Confession (Part Two)

Konoe took out his phone but didn't unlock it. He had no idea what to do next, so he could only stare blankly at Kushida, who seemed to have fallen asleep on the bed.

Maybe because of what had just happened, his thoughts were more chaotic than ever. He couldn't piece together anything useful and could only feel dizzy.

He'd thought about running away at once, calling Ayanokoji, and even waking up the culprit who'd kept him in a panic for so long.

But when he saw Kushida curled up on the bed facing the wall, breathing slowly and steadily, Konoe stopped moving.

Maybe it was because his thoughts were muddled, or maybe it was something else. In any case, Konoe stopped, and his anger faded, too. He suddenly found himself wondering... when Kushida had fallen asleep beside him, had she imagined what things would be like when he woke up?

Honestly, Konoe admitted that Kushida was a cute girl. Even after learning what she was really like, he hadn't lost his good impression of her. But even now, he could say clearly that he didn't like the girl on the bed enough to want to date her.

Still, he remembered Kushida burying her head in his bed and cursing at the top of her lungs, remembered her hugging him timidly by the door, and remembered the girl beside him sleeping without a care in the world. Warmth welled up inside him from somewhere.

It was late. Konoe moved, turned on the light, and calmly poured himself a glass of water. Then he took out his pajamas and headed to the bathroom.

Just like always, Konoe finished his shower, put on his pajamas, and tidied up before turning off the light and lying back down. Suddenly, he thought it wouldn't be so bad to just fall asleep like this.

Suddenly, Konoe felt something wrap around his arm.

"You woke up and didn't wake me. You went to take a shower instead. Were you secretly hoping for something?" Kushida's voice drifted through the dark room.

Konoe answered calmly, "No. Not at all."

"...If that's the case, then you don't mind if I get under the covers, right?" Kushida let go of Konoe and started to climb into bed from the other side, but he stopped her.

"No."

Kushida gave a quiet scoff. "Hmph. You say you don't care, but really..."

Konoe cut her off. "It's filthy to get in here wearing your uniform. Do you do that in your own dorm, too?"

"...You!" Kushida moved closer and grabbed Konoe's arm tightly, then suddenly seemed to remember something. She loosened her grip and wrapped her arms around his arm again.

A few seconds later, Kushida leaned close to Konoe's ear and whispered, "Then... can I get in if I take off my uniform?"

The dim room fell silent. The only sound was their breathing, growing slowly faster.

"...Of course not." Kushida had thrown Konoe's formerly calm composure into disarray. "You're the one who's hoping for something, aren't you?"

"...Konoe, I can hear your heartbeat... It seems... a lot faster..." Kushida's voice grew quieter and quieter, until the last word was barely audible.

Holding only his arm wasn't enough for Kushida. She suddenly pulled Konoe's hand out from under the covers and tucked his whole hand against her chest, curling her entire body around it.

Konoe's hand felt warm, and Kushida's body seemed hot. He didn't dare move even a finger, afraid he might touch some part of her body. As his heartbeat grew harder to control, he could only ask the question.

"...Kushida, how did you get into my room?"

Kushida didn't answer. She only tightened her hold on Konoe's hand, so that every part of it seemed to touch a different soft part of her.

"Kushida, hand over my room key card."

At that, Kushida's body trembled, then went rigid.

"Come on."

Kushida let go of Konoe's hand, making him breathe a sigh of relief. Then she slowly took a card from her pocket and placed it in his hand, guiding it until he touched it.

Konoe pinched the card and tried to take it, but Kushida seemed unwilling to let go.

"What's wrong?"

Only when Konoe spoke did Kushida release her fingers. She didn't know why her eyes had suddenly grown wet. For some reason, she felt relieved that the darkness kept Konoe from seeing her face.

"...Never mind, you can have it. But next time, you have to send me a text message first." Konoe gave the key card back to Kushida, who had just let go of it.

"...Okay." Kushida put the card back in her bag, then slowly shifted Konoe's hand. When he didn't react, she tucked it against her chest again.

The room fell silent once more, so Konoe tried to start a conversation. "...What were you going to do in my room?"

"I just... about last time. After what we did in your room, I felt pretty relaxed."

"...Be clear. You mean the last time you came to my room and cursed Horikita out, right?"

"...Yeah."

"You're not planning on doing that again today, are you?"

"I don't think I need to. I feel a lot better now that I've woken up."

"...Then how long are you planning to stay in my room?"

"Is that... not okay?"

"I didn't say it wasn't. It's just..."

"I had a lot of things I wanted to say to Konoe, but when I came in, I saw him fast asleep."

Konoe suddenly realized that, at some point, Kushida's voice had started to sound cute—just like the cute voice she usually put on.

"...And then you lay down next to me? Don't tell me you thought I was a girl, too?"

"Hehe, maybe I really did." Kushida chuckled softly.

Hearing her laugh, Konoe suddenly gave a few random squeezes with the hand she was holding. He had no idea what soft part of Kushida he'd grabbed. But she held her breath as if trying not to make a sound.

A few seconds later, the room fell silent once more. Konoe felt Kushida nudge her head toward his shoulder, making his neck itch.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"...I suddenly don't want to say it anymore. Thinking it over, I feel like your opinion of me would drop after I told you."

"After all this?"

"Hey, Konoe... Would you mind giving it a try? Do you want to try dating me?"

"...When you ask me in that cute voice, I can't tell what you're thinking."

"Konoe... your heart's beating faster again. Mine is, too." Kushida let go of the arm she'd been holding and moved his palm to a soft spot beneath her neck. "Can you hear it? My heartbeat..."

"...I'm sorry, Kushida."

Kushida suddenly froze. "...Can I ask why?"

"...I don't date women who casually get into other people's beds."

At those words, Kushida moved abruptly, as if she didn't care what happened. She straddled Konoe's waist, though a blanket lay between them.

Kushida's voice trembled. "...That's too cruel, even if... you're joking..."

Her voice came from just above Konoe's head. Then he felt a few drops of water land on his face, slide down his cheek, and fall onto the pillow.

"I'm sorry. I said the wrong thing. I was embarrassed by my own reaction, so I said something awful. I'm sorry..." Konoe hurriedly explained.

"...Why?"

"...I don't like you enough to date you. You're definitely a cute girl, Kushida, so being treated like this does affect me. Like, my heart starts beating faster."

"I see..." Kushida seemed to bend at the waist and press her face beside Konoe's, whispering, "...It seems like your reaction isn't just your heartbeat..."

Before Konoe could say anything, Kushida quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the entrance.

"Konoe, I'll make you fall for me."

The front door closed.