92. Aki and Relaxing Leisurely in the Living Room (1)

Flash.

Suddenly, my eyes snapped open.

A strange, wood-toned ceiling met my gaze, illuminated only by a solitary square light.

“…….”

Ah. I’d fainted, hadn’t I.

My head had been hazy and dizzy the whole time I was soaking in the hot springs, and I’d thought it was just the effects of the onsen.

But it seems it was just a sign of oncoming dizziness.

So that’s why the elders tell you not to stay in hot water for too long…….

‘……But, is this a hospital?’

Though the scent is far too fragrant for a hospital, isn’t it.

Instinctively sniffing the air, I let my gaze wander.

I was lying on a plush futon, and a woman in a yukata sat in perfect seiza beside my head. I couldn’t quite place her. Because the woman’s chest was so ample that, from my prone perspective, I couldn’t see her face.

She must be a staff member. Whoever her boyfriend is, he’s a lucky man…

“Excuse me…”

I spoke carefully, intending to say, ‘Sorry, but could you bring me some water?’

At that, the yukata-clad woman gave a small ‘Ah…!’ of surprise and leaned forward, meeting my eyes.

“You’re awake?”

“…….”

For a moment, I was speechless.

Because the face of the woman was someone familiar.

“…Aki?”

Fujiwara Aki.

My girlfriend, with eyes as beautiful as the deep blue sea.

“Uh-huh. It’s me. Are you alright…?”

Aki gently smoothed the stray strands of hair from my forehead.

I wondered if I was dreaming. But the feeling of her fingers was too vivid, too real. The woman whose face I couldn’t see below her chest wasn’t a staff member, but Aki. I must have not recognised her in the yukata for a moment.

“Yeah, I’m okay. But where is this…”

I glanced around; it looked like a bedroom. But just in case, I asked, and Aki opened her mouth as if she’d been waiting for the question.

“It’s our room, the bedroom. As soon as you collapsed, I called the staff and they brought you here.”

“Ah. I see…. Thanks.”

“Uh-huh, it’s nothing. No need to thank me…”

Aki gazed down at me with eyes full of sincerity.

The delicate way she was smoothing my hair told me, without a word, how worried she had been while I was unconscious.

I slowly sat up.

“What time is it?”

“Just after 11:30.”

“…11:30?”

It must have been around seven when Aki and I slipped into the onsen. So that means I’ve been out of it for a solid four hours?

“I didn’t, like, go to the hospital, did I?”

“Nope. Didn’t seem that serious…. Though, we could still go, you know? Call an ambulance and I’ll go with ya, if you want?”

“Ah…. No, it’s okay. Don’t need to.”

I did a quick inventory of my body as I spoke, but nothing seemed particularly out of whack. My words were coming out right, too.

When I shook my head, Aki nodded, as if understanding, and got to her feet. Then, sliding open the shoji door to the living room with a soft *shush*, she retrieved a bottle of water from the mini-fridge tucked away in the corner.

“Here. Water.”

“Ah, thanks. I was parched, actually.”

I took it and gulped it down. Ever since I started seriously working out, I’d gotten into the habit of drinking a lot of water, so the 500ml bottle vanished in no time.

Aki looked a little surprised that I’d emptied it in twenty seconds flat, and said, taking the empty bottle from me,

“Wow, you were really thirsty…. Want me to grab another one?”

“Haa…. Nah, I’ll go get it myself.”

It wasn’t like I was immobile or anything, and I’d feel bad if I kept making her do everything. I threw back the thin futon and swung my legs off the bed, standing up in one swift motion.

And then.

“Ah, if you get up now…!”

*Swish-*

The clothes that had been resting on top of me slid off, returning my body to its primordial state.

…Which is to say, I was naked.

“…Eh?!”

I was startled, but instinctively twisted around, shielding my lower half with my hand as I thought.

Wait, why did these suddenly fall off…?!

I was definitely wearing clothes a moment ago…?

“M-my body was too heavy. I couldn’t get them on you by myself… so I just laid them on top. Sorry….”

“…Ah.”

It was only then that I understood the chain of events.

Ah, right. My body was too heavy for one woman to lift, so Aki didn’t have the strength to dress me…!

It was an understandable reason, but that didn’t lessen the embarrassment one bit. I kept my eyes glued to the wall as I mumbled,

“Ah, I see. But, I need to get dressed…”

“Ah…. Okay. I’ll close my eyes…”

“…No.”

She needed to leave the room altogether, not just cover her eyes.

“Okay, I’ve covered them…!”

I almost said it, but figured I’d be better off just getting dressed quickly with the time I had.

In my primordial state, I bent down, snatched up my underwear, and hurriedly pulled it on. Then, as I reached for my t-shirt, I saw Aki peeking at me through the gap between her fingers.

“…Huh.”

“…”

What on earth is she looking at right now?

Could she have been planning this the whole time she said she would cover her eyes…? I couldn’t help but wonder. But arguing in my half-naked state would only be to my detriment. I pretended not to see the blue irises clearly visible between her fingers and finished getting dressed.

“Are you all done…?”

Aki, who had seen everything yet acted as if she hadn’t, asked me.

For a moment, I was speechless, but I didn’t let it show and told her she could open her eyes. Aki slowly lowered her hand and began to glance at me – or rather, at the hem of my t-shirt.

“Oh, right, Master…?”

“Huh? …Ah.”

I almost asked her where the ‘Master’ came from, but stopped myself. Come to think of it, she said she was going to start calling me that.

Truthfully, I would have preferred she just use my two-syllable name, “Woo-joo.” But I was a little hesitant to ask outright, so I just nodded.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Um, I’ve prepared a yukata for you to wear, Master. Would you like to change…?”

Aki pointed to the living room with her finger. When I turned to look, there really was a yukata neatly folded. Judging by the size, it seemed to be prepared for me.

The ryokan rules I had glanced at earlier mentioned a yukata dress code, and since Aki was already wearing one, there was no reason to refuse. I walked toward the living room where the yukata was.

“Aki, do I just wear this over my t-shirt?”

“Well, usually you take it off first, right? Since the yukata is like a bathrobe. It’s a little weird to wear something underneath, isn’t it?”

“Ah.”

I guess that makes sense.

‘…But why is she using polite speech?’

Up until now, I had only ever heard Aki use informal speech. Did she change her way of speaking along with changing the way she addressed me? She suddenly sounds formal.

Well, Aki speaking politely is kind of refreshing, so I don’t dislike it. But separate from that, it feels really awkward. I laughed and started talking with the intention of feeling her out.

“But, are you going to talk like that from now on?”

“Eh…. Am I?”

“You’re using polite speech. We’re not married yet.”

“…. D-do you not like it?”

Aki, hands clasped nervously before her lower abdomen, fidgeted.

That slightly shy air about her… my heart skipped a beat, and I quickly shook my head.

“No, it’s not that I dislike it, I was just curious.”

“…Oh.”

Aki rubbed the tips of her fingers together, back and forth.

“Just, only the title is ‘Esteemed Husband,’ but if I speak casually, wouldn’t it seem strange? So I thought we could change together… Woo-joo~chan, or rather, Esteemed Husband, which do you like…?”

I pondered that for a moment. Maybe five seconds.

“…Hmm.”

The resonance of formal speech wasn’t unpleasant, but usually formal speech is used between people who maintain a certain distance, right?

Besides, I’m speaking casually, so if Aki is the only one using formal language, people might misunderstand us for a couple with a big age difference. Others might think we’re still awkward with each other.

Considering all these things, casual speech is better after all. I unfolded the yukata and said,

“I think casual speech is better, how about just speaking casually?”

“Erm, really? Should I just use casual speech?”

“Definitely better. Just speak casually.”

“Ah, okay. Then I’ll just speak casually, Esteemed Husband…?”

“……”

Wow, what was that just now?

Using casual speech but still calling me ‘Esteemed Husband’ was like a slightly respectful, casual way of speaking, and it made my heart flutter. So this is why people get excited about that kind of speech.

I nodded in agreement, meaning for her to continue, and took off my t-shirt. I also discreetly removed my underwear, quickly slipped the yukata on, and busied myself adjusting it, when Aki, who had been glancing at me, exclaimed, “Ah!”

“Esteemed Husband. You can’t do the collar like that…!”

“Huh? What?”

I paused while adjusting the collar. Aki quickly rushed to stand in front of me and started to loosen the front of my yukata, where the right collar was on top.

“Having the right collar over the left on a yukata means someone is dead. So when you wear it, you absolutely have to wear it with the left, the left collar over the right…!”

“…Ah, really?”

I hadn’t realized there was such a custom in Japan. A chill went down my spine, and I helped Aki quickly untie the sash and completely opened the front of the yukata.

And then.

“……”

“…Ah.”

As the front of the yukata slid open, my primordial form was once again revealed to Aki.

I froze in embarrassment, and Aki, her face red, quickly closed the front of my yukata for me.

“So, you took off your… undergarments too?”

“Uh-huh. He told me to…”

“Undergarments, you’re supposed to wear them underneath…”

“……Ah.”

I thought you took everything off and *then* put things on.

I was suddenly terribly awkward, not knowing what to do, and Aki straightened out my front before reaching behind me to tie the yukata sash.

“There, all done…”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks.”

“……”

“……”

Awkward awkward.

Neither Aki nor I could find anything to say, just exchanging nervous glances.

After about ten seconds of that, Aki glanced not at me, but at the mini-fridge in the living room.

“……Husband-sama. You feeling alright?”

“Uh-huh. I’m fine. Why?”

“If you’re feeling alright… well.”

Aki walked over to the mini-fridge.

Wondering what she was up to, I watched her carefully. Aki squatted down in front of the fridge and took out a drink and two glasses.

“……Huh?”

No, not a drink. I’d never actually seen it before, so I didn’t know what it was, but looking closer, I realized Aki had taken out sake.

The kind, that everyone calls sake. As far as I know, it’s got about the same alcohol content as soju, so it’s pretty strong stuff.

“……How about it?”

Aki held the bottle by its neck, shaking it slightly.

It was clear to anyone that she wanted to drink.

“We’re still underage though…?”

“Yeah, but in just twenty minutes we’ll be adults. Isn’t it okay if we start drinking and then become twenty?”

“……”

I narrowed my eyes, staring at Aki.

Aki, perhaps feeling a little guilty, eyed me cautiously as she came towards me.

“Husband-sama. Won’t you drink with me…?”

“But you’re still underage, I’m telling you…”

“Eung, please? I came here looking forward to drinking with you, Dear…”

“……”

Aki hooked her arm around mine, gazing up at me.

“Just one drink. Just one drink with me. Please?”

“……”

“You know how much I love you, Dear, right? …So just one drink. Huh? Eung…?”

“…Ah, alright.”

Any more resisting and my heart would melt away.

So I just nodded, and Aki finally stopped her eye-smile, bursting into a bright grin.

“Heuh, really? No take-backs…?!”

“Yeah. No take-backs. Let’s drink, let’s drink…”