Haruto was absolutely exhausted by now. The walk to Jun's house took about fifteen minutes through the quiet residential streets. Most people were already inside, settling in for the night. Street lamps cast long shadows between the houses, and Haruto found himself checking over his shoulder more than once. Ever since his abilities had awakened, he'd become hyperaware of his surroundings in a way that was both useful and exhausting.
Jun's house was a modest two-story building with a small garden in front. The lights were on in what Haruto knew was Jun's room on the second floor. He knocked on the front door, and Jun's mom answered with her usual warm smile.
"Oh, Haruto! Jun said you'd be coming over to study. Such dedicated students, staying up late like this."
"Thank you for having me, Mrs. Nozomi."
The long day had drained every ounce of energy from his body, and all he wanted was to collapse into Jun's bed and sleep for twelve hours straight.
But as he lay there in the darkness, his body started to feel strange. At first it was just a general warmth, like he was running a slight fever. Then the warmth became heat, spreading through his limbs and making him restless. He tried to ignore it, figuring it was just stress or exhaustion, but it kept getting worse.
When he woke up, Haruto found Akiko hugging him tightly in her sleep. He was shocked, wondering how she had gotten in, but he didn't want to wake Jun, so he whispered, "How did you get here?"
Akiko didn't answer. She remained as mysterious as ever, her silent presence only deepening the enigma surrounding her.
Haruto sighed, trying to try to make her let go.
But Akiko had other plans. She clung to him with a determination that would make a koala proud, her slender arms wrapped around his torso like she was afraid he'd disappear if she let go even for a second.
"Come on, Akiko," he mumbled, trying to gently pry her arms away. "I really need to get some sleep."
But she just shook her head and tightened her grip. "No way. I'm not letting you go anywhere tonight."
So there they were, lying side by side on his narrow bed, and Haruto might as well have been trying to sleep next to a live wire. Every nerve in his body was on high alert, hyperaware of every point where their bodies touched. Akiko had somehow managed to position herself so that her soft, full chest was pressed firmly against his side, the gentle curve of her breasts molding against his ribs through the thin fabric of her nightgown. Each time she breathed, he could feel the rise and fall of her chest, the warmth of her body seeping through to his skin.
Her breathing was slow and even now, little puffs of warm air that tickled the sensitive skin of his neck. She'd nestled her face into the crook of his shoulder, her silky hair spilling across his chest like a waterfall of midnight. One of her legs had somehow found its way between his, and he was acutely aware of the smooth skin of her thigh pressed against his own.
The moonlight streaming through his bedroom window cast everything in a silvery glow, making Akiko look like some kind of ethereal goddess as she slept. Her lips were slightly parted, and he could see the gentle flutter of her eyelashes against her cheeks. She looked so peaceful, so innocent in sleep, completely unaware of the effect she was having on him.
Haruto stared up at the ceiling, counting sheep, reciting math formulas, thinking about anything other than the warm, soft body pressed against his. But it was useless. Every small movement she made, every little sigh or shift in her sleep, sent electricity shooting through his system. Her hand had come to rest on his chest, right over his heart, and he was sure she could feel how fast it was beating even in her sleep.
At some point during the midnight, she'd murmured his name in her sleep, the sound barely a whisper but enough to make his breath catch in his throat. She pressed closer to him, if that was even possible, her body molding against his like they were two pieces of a puzzle designed to fit together perfectly.
By the time the first rays of dawn started creeping through the window, Haruto had managed maybe an hour of actual sleep. His eyes were gritty with exhaustion, but his body was still thrumming with awareness of the girl in his arms.
That's when Jun decided to make his grand entrance.
The door swung open with a bang, and Jun stumbled in, probably looking for his phone charger or something equally mundane. But he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the scene on the bed, his mouth falling open in shock.
There was Haruto, looking like he'd been hit by a truck, with Akiko draped across him like a living blanket. Her nightgown had ridden up slightly during the night, showing off the pale curve of her thigh, and her hair was a tousled mess that somehow only made her look more beautiful. One of her hands was still resting on Haruto's chest, while the other had found its way to his shoulder. Their legs were tangled together in a way that suggested serious intimacy, even though Haruto's expression clearly showed he'd been in torture all night.
Jun's face went through about seventeen different emotions in the span of three seconds. Shock, confusion, a little bit of envy, and finally settling on something that looked like fear. He took a step backward, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"What the hell—" he started to say, but was cut off by a calm voice from the doorway.
The scream finally penetrated Haruto's exhaustion-fogged brain, and he slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling and trying to remember why his entire body felt like it was on fire. Then awareness crashed back, and he became acutely conscious of the warm weight pressed against his side, the soft breathing against his neck, the hand resting over his heart.
He turned his head slightly to look down at Akiko, and his breath caught. She looked even more beautiful in the morning light, her skin practically glowing. But he needed to get up, needed to put some distance between them before he did something stupid.
Very carefully, he began the delicate process of extracting himself from Akiko's embrace. It was like defusing a bomb, every movement slow and calculated to avoid waking her. He lifted her arm from his chest, gently moved her leg away from his, and slowly scooted toward the edge of the bed.
Akiko made a small sound of protest in her sleep and reached out for him, but he managed to slip away just in time. She rolled over, hugging his pillow instead, and settled back into peaceful sleep.
Haruto sighed and explained to Jun about last night.
Jun looked between the couple on the bed, his brain clearly struggling to process the information. "I can't... I mean, how do you just... with her looking like that..." He gestured vaguely at Akiko, who was still fast asleep and looking like every teenage boy's dream come true.
Haruto stood up, running a hand through his disheveled hair, and grabbed his school uniform from the chair. He needed a cold shower, about three cups of coffee, and maybe a lobotomy to forget the feeling of Akiko's body pressed against his.
"Come on," he muttered to Jun, who was still staring at the sleeping girl with fascination. "We're going to be late for school."
"But what about her?!"
"Just let her sleep here..."