Ch 53. Massage

"We were exercising together, a classmate and I. We were competing against each other, so it ended up like this."

Relaxed and enjoying the massage, Hoshimi answered Nanami Aoyama's question.

"A classmate? Competing?" Nanami Aoyama unconsciously loosened the pressure of her hands. She looked at the back of Hoshimi's head, her heart inexplicably speeding up, "Hoshimi-kun, was it a girl?"

"Yeah, she's a very stubborn little girl."

"..." Nanami Aoyama's hands began to apply more pressure. She pursed her lips and continued to ask nonchalantly, "Hoshimi-kun, why were you competing with her?"

"Take a guess. By the way, move down a bit, yes, right there, ah~"

Following the instructions, Nanami Aoyama's hands slid down to massage Hoshimi's latissimus dorsi.

She withdrew her gaze, looking at Hoshimi's overly pale back, and spoke softly, "Hoshimi-kun, you probably did some mischievous prank to that girl, which led to her competing with you, right?"

"Haha, Nanami, you really know me well. You're completely right," Hoshimi, lying down, laughed and confirmed.

"..." Upon hearing the answer, Nanami Aoyama bowed her head and unconsciously applied more force.

"Ow~ that hurts~ Nanami, a bit lighter, please." The sudden pain made Hoshimi wince.

The combination of muscle soreness and the external pain was making his brain tremble with a mix of sensations.

"Uh... Hoshimi-kun, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Are you okay?"

Realizing she had hurt Hoshimi, Nanami Aoyama quickly lightened her pressure and apologized frantically.

"It's okay, just rub this area a bit more. The muscle here feels like it's about to cramp."

"Oh, okay."

Nanami Aoyama nodded twice, lowered her head, and continued to massage Hoshimi's exposed back carefully.

In a daze, Nanami Aoyama found herself spacing out again.

What was wrong with me earlier? Why did I suddenly feel a tightness in my chest, as if something was stuffed inside, making me feel uncomfortable? And then I lost control and applied too much pressure, hurting Hoshimi-kun.

"Nanami, move down a bit and massage my waist for a while."

"Oh, okay."

Hoshimi's voice brought Nanami Aoyama back to reality. She regained her focus and earnestly massaged Hoshimi's waist.

But for some reason, today she couldn't settle her thoughts, constantly thinking about various trivial things.

To calm herself, Nanami Aoyama decided to continue chatting with Hoshimi-kun.

After thinking for a moment, she resumed the previous topic and playfully remarked, "Hoshimi-kun, you're always so mischievous. You won't make any friends that way."

Comfortably lying down, Hoshimi squinted like a cat, chuckling softly, "Fake friends are easy to come by, but real friends are a matter of fate. Having or not having friends has nothing to do with being mischievous."

"Besides," Hoshimi rested his chin on the sofa and adjusted his position to get more comfortable, "I already have you as a friend, Nanami."

"..." Nanami Aoyama paused, her hands stopping as well.

She looked at Hoshimi, feeling a surge of indescribable emotions.

"Huh?" Seeing Nanami Aoyama's silence, Hoshimi teased, "Nanami, don't tell me you don't consider me a friend?"

"No... Hoshimi-kun... is my friend..." Nanami Aoyama, blushing, replied hesitantly, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

"Mm, it doesn't sound like you really mean that..."

"It's the truth, Hoshimi-kun, you're overthinking... I really do consider you a good friend." Nanami Aoyama, head down, answered frantically, her face flushed.

Hoshimi's eyebrows arched in delight, filled with joy.

As expected, teasing Nanami is the most fun. Just a little provocation and she becomes flustered.

Unlike Yukinoshita, that prideful girl who retaliates immediately without waiting overnight.

Thinking of Yukinoshita, Hoshimi suddenly remembered something.

He retrieved the TV remote from between the sofa cushions and handed it to Nanami Aoyama, "Nanami, can you turn on the TV for me?"

"Sure, Hoshimi-kun." Still blushing, Nanami Aoyama took the remote and turned on the TV. "What do you want to watch, Hoshimi-kun?"

"Nanami, can you find some tennis match videos for me? Not world-class ones, just some national high school or middle school competitions will do."

Saying that, Hoshimi headed upstairs to his bedroom, "I'm going to change into swim trunks. Later, Nanami, please massage my leg muscles, arms, and shoulders too. They feel quite sore."

"..." Nanami Aoyama turned her head away, her ears turning red, and nodded.

The idea of the massage was her own suggestion. When Hoshimi came back from exercising that night and collapsed on the sofa, she had offered to give him a massage out of concern.

But she didn't expect Hoshimi to be so unreserved, directly taking off his shirt and lying on the sofa for the massage. Now, he was even planning to change clothes for a full-body massage.

Her feelings were a bit complicated...

This was her first time massaging a male. She had only massaged her female dorm mates' shoulders before, and even that was just their shoulders, not other parts of the body. This was her first time doing a full-body massage...

But since she had offered, she couldn't back out halfway...

"Click-click--"

Soon, Hoshimi came downstairs wearing only a pair of swim trunks, barefoot.

Hearing the crisp sound of his footsteps, Nanami Aoyama couldn't help but glance at him.

Seeing Hoshimi's overly pale skin, her hands started trembling uncontrollably.

"Nanami, here, you'll use this." Hoshimi handed her a glass bottle as he approached the sofa.

Nanami Aoyama looked at the bottle, then asked in confusion, "Hoshimi-kun, what is this?"

Already laying out a yoga mat on the sofa, Hoshimi answered without turning around, "Massage oil. My father used to like oil massages, and some of the maids he hired were skilled in it. I found this in one of their rooms. I thought I might as well try it out."

With that, Hoshimi lay down on the yoga mat he had prepared.

He also grabbed a small pillow to rest his chin on so he could watch TV comfortably.

"..."

Beside him, holding the oil, Nanami Aoyama was stunned, her mind racing.

Oil massage?

But... I'm just a beginner! How am I supposed to handle something so advanced right off the bat?

"Nanami, hurry up~" Hoshimi, seeing her frozen in place, called out with a smile.

"... Okay, I'm coming..." In a daze, Nanami Aoyama sat beside Hoshimi with the oil.

She looked at Hoshimi, then at the bottle in her hand, completely at a loss on how to proceed.

Lying down, Hoshimi glanced at the bewildered Nanami Aoyama and chuckled, his smile deepening. While watching the tennis match on TV, he guided her, "Nanami, pour some oil on my back, then spread it evenly with your hands."

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