200 - So Grown-Up…

RAW

I’m lying on my bed, savoring the lingering warmth from the hug I just shared with Haruto.

“Ufufu~”

The arms that held me so gently were actually quite solid, and it really made me feel that he’s a boy.

“Maybe I’ll hug him again tomorrow~”

The fact that someone I love this much is going to be my future husband makes me so happy it almost feels like a dream.

“Ah, right.”

I suddenly remember something and pick up my phone.

“I need to read this.”

What I open is a manga app.

It’s a super convenient app where you can read all kinds of manga for free, and my favorite point is that it has lots of manga aimed at women.

And not just regular shoujo manga—there are plenty meant for adults too.

Yes! Adult romance manga! This is very important!

Haruto and I aren’t just ordinary lovers anymore.

We’re engaged. In other words, future husband and wife.

That means we’re having an adult romance, right?! I’m not wrong to think that, am I?!

Then I should properly study adult romance!

I open one of the manga I’ve favorited and start reading right away.

“Yeah, this really is interesting~”

The manga I’m reading is called Ideal Husband.

Just seeing the title made my heart go zap.

This is definitely something I have to read!

“He’s cool… just like Haruto.”

The heroine is an ordinary office worker, but her fiancé is the heir to a major corporation—a high-spec guy who can do anything. He’s just like Haruto.

“But I think Haruto is even better~”

I mutter while comparing the fiancé in the manga with my own fiancé.

There really aren’t many people as charming as Haruto.

As I keep reading with that thought in mind, the story reaches a dinner date scene.

The heroine, who grew up as a commoner, is flustered by the stylish and calm atmosphere, but her fiancé smoothly escorts her.

“Nice~”

This really feels like an adult date.

I want to go on a date like this someday too.

A restaurant with a beautiful night view, wearing a dress, Haruto in a suit, the two of us quietly drinking wine together…

“Ufufu…”

Just imagining it makes my face relax into a grin.

Smiling stupidly, I keep reading.

After finishing dinner, the two head to a hotel on the top floor of the building.

In a wonderful room with a full view of the night scenery, the heroine and her fiancé are alone together.

So grown-up… such an elegant, adult date.

“When I grow up, I’m totally going to go on a date like this with Haruto!”

Holding that determination in my heart, I keep reading.

Once they’re alone, the fiancé clings to the heroine in a needy, affectionate way.

Because he usually acts as the heir of a major corporation, he gives off a slightly cool impression.

That’s why seeing him act spoiled creates such a gap, making him even more attractive.

“Nice… I wish Haruto would act spoiled toward me like that too.”

The heroine is sitting on the bed together with her fiancé while he clings to her.

I can’t help but admire that situation.

Haruto is always so reliable, so dependable, and really wonderful.

But sometimes, I want him to rely on me too.

“Haruto is a little too perfect, you know. It’d be nice if he showed me some selfishness, or a childish side that only I get to see.”

But if he did show me that side, my self-control might totally collapse.

If Haruto acted childishly spoiled toward me, I don’t think I’d even know what I’d do anymore.

At that moment, a memory suddenly resurfaces in my mind.

The sight of Haruto when Kiyoko collapsed and he was completely worn down.

Back then, he showed me his weakness.

He told me he was scared.

“…Haruto is strong, but that’s exactly why I need to really watch over him and support him.”

He’s not good at relying on others. That’s why I need to make sure he doesn’t bottle things up too much. And before it gets too painful, I need to be able to hold him and tell him, “I’m here too.”

That’s a wife’s role, after all!

“…But still, I want him to spoil me like this too~”

I need to think about reality properly, but I can’t just throw away my wishes and ideals either.

The two in the manga are gazing at each other, the atmosphere getting really good.

It really feels like the adult world.

They draw closer, share a kiss, wrap their arms around each other, and slowly start taking off their jackets…

…Huh!?

W-wait! Hold on a second!?

Huh? Huh? Is it going that way!? Like that!?

They start kissing even more passionately.

They can’t stop.

And neither can the finger I’m using to swipe my phone.

S-so grown-up!

This is the adult world!

B-but wait, wait, wait!

Is this that kind of manga!? I didn’t start reading this with that in mind!

I just wanted to study… purely for learning purposes…

B-but, if it’s adult romance, is this really how it goes?

Enjoying dinner at a stylish restaurant, spending a romantic time at a hotel with a night view, and then…

I stop scrolling.

The heroine and her fiancé are basically right at the edge… I think?

If I turn just one more page, they’ll probably start seriously expressing their love…

W-what should I do?

Should I stop reading? I mean, I just wanted to read a normal manga.

I just wanted to study adult romance…

But maybe this is also studying…?

Y-yeah. Studying.

Studying is important, right?

J-just one page! Maybe I’ll just look at the next page! Just one page.

Making up my mind, I slowly swipe the screen.

My heart is pounding like crazy.

But this is studying. Studying!

And then, the next page appears.

At that moment, a message fills the screen.

—To continue reading, please purchase coins.

“…………………”

Waaaah!

Th-this is… somehow… really embarrassing!

It’s embarrassing that my heart is pounding so hard too!!

I writhe around on my bed, rolling back and forth.

“Come on! If that’s the case, just make it so you can’t read it without coins from the start!”

I’ve never experienced a mental state like this before.

My heart is a chaotic mess of excitement, frustration, embarrassment, and dissatisfaction.

And then—

Suddenly, I hear a knock at the door.

“Ayaka? Can I talk to you for a bit?”

H-Haruto!?

I hurriedly sit up and press a hand to my wildly beating chest before answering.

“What is it?”

“I was thinking… I wanted to talk for a bit.”

W-w-what should I do… My face is probably red, and my heart is beating so hard it almost hurts.

If he sees me like this, he might think something’s wrong…

But Haruto coming to my room saying he wants to talk—there’s no way I’m letting this chance slip by!

“Y-yeah. You can come in.”

I take several deep breaths as I welcome Haruto into the room.

W-what is it… I can’t look him in the face properly…

“W-want to sit?”

“Yeah.”

I sit down on the bed with him.

Haruto tilts his head slightly as he looks at me.

“Your face looks kind of red?”

“Huh!? N-no, that’s just… I was doing yoga!”

My heart almost jumps out of my mouth, but I hurriedly swallow it down and make an excuse.

“I was thinking of making it a bedtime routine!”

“I see. But if it’s too intense, it’ll be hard to keep it up.”

“Y-yeah. You’re right!”

Phew~ I managed to fool him somehow.

I let out a small sigh, but my pounding heart still won’t calm down.

“So, you said you wanted to talk…”

“Ah, yeah. Well… how should I put it…”

Haruto looks kind of awkward… or maybe embarrassed?

“I wanted to share a bit more, um… love hormones with you. Something like that.”

“Eh!?”

Share love hormones with me—does that mean he wants to hug me?

“So, Ayaka, if you don’t mind… um… may I hold you?”

—!?

Haruto came all the way to my room because he wanted to hug me!?

That means… he came to rely on me!?

“Y-yeah… that’s fine.”

“Thanks. Then…”

After hesitating just a little, Haruto slowly opens his arms.

When I gently lean into his chest, I’m enveloped in a strong yet gentle warmth.

This is a happy space~!

But why? Why is Haruto relying on me like this?

As I look up at him while wrapped in his arms, our eyes meet at close range.

“I’m really happy you said you wanted to hug me, Haruto.”

“Yeah… well, we’re already engaged and all, so I thought maybe it’d be okay to rely on you a little.”

Probably embarrassed, Haruto averts his eyes, his cheeks faintly red.

S-so cute!!

Huh? No way—this is bad. Haruto right now is unbelievably adorable!

I want to hug him with all my strength and pat his head!

“I’m so happy! You don’t have to limit it to a little—you can rely on me a lot!”

Unable to contain my emotions, I hug Haruto tightly.

“A lot is a bit… embarrassing…”

He mutters that while still looking away.

Nnngh~!

Embarrassed Haruto is the best! He’s too cute—it hurts!

As I writhe internally over Haruto’s gap, I suddenly realize something.

We’re alone together.

Sitting side by side on the bed.

My usually reliable fiancé is relying on me.

So grown-up!

This place has turned into an adult space!

It’s the exact same situation as Ideal Husband!

Can a miracle like this really happen? The only difference is that we can’t see the night view—no, the streetlights are faintly visible through the curtains, so it’s basically the same as having a night view!

In other words, it’s a perfect match!

…Which means?

Huh? Huh!? That means—this is it!?

I can’t help but stare at Haruto.

“Hm?”

“…!”

Just making eye contact makes my heart leap.

Not just doki-doki—it's thump-thump.

B-but! We’ve only been dating for about a month…

A-and what Haruto thinks is important too…

“Ayaka.”

“H-huh!? What!?”

“I love you.”

“!!”

He whispered his love with a smile!

This is it… does this mean it’s that!?

But—this is what the guidebook says!

This is what adult romance is, right!?

“I… love you too.”

And besides, this is Haruto’s fault.

There’s no way I can handle this.

E-even girls can turn into wolves, you know!

Grrr—roaaaar!!

────────────────────

Bonus Short Story: “Reason”

—Ayaka’s Mind · Rationality Control Command Center—

“Emotions are beginning to synchronize with the manga scene. Excitement level is rising.”

“Desire for close contact with target code HARUTO is increasing.”

“I see. All units! Let’s stay calm and get through this situation. Circulatory systems, closely monitor heart rate and blood pressure. Breathing control, be ready to execute deep-breath commands at any time.”

“Roger, Commander.”

“Incoming report from the endocrine management room! Noradrenaline secretion has begun! Oxytocin levels are also continuing to rise!”

“As expected of Class-1 Alert Target Code HARUTO. Everyone, stay sharp!”

“Report from the circulatory system. Heart rate continuing to rise! Increase rate: 18%!”

“Parasympathetic nervous activity decreasing. Shifting to sympathetic dominance!”

“Stay calm. It’s still under our control.”

[Ayaka]

[W-What!? What is it!?]

“Name-call signal confirmed from the target! Heart rate rising! She’s shaken!”

[I love you.]

“—!?”

“Direct hit from Target Code HARUTO’s affection!!”

“Damage control! All sections, report the situation immediately!”

“Report from the sensory section! Pupils rapidly dilating! Visual focus locked onto the target!”

“Circulatory system! Heart rate skyrocketing! Blood pressure rising as well! Far exceeding normal values!”

“Breathing control! Breathing has become shallow and rapid! Deep-breath commands are not being accepted! We’ve lost control!!”

“From the endocrine management room! Oxytocin secretion has exceeded standard levels! In addition—massive secretion of noradrenaline and dopamine confirmed!”

“Calming systems and arousal systems at the same time!? That combination is… bad.”

“Commander! Emotional levels have reached the critical limit!”

“Thought patterns: pink! Pure instinct!”

[Gra—roaaaar!!]

“No way… this is—runaway mode!!”

Next Time

“Ayaka’s Runaway — Reason Cornered”

…Don’t run away…
Don’t run away!!