Chapter 43 Kanade's Practice

Kanade’s Practice

“Fufu… Watching this never gets old.”

In the comfort of a pleasant drowsiness, I heard a familiar voice.

The sound seemed to stir something in me, as my mind gradually started waking up. My dulled hearing slowly began picking up on more sounds.

I felt a light tug, as though someone had gently grasped my hand.

…How long was I asleep?

As I tried to open my eyes, the brightness hit me, making it hard to keep them open.

I squinted slightly, attempting to adjust to the light.

The sun was still up, but the heat had softened somewhat.

I must have been asleep for over an hour.

I guess it’s about time to wake up…

Just as I started to rise, I heard her voice say, “I need to practice.”

…Practice? For what?

The word “practice” piqued my curiosity, and I decided to remain lying down, observing Kanade instead.

“Um… I wonder if… he’s awake?”

“…”

“Hmm, he’s breathing so deeply… Yeah, he’s definitely still asleep. Fufu, Ariga-cchi really doesn’t wake up easily once he’s out~.”

She wasn’t wrong. Once I fall asleep, I tend to sleep like a log.

The fact that she knows this so well… does that mean she’s seen me sleeping during all those times we stayed overnight together?

That thought made me feel a little embarrassed.

“Ehehe~ His cheek feels so soft.”

Kanade began poking my cheek, almost experimentally, as if testing its texture.

I could hear her soft laughter, followed by the sensation of her hand gently stroking my head.

Her gestures, like soothing a sleeping child, made me chuckle silently to myself.

I mean, come on, I’m an adult…

Along with the weight of the situation, a tinge of embarrassment rose within me, making my face feel hot.

Maybe it’s time to wake up––

“Since he’s asleep, now’s the perfect chance to practice…”

I caught her muttered words.

Practice?

What could she mean?

The word kept nagging at me, and I let my body relax again, deciding to listen more closely.

Straining my ears, I tried to figure out what she was doing.

If it turned out to be some kind of prank, I could always stop her at the last moment.

Should I surprise her a little instead?

Just as I entertained that thought, I heard Kanade’s flustered voice.

“Ariga-cchi… no, um… Shinta… Shintaro…”

…Wait, what?

That bashful tone was so unlike her usual self—so full of hesitation and embarrassment.

The sheer vulnerability in her voice sent my heart racing.

“Ugh, this is so embarrassing! If I’m going to call him by his name, it needs to sound more natural! What am I even doing, freaking out over something so simple!? Get a grip!”

“…”

“But still… I really want to call him by his name. If I keep calling him ‘Ariga-cchi,’ it’ll feel like we’re stuck as teacher and student forever…”

I stayed quiet and kept listening to Kanade’s words.

I swallowed hard, my mind spinning with thoughts.

If I woke up now, would it hurt her pride?

Should I just pretend I didn’t hear anything?

Or maybe––

No, no!

I have to be the one to act!!!

“Then… why not just call me by my name?”

“Huh?”

“There’s no need to hold back. Lots of people call me by my name. You can call me however you like.”

“…”

When I opened my eyes and looked at her, Kanade’s face was flushed red, all the way to her ears.

“Wha– Um… How long have you been awake?”

“…Since you started struggling with it, I guess.”

“That was over an hour ago! Why didn’t you say anything sooner!? You’ve been listening to my monologue this whole time—this is so embarrassing I could just diee~~!!!”

“You don’t need to feel that embarrassed… Wait, were you really agonizing over this for an entire hour? I thought it was just a few minutes. I only just woke up.”

“Ah…”

Her mouth twitched, and her already red face somehow deepened in color.

If I had to describe it, she looked like a perfectly ripened tomato.

Covering her face with her hands, she shook her head back and forth, muttering, “I dug my own grave. I’m such an idiot…” in anguish.

It seemed Kanade had been wrestling with her thoughts for as long as I had been asleep.

Finally, she stilled, took a deep breath, and––

“Shintaro… I’ll call you that from now on, okay?”

Shyly, she murmured the words.

I reached out and gently patted her head.

“Sure, Kanade.”

“Ehehe…”

A radiant smile spread across her face.

As far as waking up from a nap goes, I couldn’t imagine anything warmer or more comforting.