Chapter 180: Little by Little, Little by Little

Mahiru did not contact Amane, and returned home at evening. Thus, Amane did not pick her up.

He did not mind that, but one had to say that Mahiru clearly looked strange.

“What did she teach you.”

Chitose definitely taught Mahiru something, so Amane asked as he stared at her intently. Mahiru, sitting at the side of the sofa, turned her head gingerly like a rusted machine.

Bingo.

Amane did not intend to let her off, so he sat next to her, put his face close, and Mahiru tried to physically escape.

“Nothing.”

“Obviously there’s something. You would’ve told me if there is.”

You would have done that at least, he whispered, but Mahiru did not look at him.

He wrapped his arms before her, with her back turned her him, and brought his lips to her ears.

“Mahiru.”

He gently called her name, as though breathing into it, and she clearly shivered.

He deliberately did so, knowing she was sensitive to voices at her ears, and it was super effective. He continued to embrace Mahiru, seemingly wrapping her, and called for her again, and her body became loose and limber, melting away.

He looked down at her as she leaned on his chest, and her face became increasingly rd, her damp caramel-colored eyes staring at him unhappily.

“…It is sleazy of you.”

“How so?”

“You know my ears are my weakness. It is despicable of you to do so.”

“I don’t think it’s just your ears right?”

Amane knew that Mahiru was ticklish, but he did not do so, for her mood might be ruined further if he did.

He decided to attack with his voice this time, to coax out the answers from the dishonest Mahiru.

He smiled impishly, and she pursed her lips.

She leaned on him, and insistently turned her head aside, as though she was not going to say anything.

She would have

“Alright, if you’re not saying, I’ll pinch your mouth open.”

“…P-pinch?”

Mahiru was flushed red for some reason, and the moment she met Amane in the eyes, she lowered her eyes bashfully.

Amane only intended for a little joke with Mahiru. Perhaps she took it as sexual harassment?

He felt it was not advisable to keep teasing her as she was pouting away, so he put his hand on her back. She then turned around completely.

Her eyes looked a little moist, and for a moment, Amane had an urge to groan. Instead, he decided to pat her head.

“Just joking. I won’t force you.”

“…Joking?”

“I’m not going to do stuff you hate. You don’t have you say it if you want to, but don’t take Chitose’s words seriously.”

Chitose definitely was prompting Mahiru to be proactive, but it would be horrible if they got too enthusiastic and Amane could not control himself. Mahiru should pace her herself.

His mental state and body aside, they would be together for a long, long time, and there was nothing to be anxious above…so he implied, but she frowned a little.

“…Chitose-san did tell me some benefits of romance.”

“Heh, how so?”

“I-I cannot say so…but Chitose-san has a lot more dating experience, and told me lots of useful things.”

“…I think that’s unnecessary knowledge.”

“I shall decide if it is unnecessary.”

Amane could not refute that, but even though, he felt that it was better to let things progress little by little, rather than ingrain Mahiru with strange knowledge that would leave her tense and try to do some strange challenge.

Now what do I do?  He shrugged, and she lowered her head slightly.

“…Is it unnecessary for me to of ways to improve the bond with the one I love, to love more than before?”

Amane then understood from the disappointed voice that he misspoke.

Mahiru’s perspective was to improve her relationship with Amane when she sought out Chitose’s advise, but that was deemed unnecessary, which devastated her.

He did not want to hurt her nor make her sad, but it was a fact that his words hurt her.

He wanted to reach out to her in apology, but at the next moment, he felt an impact.

He tumbled onto the sofa as it was too sudden. For some reason, Mahiru was on top of him, or to be precise, pining him down.

A pair of mischievous eyes were looking down through the dangling bangs falling due to gravity.

“…Chitose’s idea?”

“She said i am not proactive enough.”

“Oy that’s on a physical basis. Was that an act just now Missy?”

“No, I am sad.”

Amane felt guilt in his heart once he heard the remark accompanied with a wry smile, and inadvertently wrapped his arms around her back.

Mahiru’s face fell onto his clavicle. Woah, she called out, but he continued to embrace his adorable girlfriend.

The softness excited him from inside-out, and the shampoo fragrance summoned his heartbeat. His doting tendencies still outweighed them however.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said unnecessary stuff. I’m just worried that Chitose said something too suggestive.”

“I-I think it is not that bad, for now.”

“I’m worried about this ‘for now’ part, but more importantly…it’s your choice to accept Chitose’s suggestion. Personally though I think it’s a pointless suggestion.”

“Pointless?’

“It’s just me…but I want to understand each other little by little, and progress. It doesn’t feel right to just look into the future and not enjoy the present time and mood.”

You can say I’m a coward though. He quipped wryly, and sighed.

He understood that Mahiru seemed to have taken Chitose’s suggestion as the trigger, and understood that Mahiru really loved him. He was glad about that.

However, he felt that it was not right to ascertain their love physically.

“Sorry. it’s embarrassing for me to say that, but I’m just a coward.”

“……No, I understand that you love and treasure me, Amane-kun…er, personally…I am not exactly looking to escalate things that quickly. I am just worried…if you hate me.”

“Hate you?”

“…Erm, fo-for making you wait.”

Mahiru clung onto Amane, fidgeting and seemingly a little embarrassed. Amane understood what she wanted to say, and showed the most bitter of all smiles.

It was not directed at Mahiru, but to himself, who had little patience.

“Not at all. Of course I have many thoughts as a guy, but it’s not like I have to force my way. Also, you’re scared, aren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“It doesn’t matter then. Let’s just go at our own pace.”

Amane patted Mahiru’s head, and she smiled in seemingly relieved, before shushing his lips.

Amane blinked away, and Mahiru smiled.

“…Little by little, I think I can take the initiative to kiss you.”

Her smiling face was redder than usual as she said impishly. She really was more adorable than ever, once he accounted for how much courage she had to muster despite her frustrations.

Mahiru bashfully kissed Amane, and he responded with a gentle kiss on her lips.