The Angel’s Pleas

The following week, the results of the post-summer break exams were

posted.

As expected, Mahiru's name sat at the top of the rankings. She cooly gazed at

the list until she felt Amane's eyes on her. She flashed him a faint smile.

It was her angelic smile, which felt a little formal, but Amane could sense the

deep affection and trust that was hidden behind her expression.

"Hey, congratulations on first place," he said.

"Thank you very much."

"You keep getting good grades because you always work so hard. It's really

impressive."

Despite the fact that she also looked after Amane's needs on a daily basis,

Mahiru had taken the top rank and seemed to do it with ease. It was all thanks

to her steady efforts and all the knowledge she had cultivated.

Even when she spent time with Amane, she also often worked through study

books or looked at flashcards. It was obvious she never cut corners on her

studies.

"I should congratulate you, too, Amane. You're fifth this time."

"Thanks a lot. That's partly thanks to you. You're a good teacher."

"Heh-heh, I'm honored to receive such praise. You're quick to pick up on

things, so teaching you is fun, Amane."

"Thanks… How'd your regular student do?"

"Her ability to concentrate when she's motivated is striking. But usually, it

seems like her lack of confidence does her in."

"That sounds like Chitose, all right."

Chitose had placed roughly in the middle of the pack, so it seemed like their

reference material had helped.

Itsuki was in a higher position than usual. He had risen about twenty spots

from his usual rank, so clearly he'd been trying harder recently. He was the kind

of guy who, even though he seemed very carefree, could always get things

done.

"For now, this should give us some peace of mind for a while."

"Once we get home, we should compare test answer sheets and have a

review session. I think I missed a few things, so I want to review before the

wrong ideas stick."

"Good idea, Amane. You really are a good, hard worker."

"That's because I'm trying to keep up with you."

Fundamentally, Amane felt he couldn't compare to his amazing friends.

Of course, he wasn't as good as Mahiru in academics, and he wasn't athletic

like Yuuta, nor did he have Itsuki's natural charisma. He'd been told that he was

relatively good-looking, but not handsome enough to be a good match for

Mahiru's beauty, which had been polished through tireless effort that enhanced

her natural looks.

Amane and Mahiru were together because they both liked each other, but

from an outside perspective, their relationship was hard to understand.

To silence those annoying naysayers, and so that he could stand tall beside his

partner, Amane was trying to improve in every area. His studies were just one

of many.

"Besides, the better my grades are, the better my chances, too."

"For what?"

"For getting a job I want."

Grades weren't everything, but if his grades were good, he had a better

chance to go somewhere he could gain the sort of knowledge and experience

that he was after. When it came down to it, Amane's parents had always urged

him to study and get good grades so that he would have more options.

Once he figured out what he wanted to do in the future, he just had to

steadily put in the effort, and if he made a name for himself early on, he would

be able to get through life without suffering or regrets.

Amane's parents trusted him to study on his own, so they'd simply told him

that his grades could be a key to new opportunities in the future, and that

studying now just meant fewer regrets later.

During his middle school years, Amane had sometimes found their

admonitions annoying, but now that he was in high school and away from his

parents, and now that he had found someone important to him, he was

thinking again about how important his efforts were.

"I see. How pragmatic, planning ahead."

"Well, I'm sure it's the same for you, too, Mahiru. Plus, I want to become the

kind of man that you can depend on."

"Wh-what?"

"Well, it wouldn't feel right to be supported emotionally and financially. We

should support each other. I can't just depend on you for everything."

Amane felt like Mahiru provided almost everything for him in their daily lives.

If she ever had to support him financially as well, it would tear apart whatever

tiny bit of pride he had left.

If possible, he wanted to earn enough to provide for Mahiru and still have

some left over.

Mahiru seemed to understand what Amane was trying to say. Her cheeks

flushed slightly, and she answered awkwardly, saying, "I-is that right?" Which

made Amane smile.

"My partner is too amazing, so it gives me a reason to work hard."

"Uh, s-sorry…?"

"No, no, I want you to be just the way you are. This is something that I'm

working on by myself."

"…All right, then I'll be cheering you on." Then she smiled, said, "But first, our

review session…," and lightly grabbed Amane's sleeve before going back into

the classroom together.

"That reminds me, you wanted that cushion for your reward, right?"

Once they were home and working on their review session after dinner,

Amane remembered the earlier request.

Mahiru had been sitting beside him explaining the test questions that Amane

had missed, but at the mention of the reward, her eyes shifted around a little.

"…Well, um, I do want it."

"Okay, if that's all you want, consider it yours."

"Th-that and, um, something else…"

"Is there anything else that you want?"

"Well, I w-want…um…"

For some reason, Mahiru was having an extremely difficult time saying it.

Amane gently stroked her head, trying to help her calm down.

For once, Mahiru, who was basically never selfish, had something she desired,

and he wanted to make sure she got it.

She briefly gave him a soft smile after he patted her, but then immediately

stared at the floor bashfully.

"So, I… I want you to k-kiss me."

"Kiss?"

It wasn't like they kissed constantly, but on the other hand, it wasn't like they

had never kissed before, either. They both did it casually, whenever they felt

like it. Sure, it could be seen as a kind of reward, but Amane felt like it was more

of an everyday thing, rather than a special request for ranking first on the

exams.

Although he wasn't sure whether something so minor really counted, if it was

what Mahiru wanted, he was happy to oblige.

"…As you wish."

He whispered as softly as he could, with a slight chuckle riding on his breath,

then slowly, so as not to startle her, he brought his lips to hers.

Mahiru's entire existence was soft and gentle.

Her lips were no exception. They were lush and tender and perfect.

The faint sweetness that he sensed on top of all that must have been the

natural perfume of Mahiru's body.

As he pecked lightly at her light-pink lips, he indulged in the moment.

Her body was trembling timidly the whole time Amane's lips were caressing

and devouring hers, but she didn't pull away or seem to hate it, so he could only

assume that she was happy.

…She's so cute, he thought.

As he was kissing her, he looked at Mahiru's face. She looked embarrassed

but also pleased. He could see right away it wasn't a bad reaction.

Though she tended to embarrass easily, she seemed to like kissing, so Amane

didn't feel like he needed to hold back.

As he might have expected, Mahiru's body jolted when he first tasted her lips,

but soon both her lips and her body slackened.

With her body and facial expression soft and relaxed, Mahiru looked

adorable, and he pecked at her lips again.

It was a clumsy make out session, and he held himself back, giving her only

very light kisses. But even that much was enough to fill Amane with passion and

love welling up from deep inside him, enough to drive him crazy. The desire for

more started to slip through the cracks of his wall of reason, which had started

to crumble bit by bit the more he tasted Mahiru.

As he was savoring Mahiru's lips to the fullest, she started tapping on his

chest like she wanted something.

It wasn't a gesture of discomfort, and she didn't look like she was at her limit,

so Amane reasoned that she was simply telling him she had had enough, and he

slowly pulled his lips away from hers. With red cheeks, Mahiru peered up at

him.

"…Oh, no. I d-didn't want you to stop in the middle…"

"That wasn't a signal to stop just now?"

"N-no, it wasn't…um, so, the next kind of kiss, you know…"

Her words, which came out in a thin voice which could not have been more

faltering or bashful, eventually helped Amane belatedly understand what she

had been asking for, and he let out a little groan.

The kiss that Mahiru had been hoping for involved more than simply touching

lips. It was the kind of kiss for people who wanted a deeper connection with

their lover. That was why she hadn't seemed displeased when he'd sucked on

her lip as he kissed her. In fact, she had actually relaxed her mouth a little.

Amane couldn't believe she wanted that, and his feelings must have been

very apparent because she blushed deeper red and stared at the floor.

"I-it's shameful, I know that. But I also…want to kiss you back, and to know

you…more deeply."

"O-oh…that's… Until now, I thought you weren't up for…stuff like that…"

"…I got embarrassed, hearing people talk about it, but…if it's with you…"

Hearing her say something so charming and courageous was so hot that

Amane thought he was going to burst into flames on the spot.

Plus, Mahiru was so flushed, it seemed like she was feeling the same heat.

Perhaps because she had said her true desires out loud, she was trembling with

nervousness and shame. And yet, when she glanced up at Amane, there was

faint but unmistakable anticipation in her eyes.

He once again focused his gaze on the glossy luster of her lips, the same lips

he had been relishing just a moment earlier. They were now casually parted,

and Amane let his lips close in on them again.

Mahiru made a small noise in her throat, and a bewildered expression crossed

her face, but that almost immediately dissolved.

Telling himself that he could only go a little bit further and that he had to stay

calm, Amane matched Mahiru's pace and slowly, very slowly, allowed himself to

savor Mahiru's passion.

If he let his self-control slip now, he would only want more and more, with no

end in sight, so stopping after just a little making out was the right decision as

far as Amane was concerned.

His heart was thumping so hard he could hear it loud and clear. He hadn't

expected just a few minutes of kissing to affect his body and heart so fiercely.

The enraptured look in Mahiru's eyes showed faint disappointment when he

pulled his lips away…and Amane, who couldn't look directly at her for a number

of reasons, instead embraced Mahiru and buried his face in the nape of her

neck.

"…Don't look like you want it so badly, please. You'll kill me."

"I—I didn't…think I…"

"You really did… Did I grant your wish?"

When he whispered into her ear, he felt her body tense, but Mahiru

immediately hugged Amane back and answered quietly, "Yes."

Amane wasn't sure what he would have done at that point if she had asked

him for more. It probably would have annihilated any reservations he still had.

…That was a close one.

And the danger hadn't passed. He had forcefully embraced Mahiru and

brought his lips to her neck, but he couldn't help but feel that he had gone

ahead and poured fuel onto the fire himself. He'd positioned himself right next

to her slender, fragrant, milky white neck, and there was no way he could not

react.

Mentally chiding himself for his foolishness at dangling bait before his own

eyes, he slowly lifted his head and saw Mahiru there, who for some reason was

flushed an even darker red than before.

"Th-that spot's too…t-ticklish, or actually—"

"…Mahiru, your neck and ears are really sensitive, huh?"

Her reaction was adorable, which was bad news for him, he thought, as he

buried his face in her neck once again and faintly traced its curve with his lips.

She jolted and shrieked in a sweet voice.

When Mahiru moved, a gently sweet, but not too sweet, fragrance tickled his

nose, as if some of it had spilled from her voice and into the air.

The scent threatened to disarm his sense of reason. Amane was finding it

incredibly hard to pull away from Mahiru, so he simply stayed there enjoying

that scent and her warmth and tenderness.

"You smell so good."

"That's…it's because I put on lotion after I take my bath. To moisturize. That

must be it."

He'd thought that she was giving off that nice scent because it seemed like

she had taken a bath before coming over that day, but apparently it was the

fragrance of her body lotion.

However, he was almost sure that Mahiru had her own unique scent apart

from the lotion.

His girlfriend, who had a lightly sweet fragrance to her, even if she didn't do

anything, really devoted herself to her grooming and was meticulous about

taking care of her skin.

"Is it even possible to have smoother, more delicate skin than you, Mahiru?"

"I don't just smear skin products on, you know. I protect it by being careful

about all sorts of other things."

"Being a girl sounds hard… I'm impressed you can put that much effort in."

"…Well I do it, um, for my own benefit, so…"

"Yeah, I guess that's true. You do like self-improvement, and girls like to make

themselves look good, after all."

Mahiru had seemingly always enjoyed dressing up, and Amane was sure that

she would still pay very close attention to her appearance, even if they weren't

dating.

Amane had never been under the delusion that girls made themselves look

good for the sake of boys. He believed Mahiru when she said that she did what

she did for her own benefit.

But it seemed like that wasn't all Mahiru had to say. "…There's also…

something more," she replied quietly.

"More? You mean there's another reason?"

"…I mean, um…isn't it nice when it feels nice to the touch?"

"Well, it is your body, so yeah, that makes sense."

The owner of the body was the one who touched it the most, so they could

appreciate that the most.

"Th-that's not… I mean when you touch me."

Because he had had the exact same thought, Amane made a foolish noise of

surprise when Mahiru said this.

"I would hate it if I was all dry and rough, and you were disappointed when

you touched me, Amane, and…isn't it nicer for the person doing the touching if

I'm smooth and soft?"

"S-sure it is."

Amane had never considered that Mahiru thought about him touching her

when she moisturized, and he was clearly flustered by the idea.

Mahiru, for her part, was bright-red in the face, but she didn't seem like she

was going to take the words back. She was trembling and shaking as she hugged

him even more tightly.

"D-don't misunderstand me, please. About it being for your sake, or for my

own sake… It's just, I want you to touch me a lot. That's my request."

"…You want me to…touch you?"

"…Being touched…feels nice, and it makes me happy. It only makes sense, I

guess, that I would put in the work so you would touch me and want me."

Her words, which came out in an excited voice full of hesitation and shyness,

were more than enough to loosen the reins of reason that had been holding

Amane in check.

He felt that he could hear a quiet, distant voice telling him to stop, but he

understood best of all how powerless it was. Otherwise, he wouldn't be

touching Mahiru like he was.

Mahiru was smiling a gentle, bashful smile, and when he covered her lips, a

purring sound escaped from the gap between them.

As if to suck up that sound, he parted his own lips, and slipped his tongue into

her mouth. Mahiru's voice hoarsened, becoming a small, sweet thing.

Even though the two of them had kissed like this for the first time just a

moment earlier, somehow Amane naturally started to devour Mahiru, probing

her mouth deeper and deeper.

His giddy mind was spinning, either because he was so enthralled with Mahiru

that he wasn't coming up for air, or because his instincts were pushing him

onward, intensifying his urges and trying to melt away every safeguard.

Either way, the puddle of goo that used to be Amane's brain decided that he

should enjoy Mahiru even more, and from where she was in his arms, he

pushed her down so that she was under him.

Once she was lying down flat on the sofa, Mahiru focused her gaze

desperately on Amane, her teary eyes looking like she didn't know what was

going on. Amane, without answering the question that her eyes were asking,

dove into her soft lips once again.

She either didn't have the willpower to resist him, or wasn't planning to resist

him anyway, or perhaps simply didn't know what to do.

Mahiru, who was letting it happen, reached with her hand, searching for

something to cling to.

When he gripped her squirming hand, pressing their palms together, all the

stiffness in her body relaxed, as if she were reassured by the gesture.

Actually, it was probably more accurate to say that she had gone limp, unsure

of what to do now that Amane had her at his mercy.

Yet her gestures told him that she trusted him, and he got the sense that he

was allowed to continue.

He showered Mahiru with an abundance of loving and passionate feelings

that rushed up from deep inside him, then gulped down all the feelings that

came flowing out of her. After fully enjoying Mahiru's incredible sweetness, he

slowly pulled his lips away.

Taking a series of short, ragged breaths, he looked down at Mahiru, who was

peering up at him with a dazed look that was both saccharine and slack.

"…Are you still…willing to…let me keep going?"

He traced his finger along her neck as he asked, as gently as he possibly could,

and he felt Mahiru's body jolt. Her eyes roamed around the room, not ever fully

meeting his gaze.

Amane, who had just barely come back to his senses, looked down at Mahiru

directly, as he suppressed the urges and passions that were still welling up out

of him.

He gently released Mahiru's hand and let their fingers slip apart as he sat up.

He knew that if he continued pinning her down any longer, he wouldn't be able

to hold himself back.

"…I don't have as much restraint as you think I do, Mahiru. I'm doing my best

to hold out here, and this is how I behave."

Even though he wanted to treasure her, all it had taken was the slightest push

from his desires and urges for him to get so carried away. He felt keenly and

clearly that he was a man, and those feelings came with a slight sense that he

was somehow horrible.

"I think that…probably wasn't what you had in mind, Mahiru. You just wanted

me to touch you, you just wanted to sink into that happy feeling. I'm the one

who brought our bodies into the equation."

Amane loved Mahiru from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to treasure her

and make her happy.

It was precisely because he felt that way, that even when he put his hands on

her, he did everything he could to hold himself back, although he knew she

didn't dislike it. He had never pinned her down before, even when they had

been getting close in his bed.

And yet, with a single word from Mahiru, he had forgotten all about the

danger and just thought about getting as much of her as possible.

"I'm sorry for suddenly forcing things."

"Why…do you assume that I didn't like it…?"

Out of guilt, Amane averted his eyes a little bit. Her trembling voice reached

out to him.

"It, um, I didn't dislike it, not even a little. I was surprised and really excited,

but…I'm not mad at you, I'm not rejecting you, and I don't hate you for it."

"You weren't scared?"

"Not scared, exactly, but I'd say it was probably a little too sudden and that

caught me by surprise. I mean, this is…it's the first time you've been so forward,

Amane."

Then he looked Mahiru in the face again, and saw her looking back at him, red

all the way out to her ears, but it definitely wasn't disgust or rejection. In her

eyes, he saw embarrassment, mixed with a little bit of…anticipation.

"I was wondering who you were, suddenly, kissing me like that."

"…Uh."

"So don't make such a regretful face, please… The thing is, I was happy to see

just how much you love me. B-but next time, um, give me a little more…more

time to prepare myself. And please, do it in a way that's not so intense."

She didn't say she disliked the kiss; in fact, she seemed ready to accept the

next one. In spite of himself, Amane's face contorted with emotion.

"Mahiru, I'm sor—"

"If you apologize again, I'll get mad."

"…Thank you."

"That's better."

He thanked her meekly, and she looked back at him with an amused smile

that seemed to say You're hopeless, and pressed her lips together.

In the end, everything was all right because Mahiru was so tolerant, but

Amane felt that if it had been anyone else, she probably would have despised

him.

Feeling a little disappointed in himself for his lack of self-control, and relieved

that Mahiru was so kind and loving, Amane gently stroked Mahiru, who seemed

to have calmed down.

It was overwhelming how much he adored Mahiru, who had a happy look on

her face, but he had almost forced her into something a short while ago, so he

couldn't kiss her with any pressure. Instead he restricted himself to simply

gently and politely touching her.

"Amane, you're awfully easy to read."

"Huh?"

"I can see that you're being careful so that you don't overdo it this time."

"There's nothing else I can do… If I overdo it, I might not hold back."

"Amane. If I really don't like something, I can stop you, physically, from going

too far."

"…Don't remind me."

Amane cracked a smile, thinking back to an exchange they'd shared when

he'd decided to start having dinner with Mahiru, and she also smiled in

amusement.

"Heh-heh. So you can relax, okay?"

"I wonder if I can… Mahiru, you don't generally hate the things I do, right?"

"Uh-oh, you found me out. But it's because you always adjust to match me,

you know? You're incapable of putting yourself first, Amane."

Laughing elegantly, Mahiru sat up and quietly touched Amane's cheek. She

was wearing a gentle smile. There was no sign of her earlier confusion or

bewilderment.

"…Well, as far as I'm concerned…I want to do it again. Properly."

Her voice trailed off at the end, sounding even more embarrassed as it did,

probably because she was feeling shy about her request.

Amane's face immediately flushed at the word again, but Mahiru was looking

at him with eyes full of expectation, so he took her lips so naturally that he

surprised even himself.

This time, Mahiru accepted it, wrapping her arms around Amane's back.

Earlier, he had followed his urges and kissed her deeply, but this time he

touched Mahiru gently, trying to soothe her, because he got the feeling she was

a little withdrawn and embarrassed.

He poured his love into his kisses, and they made Mahiru melt even more

than before. The beguiling, sweet sounds that spilled faintly from her mouth

were Amane's alone.

The more he thought about that, the more he loved her. He proceeded

slowly, desperately holding himself in check so that he didn't devour her all at

once as the two of them shared their passion together. It was like they were

melting into each other completely. As he kept on kissing her, he felt euphoric

that Mahiru was responding to him even a little.

After they'd been at it for a while, he felt a tap on his back that meant she

was at her limit.

If they went on for too long, even Mahiru would start to have problems, so he

reluctantly pulled away and looked down at her. There was a steamy smile on

her face and her breaths were coming hard. He spotted tears in her eyes, but

she quickly lowered her gaze to escape from his sight.

"A-any more than this is…um, I'm at my limit, in more ways than one, so we

can't do any more today."

"Okay."

"…But that…was fun. I'm happy. I think I got a little too much of a reward,

huh?" Mahiru mumbled, bashful and awkward.

Overcome with love, Amane didn't kiss her anymore, but instead embraced

her again, unwilling to separate from her slender body.