Chapter 21

Sitting on the sofa, I was installing the new graphics card I had just bought into Rinka’s PC. But to be honest, I couldn’t concentrate.

The reason? The thunderclaps—and Rinka, who was clinging tightly to my arm, reacting dramatically to each one.

“Uwah, it struck again!”

Every time thunder rumbled, Rinka would squeeze my arm even tighter. And each time, something soft pressed against me, making it… hard to focus, to say the least.

“Rinka, I can’t finish like this… Could you move away just a little?”

I tried to sound as composed as possible, but Rinka only shook her head.

“No way! It’s scary, so I can’t help it!”

Seeing her sulking expression as she said that, I knew I couldn’t argue. With no other choice, I continued working, doing my best to ignore the distracting sensation.

Thirty minutes later, I finally finished the installation and checked if everything was working.

The monitor flickered to life, displaying the familiar desktop screen.

“Phew… It’s fixed…”

“I’m so glad! Thank you, Kazuya-kun!”

Rinka beamed at me, her face lighting up with relief.

Looking outside, it seemed the thunder had finally died down, leaving only the sound of steady rain.

“Kazuya-kun, aren’t you tired?”

“Well… a little, yeah.”

I answered with a wry smile, and Rinka gazed at me with a serious look.

“Then, while I take a bath first, you should rest in bed.”

“Eh, no, that’s a bit…”

I hesitated, but Rinka furrowed her brows slightly.

“Just do it! It’s part of my thanks, so listen to me, okay?”

Her voice wasn’t her usual teasing tone—it carried a warmth that caught me off guard.

But she had a point. If I slept now, I might wake up in time for the first train.

“Alright… I’ll take you up on that offer then.”

“That’s the spirit. Well then, good night, Kazuya-kun.”

Rinka smiled in satisfaction before heading toward the bathroom.

After confirming she had gone, I lay down on her bed and closed my eyes. The blanket had a sweet scent and felt incredibly comfortable.

I must have been more exhausted than I thought—I quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, I woke up to a strange sensation against my body.

What is this? Something’s clinging to me? Groggily, I tried to figure out what was going on. And then—

“…Eh, what’s this?”

My half-awake eyes were met with the sight of Rinka’s slender arm wrapped around mine—her face nestled against my chest as she slept.

Her leg was lightly draped over my waist, and she held onto me with her whole body. No, more than that—she was completely using me as a hug pillow.

“Wha… Wha—!?”

My heart leaped in shock, and I unintentionally let out a startled noise.

“Nn…? What’s wrong?”

Rinka rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked up at me, her expression still drowsy, with a hint of unease.

“What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong’…? Why are you next to me?”

“Because… the thunder might come back, and I’d be scared alone…”

As I frantically questioned her, Rinka answered honestly, her voice soft and half-asleep.

Her words left me speechless.

Just how terrified of thunder is she…?

“No, but still, clinging to me like this is—!”

“But it makes me feel safe.”

“…!”

My heart skipped a beat. Rinka’s innocent and defenseless behavior completely drained any resistance I had left.

“…Fine. You can stay like this if you want.”

“Mm, thank you.”

With a satisfied smile, Rinka hugged me even closer and quickly drifted back to sleep. In the end, I barely got any sleep that night.

Early in the morning, rubbing my drowsy eyes, I carefully unwrapped Rinka’s arms from around me.

She let out a small “Mmm…” and instinctively tried to cling to me again, so I gently replaced myself with a nearby cushion. She immediately snuggled against it instead.

As expected of a princess—even her sleeping face looked flawless.

…Wait, is it really okay for me to be staring at her defenseless sleeping face like this…?

“See you later, Rinka. At school.”

I murmured softly before quietly leaving the room.

Outside, the sky was still dim. As I rode the first train home, last night’s events kept replaying in my mind, my heart refusing to settle down.