Volume 2 - CH 2

“Hm?”

Late at night.

Yuzuru suddenly woke up.

He realized that his cell phone was ringing.

Half-asleep, he looked at his phone and saw that he had received a message from …… Arisa.

[I apologize for coming in the middle of the night.]

[I want you to come to the room where I’m sleeping.]

That’s what she had written.

“I thought I told her to come over here if she needed me. ……”

Did he forget to mention that?

Yuzuru tilted his head inwardly and headed for Arisa’s place.

Careful not to wake his family, Yuzuru made his way to the guest room.

Arisa’s room was bright and the lights were on.

When he opened the sliding door, he saw ……

“Hai~..!　Ah, Yuzuru-san ……”

With a shudder, she jerked her body ……

Then there was Arisa with a somewhat relieved expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?　Arisa. Did something happen to you?”

“Ah you see, ……, I am not sure if I should be asking you for this kind of thing, but …….”

Arisa’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she began to squirm.

Through the slightly unraveled yukata, he could see her white skin and some of her undergarments.

Yuzuru couldn’t help but gulp involuntarily.

“What’s the matter?”

“I was wondering if you could, uh, accompany me to the bathroom……”

“Bathroom?　….Didn’t I tell you where it is?”

He was sure he told Arisa about the location of the bathroom near the guest bedroom.

Maybe his explanation wasn’t clear enough.

Or has she forgotten?

Yuzuru tilted his head.

“No, no, ….. Well, I remember where you told me to go…….”

“Oh” 

“But, well …… I was scared. ……”

Embarrassed, Arisa said as she lowered her eyes.

“…… I see.”

It might be difficult for Arisa, who can’t sleep without a nightlight on, to go to the bathroom in the dark by herself.

However, a question suddenly comes to mind.

Why not turn on the light?　he thought.

Before Yuzuru could ask her about it, Arisa attempted to make an excuse.

“I’m not sure where the lights are. …… And I’m not sure if it would bother anyone if I turned on the lights too much. ……”

“So that was it.”

It would be a little difficult for Arisa to find the lights in the dark if she didn’t know the place – not the place, but the building.

The reason why she sent me a message on her cell phone was probably that she couldn’t reach Yuzuru’s room.

This was a lack of consideration on Yuzuru’s part.

“I’m sorry. But just to let you know, …… this room and our bedrooms are quite far apart, and there are multiple bathrooms. So as long as you don’t make a lot of noise, you should be fine.”

The room lent to Arisa is a visitor’s bedroom.

In the Takasegawa residence, there are several bedrooms and guest rooms for visitors.

And of course, there is a bathroom for visitors.

“Ah, oh …… yes, now that you mention it, you’re right. Sorry …….”

“No, it’s okay, I should have explained a little better. Shall we go together?”

Yuzuru replied, and Arisa gave a small nod.

The two of them walked to the bathroom, turning on the lights.

“…… Sorry for the inconvenience.”

After finishing her business, Arisa gave a small bow to Yuzuru.

She seemed to be getting embarrassed now, and her face was bright red up to her ears.

“Well, everyone has a weakness or two.”

Yuzuru comforted Arisa.

And now they returned the way they came, turning off the lights. ……

Gyiii……

The hallway made a slight creaking sound.

“Hi~e~yah!”

Then Arisa exclaimed outrageously and hugged Yuzuru.

She seemed to be completely oblivious as she embraced Yuzuru’s body.

“O, oi, Arisa …….”

Next, it was Yuzuru’s turn to be surprised.　

Suddenly, he felt something soft pressed against his arm.

The dim light and poor visibility also made the senses even more sensitive to touch and stimulate the imagination.

“Well,…. there’s actually one….. more reason…….”

“Reason?”

“You see, …… at first I thought I could do my best even if I was alone. However, when I thought that there was a certain atmosphere, I suddenly became afraid. ……”

“…… atmosphere?”

A question flashed through Yuzuru’s mind.

However, he soon concluded.

In short, Arisa is trying to say that this house has a haunted atmosphere.

“Well, I didn’t mean to lie, but, you know, I thought it would be rude to say something like this. ……”

Although he wasn’t really asking her a question, Arisa was trying to make up excuses.

Arisa rarely lies……, but when it comes to her true feelings, she sometimes refrains from telling the other person out of “consideration”.

And now, after all this time, I guess she feels guilty.

What a difficult character.

“Atmosphere, huh? I never thought of that.”

“Well, you know, about Yuzuru-san’s house……”

“But if you ask me, it looks like it’s going to come out. It’s an old house.”

(TN: “It” being ghosts or something similar)

Yuzuru laughed at that.

As for Arisa’s “lie,” perhaps it should be treat as a joke.

However, it is true that when Arisa mentioned it to him, he thought it was going to come out.

It’s an old wooden mansion, so it has that kind of atmosphere at night.

It’s also true that they creak, as we just learned.

In addition, it is a Japanese belief that old things are “possessed” by something.

it would not be surprising if there were a Zashiki Warashi or two. (TN: Zashiki Warashi: please google it)

“Do you… do you think… do you think it’ll come out?”

“No, I’ve never met one in my life. I don’t think so.”

“Oh, I see. …… That’s good, then.”

That said, she was still scared.

She grabbed Yuzuru’s arm and wouldn’t let go.

(…… That’s not good. In many ways.)

He could feel the softness and warmth of Arisa’s skin through the thin fabric.

This exquisitely stimulated Yuzuru’s instincts.

Since it was dark, “Isn’t it permissible to touch her in the confusion?”, such an evil thought involuntarily crossed his mind.

And he couldn’t bear to leave the scared Arisa alone.

On the other hand, spending the whole night with Arisa was not an option.

Therefore……

“Arisa, why don’t we watch the moon for a bit and then go to bed?”

“……eh?”

Yuzuru led Arisa to the porch, which was not too far from the guest bedroom.

From there, they could see the garden and the pond.

And  …… the moon reflected in the pond.

“It’s a nice atmosphere, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is. …… It’s beautiful.”

Arisa gave a small nod as if agreeing with Yuzuru’s words.

The garden of the Takasegawa residence is always maintained by the resident gardener.

That’s why the scenery is so nice.

“I didn’t notice it during the fireworks, but …… it’s quiet, tasteful, and beautiful.”

Arisa’s eyes squinted as she said this.

Her flaxen hair shone in the moonlight, making it appear golden.

Arisa’s reflection with the fireworks was beautiful, but Arisa in the moonlight was also stunningly beautiful.

Yuzuru felt his heart pounding a little in his chest.

Then again, …… this should make her a little less scared.

“I’m pleased that you enjoyed it.”

Yuzuru and Arisa faced each other and smiled.

Then, in the moonlight, …… Arisa’s cleavage was visible.

Yuzuru hurriedly looked away.

Arisa tilted her head curiously.