My Friend Doesn't Hesitate 49

ACT49     Can't Sleep?


「So then, since it's an early start tomorrow, shall we go to sleep soon?」


10 p.m.

When everyone was finished bathing, she turned on the ventilation fan in the bathroom, set a timer to turn on the washing machine, and after confirming that the day's work had been completed.

In her room, Mashiro said that to Akami.


「Mmm, I wanted to do some things more reminiscent of a sleepover pajama party...」

「Yeah, I wanted to do that too, but Mom's work starts early tomorrow, and I'm on meal duty. I have to wake up early in the morning and make lunch for Mom.」

「Haeh～, Shiro-chan, you have it rough.」

「Once you get used to it, it's not that much of a hardship.」


Akami let out a big sigh, and Mashiro replied with a wry smile.

Early to bed and early to rise was a habit Mashiro had had since she was a child.

Working hard at housework to relieve her mother's burden was her objective at the beginning, but now she had a constitution where she would feel uncomfortable unless she did so.

After a few years, Akami would say『You have an amazing housewife's constitution...』, but putting that aside.


「Well, I can't force you to wake up early, Akami, so you don't particularly have to sleep――」

「No, I'll get up early too! Originally, I came to help Shiro-chan.」

「It's fine, you don't have to push yourself that much.」

「I'm not pushing myself... Even if it's just a little, I want to help Shiro-chan.」

「――――」


While letting out a small sigh, Akami looked straight at her while saying that. The inside of Mashiro's chest heated up once again.


「Wa! Sh-Shiro-chan?」


Before she knew it, Mashiro was hugging Akami.

Even though she'd hugged her during the day, the new heat in her chest made her desire Akami more and more.


「Thank you, Akami. You really are the best.」

「... Shiro-chan.」

「What?」

「It's... hot.」


However, for Akami, it seemed the heat won out over burning passion.

It was already the summer season, but her body temperature was even higher due to just getting out of the bath, and unlike Mashiro's tall stature, Akami was petite, so her entire body was engulfed.


「S-sorry, Akami.」

「I-it's fine. For now... shall we lay out the futons?」


In any case.

Mashiro's room didn't have a bed, so she put the futon she always used and the futon for guests on her floor, then put thin cloth pads on top of the futons as a measure against night sweat. Instead of futon blankets, she laid out two towel blankets, and after lining up two pillows, she was done.

Putting two futons in a six tatami room was a little cramped, but, well, it was probably fine.


「............」

「? What's wrong, Akami?」


While looking down at the two futons that were lined up, Akami had stiffened with a bright red face for some reason, and Mashiro tilted her head in response.


「No, um, when I look at this again... it's kind of incredible, isn't it?」

「Nn, as I thought, with two futons, I guess the wall is too close and makes it feel cramped? Would you like to use two pillows with one futon?」

「Ah... no no no no no! It's okay! You don't have to go that far! I can sleep properly!」

「???」


She didn't really understand why Akami was excessively agitated, but, well, if she said it was all right this way, then it was surely all right.

...... Sleeping close to Akami on a single futon felt very attractive to Mashiro, but like she said earlier, it seemed like Akami would be hot if they did that.


「Then, I'll turn off the lights. Akami, do you prefer to have a nightlight? Or turn off everything? I prefer to turn everything off.」

「Mm, everything off.」

「Then there's no problem. So then, good――」

「Ah, that's right, Shiro-chan, just a little bit before turning off the lights.」

「Eh?」


Just before she turned off the light switch in the room, when Mashiro suddenly turned around.

Akami put her hands on her shoulders, stretched upward,


「Mm.」



And closing her eyes, gently overlapped their lips.



「――――」


Mashiro was surprised at how sudden it was, but before long, she closed her eyes and yielded herself to the pleasant sensation.

Her heart pounded harder, and her chest once again heated up.

It was a very happy feeling.


「... Akami?」


After their lips parted, when she opened her eyes, Akami was looking at her with a bright red face.

Somehow, she looked very embarrassed, which was also cute.

It made her start feeling embarrassed as well.


「U-um, I wanted to try doing a good night kiss.」

「... I-is that so. This, might also, be, incredibly nice.」

「Sa-same for me! Uhh... th-that's all! So, good night.」


Leaving behind those words, Akami wrapped herself in her towel blanket and turned her back to her to go to bed before Mashiro had time to turn off the light.

... Well, she understood her feelings.

Mashiro herself was also still a little embarrassed.

With that feeling in her heart, Mashiro turned off the light and lay down on her futon.

In that silence, she closed her eyes, and before long, her usual sleepiness――


「............」


Didn't come.

Normally, she was able to sleep within a few minutes of getting into her futon, but today, she couldn't sleep.

Since she couldn't sleep.


... Since there was a good night, I wonder if there will be a good morning one as well?


She thought about the kiss earlier.


Akami's skin was beautiful.


She thought about today's incident in the bathroom.


I hope I did well on the final exams. If that's the case, I won't have supplementary lessons, and with Akami, more...


She also thought about the results of the final exam.


I wonder if Akami is already asleep?...


She thought about Akami, who was lying down on the futon next to her.

Even though she wanted to sleep since she was waking up early, her thoughts were overflowing. Primarily about Akami.

Being unable to sleep due to thinking about one's girlfriend was something she had seen in things like stories and dramas before.

Herself falling into such a situation right now――



「... Shiro-chan, are you awake?」



While she was worrying about various things, Akami beside her called out to her, and Mashiro opened her eyes in the darkness.


「Yeah, I'm awake.」

「As I thought, you can't sleep?」

「Maybe so. Since I only think about Akami.」

「!!!!! ～～～～～～～～!」


When Mashiro replied, for some reason Akami let out an atmosphere like she was writhing in agony.

A little while later, it seemed to die down.


「... Shiro-chan, doing that all the way until sleep time... my body won't last.」

「? What do you mean?」

「Ahem.... Anyway, a lot of things happened today. When I think about them, I can't sleep at all.」

「Is that so.」


It seemed that Akami was the same as her.

Now then, what should I do in such a situation... Mashiro thought, but.

――She remembered one thing.


「Akami.」

「What?」

「Hold out your hand.」

「Eh?... Ok.」


When Akami, who was lying down on her futon, stretched out her left hand towards her, Mashiro gently grasped it with her right hand and tightly interlocked their fingers.


「Shiro-chan?」

「Replenishment.」

「Eh... replenishment?」

「When I do this, I feel peace of mind. How about Akami?」

「............」


When she asked, Akami lightly squeezed with her connected hand and took a deep breath.

After taking two or three deep breaths, her breathing rapidly became calmer.


「...... It's true.」

「Yeah. When I caught a cold a long time ago, I remember Mom holding my hand like this until I fell asleep. I remember feeling very relieved at that time.」

「Shiro-chan, you really love Mishiro-san.」

「Akami, I love you as well.」

「... I love you too.」


Like that, although neither could see the other's faces, they smiled at each other.

With the comfort and warmth from her held hand, she gradually grew sleepy.

Today was a good day.

Hopefully tomorrow would be a good day as well.


Good night.


　　☆　　★　　☆　　★　　☆　　★


In my dream, it felt like I could see the future.

Even when Shiro-chan and I become adults, even when we become grandmothers, we'll hold hands like this when we sleep; that kind of future.

If I can reach such a future, I――


「Nn......」


Suddenly, my consciousness awakens.

I can hardly remember what I saw in my dream a moment ago. But I'm pretty sure it was something extremely happy.

I can hear the chirping of sparrows, and the light from the window is faintly leaking out from the curtain blocking it, so I wonder what time it is right now...


「Nn... nn?」


And when I opened my eyes while thinking absentmindedly, in front of me――Shiro-chan's face, her eyes closed, was nearby.


「Nn!?」


The hands we clasped before falling asleep haven't separated, me and Shiro-chan's bodies are almost sticking together, and on top of that.


「Nnnnn!?」

　

Perhaps because of the heat, some of the buttons on Shiro-chan's pajamas were open――and just a little bit of her chest was about to spill out.


「Nn... fua.」

「――――――――!?」


Moreover.

As if to press her already closely adhered body against me, Shiro-chan twisted herself while sleeping.

The part of her clothes adhering to me slipped further... and, needless to say, it became an even bigger incident.


...... There's no maybe about it; Shiro-chan tosses and turns while asleep.

In the future, if we pass the night and sleep like this, it feels like something amazing will happen...



Also.

Um.

I could see it.

Yeah.

――It was extremely vivid.