「Fuwaa…」
『Hinata-kun, if you’re sleepy, it’s okay to go to bed.』
「No, I’m still fine.」
The night after I properly watched over Satou’s high school debut for the entire day.
I thought the fatigue from keeping my guard up had been relieved by dinner and a bath, but a yawn escapes me.
Well, my fatigue doesn’t matter.
Looking at the clock, it’s just past 9 PM, a bit early to sleep.
「Aren’t you more tired than me, Satou?」
『I’m perfectly fine. …It seems today’s excitement is still lingering.』
「I see.」
Although we hadn’t made any plans, after my bath, I received a message from Satou saying, “Shall we talk for a bit?” and now I’m sitting on my bed in my room, talking with her.
There’s no particular purpose to the call, she just said she wanted to hear my voice.
If this were Minato, I’d put the call on speaker and read a book at the same time, but with Satou, I want to keep the smartphone to my ear.
I’m a healthy high school boy, after all.
The reason goes without saying.
A pleasant voice, like an angel ringing a bell, drifts by my ear.
『About today at lunchtime, um… thank you.』
「Ahh, it’s nothing…」
It’s been almost thirty minutes since the call started.
We had been mostly chatting about random things without bringing up today’s events, but Satou finally mentions it.
『Hinata-kun’s body was warm. I can still vividly remember it.』
「…Give me a break.」
『Fufu, I’m sorry.』
I wonder what kind of face she’s making as she laughs.
I can’t see it, but I can somewhat imagine.
Joyful, yet ephemeral.
It’s probably like that.
As for me, I’d rather she didn’t remember about lunchtime too much.
『…Um, how was it for you, Hinata-kun?』
「How was what?」
『I mean, um… the thing at lunchtime. It was my first time with both hands, so… I was wondering how it was.』
No matter how much she asks in an expectant voice, as a guy, any way I choose my words to describe hugging a girl with such a well-proportioned figure like Satou would just sound gross.
So as much as possible, something that seems harmless…
「Well… you were small.」
『Mu… are you complimenting me with that?』
「Who knows.」
『D-Don’t be mean…』
「I’m not.」
『Muu…』
I can tell she’s not convinced even over the call, but I find even that side of Satou cute.
I wonder if she’s puffing her cheeks.
I wanted to see it.
『Then, next time, please tell me properly, okay?』
「Tell you what? I feel like it’s already conveyed though.」
By the time I had been hugging her with both hands for a while, my thoughts must have been exactly as Satou imagined.
『E-Even so, I want to hear it in words too.』
Satou insisted on wanting my thoughts.
Since what happened at lunchtime, Satou has changed a bit.
She didn’t often ask for things before, but now she expresses what she wants without hesitation.
『…Now that you can’t see my face, it’s your chance, you know?』
「……」
For example, like this.
How could she say goodbye to her timidity in just one day… I wonder what Satou felt during that hug at lunch.
No, more than that, maybe being accepted by her classmates had a bigger impact. It’s true she had been worried about it all along.
Either way, it felt like some big anxiety had been relieved.
「…Alright, I’ll tell you.」
There’s no escaping today’s Satou.
But if I’m going to say it, let’s go all out.
「Satou’s body was much smaller and softer than I thought. Yet I could feel your warmth, it was comforting, and it felt good. It was cute. Although I couldn’t see Satou’s face while hugging you, I could feel you so close that it didn’t matter, to be honest… I was happy. So when I said you were small, it was a huge compliment from me──」
『Waaaa! A-Ahh, um, t-that’s enough…!』
Satou’s flustered voice echoes from the smartphone.
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「Is that so?」
『Y-Yes…』
「But you said it’s my chance now.」
『Uhh… t-that’s true, but…』
I have no intention of destroying the confidence Satou has just started to build, but I want to retaliate a little.
I want to trouble her just a bit, without making her dislike it.
I don’t really know why I want to be this mean though.
「It was exactly the ideal body type. Slim yet soft, warm yet gentle. I could strongly feel Satou’s sweet scent that I usually sense. I think you know it, but I like that scent.」
『T-That’s really enough… it’s embarrassing…』
Her voice gets higher and the sound of the call becomes distant.
『W-What’s wrong with you, Hinata-kun… you’re somehow amazing today.』
「I’m aware. So after this call ends, it would help if you could forget everything.」
Surprisingly, I’m already starting to feel embarrassed.
I’d prefer if Satou could sleep soundly after this and think of what just happened as a weird dream…
『…I don’t want to.』
「…You don’t want to, huh.」
『B-Because Hinata-kun’s words… they’re embarrassing, but not unpleasant at all. If you felt good too, next time… we can do it again, okay?』
「…What’s up with you? Satou, you’re acting strange today.」
『I-If so, then we’re even.』
An awkward silence falls in my room.
It feels both uncomfortable and pleasant, and I lay down on my bed with the smartphone still to my ear.
The futon rustles and my body sinks into it.
The ceiling light is dazzling, so I cover my eyes with my free arm.
「…I want to see you.」
『…Me too.』
We murmur and fall silent again.
The rustling sounds coming from the other side of the smartphone were clearly audible in the quiet room.
I spent the entire day in the same space as Satou.
But the only times we could talk or touch were during the commute and that moment at lunchtime.
Usually, we…
No, come to think of it, last week was pretty much the same.
We commuted together and ate lunch together.
During class, we obviously can’t talk, and our seats are far apart, so we weren’t exactly close.
Today isn’t much different.
It should be the same, but today it doesn’t feel like enough at all.
I want to be with her much more.
I want to touch Satou’s hand.
This sense of dissatisfaction, almost like a worldly desire, fills my heart helplessly.
『Hinata-kun…』
「……」
『I want to see you, Hinata-kun…』
She whispers in a voice that seems about to fade away.
What is this cute creature?
The more I think so, the more my chest tightens with the pain of not being able to see her.
The time when high school students are allowed to be out has long passed, so the next time I can see Satou is tomorrow morning.
Then, what can I do now?
The sincerity I can return to Satou, who said she wants to see me.
To fill this emptiness even a little, what can I do…
「…I’ll come pick you up.」
『…Eh?』
「Starting tomorrow morning, I’ll come to your house to pick you up.」
That way, I can be with Satou while walking to the station, and I can help alleviate some of the anxiety she feels from people’s gazes on the station platform like this morning.
『Hinata-kun will… come pick me up…?』
「…Is that a bother?」
『……』
「Satou?」
『…It’s not a bother at all.』
Then it’s settled.
「Then, tomorrow morning, at your house.」
『…Yes.』
After a shy pause, Satou replied with a voice full of strength.