Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 159: A Return to Everyday Life.

A Return to Everyday Life.

Is it about time to wake up…?

A part of me didn’t want to leave this comforting warmth, and I couldn’t quite bring myself to open my eyes.

To make matters worse—or better—something soft and gentle brushed across the top of my head, as if lulling me back to sleep, dulling whatever resolve I had left.

Rustle…

“…Hyann…”

…?

All I did was shift slightly, yet I could’ve sworn I heard Sara’s voice.

Curious, I moved again to confirm the source of this comfort…

Rustle…

“Ah… K-Kazunari-san, you’re awake… aren’t you?”

As consciousness gradually returned, the surrounding situation slowly came back to me.

And yet… I didn’t want to part from this warmth or the soft sensation pressed against my face.

Giving in, I leaned into it a little more—and to my surprise, the arms around me tightened slightly, as if embracing me back.

“Fufuu~… Kazunari-san, you’re quite the cuddler when you wake up. I’d love to stay like this a bit longer… but unfortunately, it’s time to get up.”

That’s what she said, but the way she made no attempt to move away cast doubt on whether she really intended to wake me at all.

Before long, she pulled me into a deeper embrace… or so I thought.

“Kazunari-san… wa–ke–up.”

…A chill ran down my spine.

“Wah!?”

Her breath, her playful whisper near my ear—it startled me enough to snap my eyes open.

But I found myself still locked tightly in her arms, unable to move away.

“Good morning, Kazunari-san.”

She whispered in my ear with a teasing gentleness, and the ticklish sensation made me shiver.

“Hehe~. Is something the matter?”

She asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

There was no mistaking it—Sara knew exactly what she was doing.

A little flustered, I retaliated in the only way I could think of—by nuzzling my face affectionately into her.

It was… incredibly soft.

“Ah… K-Kazunari-san, no mischief… Bad.”

Looking flustered, she gently pressed her finger against my forehead and nudged my face away.

…Wait. Now that I think about it… where exactly was I nuzzling just now?

Suddenly wide awake, I pulled back and looked at Sara.

She was staring at me with a bright red face, eyes filled with embarrassment…

***

Even after we had breakfast and were ready to head out, Sara still seemed slightly flustered.

Sure, I’d just woken up and was half-asleep at the time, but… maybe I went a bit too far.

When we arrived at our usual convenience store, Natsumi-senpai, already waiting for us, greeted us with a disapproving glance.

“Good morning. Hey, don’t you have something to—wait, Sara? What’s up with you?”

Noticing Sara’s slightly flushed face, she tilted her head in confusion.

“I-It’s nothing, really.”

Sara’s attempt to downplay it didn’t quite work. She was still clearly embarrassed.

Seeing that, Natsumi-senpai suddenly seemed to put the pieces together, shooting me a suspicious glare.

“Kazunari-kun… You did something, didn’t you? Out with it.”

“No, I didn’t do anything…”

“Y-Yes. Kazunari-san was just a bit drowsy, that’s all.”

Sara probably meant to defend me, but the way she phrased it only confirmed that I had done something while half-asleep…

“I see. Well, we’re short on time, so let’s head out for now. We’ll talk later, okay?”

…Apparently, she planned to ask for the full story when I wasn’t around. Considering how blunt Sara can be… I had every reason to worry.

***

During break time, Natsumi always came to my desk. Lately, though, the girls from nearby seats had started gathering too, making things livelier.

It was a change from before, but not an unpleasant one.

Today’s topic? Boys.

“I mean, at the end of the day, guys still prefer girls with big boobs.”

One girl brought it up, frustrated that her boyfriend had stared at another woman’s chest during a date.

Rude, no doubt.

Kazunari-san would never do something like that.

“There was a book that said men look at breasts instinctively. Even if they’re not aware of it, it just happens. Unless it’s super obvious, getting angry might be unfair.”

If that’s true, does that mean Kazunari-san is defying instinct?

“I’ve heard that too. But regardless of instinct, guys like boobs.”

And then… I remembered this morning.

It was… a little embarrassing.

But not unpleasant.

“What is it, Sara? You look like you have something to say.”

Natsumi turned to me, prompting the question.

Yes. Maybe I should take this opportunity to ask.

“Um… are men really that fond of women’s chests?”

I’d been curious, so I decided to ask honestly… but the girls looked genuinely surprised.

“S-Satsukawa-san, you’re actually joining this conversation?”

True. I wouldn’t have cared about this kind of thing before.

“Not every guy is like that, but yeah, a lot probably are. You guys listening in agree, right?”

Without warning, she turned to the nearby boys and questioned them directly. Their reactions were awkward, but after some hesitation, they nodded and replied with varying levels of “Y-Yeah, probably…”—oddly enough, all while looking at me.

“Don’t look at me. It’s creepy.”

“S-Sara, that was a bit harsh…”

“Hmm? Oh… Did I say that out loud?”

I hadn’t meant to speak, but apparently, I did.

Well, they looked a little dejected… not that I cared.

Still, if that’s how men are generally… and Kazunari-san is a man…

Then maybe, if it makes him happy, that much would be…

“Satsukawa-san, are you curious about what guys like too?”

“I have no interest in boys in general. I’m only interested in—Ka—”

“Stop right there, Sara. Don’t say another word.”

Natsumi suddenly cut me off.

I didn’t think I said anything odd…

“Whoa whoa, Natsumi, that’s way too suspicious! Wait, is Satsukawa-san…?”

“Nope. We’re stopping here before this gets dangerous.”

I really didn’t understand what Natsumi meant.

Later, she told me that a ‘good woman’ doesn’t say such things out loud—she just makes the person happy in silence.

***

After school, I headed to the flowerbeds before going to the student council room.

During summer, watering during the day can scorch the leaves or harm the roots, so we do it once the beds are in the shade—usually after school.

For now, I decided to handle it alone.

It’s hot, and I’d rather not have Sara-san out here getting sunburnt or overheated.

She was reluctant, of course, but I insisted.

Sara-san typically respects my decisions, so if I speak firmly, she’ll usually defer.

…Still, it’s really hot. I’m glad I didn’t let her do this.

By the time I was done and packing up, I was drenched in sweat.

When I opened the student council room door, a blast of air-conditioned coolness greeted me.

Ahh… salvation.

“Good work.”

“““Good work.”””

“Kazunari-kun, good job.”

As I stepped inside, everyone greeted me.

Sara, pulling a towel from her bag, hurried over.

“Kazunari-san, you must be exhausted. You’re all sweaty—”

“Thank you.”

I reached out to take the towel, but she didn’t hand it to me. Instead, she gently pressed it to my forehead and began wiping away my sweat, carefully moving across every reachable part.

“You’re surprisingly efficient at this. Like you’ve done it before…”

“You two really are close.”

…I chose to ignore the comments around us.

“Kazunari-san, I’m sure your shirt is soaked too. You should change.”

With that, she reached into her bag and pulled out a shirt.

“ “!!” “

Yeah… it’s probably mine. Did she anticipate this happening?

Judging by the collective shock when a shirt belonging to me emerged from Sara-san’s bag… well, it’s only natural they’d be surprised.

“Let’s go change in that room over there.”

“What!? Sara-san, you’re going with him!?”

A voice of disbelief called out as Sara-san began following me.

“Of course. You need to wipe off your sweat before putting on a fresh shirt, don’t you?”

She responded as if the question itself was odd—like it was only natural. Her calm reply left everyone speechless once again.

In the end, Sara-san diligently wiped away my sweat and stayed by my side until I had finished changing.

Once we stepped out of the room, she neatly packed the towel and my used shirt back into her bag, then pulled out a thermos and poured me some barley tea.

I sat down, took a sip, and finally felt like I could breathe again… only to realize that all eyes were still on us.

“…Sara-san, why did you have Takanashi’s shirt with you?”

“Because I thought he might need it.”

Even I understood that wasn’t what they were really asking—but I ignored it. Explaining would be far too complicated.

“So… what are you going to do with Takanashi’s used shirt?”

“Naturally, I’ll be washing it myself.”

“ “…” “

The girls were stunned speechless, while the guys glared at me with jealousy—only for their expressions to crumble into despair under Sara-san’s sharp gaze.

Only the student council president remained an observer, smirking slightly as he waited for the right moment to begin the meeting.