Chapter 185: Bathing, and Scrubbing (1/2)

Once the hair was thoroughly cared for, Mahiru seemed a little hesitant as she  took out the bottle labelled as shower cream.

“…Erm, well…same for the body.”

Amane understood what Mahiru meant, and sensed his body getting tense.

“…Err, well, I-I’ll handle the front…ju-just the back.”

“Th-that is fine.”

It would be really awkward if he let her wash the front. Thus, he allowed her to do as she wanted, and did not refuse her offer to wash the back as she said she wanted it.

He saw Mahiru nod bashfully in the mirror, and for the time being, lowered his head.

Mahiru kept forming bubbles behind him, and there was the sound of fabric being rubbed.

He was painfully aware that it was awkward and unbearable to have only breathing sounds and scrubbing noises in the bathroom.

“…Let us, start then…”

Mahiru probably was done lathering bubbles, for she said timidly, and a soft, bouncy sensation returned his back.

Amane knew it was the shower cream that was lathered, but it was a male’s instincts to wonder if they touched, especially when she was up close, wearing a bikini.

The feeling of the bubbles spread gently on his back, feeling ticklish.

Amane felt anxious partially because of Mahiru’s delicate movements, but more importantly, because the bubbles were applied gently.

He usually would not spend the effort doing so himself, so he was not used to it.

“…You back is unexpectedly big, Amane-lkun.”

Amane heard a teeny-weeny voice as she washed the back and scrubbed away the grim.

“Unexpectedly, you say…but mine’s definitely bigger.”

“It is this big because it is you…I am relying on your back after all.”

He felt a palm gently pressed near his shoulder blade.

“Do you remember? You carried me when I twisted my ankle.”

“Yeah, I do. When you got hurt saving a cat.”

“…I was really happy back then, though I did not express it out.”

“Well, you had nowhere to go.”

“…You always find me…till now, I do think that you will always find me, Amane-kun.”

Mahiru’s palms slid on his back, and wrapped around onto his chest.

The distance between them became zero. Mahiru continued to stick onto Amane, and put her lips on his shoulder.

Amane felt the incomparable softness and mass covered in bubbles, and sighed.

“I’ll carry and support you however you want if you wish for it. Besides, I promised to keep an eye out for you. I won’t let you run away.”

“…Yes.”

“But it’s bad for me to carry you now, especially with what we’re wearing. If possible, please move away?”

Amane hinted that they touched, and Mahiru shivered a little, but she showed no signs of letting go.

“…I wish for you to be by my side. You not have to carry me. I will not burden you entirely…we shall move forward, side by side.”