My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 98

Tadokoro suggested we all go to the pool. After exchanging messages on LEIN, we finally decided on a day to go. However, Akiba didn’t participate in the conversation, though it was clear he saw the messages since they were marked as read.

Finally, the day arrived.

I woke up earlier than expected, likely excited for the rare occasion of hanging out with everyone. I started by double-checking the swimsuit I had prepared yesterday while watching TV.

…Well, I had a bad feeling this morning.

“An approaching large typhoon is dangerous, so please stay indoors!”

That’s what the weather lady, blown by the wind, reported on the news.

…Sigh, why does it always end up like this?

A typhoon had been heading towards Japan for a few days. I had been watching the news and we decided on this day anyway, but I didn’t expect the weather to go haywire exactly today.

While waiting for the inevitable cancellation message, the doorbell rang. When I opened the door, Yukina stood there, looking utterly miserable.

Even though she often made excuses, Yukina had been looking forward to today. She whispered next to me, saying things like, “I can’t wait to show you my swimsuit,” torturing me with words far too powerful. But in reality, it was pouring outside. The wind rushed into the room just by opening the door.

“Yuu-kun…”

…Don’t look at me like that, with those puppy-dog eyes. I’m disappointed too, but we can’t fight the weather.

“Come in, Yukina.”

“…Okay.”

I let Yukina inside and shut the door. As we walked into the living room, my phone buzzed. It was from Tadokoro.

“Sorry, guys, but it looks like today’s canceled.”

Her message was followed by a stamp of a sad face. I replied with “Got it” and ended the conversation.

“It’s canceled, as expected. Tadokoro is also disappointed about it, too.”

“I see…”

Yukina sat down, hugging the backpack that probably contained her swimsuit and outing stuff, looking disappointed.

Now, what should we do?

I thought it over, but with the typhoon, heavy rain, and wind, it was impossible to go outside.

I wanted to cheer Yukina up, but there wasn’t much I could do. We had plenty of time, yet there wasn’t much we could do to fill it. It felt like such a waste of time.

As I mulled over it, Yukina suddenly stood up and came closer.

“Yuu-kun, let’s fill up the bath!”

“The bath?”

“Yeah!”

At that moment, a thought crossed my mind, one I didn’t want to entertain. I wished I could deny it.

“…Just asking, but why?”

“Let’s turn the bath into a pool!”

Yukina’s eyes sparkled with excitement. I had a feeling she’d suggest something like this, but hearing it out loud left me unsure how to respond.

It’s true that the bathtub in this apartment is quite large. If it’s just Yukina and me, we could both fit. So, technically, we could treat it like a pool.

But if we do that, the level of physical closeness will be far beyond what’s comfortable. Skin to skin. And after what happened recently, when I accidentally touched Yukina’s chest, I couldn’t help but feel this could be dangerous in many ways.

“…Um, if possible, I’d rather not.”

“Why not?”

“Why? Because… I’ll be conscious of it, obviously.”

“It’s fine if you’re conscious. You can touch me if you want.”

“T-Touch you…?”

W-Where exactly am I allowed to touch? Doesn’t she realize that saying such things only makes me more conscious of it? Or could it be that Yukina actually wants that sort of thing… No, no, I haven’t even confessed yet.

“Yukina, seriously… Yukina?”

While I was deep in thought, Yukina had vanished without me noticing. Wondering where she’d gone, I heard a sound from the bathroom.

Splashhhh…

No way. I rushed to the bathroom, and there she was. Since our apartments are the same layout, it was only natural that Yukina knew how to fill the bath.

“Heh heh… Too bad, Yuu-kun. The pool is ready!”

Even with a smug look on her face!

The previously sulky Yukina had transformed into a mischievous, playful version of herself.

“…Yukina, you…”

“Let’s get in together.”

She moved closer to me, ignoring any objections. There was an air of determination, making it hard to refuse. However, I still had one escape route left.

“Still in your clothes? I mean, I gave you that cute outfit, and I wouldn’t want it getting wet unnecessarily.”

That’s right—our swimsuits. Neither of us had changed yet. We were both still in our going-out clothes. To change into swimsuits, we’d have to undress, revealing everything.

If I stuck close to Yukina from now on, knowing she was aware of my feelings, she wouldn’t strip down completely… right? She wouldn’t go that far… right? Surely, she wouldn’t!

But Yukina seemed to have anticipated this, smiling slyly as she began to take off her clothes.

“S-Sa, Yukina…!”

I quickly shut my eyes, resisting the urge to peek, clenching my fists tightly.

The sound of her clothes rustling, which normally wouldn’t bother me, suddenly became unbearably loud. Finally, there was the soft sound of fabric hitting the floor.

“Yuu-kun, you can open your eyes now.”

“I-I can’t…”

“It’s fine, really. I’m not naked. I understand your feelings. Don’t worry.”

It’s not that I don’t trust Yukina. But if I opened my eyes to see her naked, I had no idea how I’d react. Just a few days ago, I’d realized that I did have desires for that kind of thing.

“Yuu-kun, I’m wearing my swimsuit. So… could you look at me?”

Yukina had been saying for a while that she wanted me to see her in her swimsuit. I had felt embarrassed and hesitant, but I also understood it was something she wanted.

Maybe Yukina wanted to be even closer to me than I realized. Maybe she was holding back because I hadn’t confessed yet.

And yet, Yukina still made an effort to say these things. Hiding her true feelings, because I was too cowardly.

“Yuu-kun, it’s okay. Even if something happens… I’ll be fine, okay?”

Nervously, I opened my eyes.

There stood Yukina, wearing a sky-blue, polka-dotted one-piece swimsuit that wasn’t too revealing.

“S-So? I went for a one-piece this time… Does it look good?”

She fidgeted, clasping her hands behind her back and averting her gaze shyly. Her whole demeanor, combined with her blushing, was simply… too adorable.

“…Yuu-kun?”

When I didn’t say anything, she called my name, worried.

That was close. I was so mesmerized by how cute she was that I forgot to say something! I needed to respond properly.

“You look really cute. Honestly, for a second, I wanted to hug you…”

“Hehe, I don’t want you to just want to, I’d like you to actually do it.”

“…Sorry, I don’t have the guts. I’m such a coward.”

“No, I understand that you want to cherish me. That’s why, let’s have fun today, okay?”

I wanted to make Yukina happy. To make her enjoy the day. If that’s the case, I should join her in the bath.

“Alright. I’ll get changed, so wait for me.”

I headed to my room to change into my swimsuit.