Appreciation
I approached Eguchi-sensei like she asked me. Having the idea of what was on her mind, I obediently sat down next to her, close enough for our shoulders to touch.
Compared to before when she would reflexively back away at the slightest touch, Eguchi-sensei welcomed that contact.
Nonetheless, because of her thick tracksuit, there was not much in terms of real physical contact. The best I could sense was the softness of her arm as well as her somewhat milky scent that I admit I kinda missed.
Perhaps we’re both waiting as to what the other would do, silence found its way into the room. We could hear nothing except the sound of our breathing and tick-tock from this room’s wall clock.
After that instance last Friday, although I still stood by the notion of letting whatever’s between us develop as slowly as possible, it also pushed me past the point of simply acting passively around her.