By the time Umi and I returned to our apartment building after a small celebration with Amami-san and the others at a local family restaurant, darkness had already blanketed the sky.
At the start of summer vacation, it would have still been light out, but now, in September, the sun sets much earlier, and the intense heat has begun to fade.
"We're home," I announced, letting out a sigh of relief. "Phew, I can finally relax."
"Fufu, you worked hard today, Maki," Umi said with a soft smile. "You really gave it your all. It feels like a hassle to cook anything right now, so should we get something delivered from my workplace?"
"I appreciate the offer, but… Umi, how long can you stay today?"
"I'd love to say, 'as long as you want,' but Mom told me to be back at the usual time," she explained. "A sleepover would be nice, but unlike last time, I didn't bring a change of clothes or anything."
I felt a flicker of disappointment, but it seemed that while my sleepovers at the Asanagi residence were becoming more common, Umi staying over at my place was still reserved for special occasions.
…Well, if we started having sleepovers regularly, our self-proclaimed and publicly acknowledged idiot-couple nature would probably lead us to find excuses to always be at each other's places. I guess a certain amount of restraint is necessary to keep ourselves in check.
There's still a year and a half until we graduate high school. For now, I want to maintain a serious and wholesome relationship so that, in the future, I can truly be with Umi 24/7.
Of course, we'll still be all over each other within permissible limits.
"Hey, Umi."
"No."
"I haven't even said anything yet."
"You're thinking about something naughty, aren't you?"
"I'm not… Well, I won't deny it completely, but I was just hoping for a little pampering."
"Pampering? What, specifically?"
"…A-A lap pillow, or something."
"You always know just how to push the boundaries… Fine," she conceded with a playful sigh. "In light of your hard work today, I'll even throw in a special ear-cleaning service."
"Really? …Hehe, th-thanks."
"Fufu, you're grinning from ear to ear. Are you that happy about getting a lap pillow and an ear-cleaning from your girlfriend?"
"That's… yes, extremely."
"So, which is better? This, or being pampered on my chest?"
"…Saying 'both' is…"
"Nope."
Forced to choose, I gratefully accepted her offer of a lap pillow and ear-cleaning.
Umi settled onto the sofa first, gently patting her thigh.
"Here, Maki. Come on."
"Okay… Um, is it alright if I face your stomach?"
"It's fine, but don't go sniffing my scent too much, okay?"
"I-I know."
"Hmm, I wonder about that~? You can be quite the scent fetishist, you know."
"You're one to talk, Umi."
"It's fine when I do it. Now, stop hesitating and come here."
As I rested my head on her smooth, porcelain thighs, Umi gently ruffled my hair, her touch as soft as silk. Even though I was exhausted from the day's events, this single moment made it all worthwhile. For me, this was the most precious and irreplaceable time in the world.
"Maki, I'll wake you up when I'm done, so if you're sleepy, just go ahead and rest, okay?"
"Mm, thanks, Umi…"
I could entrust everything to her, even the sensitive parts of myself I used to shy away from letting even my own mother touch. The ear-cleaning had just begun, but the overwhelming comfort was already too much to resist, and I found myself completely at her mercy.
"Hey, Maki."
"What is it?"
"It's almost been a year for us, huh?"
"Since we became friends, you mean. It really flew by when you think about it."
"I know, right? Up until last year, we were just classmates. Before I knew it, you already knew so much about me."
"That goes for both of us."
We're both possessive, a bit clingy, and we get lonely easily. A year ago, I never would have imagined our relationship would progress this far. I suppose we could have nurtured our friendship more slowly, but I have no regrets about starting a relationship with Umi so soon. Laughing at silly jokes as friends was fun, but spending sweet, intimate time with her as her boyfriend is infinitely better.
I've probably become someone who can't live without Asanagi Umi.
I'm such a spoiled and selfish guy, I thought to myself.
Even as I acknowledged this, I couldn't escape the swamp of Umi's pampering. In fact, far from wanting to escape, I was actively trying to sink deeper into it.
That's just how much I love her.
"Umi… I know I can be a handful, but please continue to take care of me."
"You can't be helped, can you? But it's because you're like that, Maki, that I fell in love with you."
"I see. So you love me, huh… hehe."
"Fufu, you're grinning again. You really do love me too much."
"Yeah. As long as I have you, I don't need anything else… I'm no good without you, Umi."
There are probably other attractive girls out there, but for me, there's only Umi. Not Amami-san, not Nitta-san, not Emi-senpai or Nitori-san. My friends are important, but if I had to choose just one person, I would choose Umi in a heartbeat, without a single moment of hesitation.
"…Umi, sorry. It feels so good… I don't think I can hold on much longer."
"Fufu, it's okay. You don't have to hold back. …Goodnight, Maki. It's only for a little while, but get some rest, okay?"
"Yeah… I'll take you up on that, then…"
Enveloped by Umi's faint, sweet scent and the comforting warmth of her thighs, I drifted off to sleep in an instant.
"Hey Maki, are you already asleep?"
"…"
"Please… I'm begging you… stay by my side forever, okay?"
"…"
"If you ever go to another girl, I'll surely… never again…"
Just before I lost consciousness, I thought I heard Umi's faint whisper, but the overwhelming drowsiness pulled me under before I could hear the end.