A helping hand (P.1) - Chapter 8

Feeling the sudden excitement of having someone else join me in the bath, I turned around and sat on a stool before Aoi began soaping my back with the sponge.

Honestly, I never had any trouble washing myself since I am quite flexible. But having someone else wash your back for you was something that I found relaxing. It was a foreign feeling of pleasure as she scratched away the dirt off my back, but it also satisfied my itchy skin.

With her slender arms, she began moving the sponge up and down, carefully covering any missed spots where she thought I wouldn't be able to reach. But as she was trying to carefully wash my back, her hand slightly slipped and slid over my back and reached my shoulders in order so she wouldn't fall down.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"...." She didn't respond. 

I knew that she was fine since she was still gently holding the muscles of my collarbone. However, she seemed to not respond, as if she had fallen into her own thoughts.

"Aoi?"

"....Eh? Ah, sorry. I spaced out for a second."

She continued washing my back from my neck all the way to my hips.

"....."

I usually don't take too long washing my back, but for some reason Aoi was going back to the same spots over and over again.

I knew that she must've been feeling nervous, as this was the second time we'd taken a bath together. And the last time we were in the bath together... is a memory that she probably despises.

".....sorry…."

"....."

As I suddenly apologized, she stopped her hands for a slight moment.

"....I'm sorry for what I did to you…." I apologized once again, my voice growing softer and deeper. "You probably must hate me for what I did to you not only once but twice."

"...."

The silence and her hands, which had stopped from washing my back, gave me a brief guess at what kind of face she must have right now.

Even though I was glad that she was here with me, It still bothered me the way we met with one another, even though I would've probably done the same if I had the chance.

"I already know that I'm a terrible person, and I don't deserve your forgiveness. That's why you don't really need to repay any favors to me.

"..."

Being left in silence, I looked down at my own feet before hearing rustling noises coming from behind. Then, in the next moment, I felt my whole back suddenly wrapped around in a warm and soft feeling.

When I comprehended what was going on, I noticed how Aoi had wrapped her hands around my back and had almost locked them near my chest. 

"....."

"...."

But the most noticeable sensation that I could feel at the moment would be the warm cushions that were being squished on my back.

"....I was really scared the first time I was brought in here…. and I had no idea what was going on when you forced yourself on me…" She spoke in a low voice, "And I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that day."

"...."

As I thought, she still holds a grudge against me…

"But….every day…. The more I get to know you… the more I can't stop thinking about you…."

"Huh?...You don't…. Hate me?"

"....I did hate you at first…." She said in a low, sad voice, "And I don't know why that changed... Especially right now."

And as I was trying to understand her reasons behind her feelings, I heard her heartbeats on my back.

"...Aoi… you…."

"...D-don't say it out loud!" She quickly responded, as if she had read my mind.

I wasn't sure whether to feel happy or confused right now.

I was sure that she was putting on a facade in order to find a way back home.