Be careful with the laid-back beauty who took a liking to me. Otherwise, it will be too late! - Chapter 50: Overnight Stay

Chapter 50: Overnight Stay

“Nom… mmm!”

After finishing her hot dog, Sayo was now enjoying a cream puff.

Her eating style was so incredibly cute that I couldn’t help but stare, until I noticed Mai Sakura watching us.

“Hinata, you really like Koga-san, huh? I totally understand why you’re captivated by her. But you should look at me too… just a little, you know?”

Mai said, her face turning red as she hid it with her hands.

(She’s embarrassed after saying that herself…)

Thinking I shouldn’t be looking, I quickly shifted my gaze away, only to feel Mai grip my shoulder tightly.

“D-Don’t forget what I just said! Okay, Hinata?”

“Y-Yeah… it’s kind of scary, you know?”

After being shaken for a while, Sayo, who had finished eating, tugged gently at my clothes from behind.

“You seem close with Ohara-san… Do you like her more than me?”

“Y-You don’t need to worry; you’re my number one.”

“Fufu, I’m glad to hear that.”

Sayo clung to my arm tightly and smiled softly.

“What should we eat next…?”

“Are you still hungry!?”

The first day of the cultural festival ended, and Sayo came to stay over. It felt a bit wrong for her to come empty-handed, so she went back home briefly before coming to my place.

After having dinner together, Sayo went to take a bath and came out afterward.

“Ta-da! A fluffy bear!”

My mom said as she placed her hand on Sayo’s shoulder, announcing her arrival to me, who had been reading.

When I looked up, Sayo was wearing an incredibly cute bear pajama that made me want to comment on whether it was even appropriate for sleepwear.

“Isn’t it too cute? I just had to get it for Sayo-chan!”

Mom, I know it’s cute, but I wish you wouldn’t embarrass Sayo like that.

After finishing her introduction of the bear pajamas, my mom left for the bathroom, leaving just Sayo and me in the living room.

When I looked back at her, she was smiling, and as she tried to cover her mouth with her hands, Sayo came over to ask me.

“Hinata… what do you think?”

“W-Well… it’s super cute. It really suits you.”

“Fufu, I’m glad you think so! It’s fluffy, so you should touch it!”

Sayo took my hand to show me the bear pajama, but my hand ended up in a rather inappropriate place.

Wait, I was told it was fluffy, but it feels soft… That’s not the point!

I quickly pulled my hand back, and Sayo’s face turned bright red in front of me.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“You don’t need to apologize, Hinata. It was my fault for wanting you to touch the fluffiness.”

“S-Sorry…”

“I’m not really bothered by it. In fact, I wouldn’t mind you touching me anywhere, you know? I actually want you to…”

As she said this, she began to unzip the bear pajama, and I panicked and stopped her.

“Stop, stop!”

“Hinata? Your face is close; are you wanting to kiss me?”

“N-No, it’s not that! I just didn’t expect you to suddenly try to take it off.”

“Take it off? I just thought I’d unzip it a bit because I was feeling warm.”

“Ehh… oh… I’m kind of sorry.”

I had let my imagination run wild after she said she wanted me to touch her. It’s not like we’d do something like that in the living room, right?

“When you get out of the bath, let’s cuddle a lot, okay?”

“Y-Yeah…”

(Am I going to be able to sleep tonight?)

“Mmm, this feels nice. Sleeping is the best…”

Sayo rolled over onto my bed, looking happy with her eyes closed.

“You said you brought pajamas, but is this bear pajama really okay?”

The bear pajamas were pretty much forced on her by my mom. I wanted to tell her it was fine if she didn’t want to wear them, but Sayo nodded.

“I’m wearing this because you said it was cute. I really want you to come over here soon, Hinata.”

She scooted to the side, waiting for me to lie down next to her. Since the bed was only meant for one person, it felt a bit cramped for two, but since she asked me to, I lay down next to her.

When I turned to the side, our eyes met, and Sayo smiled, which made me smile back.

“Hinata, can I hug you?”

“Sure.”

“Yay! Hug time!”

With her fluffy pajamas, Sayo wrapped her arms around my back and clung to me.

It felt embarrassing, thinking that my racing heart might be transmitted to her. I wanted to have the same kind of resilience that she had, to be able to handle anything that came her way.

While being embraced, I tried to keep things under control until we fell asleep.

“Are you going to hug me back, Hinata?”

“If I do, won’t it get uncomfortable?”

“If you do it gently, it’s fine…”

“Gently…”

Just being hugged made my heart race, so I could only imagine what would happen if I hugged her back. But if Sayo wanted that, I couldn’t let those thoughts hold me back.

I wrapped my arms around her back and pulled her closer to me.

“Hinata smells nice.”

“I think it’s the same as yours.”

“I can’t smell my own scent…”

Since we both used the same products, we should smell the same. Yet, Sayo smelled even better.

I decided to forget about the scent for now, not wanting to come across as a creep.

“Oh, by the way, I wanted to go somewhere with you next time.”

“Somewhere you want to go?”

I thought it might be a restaurant, and I was right.

The cafe “Sakura.” They serve mini cream puffs with a variety of flavors, including custard.

“They have matcha, strawberry, and custard… And they also have a limited-time sweet potato flavor!”

“Oh, that sounds interesting!”

“There’s also something called a Mini Puff Tower, and I’m thinking about trying that out.”

I wondered what a Mini Puff Tower could be. I could imagine the mini puffs stacked on top of each other, but how many would there be?

“I’m really looking forward to going on an after-school date with you, Hinata.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Before we started dating, Sayo and I used to often go to cafes after school to enjoy custard sweets. With April being our starting point, it had already been six months. Time really flies.

“Hinata, before we sleep…”

Sayo said, leaning in closer to me, and kissed me.

The kiss was brief, but I wanted more, so I initiated another kiss myself.

“Sayo, I like you. No matter what anyone says, I’ll always be on your side.”

I took her small hand, intertwined our fingers, and squeezed tightly, making her nuzzle her head against my chest.

“Hinata… I like you too. No, I love you. Let’s stay together forever.”

“Yeah, I’ll be by your side, Sayo.”