Staring at the two routes, Yūto Shō froze for a beat, then locked in Route One without hesitation. Just like the system said — since the other party rolled initiative on him first, he had every right to counter-attack.
Decision made, Yūto Shō didn't drag it out. He rushed over and knocked on the bathroom door, pulling on his best panicked-protagonist face, voice tight with fake urgency. "Hina-Nee, can you come out quick? My classmates showed up to hang out, they're literally right outside the door."
Inside, Tachibana Hina was still simmering over what Natsuo Fuji had pulled. Hearing Yūto Shō through the door, she let out a dry laugh. "Shō-Kun, it's not that I don't want to, but I don't have anything to wear right now. Can you figure something out for me?"
Yūto Shō hesitated. "But I don't have any women's clothes lying around, and my classmates are already at the door. No way I can dip out to your place and grab something."
"Shō-Kun, why are you so worked up about a classmate? Is there a problem with me being in the bathroom?" Tachibana Hina asked, genuinely confused.
Sure, she had nothing to wear, but she wasn't some exhibitionist about to streak through the apartment. Even if Yūto Shō's classmates barged in, she wouldn't lose sleep over it. Worst case, the bathroom would be off-limits for a minute.
Yūto Shō said awkwardly, "Because one of the classmates coming over is a girl I've got a crush on. I don't want her finding out you're at my place, Hina-Nee."
Tachibana Hina blinked, then laughed out loud, unable to help herself. "Shō-Kun, you're adorable, getting yourself twisted up over this. At my age, no sane person would think there's anything going on between us."
But behind the smile, Tachibana Hina felt a quiet sting of envy for the girl Yūto Shō was crushing on. The second she'd stepped into adulthood, circumstances had shoved her into a marriage with Natsuo Fuji — a textbook scumbag — and she'd never even tasted what a real romance felt like.
Yūto Shō mumbled, "No way. Hina-Nee, you're so beautiful. If my crush sees you, she's gonna flag you as the final boss rival instantly."
Tachibana Hina felt something warm flicker in her chest and shot back playfully, "Honestly, you're making me sound like I'm still in my prime. Teenage girls wouldn't waste a thought on someone like me."
Her tone dipped a little at the end, suddenly carrying that bittersweet weight. She thought of her best years, all spent alone, that so-called marriage closing around her like a cage route with no escape ending.
Yūto Shō caught the shift in her voice, like she was mourning her own youth slipping past.
He said, "But Hina-Nee, you're still really young, and a girl in her teens is basically a kid. You're a full-grown woman, gorgeous, with an amazing figure. If anything, Hina-Nee, you're way more popular."
Tachibana Hina froze for a second, then huffed, "Shō-Kun, what kind of thing is that to say?"
Getting praised by a student for her looks and her figure made her feel that bashful flutter she hadn't felt in years.
Yūto Shō backpedaled fast. "Sorry Hina-Nee, that came out wrong. But seriously, can you come out? My classmates are blowing up the door. I told them I was on the toilet, and if I stall any longer my crush is gonna rage-quit on me."
Tachibana Hina looked stuck. "But I really don't have anything to put on. The clothes I changed out of before the shower got soaked, and if I wear them I'll catch a cold."
She'd splashed water on her change of clothes mid-shower.
Yūto Shō offered, "Hina-Nee, there's a bath towel in there. If you're okay with it, just use that for now. Once you're out, hide in my room until my classmates leave."
Tachibana Hina hesitated a beat, then nodded, resigned. "Guess that's the only move. Shō-Kun, give me a second."
She walked over, pulled down the only bath towel in the bathroom, her face going pink, gritted her teeth, and wrapped it tight around herself. She silently coped by telling herself it was fine — Shō-Kun would definitely wash the towel after she was done. Definitely.
Meanwhile, Yūto Shō was busy emptying a bottle of water across the hallway floor. With the tiles slick like that, anyone walking through without watching their step was guaranteed to wipe out anime-style.
Just as he capped off the splash zone, Yūto Shō heard Tachibana Hina's shy voice float out from the bathroom. "Shō-Kun, I'm coming out."
Yūto Shō stashed the empty bottle just as the bathroom door clicked open. He turned, and there she was — Tachibana Hina wrapped in nothing but the towel, her long black hair damp and clinging to her shoulders, every strand adding to that grown-woman aura that hit different.
Her delicate face was flushed with a shy pink, and the white bath towel hugged every curve of her body like it had been drawn by a doujin artist on commission. Her legs ran long and slender beneath the hem, skin pale as fresh snowfall. Fresh out of the shower, that snow-pale skin was tinged with the faintest rose, and the whole effect was straight-up illegal.
Yūto Shō swallowed hard. Catching him staring like that, Tachibana Hina's face went scarlet, and she rushed out a sentence before bolting toward his room.
"Shō-Kun, I'll wait in your room first."
She was so flustered, she didn't catch the sly little grin curling on Yūto Shō's face behind her.
And because Tachibana Hina was moving too fast to clock the wet floor, her foot suddenly skated out from under her. A startled cry slipped out as her balance collapsed and she went down hard, the bath towel coming loose, her whole body laid bare like a freshly unsealed reward CG.
Yūto Shō swallowed, his eyes darting everywhere at once, and put on his most concerned-protagonist face as he hurried over. "Hina-Nee, are you okay? Ah —!"
The second the words left his mouth, his own foot slid out, and he went toppling straight down onto Tachibana Hina where she lay sprawled on the floor, his weight slamming flush against her body. His hands, with surgical precision, landed dead-center between the twin soft hemispheres of her chest, the softness practically swallowing his palms.
Yūto Shō couldn't help himself — he squeezed, hard.
"Shō-Kun, don't — mmnh ..."
Tachibana Hina hadn't braced for any of this. Pinned down by Yūto Shō like that, the raw masculine weight on top of her made her ears burn red, and the sensation of those big hands clamping over her most sensitive places made her body jolt out of her control. A breathy, helpless little moan slipped out — "Aahn —" — and her breathing started running ragged.
Yūto Shō, playing the dazed-from-the-fall card to perfection, shook his head and pressed down against Tachibana Hina's chest to push himself up. His hands sank into something soft and slick. He froze, glanced down, and his whole face short-circuited.
After that involuntary moan escaped her, Tachibana Hina wanted to disappear. Now, watching Yūto Shō stare blankly at her chest, the embarrassment hit critical, and she snapped, "Shō-Kun, get off!"
"Sorry Hina-Nee, I didn't mean to, I'm getting up right now."
Yūto Shō jolted, his face flushing red as he stammered the apology. He pressed his hands frantically against Tachibana Hina's body to push himself off — but maybe he was too rattled, maybe the floor was too slick, because he kept rising halfway and crashing back down, mashing into her over and over until she was panting helplessly, her thighs reflexively clamping together.
In the chaos, Tachibana Hina felt her chest getting grabbed, kneaded, mauled in Yūto Shō's hands again and again, the grip so rough it nearly broke her brain.
Tachibana Hina's delicate body shuddered uncontrollably. Her sensitive spots were being worked so tight, so hard, that a strange tingling current was building in her — and god help her, it felt good.
Tachibana Hina's pretty face went bright red, her breathing speeding up. Then, suddenly, she wrapped her arms tight around Yūto Shō where he was pinning her, her voice trembling as she whispered, "Shō-Kun, don't move!"
Yūto Shō's body locked up, and then he sank down onto her ripe, soft body, going completely still. With her rapid breathing right at his ear, her breath ghosting against his neck, the full sensation of her body pressed against his — Yūto Shō naturally hit max charge, his hardness pressing right up against the beautiful young woman's thigh.