Chapter 92

"Then, I'll be a bother."

"Yes, please come in."

After the marathon, Yugen returned home with Arisa.

They had already finished their lunch boxes.

"You must be tired."

Arisa sat down on the carpet and murmured.

She stretched out her long legs and slumped.

But it seemed more like a pose of being tired rather than actually being exhausted.

"Yeah... you're right. Competing like that isn't worth it."

"It was a close race at the end."

"Yeah. I might have lost without your cheering."

When Yugen said this, Arisa's eyes widened.

Then she asked.

"Did you... hear it?"

"I felt like you were cheering for me."

Arisa's voice didn't reach him directly.

But he intuitively knew that Arisa was cheering for him.

Arisa, hearing Yugen's response, scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed.

"S-Sorry... I mean, I thought about cheering as loudly as Ayaka and the others, but I was a bit... embarrassed..."

"It's okay, I got the message."

If Arisa had cheered loudly for Yugen, their classmates would have noticed that Yugen and Arisa were in a relationship... or something close to it.

That was a bit too early.

"By the way, Yugen. A-About the bath..."

Arisa's fair skin flushed pink, and her voice was slightly high-pitched as she brought up the topic.

Yugen nodded.

"Yeah, I think it's ready. I set the timer before we came."

"R-Really?"

For some reason, Arisa kept glancing at him with her eyes looking up.

She seemed to want to say something but was hesitant.

The atmosphere was like that.

"What's wrong?"

"N-No... it's nothing... but..."

"Do you want to go first? I don't mind."

He preferred to go first.

But it might be awkward for Arisa to say she wanted to go first before Yugen, the host...

Was that it?

While thinking this, Yugen tilted his head in confusion.

But even if that was the case, he couldn't understand why she would be embarrassed.

"O-Okay! Then I'll go first!!"

But Yugen's guess seemed to be correct.

Arisa stood up, looking a bit flustered.

"Can I use some bath salts?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Then Arisa disappeared into the changing room.

After a while, the sound of the shower could be heard.

"I can't relax..."

This was the second time Arisa used Yugen's bathroom.

But she felt unusually uneasy.

Then Yugen realized something.

Arisa had gone into the bathroom without preparing any clothes or a towel.

So Yugen took Arisa's bag and headed to the bathroom.

The bathroom door was frosted glass, so he couldn't see inside... but he could faintly see the skin color.

Yugen couldn't help but catch his breath.

(No, I'm not trying to do anything inappropriate...)

Yugen calmed himself and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Arisa."

"Huh? Y-Yugen!? N-No, no, no!! That's not okay!!"

Yugen spoke calmly to Arisa, who was screaming on the other side of the frosted glass.

Arisa seemed to calm down.

A theatrical cough could be heard.

"Ahem, what is it? If you're trying to peek, I'll splash water on you."

Arisa's voice was slightly cold.

She sounded calm and collected, but also wary of Yugen.

...But did she seem to be hiding something?

"I'm not going in. ...You forgot your clothes and towel, right?"

When Yugen said this, a voice of understanding came from the bathroom.

"Ah, can you bring them in?"

"I brought your bag. They're in here, right? What do you want me to do? Should I take them out?"

Yugen didn't know what clothes Arisa had brought.

But if she had brought spare underwear... it would be embarrassing for her to let a man see it.

So Yugen decided to ask her.

"Right. I don't want to dig through the bag with wet hands, so it would be better if you could take them out..."

But then she stopped.

"Ah!!! No, absolutely not!! Don't open it!!"

Arisa shouted loudly.

Yugen, who was about to open the bag, stopped.

"O-Oh... I see."

Yugen decided to put the bag down in front of the door.

"Are you not looking?"

"I'm not looking."

"...Absolutely, absolutely don't look. If you do, I'll hate you!!"

"...I understand."

Being told that much hurt.

Yugen felt a bit dejected as he was about to leave the changing room... and then he noticed.

Arisa's clothes were scattered on the floor.

She must have been in a hurry, or maybe she was just a bit sloppy.

Her tracksuit, sweat-soaked gym clothes, and a set of underwear and bra were scattered around.

"..."

Arisa smelled good.

Yugen wasn't sure if it was because he liked her or if she naturally smelled good.

But to Yugen, Arisa's scent was always pleasant.

And today, it was especially good.

The mix of shampoo, sweat, and a unique feminine scent had stimulated Yugen's instincts multiple times on the way home.

And now, right in front of him, were the clothes Arisa had worn for half the day.

They were so soaked with sweat that the underwear was almost see-through... without a doubt, they held a strong "Arisa scent."

After the bath, most of Arisa's scent would be gone.

Of course, that was fine...

But he wouldn't be able to smell Arisa's scent again today.

Thinking about this made him feel incredibly reluctant to pass by the clothes.

"Anyway, what's the deal? You said you'd hate me if I opened the bag."

That was a bit harsh.

If she didn't want him to see, she shouldn't have brought them.

Yugen was a bit hurt by her words earlier.

So... didn't he have the right to get back at her?

"Besides, it's Arisa's fault. Yes, it's your fault. Coming into a guy's room without any caution and leaving your clothes scattered around like this... it's suspicious. What kind of education did the Amakusa family give you?"

While muttering these words, Yugen squatted down.

In front of him were Arisa's clothes.

"...I'm not the bad one. Arisa is the bad one. Really, a very bad girl."

While saying these words...

Yugen picked up Arisa's gym clothes.

They were slightly damp.

And then...

he brought them to his nose.

"Ha... What am I doing?"

After that.

Yugen slumped on the sofa, feeling self-loathing.

This is from Yuzuru's perspective.

Next time, it will be from Arisa's perspective.

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