The Gal Next to Me Is Trying Too Hard to Make Me Fall in Love With Her
โAhhhhh~โก Saeki’s massage feels so good~~~โกโ
โI’m glad to hear it. Yours was amazing too, Amagi-san.โ
โReally? Hehe, I knew it, right?โ
After the massage ended, we took a breather.
We got under the kotatsu, turned on the TV, and just lazed around.
โUmโฆ about that, can I ask you something?โ
โWhat? If it’s a marriage proposal, the answer’s yes?โ
โNo, it’s not that!โ
โYou wanna do naughty things? Oh my, you didn’t need to ask that specifically~โกโ
โI said it’s not that!โ
I let out a small sigh and looked away.
โโฆWhy are you sitting next to me, Amagi-san?โ
Her usual spot was across from me.
Even during dinner earlier, she’d been there. Yet now, for some reason, she’d deliberately squeezed herself into the cramped space beside me.
โDid you not want me to?โ
โN-no, it’s not that I didn’t want you toโฆ It’s justโฆ you came over so suddenlyโฆโ
โHmmโฆ I just felt kind of lonely, you know?โ
As she spoke, Amagi-san leaned her weight toward me.
Her head landed softly on my shoulder. She looked up at me and smiled, somehow seeming fragile.
โSaeki, you weren’t here this morning, right? Actually, I’ve been waiting in this room ever since. I wondered what it feels like to be a wife waiting for her husband to come home.โ
โโฆGoing all out even for roleplay? That’s so totally you, Amagi-sanโฆโ
โIf I’m going to do it, I might as well do it properly. Besides, cleaning and laundry take forever when I actually try to do them right.โ
Her hand overlapped mine, which had been resting on my lap.
I slowly grasped that hand, damp with sweat from the kotatsu and her body heat. Immediately, as if she’d been waiting for it, she intertwined her fingers with mine.
โI ate lunch here too, waiting all day for you to come backโฆ So, you know, when you finally did come home, I was super happy, okay? Like, โFinally, we get to see each other!โ If I could feel this happy when my husband came home, I thought maybe waiting wouldn’t be so bad.โ
She squeezed my hand, testing its feel, then looked away. โBut you seeโฆโ
โIf I were the real wife, I’d be with my husband all day when he came home. But this is just pretend play. It’s already past ten, and I really should be heading back soonโฆ That makes me feel lonelyโฆโ
โโฆNo, butโฆโ
“I know, I know! That’s not what I’m saying! I’m not asking to stay over or anything like that, right? Before, we had the excuse of preparing for the cultural festival, but there’s nothing like that now. If I stayed over now, it’d be improper relations, right?”
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
โI knowโฆ I won’t be selfish. Just a little longer, just a tiny bit longer, can I stay beside you? For me, being beside Saeki is the most peaceful place in the world.โ
A smile like a snowflakeโbeautiful and fragile, like it would melt away if touched.
I understand deep in my soul that she truly, genuinely, from the bottom of her heart, doesn’t want to leave me.
Amagi-san looks beautiful when she makes this face.
I find myself mesmerized.
โBut strangely, I can’t bring myself to like it.
Even though I shouldn’t, even though it’s wrong, my mind searches for a solution.
A way for her to stay with meโฆ a way to see the smile I want to see.
โโฆAh.โ
The hand I desperately stretched out in the darkness felt awkward and ridiculous, even to myselfโฆ but I grasped onto a plausible excuse.
โWhat’s wrong, Saeki?โ
“Umโฆ My family also puts out a kotatsu when winter comes, you know? Kotatsu are so comfortable, right?ใSo every day, at least one person ends up falling asleep in it, and they’re usually left there until morning.”
โโฆHuh? Sorry, what are you talking about?โ
โNo, I meanโฆ since Amagi-san set up a kotatsu in my room, I was wondering if that kind of thing happens at my place tooโฆโ
She seemed to grasp what I was trying to say.
Amagi-san’s eyes widened suddenly, and the tension drained from her lips like a snapped string.
โWell, if someone falls asleep, it feels wrong to wake themโฆ But if they catch a cold, that’d be worse, so I guess we’d reluctantly bring out the guest futon. Soโฆ umโฆ yesโฆ!โ
“โฆYou’re basically saying I should stay over, but is that okay?ใI know it’s weird for me to say this, but that’s a pretty weak excuse, right?”
โIt’d be bad if my family didn’t allow falling asleep at the kotatsu, but luckily they don’t mind at allโฆ so, y-yes, it’s fine. It should hold upโฆ!โ
โMy family and you are different, aren’t we?โ
โWe’re supposed to be married now, so it’s safe, rightโฆ?โ
โThat’s such a stretch~!โ
Amagi burst out laughing, took a breath, then collapsed face-first onto the table.
โWell thenโฆ I guess I’ll justโฆ fall asleep?โ
โG-Go aheadโฆโ
She turned her eyes to me and gave a weak smile.
Like a snow-viewing daifuku left out in the summer sun, it was sweet and meltingโฆ The smile I wanted to see was right there.
โCuteโฆโ
I murmured, and a few seconds later.
Realizing I’d said it out loud instead of just thinking it, I gasped and covered my mouth.
I messed up, so embarrassingโฆ but.
Amagi-san smiled even more happily and wiggled the hands we were holding. Even that gesture was cute, it was really unfair.
โSay โcuteโ again?โ
โEhโฆโ
โAm I not cute?โ
โYouโฆ you are cute.โ
โMore than anyone else?โ
โโฆYes.โ
โHehe, I see~~~โกโ
Saying that, she let go of our joined hands and ruffled my hair. Roughly, like she was playfully wrestling with a dog, looking delighted.
โPet me too!โ
โY-yeah, yeah.โ
โMmph-โก Feels so good-โกโ
โI’m glad to hear that.โ
โWhile you’re petting me, I want you to say I’m cute-โกโ
โCuteโฆ You’reโฆ incredibly cuteโฆ!โ
โHeheheheโก So happy-โกโ
She gazed at me fondly as I flushed, then stroked my head again.
Then she touched my cheek, gently pinched it to feel its texture, and this time wrapped her hand around it tenderly, as if comforting me.
Our gazes locked, our breaths mingled.
My awareness became so focused on Amagi-san that I couldn’t even hear the TV anymore.
Even the sound of her hair spilling over her shoulders.
Right now, I didn’t want to miss a single thing.
โโฆโฆโฆโฆI want toโฆ kiss you.โ
She murmured softly, unexpectedly.
Her eyes held a languid glow, her face flushed faintly.
โMy โI like youโ gauge is maxed out right now, it’s dangerous! I really, really want to kiss you! Hey, let’s do it, let’s kiss!? We’re married, so kissing is normal, right?!โ
โOf course it’s not okay!! That’s definitely inappropriate dating behavior!!โ
โNah, no way! I’m kissing you!! If you don’t kiss me, I’ll explode!!โ
โThere’s no way I’m doing thatโwait, Amagi-san!? D-don’t bring your face closerโฆ!โ
โJust the tip!! Just the tip is fine!!โ
โI said that’s not okay!! Ah, h-hey, waaahh~~!!โ
Amagi grabbed my face firmly with both hands and forced herself closer. My futile resistance was crushed as she pinned me down, and I let out a pathetic cry.
Looking down at me, she smiled.
Her lips curved into a wicked, feverish, and seductive grin, her white teeth gleaming.
โSo, what if it wasn’t lips?โ
โIf it wasn’tโฆ lips?โ
โHow about your forehead?โ
โโฆHuh? Umโฆโ
โBetween your forehead and lips, which one’s safe?โ
โโฆThe forehead, I guess?โ
โThen, do it?โ
“Meโฆ!?
โYou don’t want to?โ
โIt’s not thatโฆโ
โI want you to do it. I want Saeki to give me a kiss.โ
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
โI want Saeki to do it. I only want Saeki to do it. I don’t want anyone else, I want Saeki. Because I like you, I really like youโฆ Hey, is that okay?โ
Her slightly pouty expression was exceptionally cute, and before I knew it, I was nodding my head.
Amagi-san giggled softly, โYayโก,โ then drew her face closer, lowering her eyelids. Her moist breath, heavy with expectation, brushed against me, dampening my face ever so slightly.
A forehead kiss probably wouldn’t count as improper relationsโฆ
I convinced myself internally, steeled my resolve, and placed my hand on the back of her head.
Feeling the soft texture of her hair, I pulled her forehead slightly closer to my mouth with a little more force.
โโHuff.
For just a fraction of a second, less than a second, I pressed my lips against hers.
Any longer was too embarrassing, too much for me to handle. I turned my face away and closed my eyes.
Just this much made my heart pound like I’d sprinted a hundred meters at full speed.
I remembered doing something similar to Ouran long ago, when she was much smaller than she is now, but this was completely different in every way.
โฆEven so, Amagi-san was uncharacteristically quiet.
She didn’t fuss about being happy, didn’t demand more. She just lay there, her breathing echoing, right beside me.
Could it beโฆ she thinks I’m disgusting and is disappointed?
It’s entirely possible.
I’m not used to this sort of thing. Maybe there’s some etiquette involved, and I broke it. Orโฆ g-gasp, maybe my breath stinks?
Anxiety swirls and churns behind my eyelids.
In the darkness, her disgusted face appears before me.
Cold sweat breaks out.
I’ll apologize. I’ll ask her later what I did wrong.
โโฆHm?โ
I opened my eyes and looked at her, but before any apology could form, a question mark appeared.
Because she was bright red.
Amagi-san’s face, like it had been painted with pigment.
โWh-what’s wrong, Amagi-san?โ
โโฆI’m going to die.โ
โHuh?โ
Her wide-open eyes were faintly wet with tears, and her vermilion lips opened and closed rapidly, as if fluttering.
When our gazes met, she blinked several times and quietly buried her face in my chest.
“โฆI’m so happy, I’m gonna dieโก Just from that forehead thing, I’m like, do I like Saeki too much or whatโฆ โก My heart’s pounding so hard it’s ridiculousโฆโก”
She mumbled softly against my chest, then glanced up briefly.
The moment our eyes met, she let out a pink-tinged squeal, โKyaaahโก!โ and buried her face again, writhing slightly.
โฆGood. She didn’t hate itโshe was just happy.
Relief washed over me from deep within, and I half-unconsciously placed my hand on her head. I stroked it a few times, savoring the sensation, and finally, the tension eased, the strength draining from the corners of my lips.
โUm, by the way, about thatโฆโ
โโฆWhat is it?โ
โCould you get off me now?โ
โโฆCan’t I just fall asleep here?โ
โNo.โ
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
โUmโฆโ
โZzzโฆ zzzโฆโ
The most obvious fake sleep imaginable.
I tried shaking her shoulders to move her, but she clung to me like a koala, refusing to let go. โฆLike this, falling asleep is impossible.
โHaaโฆ Fine, just for a little while then?โ
Resigned, I sighed. She lifted her face and looked at me again.
Her eyes shone like she’d found a treasure, and I felt an overwhelming happiness. The reflection of myself in her eyes made me feel incredibly valuable.
The weight on my body. Warmth and discomfort. Security and pressure.
Her heartbeat.
I just feltโฆ intensely happy.
The night deepened.
I forgot to pick her up, like she’d fallen from the sunlight.
Maiban