped snugly in my futon, was Yuu's body. She had cocooned herself tightly in the blanket, looking cozy and warm.

"...H-huh?"

Yuu let out a tiny, strangled noise. Her face was steadily turning red.

...Yuu bundling herself up in the futon wasn’t the strange part.

It was already October, and the air had grown chilly. The weather forecast had even mentioned today being unusually cold, so I understood the urge to burrow under the covers. Hell, even I had struggled to leave my futon this morning.

...But yeah, the problem wasn’t that she was wrapped up—it was what she was wrapped up in.

The futon Yuu had coiled around herself... was mine.

And the bed she was sitting on? Also mine.

In other words, to put it simply: Yuu was currently in my room, bundled up in my futon.

...Seriously, what the hell is this situation?

This all started because I’d forgotten the textbook I needed for class.

Luckily, there was still time before lectures began, so I hurried back home—only to find Yuu sprawled across my bed.

And not just lying there, either. She’d been nuzzling her face into my pillow, giggling to herself as she rolled left and right, tangled up in the futon.

The moment I saw that, I couldn’t help but let out a noise—and now we’re here.

"......"

It wasn’t unusual for Yuu to be in my room or sitting on my bed. She often cleaned my place, so she came and went freely, and I’d told her she was welcome anytime. Plus, since there was only one chair, the bed naturally became her spot when we talked.

But even so, she’d never done anything like this before—rolling around, pressing her face into my pillow...

...Why was she doing this, anyway?

Maybe she was just letting loose?

Like when you first move out on your own and spend the whole day lounging around in your underwear. That kind of "no one’s watching, so I’ll do whatever I want" energy.

...What do I do?

If that’s the case, then I might’ve just witnessed something I wasn’t supposed to see.

"...U-um..."

While I was busy overthinking, Yuu lifted her head and looked at me. Her face was beet red, her eyes shimmering.

"I-It’s not what you think! It’s not!"
"...O-oh. Right."

I had no idea what she meant by "not," but I nodded anyway.

"I-I was just... uh... testing the futon! Yeah! I wanted to see if yours felt different from mine!"
"...A-ah. Yeah, makes sense."

Judging by her reaction, that was definitely not the reason—but I kept that to myself. If someone caught me in the middle of acting like an idiot, I’d be mortified too.

"...Uuu..."

With a tiny whimper, Yuu buried her face in the pillow she was clutching against her chest. She must’ve been dying of embarrassment.

...Wait, Yuu—that pillow you’re smushing your face into is mine, isn’t it?

"......"

What do I do?

Maybe I should just pretend I never saw anything.

Anything I say now will probably just make her more flustered, so acting like nothing happened might be the best move.

The only issue is Yuu’s current state, but in the past, whenever she got this worked up, she’d calm down after some time. If I went back to school now, she’d have space to collect herself.

...Yeah, let’s go with that.

First, I should grab what I came for.

"Oh, right. I just came back to get something I forgot."

I deliberately kept my tone casual as I picked up my textbook from the desk and slipped it into my bag. Then, as I reached the door, I glanced back at Yuu, still on my bed.

"Alright, I’m heading back to school."
"Eh? O-oh. S-see you later..."

I walked out as if nothing had happened, closing the door behind me.

...This should be fine.

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

Yuu’s scream echoed from inside the room.

...Hopefully, she’ll be calmer by evening.

With a sigh, I made my way back to school, still a little troubled.

That night. Midnight.

I sat up in my futon.

"......"

After that, I’d stayed at school until evening. When I got back, Yuu had settled down.

Occasionally, she’d blush while glancing at me, but after a quick apology for being in my bed earlier, she never brought up what happened in the morning. So, I didn’t mention it either.

I thought everything was fine... but now, a new problem had surfaced.

"...Can’t sleep."

My futon—especially the pillow—smelled like Yuu.

It was unsettling. I couldn’t sleep at all.

Probably because she’d been hugging it and rubbing her face all over it earlier.

"...I’ve got an early morning tomorrow..."

I needed to sleep, but my body refused to cooperate.

I forced myself back under the covers.

The moment I closed my eyes, it felt like Yuu was right beside me.

"......"

In the end, I didn’t fall asleep until well past 2 AM.