“When the two of us enter together, it feels a bit cramped.”
“Well, it’s designed for one person living, so I guess it can’t be helped, right?”
There’s one chair in the bathroom that we always use. In addition to that, there are shampoos, conditioners, and washcloths for washing the body, but since it’s primarily a space for one person, it’s understandable that it feels cramped with two people.
“Ippei, why don’t you sit in the chair?”
“Huh? Is it okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll wash your hair.”
With a smile that showed no signs of reluctance at my suggestion, you turned your back to me and sat down in the chair.
And even though I thought that it wouldn’t be embarrassing for our bodies to touch, even in this small space, it seems it’s not going as smoothly as I hoped.
*Scrub scrub… Scrub…*
“Ippei, is there an itchy spot?”
“Yes, I’m fine… but…”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“…Y-Yuta-san’s skin is touching me… t-that… it’s embarrassing…”
Even though you turned your back and tilted your head down to wash your hair, you couldn’t see my face. Yet, when you said that it’s embarrassing for our skin to touch, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of embarrassment as well.
But maybe that’s okay too. Even if it’s embarrassing, it might be a special kind of embarrassment that only we can feel.
“What are you saying all of a sudden?”
“Because you’re closing your eyes, it’s embarrassing!”
“So now you’re defenseless, huh…”
“I-I said enough; hurry up and rinse…!!”
I wonder what it is… He’s usually so cool and handsome, but when it comes to intimate moments, he turns into a wild beast. Yet, in front of me, his cool demeanor crumbles, and he even shows me his cute side.
I couldn’t help but find you so adorable, and despite your overflowing request to “rinse,” I gently embraced you from behind.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Te-Teaj-rjc…!”
“Tbe’gf gfjiis meaf, sbe xcbk atja?”
“…P-P’nf bcis rtbkc atja rlvf ab Teaj-rjc…”
“Tbe’gf remt j ragjlutaobgkjgv jcv ubbv xlv.”
“X-uffh! A-pera glcrf jigfjvs! Pvlba!”
“Cigluta, jigluta, P’ii glcrf la obg sbe.”
P tbqf atfrf aglnlji sfa ibnf-oliifv qijsoei wbwfcar mbcalcef obgfnfg… Cr P glcrf atf objw ogbw sbeg tjlg jcv ibbx ja sbeg ojmf, rfflcu sbeg qbea jcv yiert, P klrt ab xffq kjamtlcu sbeg agef rfio ilxf atlr obgfnfg.
But that’s probably a reality that won’t come true.
Yet, if you’re happy now, then that’s fine.
Let’s stop worrying about the future.
You probably don’t wish for that either.
I quietly tuck away those feelings in a corner of my heart, and we continue to play around, washing each other’s bodies covered in foam and gently washing away the sweat from the heat and sweet moments we shared.
***
“It’s been a fun day, hasn’t it…”
“Yes, it’s been incredibly enjoyable…”
After getting out of the bath and dressing ourselves, we lay together on the bed where we shared our love, gazing at the ceiling and savoring the happiness of today.
I never imagined there would come a day when you would sleep on the bed where my dog, Kuro, usually sleeps. And my beloved you, staying by my side all day today.
Just having you next to me fills me with so much happiness and warmth… And when I wake up in the morning, instead of an empty bed as usual, you’re there.
So I won’t forget your face anymore. Having spent such intimate and close moments with you, I’ll never forget.
“Isn’t it cramped?”
“Not at all! It’s a double bed!”
“I’m a terrible sleeper…”
“Wha-what if you fall out of bed or something…?”
“That’s why I got a double bed!”
“Haha! You’re really cute!”
“St-stop it! Maybe I’ll end up pushing you out of bed!”
“Yuta-san wouldn’t do such a thing.”
“Huh? Why are you so sure about that?”
“…Because you’re always kind to me…”
I can’t find the words to respond to such a flawless answer. Because I couldn’t bear to hurt my beloved you.
But eventually, somewhere along the line, won’t the day come when we both end up hurt? Will this forbidden love of ours eventually shatter this happiness?
Can I continue to support you without causing you any harm in the future…? But perhaps all I can do is protect this space where you can honestly feel joy and happiness. That might be the maximum amount of love I can offer right now.
“…I won’t drop you, idiot.”
“You’re not being straightforward, huh?”
“You’re always like that too.”
“I’m always straightforward, you know?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
“Hehe… Ahhh…”
“Ippei, you look sleepy.”
“I don’t want to sleep, but I’m starting to feel sleepy…”
“We still have time together even after we wake up, right?”
“That’s right… Yeah, there’s tomorrow too!”
“Yeah, we’ve done a lot today, and our bodies are tired, so let’s go to sleep soon, okay?”
“Yeah… Yuta-san?”
“Hm? What’s wrong, Ippei?”
As we talked while staring at the ceiling, we somehow ended up locking eyes, and after exchanging a wordless “good night,” you, with your usual sweet and refreshing surprise, gave me a kiss and quietly drifted off to sleep.
“Mmm… it’s morning…?”
Through the window where the moonlight was shining, the morning sun started to filter in, prompting me to wake up. And as I woke up, I turned my gaze to the side, where you were sleeping peacefully with a cute face, not leaving my side.
Normally, in the morning, I would forget your face, unable to recall it until we meet again. But today was different. Knowing that you were there beside me in the morning, I felt like I couldn’t forget you. Yet upon closer reflection, I wondered why I couldn’t remember your face before… As I looked at your adorable sleeping face, I remembered the past month we’ve spent together. And at that moment, I realized something.
I had been holding back these feelings I thought were unattainable, thinking I shouldn’t confess my love to you along with those feelings. I had been applying brakes to my heart, preventing myself from moving forward. And it was precisely because of these brakes that I couldn’t remember your face… The brakes in my heart were holding back my true feelings.
I feared that if I fell even more in love with you, I might lose you as a whole, never being able to see you again. And both you and I would be left with nothing but scars in our hearts, possibly reaching the end in that very moment.
That’s why I couldn’t remember just your face… In the morning, a part of you seemed to be missing… No, that’s not it. My heart was afraid to remember because remembering would break the brakes in my heart.
But now, things are different. Even if it’s a forbidden love, as long as we’re drawn to each other in our own way and can acknowledge our love for each other, there’s no need for me to forget your face anymore.
In whatever form, I felt like I could keep ‘you’ alive within me and make this ‘space’ with you a happy one.
I wonder about you… What are your feelings about being with me? That’s something only you would know, but just having you by my side makes me so happy.
Even as morning came, I couldn’t forget your face. It was at that moment that I was gently stroking your head, filled with love and adoration for you.
“…Your head… is warm… *inhales*… *exhales*…”
“…Hmm…”
“Did I wake you up?”
Even as you murmured cute sleep talk, you nestled closer to me, still asleep. And even in your sleep, you had a smile of contentment on your face.
I wonder what kind of dreams you’re having right now. I hope I’m there beside you, even in your dreams.
Until Ippei, who was sleeping so comfortably with his head on my arm, woke up, I basked in the fleeting happiness, admiring his cute sleeping face.
I won’t forget your face anymore. I’ll protect you in my own way.
