The next morning.
Well, to be more accurate, it was practically afternoon by the time consciousness finally decided to make its grand return.
What time is it? The sun feels way too high for this to be anything resembling morning.
"How did you sleep, Kana-chan?"
My voice came out softer than I'd intended, still rough with sleep but somehow managing to sound gentle—like some kind of natural alarm clock designed specifically for waking up beautiful women.
Not bad, Sousuke. You sound almost romantic when you're half-asleep.
"Sou…Sousuke-kun… I slept wonderfully…"
The way she says my name when she first wakes up should be illegal. It's doing dangerous things to my already compromised morning brain.
She shifted slightly in my arms, her hair catching the filtered sunlight streaming through the hotel curtains, and I had to resist the urge to just stare at her like some kind of creep.
Focus on what she's saying, not on how incredible she looks with that just-woke-up glow.
"Actually, my sleep quality is usually terrible when I'm in an unfamiliar environment," she continued, her voice still carrying that adorable morning rasp. "especially during business trips. I usually toss and turn for hours every time."
Poor thing. No wonder those late-night selfies happened—she was probably lying awake thinking about… well, hopefully thinking about me.
"This is really miraculous," she murmured, lifting her head so those bright, beautiful eyes met mine directly. "Maybe it's because this room is so comfortable, and also…"
And also…? Don't leave me hanging here, Kana-chan.
I reached out instinctively and gently stroked her hair, letting my fingers trace from the silky strands down to her soft cheek. The intimate gesture felt as natural as breathing.
She's so warm. So perfect. How is this my life right now?
"Because you can't sleep—that's why you send me those selfies when you're on business trips, right?" I asked with a knowing smile.
Gotcha. I knew those photos weren't just random acts of generosity.
Her entire face went nuclear red in approximately 0.3 seconds.
"Ah… no way… that's… that's because you like them, Sousuke-kun… so I take them…"
Oh. OH. So she was specifically taking photos because she thought I'd enjoy them? That's… actually incredibly sweet and also incredibly hot.
The warm, lazy atmosphere suddenly shifted into something more charged, like someone had just cranked up the romantic tension dial.
"Those are for Sousuke-kun alone…" she added quietly, turning her head slightly and covering her mouth with her hand in that shy gesture that never failed to make my heart do backflips.
For me alone. She takes those photos specifically for me. I think my brain just short-circuited.
"I know," I said, hoping my voice conveyed exactly how much that meant to me. "That's why I treasure every single one and only look at them when I'm missing you."
Which is basically every time you're away, but she doesn't need to know that level of pathetic detail.
My cheerful tone seemed to chase away any lingering sleepiness from both of us.
"Eh? Really? Sousuke-kun thinks about me that often?"
Her excitement was immediate and infectious as she scooted closer to me, her eyes practically sparkling.
Careful, Sousuke. Don't reveal just how often 'often' actually is.
"Of course," I replied, trying to sound casual about it. "You've been away on business trips for so long—I've definitely been missing you."
Understatement of the century, but who's counting?
"Whether that's true or not, I'll accept it," she said with the most radiant smile, gently placing her hand flat against my chest.
Her hand is right over my heart. Can she feel how fast it's beating? Because it's definitely not subtle.
"Sousuke-kun's heartbeat is so strong," she murmured, her voice taking on this dreamy quality. "Right here, in this place, in your heart… I really hope there's a space for me."
A space for her? Kana-chan, at this point you've basically taken over the entire real estate.
The sudden emotional intensity of her words caught me completely off guard. Whatever I'd said had clearly touched something deep inside her.
She's getting all sentimental on me. This is both adorable and slightly overwhelming.
"Of course there is," I assured her with my brightest smile, then gently pulled her up from the bed. "Come on, Kana-chan. It's getting late."
Time to transition back to reality before I say something embarrassingly honest about exactly how much space she occupies in my heart.
"Hey, wait, Sousuke-kun, I still…" she protested weakly, but I was already helping her to her feet.
Sorry, Kana-chan, but if we stay in this bed any longer having heart-to-heart conversations, we're never going to leave this room.
By the time we finally checked out of the hotel, it was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon.
We basically slept half the day away. Not that I'm complaining—best sleep of my life, hands down.
Since neither of us had managed anything resembling breakfast, we found a fast-food sandwich chain and attacked our hunger with the efficiency of people who'd been surviving on nothing but room service snacks and pure attraction.
Nothing kills the romantic mood quite like realizing you're both absolutely starving.
But after satisfying our basic human need for sustenance, we decided to make the most of our remaining time. After all, vacation opportunities were rare, and we were determined to squeeze every second of enjoyment out of this day.
Why waste a perfectly good afternoon when there's still so much to explore?
The shopping complex was like a wonderland designed specifically for creating memories. Aquarium, art gallery, planetarium—every floor seemed to offer some new adventure, some new experience we could share together.
The aquarium next to our hotel turned out to be particularly impressive. Despite its name, it was actually this massive entertainment complex that combined marine exhibits with live performances, creating these incredible shows that integrated light, sound, and imagery with the sea life on display.
This is like Disney World for adults who are really into fish.
The jellyfish exhibit was mesmerizing—these ethereal creatures floating through the water like living ghosts, illuminated by atmospheric lighting that made them look like something from another planet entirely.
"Have you heard about this, Sousuke-kun?" Kana asked suddenly, her gaze fixed on the cylindrical glass tank in front of us.
Uh oh. I recognize that tone. She's about to drop some fascinating random knowledge on me.
"Scientists have discovered a species of jellyfish that's essentially immortal," she continued thoughtfully. "After reaching maturity, they can reverse their aging process and return to their juvenile state, then repeat the cycle indefinitely."
Immortal jellyfish? That's… actually incredible. And slightly terrifying.
"That's amazing," I said, genuinely curious. "How is that even possible?"
Leave it to Kana to find the most fascinating creature in the entire aquarium and have detailed scientific knowledge about it.
"Ah, I'm rambling about weird stuff again, aren't I?" she laughed self-consciously. "Sousuke-kun probably thinks I'm some strange woman with bizarre hobbies who always talks about random nonsense."
Strange? Is she kidding? Her random knowledge is one of the things I find most attractive about her.
"Not at all," I assured her firmly. "I think you're incredibly knowledgeable."
And passionate and interesting and about a hundred other positive adjectives I could list if we had all day.
"Sousuke-kun, please stop complimenting me," she deflected with that modest smile I was growing to love. "I just spent too much time alone before, so I ended up like this."
Too much time alone? Well, those days are definitely over if I have anything to say about it.
"Fortunately, now I have Sousuke-kun to accompany me," she added, slipping her arm through mine and moving closer. "I can try out all sorts of new interests with you."
New interests, huh? I like the sound of that.
"Let's go see what else is ahead," she suggested, tugging me along to the next exhibit.
I'd follow you anywhere, Kana-chan. Literally anywhere.
We continued wandering through the complex for what felt like hours, each new discovery leading to another shared moment, another small adventure, another memory to add to our growing collection.
But eventually, reality began to intrude. Tomorrow meant work for her and school for me—the weekend was officially coming to an end.
Why do perfect days have to end? Can't we just exist in this bubble forever?
At the building entrance, Kana took one last commemorative photo, trying to capture the essence of a day that had been pretty much perfect in every possible way.
She's trying to hold onto this moment. I get it—I don't want it to end either.
The train ride back was quieter, more reflective. Both of us seemed to be savoring these final moments before we had to return to our regular lives.
Tomorrow she starts her new position. More responsibility, longer hours, less time for spontaneous adventures like this. I hope she remembers what I told her about always being available.
The sky had already wrapped itself in darkness by the time we emerged from the station, and we walked hand-in-hand along the familiar path back to our apartment building.
She's walking slower than usual. Trying to make these last few minutes stretch as long as possible.
I could practically feel her reluctance radiating off her in waves—the same feeling I was experiencing as the end of our perfect weekend approached.
She hasn't been this happy in a long time. Hell, neither have I. When did my life become something worth being happy about?
The realization hit me that the happiness Kana had brought into my world over the past few months probably exceeded everything I'd experienced in years combined.
She's not just someone I'm attracted to. She's not just someone I enjoy spending time with. She's become… essential. When did that happen?
"Mmm~"
At her door, Kana stretched luxuriously, like a cat greeting the morning sun, as if trying to create a physical punctuation mark for our incredible weekend.
Even her stretching is graceful. How is that fair?
"That was so satisfying, Sousuke-kun," she sighed contentedly. "These have been the happiest two days of my life. Thank you."
Happiest two days of her life? The pressure is on to make sure there are many more days like this in her future.
"Tomorrow is a new beginning," she continued, her expression becoming more serious. "I'll remember what you said—if I have any troubles, I'll always come to you. You can't take that back now."
I wouldn't take it back even if I could. Whatever happens, we're in this together now.
She smiled with that coy expression that made my knees weak, then rose up on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to my lips.
This kiss feels different. Like a promise. Like a beginning rather than an ending.
"Good night, Sousuke-kun…" she whispered against my mouth.
After she disappeared into her apartment, I made my way back to my own room, my head still spinning from everything that had happened.
Two days ago, I was just a guy living next door to a cute older woman. Now… now I'm not sure what I am, but I know it's something completely different.
I walked to my window and opened it wide, letting the cool evening breeze wash over me. This quiet moment before bed had become one of my favorite rituals—a time when my mind could finally slow down and process the day.
Tomorrow everything changes. She'll be busier, more stressed, dealing with new responsibilities. But whatever challenges come next, we'll figure them out together.
Because that's what people who care about each other do, right? They figure it out together.