Chapter 59: Morning

When the girl was awakened by sunlight streaming through the curtains, she instinctively glanced at the bedside clock.

Oh no, it was already 10:30.

Oh well, there's no point going to school now; she could make it up in the afternoon. With that thought, she was content to go back to sleep.

Suddenly, she felt something strange—her bed seemed unusually crowded.

She turned over, and her light brown eyes went wide as her mind froze. Lying beside her was a boy, so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

Just as she was about to scream, she caught a clear look at his face and remembered everything.

It hadn't been a dream...

When Aiko finally calmed down, she found herself staring at the sleeping boy beside her. He wasn't strikingly handsome, but his face had a quiet appeal.

She thought about how, just days ago, her friends had suggested finding someone to pretend to be her boyfriend. Someone had mentioned him, and, surprisingly, everyone agreed. She could still remember their assessment, and, deep down, she agreed.

He really was different from any other boy. "Boy" didn't seem quite right, though; his maturity and the detached way he handled everything gave him an air no one else had.

Unlike the boys around her who fawned over her, he only ever called her a "kid," which infuriated her.

But, he had saved her in her darkest hour. She still remembered the strange feeling of leaning against his back.

Unknowingly, her face moved closer to his. His calm breath brushing her lips turned her face bright red, yet she didn't pull away; instead, she inched even closer...

Just then, a soft knock at the door startled Masashi awake.

He glanced at the girl beside him; she was still sleeping. Not wanting to wake her, he quietly slipped out of bed.

Opening the door, he saw Murashima Mami standing there with a strange expression, her eyes drifting toward Aiko on the bed.

"Where's Aiko?" Murashima asked first.

"She's still sleeping. What time is it?"

"Almost 11."

"Oh, it's midday already. Where are the other two?" He hadn't realized how much he'd overslept; last night's rush must have taken a toll.

"Ryoko and Ai went out shopping and are prepping lunch. Want to wash up first?"

"Sure."

Masashi yawned and shut the door.

Watching him head for the bathroom, Murashima thought a moment, then cracked open Aiko's door and went inside.

She walked to Aiko's bedside, gazing at the sleeping girl before laughing softly.

"Don't bother pretending. I know you're awake."

Hearing her laughter, Aiko's face instantly turned red.

"How'd you know I was awake?" she asked, embarrassed, before covering her face with the bedsheet.

"Who sleeps with their eyes darting around like that? It's obvious! Come on, get up." Murashima laughed, tugging at the covers.

"Was it really that obvious?" Aiko asked nervously.

"It's not so bad; only if someone really looked closely. Now, hurry up and get dressed. Ryoko and Ai are waiting."

Relaxed by her reassurance, Aiko began to change.

"Ami," she said suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Why was he... why were we... in bed together?" Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Who?" Murashima grinned slyly.

"Oh, stop it! You know who I mean!" Aiko, both embarrassed and annoyed, launched herself at her friend, playfully pinching and tugging.

"Agh! Stop, I get it! Ow!" Murashima squealed, conceding after just a few seconds.

"See, that's what you get for teasing me!" Aiko wrinkled her nose.

"Okay, okay!" Murashima backed up. "When he brought you back last night, you were clinging so tightly to his clothes, we couldn't pry you off. We tried several times, but you only held on tighter. We didn't want to wake you, so we just let him stay in bed with you. But he was adamant about not wanting to sleep next to you, saying it wasn't right and that people would gossip and might call him an old cow that eats young grass. Even now, I still don't get what he was going on about."

"After that, Ryoko, Ai, and I decided we'd sleep on the floor together, making it five in the room. Only then did he finally agree, though he still looked annoyed, as if we were guys and he was the girl! If you'd seen his expression, you'd be just as exasperated."

Aiko chuckled; he really was a strange one. But she somehow found his reaction unsurprising. Maybe she was strange too for feeling that way. Lost in thought, the girl smiled.