Capítulo 65: Homecoming, and Revealing the Relationship
"Did you lock all your doors and windows?"
"You watched me do it, didn't you?"
In the hallway in front of their apartments, Mahiru
reminded Amane as if she was his teacher or something, and
he answered with a small, wry smile.
Normally she wouldn't go out of her way to say something
like that, but she seemed to be worried, since their places
would be vacant for a while.
They were leaving that day to go back to Amane's family
home for about two weeks, and Mahiru was making sure
that nothing would happen while they were away.
"I did see you do it, but I'm asking just in case."
"Okay, okay. My turn—you didn't forget anything, did
you?"
"I didn't. We already sent everything we needed ahead of
time, and I checked my handbag again early this morning.
Everything is locked up tight, and I took out the garbage
from your place, and then I went over the contents of the
fridge, so you can rest easy."
"Thanks for going to all that trouble."
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Naturally, there was no way they could carry everything
they needed for two weeks with them, so she had employed a
parcel service so nothing would go overlooked. On top of
that, Mahiru had taken care of everything at Amane's
apartment. He was no match for her.
Feeling grateful that she paid attention to such details,
Amane took Mahiru's bag from her and replaced it with his
hand.
After blinking several times, Mahiru said quietly and
bashfully, "That's one thing I like about you, Amane," and
squeezed his hand.
Amane's family home was located a little more than an
hour's distance away by bullet train from where he and
Mahiru lived in the city.
The two of them sat down in their reserved seats and
amused themselves by chatting and enjoying the scenery,
and in no time the train was pulling into Amane's
hometown.
It had been about a year since he had seen that station,
but it felt longer, and an inexpressible wave of nostalgia
came over him as he pulled Mahiru along by the hand to the
rendezvous spot.
"So this is your hometown."
"Mm-hmm. Well, that's not exactly right, since you can't
get to my house without changing trains or going a little
farther by car."
The bullet train only stopped at major stations, so they'd
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had to get off here, but it would actually take a little more
time to get to where they were going.
This time, his mother had been available, so she had
offered to come meet them, and they had taken her up on it.
Her offer was probably motivated by the desire to see
Mahiru as soon as possible.
Walking toward the large pillar near the ticket gates that
was often used as a meetup spot, Amane spotted his mother,
even at a distance.
Naturally, Amane felt awkward about holding hands in
front of his mother, so he let go of Mahiru's hand. He sensed
a slight air of dejection coming from her, so he patted her
back lightly.
Forgive me just this once, since we haven't told her we're
dating yet.
It had become routine for them to hold hands, so he was
likely to take her hand without thinking about it, which he
would need to be more careful of while they were visiting.
Even Mahiru, who was a little reluctant to let go, seemed
to understand once she spotted Shihoko and regained her
usual expression.
Once Amane's mother saw the two of them, she put on a
charming, cheerful smile as they approached.
"So nice to see you again."
"Welcome, welcome, Mahiru dear! I'm so glad that you
came!"
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Amane smiled wryly, thinking it was just like his mother
to greet Mahiru first.
Mahiru seemed a little overwhelmed by Shihoko's energy,
but she gracefully bowed with a smile. "Thank you very
much for inviting me. And thank you for allowing me to join
you during your precious family time…"
"Never mind all that; we wanted to see you, Mahiru dear!
Actually, we wanted to see you over spring break, too, but it
didn't work out… Oh, Amane, what's wrong?"
"You're not going to greet your son?"
"Oh dear. Welcome home, Amane. Thank you for bringing
Mahiru."
"Yeah, sure."
He knew his mother was only teasing him, so he wasn't
particularly upset by it. When she noticed how brusque he
was, she pressed him further. "Oh, quit sulking, dear. Of
course I'm happy you've come back to visit, Amane!"
He couldn't help but be irritated by the way she smirked
at him.
Brushing off his mother's hand with a huff, Amane looked
around. He was surprised his father hadn't come to meet
them as well. Amane was sure he also had the day off from
work and had thought that both of them were coming.
"Where's Dad?"
"Your father's at home now fixing lunch."
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"Got it."
That made sense once she said it.
His father liked cooking and enjoyed hosting guests, so he
was getting everything ready at home.
"We're in luck, Mahiru; Dad's cooking is great," he told
her, swallowing his opinion that it wasn't as good as
Mahiru's, though.
Mahiru giggled softly. "So I've heard. I'm looking forward
to it."
"Oh-hoh-hoh. Please, come enjoy the tastes of our
homemade food."
"Look who's talking; it's not like you're the one doing the
cooking… Well, Dad is better at it anyway, so that's fine."
"Really, that was uncalled for."
Shihoko puffed out her cheeks in an immature expression.
But it was a fact that Shuuto was the better cook.
Amane's mother made the meals on weekdays while his
father cooked on the weekends, so even though Shihoko had
more chances to practice, his father's cooking always tasted
much better. That wasn't to say that Shihoko was an
especially bad cook, just that when it came to the issue of
seasoning, Shuuto's food was tastier. Of course, Amane was
grateful to them both for cooking.
"Well, that's fine; Amane being uncooperative is nothing
new. More importantly, should we head home? If we leave
now, I think we'll get there just in time for lunch. The car's
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this way; come on."
Shihoko beckoned them toward the exit, saying the train
station was no place to be having a long conversation.
Amane looked at Mahiru for a moment.
"Ready to go?"
"Yes."
Mahiru gave a little nod, and he squeezed her wrist gently.
Naturally, he couldn't entwine his fingers with hers, but
by holding her wrist, he could play it off as making sure she
didn't get lost.
Mahiru opened her eyes wide, then leaned in a little bit
closer to him, wearing a happy but slightly bashful smile,
and Amane started walking slowly behind his mother, also
feeling a little shy.
They rode in the car for thirty minutes, bringing Amane
and Mahiru's travel time to about two hours, before they
arrived at the Fujimiya household.
A fairly large, detached house stood before their eyes. It
was a spacious home with a den, a big kitchen, and spare
rooms, and it must have been bigger than Mahiru was
expecting, because her eyes widened.
"It's huge!"
"Oh, thank you. We built it to have extra space. We really
wanted a daughter, too, so we included extra rooms, but we
can't get everything we want in life, can we? …You can come
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live with us if you like!"
"Ah, um, I—"
"Mom, don't tease Mahiru; she doesn't know how to
answer."
"My, my."
His mother smiled brightly, but it seemed like she was
grinning at Mahiru's reaction.
Mahiru cast her eyes down in embarrassment, which he
knew would only feed his mother's happy delusions. As for
Amane's feelings on the matter, he hoped they would one
day be more than just fantasies, but of course he couldn't tell
his mother that.
"Come on, it's hot out here; let's hurry up and get inside."
"Yes, yes, you're no fun."
"What's that supposed to mean…?"
Amane herded his mother toward the house. He could tell
that it was hopeless. She was grinning with delight as she
unlocked the front door.
They heard footsteps from the interior. Amane's father
had noticed their arrival.
"Welcome home."
When they stepped inside the house, as expected, Shuuto
was waiting for them.
"I'm home, Shuuto. And I brought Mahiru!"
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"It's nice to see you again, Shiina."
"It's been a while; I'm glad to see you're doing well."
It had been about half a year since Mahiru had last met
Amane's father, and as expected, she seemed nervous. His
mother acted frank, friendly, and too forward with Mahiru,
so they were probably on more familiar terms, but he figured
Mahiru still felt distant with his father.
Amane's father noticed Mahiru's slightly stiff demeanor,
and he put on an amiable smile. "Oh, you don't have to be
formal around an old man like me," he said.
"Oh no, I wasn't…"
"The problem is that you don't look like an old man, Dad."
"Oh, what a nice thing to say!"
It was true, Amane's father looked much younger than his
actual age. He had what they called a baby face. Nobody
could have ever guessed he was in his late thirties the first
time they met him.
"You're looking good yourself, Amane."
"Have I changed that much in just six months?"
"Mm-hmm. You look more manly—or like you've gained
some confidence. And you're filling out well."
Since he was traveling with Mahiru that day, Amane had
dressed up. But his father must have meant that Amane had
never been very confident in the past, and now that he was,
it made a big impression.
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Amane felt slightly embarrassed that his dad could see
through him like that. He pressed his lips together, and his
father chuckled quietly.
"Well, Shihoko dear, can I leave it up to you to show them
around? I still have some refreshments to prepare."
"Sure! Come on in, kids. The house isn't much, but make
yourself at home, Mahiru."
"No, not at all… Thank you for your hospitality."
Mahiru bowed sincerely and took off her shoes before
stepping up into the house. Amane also removed his and
wore house slippers.
He didn't need a tour of his own childhood home, but
Amane intended to go along and stand guard so his mother
wouldn't tell Mahiru things he'd prefer she not know.
Shihoko watched Shuuto go back into the dining room,
then beckoned the two of them toward the stairs. "This
way!"
Most of the bedrooms and the guest room were on the
second floor, so it seemed like she was going to show them
that first.
Amane had planned to go to his own room and take a
peek inside the bag he had shipped ahead, but he thought
about it for a second and remembered where the guest room
was. An uneasy expression crossed his face.
…When I looked last year, there was only one other room
that hadn't been turned into storage space.
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That room, with a balcony that connected to his, had
apparently been built to use when his parents had another
child. In the end, the family hadn't been blessed with
another one, so it had gone unused, but the interior had
been finished and set up so people could stay there.
They rarely visited anymore, but when Amane's cousins
had come to spend long holidays with his family, that was
the space they had used.
Not that he and Mahiru were going to do anything, but his
stomach hurt a little as he wondered whether it was okay for
members of the opposite sex to stay in rooms that were so
directly connected.
"All right, Mahiru sweetie, you can use this room."
Just as Amane had suspected, his mother led them into
the room next to his, and he let out a soft sigh.
"Thank you so much for preparing a room for me."
"Don't mention it. The second-floor bathroom is over
there, and the room next to you is Amane's. Sorry, but the
balcony is connected."
Mahiru blinked in surprise when she heard that, then
averted her eyes awkwardly.
"I'll make sure to lock my side of the balcony, and you can
lock yours, too."
"I-I'm not worried about that."
"Just…please do it."
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"Oh-hoh, how precious." His mother laughed. "Well, I'm
going to help with lunch, so you two check your bags, okay?
We've already carried yours up to your room, Mahiru."
"Thank you so much."
"No problem. All right, see you in a bit."
Amane's mother smiled and went downstairs. He watched
until he couldn't see her back anymore, then let out a huge
sigh.
"Sorry, I think this was the only available room."
"N-no, it's fine!"
"It's fine because we're together, but if we weren't, it
would be awful, right? But I don't think my mom knows
about us… Geez."
"It's really okay. Besides, um… If the veranda connects,
we can look at the stars together," Mahiru said quietly with a
bashful look.
Amane smiled once he realized she wasn't worried about
him visiting her in bed, and when she mentioned spending
time together at night, happiness gradually welled up inside
him.
"…Well, we can meet on the balcony later if we get a
chance. Go ahead and get settled."
"Okay."
He wasn't sure whether Mahiru could tell that he was
trying to hide his embarrassment, but she giggled happily
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and went into her assigned room.
It hit Amane again that they were going to spend two
weeks together in the same space, and he covered his face
with his hands as he stepped into his own room.
Lunch was like a welcome reception for Mahiru, and
Amane's father treated them to some of his home cooking.
Shuuto was the type of person who, like Mahiru, could
make all sorts of food, and apparently on Shihoko's request,
the day's main dish was paella.
Of course, there wasn't just paella; the table was also set
with bisque and salads loaded with seafood.
Naturally, everything was delicious, and Mahiru was
genuinely delighted. It seemed Shuuto had impressed her
with his culinary talents.
"Our son's not giving you any trouble, is he?"
A few moments after they had finished eating, Shuuto
began to talk to Mahiru.
Shihoko took care of cleanup, and they could hear her
washing dishes in the kitchen.
Mahiru blinked at the question and immediately shook
her head.
"Trouble…? No, nothing like that."
"You can be honest, if you feel like you're being forced to
take care of him."
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"…I've never disliked spending time with Amane or
considered it a burden. I always have a good time with him."
"Good to know."
Amane couldn't think of anything to say. His reply came
out more clipped than he intended.
"Don't be shy, Amane; you ought to thank her for what
she does."
"…I'm always grateful."
"Yes, I know."
Mahiru had picked up on him trying to hide his
embarrassment, and she laughed in her clear and beautiful
voice. That made him feel even more mortified, and in his
vexation, he repeatedly pressed and unpressed his lips,
which only made her giggle even more. It was hopeless.
He looked at Mahiru, ready to warn her that she would be
sorry for this, but all he could see was her charming smile,
and it was obvious that his words wouldn't do much good.
Amane couldn't stand it any longer and turned away. Even
his father began laughing at him.
"You just can't be honest, can you? Really. That is one of
the cute things about you, though, Amane."
"Why would you call a guy cute? Are you making fun of
me?"
"He's right; you are cute."
"Mahiru, we're going to have to talk about that later."
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"Okay. Let's talk later."
She answered cheerfully, and Amane was at a loss for
words. Mahiru was being more assertive than usual. He had
been worried that she might be feeling nervous, but she
seemed to have loosened up.
Simply by sharing this kind of exchange with Amane, she
was showing how familiar they were.
Amane's father watched their exchange with interest.
Suddenly, he blinked dramatically, as if he had just
remembered something important.
"Oh, right, Shiina, if you don't mind, would you go
shopping with me? Shihoko asked me to pick up a few
things."
"Why are you trying to take her with you?" Amane
objected emphatically.
His father continued smiling calmly. "Relax, it's not like
I'm going to drag her all over town chatting and giggling like
your mother, you know?"
"I know that, but—"
"Anyway, you can stay home and watch the house."
"What, why?!"
"Well, because I'm going to tell her about old times, and
it'll be a nuisance if the centerpiece of the story is there."
"Did you just call me a nuisance?!" Amane demanded.
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"I did," his father smoothly confirmed.
Amane was again at a loss for words.
His father looked at Mahiru. "So you don't mind going on
an errand with an old man?"
"No, not at all. It would be my pleasure," Mahiru said.
"Great, I'll be glad to have you accompany me." He smiled
broadly. "While we're out, I want you to help me pick out a
present for Shihoko."
Mahiru looked bewildered. "P-present? Is today an
anniversary or something…?"
"Dad often buys Mom gifts, even on days that aren't
anything special."
Amane's father was a ladies' man who was extremely kind
to women—and especially to his beloved wife. He frequently
gave her gifts, even when there wasn't any kind of occasion.
He said that he did it out of gratitude for the things she
did every day, as proof of his love, and because he wanted to
see her happy face. Amane had also accompanied his father
on such shopping trips when he visited home.
His father had probably invited Mahiru so he could get
suggestions from a female perspective. But his main goal
was definitely to tell stories about Amane.
"…You're a lot like your father, Amane."
"I don't do as much as he does, though."
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"You found me stuffed animals and cute little things and
bought them for me, didn't you?"
It was true he had bought gifts that he thought would
make Mahiru happy or look good on her, but he gave her
those things because of how he felt about her and as thanks
for looking after him on a daily basis.
Maybe that did mean he was like his father, but he didn't
think his efforts were as frequent.
"Well, I mean, you do help me out every day, so…"
"…Yeah, and that's my point?"
Mahiru seemed exasperated with Amane, who answered
by making excuses, and yet she laughed with a joyful,
humorous tone.
Amane's father also looked over at him with apparent
amusement, so Amane stumbled to his feet and made for the
kitchen where his mother was cleaning up the dishes,
running away under the pretense of going to help her.
"Oh, Amane? Wouldn't you rather be talking with
Mahiru?" Shihoko asked.
"Mahiru's planning to head out with Dad soon to do some
shopping."
Amane glanced back into the living room, where the two
of them were smiling and getting ready to leave.
They were moving quickly. Amane's father obviously
wanted to give Amane some space to cool off after he started
sulking. He was sometimes intimidated by his father's ability
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to see right through to the inner workings of other people's
minds.
"Ah, they're going shopping, are they? And I think your
father has some things he wants to ask Mahiru, so this is
probably a good time."
"What is he planning to ask her…?"
"Just normal stuff, probably? It's not like I always know
what Shuuto's thinking."
Amane's mother handed him the paella pan after she had
washed it and put it on the burner to dry, so he obediently
returned it to the shelf where the cookware was stored.
While he was doing that, Mahiru and his father departed.
Amane gave a somewhat forlorn glance across the living
room, in the direction of the door they'd left through, and
then went back to help his mother finish washing up, drying
the clean dishes and putting them back on that same shelf.
It was work that he frequently helped Mahiru with, and
Amane was proud of how skillfully he handled the task. His
mother's eyes widened when she saw him.
"You've really mastered those movements, Amane."
"Thanks for noticing."
"I'm relieved to see that you're not just making Mahiru do
everything."
"What kind of worthless, awful guy did you think I
was…?"
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Of course, he wasn't the kind of shameless person who
would make Mahiru do all the work.
He would feel guilty, first and foremost, if he left
everything to her.
She handled the hard work of cooking for him, so Amane
figured he should help where he could and be sensitive to
her needs.
He looked pointedly at his mother, as if to say it was only
reasonable that he would help.
Still looking impressed, she addressed him again, "…Say,
Amane?"
"What is it?"
"How far have you gone with Mahiru?"
"Pff?!" Amane sputtered. He had certainly not been
expecting that question.
His mother calmly finished washing a plate.
Without thinking, he took the clean plate and wiped the
water off it with a towel, but he couldn't hide his agitation
and furrowed his brow.
"Why are you so nervous? You're obviously dating; I can
feel it in the air. That's just like you—you can't hide
anything."
Once she said that, he couldn't deny it.
The atmosphere between Amane and Mahiru had
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changed since their shrine visit at the start of the year. That
was only natural, since they'd begun dating, but he had
thought he was hiding it quite well from his parents.
Since his mother had seen right through him in the end,
that effort had been meaningless.
"…Is that a bad thing?"
"No? Actually I was hoping that she would one day visit as
our new daughter-in-law, so she's very welcome."
"…Really?"
"The way you were looking at each other, the air between
you two was so charged, I thought for sure you had already
gone all the way, though."
"Bah! No way!" Amane's eyebrows shot up at her
outrageous suspicion. "…Mom, you can't say stuff like that in
front of Mahiru."
But his mother didn't seem ashamed. "Of course I'm not
going to say that to sweet Mahiru. But personally, I do want
a daughter. I'm counting on you!"
Amane didn't blame her, since he understood her feelings
as a mother who wanted a daughter but hadn't been blessed
with one, so he just pursed his lips.
"…Just don't put any pressure on her."
"I know that. That's why I've got to get you to keep her
around."
"Do you really think I would let go of something I truly
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want?"
In the past, he had thought that so long as Mahiru was
happy, he didn't care if he wasn't her partner and had been
prepared to let her go, but now he couldn't say that.
Maybe he had become petty, which was probably true, but
he could also say that his desire to cherish Mahiru and never
give her up had only grown stronger. He wanted to make her
happy—and make her fall for him so hard that she wouldn't
think about anyone else. He wanted to treasure her and keep
her to himself.
He wasn't going to let Mahiru slip between his fingers.
Shihoko was momentarily taken aback by Amane's
confident assertion, and then she chuckled cheerfully. "Haha, you're like your father in that regard, too, you know. He
loves me just as much today as he did long ago."
"I didn't inherit Dad's natural skill with the ladies,
though."
"I wonder? Shall we ask Mahiru?"
"Hey, don't you dare."
If his mother asked something embarrassing like that,
Mahiru would probably have a fit, so Amane had to do
whatever it took to prevent that.
He glared at his mother to tell her to stop, but it didn't
seem to have any effect on her. Cheerfully, she said, "I can't
wait until Mahiru gets back," and Amane frowned again.
After several hours, Amane's father and Mahiru returned
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when it was around time his mother said they should be
getting started on dinner preparations.
Amane had fled his mother's relentless teasing and
headed up to his room to unpack his bags and kill some time
with his school books. Mahiru came to see him right after
she returned.
Amane had taken most of his furniture with him to his
apartment, so there wasn't much to look at in his room, and
his mother cleaned it periodically, so he wasn't embarrassed
to show it to her. He invited her in casually, but she seemed
a little restless.
He couldn't tell whether that was because they were alone
together, or because they were in his room, or maybe
because of her outing with his father. But at any rate,
Mahiru didn't seem as if she would calm down soon, so he
put a cushion on the floor and motioned for her to sit down.
"Welcome back, Mahiru. Are you tired?" Amane asked as
he brought over barley tea for two and placed the cups on a
small folding table. After blinking several times, Mahiru
smiled.
"No, we were sitting the whole time we were traveling on
the way here, so moving my body was just what I needed."
"I see… So the reason you're fidgeting so much is because
of something you heard from my dad?"
Apparently he had hit the bull's-eye. Mahiru averted her
eyes nervously, and Amane sighed.
He wasn't upset with Mahiru, but there were several
things he would have liked to say to his father. However,
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there was no way to tell whether Shuuto would be vague and
evasive, or turn around and make fun of him, so he wasn't
going to say anything.
"Geez, my dad… What did he tell you?"
"It wasn't that big of a deal. He just asked how you were
doing and told me you were cute when you were a kid, stuff
like that."
"…What did you hear?"
As would be expected, Amane had only a vague
recollection of things he did in childhood, and he wasn't
even sure if there were things he would be embarrassed
about.
Nevertheless, if his father had gone out of his way to tell
Mahiru stories, that must have meant he had done
something memorable. He had probably told her stuff that,
from a parent's perspective, made for cute and funny
anecdotes, but from Amane's standpoint, stories of failure
from his childhood were embarrassing and no laughing
matter.
He narrowed his eyes and looked to Mahiru for details,
but she blatantly turned away.
"Th-that's, um… Well…"
"Why are you looking away?"
"The only thing I learned is that you're definitely cute."
Mahiru gave a reply that didn't answer anything, and
Amane let out a dramatic sigh.
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"Wh-what is it?"
"This is what happens to bad girls who won't answer
seriously."
Mahiru had been sitting off to the side, and he pulled her
toward him and made her sit between his legs. He embraced
her from behind, wrapping himself around her, and touched
Mahiru's belly.
She seemed surprised by this and twisted her body
around to look up at Amane.
"Ah, um, Amane?"
"You're pretty ticklish, right, Mahiru?"
"…W-wait, please! Let's talk about this!"
"If you had fessed up in the first place, it wouldn't have
come to this."
He slowly moved his hands over her sides, following her
body over her clothes, and he clearly felt her squirm.
Feeling her slim figure, he ran his fingers slowly over the
smooth line of her waist and heard a small gasp.
Her reaction was so enticing that, against his better
judgment, he wiggled his fingers, gently grazing her skin and
tickling her again.
Seeing Mahiru squirm in his arms filled him with all sorts
of problematic feelings, but it was too late to stop.
"Ha, hey, wait…hee-hee, Amane…"
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"Wow, you really are ticklish, Mahiru."
He only touched her very gently, but Mahiru was
apparently very sensitive. She was clutching her knees to her
chest, trembling, and letting out little gasps of air.
Amane wasn't sure whether to think it was cute or be
shocked by how stubborn she was.
As he was tickling her softly, he made sure not to touch
any risky places. Perhaps unable to stand it any longer,
Mahiru suddenly turned her whole body around to face
Amane.
She glared at him with slightly flushed cheeks and eyes
teary from the tickling, and Amane's heart pounded for
several reasons.
"A-Amane, you dummy. That was mean."
"If you had told me everything right away, this never
would have happened."
"W-we really didn't talk about anything important. He
told me about when you had a head-on collision with a
utility pole when you were little and cried a lot, and how you
used to cling to your mom on Mother's Day and tell her you
loved her in baby talk, and how you once put wax in your
hair because you wanted to look cool like your dad and
ended up with hard, spiky hair. That kind of stuff, that's all."
"Those are the worst kind of stories!"
When he learned that Mahiru had heard about such
embarrassing incidents that he didn't even remember,
Amane covered his face with his hands.
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He had figured that his parents would tell her stories from
his childhood, but he would have liked to know why they'd
decided to only share the embarrassing ones.
From his parents' perspective, those were probably just
charming anecdotes, but to Amane, they were part of a dark
past.
"I—I thought they were cute?"
"Don't compliment me. Forget those stories."
"…I refuse, since you tickled me."
Amane knew that the stories would probably have been
burned into her memories even if he hadn't done that, but
when he heard the slightly peevish tone behind her words,
he regretted that he might have pushed things too far and
wrapped his arms gently around Mahiru from behind.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."
"…Next time you tickle me, I'm going to whisper all the
stories I heard right into your ear, Amane."
"Hold off on the psychological warfare… I get it, I get it.
Sorry."
He hugged her and stroked her hair to calm her down,
and Mahiru settled docilely into Amane's arms and buried
her face in his collar.
"Mahiru dear, go and have your bath."
They were sitting around after dinner, and it was getting
about time for everyone to take a bath, when Shihoko turned
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to Mahiru, who was sitting beside Amane watching the
television.
"I can go after…"
"You're our guest, so don't hold back, okay? If you don't
want to get in alone, we'll lend you Amane for a bit."
"What a stupid thing to say, Mom." Amane's eyebrow
furrowed when his mother made an outrageous suggestion
with a broad grin.
When she said she would lend her son, she was suggesting
Amane should get in the bathtub with Mahiru, something
that Mahiru almost certainly would not consent to. Even
though they had splashed around in their swimsuits the
other day, getting fully nude together was still unthinkable.
Sure enough, Mahiru's face went bright red.
She glanced over at Amane, then flushed an even deeper
shade. She had definitely imagined seeing his body and
gotten even more embarrassed.
Amane knew he would also be writhing in shame if he
imagined anything in detail, so he did everything in his
power to not think too much.
"S-so we'd be, um, naked…"
"Oh, should I lay out an extra towel?"
"N-no, thank you…"
"Goodness, you don't need to be so embarrassed! Shuuto
and I bathe together all the time."
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"Th-that's…"
"Mahiru, don't take her too seriously. I mean, Mom and
Dad do get in the bath together a lot, but we don't have to do
that."
His mother had been joking around, but there was more
to it. Amane's parents were intimate with each other all the
time. If they went out walking together, they invariably held
hands and smiled at each other, and when it was time to
sleep, they both shared a bed. They were that consistent.
No matter how you looked at it, the two of them were
head over heels for each other, which was kind of
embarrassing for their son. But around town, they were
known as a couple of lovebirds. The two of them even took
their baths together. They believed that spending lots of time
with one another was important to maintaining a happy
marriage. Shihoko may have only been teasing, or she may
have honestly considered it their chance to get closer.
Either way, it's none of her business.
Amane was quite likely to dye the bathwater red with a
nosebleed if they got in together.
"You don't want to…? What's the matter with you young
people?"
"Whether we want to or not, do you think I could stand to
do that in my parents' home?"
"But I heard you were considering it at your apartment."
"…That's not up for discussion right now."
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He had realized what a convenient phrase that was the
other day at the pool when Mahiru had used it.
Amane could see that her eyes were darting around in
embarrassment, but in his heart, he couldn't say that he
didn't want to bathe together, so the best he could do was
dodge the question.
Honestly, he knew it would be incredibly awkward and
that the both of them would probably die of shame if they
tried. But at the same time, as a teenage boy, he couldn't
help but want to do it, just a little. He didn't think it would
happen, though.
Amane's father had been listening to the conversation
with amusement. He looked at Amane's stiff face and curled
his lips upward in somewhat of a wry smile.
"Shihoko dear, don't tease them too much."
"All right, fine," she relented.
Amane was immensely grateful for his father's
intervention.
"Go on, ignore my mom and go have your bath."
"O-okay. I'm going, then."
"You're such a cold fish, Amane. Have a good soak,
Mahiru dear."
Amane showed Mahiru to the bathroom to prevent
Shihoko from delaying her all night, then returned to the
living room.
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When Amane's father saw how exhausted he looked, he
chuckled and gave him a sympathetic smile.
Once Mahiru finished her bath, Amane's turn was next.
Knowing that his parents were going to get in together
and flirt happily in the tub, Amane had to take it before
them.
He felt his heart beat as he passed by Mahiru on his way
to the bathroom, and he quickly went to bathe.
He wasn't able to soak long because the thought that he
was sitting in the same water Mahiru had used kept popping
into his head, making him feel restless and dizzy.
Once Amane got out, his parents took their turn, so he
was left alone in the living room with Mahiru.
"Th-they're very intimate," Mahiru mumbled almost
unconsciously as she watched them go. Shuuto had his arm
around Shihoko's waist.
"They've been like that for as long as I can remember. I'm
used to it."
"…I think you have a great family."
"Thanks for saying so. Sometimes they give me heartburn,
though."
"Heh-heh."
Amane rubbed his chest and stuck out his tongue, and
Mahiru giggled quietly, covering her mouth.
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"…Just asking, but are you going to be all right staying
here? You're not worn out or anything?"
"I'm fine. The two of them are being so nice to me… Like,
they're treating me as if I'm their real daughter…"
"Well, I guess it's because my parents always wanted one.
Now that such a cute, nice girl has shown up, they probably
want to dote on you."
"R-right."
Amane's parents had readily accepted Mahiru.
Of course, they were impressed with Mahiru's sweet
personality. Shihoko was practically smitten—and keen to
spend plenty of time with her.
Mahiru's cheeks were faintly red, maybe because she felt
bashful from being called cute.
"If you like, I don't mind letting my parents pamper you.
Ever since I left home, they have been starved for someone
to spoil. If there's anything you want, or any place you want
to go, just tell them, okay?"
His parents, especially his mother, seemed like they
would grant any wish Mahiru had with big smiles on their
faces.
"Y-you know I couldn't pester them like that… But—"
"But?"
"I—I would like it if we could all go out together… I've
always wanted to go on a big family outing…"
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At those final words, which she added in a truly fragile
voice that was barely louder than a whisper, Amane felt a
great pressure thumping in his chest.
He knew that Mahiru had a poor relationship with her
own family. Amane figured that, for Mahiru, being able to
develop a rapport with his parents allowed her to experience
something she never had with her family. He hoped she
would come to feel that way, but he knew it wasn't
something he could force. So instead, he decided not to
mention it—and just focused on treating Mahiru as if she
was part of his family.
"Is that so? Well, I'll tell Mom. Although I'm warning you,
if you don't have a particular place in mind, my mom will
probably pick whatever she wants. Some amusement park or
shopping mall, most likely. If there's somewhere you want to
go, you should ask, otherwise she might take us to some
weird places."
"Heh-heh, as long as I'm going with you and your parents,
anywhere is fine."
"If you say that, my mom's going to take us someplace
strange…"
Mahiru smiled happily at Amane's words, and Amane felt
quietly relieved. Then he told her about some of the odd
destinations they had gone to in the past and coaxed even
more smiles out of her.
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