Chapter 224 A Night for Two (1)

A Night for Two (1)

“Well then, enjoy yourselves. Just the two of you, young ones.”

Mom said this with a chuckle and was about to head back to her room.

“No, wait a minute! This is definitely not okay.”

When I protested, she responded indifferently, “What’s the problem?”

In front of me were my bed and a futon laid out for the guest. She expects us to sleep in my room, just the two of us!?

“Normally, it’s the parent who stops the kids, and the kids sneak around and break the rules. But you two are such honor students.”

Seriously, what is this mother even saying?

“At the very least, Ai-san should sleep in your room, Mom.”

Even when I said that, she wouldn’t budge. Instead, she leaned over and whispered something to Ai-san, making sure I could hear…

“Ai-chan, you want to sleep with Eiji, don’t you? Or do you not want to?”

Her face turned bright red as she looked down and mumbled, “It’s not that I don’t want to, but it feels too soon…”

“It’s fine. Stay up late and chat with Eiji. Right now, I think that’s exactly what Ai-chan needs.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded slightly. The atmosphere had already been set; there was no turning back.

Ai’s PoV

“Senpai, I’ll sleep on the floor. Really.”

“No way. I can’t let a guest sleep on the floor.”

Hearing him say that, my heart warmed at his kindness, though I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

“Are you sure you won’t be cold?”

“It’s fine. It’s still September, after all.”

Hearing that made me smile despite myself. As I took a deep breath to calm down, I caught Senpai’s scent—not just from his clothes but also from the bed and even the room itself. It made my head spin a little.

“Shall we talk for a bit?”

To hide my flustered state, I turned toward him while lying down.

“Sure.”

He rustled and turned to face me.

“Senpai, when did you start liking me?”

As soon as I asked, I felt embarrassed at how straightforward it was. It felt like teasing, yet I was the one taking damage. But tonight, I didn’t want to lie.

“Maybe when we skipped school together.”

So that’s it. It’s the same for me.

“Why? Was there something about me back then that made you like me?”

“Because you looked at me without prejudice, and you laughed so genuinely—more than I expected. You were different from the image I had in my head.”

“You’re so straightforward. But I remember that day clearly. I think it was the first time in ages I laughed from the bottom of my heart. It was all thanks to you, Senpai.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words that followed out loud.

That day, when I met you by chance, you saved me. When we skipped school together, you reminded me how to smile. And here at Kitchen Aono, you let me feel the warmth of the family I had longed for. How could I not fall for you? For someone like me, who finds it hard to rely on others, there’s no one else I could open up to this much.

That’s why I fell in love with a man named Aono Eiji.

“Senpai, can I come over to your side for a bit?”