I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 19: Solutions for Sleeplessness.

Solutions for Sleeplessness.

After Tsubame returned to the room, I realized something—we had been asleep for quite some time. To be precise, over two hours. It was already past seven. Since the curtains were closed, I hadn’t noticed.

It was about time to start preparing dinner. With that thought, I headed to the living room with Tsubame—only to find that my parents had already returned home.

“Welcome home, Mom, Dad. Sorry, I haven’t started cooking yet…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We heard what happened. I’ll take care of dinner, so there’s no need to stress.”

“Yeah. Still, you must have been sleeping deeply, Shigure. You didn’t even notice when we got home.”

My father’s words made my cheeks stiffen. Their gazes were warm—perhaps too warm. Was I being completely misunderstood here?

“Just to be clear, we were only giving each other massages, and I fell asleep because I was exhausted. That’s all.”

“Oh my, of course, we understand. Right, dear?”

“Yes, yes. A good parent knows when not to interfere.”

“You’re definitely misunderstanding something…”

Feeling somewhat guilty, I glanced at Tsubame. She was silently watching me—no, watching both me and my parents.

“Thank you for the aroma candles and mattress. Thanks to them, I was able to sleep soundly with Shigure-kun.”

“That’s exactly the kind of phrasing that makes things worse.”

“Oh my, oh my.”

“It’s not like that! Well, I mean, it’s not wrong, but… we just slept together like we used to when we were kids.”

“It’s fine. Your father and I understand.”

This was bad. The misunderstanding was escalating. It wasn’t exactly incorrect, but the way it was being interpreted was getting out of hand.

Tsubame, as always, remained expressionless. But from her demeanor, it seemed like she didn’t quite grasp the situation either.

…If possible, I should clear up this misunderstanding later.

With a sigh, I watched as my mother headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

***

“I see. So Tsubame was able to sleep well… Shigure-kun, thank you so much.”

“N-no, please don’t worry about it. I ended up falling asleep myself.”

Shortly afterward, Tsubame’s mother arrived. Since the timing was right, I decided to have a brief conversation with her alone.

“There’s something I’ve come to realize.”

“What is it?”

“Tsubame… she hasn’t really changed much since she was younger. To put it more directly, she’s still quite dependent on others and doesn’t like being alone.”

I voiced my thoughts to Tsubame’s mother.

Being able to sleep today was a step forward. But to keep moving forward—to truly overcome her insomnia—this alone wouldn’t be enough.

“If possible… could you sleep with Tsubame at night? That is, if she’s comfortable with it.”

“I see. Of course, I’d be happy to. If it helps her sleep at night, I’d love to sleep beside her.”

Her response was reassuring. Tsubame had always adored her mother, and that hadn’t changed. She still spoke about her frequently.

If this worked, perhaps her insomnia could be completely cured—at least, that’s what I thought until her mother added, “But, Shigure-kun.”

“Yes?”

“Tsubame trusts you wholeheartedly. You realize that, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

After everything that had happened today, I could feel it deeply.

As I nodded, Tsubame’s mother seemed satisfied and continued.

“She’s always been that way. Out of everyone, she trusts you the most. That’s why she was able to sleep so well today—because she was with you.”

“I… I’m not sure about that.”

“Oh, but I am.”

“Eh?”

A sudden voice from behind startled me. In front of me, Tsubame’s mother was smiling, and when I turned around—there was Tsubame.

“You were taking too long, so I came to check. The conversation seemed interesting.”

“Perfect timing. I was hoping you’d join us, Tsubame.”

Her mother smiled warmly. Though she still looked fatigued, her expression was genuine—not one of forced endurance.

“Tsubame.”

“What?”

“Sleeping alone at night feels a little lonely for me. I’d be really happy if we could sleep together.”

“Sure, that sounds nice. I’d like that too.”

Without hesitation, Tsubame accepted her mother’s request.

…She was in the same phase of adolescence as I was, so I had expected her to hesitate a little. But I was wrong.

“Thank you, Tsubame. Actually, I have one more thing I’d like to discuss with both you and Shigure-kun.”

With a cheerful expression, her mother raised a finger. Curious, I tilted my head slightly and glanced at Tsubame. As usual, her expression remained unreadable. Whether she had an idea of what was coming, I couldn’t tell.

“If it’s alright with both of you, I was wondering if Shigure-kun could stay over on weekends.”

“…Excuse me?”

For the second time today, I found myself at a loss for words.

“I believe Tsubame would sleep better if she were with you.”

“Mom.”

Tsubame stepped in, surely to stop this—

“That’s a great idea.”

—Or not. Instead, she agreed immediately.

“Tsubame?”

“I want to spend more time with Shigure-kun. On weekends—Friday and Saturday nights, I’m usually home. No, even if I have an overnight work trip, I’d like Shigure-kun to come with me. I can cover the expenses.”

“I-I think that might be a bit much…”

“If I’m with Shigure-kun, I’ll be able to sleep. That’s the reason.”

She looked straight at me, unwavering.

My rational mind screamed, ‘This isn’t right.’ My thoughts searched for reasons to refuse.

But I couldn’t find one. If it would help Tsubame recover from her insomnia, I had no grounds to say no.

“Alright. I understand.”

Before I even realized it, those words had left my mouth.

…Not that I was saying them reluctantly. What teenage boy would refuse an invitation to stay over from a girl he liked? Unless there were special circumstances, there was no reason to decline.

Of course, Tsubame didn’t seem to realize my feelings, but she nodded.

“Thank you. Let’s start this weekend.”

“…Can I at least ask my parents first?”

“Of course. I’ll wait.”

Technically, I could ask them later and tell her tomorrow, but she was expecting an answer now.

Realizing I had no choice, I turned to head home—when her mother spoke up.

“In situations like this, we should go ask together, Tsubame.”

“…That makes sense. Shigure-kun, we’ll go together.”

“I should properly thank your parents as well.”

With that, we headed to my house.

Of course, my parents agreed without hesitation—but their warm smiles remained as unsettling as ever.