The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 16

Even on my days off, my routine doesn’t change much.

After my morning run, I decided to make breakfast while waiting for Shirafuji to finish her shower in my room.

Unlike weekdays, I don’t have to prepare a lunchbox, so I can take a bit more time and effort with breakfast.

“Today’s menu is French toast. Shirafuji likes it too.”

I ran through the menu I had already decided on while laying out the ingredients on the counter: thick slices of bread, eggs, butter, and various seasonings.

French toast is simple to make and delicious, so it’s a go-to option for me.

“You can customize the toppings. Eating it sweet is fine, or you can pair it with ham or fried eggs. …Oh, but she did say something about worrying about gaining weight. Should I avoid making it sweet?”

I’m not sure, but I hope she doesn’t restrict her meals too much.

She never overeats, and excessive dieting would just stress her out. It’s better to burn off the calories through proper exercise.

Knowing Shirafuji, no matter how much she dislikes it, she wouldn’t skip her workout.

She’s the type who follows through once she decides on something and understands the importance of effort.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have maintained her top spot in the school rankings since enrolling.

I’ve relied on her help a lot during exam periods.

I know she’s not a genius, but a hardworking and diligent person.

…Well, maybe calling her ordinary is a stretch.

She’s probably more of a prodigy.

Anyway, if it’s about exercise, I can always take her along with me.

I wouldn’t even mind waking her up in the morning if she asked me to.

But there’s just one issue.

“Me barging into Shirafuji’s room while she’s asleep to wake her up… That’s a bit much. Even if she agreed to a morning wake-up call, it feels awkward.”

Shirafuji often comes and goes from my room, but I rarely have a reason to enter hers.

The only time I step inside is during our weekly cleaning sessions.

For security reasons, I’ve also made it a point not to accept a spare key to her room.

I don’t want to deal with any awkward situations from a guy holding a girl’s room key.

Besides, Shirafuji practically lives in my room, so it’s unnecessary.

As these thoughts cross my mind, I dip the bread into the egg mixture I’ve prepared and start cooking it slowly in a buttered frying pan.

The sweet aroma quickly fills the air, making me eager to finish it.

All that’s left is to cook it carefully without burning.

But just as I relax, keeping an eye on the frying pan—

“—Kyahhhhhh!!”

A sudden, piercing scream from Shirafuji breaks the morning calm.

I freeze for a moment before rushing to check on her.

“Shirafuji! What happened—”

“Kuwazome!! There’s a bug in the bathroom! A spider!!”

Hearing my voice, Shirafuji leaps out in panic, clinging to me.

…And, of course, she’s completely naked.

Her flushed skin, glistening from the water, is impossible to ignore.

Her silver hair clings to her body, and her bare chest—larger than I imagined—imprints itself vividly in my mind, especially the pink peaks at the center.

“Kuwazome! Kuwazome!?”

“…! I get it, but for now, cover yourself!”

“Huh? …Ah!!”

Hearing my words, Shirafuji regains a bit of composure, her eyes widening. Then she realizes what state she’s in.

A redness that has nothing to do with the shower spreads across her face, and a strangled sound escapes her throat.

But she doesn’t let go of me.

She probably knows that letting go would reveal everything.

While I appreciate her quick thinking, having her soft body pressed against me is incredibly distracting.

…Still, there’s something more urgent to deal with.

“First, cover yourself with a towel.”

“…Okay.”

Before handling the spider, I hand Shirafuji a bath towel, which she wraps around herself, still avoiding eye contact with me out of embarrassment.

Feeling an awkward tension hanging in the air, I pull myself together and head to the bathroom.

“Where did you see it?”

“…Over on the wall by the window.”

Following her faintly spoken direction, I spot a small black shadow moving along the wall.

I’m not fond of bugs either, but I know how to handle this.

I grab a dustpan from the cleaning supplies and turn off the cooking stove before returning to the bathroom.

With the dustpan, I scoop up the spider and release it out of the open window.

Sorry, spider, but for Shirafuji’s peace of mind, you’ve got to go.

“The spider’s gone.”

“…Thank you very much.”

Hearing that the threat is gone, Shirafuji breathes a sigh of relief, still wrapped in nothing but a bath towel.

Seeing her like this—a sight far more provocative than usual—I feel my self-control slipping.

“You’re going to take another shower, right?”

“That’s the plan, but… I want to ask you something first.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you an answer beyond what I’ve already seen about your body.”

When I answered honestly about what Shirafuji wanted to know, her face turned bright red in an instant.

Well, that’s a natural reaction.

Even if it was a complete accident and beyond my control, seeing someone naked is still embarrassing.

I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t seen it either. Even if I managed to lie about it for now, it would probably come out eventually through my reactions.

That would only make things more awkward and could affect our trust, so being honest was the best choice for the future.

“You can scold me however you want. Even though I could’ve closed my eyes and avoided looking, I didn’t, and that’s entirely my fault.”

“Were you mesmerized by me?”

She stared at me, her gaze probing.

Her question was one I couldn’t avoid without figuratively burning myself.

Still, I had already decided to be honest.

If I was going to be truthful, I needed to follow through to the end.

“…As you said, Shirafuji, I was mesmerized.”

“…I see.”

When I nervously admitted it, what came back was a tone that didn’t sound entirely displeased.

Her sky-blue eyes took on a mischievous glint.

“What part of me were you mesmerized by?”

“…Are you really going to ask that?”

“I am. Please tell me. I’m very, very curious about which part of my body mesmerized you, Hakuto.”

Shirafuji pressed on with unwavering determination.

It was clear that half of it was to tease me, but that didn’t make it any less troubling.

This was nothing short of public humiliation.

…Considering this was to repay for seeing her naked, though, it felt cheap.

All it would cost was my shame and inner peace.

Reluctantly, I recalled the sight from that moment.

Her bare skin was etched vividly in my mind.

Suppressing the heat rising within me, I tried to avoid letting impure feelings take over.

“First, your skin was incredibly beautiful. The term ‘flawless skin’ must’ve been coined for skin like yours. Your figure is perfectly proportioned, and yet the curves that should stand out do. Even though you said you’d gained weight, I couldn’t see it at all… I hope that’s enough of an answer.”

“…!”

I raised my hands in surrender, signaling that I was done.

My face felt hot, and I didn’t need to touch it to know it was red.

As for Shirafuji, her gaze darted around, and her mouth opened and closed wordlessly.
Her face, too, was a deep shade of red.

Several awkward seconds passed like that.

The first to move was Shirafuji.

Still wrapped in her bath towel, she approached me and gestured for me to lean closer.

Wondering what she was up to, I leaned in slightly, aligning my position with hers.

She brought her lips near my ear.

“If you’d like to see me again, I’ll show you anytime.”

“…What?”

The unexpected words left my brain reeling.

Before I could respond, Shirafuji moved behind me.

Then I heard the soft sound of fabric slipping as the towel fell away.

“I’m going to take another shower. Or… would you like to join me, Hakuto?”

“…I’ll pass.”

“That’s too bad.”

From behind me came her voice, sounding distinctly pleased.

On the other hand, I was barely keeping my composure, managing only a strained refusal.

The sound of the bathroom door closing signaled her departure. Finally, I let out the breath I had been holding.

“…That was way too close.”

I was, after all, a healthy high school boy.

If temptations like that kept coming, it was only a matter of time before I lost control.

I wondered if Shirafuji understood that.

She didn’t seem to have enough awareness of the danger.

We were fake lovers, and our relationship was far from being that intimate.

While some people might prioritize physical intimacy, as a high schooler still dependent on others, I couldn’t and didn’t want to act irresponsibly.

“…But it’s impossible not to react.”

I hoped Shirafuji hadn’t noticed the change in my lower half.

That would’ve been mortifying, and if she scorned me, I’d want to disappear.

But… it’s normal to react this way when you see the naked body of a beautiful, adorable girl you like.

And that’s why it’s such a problem.

Shirafuji would probably stay until evening today.

Considering I wouldn’t have any time alone to deal with it, I genuinely worried about my self-control.

If, by some misstep, she witnessed me in the middle of… that, I wouldn’t be able to face her.

“Hang in there, Hakuto. This is your real test.”

Forcing my thoughts back to breakfast, I returned to the kitchen, trying to drown out the sound of the shower that had started again.

“…Hakuto called my body beautiful. And he seemed flustered, too… but still, he doesn’t make a move.”

Murmuring to herself in the bathroom, Shirafuji’s cheeks were tinged with red.

“I really wouldn’t mind sharing the bath with him. But… I feel like I’d be the one to lose control, not Hakuto.”

Reflecting on what she had seen and said, she ultimately felt like she had made things worse for herself.