In the dark room, I stared up at the ceiling.
It's a ceiling I've been looking at since I was a baby and became aware of my surroundings... or at least, that's what it feels like, though it's a little different.
After all, the house was only built last year.
Still, I've been looking at this ceiling for over a year now. I'm definitely used to it.
Not just the ceiling—I'm also familiar with the feel of the futon I'm lying on, and the tatami mats beneath it. Everything is the same as always. It should be, anyway.
But tonight, something is different. I can hear the sound of Nina-chan's breathing beside me.
"..."
I'm pretty sure she's not asleep yet. Sometimes Hina sneaks into my futon, and I can tell that Nina-chan's breathing is different. When people are asleep, their breathing is more relaxed. Nina-chan's breathing is still a bit quick, so she's probably awake.
Thinking about that, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.
Ugh, overanalyzing something like this is just weird...
I took a deep breath, keeping my eyes closed.
Even though I tried to go to sleep after exhaling, my mind stayed sharp and awake. No surprise there. I'm too nervous to sleep.
Having a sleepover with a friend is a first for me—especially with Nina-chan.
But even though I've had her stay over before, it never really felt like a sleepover.
Usually, Nina-chan sleeps in the guest room, and we only meet during the day, so it felt more like she was just visiting my house, not truly having a sleepover.
But this time is different—we're sleeping in the same room. I hadn't expected this at all.
That's why I'm feeling so tense.
"..."
I had said "Goodnight" and turned off the lights, so Nina-chan hasn't spoken since. And since I'm the one who said we should sleep, it feels awkward to break the silence myself.
So, we're both just lying here quietly.
...This is awkward. Way too awkward.
Nina-chan and I have been in the same class for two years in a row. She helps me practice magic, and we hang out at each other's houses after school. But even with all that, I have no idea how to handle this awkward silence when we're lying in futons next to each other in the same room.
I've never had an experience like this before, in this life or the previous one.
Someone, please tell me what I'm supposed to do.
Just as I was getting more flustered, Nina-chan quietly spoke up.
"Thank you, Itsuki."
"Huh? For what?"
"I don't know... Mama said it might be related to things from the past, but she won't tell me much more."
Nina-chan's voice had a faint hint of frustration in it.
Things from the past... I thought about what that could mean, and something came to mind.
Nina-chan has parts of her memory sealed away. Ireena-san had sealed those memories to help her when Nina-chan's heart was broken after witnessing her father's death.
Could that be related to this?
"When I sleep alone on those nights... I end up having terrible nightmares. I can never remember them clearly, but when I wake up, my chest hurts, and I feel like I'm going to cry."
...That definitely sounds related.
But Nina-chan shouldn't know that some of her memories were sealed. Ireena-san said she hadn't told her.
So, I decided to avoid mentioning that and shifted the conversation a bit.
"What do you do when Ireena-san isn't around? Does the same thing happen?"
"...I sleep with a stuffed animal."
"Wait, what?"
"I sleep with a stuffed animal..."
Nina-chan's quiet confession caught me completely off guard, and I couldn't help but ask again.
Of course, Nina-chan is only in second grade. There's nothing strange about a child her age sleeping with a stuffed animal. Still, I was surprised.
I had always thought of Nina-chan as being confident, competitive, and strong. Sleeping with a stuffed animal didn't seem like something that fit that image.
"Is that weird?"
"No, not at all... I just realized we don't have any stuffed animals in my house."
"I see. That's why I came to your room instead."
I wasn't sure how that reasoning worked, but still, it felt nice to have someone rely on me like this.
"I see. Well, I hope you have good dreams tonight," I said honestly.
I really meant it—no one should have to deal with nightmares.
"Hey, Itsuki?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I... hold your hand?"
"Sure."
I quietly extended my hand from under the futon. Nina-chan reached out and gently took hold of it.
If something as simple as this could help Nina-chan avoid bad dreams, I had no reason to refuse.