The Angel's Begging

The following week, the results of the post-summer vacation tests were revealed.

Just as he'd expected, Mahiru's name was still at the top of the list, as per usual. Mahiru, who had been quietly staring at him without a hint of boastfulness, noticed Amane gazing at her and smiled faintly. The Angel's smile was a little distant, but Amane could tell just from her gaze that she had a strong sense of faith in him.

"Mm, congratulations on first place." "Thank you very much."

"It's because you're always working so hard that you're constantly getting better results. You did well."

Despite taking care of Amane on a daily basis, she took first place and remained confident, likely due to her knowledge and unrelenting effort she had cultivated up until now. She often opened her reference books or gazed at her memorization cards when she was spending time with Amane, so just by watching, Amane knew that she didn't seem to have gone easy with her studies.

"You're the same, Amane-kun. You came in fifth this time."

"I'm grateful. It's all thanks to your good teaching style, Mahiru."

"Hehe, it's an honor to receive your praise. You're such a quick learner, so it's fun teaching you."

"Heh, thanks for that… What about the normal students?"

"They can have amazing concentration when they're motivated, but at times, well, they seem like they're having a bit of trouble."

"Very Chitose-like."

Incidentally, Chitose's score was around the middle of the pack, so the handmade notes that Mahiru gave her seemed to come in handy.

Itsuki was also in a better ranking than usual, and it was about twenty places higher than usual, so Amane could see his efforts. He was the type of man who would usually be aloof but could do things if he tried, so he must have been motivated to score high this time.

"Anyway, that's a relief for now."

"When we get home, we'll bring the test results and have a review session. It looks like I made a mistake somewhere, so I want to review it before it becomes a habit."

"You're right. I'm glad you're so diligent."

"Well, I want to be able to stand next to you and not be embarrassed." Fundamentally, Amane was no match for his excellent friends around him.

Naturally, he was inferior to Mahiru in terms of academic ability, and he wasn't athletic like Yuuta, nor was he a natural mood maker like Itsuki. Some say he has a well-defined face, but if he had to say whether he was a good match for Mahiru's beauty, polished by her unrelenting efforts paired with her innate genetics, he would say no.

Amane and Mahiru loved each other, which is precisely why they were dating, but from someone else's point of view, it was unconvincing. That's why he was doing his best to silence any noisy bystanders, and to allow himself to stand next to her and be proud of himself. Studying was one of those areas.

"Besides, having good grades gives you better opportunities." "What for?"

"Hm? You'll have a better chance at getting the job you want in the future."

Grades weren't everything, but if your grades were good, you'd have more opportunities to be in an environment where you could get the knowledge and experience you needed than those who didn't.

His parents' agreement for Amane to study and get good grades was their way of encouraging him to have more options for the future. If he could reach for what he wanted to do when he could in the future, or if he increased his skill-set ahead of time, he wouldn't have to go through as many hardships or regrets later.

Amane's parents understood that he studied rather voluntarily and that his grades would give him good opportunities, so they didn't remind him much on that point, even so, they once told him, "In order to seize an opportunity, it's better to study hard so you don't regret it."

When he was in middle school, he had felt that it was annoying, but when he became a high school student and left his parents, and then found himself someone important to him, he became painfully aware of the need to put in the effort again.

"I see. That's realistic and well-organized of you."

"Well, that goes for you too, Mahiru. Besides, I want to be a man you can rely on."

"Y-Yes?"

"I don't want to be emotionally or financially supported by someone I want to support. We can't just lean on each other all the time."

Amane had no intention of being supported in terms of living, but if Mahiru were to support him financially then his pride would be shredded, as unsightly as that seemed. If possible, he wanted to make enough money to support her.

Mahiru, who seemed to understand what Amane was trying to say, blushed slightly and awkwardly replied, "I-I see." Amane couldn't help but chuckle.

"The hurdle I've set is quite high, so it's worth the effort." "Uh, I-I'm sorry…?"

"Ah, no, it's fine as long as you stay like this, Mahiru. This is something I'll do on my own."

"…Then, I'll also support you on my own.."

With a small smile, he nodded at Mahiru, who was lightly pinching at the hem of Amane's sleeve and said, "Let's have a review session first," and returned to the classroom together.

✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧ 

"Come to think of it, your reward was a cushion, right?"

After returning home and holding a review session after dinner, Mahiru was standing next to him explaining the question that he'd answered incorrectly. It was then that Amane decided to ask her.

Mahiru looked up from her notebook and her gaze darted around faintly at the word 'cushion'.

"…U-um, I do want that cushion, yes."

"Yeah. If that's what you want, then go ahead." "Th-That's not what I meant, um…"

"Is there anything else you want?" "I-It's not that I want it… Um…"

Mahiru seemed extremely hesitant to say anything, so he gently patted her head, implying to her to calm down for the time being. Mahiru, who didn't demand or beg for anything, wanted something from him. It's only natural that he'd want to do what he could to grant her wish.

Mahiru began to smile shyly at Amane caressing her hair, but she immediately hung her head in embarrassment, her face completely flushed.

"U-um. I-I want you to kiss me." "A kiss?"

It wasn't something they did often, but it wasn't like they didn't do it at all, sometimes they were lightened by the mood and got carried away. Truthfully, it was a kind of reward, but Amane felt strange as it wasn't something she had to go out of her way to beg for, and it wasn't anything new for them.

He wondered if that was all she needed, but if Mahiru wanted it, he would want to fulfill any wish she had.

"…Then, as you wish."

Whispering as gently as he could, Amane put on a faint smile and watched his breath, slowly pressing his face against her shut lips, careful not to startle her.

In every way, Mahiru was supple and refreshing. The same was true for her lips, and Amane felt that the edges of her mouth were soft and squishy, more so than his own. Tasting a sweet flavor, Amane savored the honey-like sweetness oozing out of Mahiru's body. He tenderly pecked at her light crimson lips as he slowly and steadily enjoyed her softness.

Her body twitched every time Amane's lips brushed and nibbled against hers, but she didn't dislike it or run away, accepting everything that Amane was doing.

…She's just so cute.

When he looked at Mahiru's face as they kissed, he noticed her sweet reactions, looking like she was ticklish but also at ease. Despite her embarrassment, she seemed to enjoy kissing, so Amane was able to continue without a worry.

Unsurprisingly, her body trembled each time their lips touched, but as they kissed more and more the strength in her body soon drained.

"Hyah~"

Mahiru, her body and expression moist, was so cute that Amane pecked at her lips again. It was a clumsy exchange of kisses. But during it, Amane was overflowing with so much love and passion for her that it was almost painful. His desires slipped out from the grasp of his reasoning, which had begun to loosen little by little, and his lips tasted Mahiru's in an attempt to fulfill those urges. As he savored the entirety of Mahiru's lips, she tapped his chest delicately as if pleading for something.

She showed no signs of disliking it, and Amane didn't see any signs of her hitting her limit already, but he slowly parted his lips, wondering if it was just a sign that she wanted to finish it up, and Mahiru looked up at him with her flushed cheeks intact.

"…Um. I-I didn't want you to stop halfway through." "Wasn't that supposed to be a signal to stop?"

"N-No. That's not what I meant… Um, as I said, the other kind of kiss."

The words continued in a feeble voice that was hesitant and filled with embarrassment, and Amane groaned softly, a little late to understand what she wanted.

Mahiru's desire for a kiss was more advanced than just a brief touch. It was a kiss that lovers with a deep connection sought. That's why she didn't mind having her lips nibbled along the way, and it actually loosened them slightly.

Mahiru couldn't possibly be… he thought, but she blushed and lowered her eyes as if Mahiru noticed his realization as well.

"I-I know it's vulgar. But I also… want to reciprocate with you, and I want to… know more about you, Amane-kun."

"Y-Yeah… Um, up until now, I thought you weren't good at that sort of thing…"

"…It's embarrassing to hear you say that, but… then, Amane-kun…"

The back of his head felt like it was set ablaze from being told such wonderful and courageous words.

Mahiru's cheeks were much the same way, flushing furiously at what she had said. Perhaps because she voiced her true intentions honestly, she was trembling with tension and shame, but the look in her eyes as she quietly faced Amane was faint but unmistakably showed her expectation. Seeing her captivating lustrous lips once more, which he had been savoring until now, Amane naturally brought his lips, temporarily separated from hers, closer once more. Mahiru gulped a little, expressing her bewilderment, but that soon melted away just like her.

Just a little, he told himself while slowly and steadily matching Mahiru's pace, relishing Mahiru's warmth as he believed he had enough composure to do so. If he let go of his reason now, he would endlessly seek to go further and further, so Amane wisely stopped after each interaction. His heart was beating so loudly that even he could hear it thumping. He didn't think a kiss that merely lasted for a few minutes would disturb his body and soul this much.

Mahiru looked at him with slightly disappointed eyes that their lips had parted… and Amane, unable to look directly at her, hugged Mahiru and buried his face in her neck.

"…Don't look so needy. I'll die." "Th-That can't be…"

"You really did… Did your wish come true?"

Her body shook easily when Amane whispered in her ear, but Mahiru immediately hugged him back and softly replied, "Yes."

Amane wondered what he would do if Mahiru told him even more, it was likely that he would have stepped over the line.

That was close…

And it was still dangerous since they hadn't finished up just yet. As he hugged her and brought his lips closer to her neck, he couldn't help but feel like he'd gone and stepped on the pedal on his own again. Before him was a pale, slender, and lovely-smelling neck in front of him, and there was no way he wouldn't react.

He slowly peered up, imagining the foolishness of dangling his own bait in front of himself, and noticed that Mahiru's face was even redder than before.

"Ah, not there… I-It tickles."

"…After all, your neck and ears are really weak, Mahiru."

Her reaction was so cute that he thought things were getting a little bad and buried his face in her neck again, before faintly tracing it with his lips. Mahiru's body trembled in an easy-to-understand manner, letting out a sweet "Hyah!"

Perhaps because Mahiru had moved, the sugariness of her sweet voice seemed to leak out, and a soft, milky aroma that was supple but not too sweet tickled the tip of his nose. The aroma, which seemed to melt even his reasoning, left Amane unable to leave her, and he simply enjoyed her aroma, warmth, and smoothness.

"You smell really good."

"That's… I applied body milk on my body as a moisturizer after I took a bath.

Is that it?"

He thought she had taken a bath before coming here today and smelled nice, but it seemed to be the scent of body milk. But apart from that, he felt that mixed in was also Mahiru's original scent.

She smelled soft and sweet even without doing anything, but since she seemed to be doing her best to maintain it, simply moistening her skin seemed to do wonders.

"Could it even get any smoother than this?"

"I've been careful about a lot of other things besides applying it, so I've managed to keep it smooth and springy."

"It's hard being a girl, huh… You sure can put the effort in." "…That's, um, for my sake."

"Yeah, you're right. I like polishing myself up. Most girls like to dress up."

Mahiru seemed to have always liked dressing up, so even without going out with Amane, her fixation on beauty wouldn't have vanished.

In the first place, Amane wasn't under the illusion that a girl would dress up for a man. He understood that she was doing it for herself, so he could understand what Mahiru was saying. However, Mahiru seemed to have more to say, and replied softly, "…There's that, too."

"You mean there's something else?"

"…So, um… It's better to feel nice to touch, isn't it?" "Well, it is your own body."

She was the one who touched her own body the most, so there was nothing better than being comfortable to touch.

"Th-That's not what I meant… It's for when you touch me…"

In response to that notion, he let out a silly "Heh," at Mahiru's words.

"I don't want you to be disillusioned if it feels rough when you touch it… It'd be better if it was smooth and springy, wouldn't it?"

"Y-Yeah, you're right."

Amane didn't expect Mahiru to do that on the premise of being touched by him, so he was easily flustered.

Mahiru's face was bright red, but she trembled as she tightened her grip on Amane, showing that she had no intention of taking back her words.

"P-Please don't get the wrong idea. It's for Amane-kun's sake, rather than my own… Um, it's my wish that you'll touch me lots."

"…You want me to touch you?"

"…It feels good to be touched, and I'm happy. It's only natural that I'd do my best to get you to touch me and ask you for more."

Her words, spoken in a high-pitched voice, tossing shame into hesitation, were more than enough to loosen the ropes of reason Amane had been trying to suppress.

I can't, he thought as he heard a static voice in the distance, but he himself understood better than anyone how powerless it was. If not, there was no way he would be touching Mahiru like this. Mahiru smiled bashfully as he covered her lips, and gulp-like sounds could be heard between the two of them.

Once Amane parted his lips and kissed her another time, this time slipping his tongue inside, her voice became hoarse, frail, and sweet. This was the very first time they had kissed in such a way, but as if seeking each other, both of them deeply indulged in and naturally savored the experience.

Faint and dizzy, Amane's thoughts began to waver. Perhaps so immersed in Mahiru that he didn't have time to breathe, or due to his instincts that were trying to strengthen his desires to dissolve everything that restrained him. Either way, his thoughts had now melted without a hint of reason and urged him to push Mahiru from within his arms to under his body in an attempt to enjoy her further.

Mahiru, lying down on the sofa as if she had no idea what was going on, desperately held her gaze onto Amane, her eyes moist. Instead of answering her stare, Amane sucked on her soft lips once more. Maybe she didn't have the willpower to resist him, or maybe she had no intention of resisting in the first place, or maybe she just didn't know what to do. Mahiru adjusted her hands to find something she could cling to. Amane put their palms together and gripped them as she squirmed and her body stiffened in relief.

Mahiru didn't know what was happening anymore as she continued to be toyed with by Amane and her mind turned foggy. With full trust in Amane, Mahiru seemed to forgive him. From deep within his body, he poured plenty of love and warmth into Mahiru before swallowing everything that overflowed from her, savoring her sweetness. Amane then slowly removed his lips from her.

"Huff, huff." Stunned, he panted briefly and raggedly before looking down at Mahiru, who was looking up at him with a sweet and enchanting look.

"…Do you think it's okay to go further?"

Asking gently, Amane traced around the back of her neck, and Mahiru's body trembled in an obvious manner, then her gaze drifted off. Likely, Amane found the need to ask her as she was unconsciously trying to look away. Returning to his senses at the last moment, Amane looked down at Mahiru from the front, still suppressing the urges and heat welling up inside him.

He gently released one of Mahiru's still-entwined hands and sat up. If Amane continued to pin her down, even Amane wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

"…I'm much less enduring than you think, Mahiru. I'm doing my best to endure it, but this is the result."

He wanted to cherish her, but propelled by his desires and urges, this time it didn't end so well. Amane was now painfully aware of his manhood, and just slightly, felt disgusted with himself.

"Mahiru, I don't think this is what you wanted, right? I think you wanted me to touch you, to wallow in the happiness. It was me who lost control and got physical."

Amane loved Mahiru from the bottom of his heart, and he wanted to cherish her and make her happy as best he could. That's what he thought, so he kept holding himself back even though he was aware that Mahiru wouldn't hate him if he did lay a hand on her. Even if they had a good mood going atop his bed, Amane didn't want to push her down.

And yet, with just a single word from Mahiru, he nearly forgot everything and indulged in her without any warning.

"Sorry for forcing this on you all of a sudden." "Why are you assuming I don't like it…?"

A trembling voice reached Amane, who was apologetically averting his eyes for a moment.

"U-um. I don't hate it in the slightest. My heart skipped a beat and I was surprised, but… I'm not angry with you, refusing you, nor do I hate you."

"You weren't scared?"

"It's not that I'm scared. I was just surprised because it was so sudden. After all, this is the first time you've been this assertive."

As he looked back at Mahiru's face, she was blushing all the way to her ears, but she didn't seem to hate or reject him. She faced him with a hint of shame and anticipation.

"Anyone would be flustered if someone suddenly kissed them like that." "…Yes."

"So please, don't look so regretful… Um, I'm happy that you insist on cherishing me so much. N-Next time, um, please… let me mentally prepare myself a little more. Also, please do it in a less intense direction."

Amane's face contorted as Mahiru didn't say she didn't want to, but rather seemed to intend to accept the next one.

"Mahiru, sorry…"

"I'll get mad if you apologize." "…Thank you."

"Very well."

When he honestly thanked her, Mahiru flashed him a smile that seemed to imply, "Guess there's no helping it," and Amane pursed his lips tightly in response. In the end, Mahiru was tolerant, so it didn't end badly, but if it hadn't been Mahiru, he might have been hated for what he did. Feeling slightly disappointed in himself for not being able to hold back, but also relieved by Mahiru's kindness and affection, Amane gently stroked her and she seemed to have calmed down.

Mahiru's eyes narrowed in pleasure, and Amane felt an inexplicable love for her, but thinking about what he did, he couldn't just kiss her on the spur of the moment, so instead, he just gently and carefully caressed her.

"You're so easy to read, Amane-kun." "Eh?"

"It's obvious that you're trying not to overdo it this time." "I can't help it. …If I go too far, I'll pounce on you."

"Amane-kun. If you really don't have any desire to do it, I'll crush you. Hard.

No mercy, okay?"

"…What a nostalgic line."

Mahiru smiled playfully at Amane, who couldn't help but laugh, remembering the exchange he'd had when Mahiru decided to cook at his place all those months ago.

"Hehe. So please don't worry."

"I wonder if it's really okay… Mahiru, you don't mind what I do, do you?" "Oh, you found out? But it's all thanks to you matching my pace, isn't it? You

just won't prioritize yourself, will you, Amane-kun?"

Laughing elegantly, Mahiru sat up and touched Amane's cheeks without a sound, she smiled at him peacefully, without a hint of her prior confusion from earlier.

"…Um, as for me… I want to do it again."

Likely feeling embarrassed about begging for it herself, Mahiru's voice was getting increasingly strained and bashful. Amane quickly blushed at the word again, but Mahiru gave him a somewhat expectant look, so he naturally stole her lips, surprising even himself. This time, Mahiru completely accepted his advance, wrapping her arms around Amane's back.

Earlier, he had deeply kissed her purely on impulse, but this time he gently touched Mahiru, who was curled up in embarrassment on the back, to soothe her. The way Amane kissed her with so much of his love made Mahiru melt even more than before. Her sweet, captivating voice that faintly leaked out belonged only to Amane.

Thinking so made him love her even more, and he tried his best not to become a wolf as they slowly shared their warmth.

"It feels like we're melting together," Mahiru responded modestly, and full of bliss, Amane continued kissing her, but after a while, she lightly slapped him on the back telling him that she was at her limit.

Looking down, Amane reluctantly parted his lips from Mahiru, thinking it would be a problem if he carried on for too long, and Mahiru lowered her gaze to escape Amane, tears welling up in her eyes from the raggedness of her breathing.

"I-I can't go any further than this, um, because I'm at my limit, so not today." "Mm."

"…Um. I was so happy and delighted. I got too much of a reward, didn't I?"

As Mahiru bashfully murmured shyly, Amane moved to embrace her slender body once more, so that she wouldn't pull away. With all his love and respect for her, he didn't steal her lips one last time.