Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

And so, after exhaling lightly, he changed his mind.

If they were going to do it, as she said, it would certainly be inefficient to return to the dormitory. Besides, he would prefer to avoid it if he could physically.

「...But if I'm staying here again today, I'll need a change of clothes」

If he doesn't go out, he doesn't have to wear casual clothes, but there is a limit to how many shirts, underwear and socks he can wash and use every day. So, he has to go back to the dormitory to get at least a change of clothes.

On the other hand, if he takes a nap, it will be dark outside.

It's not a good idea for students to be out late, so it's a bit impossible to have both.

「...Right. Then let's do this」

Maria also put her hand on her cheek and thought about something, then said.

「Give me the key to your dormitory. Then I'll go get you a change of clothes and you can rest while I do that」

It was not a bad suggestion in terms of efficiency.

But,

「No, I can't let a girl do that」

「Don't worry. I'll accept whatever propensity you have. That's what I'm prepared to do when I offer you a contract. In fact, I'd like to see if you have any raunchy books or DVDs」

「That's not the point」

Chihiro is worried about security and the effort it would take to get Maria.

Come to think of it, she's much more resistant to violence than Chihiro. So, she can fight off thugs on her own.

In fact, it's a waste of effort to be discussing it like this.

「...Yeah. Then may I ask you a favor?」

「Yes, I'd be happy to」

Finally, Chihiro gave Maria the key to the dormitory and gave her his address.

His dormitory is completely private, and she can enter it directly from the outside. As long as she was careful when entering and leaving the room, she would not run into any other students.

After hanging up his jacket and tie on a chair in the living room, he walked down the hall to Maria's room.

As Maria had said, the bed was neatly made. The lewd smell that had lingered in the morning was gone.

In its place was Maria's scent.

Chihiro, who was so tired, drawn to the bed and fell asleep immediately, feeling both excited and relieved by the scent.

☆　　　☆　　　☆

When Chihiro woke up, it's completely dark outside the window.

He took out his phone from his pocket and checked the time, it's just before 8pm. Apparently, he had slept for quite a long time.

Thanks to this, his energy and stamina had recovered considerably.

If he ate and nourished himself properly, he wouldn't have to stay in bed with a cold.

After thinking that, Chihiro raised himself from the bed and got down on the floor.

「Oh, I made quite a mess...」

The bed had gotten quite messy. Although Chihiro's sleeping habits are not bad, it's still not the same as before he went to bed.

He felt sorry for Maria and tried to arrange the bed as best I could. However, as a high school boy, Chihiro did not know how to make a bed, but still, it was enough to make him feel better.

「...Well, I guess it can't be helped」

He gave up on that and left the room.

In the living room, there is no sign of Maria. The curtains are closed and the light is on. There are many dishes on the table, and a cloth is draped over them.

But, he could hear the faint sound of a shower in the bathroom.

So, he decided to wait for Maria and walked over to a chair.

Beside the chair, there is a large sports bag. It's a sports bag that Chihiro had brought with him when he moved into a dormitory and thrown it in the closet. When he opened it, he found that it was stuffed with Chihiro's personal belongings.

Personal clothes, underwear, socks, a change of shirts, a toothbrush, even a charger for his phone.

「...Oh, this is」

The photo frame that had been on his study desk is wedged between his clothes.

Maria must not have had much time, but she brought all these things for him.

And because of that, Chihiro is grateful for the careful work, but at the same time, he feels embarrassed to be seen in his private life. However, it's nothing to be embarrassed about.

Incidentally, he didn't have any items in his room that Maria expected to see.

「But most of this stuff is just moving stuff」

With all the daily necessities, there is no problem even if he doesn't come back for a while at least.

It seems that Maria doesn't want to Chihiro leave at all - in other words, she wants to do it that badly.

「Oh, you're awake」

As he continued to check his luggage, Maria seemed to have finished bathing.

Chihiro looks up at the voice behind him and turns around.

Then stiffened.

「Can you wait a little longer so I can dry my hair? Then I'll reheat the food」

Maria is in her underwear.

She has a bath towel in her hand but not wrapped around her body, and her hair is wet and sticking to her skin. Her lacy black underwear accentuated her proportions and added a touch of glamour, making her look a little too seductive.

*Gulp*

After swallowing his saliva, Chihiro hurriedly averted his gaze.

「Okay. Don't worry about it, take your time」

He said it as calmly as he could, but Maria could tell. So, she walked up to him, her white skin slightly burning, and looked into Chihiro's face.

「Izumi-kun, are you embarrassed? After all you did yesterday?」

Chihiro's heart is ripped out by the direct hit.

「...That's right. Maria is so beautiful」

「Huh?」

What came back to him is a short exhale and a curt "Hmm, I see".

And when he looked at her, she had a happy smile on her face.

「I feel a little prouder now」

She said and walked to the bathroom.

Soon after, the sound of a hair dryer began to be heard, and Chihiro muttered in a voice Maria could not hear.

「It's really embarrassing for me」

He supposes it's no use saying it, he thought to himself.