“Hmph….”
The face staring back at me in the mirror was beet red.
‘What the hell… Why is she being so forward today?’
When I thought carefully, something I’d forgotten came back to me.
… Could it be?
When I reached into my arms, my hand landed on a hard case.
‘…Laundry magic! So that’s what she saw then.’
But even so, does she really have to go this far just to get the ring?
If she really gives me the ring and we end up getting married the year after next…
The image that sprang to mind was Lily in a wedding dress.
-Finally husband and wife, Arthur.
-Now we can do it, right?
-Don’t you dare think about sleeping tonight.
Lily with crimson eyes looked down at me.
-“I love you, Arthur…”
A chill ran down my spine.
Point is, this feels like something Lily would really do.
“… I might die…”
It’s one of the two.
Either I die from happiness,
or I die from exhaustion.
Regardless of what happens, I don’t see a way out.
As soon as that train of thought got going, the images kept rolling.
Something touched the edge of the sink.
“…Again?”
—-
A bit of time passed and I stood in front of the sink again, deliberately avoiding my reflection as I picked up the toothbrush.
Just as I was squeezing toothpaste onto the brush and getting ready to put it in my mouth—
Knock knock
“Arthur, are you in there?”
It was Lily, knocking on the door and looking for me.
Anxiety welled up, but it wasn’t something I could ignore.
“…Yes, I’m here. What is it?”
“I feel kind of sticky from the proper meal we had. Mind letting me in so I can brush my teeth too?”
“…What?”
She wants to come in now?
I quickly glanced around.
All traces were gone,
but what about the smell?
Even the venting magic in the dorm bathroom couldn’t mask a smell like this.
Now that I think about it, a similar situation happened last time too…
“Did she plan this?”
Once might be a coincidence, but twice is worth suspecting.
“…I… am…”
“Is there something I can’t see?”
Not that she can’t see, but there’s something she can’t smell.
“I see. Then I’ll brush my teeth ‘alone’, ‘lonely’, and ‘sadly’ in the kitchen.”
She’s not really gonna say that, is she?!
The disappointment in her voice led to…
Click
“…Come in.”
“Hehe, thank you.”
And I let her in after all.
There we were, brushing our teeth side by side.
I glanced at Lily through the mirror.
Our eyes locked.
Then she gave a bright smile.
I awkwardly smiled back and turned away.
‘Ugh… so embarrassing!’
Did I smell bad or something?
Twice is kinda embarrassing…
While trying to clear my mind and brushing away, I thought…
…And now, brushing teeth side by side like this reminds me of…
“Come to think of it…”
“Yeah, yeah?!”
Her voice broke my train of thought, startling me.
Amused by my reaction, Lily spoke.
“Come to think of it, with us brushing our teeth like this…”
She leaned closer and whispered.
“…Doesn’t it feel like we’re married already?”
Apparently, Lily thought the same thing.
But does she have to say that so close?
The refreshing minty toothpaste smell filled my nose.
Trying to create some space due to the tension…
Grip
Lily had closed the gap completely, standing right behind me.
The soft touch of her body made me…
‘…Please, no more!’
I don’t think my body will survive this.
I need to hand her the ring and stop this temptation quickly.
‘How much time until New Year’s?’
It was two days away.
Until then…
“…I’ll just have to endure.”
—-
After rinsing the toothpaste bubbles away and heading to exit the restroom, Lily lingered behind.
“I’ll stay a little longer. I still have some business to take care of.”
Huh? Wasn’t it true Lily didn’t experience hormonal cycles? …Or not? This could be normal since we ate real food this time.
Though unsure, I exited the restroom anyway.
Right before closing the door, I spotted Lily’s gaze landing on the trash can, but I dismissed it as nerves.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling until Lily emerged from the restroom.
…She had a very satisfied expression on her face.
“Today’s plan w—zzz…”
Drat, a yawn escaped me mid-sentence.
Looks like the fatigue from last night hasn’t fully worn off yet.
“Still tired?”
“No, it’s just—”
“Liar.”
“…I’m tired.”
Lily cut me off with her sharp glare.
I really was exhausted.
Completely.
“To the point where I want to cuddle up in her arms and immediately fall asleep…”
‘…What am I saying.’
“How about we stay here and nap instead of going anywhere today?”
“No, it’s not that bad…”
Though tired, I didn’t want to just go to sleep.
This was a rare holiday with Lily.
Once school starts, we wouldn’t be able to freely enjoy dates like this, so I wanted to go out and enjoy it more…
Plops
Lily fell onto the bed in front of me without warning.
“…What are you doing?”
Lily burrowed into the blanket and held it open wide towards me.
“Come here.”
“!!!”
While being together in bed wasn’t odd, seeing her like this now revealed just how dangerous the situation was.
Her dress had already changed into something light and flowy from our previous date,
Her voluptuous figure creating mountainous curves even beneath the thick blanket,
Worst of all… her position, with her laying partially on her stomach and looking up at me, emphasized the fullness of her bosom, which was now flattened and spilling off to both sides by the mattress.
Naturally, my gaze was drawn to that area, and Lily spoke with a gentle smile.
“Our Arthur… would you like to sleep in Lily’s arms?”
Lord, why did you bless me with such a paradise…
How am I supposed to refuse that?
Before I could even realize it, I was already under the covers.
As soon as I was enveloped in her embrace…
“…Paradise was here all along.”
The priests of the holy land must be pitiful.
To never realize that paradise was right here…
It’s cold and dry outside in the winter.
But here, with Lily, it was warm, snug, and soft.
Sleep was already creeping in.
Through the last bit of consciousness, I managed to speak.
“But Lily… what about the date…”
Then Lily replied.
“I like this, being tightly embraced like this, more than a date?”
“…Actually, I feel the same way.”
Though venturing out was fun,
In this embrace, the softness of her skin, the sweet scent and breath of Lily, and the thumping of her heart all filled my senses.
It felt as if the entire world had been reduced to just me and Lily.
And I was completely addicted to these sensations.
Right before fully succumbing to sleep, I desperately lifted my head,
And leaned into Lily who was gently looking down at me.
“Come to think of it, we haven’t done this yet, have we?”
“That’s true. Can we do a goodnight kiss then?”
“Of course.”
There was no reason to refuse.
“CHU… CHU… BEP… CHU…”
Her soft, wet tongue licked my gums.
Though Lily’s tongue movement was usually vigorous, this time it was different.
A soft, static kiss.
Not rushed at all, leisurely progressing until our saliva mixed stickily together.
The minty freshness lingering from brushing our teeth could still be felt.
“CHU… CHU…”
Instead of taking my saliva, Lily let me taste hers.
The tender movements made me feel like my brain was melting.
Every time our tongues intertwined, I shivered slightly as tingling sensations ran down my spine.
After a long, long kiss, we finally parted with a silver string connecting our lips.
Honestly speaking, I was reluctant to stop.
I wanted to keep kissing.
I wanted to taste more of Lily’s saliva.
But if we continued…
…It’d be beyond the point of no return.
Besides, I had become embarrassingly aroused.
Given how tightly we were stuck together, Lily must’ve noticed already.
Sure enough, she playfully whispered,
“Oh my, what’s poking me from below?”
This is all who’s fault, anyway…
In this state, I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I wanted to.
I needed to calm down a bit.
For that purpose…
“Lily.”
“Yes?”
“Could you… hum a lullaby for me?”
Upon hearing this, Lily happily nodded.
“For you, willingly.”
Speaking of which, this was my first time hearing Lily sing.
Last time she offered to sing me a lullaby, I refused.
After clearing her throat, Lily slowly began to open her mouth.
“Stay by my side
Stay by my side.
Let’s whisper together as we close our eyes
And drift to the dreamland.
I’ll cover the night sky for you
And offer you a moon pillow.
I’ll stay with you
Don’t think you’re alone.
May this warm moment
Embrace our hearts.
In peace-filled dreams
May we find each other.
May small hopes in dreams
Reach your arms.”
Lily’s voice flowed as clear as a single drop of water after being filtered time and again.
A magical voice that made one feel immediately better just by hearing it.
‘Ah, so this is how well she sings…’
Though I expected her to sing well given her lovely voice,
I didn’t expect her to be THIS good…
The slow and soft melody made me feel my strength ebbing away,
Just as the lullaby suggested, I was about to drift to dreamland.
I opened my lips with great difficulty.
“Umm… good night Lily…”
“Yup, sleep well Arthur.”
And in the threshold between wakefulness and sleep, I whispered.
“…I… love you…”
I think I heard Lily reply, but my hazy mind couldn’t process it.
The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was Lily’s beautiful face as I drifted into dreamland.
—-
Lily gazed dumbly at the sleeping Arthur.
The sight of his closed eyes made her heart race.
She wanted to pounce on him right this moment, but she restrained herself.
She also refrained from her recent habit of consoling him.
Right now, all she wanted to do was keep looking at the sleeping Arthur.
That one word he mumbled right before he fell asleep…
“…I… love you…”
The emotion conveyed in those words turned Lily’s mind blank.
It was pure.
Too pure.
That immeasurably pure emotion was something so precious to Lily.
And Arthur freely giving her that pure emotion made him especially dear and beloved to her.
Arthur said he found solace in Lily’s arms.
But for Lily, every moment spent with Arthur was comforting and restful.
That’s why today, at least, she wanted to be his ultimate sanctuary.
Cradling Arthur tightly, Lily pressed a short kiss to his forehead.
“I love you too, Arthur.”
“Sleep well… hehe…”
