I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 23: Overnight stay.

Overnight stay.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Shigure-kun.”

“A-ah, no, not really. I haven’t been waiting that long.”

The one who entered the room was Tsubame, wrapped in a soft, fluffy pajama set. Her hair slipped effortlessly off her shoulders, and her slightly flushed cheeks made it clear—she had just gotten out of the bath.

Without hesitation, she sat down beside me—on the bed. A gentle, pleasant fragrance drifted in the air.

“The room is bigger now, but it hasn’t changed much from before, has it?”

“Yeah. That photo brought back a lot of memories.”

Above the bed, on a small shelf meant for things like clocks, there stood a framed photograph. It was an old picture of me and Tsubame as children—cuddled together in a tight embrace, fast asleep. I had the same photo in my own room.

“When I couldn’t sleep, I used to look at this picture.”

“…I see.”

“But tonight, I’ll be fine—because you’re here, Shigure-kun.”

She reached out her hand and gently placed it over mine.

“Shall we get ready for bed, Shigure-kun?”

“…Yeah, let’s do that.”

It felt a bit early, but Tsubame had work as a model tomorrow. She had to wake up at five in the morning. She told me I could keep sleeping, but at the very least, I wanted to see her off.

After that, my schedule was pretty open. She said I could head home, but since I was here, I figured I’d take the chance to chat with her mother for a bit.

With that thought, Tsubame lay down on the bed. After a brief hesitation, I lay down beside her.

“I’ll turn off the lights.”

“Got it.”

With a press of the remote, the room darkened. Yet, my eyes remained wide awake.

“It’s been a while since we had a sleepover.”

“The last time was before you moved, right?”

“Yeah. Back then… I was so sad about not being able to see you anymore that I cried my eyes out.”

“We both did. We cried until we were exhausted and fell asleep together.”

Tsubame had moved away because of her mother’s job transfer. The night before she left, she stayed over at my place, and we spent the whole day playing together.

“Even after we were apart, I kept telling myself that someday, we’d have another sleepover like this. That thought helped me cope with the loneliness.”

“…From now on, we can have plenty of sleepovers.”

“Yeah. Nights won’t be lonely anymore.”

I heard the rustling of sheets as Tsubame shifted. When I glanced over, I saw she had turned to her side.

“Hey, Shigure-kun.”

“Hm?”

“Give me your hand.”

At her request, I extended a hand toward her. She took it and squeezed it tightly.

“Your hand got so much bigger, Shigure-kun.”

“…Maybe so.”

“Back then, our hands were the same size. Our height, too. But now, you’re taller.”

“You’re still taller than the average woman, though.”

Tsubame was on the taller side. I remembered reading an interview where she mentioned her height.

“You were… 160 cm, right?”

“I measured 163 cm at my last checkup.”

“Oh, I see.”

“What about you?”

“I’m 175 cm now. Actually, I’m one of the taller guys in my class.”

“You’ve grown so much.”

That said, I felt like I was reaching my limit. I had only grown about three centimeters in the past year. Not that I minded—being too tall seemed like it would be inconvenient.

“We’ve both changed since back then. Not just our height, but in other ways too.”

“You were always beautiful, Tsubame. But now, you’re even more stunning.”

“And you, Shigure-kun, have become even more handsome.”

“If a top model says so, I guess I should take that as a confidence boost.”

“You’ve always been cool, Shigure-kun.”

I didn’t have particularly low self-esteem, but I wasn’t arrogant enough to call myself model-worthy either.

Our conversation paused for a moment before Tsubame softly called my name again.

“Hey, Shigure-kun.”

“What is it?”

“Can you hold me?”

I turned to look at her. She had let go of my hand and was now slightly extending her arms.

There was no hesitation—only a brief pause of a few seconds.

“Of course.”

I shifted closer, wrapping one arm around her back and sliding my other hand under her neck to embrace her.

Her small, delicate frame fit snugly against me, warm and soft. The sensation spread across my entire body.

“When you hold me, I feel warm and safe. Back then, I was too sleepy to realize it.”

“…I see.”

Tsubame nuzzled closer, resting her face against my neck. Then, she rubbed her cheek against me.

“Your heart is racing, Shigure-kun.”

“…Well, I mean… I’m still a teenager, after all.”

I couldn’t help it. Her scent—a mix of shampoo, body soap, and bath oils—lingered in the air. Her warmth, her softness… All of it belonged to my first love. How could my heart not pound?

“We’re the same, then.”

Only after she said that did I notice—her heartbeat was just as fast as mine.

“…I guess so.”

“Yeah. My heart is racing. But more than that, I feel at peace.”

I reached up and gently stroked her head. She let out a soft hum.

“I like that.”

“…I’m glad.”

Her words—”I like that”—sent another jolt through my heart. But I kept stroking her hair.

Unlike back then, neither of us was sleepy yet.

“Hey, Shigure-kun—”

Just as Tsubame was about to say something, her phone let out a notification sound.

“…”

“Should I move away for a bit?”

“No, it’s fine. I can reach it.”

She stretched her arm toward the bedside table, where her phone rested beside the framed photo. Even while still holding onto me, she checked the screen.

“…”

“Something wrong?”

“…A work message. Looks like I’ll be getting more jobs next month.”

“I see… Should I be saying ‘congratulations’?”

She didn’t respond. She was still reading the message, I assumed.

A few minutes passed before I heard the soft thud of her phone dropping onto the bed.

“Tsubame?”

No answer. She simply tightened her hold around me.

Something was wrong.

I tensed slightly but returned her embrace, pulling her closer.

“What’s wrong?”

I tried to keep my voice gentle, but the words came out firmer than I intended.

“…”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Just tell me whenever you’re ready.”

I quickly added that, not wanting to pressure her. If it was something painful, she didn’t have to force herself.

I just hoped that one day, she’d open up.

For now, I simply held her, stroking her head.

“Shigure-kun…”

“What is it?”

“You won’t… leave my sid, right?”

Her voice grew quieter with each word. Even so, there was no way I could have missed it at this distance.

“Of course. I told you before, didn’t I? Until your sense of taste returns and I see you smile again… and even after that, I promise—I won’t leave your side.”

“…It’s a promise.”

“Yeah. I’ve never broken a promise to you, Tsubame.”

I never had—and I never would.

A brief silence passed before I heard her take a slow breath.

“I’m scared… of being all alone.”