Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 9 - Chapter 4.3

3

In the morning, his alarm clock didn’t ring. But when the time Sakuta usually woke arrived, his body sensed morning coming and woke up anyway.

He peeled his eyes open, a bit reluctant.

“……”

He blinked twice, saying nothing.

His head was turned to the side. And Mai’s face was right in front of him. Lying there with him, looking back at him. On the same bed, beneath the same comforter.

She was somewhere between four and eight inches away. He could almost feel her breath, and he might have been able to count her lashes.

Seeing the expression of surprise on his face, Mai said, “Look who’s up.”

“Uh, is it morning?” He lifted the covers to check the state of their attire.

“What are you doing?” she asked, baffled. Mai genuinely didn’t understand his motivation.

“Making sure you left me decent.”

He remembered sitting in bed, talking to her. How she’d held his hand as his emotions poured out. Accepting all of it with a smile, a nod, and a kind look in her eye.

He must have worn himself out and drifted off.

Sakuta didn’t remember falling asleep.

So he definitely wanted to make sure he hadn’t also forgotten climbing the stairs to adulthood.

“I would never.”

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t even kiss you!”

That was pretty adorable. And the way she couldn’t quite look him in the eye when she said it? Even more so.

He’d tried to restrain himself. But after a line like that, his reason could no longer hold him back. Resistance was futile.

“Maiiiii!”

His hands reached out and closed around her waist.

“O-oh, no, Sakuta! Let go!”

“You’re too cute, Mai! I can’t!”

“Kn-knock that off before I have to scold you!”

But even as she spoke, the hand pushing him away was weakening.

“Just this once,” she whispered.

And her arms slipped around his head, cradling him to her chest.

“This really does make me feel safe,” he said.

And she smelled good. But if he said so, she would definitely let go.

“Five more seconds.”

“I’d rather have five hours.”

“I could allow five minutes.”

“I should have said five days.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

They’d bantered like this several times before, but this time it felt different. They were each taking a bit longer to speak, making sure they’d heard the other right, leaving space between their lines.

And enjoying each other’s company.

Reveling in this intimate moment.

Even when the banter died away, they both had a smile on their lips. It wasn’t a silence.

Words weren’t needed for Sakuta to feel Mai’s presence, and he was sure she was wordlessly sensing him right back.

For a full minute, they savored the hush, then Mai spoke again.

“Plans for today, Sakuta?”

Speaking just a tad slower than usual.

“You first,” Sakuta said, matching that speed.

He wasn’t answering a question with a question from a lack of ideas. He’d woken up to find Mai there with him—and his plans for the day were already set.

But he wasn’t yet ready to say them out loud.

“…I’ve got work,” Mai said, her spirits visibly drooping. Clearly, she’d rather be with him. “I’ve gotta get back to Yamanashi.”

He’d expected that. She’d likely pulled a lot of strings to come see him.

“Can you make it?”

“I’m still good on time.”

“No, I mean…you didn’t sleep, right?”

It wasn’t any sign of fatigue on her face that made him ask. In his state, Mai was not about to let something like that slip in front of him.

He just assumed she hadn’t slept because if it were the other way around, and she drifted off to sleep, he would definitely have stayed up all night watching over her.

“Ryouko’s sending a car for me, so I can nap on the road.”

“We’ll have to thank Hanawa later.”

Their relationship had caused quite a few headaches for Mai’s manager. But she always came through. They owed Ryouko quite a bit.

“So what’ll you do, Sakuta?”

The conversation brought her smoothly back to that. Her voice was gentle, like a warm embrace. Coaxing it out of him. Leaving him no choice.

“I’m gonna go see my mom.”

“Can you handle it alone?”

“I don’t know.”

No point in faking it. He spoke the truth as he felt it.

“And because, I dunno, I kinda feel like it’ll work out?”

He was wound up about it. But not so much that he was in trouble. Maybe getting to talk to his mother in that potential world had given him a modicum of confidence.

And what Mai said last night meant a lot.

She had eased his insecurities.

Praised him for getting by without his parents.

Shown him how that was a good thing.

He could stand on his own two feet now. He had to.

“So I’m just gonna go see my mom,” he said again. As if convincing himself.

“Okay.”

Mai didn’t wish him luck. She didn’t tell him to hang in there or promise he could do it.

“I’ll be waiting.”

She just trusted him.

Waited to hear the good news.

That was the hardest thing to do, but Mai could do it.

Do it for Sakuta.

“And once things settle down, make sure you introduce me.”

“Mm?”

“I’ll have to meet your mom eventually.”

“Yeah, we’ll have to tell her about the marriage.”

“Look, the thing yesterday was different.”

“Different how?”

“That was not a proposal.”

“Aww.”

“I can’t give you a morning kiss if we’re hugging like this.”

She replaced the stick with a very tempting carrot. Sakuta bit instantly, pulling away from her. He moved his face into position to get that morning smooch, but she pushed it away.

“Mmph!”

His nose smooshed, and he made a weird noise.

Mai pushed right over him, getting out of bed.

“What happened to the kiss, Mai?!” he wailed, sitting up.

She was straightening out her hair with her fingers.

“Brush your teeth first.”

And with that, she left the room. He heard her heading to the washroom. Probably to look herself over in the mirror. Wanting to look her best for him…

That thought put a smile on his lips.

Just having Mai with him made mornings so much more fun.

Just hearing her voice lifted his spirits.

Even if she was teasing him a bit, that just made him grin and love her all morning. He could tell.

Just being with Mai made him happy.

But that wasn’t all.

Rio and Yuuma gave him strength.

Tomoe and Nodoka made him laugh.

Kaede kept him motivated.

And the more people get, the more they want.

Mai’s warmth still lingered on his bed, but Sakuta got up anyway.

To stand on his own two feet.