Hot water ran down her back, washing away the stickiness of the milk tea, but it couldn't wash away the flutter in her heart.
At that moment, Kageyama Sora sat on the sofa in the hotel suite, his gaze drifting unconsciously toward the closed bathroom door.
He reached up to rub his burning earlobes, trying to banish the ill-timed images from his mind.
The sight of Fukuji Mihoko bathing forced its way into his thoughts: her fair skin, damp hair, trembling eyelashes... The images played through his mind like a slideshow.
"Kageyama Sora, what are you thinking?" He slapped his head and sprang up from the sofa, pacing back and forth around the room.
The floor-to-ceiling windows reflected his restless figure. Neon lights glittered in the distant city, but did nothing to dispel the heat rising within him.
He remembered the warmth of Fukuji Mihoko's fingers when she'd taken the milk tea, the flush that had spread across her cheeks as she spoke, and her slender figure, stretched long by the setting sun.
"We're just ordinary friends. I'm only helping her deal with her clothes." Kageyama Sora muttered to himself, trying to convince himself.
But he still couldn't help glancing toward the bathroom, imagining her delicate figure amid the steam.
A faint citrus scent seemed to slip through the crack beneath the bathroom door, making him restless.
After what felt like ages, he finally heard a faint sound from the bathroom door.
Kageyama Sora instantly held his breath. His heartbeat sounded especially clear in the silent room. Fukuji Mihoko emerged wrapped in a loose yukata, her wet golden hair hanging casually over her shoulders, water still dripping from the ends.
The yukata was a soft cherry-blossom pink that made her skin seem even fairer. She looked like a classical beauty who had just stepped out of a painting.
"Th-thank you." Fukuji Mihoko couldn't bring herself to meet Kageyama Sora's eyes and stared down at her toes.
The yukata's collar hung slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbones and a glimpse of skin.
She handed him her uniform, stained with milk tea. The instant their fingertips touched, they both drew back as if burned.
Kageyama Sora's hand trembled as he took the uniform. The fabric still held Fukuji Mihoko's warmth and faint fragrance.
"I-I'll take this to room service." As he turned, he accidentally knocked over the glass on the coffee table. It shattered with a sharp crash, making Fukuji Mihoko gasp.
"Careful!" Without thinking of the shards scattered across the floor, Kageyama Sora stepped forward and pulled Fukuji Mihoko protectively into his arms.
They stood close enough for him to feel her soft frame and racing heartbeat.
Fukuji Mihoko looked up. Water droplets clung to her damp eyelashes, and her eyes were full of nervousness and shyness.
Time seemed to stand still. Only their quick breaths mingled in the air.
Kageyama Sora looked at Fukuji Mihoko's glistening lips, his throat bobbing involuntarily.
Fukuji Mihoko's cheeks flushed scarlet. She tried to push him away, but found she couldn't muster the strength.
"S-sorry." Kageyama Sora was the first to come to his senses. He hurriedly took two steps back, accidentally brushing against a shard of glass.
A sharp sting came from the cut on his leg, but he barely noticed. He awkwardly scratched his head. "I-I'll clean up the glass."
Watching Kageyama Sora fumble about, Fukuji Mihoko suddenly relaxed. She couldn't help letting out a laugh.
She bent to pick up a towel from the coffee table and walked over to him. "Sit down. I'll take care of your cut."
Kageyama Sora obediently sat on the sofa and watched as Fukuji Mihoko knelt in front of him, carefully removing the glass from his foot.
Her focused expression, the faint fragrance drifting from her hair, and the glimpse of skin at the collar of her yukata made his heart race again.
"All done." Fukuji Mihoko raised her head, and their eyes met once more.
It felt as if all the oxygen had been drawn from the room. Kageyama Sora could hear the thunder of his blood rushing through his veins.
Beneath Fukuji Mihoko's damp eyelashes, her heterochromatic eyes reflected his flushed face. Her cherry-colored lips parted slightly, carrying the sweet citrus scent of her bath.
The room grew so quiet. The clock on the wall and their breathing seemed to herald something about to happen.
As if in a daze, Kageyama Sora reached out and brushed a droplet from her cheek with trembling fingertips, his touch as gentle as if she were fragile glass.
Fukuji Mihoko's eyelashes fluttered, but her body seemed unable to move.
"Mihoko..." His voice sounded so hoarse that even he barely recognized it. His warm breath brushed her flushed ear.
Her upturned neck formed a graceful curve above the collar of her cherry-blossom-pink yukata. Kageyama Sora swallowed, and as he leaned closer, Fukuji Mihoko closed her eyes.
The moment their lips touched, time came to a sudden halt.
It was soft and warm, with the faint fragrance of her bath products—more stirring than he had imagined.
Fukuji Mihoko instinctively clutched his sleeve, a tingling sensation running through her at the touch.
Kageyama Sora gently cradled the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
The air conditioning was on, yet the room seemed to grow hotter by the moment.
Fukuji Mihoko's stiff body gradually relaxed. She began to respond without thinking, her heartbeat pounding painfully in her ears.
She wasn't good at kissing; she had almost no experience. And yet, as she kissed Kageyama Sora, she found herself growing more and more absorbed in it...
When they finally parted, their lips glistened. Blushing, Fukuji Mihoko rested her hot forehead against his chest and listened to his equally erratic heartbeat. Amid the charged atmosphere, a shy smile bloomed on her face.
Fukuji Mihoko's First Experience
The warm yellow wall lights bathed the room in honeyed gold. Flecks of light danced in Fukuji Mihoko's mismatched eyes, and her eyelashes trembled.
She had never been so intimate with a man. Her fingers gripped the edge of her yukata so tightly they nearly wrinkled the fabric. She was tense as a tightly drawn string, and even her breathing had grown cautious.
She knew what was happening had begun with a kiss, but it certainly wouldn't end with one.
Kageyama Sora found it hard to describe how he felt.
He swore he'd brought Fukuji Mihoko there to deal with her clothes, not because of any improper thoughts. After all, his love life was already complicated enough.
But sometimes, when the moment came, it wasn't as simple as telling yourself not to think about something...
And since he'd already thought about it, there was no point pretending otherwise...
"Honestly, you're beautiful... And your soul is even more beautiful than your face." Kageyama Sora's voice was low as a cello. His heated gaze passed over her flushed cheeks and parted lips before settling on her fingertips, curled with nerves.
He gathered a lock of her golden hair around his fingers. Its silky feel made his throat bob. "You know, when you bravely stood up to your coach for your teammates, it was like you were glowing..."
His thumb gently brushed the sensitive skin behind her ear. "I remember thinking, you're so captivating... It's impossible not to be drawn to you..."
The simple words came softly, without any grand declarations, yet Fukuji Mihoko went rigid and turned scarlet.
She tried to step back, but Kageyama Sora slipped an arm around her waist, drawing them closer.
She could clearly smell his distinctive scent, just as she had when they first met. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
"My heart is beating so fast..." Fukuji Mihoko's voice trembled. She raised both hands to his chest, then hastily pulled them back as if she'd touched a hot iron.
As Kageyama Sora leaned toward her, his warm breath brushed her burning earlobe. "Let me look at you."
He looked into her mismatched eyes and at her flushed cheeks.
His fingertips traced her cheek and stopped at her lower lip, where she'd left faint teeth marks by biting it nervously. He gently brushed it with his thumb. "Your heart is racing because you're looking forward to this, too..."
Fukuji Mihoko felt weak all over. Under his tender yet intense gaze, she seemed to have lost the strength to resist.
When Kageyama Sora kissed her, Fukuji Mihoko instinctively closed her eyes, her body taut.
He gently kissed her lower lip. When he sensed how tense she was, he supported the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
Fukuji Mihoko let out a startled little gasp and instinctively grabbed his shirt, her nails digging into the fabric.
"Relax..." Kageyama Sora drew away from her lips, his voice hoarse and persuasive.
His kisses traced her jaw and came to rest at her neck, which rose and fell with her nervous breaths. He kissed her gently, leaving an intimate trace against her fair skin.
Fukuji Mihoko tilted her head back and let out a broken sound. Her legs weakened, and only Kageyama Sora's arm around her waist kept her upright.
When Kageyama Sora's fingers touched the sash of her yukata, Fukuji Mihoko abruptly caught his wrist. Tears welled in her mismatched eyes. "N-no..."
She had never been in a situation like this before. Nervousness and shyness threatened to overwhelm her.
Kageyama Sora stopped and lifted his head. He gave her a gentle kiss. "We'll do as you say. There's no rush."
As he spoke, he drew her into his arms and rested his chin against the crown of her head. "But don't shut me out, okay?"
Fukuji Mihoko curled up in his embrace, listening to his steady heartbeat. Her nervousness gradually gave way to a sense of security.
She nodded slightly. When she looked up, she met Kageyama Sora's tender yet ardent gaze. This time, when his lips met hers again, she closed her eyes and leaned closer, returning the affection that made her heart flutter.
Fukuji Mihoko thought she must like him. Otherwise, she would probably have slapped him and left long ago.
But she had no desire to run. She was simply nervous about this kind of intimacy... So...
When Fukuji Mihoko kissed him again, she chose to respond gently.
Fukuji Mihoko's response was like a spark, instantly igniting the longing Kageyama Sora had kept suppressed for so long.
The charged atmosphere spread through the room. His kisses grew more passionate, and he held her close as their embrace deepened.
Caught up in his affection, Fukuji Mihoko gradually lost herself in the moment. Her tense body softened, and she pressed close to Kageyama Sora.
Kageyama Sora's fingertips traced down her back, leaving warmth in their wake.
As he held her close, the fabric of her yukata slipped from her shoulders. Her golden hair spilled over the white bedsheets.
Fukuji Mihoko trembled faintly, her mismatched eyes hazy, though there was a hint of anticipation in them.
She had never imagined she would find herself in such a situation. Yet in that moment, she was willing to lose herself in Kageyama Sora's tenderness and passion.
"You're even more beautiful than I imagined," Kageyama Sora said, his voice low and hoarse. His words made her cheeks flush.
His gaze lingered on Fukuji Mihoko, as if he wanted to etch the lovely sight into his mind.
She didn't have the same figure as Haramura Nodoka... but she still had the lovely figure of a pretty girl.
He leaned over and kissed her collarbone, his tender touches drawing soft sounds from Fukuji Mihoko.
Even in her daze, Fukuji Mihoko could hardly understand why she was making those sounds.
She was completely confused.
She wanted more, yet she was afraid of what she didn't know.
But Kageyama Sora gave her no time to hesitate, continuing to draw her into the moment.
Fukuji Mihoko felt her awareness begin to blur, her senses growing sharper.
She could clearly feel Kageyama Sora's warmth, his breath, and the tenderness he showed her.
Their breathing mingled in the air, forming a melody that made her heart sway.
She felt as if she were floating among the clouds, and at the same time surrounded by warmth.
Kageyama Sora's kisses traveled lower, each one kindling a new wave of emotion in her.
Fukuji Mihoko's legs drew together involuntarily, then slowly relaxed as Kageyama Sora comforted her.
She closed her eyes, afraid to look at Kageyama Sora, yet his heated gaze seemed to burn against her skin.
"Look at me." Kageyama Sora's voice held a quiet insistence.
Fukuji Mihoko opened her eyes with a tremble and met his ardent gaze.
In that moment, she felt as if he could see right through her soul.
And through her body, too...
Fukuji Mihoko bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow, her body tense with discomfort.
"Relax, Mihoko." Kageyama Sora stopped and gently kissed her forehead and cheeks, soothing her softly.
That Morning
Kageyama Sora believed that since they had already begun, there was no need to be coy. He wanted the experience to be open and wholehearted, so she could enjoy it.
So, even though it was Fukuji Mihoko's first time, Kageyama Sora began to move faster. Each time he drew closer, her body trembled.
She felt as if she were drifting amid stormy waves, rising to the crest of each moment before sinking into a sea of emotion.
Her thoughts scattered amid wave after wave of sensation. She could only hold tightly to Kageyama Sora and follow his rhythm.
"Sora..." Fukuji Mihoko murmured his name, her voice full of longing and trust.
Though they had never said they were in love—or even that they liked each other—their intimacy brought them a happiness unlike anything else.
Then Kageyama Sora lowered his head and kissed her, silencing her voice.
Their bodies stayed close as they held each other, while the lamplight glimmered softly around them.
In that dazed moment, Fukuji Mihoko imagined countless brilliant fireworks blossoming in her mind. It was as if she were surrounded by flowers, wrapped in sweetness and happiness.
She didn't know how much time had passed. She only felt as if she and Kageyama Sora had become one, their closeness carrying her into a state of bliss.
When that moment finally came, Fukuji Mihoko clung tightly to Kageyama Sora and let out a breathless cry.
Before you continue