The Beautiful Senpai from the Archery Club Is Sleeping in My Room with Her Stomach Exposed. - Chapter 10: Special Relaxation Course.

Special Relaxation Course.

This was the second time Watanuki-senpai had come to my house, but it was the first time I was inviting her into my room.

I only realized this while leading the way down the hallway. There wasn’t even time to feel nervous anymore.

“Please, come in. This is my room and the setting for today’s special relaxation course.”

“Thank you. I’ll be intruding, then.”

As I opened the door and revealed the room, Watanuki-senpai quickly stepped inside and sat down in seiza in front of the central table—swiftly, almost like a series of choreographed movements. It was so fast that I felt as if I were watching a video played at double speed in real life.

She then fixed her gaze on me, a gentle smile still on her face, and gestured toward the cushion across from her with an open palm.

“Thank you for having me today, Amemoto-kun. Now, please, take a seat and relax.”

“When did you become the interviewer for my own room?”

It was probably a joke to ease the tension. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“…It seems I may have acted a bit too much like a senior. Haha, forget that. But, come to think of it, isn’t it a little warm in here?”

Still wearing her usual calm smile, Watanuki-senpai lightly fanned herself with her hand. Wait—wasn’t her face just as red as it had been this morning? I had adjusted the room temperature in advance, though…

“Shall I lower the air conditioner settings? Your comfort is my top priority.”

“I’d appreciate that… Where’s the remote?”

At last, her gaze wandered away from my face and started scanning the room.

her expression remained composed, but the way she absentmindedly glanced around gave off a slightly unbalanced impression.

“This is my first time in a boy’s room, but… do all of them have such a unified color scheme?”

“Ah, well… My room might be different from the average guy’s. It’s designed specifically as a relaxation space.”

“Designed for… relaxation?”

From the bed to the curtains, the chair, and even the cushions—everything was unified in shades of green.

I had also placed several houseplants around the room to create an atmosphere where I could enjoy a forest-like environment even indoors.

“Well, it’s easier to understand if you experience it yourself. Let’s get started. I’ll close the curtains.”

I pulled the blackout curtains shut, blocking out the outside light, and turned on the indirect lighting in the corner, casting a soft, warm glow throughout the room.

“Oh… this creates quite the moody atmosphere. Is this what you wanted to show me? Hmm, I think I get it. This really is soothing… Thanks, I feel like I’m finally starting to relax—”

“This is just the beginning. Now, I’ll start the projector.”

“!?”

With practiced ease, I operated my smartphone, and a familiar video was projected onto the white wall.

It was a fixed-point recording of a mountain stream somewhere in Japan—one of my favorites from the internet. It lasted about three hours.

“I’ll also play some healing music through the speakers. If you don’t like it, I have a few playlists prepared, so feel free to choose—oh, and I’ll light some aroma oil as well. Would a sweet scent be okay? Something vanilla-like?”

“That’s fine, but—wait, you’re really not stopping, huh!? You’re practically trying to stimulate all five senses!”

“Oh, and if possible, I’d like to give you a shoulder massage too. Also, I bought some cookies—nothing fancy, but they’re your favorite, right? I’ll bring them with some tea.”

“You’ve even covered touch and taste in one seamless flow…!?”

Yes, this is the full extent of my special relaxation course—my ultimate setup, carefully curated to restore a worn-out self. I had spent my saved-up New Year’s gift money to perfect this environment.

“Alright, I’ll go get everything ready. Once I’m back, we can start for real.”

“…P-Please go easy on me.”

Why the formal speech?

***

Watanuki-senpai’s shoulders were much tenser than I had expected. Now that I think about it, Mei once grumbled, “When you’re big, your shoulders really get stiff.”

…No, that’s irrelevant right now. I should check in with her first.

“Senpai, how’s the pressure? Does it feel good?”

“D-Don’t ask… right now…! I-I’m trying… to hold back my voice…!”

Good. It looks like my relaxation-specialized room + shoulder massage combo is working. The skills I honed by massaging my family seem to be paying off.

“There’s no one else home, so go ahead. Letting it out can help relieve stress too.”

“Hah… ngh… ahhh—A-Amemoto-kun, ughh, y-you’re too good♡ My brain is—t-this is bad, it’s too effective♡ Ahhhhhh♡♡”

“I’m sorry, actually, please hold it in.”

If my family had been home, they would’ve called the cops.

Wait… am I some kind of massage prodigy? That reaction isn’t normal, right? This is… terrifying.

“U-Um, let’s take a break here. You haven’t even touched the tea and cookies yet.”

“Hah… hahh… y-yeah… I’ll have some. Thank you for preparing them… cough…”

Completely out of breath, she let out a sudden loud gasp, which seemed to have strained her throat. She took two small sips of the still-warm tea, steam rising from the cup. As she pulled her lips away, still flushed, she let out a soft sigh before biting into a butter cookie.

And then… she started crying.

…Wait, she’s crying?

“…How long has it been since I last had such a peaceful, purely happy moment…?”

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, tracing her jawline before dripping into her cup.

She had been that close to her limit.

“…Amemoto-kun, can I call you my second mom?”

“L-Let’s not do that. I neither raised you nor am I a woman.”

“Mmm…”

Sniffling as she rubbed her eyes, she didn’t seem like Watanuki-senpai, the school beauty anymore—just Watanuki Rino.

I guess I wasn’t a massage genius after all.

She had just needed this—without even realizing how much.

“If you liked it, feel free to come over again. I’ll support you until your problems are resolved.”

“…That’s not fair. This… this makes it impossible not to come back.”

“Mei’s been here a few times too, so as our second regular, you’re always welcome.”

“…Is it really okay? I haven’t done anything for you yet, and you’re letting me come here like this…”

“Don’t worry about it. Until your problems are solved, I don’t need anything in return. I told you, you can pay me back later.”

“…Are you sure you’ve actually thought about what that ‘payment’ will be?”

“I’ll let you know—eventually.”

She shot me a sharp glare, so I looked away.

I had been treating her issues almost as if they were my own, so I hadn’t really thought about what I wanted in return. I still didn’t know what I wanted from her.

If I had to choose… maybe something about her—our class’s semi-troublemaker, Watanuki-san (the younger sister). That might be interesting.

While I was lost in thought, Watanuki-san (the older sister) gave me a troubled smile.

“I’m leaning on you without even knowing what I have to offer in return… It feels like a gamble. Almost like a deal with the devil.”

“You’re exaggerating. I’m not asking for your soul.”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up taking it… Well, even if you are a devil, I don’t mind. Here, this handshake—consider it our contract.”

Her extended fingers had no strength in them.

Soft and relaxed, her hand simply waited for mine.

“Alright then, let’s make it official. Looking forward to working with you.”

“…On my days off from club, I’ll definitely come by.”

Just when I thought her hand was limp, she suddenly squeezed mine—tightly.

Almost as if entwining her fingers with mine, locking them in place.

…Somehow, this handshake didn’t feel like the kind of contract I had in mind.