Y/N POV:
I was laying on the couch, flying through the book I was reading while I waited for Nino to finish showering. The rain droplets tapping against the window sure did set a nice mood for reading, though by the time she was finished, the sky was beginning to clear.
I heard the bathroom's sliding door opening, followed by Nino's gentle footsteps.
"I'm done." She said.
"Great. The rain stopped so we can go for a little stroll after lunch if you're in the mood."
"You bet I am. Let me just get dressed."
This entire time I had my eyes fixated on the screen of my phone and facing away from the bathroom door and her saying didn't make me change position. I didn't hear any movement coming from her, so I got a bit suspicious.
"*Ahem*, let me just get dressed." She repeated.
"Nobody's stopping you." I dismissively replied.
"I know. I said I'm going to get dressed, this implies that I am not dressed as I'm speaking to you right now."
"Yes, I inferred as such."
"Then why aren't you even sneaking a glance in my direction?"
"First of all, I know you're wearing a towel. You wouldn't come out of the shower completely undressed since you know I'm here. Second, I'm trying to respect your privacy here, much like I trust you'd do if I were in your situation."
"And I'm trying to tease you!"
"Try some other way then. All you're doing here is postponing our date." I flipped another page.
She growled a little, proceeding to drag her suitcase to the back of where I was sitting at. Still not daring to look, I heard her stopping behind me, and considering I could feel the heat emanating from her body, she was very close indeed.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm testing you." She said, "I'm going to change while I'm right behind you. If you turn around, I'll slap you."
"You know that the screen of my phone is reflective, right?"
"Then turn the brightness all the way up and pay attention to what you're reading."
"Fuck' sake... ok."
I did as she asked, increasing the brightness and turning the page white with black text instead of the other way around. Not a second later, I saw a white shadow flying over me. Nino had tossed her towel over my head, landing on the spot on the couch next to me.
"Is that how much you trust me?" I asked.
"Yes. You'd better not break that trust."
"I would gain nothing from that."
"You'd get to see my body."
"At the price of losing everything we've built between us? Nah bruv. I'll pass on this one."
There was silence for a few moments, then I felt her arms wrapping around me from behind, followed by a brief but delightful kiss on my cheek.
"Now you're doing the teasing correctly." I said.
She let go, and the rustling of clothes behind me indicated that she was finally changing. Keeping the focus on reading when I know that my crush is changing right behind me can be quite the challenge. Still, I like to believe that I'm disciplined enough to keep my promise. I'd much rather have her keep trusting me this way than risking a peek.
"Keep reading!"
"It's easier if you'd stop distracting me."
"That's the challenge!"
"With your voice, I mean."
"Ugh... dummy. I'm ready."
I began to stand up, "Then let's go."
"But first," She snatched the phone off my hand, "I want you to tell me what was the last sentence of the last page you turned just before I was done."
"Why?"
"Because I want you to prove that you were actually paying attention."
"Really?" I sighed, "It was something on the lines of: ...If organisms indeed lack free will, that implies that we can manipulate or even control their desires through the use of drugs, genetic engineering, or even direct neural stimulation..."
"How the... how did you remember that?!"
"You told me to pay attention to what I was reading, didn't you?" I said, "Anyway, can you please let me treat you to a date now?"
"You don't even need to ask."
...
Nino's POV:
We didn't have a concrete plan for what we'd be doing that afternoon. The goal was simply to enjoy each other's company as much as we could. While we weren't on vacation, the rest of the week would be much more relaxed in comparison to what we've been through. I just hope I can enjoy this in spite of my anxieties about the Itsuki and exam. I know I did well. I just... hope this isn't merely wishful thinking.
The weather was still chilly. It was autumn, after all. But the sky had cleared entirely, and it would be a waste of the afternoon if we stayed indoors all the time. After having lunch at a restaurant on the top floor of the building, we did as Y/N suggested and went for a little stroll around the ground floor.
The hotel's area was quite extensive, though we opted to stay at a nearby park within the hotel grounds. It felt so good to just disconnect from reality at that moment. Just to be with him, pretending this moment would last forever and that my worries would never catch up to me. Being in his presence helps a lot with making me feel better. There's something that's just calming about him, yet at the same time, I lose sleep over him. Ever since Y/N-kun entered my life, the days have been much more colorful. I already liked when he would come with Uesugi to tutor us, but I got to a point where I look forward to going to school just because I know I'll be seeing him.
Our situation right now wasn't dissimilar to the morning of the day we confessed. The skies were bright, the air felt light in our lungs as we treaded through a small gravel path around an artificial pond. The sound of the trees swaying with the gentle breeze, birds chirping, the orange leaves littering the ground... it felt like I was in a painting. Something too good to be true.
I noticed that as we walked, I would gradually tighten the grip I had around his arm and slowly huddle my body closer to him. There was a point where I was holding onto him so tightly he might have felt some discomfort. Upon noticing that, I loosened my grip, hoping he wouldn't be feel bothered by my clinginess.
There were still a few hours in the afternoon so I suggested we went to the mall. Y/N-kun has a great sense of fashion so I was hoping he could accompany me to try on some new clothes. In return, I would lend a hand in picking some new outfits for him as well.
Later we thought about watching a movie together, but sadly there wasn't anything of interest in the movie theater. Even so, being in his company is more than enough to keep me entertained.
At around 7 PM, we got back to the hotel, had a light dinner, and started to settle down for the day. Upon arriving at our room, I immediately plopped down on the couch.
"Ahh... I'm so tired."
"You are?" He said, chuckling, "I'd say I'm satisfied with today. Not tired."
"Yeah, that's a better word." I couldn't ever get tired of being around you.
After putting our shopping bags near our respective luggage, Y/N-kun picked a set of clothes from his suitcase and headed to the bathroom.
"Aight, I'm the one who's gonna shower now."
"Can I watch you?" I asked, trying to sound as seductive as possible.
"No."
"C'mon! What about my pass?"
"I'd consider it if I had something like swimming trunks with me, but I'm not letting you see me fully naked. That being said, this is a pretty opportune moment to use your pass the way it's intended."
I got out of the couch so fast I felt my blood pressure dropping. I didn't mind it though. After all, I had a very, very good incentive. I dashed to the front of the bathroom where Y/N-kun was standing.
"I'll use it now." I said.
"Geez... fine. Close your eyes for a second."
I did as he asked. Those seconds of anticipation were the longest of the entire day. My heart was pounding so hard against my chest that I was sure he could hear it.
"Are you done already?" I asked.
"You seem a bit nervous."
"It's cuz you're making me wait so much."
"It's not that much. You're just impatient."
"Whatever. Can I open my eyes already?"
"You can."
I did just that, and I couldn't believe my vision. I must have stayed catatonic for at least ten seconds. Simply put, it was more than worth the wait.
"Nino? Are you ok?"
"My God..." I gave a step forward.
"It's a bit early to refer to me that way..."
I've never seen such a glorious set of abs in my entire life. Y/N-kun had a beautiful athletic build, with every last muscle sculpted beyond perfection. It's the stuff I thought exclusive to fashion magazines, and I'm glad this conception was mistaken.
"Can I?" I said, reaching out toward him.
"Since when have you ever waited for my permission? Go ahead."
I'm just too dumbfounded to reply to his sly remarks. My hands were a bit cold, so when I touched him, his skin felt much warmer to the touch than I expected. As respectfully as I could, I tried feeling every detail my hands could detect, and for as long as he would allow me for.
"Ok, that's enough." I felt him pushing me away slightly, "Let's stop before you start drooling."
That snapped me back to reality pretty violently. I must have looked so dumb right there.
"Wha- drooling? You think you're that much?" I tried recuperating.
"I don't, but you clearly do."
I sighed, "Who am I kidding... yes I do. You should be modeling."
"I'm glad you think so. At least my efforts are being acknowledged." He said, "Now if you'll excuse me..."
He began to close the door, but I blocked it with my feet.
"Aaaactually," I said, "I think we should do the continuation of our trust exercise from earlier."
"What?"
"It's my turn now. If you let me keep you company while you shower, I promise I won't look at you."
"Nah."
"Why not? Don't you trust me?"
"It's not that. But showering takes much longer than simply changing. I don't think it would be very fair."
"It's a bigger challenge! It means you can trust me even more."
"It also means you have a bigger window of time to slip up."
"I promise I won't." I held up my pinky finger, "It's not fair after making you go through that."
He pondered for a few instants.
"Your argumentation is kinda lacking... but I allow it. With a few conditions, of course."
He returned my pinky promise, opening the bathroom door once again.
"Tell me. I promise I'll follow them."
"First off all," he turned the lights off, "we'll keep visibility to a minimum. Second, you'll be facing away from me and standing in a position where you don't have any visibility of me."
"That seems pretty reasonable. But then you won't have to trust me from sneaking a glance."
"Considering the amount of time you'll be staying there, I think that balances it out." He turned around, "Anyway, make yourself comfortable. And if I catch you peeking, you're fucked. Metaphorically, that is."
"Ok. I won't even have my phone on me."
He let me through, and as per our agreement, I positioned myself in a place where the best visibility I could get would be from his reflection on the floor. Even so, it would be too dark to discern any details.
I heard the glass door sliding close, soon followed by the showerhead turning on. Short of a little bit of moonlight coming from the window, the bathroom was shrouded in darkness.
"So, what do you wanna talk about?" He asked.
"You want to talk?"
"It would be pretty awkward if we just stayed silent, right?"
"Yeah..."
"I can pick a topic if you can't think of anything. Let's see..."
"There is something I want to talk about." I said, "I've been avoiding this topic all afternoon, but I know I can't run from it forever."
"Go ahead."
"I... We need to plan how we're going to introduce you to my father."
"Damn. Let me applaud your method for defusing the sexual tension." He chuckled, "Jokes aside, I've been wanting to talk about that too. So, what do you suggest?"
"We should start by thinking how we'll be dealing with his little goblin: Itsuki."
"Don't say that about her."
"Ugh... I just don't get how you're still ok with what happened." I'm the only one that's allowed to slap you.
"What would I gain from holding a grudge? I may not agree with her, but I understand where she's coming from."
"I can't, but whatever. Tell me, how confident are you that she passed?"
He took a little bit of time before responding, "Quite. I wasn't lying when I said she was intelligent. She just needed the proper guidance."
"But do you think she could pull through even though she only joined us later?"
"Yes." He confidently said, "I know she can. And so can the rest of you."
Gosh, stop being so perfect all the time.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, but ok..." I said as I tried to control my breathing, "So, supposing she passed, she's less likely to tell dad about you, right?"
"Not necessarily. She's angry at me because of my intrusion, not because of my competence."
"But if she sees that you helped her pass, she must be grateful in some way, right?"
"Assuming she doesn't attribute that to Fuutarou, then I guess a little bit."
"But she knows about Uesugi's situation. Knowing my father, if she tells him about you he'll definitely fire him as well."
"Man, you sure don't put your father in a good light."
Those words made me feel a bit ashamed. Maybe I'm the one who's being a little unreasonable now. How ironic.
"You'right." I sighed, "He's not a bad father. He's just strict... and very, very distant."
"He must work all the time if he's sustaining five daughters."
"His entire life is work. If we're lucky, we can have breakfast with him once every two weeks. But it's not uncommon for us to go months at a time without seeing him."
"Damn... I'm really sorry for that."
"It's ok. That's what made the bond between us five so strong." And why I feel like a dick for running away from them, "Anyway, let's get back to the matter at hand."
"Ok. Did your sisters text you at all this afternoon? I'm assuming they would tell you if Itsuki had decided to spill the beans."
"They didn't."
"Good. It's just like what I told you earlier. This means she is willing to wait for the results, and let those decide my fate."
I felt more relaxed after hearing this. I know this isn't a strictly binary decision, and there's no way of truly knowing how she'll act when the time comes. But with the information we have, things are looking brighter than I thought, even if just a little.
"I just hope she has the sense to see that you're the only reason she passed." I said.
"I wasn't the only reason. There was still Fuutarou and you guys."
"But if it wasn't for you, I doubt she'd be willing to join Uesugi. Hell, I know I wouldn't have bothered."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, but ok."
"Anyway, even if she doesn't call him, dad will still want to hear about our results. What do we do then?"
"I can't give you any reliable advice cuz I don't know her or your father well enough to know what would work on each of them. That said, you could try to peer pressure her into staying silent."
"I was thinking just that." I said, "If we're all together when dad calls us, she's way less likely to tell him about you."
"Yeah. I didn't want to suggest that cuz I think it's a bit of a dirty strat."
"Who cares? It's your and Uesugi's job we're talking about."
"I'm just saying that it's better in the long term if her lie by omission comes from her own volition rather than through being compelled by her sisters."
"Sure, sure. But you're pretty good at gaining other people's trust, aren't you?"
"You could say that. Still, let's leave her introspection to do the work for us. Maybe give her a few suggestions here and there, but leave peer pressure as a contingency plan."
"I don't really like the sound of that... but all your plans have worked so far. "I'll trust you with this as well."
We stayed there for a few more minutes as he finished showering, talking about less pressing topics. Once he was done, I was asked to leave the bathroom so that he could change in privacy. It took all my willpower to not sneak a glance on my way out. Even though I knew it was too dark to see anything, the temptation was still there.
It wasn't that late, but considering that we'd have school the next day and that we'd be eating out for breakfast, we decided to go to bed a bit earlier. Finally, this time he didn't have any excuse not to sleep together with me. Nobody would be there to interrupt us, so we could finally cuddle for an entire night. And despite everything, being in his arms is enough to silence all my worries. That was probably the best night of sleep I've had.
...
A/n:
Thank you for reading! This one was on the tougher side, but I'm happy with the result.
Speaking of results, my grades are out and I passed! I only have to survive 9 more semesters and I'll be done with college. Still, I'm done for now, and this following month will be used for exploring my creative side. This hotel setting is a pretty good setting for an episodic chapter, so expect one of those in the not-so-near-but-not-so-far future.
In case you're curious, the segment I took was from chapter 8 of the book "Homo Deus". It might not read exactly that way cuz I had to manually translate it from my native language, but the core information is still there. Anyway, if you're interested in futurology, I highly recommend it.
That's all for now Kings. See you later.