Volume 3 - CH 17

“Then, please pardon my intrusion.”

“Yes, come in.”

After the marathon, Yuzuru went home with Arisa.

He had already finished his lunch.

“That was tiring.”

Arisa sat down on the carpet and muttered to herself.

She stretched out her long legs and slouched down.

But it seemed that though she was striking a tired pose, she was not really exhausted.

“Ah… you’re right. It was never meant to be a contest.”

“That was a close one at the end, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. If you hadn’t cheered me on, I might have lost.”

When Yuzuru said that, Arisa opened her eyes wide.

Then she enquired.

” …Did you hear me?”

“‘If anything, I had a feeling you did.”

Yuzuru didn’t hear Arisa’s voice directly.

But he knew intuitively that Arisa was supporting him.

Arisa scratched her cheek in embarrassment when she heard Yuzuru’s response.

” I, I see… I was actually thinking of cheering loudly like Ayaka-san and the others, but I was a little embarrassed…”

“The feeling was definitely transmitted. It’s okay.”

In the first place, if Arisa cheers loudly for Yuzuru, her classmates will realize that Yuzuru and Arisa have a close relationship like lovers…

It’s a little early for that.

“B ,by the way, Yuzuru-san. Um… about the… bath”

Arisa’s white skin flushed a rosy red, and she began to speak in a slightly raised voice.

Yuzuru nodded.

“Oh, I think it’s already heating up. I set the timer before I came.”

“Is …is that so?”

For some reason, Arisa glanced at him with an upward glance.

She looked like she wanted to say something, but was too hesitant to do so.

Such an atmosphere was there.

“What’s up?”

“No, uh… it’s nothing….”

“You want to take the bath first?　I don’t really mind.”

Maybe she prefers to take the first bath.

But it is hard for her to say that she wants to take a bath before Yuzuru, the owner of the house…

Is that the reason?

Yuzuru tilted his head inwardly, thinking that.

But for something like that, he couldn’t see why she should be hesitant or embarrassed.

“I,  I see!　Then I’ll take bath first!!”

But was Yuzuru’s point correct? It seemed so.

Arisa stood up, looking a little flustered.

“Um, I can add bath salts, right?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Then she disappeared into the changing room.

After a while, the sound of the shower could be heard.

“… I am getting restless.”

This was the second time that Arisa has used the bathroom at Yuzuru’s house.

But he felt strangely uncomfortable.

And that’s when Yuzuru noticed.

Arisa had disappeared into the bathroom without a change of clothes or a towel.

Since he had no choice, Yuzuru took Arisa’s bag and headed to the bathroom.

The bathroom door is made of frosted glass, so the inside cannot be seen …but the texture of the body was slightly visible.

Yuzuru gulped.

(… it, It’s not like I’m trying to do anything shady.)

Yuzuru knocked on the door, calming himself down.

“Hey, Arisa.”

“Fu~eh? Yuzuru-san!? No, no, you shouldn’t, you know… This is indeed a little …”

“What are you talking about…?”

While Arisa squealed on the other side of the frosted glass, Yuzuru said in a calm voice.

Then Arisa also seemed to have calmed down.

A deliberate coughing sound could be heard.

“Kohon~.  So… what is it? If you’re planning on peeking in, I’d splash water on you.”

Said Arisa in a rather cold voice.

At first glance, her voice sounded calm and collected, but at the same time, she seemed to be warning Yuzuru.

…However, is it just Yuzuru’s feeling that she’s faking it somewhat? 

“I’m not coming in… You forgot your change of clothes and towel, didn’t you?”

As Yuzuru said this, a voice of understanding could be heard from the bathroom.

“Uh, can you bring them?”

“I brought my bag. It’s in here, isn’t it?　What do you want me to do?　Should I take it out?”

How far did Arisa bring a change of clothes, he did not know.

But if she had brought a change of underwear… it would have been embarrassing for a man to see it.

Just in case, Yuzuru decided to ask Arisa.

“Indeed, it is. I don’t want to go through my bag with wet hands, and I’d rather have it taken out…”

She was about to say that much.

“Aahh!!!　No, no, absolutely not!!　Please don’t open it!!”

Arisa shouted loudly.

Yuzuru’s hand stopped as he was about to open her bag.

“O, oh… I see.”

Yuzuru decided to leave the bag in front of the door obediently.

“You didn’t see, did you?”

“I didn’t see.”

“… Please don’t ever, ever look at it, okay?　If you see it, I’ll hate Yuzuru-san, okay!!”

“…I understand.”

When she said that much, he was rather hurt.

As Yuzuru was about to leave the changing room, a little dejected… He suddenly realized.

Arisa’s clothes were lying there.

Was she in a hurry, or was she more sloppy than expected?

She had taken off her clothes in a very messy manner.

A pair of top and bottom jerseys as well as a sweaty, damp gym uniform.

A set of shorts, bra, and camisole had been left behind.

“….”

Arisa had a pleasant fragrance.

Whether it’s because Yuzuru likes Arisa, or because she smells good, to begin with, remains unknown.

Anyway, to Yuzuru, Arisa’s odor was a good one.

And today it was especially good.

The mixed scent of shampoo, sweat, coolant and the unique smell of a girl stimulated Yuzuru’s instincts many times on the way home.

And in front of him were the clothes that Arisa had worn for half a day.

It was so drenched in sweat that her undergarments could be seen through them… Needless to say, it had a strong “Arisa fragrance” to it.

When Arisa comes out of the bath, most of her “Arisa fragrance” will already be gone.

Of course, that’s all well and good, but…

He will not be able to enjoy her scent today anymore.

When he thought about it, he felt incredibly regretful to simply pass by the clothes in front of him.

“…To begin with, what was it? Saying that if I open the bag, she’ll hate me.”

I mean, no matter what it is, isn’t it terrible?

If you don’t want to be seen, you shouldn’t have brought it.

Yuzuru was a little hurt by what she had just said.

Then… wouldn’t he have the right to get even?

“I mean, it’s Arisa’s fault. Yes, it’s your fault. It’s really suspicious that she would go into a man’s room without caution and take off her clothes like this. What’s going on with the Amagi family education?”

Muttering something like that, Yuzuru squatted down.

There were the clothes of Arisa in front of him.

“…It is not my fault. It’s Arisa who’s bad. She’s really a bad girl.”

While saying that, Yuzuru picked up Arisa’s gym uniform.

It was slightly damp.

And…

He put it near the tip of his nose.

“Ha~a… what are you doing, me?”

Later.

Yuzuru sat slumped on the sofa, self-loathing.