I Was Reincarnated as a Mob, and After I Kept Listening to the Losing Childhood-Friend Heroine’s Complaints, I Somehow Maxed Out Her Affection Rating - 39

Chapter 39: Expecting Me to Sleep Right Now Is Ridiculous

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I wondered how long I had been asleep. My hazy consciousness slowly returned, and I quietly opened my eyes. The fever had already subsided, and my head felt strangely clear. Except for one thing.

“…Huh?”

My body felt heavy. More accurately, it felt like something was pressing down on me. Half-asleep, I lifted the blanket. And then—

“…What?”

“Mm… fuaa…”

There was a girl curled up and sleeping on top of my chest. A very familiar girl, one who absolutely should not be here.

“K-Ka… Kaede-san!?”

“Nn…?”

Kaede rubbed her eyes, her voice sleepy and childlike as she lifted her head. Her hair was soft and tousled, and her cheeks were faintly flushed.

“…Why are you shouting…?”

“No, why are you in my bed!? What about the sofa!?”

I practically shrieked. Kaede tilted her head, still hazy and unfocused.

“…I heard thunder, and it scared me… So I came here…”

“Thunder? Right now?”

“…Yeah… It was rumbling…”

“It’s not rumbling though?”

“Umm… Maybe it was just my imagination…?”

She said it in a sleepy voice, but that was absolutely a lie. A lie she knew I’d notice.

“That’s an excuse, isn’t it?”

“…Tch.”

Don’t just make the face of someone whose lie got caught like it’s normal!

And then, still clutching the blanket, she looked up at me.

“…Hey, Yuuta-kun.”

“W-what?”

With eyes so damp and unfair they should be banned, she softly asked.

“…Do you not want to sleep together with me…?”

My heart jumped. Physically jumped. My breathing even stopped for a beat.

N-no… That’s cheating…!

What guy could say “I hate it” after being looked at like that? They’d be a near-extinct species.

“…It’s not that I hate it. But…!”

“But…?”

Her eyes said clearly, “I’m waiting for your answer.” This wasn’t cheating anymore. This was treason.

“…Fine. I get it. We can sleep together.”

The moment I gave in, Kaede’s face lit up like a blooming flower…

“Thank you!”

…and she threw herself at me.

“Guh!?”

The instant she crashed against my chest, the oxygen left my lungs.

“K-Kaede-san, y-you… Suddenly…!”

“Because… I’m so happy…”

Her voice was small and sweet as she clung to me tightly. Her sleepy demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by something soft and affectionate.

Why is she suddenly in clingy mode!?

Even while confused, I couldn’t ignore how soft her hair felt against my shoulder, or the warmth of her body, or the sound of her breathing. All of it was steadily wearing down my sanity.

…Yeah. There’s no escaping this.

Resigned to my fate, I rested a hand gently on her head and took a slow breath.

“…Just… Please sleep normally, okay…?”

“Hmmm… I’ll think about it.”

“You’ll think about it!?”

“Well, if my bad sleeping posture makes me roll into you then that’s fine too… Isn’t it?”

“Stop! Don’t say things with weird implications!”

Kaede giggled softly and buried her face against my chest.

“…Good night, Yuuta-kun.”

Her voice was small and sweet. Hearing it whispered right near my ear made my heart jump again.

“…Yeah. Good night.”

And just like that, with Kaede clinging tightly to me, I slowly closed my eyes. This situation was dangerous no matter how I looked at it.

But, well. Maybe it’s not so bad.

Thinking that, I drifted off to sleep. But….

Wait—no. This is physically impossible.

Every time Kaede’s hair brushed my face, my heart thumped hard. She clung tightly to my arm, and certain things were pressing against me too.

“…How am I supposed to sleep like this…”

I screamed silently, right at the edge of actually saying it aloud. But Kaede, unaware of my suffering, slept like an angel.

Suu… suu…

The sound of her calm breathing echoed in the cutest way possible.

…No. Not an angel. This is a devil’s temptation.

Telling a healthy high school boy to sleep in this situation? Difficulty level: SSS, literally impossible. I forced myself to close my eyes.

“…D-don’t move around so much…”

The moment I loosened my hold a little, Kaede squeezed my arm tighter and pressed even closer.

“~~~~~!!?”

I couldn’t make a sound. If I did, it would be over. In many ways, over.

Haa… In the morning she’s definitely going to say ‘I was sleepy, sorry’ or something…

Trying to calm myself, I took slow breaths. Sleep. I had to sleep. My willpower HP was already down to about 2. Then Kaede shifted slightly, resting her cheek against my chest. And—

“…Yuuta-kun… I like you… I really do…”

“…Huh?”

Time stopped. It was sleep talk. Definitely sleep talk. I knew for sure she was just sleep talking, but still…!

W-wait wait wait! She means as a friend. Definitely as a friend!!

My brain immediately held an emergency meeting.

“Like you” = friendly affection.

“Like you” = like talking to a plush bear.

“Like you”  = doesn’t count if it’s sleep talk.

But the tone of her voice was so sweet!? Anyone would take it seriously!! My thoughts spiraled into complete chaos.

“…Haah…There’s no way I can sleep like this…”

For the second time that night, despair washed over me. Beside me, Kaede continued sleeping peacefully.

…Please. Please just sleep. And have the explanation of all of these later…!

Praying desperately, I spent the entire night awake, unable to sleep even for a second.

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