The surrounding air seemed to grow hot.
Yanami Anna felt as if her breath carried that clean scent of Imaizumi-kun. Just looking at him made her cheeks burn uncontrollably, and even her throat felt dry.
Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, each beat seemingly letting out a silent cry toward the palm held out before her.
Go ahead.
Take it.
This thought overrode all the struggles of reason.
And so, she reached out her hand.
When their fingers interlocked, that reassuring warmth once again came from their joined palms.
Yanami Anna felt as if a warm current had been injected into her tense body, and she couldn't help but relax from her fingertips to her shoulders.
She slowly raised her head, her clear eyes reflecting Imaizumi Keita's face, which was close at hand and wore a deep smile.
Her physical instinct drove her to want to get a little closer, to draw a little more of this warmth that made her feel so at peace.
Her body leaned forward slightly, her shoulder almost touching his firm chest.
The scene of Karen burying her head in Sousuke's arms in the KTV booth flashed through Yanami's mind without warning.
That natural intimacy pierced through a certain place in her heart.
Why... Almost as soon as this thought surfaced, all her hesitation vanished.
Yanami Anna suddenly let go of their joined hands and, under Imaizumi Keita's surprised gaze, took a step forward and buried her face deep in his chest.
She pressed her face tightly against his chest, which carried a clean scent of soap, and her arms followed, wrapping somewhat clumsily around his waist.
This hug came so suddenly and yet so... naturally.
The touch from her arms was warm and soft, carrying the unique fragrance of a young girl, causing even Imaizumi Keita's body to stiffen slightly.
He had indeed expected that with the boost from his Succubus Aura, Yanami would take some action.
This wasn't a "practice" with testing intentions, but a real impulse.
The softness and slight trembling of the girl in his arms caused a strange flutter to slowly emerge in his heart.
Sigh... This is bad.
It looks like his plans for a peaceful summer vacation are going to go completely down the drain.
Imaizumi Keita looked down at the girl whose face was buried in his chest and whose ears were flushed red, feeling the slight trembling of her body. The sense of control and pleasure he felt over Yanami was slowly replaced by an unexpected and real flutter.
He held the soft, fragrant girl in his arms, silently feeling this unexpected gift and enjoying this hard-won moment of peace.
The afternoon sun filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on them.
The whole world seemed to consist only of the two of them and their clearly audible heartbeats.
Yanami Anna's heart, which had become cold and fragile due to defeat, seemed to find peace at this moment.
So, the feeling of being held by someone... was this good.
"Hey, Imaizumi-kun..."
Yanami's voice was very soft, with a hint of undetectable raspiness and nervousness.
"...Do you know... what kissing... feels like?"
Imaizumi Keita looked at Yanami with some surprise.
He looked at her cheeks, which were flushed with a lovely crimson from shyness, and her clear eyes, which were filled with 'curiosity' and 'invitation.'
This woman...
Did she even know how much destructive power she had over a man in her current state?
Imaizumi Keita smiled helplessly in his heart, not avoiding her gaze, and shook his head honestly.
"I don't know."
His answer caused a hint of surprise to flash in Yanami Anna's eyes; Imaizumi always seemed so composed.
She thought Imaizumi would take the opportunity to say some sweet words to coax her...
However, before she could think further, Imaizumi Keita's voice, carrying a hint of a mischievous smile, rang out again.
He lowered his head, asking back in a whisper at a distance where she could almost feel his breath against her lips:
"What? Does Anna want to teach me?"
"Or..."
"Do you want to try it with me?"
Yanami Anna felt her brain completely occupied by Imaizumi's words.
She wanted to nod immediately, she wanted to say 'okay' immediately, she wanted to taste immediately what it would be like to kiss this man.
But the reserve belonging to a girl in her body made her hit the brakes at the last moment.
She subconsciously looked away, her gaze wandering, and she didn't say a single word.
She couldn't say the words to refuse.
But if she agreed, it would make her seem too forward and lacking in reserve.
Time seemed to be stretched infinitely at this moment.
After a long silence and an internal struggle, a hint of regret welled up in Yanami Anna's heart.
Ahhh, seriously!
Why did I hesitate just now!
Such a good opportunity...
Just as she was feeling extremely annoyed with herself, a thought suddenly emerged in her mind.
"Turned into this, isn't this still a 'practice'?"
She raised her head again, her face feigning calmness, making excuses for herself in a businesslike tone.
"It's, it's not impossible…"
Her voice was still trembling, but she bravely spoke words that seemed to make sense.
"After all, this is a very important 'lover-style practice,' isn't it? We can't… we can't be so unfamiliar with this kind of thing in front of others later; that would be too easy to expose us."
She paused, then added a phrase that only served to draw more attention to herself.
"Anyway… it's just a try, it's not real…"
After speaking, she said no more, only looking at Imaizumi Keita with nervous yet expectant eyes, once again handing all initiative over to him.
Imaizumi Keita looked at her adorable appearance, stubbornly feigning toughness while her eyelashes subtly trembled, and finally couldn't help but let out a soft, heartfelt chuckle.
Imaizumi Keita didn't speak again.
He simply raised his free right hand and gently stroked Yanami Anna's slightly trembling cheek with his warm fingertips, which was trembling due to nervousness.
Then, as Yanami held her breath, he slowly lowered his head, gradually moving his lips towards that soft, luscious spot that had long been waiting.
The distance was shrinking little by little.
Yanami Anna could clearly see herself in his deep eyes and feel his warm breath caress her face.
Finally, just before their lips touched, she surrendered and closed her eyes due to extreme shyness.
The next second.
A strange sensation, cool and soft, came from her lips.
The touch was not as intense as she had imagined; instead, it carried a cautious tenderness, like a dragonfly skimming the water but with an undeniable assertiveness.
Accompanying it was Imaizumi Keita's unique clean and pleasant scent, which seemed to invade all her senses in an instant.
The moment that soft touch imprinted itself, Yanami Anna's tensed body suddenly went limp, falling unreservedly into Imaizumi Keita's embrace.
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