My Self-Control Has Always Been Very Strong

Sitting by the window, feeling the sea breeze on their skin, the two closed their eyes and remained silent.

After returning from the beach, they first found another restaurant for dinner, then wandered around the neighborhood. They discovered a souvenir shop filled with all sorts of small items: Aloha shirts or muʻumuʻu dresses printed with floral patterns, handicrafts made of coral and shells, and walls lined with food items like macadamia nuts and coffee.

Neither of them did much shopping, but after enjoying browsing the store, they bought a pair of shell necklaces before leaving.

By the time they returned to the hotel, it was already 9:00 PM. After placing their luggage on the entryway storage rack, they both moved to the window, each finding a sofa to sit on and rest.

"Kiyoko-senpai, aren't you going to take a bath?" Hayato asked lazily from his spot on the sofa. Although he had quickly rinsed off at the beach's changing room, a proper bath would be more effective at relieving fatigue after a night of walking around.

"Mmm~ Let me rest a bit longer." Kiyoko's glasses were taken off and placed on the table. Leaning her head back against the sofa, her long black hair obscured her profile, giving her a languid and alluring appearance.

"Then I'll go first?" Without waiting for Hayato's reply, Kiyoko waved her hand at him twice, indicating she had heard him. It seemed the time difference and the fatigue from a day of activities had made her drowsy.

After entering the bathroom, Hayato first ran hot water for the bathtub, then stepped into the shower to wash himself. Boys usually finish showering quickly. By the time he was done, the bathtub water was almost ready. He turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel from the rack to dry himself, put on his bathrobe, and walked out of the bathroom.

"Kiyoko-senpai, the water is ready..." Before he could finish speaking, Hayato noticed that Kiyoko had fallen asleep on the sofa at some point. He walked over to her, knelt beside her, and gently shook her shoulder. "Kiyoko-senpai, wake up. The water is ready. Go take a bath before you sleep."

"Ah, Hayato, sorry, I fell asleep." Kiyoko, now awake, covered her mouth with her hand and let out an elegant yawn. She then stood up, took out makeup remover, moisturizer, and a series of other bottles and jars that girls use from her suitcase, and walked into the bathroom. Watching her groggy steps, Hayato felt a bit worried. "She's not going to fall asleep in the bathtub, is she?"

Shaking his head, he changed out of his bathrobe, took out his pajamas from his bag, and put them on. Hayato then lay down on the left side of the bed and turned on the TV with the remote control from the nightstand, watching a variety show. Fortunately, they could still receive channels from their region.

After a long while, Kiyoko, having finished her routine, emerged from the bathroom. Her bathrobe couldn't completely conceal her beautiful figure. Her chest and knees were occasionally revealed as she walked, and the water droplets that hadn't been completely dried off made her even more captivating. Whether it was from the hot bath or feeling shy in her attire, Kiyoko's face was slightly flushed as she came out. She found her pajamas and, without speaking to Hayato, retreated back into the bathroom. Only after changing into her pajamas did she relax and walk out.

"What are you watching?" Kiyoko asked calmly, lying down on the right side of the bed. She propped herself up against the headboard, and they both watched the show in the same posture.

"A variety show from our region." Although they were chatting, the two, not far from each other, felt a bit nervous. Their shoulders were almost touching, and their hands could brush against each other with a slight movement. While they had had close contact before, it wasn't something one could become completely accustomed to after just one instance. The most crucial thing was that even though they used the same body wash and shampoo, Hayato found Kiyoko's scent to be more pleasant. Was it the body lotion?

Afraid of crossing a line, neither dared to move. They continued to chat and watch the TV show, and as time slowly passed, drowsiness finally overcame all their emotions. Kiyoko, yawning, suggested they should rest. Hayato turned off the TV, and they both got under the covers, switching off the bedside lamp. The room plunged into darkness.

Kiyoko, turning her back to Hayato, quickly fell asleep. Hayato, however, was still wide awake. Or rather, what could be more unsettling than the girl he had feelings for sleeping with her back to him? Forcing himself to turn over and face away from Kiyoko as well, Hayato closed his eyes and began counting sheep. After a long time, whether it was the sheep counting that worked or he simply forgot his nervousness, Hayato also drifted off to sleep.

As she had fallen asleep first, Kiyoko naturally woke up earlier. She then discovered that their positions had somehow shifted to face-to-face, and she was lying in Hayato's embrace, her head resting on his arm, with one of her hands on his waist. To anyone who saw them, it looked like an intimate couple sleeping together.

Thinking she could quietly slip out of Hayato's embrace, the moment she moved, he held her even tighter. Hurriedly looking up, she saw that Hayato was still asleep and breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had prepared herself and was clear about her feelings, certain things were not yet things they should be doing.

Given the significant difference in their strength, Kiyoko couldn't break free. Just as she was desperately thinking about how to resolve the situation, Hayato happened to wake up. He quickly cleared his groggy state and realized Kiyoko was in his arms.

"Um, Kiyoko-senpai, how did we... end up in this position?" Now fully awake, Hayato felt his arm, which was serving as Kiyoko's pillow, going numb. But that was a minor issue. The major issue was that due to their embrace, their bodies were almost pressed together.

"Who, who knows. Anyway, let go of me now and let me get up." Kiyoko's words, spoken with a trembling voice and a soft tone, had a powerful effect. Hayato had to use all his strength to control himself as he slowly released his arm from around Kiyoko's slender waist.

Regaining her freedom, Kiyoko immediately got up, put on her slippers, and, leaving behind the words "I'm going to wash my face," she retreated into the bathroom. Hayato, with a numb arm but feeling quite energetic, was left alone on the bed to calm himself down.

"This is really testing my self-control. Fortunately, there's only one more day. We're going home tomorrow, so I just need to hold on," Hayato muttered to himself, sitting up and leaning his upper body against the headboard while rubbing his arm.

Kiyoko, using washing her face as an excuse to avoid the awkward situation, actually did wash up before returning. By the time she came back, Hayato had already changed into his clothes and returned to normal. As if by mutual understanding, they both forgot about what had just happened. After Hayato also washed up, they went downstairs together to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant.

They then went out together. Today's planned itinerary included visits to Iolani Palace and the Honolulu Museum of Art, as well as a trip to Diamond Head.

Located in the city center, Iolani Palace is a building in the Italian Renaissance style that attracts a large number of tourists. It is the only royal palace in the United States and was built in 1879 by King Kalākaua of Hawaii. It is also a local landmark.

It is said that Captain Cook, the first Englishman to discover the Hawaiian Islands, saw the entire mountaintop glowing blue at night, shining like a sapphire. Thinking he had discovered diamonds, he named it Diamond Head.

A 40-minute walk allows one to climb from the crater's interior to the summit. From the mountaintop, one can view the entire city. The sunset scenery here is also unforgettable. It has now become a landmark of Hawaii.

After a full day of enjoyable activities, the two bought some more souvenirs and returned to the hotel. After a night of rest, the next morning they contacted the driver they had met upon arrival, took a taxi to the airport, boarded their return flight, and after an 8-hour journey, they finally arrived back in Japan.

Although their flight was at noon, they arrived in Japan in the afternoon. Adjusting their phone time, it was already Monday, 4:00 PM. While it was acceptable to skip school today since they had taken time off, Hayato, having rested for several days, wanted to participate in club activities. However, considering that it would take over an hour to travel from Tokyo to Miyagi by Shinkansen, Hayato had to abandon that idea.

Bidding farewell to Kiyoko, Hayato returned to his own home. After sending a message to Hinata saying he had returned and that training would continue tomorrow, he took out the items he had brought back from his trip and put them away. Hayato then went out to exercise.