Donations from Ko-Fi were used to purchase «Novel Wishes», you can check it at the links below including Ko-Fi and Discord links.

▣ KO-FI ▣ DISCORD ▣

▣ NOVEL WISHES ▣

Volume 1: Epilogue

Lately, my relationship with Mafuyu could be described as exceptionally smooth.

We seriously reflected on why living together didn’t work out and strived to move forward.

We even held reflection meetings in my room.

Well, they weren’t formal meetings with chairs and agendas but just us watching anime, sharing regrets, and thinking about preventing such issues in the future.

However, we often got so engrossed in anime that we forgot about the reflection meetings.

These so-called reflection meetings, almost held nightly in my room, could be better described as anime appreciation sessions.

Of course, both Mafuyu and I would get sleepy as it got late.

And then, today, Mafuyu finally fell asleep on my bed.

«I always thought it would end up like this,» I murmured, watching Mafuyu’s peaceful sleeping face.

With Mafuyu on my bed, where should I sleep?

The sofa in the living room?

No, that wouldn’t work. Hiyori Saotome would probably say something like, «You can’t sleep in the communal space! If I see this again, you’ll be in trouble!» As the manager, Hiyori is extra strict about these matters.

«Hey, Mafuyu, wake up,» I nudged her, trying to solve my sleeping dilemma.

«Mmm… just five more minutes… then I’ll go back…» Mafuyu muttered in her sleep.

Knowing her ‘five minutes’ would never end, I shook her more vigorously to wake her up.

«Come on, wake up. I have nowhere to sleep, and if you keep sleeping, you’ll bump into things.»

«…Mmm, no.»

«So I’m saying, go back to your room.»

«What’s wrong with this… I’m already in bed.»

She was conscious but too sleepy to hold a conversation.

Sighing, I decided to sleep in Mafuyu’s bed.

Her room keys should be in her pocket…

«I’ll just borrow your keys then,» I said, reaching into her pocket.

But she turned away, defensively preventing me from reaching her pocket. I couldn’t get the keys to Mafuyu’s room…

Besides, if it got out that Mafuyu was sleeping in my room and I in hers, without explaining our past relationship, the others wouldn’t accept it.

«Haah… I guess I’ll prepare for Hiyori’s scolding and sleep on the sofa.»

I said something a bit mean to Mafuyu, hoping to get her to move.

«Just sleep here like usual… Why are you being so mean, not letting me sleep?» she murmured.

«Huh?»

She scooted over on the bed.

It was like she was saying I could sleep beside her.

Mafuyu was wearing a thin tank top and shorts due to the hot weather, foregoing her favorite hoodie unless the air conditioning was high.

Was it really okay to sleep next to her in such risky attire?

Since our kiss, I’ve become more relaxed about these things. Without much thought, I lay beside her.

Since Mafuyu slept pressing down the blanket, I did the same.

I don’t like sleeping on top of the blanket as it gets flattened…

«Goodnight, Mafuyu,» I whispered.

«Goodnight… Yuji…» she replied.

Maybe because we had experienced this many times, I still had enough composure.

Initially, I would have blushed furiously, but now I could sleep calmly beside her.

Smiling at these thoughts, I chuckled softly.

«Really, we’re just friends, you know? And yet you invite me to sleep with you.»

I playfully pinched Mafuyu’s nose as I complained. It was payback for when she pinched mine due to my snoring during our cohabitation.

«Snore, snore…»

She struggled to breathe through her nose, so I quickly released it.

Even her silly noises were adorable, making me smile.

Really, where did it all go wrong initially?

Lying close together on the narrow bed, Mafuyu and I drifted into sleep…

«What a guilty feeling…»

The guilt of sleeping with Mafuyu, still just a friend, kept me awake for a long time.

◆◆◆◇◇◇

In the morning, bright sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room.

Rubbing my eyes, I got up.

Mafuyu stirred, probably noticing my movement.

Of course, it was a single bed. Our bodies inevitably touched.

«Good morning. Did you sleep well last night, Mafuyu?»

«Good… morning,» she replied with a stiff smile.

A few seconds later, she clutched her head and moaned softly.

«Ahhh…»

«You haven’t forgotten you invited me, just a friend, to sleep with you last night, right?»

«I’ve laid it all out, so don’t tell me you don’t remember any of it, okay?»

Last night, despite Mafuyu’s invitation, I ended up lying on the bed with her. The guilt I felt for doing so kept me awake – a kind of minor revenge, I suppose.

«Because, I was half-asleep…»

«Well, I couldn’t resist your words either, so let’s just let it go this time.»

«But now, I’m filled with self-loathing… We haven’t even figured out why things didn’t work out between us, we’re still in this ambiguous relationship, and I didn’t think at all about the consequences. I’m such an idiot…»

After a forced smile, Mafuyu began to check her body.

«What’s wrong?»

«We… we didn’t do it?»

«Do what?»

«You mean, we just slept together?»

Mafuyu seemed to have misunderstood, thinking I was more depraved than she had imagined.

Well, time to tease her a bit.

Back in high school, as the ultimate victim of her pranks, I suffered a lot at her hands.

«I’m not the kind of guy who takes advantage of someone while they’re asleep. What are you misunderstanding?»

I looked at her with a half-smile, causing Mafuyu to shyly hide under the covers.

«People think that if you sleep in the same bed, something must have happened…»

Her voice rustled softly from beneath the blanket.

Just as I was smiling at this scenario, a lively voice came from outside the room.

«Yuji-senpai! Koharu is here to wake you up!»

As a college student, waking up early is a challenge. Some days have essential classes from the first period, affecting graduation, so Koharu would call me before going to high school.

«Ah, yeah, I’m up… I’m up.»

It would be disastrous if she saw Mafuyu asleep in my bed.

Hearing my odd response, Koharu sensed an opportunity.

«Eh~ Senpai, why are you so flustered? Did you do something you don’t want me to see?»

Koharu narrowed her eyes, giggling.

While praying she would leave soon, I signaled to Mafuyu, who was hiding under the rolled-up blanket, not to move.

«I didn’t do anything.»

«Really~? To make sure you haven’t been up to no good, I’m coming in!»

Koharu turned the doorknob. Of course, it wouldn’t open…

«Ah, it’s open. You’re really careless, senpai. I’ll wait ten seconds, and before that, hide anything you don’t want me to see!»

Because Mafuyu had come over, I hadn’t locked the door.

The blanket puffed up from Mafuyu hiding inside. To make it less suspicious, I crawled under it too.

Two people stuffed under one blanket.

It looked a bit oddly bulging, but if untouched, it should not reveal anything.

Then, Koharu burst into the room with a bang.

«Good morning! Since the door wasn’t locked, I let myself in!»

«Good morning, Koharu. You’re full of energy this morning.»

«Haha~ Yeah, it’s summer, and you’re still under such a thick blanket. There must be something amazing under there. If I hadn’t waited ten seconds, I would have seen it!»

«It’s just a bit chilly.»

As I said this, Mafuyu suddenly pressed her body against mine under the blanket.

Even her face was close to mine, and I could feel the warmth of her breath.

«Keep it down,» I thought, reaching under the blanket to calm her down, but…

Perhaps out of a playful mood, Mafuyu licked my finger.

«Ah… ah…»

«Oh? Yuji-senpai, you made a strange noise. What’s up?»

«It’s… it’s nothing, no… nothing at all.»

«Really~?»

Koharu looked skeptical. Mafuyu, perhaps realizing this couldn’t continue, quieted down.

«I just shivered a bit because it’s cold.»

«Although the weather has been getting hotter recently, it is a bit chilly this morning. Anyway, that’s enough teasing. Sorry for bothering you, senpai. I’m off to school now, and you can’t be late for class, okay?»

«Ah, right, I’ll be careful. Take care on your way, Koharu.»

Koharu and I exchanged glances and greetings, and she happily went off to high school.

«Phew…»

I had been worried about her discovering Mafuyu and me sleeping in the same bed, but finally, I could breathe a sigh of relief.

Wanting to see how Mafuyu was doing under the blanket, I slid it off and saw…

«Hmm…»

There was a weirdo, grinning and sniffing next to my body.

«Ha… don’t suddenly lift the blanket!?»

I know very well that Mafuyu Himuro has a thing for my scent.

When she got drunk and I carried her, when she hugged me to apologize – all these actions were to satisfy her desire to smell me.

But she would probably never admit it. Just ask her.

«Although I have a lot to say about how you suddenly licked my finger earlier, there’s one thing I want to confirm first.»

«What?»

«Mafuyu, do you have a fetish for scents?»

«Of course not. I don’t like your smell or anything.»

«Pfft… okay, if you say so.»

After reuniting with my ex-girlfriend, she’s become a bit more frank.

But those dishonest aspects of her are still irresistibly cute, and I can’t help but laugh.

«Really, I’ve never thought about feeling reassured by your scent.»

My cute ex-girlfriend and I have just started rekindling our relationship.

End.