From that moment on, Hanako and my hierarchical relationship was completely flipped.
No, I thought it would be flipped… but surprisingly, the top and bottom didn’t really change.
And the reason was really simple.
Hanako was pure beyond my imagination. Seriously, it’s a ridiculous story, but that was all there was to it.
Ah, and when I say pure, I mean it in the sense of what Hanako demanded from me.
“Senpai, doesn’t it feel strange in many ways to be like this?”
“In what way…?”
“I mean your touch right now. It’s delicate and soft, touching all the nice spots… Heueng.”
“Uh, does Hanako-chan… have, well, any erogenous zones on her head or something?”
“No way! But your touch, no matter where it lands, makes me feel warm… It’s like, well, usually you wash fruit before peeling it, right?”
That makes sense, because the polite girl I knew was long gone from this conversation.
“I’m not going to peel it.”
“Aren’t you supposed to seize your freedom, Senpai?”
“Hahaha, there’s no fruit that peels itself, you know.”
“Heueng… I’m not fruit, but Senpai’s love, ahem, a proud kouhai.”
“Uh, that’s completely the opposite!”
To be honest, Hanako is indeed my adorable and proud kouhai. However, that last part is rapidly diminishing in real-time, Hanako… I was aware of it in theory, but hearing it for real is slightly different.
Oh, speaking of which, what she said earlier might not have been entirely wrong.
Our hierarchy hasn’t changed, but if you think about it physically, the top and bottom have been swapped.
It means the one providing the lap pillow and the one receiving it have flipped roles.
With Hanako lying on her side looking at my belly, I couldn’t see her face, so I wondered what kind of expression she had right now.
It’s clear she was enjoying this situation, but was she smiling innocently? Or was she smiling in a slightly lewd way? That was a burning question I would never solve.
“By the way, Hanako-chan.”
“Yes~?”
“I mean the way you’re casually touching my thigh. Can you stop that?”
“Senpai has paradise right in front of him, and you think you can just ignore it?”
“I already did, that’s why I’m saying this. If I can do it, you should be able to as well.”
“You think I ignored it…? Ah…”
Though her attempt to suffocate me with that was brilliant, I thought acting on my desires should wait until this relationship was more established. It wasn’t easy, but I successfully resisted the temptation of paradise.
So, Hanako should be able to as well.
“Senpai, I think you’re misunderstanding a bit. When it comes to this, it’d be better to command me more forcefully than just asking kindly, okay? Heueng.”
As she said that, Hanako rolled up my clothes and pushed her hand underneath. Unexpectedly landing on my stockings, her hand slowly started to rise.
For a moment, chills ran down my spine. The instant her hand reached the edge of my thigh, I stopped her advance with action, not words.
“Oh my… Senpai, it’s enough to just say these things. I’m sure I was a good kouhai who listened to your words very well, but it seems there’s a lack of trust… My heart is aching from it…”
“I think shoulder pain is a bigger issue, but anyway, pull your hand back… Uh, would you mind staying quiet for exactly 5 minutes?”
“…Why?”
“Shh. Didn’t you say I should command you? For the next 5 minutes, if you open your mouth, I’ll scold you. So just stay still.”
Thus began five minutes of silence. Once I pulled her hand out from under my clothes, she cutely wrapped both hands around it as if treating it like something precious.
…Though the overwhelmingly large presence of a certain size directly below was not cute at all.
Still, it felt like I was sensing Hanako’s sincerity… which made my heart flutter.
“Ugh… This feels like…”
“Hanako-chan, I told you that if I opened my mouth, I’d scold you…”
“How do you intend to scold me? Hitting a grown woman’s bottom might come off as a little, um, distasteful, you know…”
“…Hahaha, alright. I shouldn’t be saying anything.”
Fortunately, after that, Hanako didn’t utter anything else. She just kept fiddling with my hand that she had taken into her arms.
When those promised 5 minutes passed, then 10, and then 15, it became difficult to keep Hanako here. The three members of the supplementary class were probably waiting.
“…?!”
So, I stopped stroking her and helped Hanako sit up, only to witness an intriguing sight.
Her face was flushed bright red, and she couldn’t hide her embarrassment. It was a face I never imagined I would see from her…
“Heueng. Hanako-chan is sensitive in this kind of atmosphere, huh?”
“Uuuh… That’s not true.”
“For someone who can’t even make eye contact like this. Hahaha, you’re cute☆”
Not only did she avoid making eye contact, but now she even turned her head away completely. I gently cupped her cheeks to turn her back towards me.
When I finally made eye contact with the now completely tomato-faced Hanako, she looked away, utterly confused.
“Hey, this is a serious question. Could you handle someone who’s as greedy as me, or even more possessive? I believe there’s definitely someone out there who can love and cherish just you.”
“…It has to be Mika-senpai. If it’s not you, the only one who sees me as me… I won’t be able to be with anyone else but a foolish person like you…”
“True to yourself, huh… Hmm, I understand what you mean. But did you really have to add that it’s foolish…? Ouch, that hurts.”
“Heueng, it was a compliment. And honestly, I see myself in quite a favorable position. Because I’ll continue to accompany you during your work hours… I might even spend more time with you than anyone else. Heueng.”
Hanako might be right about everything. The “fool” she referred to was likely me, the overly evident presence in this snake pit that she was suffocating in.
Thanks to meeting me, she found stability much earlier than in the original story…
Perhaps I ended up being a significantly more precious existence for her than I thought. She even entered T-party just for me, so the depth of that feeling need not be questioned.
Moreover, considering the exclusive secretary contract… Now that I think about it, eventually, I’ll need to divide my time and allocate it, and Hanako will be a fixed part of my day.
Is this why people need to be competent, to begin with?
“But, I can’t do it right away.”
“What?”
“I got permission from Nagisa, but she hasn’t captured my heart yet, so in that sense—”
“Even so…?”
As she gently pressed her finger against my lips, Hanako silenced me. Then, she slowly leaned her face closer.
The strands of her braided hair cascaded forward, and through the gaps of her deeply flushed face, her warm green eyes transparently displayed her feelings.
Even while our foreheads were touching, the slight tremor in Hanako’s eyes never wavered from looking into mine. She stubbornly continued to hold my gaze.
“Y-Yeah, but it still can’t happen.”
“Even now…?”
Hanako drew closer, making our foreheads touch, and now her noses were almost greeting each other.
“…”
“Even now… Uuh?!”
What pushed me forward?
Was it Hanako’s selfless heart pouring from her actions?
The sheer courage she mustered, clearly all flustered, just to come so close to me?
The way her eyes filled with sincere expectations coupled with possible anxiety, utterly serious and devoid of mischief?
What made me narrow the distance first… was probably all of that, wasn’t it?
Our lips met. The love of a girl who doesn’t easily trust others and doesn’t easily give her heart was so, so sweet.
With a shy demeanor, Hanako cautiously placed her hand on my shoulder.
As her hand that was cradling my cheeks slipped into my hair, I pulled Hanako deeper into my embrace.
…This must look extremely lewd from the outside.
Sure, I had my underwear supporting me, but Hanako was completely exposed. The softness of her chest pressed against mine felt completely different.
The way she subtly inhaled as if feeling gently stimulated was all too vivid.
I was the one to pull away first. As a result, the fact that our tongues didn’t even have the chance to touch felt a bit disappointing, and Hanako looked at me with a longing expression while licking her lips.
That sight was just too enticing, confirming that Hanako was indeed Hanako.
“Hanako-chan, let’s take it slow, one step at a time… I just feel like I want to do that with you somehow. Uh-huh.”
“…How mean, Senpai. This poor kouhai might spend a sleepless night if I return home today. Maybe my new club members will have to endure this endless waiting as well…?”
“Hahaha, I guess I’ll have to hear that every day from now on. It won’t be easy…”
“If you want, I can always stay your ideal kouhai in front of you.”
For a moment, I was tempted by her casual remark but immediately shook my head in refusal.
“No. I want you to show me your true self. Because this version of you is now part of who you really are, right? I hope you never change that for my sake, okay?”
“…Heueng. It’s precisely because of this side that I can’t do without you, Senpai. One step at a time. Hmm. Then how about starting with a cozy date just for us?”
Nodding in agreement to her marvelous suggestion, I was about to voice my acceptance when…
“The date course will be a nighttime stroll around the campus. Just the two of us holding hands, naked… Uh, well, that might be a bit difficult for beginners, so a swimsuit might be better?”
“Wow—oh…?”
Sighing, that was just like Hanako. She’s got it right.
