CH 49

Chapter 49 – The Exciting Kotatsu Season

When I came home, I poured water for Dozle and looked from the garden into the living room.

In the living room, Haruko and my father are also awake, and Urushibara-san greeted them with “Good morning. I’m sorry to bother you again today.”

And neither of them seemed to have any questions about Urushibara-san’s presence this early on a Saturday morning, and they both replied with a normal “Good morning.”

When I came up to the house, my mother told me.

“Ichiro, if you and Himeka-chan are going to study in your room, why don’t you bring out the kotatsu?”

“Yes, I will. Urushibara-san, I’ll clear the table in my room now.”

“Ah, I’ll help you too!”

“Well, then, let’s do it together.”

When I returned to the room, I turned on the heater, took off my jacket, and the two of us propped the table up in the corner of the room.

I carried the kotatsu from the storage room by myself. At the same time, my mother brought the kotatsu futon, so I put it in the center of the room, wiped the table with a dish towel, and it was ready to use.

“I’ll bring you something to drink, so you can start first, Urushibara-san.Is coffee okay?”

“Yes, please.”

I went to the kitchen, roasted some coffee, opened a plate of snacks, put them on a tray and returned to my room…

Urushibara-san had immediately entered the kotatsu and unfolded her English textbook notebook.

“Ah, welcome back.”

“I’m back. Are you starting with English today?”

While answering that, I placed the tray on my study desk, put Urushibara-san’s coffee in a place where it wouldn’t get in the way, and put mine in a separate place.

“Then I’ll start with English too.”

I took my English textbook, notebook and writing materials and tried to sit on the opposite side of Urushibara-san.

“Moriyama-kun, come to my side!” she said, rolling up the kotatsu futon.

“Eh? If I go over there, it’ll be too cramped, won’t it?”

Urushibara-san said we should sit together on one of the four sides of the kotatsu.

It’s too small by all accounts and I can’t see why we wouldn’t go to the trouble of using the other three sides.

“You can get in if we stick together, even if it’s cramped. And isn’t it easier to learn and teach that way?”

“……”

It’s the same logic as at the emergency stairwell.

For Urushibara-san, it’s not about whether it’s easy or hard to teach.

She’s the kind of person who needs me to sit next to her.

“Here, come in.”

I did as I was told and entered the space to the left of Urushibara-san.

Even though the kotatsu is rectangular and we’re sitting on a wide surface, our legs and body are inevitably close to each other. And, as always, our faces are close too.

Urushibara-san, your eyelashes are still as long as ever.

“Ufufu, we always hold hands and hug, but it feels a bit different in the kotatsu.”

Yes, even though I’m used to skin-to-skin contact, I’m strangely nervous today.

I remember the appearance of Urushibara-san, who was so cool when we were practicing karate form together earlier.

I wonder if that’s why I’m so nervous.

“Come to think of it, when I was still little, Haruko wanted to sit next to me like this, and we played games and stuff like that, just the two of us cramped together.”

“Heh, that’s nice, Haruko-chan! I wish I could have played games on the kotatsu with Moriyama-kun when I was a kid.”

“Then, later during break time.”

“Ah, instead of playing games, this is better!”

Saying that, she hugged me tightly, even though it was cramped.

“Fuwa~♡ Moriyama-kun, you’re warm♡”

I see. So Urushibara-san is playing with me in the same way that I play with games.

It’s both gratifying and embarrassing to be played with by a woman of Urushibara-san’s stature.

However…

“Urushibara-san, I’m going to study. This is no time to play with me. We have a test on Monday.”

“Eh~, just a bit more!” Hah… Hah… Heavy breathing

After about 10 minutes, I was released and we finally began to study.

However, every time we took a break, Urushibara-san hugged me and sniffed me so hard that I got a little scared.