She Became Distressed After I Stopped Being Restrained and Started Interacting with Others - Chapter 26

Holding Honoka for a while longer, I played with her hair, running my fingers through it.

Honoka kept her eyes closed, her face buried in my chest without moving.

It was a comfortable moment. But we had to get up soon.

The lingering sensations from last night still remained on my body, and I was slightly bothered by how my skin clung to the sheets.

“Hey, Honoka.”

Gently shaking Honoka’s shoulder, I called out to her.

“Mmm…”

A sweet, clinging voice came back.

Was she sleepy, or did she just want to stay like this a little longer?

“Should we take a shower soon?”

When I said that, Honoka lifted her face while still pressed tightly against me.

“…Can’t we do it later?”

When she looked at me with those moist eyes, I couldn’t help but want to indulge her.

But that wasn’t a reason to put it off.

“No, let’s get up.”

I tried to untangle Honoka’s arms, but she clung to me tightly, hugging me as if she wouldn’t let go.

“Just a little more…”

Almost as if she was pleading not to be separated.

“If we take a shower, we can come back to bed, okay?”

I said this with a light laugh, but Honoka didn’t respond right away.

She squeezed my fingers back and lowered her face.

Normally, I was the one who clung desperately in moments like these.

The one who begged for just a little more time, who didn’t want to let Honoka go.

But now it was different.

Every time I tried to get up, Honoka would wrap her arms around me and try to keep me there.

Just like I used to do.

Honoka bit her lip slightly, then slowly loosened her grip.

“…If Yuna comes with me, I’ll go.”

“Okay, let’s go together then.”

When I said this, Honoka reluctantly followed along.

The way she held my hand felt somewhat anxious—but I smiled anyway, not paying it any mind.

─────

When I opened the bathroom door, a slightly cool air touched my skin.

Our footsteps echoed softly in the quiet, steam-free space.

Pulling the shower lever, water rushed out forcefully, and warm steam began to rise almost immediately. The moment I picked up the showerhead, Honoka wrapped her arms tightly around me from behind.

“…Yuna.”

Her voice as she called my name was sweet in a way, yet also faintly pleading.

When I tried to move to turn on the shower, the strength in Honoka’s arms tightened slightly.

“Hey, let’s shower together?”

A ticklish breath brushed against my ear.

That’s usually my line.

“Yeah, okay.”

As I adjusted the showerhead and gently directed the water over Honoka’s shoulders, she immediately pressed her body against mine.

Far from letting go, she wrapped herself around me even more, pressing her soft skin against my back.

Our damp skin clung together as if magnetized, and a gentle warmth spread from where we touched. The soft sensation shifted and molded with every slight movement.

“Hey, can you stay closer…?”

“Huh, closer than this?”

I couldn’t help feeling a little confused, but Honoka was staring at me with a serious expression.

Her arms wrapped around my waist, our bodies pressed perfectly together.

Before, I was always the one clinging like this, not wanting to let go—but today, our roles seemed reversed.

“…Fine, I guess.”

I smiled wryly but wrapped my arms around Honoka as if embracing her.

Then, as if satisfied, Honoka buried her face in the nape of my neck and nestled even closer.

Amid the sound of the shower, I could hear Honoka’s faint breaths.

As if she couldn’t feel at ease without touching me, she squeezed her arms around me again and again.

—Almost as if she was determined not to let go.

But I didn’t think too deeply about why that was.