Chapter 2 Part 8 – My sleepy wife sneaks in – Part 2

Translator: Chaos

Editor: Riciel

I had a bad feeling and jumped out of bed. I unlocked the door and slowly pulled it inward, just to be sure – and it was just as I thought. Riko’s body, which had fallen asleep against the door, collapsed on top of me. I hurriedly crouched down and supported Riko’s back.

Even under these circumstances, Riko refused to wake up.

“Riko? Wake up.”

I called out to her, but she only moved her mouth in a cute, mumbling motion.

“Riko, you’re going to catch a cold if you sleep here, so let’s move.”

“No, I’m going to… Minato-kun’s futon.”

This…

Even though this was the second time this had happened, I was still shaken up and swallowed my spit.

But it’s amazing that you can sleep in such an uncomfortable…

I was surprised that this beautiful girl who could do everything perfectly had such a weakness.

Anyway, I couldn’t let Riko sleep here.

“Riko, I’ll pick you up.”

I hadn’t any idea if she could hear me, but I called out to her anyway and took a few deep breaths to gather up the courage to touch her.

Good, good.

I decided to touch Riko’s arm, put it around my shoulder, and then lifted her up. Riko’s body was so light that I could easily carry her without exhausting myself.

I then carried Riko to her bed in her room. It was the first time I had been in this room at night. I tried as hard as I could to distract myself from seeing her belongings in the room, and tried desperately to keep my mind off and not be aware of anything strange.

I laid her body down on the bed, and Riko immediately turned over and faced the direction I was in. With the mind of a monk, I pulled the covers over Riko.

Mission accomplished. Good work.

I let out a heavy breath and was about to leave the room when I felt a tug on my sleeve.

“No… Please stay with me…”

Riko muttered in a worried voice and began to breathe again in her sleep, keeping a tight grip on my fingertips.

Outside the window, thunder was still rumbling. Even though she seemed to be asleep, Riko was probably not sleeping well. Maybe if I left, she would start wandering around again.

I sat down on the side of the bed and scratched my head roughly with my free hand, feeling my face getting hotter and hotter.

There was no way I would be able to break free of Riko’s hold on me. Besides, I was glad that Riko wanted to rely on me despite being barely awake.

If Riko can sleep peacefully just by being around me, then it’s no big deal if I can’t sleep for a night.

In the next morning –

◇◇◇

And the next morning. I saw Riko bowing her head in front of me, further shrunken than the last time.

“I’m such a horrible person… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

“Riko, it’s fine. It’s really fine…! Raise your head.”

“Next time there’s lightning at night, I’ll barricade myself in the hallway before I go to bed to protect Minato-kun from me…”

“A barricade…?”

Riko nodded with an unusually raised eyebrow and a determined attitude that suggested she wasn’t joking at all.

Protecting me from Riko…

But I locked the door with the intention of protecting Riko from me…

“Hey, Riko. I have a question for you.”

“Y-yes…”

“… Are you perhaps afraid of lightning?”

“……”

Riko desperately shook her shoulders and let her gaze wander. That basically answered it.

“Did you want to hide it?”

“I’m sorry… I was going to eliminate all the things I’m not good at… I thought it would be more useful for Minato-kun if I didn’t have such weaknesses..”

I hadn’t expected that Riko’s eagerness to do everything for others would be demonstrated in such a situation. I was taken aback and then laughed a little.

“Everyone has their weaknesses, so don’t worry about that. But what’s the connection between being bad at lightning and being useful?”

“If Minato-kun didn’t like thunderstorms, he’d be anxious and want to rely on someone, right? If I’m scared in that situation, he won’t be able to rely on me either….”

The idea is just too cute.

Oh, I’m in trouble.

I know I’m not worthy of her, but I’m falling more and more in love with her.

I’m happy, but my heart hurts.

I wonder if this is how people fall in love.

“Riko, I’m fine with lightning, so you can rely on me.”

“But if I rely on you… then we’ll have to sleep together…”

“Uh-huh. I know that’s probably true… You know…”

Last night, as I held Riko’s hand back, it hit me. I felt like suggesting to Riko the idea I had hastily tossed aside, telling myself that it was wrong. But, if it could wipe away even a little of Riko’s anxiety…

… That’s right.

In short, I just need to keep my steel mind and keep my rationality intact…!

I feel like I can do that for Riko too…!

“You know, I was wondering if we could sleep in the same room only on nights when there’s thunder. Oh, but I’m not talking about the same bed or anything like that, I was just thinking that we could sleep on the futon side by side. But if Riko doesn’t want to, you can say no! Ah, I am sorry, no, no, no!”

I was breathing hard and felt like crying as I said this line in one breath.

I’m sure I wouldn’t have said anything like this in the past, but I wanted to do something for Riko so badly that I just went overboard.

Am I…going to be the ultimate master in creepiness…?

At the very least, I should have told her in a more calm manner. I have no way to save myself, including my lack of confidence that I keep putting excuses on top of.

But a few seconds later, Riko, who had been frozen with her mouth hanging open, did something unbelievable.

“Wait, wait, wait! Are you sure you want to do this? Are you really sure you want to…? Minato-kun, I know you suggested this, but you don’t have to, you know! It’s bad enough that I’m bothering you, but I still want to sleep with you… Oh, ah, um, I mean, I want to sleep side-by-side with my futon next to you…!”

She said that without even taking a breath, just like me. Riko’s face was bright red, and she was in all kinds of disarray as she hurriedly fumbled with her hair. That was so cute. And again, she picked me up from my depressed state of feeling bad about myself.

“Will you keep it a secret between the two of us…?”

“…Ah, y-yeah. … If that’s what Riko wants to do, I don’t have a problem with it.”

Riko’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled happily.

Thus, an awkward promise was made between us in the morning after the night of a thunderstorm.