CH 18

The suit was successfully purchased.

The color is black.

No stripes.

The suit with no sense of fun will be tailored and delivered to me before the entrance ceremony.

“Yes, now you’re all set for the entrance ceremony. Well, you have to master how to tie a tie.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can you tie it with one hand?”

“Oh, yeah, right. Well, I’ll practice tying it with one hand, but it’s too much trouble, so I’ll ask Suzuka to do it for me.”

While talking like this, Suzuka and I headed for an electronics store.

We were going to look at refrigerators and washing machines for our new home.

This is a large electronics store.

If you include after-sales service, the actual store type is not so bad.

Because the number of cases where people only look at the price and lose money afterwards is increasing year by year.

“Do you want a big refrigerator?”

“Money’s no issue, but ……”

We live a normal life, but we still have our lottery winnings.

However, it is 300 million yen.

If we spend it poorly and without thinking, we will not be able to spend it for the remainder of our lives.

“Isn’t it a little too small for more than a single person?”

“Do you cook for yourself in the first place?”

“I’m thinking of doing it.”

“Well, how about something like this?”

The size is sufficient for a single person, but small for a family.

The size is indescribable.

“It might be better if it has a function that automatically makes ice.”

As the two of us are picking out a refrigerator, a strange laugh erupts.

“Why are you laughing?”

“No, I didn’t expect to pick out a fridge with you like this. No, because, until recently, we were childhood friends.”

“I never thought I would choose a refrigerator with Yuki. That makes me laugh in a weird way.”

“Right? Oh, and before we decide which one is perfect, let’s go look at washing machines too.”

“I guess so~.”

We head from the refrigerator section to the washing machine section.

As we were in the middle of doing so, I asked Suzuka.

“Well, how are you going to explain our relationship to people around us in college?”

“Oh. It may be a difficult problem. I feel like we could explain that we are a normal married couple, but I think that would make us stand out badly.”

“I guess.”

I don’t want to be a bad presence in college.

I want to enjoy campus life in a normal way.

Given that, I don’t feel it would be good to tell everyone that I am married to Suzuka.

“How about setting it up so that they are cousins and live together?”

“Not bad. Shall we do that? It’s better not to stand out in college in a weird way.”

But there are many people at the university.

It’s a fine line between standing out in a strange way and having it become known to everyone around you.

I guess we don’t have to be so careful.

“Yuki, are you going to join a club or something?”

“Yes, I will. I’ve been invited by a senior member of the club.”

“What club activities? Senior members of the soccer club?”

“It’s a club for people who enjoy the outdoors, started by a senior member of the soccer team.”

“Maybe I should join?”

“They are recruiting circle members immensely. They would be delighted.”

Talking a little further, we arrived at the washing machine section.

Numerous washing machines lined up in a narrow space.

My mother does the laundry for us now, but that means we will have to do it ourselves from now on.

“Gokkuri!”

Gasp.

Then I suggested to Suzuka.

“With a drying function. How about this one?”

The price is XX,000,000 yen.

It’s a washing machine that exceeds 10 million yen.

“I wanted a good washing machine, as well.”

“Okay, then.”

“Let’s buy a good one. I mean, isn’t this your first extravagant use of money, aside from the ring?”

My first luxury since winning the lottery was a washing machine.

It sounds indescribable, but I guess this is what it really is.

Then we finished the purchase of the washing machine and refrigerator and ordered delivery so that they would arrive the day after we moved in.

Then we bought a toaster, a microwave, and so on.

There are other appliances I would like to buy, but they are not as expensive as the refrigerator.

I could probably get by with online shopping, where the after-sale service is a little worse.

After-sale service at large appliance stores is important for expensive products such as refrigerators and washing machines.

It is a common occurrence that an appliance bought online has an initial defect, but the customer is told that the appliance may have been broken at home. For some reason, the shipping costs are paid by the customer, and the customer is often told to make the arrangements on their own.

“Well, we have no more use for the electronics store. Let’s continue on to the next one.”

“Next stop, the furniture store.”

“Ah.”

Me and Suzuka headed to a certain major furniture store.

Our purpose was to buy desks, beds, shelves, and so on.

Also, if we don’t arrange for delivery early, we will be put on a waiting list because they don’t have them in stock.

They tend to be in short supply now, just in time for the new season.

“What about beds?”

“Well, that’s……”

Mom must come by every so often to see how things are going.　

Right now, I’m in the futon and Suzuka is in bed.

We are sleeping separately, but it is because the bed is too small, and it would be strange to continue after we start our new life.

“Yuki. I’m going to be honest with you, but I gave you a pillow on my lap, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Let’s just sleep together like normal.”

“No, well, it’s that ……”

Suzuka’s argument is that it’s not strange.

It’s certainly not strange, and it’s not weird.

I can clearly see that my vocabulary has collapsed to the point of being unintelligible.

“Yes, it is. If you’re worried, we can sleep in the same bed today, even though it’s a little cramped.”

“Uh, eh, uh, yes.”

And then time passes quickly and night falls.

Suzuka was washing herself hair, and I was anxiously waiting for her to finish her bath and come back.

[“Let’s just sleep together like normal.”]

Sleeping with Suzuka when she came back from the bath.

There was a brief moment when I was still nervous.

Suzuka comes back to the room after a longer-than-usual bath without a care in the world.

“…… Hey. Are we really going to sleep together?”

“You know what they say, try before you buy. Yes, we are going to sleep together.”

Suzuka pats the bed with a thump and invites me into the space she has made available.

I fearfully get on the bed and lie down.

I’m injured, and I’m on the far side of the bed, against the wall, to keep me from falling out of bed.

As soon as I checked that, Suzuka also came to lie down and blocked my escape route.

“Eh heh heh. You’re so close.”

“Oh, oh…”

“Will you let me sleep in your arms?”

Eyes that look like they want something.

I extend my uninjured left arm toward Suzuka’s head.

“Special, huh?”

“I’m so glad you’re here. Thanks.”

The tension is low, as we are about to go to bed.

But still, it is very touching.　

I turned off the light and went to sleep.

“I’m getting embarrassed. Can I quit?”

“Me too, so don’t worry about it.”

Me and Suzuka only proceeded slowly.

I’m so embarrassed, I can’t sleep.

Even though we were on the same page, it seems that the act of sleeping together was too soon for us.

I, who was on the wall side of the bed, stood up fearfully and went to the futon that I had laid out, even though I didn’t need it if we were going to sleep together.

“Ugh. Yuki, you’re heavy.”

I lost my balance and fell over on top of Suzuka.

“Sorry.”

“Oh, yes. Maybe I was just embarrassed because we’re weirdly halfway through. How about this?”

She puts her hands on my back and hugs me tightly.

But then I was released because she was still embarrassed.

Who knows how much agony I was in and how little sleep I got?

[Extra] Serious route?

Then, time passed quickly and night fell.

Suzuka was washing herself, and I was anxiously waiting for her to come taking a bath.

[“Let’s just sleep together like normal.”]

Sleeping with Suzuka when she came back from the bath.

There was a brief moment when I was still nervous.

Suzuka comes back to the room after a longer-than-usual bath without a care in the world.

“…… Hey. Are we really going to sleep together?”

“You know what they say, try before you buy. Yes, we are going to sleep together.”

Suzuka pats the bed with a thump and invites me into the space she has made available.

I fearfully get on the bed and lie down.

I’m injured, and I’m on the far side of the bed, against the wall, to keep me from falling out of bed.

As soon as I checked that, Suzuka also came to lie down and blocked my escape route.

“Eh heh heh. You’re so close.”

“Oh, oh”

“I wish you’d let me sleep in your arms, you know?”

Eyes that look like they want something.

I extend my uninjured left arm toward Suzuka’s head.

“Special, huh?”

“I’m so glad you’re here. Thanks.”

On the verge of sleep.

The volume and tension of her voice is low and joyful, but it still has the power to make my face relax.　Combined with the fact that she has just finished taking a bath, she smells really good.

I am not stupid.

I’m sure she’s prepared for the fact that we’re going to sleep in the same bed.

That’s why I have to answer clearly about my current situation.

“Hey, Suzuka.”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“My right hand, actually. They say there’s a better chance it won’t work the way it used to.”

“Uh, are you kidding me?”

She sat up and looked at me with a serious gaze.

Feeling her concern under my skin, I also sat up and looked into Suzuka’s eyes.

“I’m not lying. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Baka! Why didn’t you tell me something so important!”

“No, well. I didn’t want to worry you. That’s why I asked the doctors not to tell you.”

“Hey, tell me it’s a lie…… Why did you tell me now, at this time?”

“So. You’re ready for a lot of things today, and we’re going to sleep together, okay? I know I said that. That’s why I said it. Are you okay with me like this? I just wanted to make sure.”

“Of course it’s good! Baka, Baka, Baka!”

Tears streamed down her face as she gently pounded me.

My heart beat wildly thinking that she really loves me.

I regretted that I was an idiot to hide it from her.

“Hey, Suzuka. If you’re okay with me like this, then…”

“Nngh.”

Before I had time to even say, she covered my mouth.

I accept it.

And then we crossed the line.

” ……”

There is a good chance that my right hand will not work the way it used to.

It might not be good for Suzuka to be with me like this.

I can’t help but feel that I am taking a lot of things away from Suzuka.

Thinking of that, I lost all confidence in myself.

“I’ll be fine. I understand your anxiety. I might not be able to move my right hand. If you have that kind of anxiety, okay?”

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind. Just take your time. We’ve been going pretty slow. That’s exactly why we were going too fast today.”

I can comfort her.

She hugs me tenderly.

I am so pathetic and frustrated that I don’t have confidence even though she is such a kind person.

“Suzuka. You today. How do you feel, let’s sleep together? I know very well what you said. So let me apologize. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not a fan of that. I’m not going to get mad at you for this. It can’t be helped. I’ll make you realize that I love you more so that you’ll gain confidence.”

“Well, …”

“Eheheh. I’m going to squeeze you until you understand!”