Anime Crossover : Living in the Heart of Tokyo

After dinner, Sakura took the initiative to wash the dishes.

By the way, should I start calling a servant to help me with the dishes after I finish eating?

No, that's too inhumane. Maybe I should offer them food in return?

But wouldn't that make things more complicated?

And as for dishwashers... you really think someone who still goes to old-school shops for a fridge would buy one of those?

Opening the cupboard, Kyousuke pulled out some spare bedding.

While arranging the sleeping area in the living room, he found his thoughts drifting.

"Kyousuke! What are you doing?" Sakura, who was washing the dishes, caught sight of his actions and let out a surprised shout.

"I'm setting up the sleeping area. What's wrong?" Kyousuke paused, startled.

Sakura's voice made him feel like he'd done something unforgivable.

"Why are you setting up the bed? The bed's right there!" Sakura dropped the dish she was holding, wiped her hands carelessly, and marched over to grab the blankets he was holding.

"We're sleeping in the same bed tonight!" Sakura puffed out her cheeks, glaring at him.

"That's not possible."

"Why not? We did it when we were younger, so why can't we now?" Sakura's eyes started to glisten with tears.

Kyousuke felt a headache coming on.

From the moment Sakura said she would stay over, he had a feeling this would happen.

"Okay, okay, Sakura. I'll take you to that famous sushi place in Ikebukuro this weekend," he said, trying to coax her like a child.

"No! Do you think I'm a little pig who just wants to eat?" Sakura stood her ground.

When it came to food, not much came before Kyousuke.

"We're not kids anymore, Sakura."

"Yeah, we've grown up. Kyousuke, you even have someone you like now. You're not the same Kyousuke who would only be kind to me anymore."

Sakura dropped the blankets on the floor and pressed her small hands to her chest, looking at him with her big, tear-filled eyes, her expression full of sorrow, like a wife abandoned by her husband.

"Fine, fine, I get it. We'll sleep together. Your pajamas are in the storage cabinet by the bed. Go change into them." Kyousuke sighed, looking at Sakura.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Even though he knew it was all an act, he couldn't resist her pitiful look.

"Yay!" Sakura's face lit up instantly as she jumped up, making a victory sign with her slender fingers.

"The rest of the dishes are up to you, Kyousuke. I'm going to take a shower first."

With that, Sakura dashed to the bed, grabbed her pajamas, and happily ran into the bathroom.

Kyousuke finished washing the dishes and sat down on the couch to watch TV.

"Kyousuke~" Sakura's voice floated out from the bathroom.

The door muffled her words slightly.

"What is it?"

Kyousuke didn't turn around.

His apartment's bathroom and shower were separate, and since it was a single-person apartment, the bathroom door was frosted glass—just enough to prevent splashing water.

As soon as he turned around, he'd be face-to-face with something... distracting.

"Kyousuke, are you peeking?" Sakura's voice came with a playful laugh, full of confidence.

"I'm not." Kyousuke casually denied it while taking a big gulp of barley tea from the low table, trying to soothe his dry throat.

"Oh? Don't you want to look?"

"No! I absolutely do not! And I'm not making papaya dishes for that reason, okay?"

"Why can't I be a guy? Then I could have a cute girlfriend like me!"

"Even if you were a guy, you could probably make it happen."

"Kyousuke! What kind of nonsense are you thinking about? I'm going to tell Aunt Mikiko!"

Kyousuke rolled his eyes at Sakura's playful accusation and didn't respond, turning back to the TV.

Inside the bathroom, Sakura quieted down.

Time passed, and Kyousuke, feeling a little drowsy from watching TV, closed his eyes for a moment.

When Sakura finished her shower, she came out and saw Kyousuke seemingly asleep.

She tiptoed over quietly, draped her arm around his neck, and placed her palm on his chest.

Then she rested her chin on his head and gently lay down on him.

Kyousuke, feeling the weight on his head, didn't open his eyes immediately.

A sweet fragrance—whether it was Sakura's scent or the soap from her shower—hit his nose.

Sakura's little hand mischievously stroked his solid chest muscles.

She moved her chin off his head, leaned close to his ear, and whispered softly,

"Kyousuke, I'm not wearing anything."

Kyousuke's mind was flooded with vivid, dangerous thoughts.

Sakura's freshly showered skin, radiating warmth, seemed to be affecting his every nerve.

"I'm going to take a shower!" Kyousuke bolted upright, rushing to the bathroom.

Sakura, left behind on the couch, giggled, her laughter like a bell ringing in the air.

When Kyousuke emerged from the bathroom, he found that Sakura had turned off all the lights.

The three layers of curtains on the balcony weren't fully drawn, letting a sliver of moonlight spill in.

Using the dim light, Kyousuke made his way to the bed. Sakura was already lying down, her eyes closed.

Looking at her cute face, still flushed from the shower, he smiled softly, reaching over to pull the blanket up over her exposed shoulder.

He then turned to go sleep on the couch.

But as soon as he turned, a warm hand grabbed his.

"Don't think you can escape, Kyousuke." Turning back, Sakura was looking at him with wide eyes, her body turned toward him.

With no other choice, Kyousuke climbed into bed.

"Good night, Sakura."

He lay as close to the edge of the bed as possible, trying to give Sakura as much space as he could, determined to keep his distance.

The familiar sweet scent of Sakura's body filled the air, and now he was sure—the fragrance wasn't from the soap.

It was the scent of her skin.

The whole bed seemed to be wrapped in her warmth.

Under the covers, Sakura slowly reached out with her little hand, tracing her finger over Kyousuke's arm.

Suddenly, Kyousuke rolled over, pulling her into his arms.

Sakura froze, her small face turning bright red, completely still with shock.

She may have teased him earlier, but in truth, neither of them had much experience when it came to love.

She, being a girl, was more skilled at this sort of thing, but only because Kyousuke was always the passive one.

Now… this wasn't how the script was supposed to go. She was supposed to tease him relentlessly until he finally gave in.

Feeling the warmth of Kyousuke's body, Sakura gently placed her hands on his chest.

"Kyousuke... We're the ones who are longing for each other, aren't we?"

Sakura's face flushed even more, and then she smiled contentedly, resting her head against Kyousuke's chest, her eyes closing.

As for Kyousuke, even though his earlier action seemed bold, now he felt awkward.

His hand, not trapped by Sakura, reflexively rested on her firm little backside.

The sensation was so soft, he couldn't dare to move, afraid he'd accidentally squeeze her.

Her body, radiating such a sweet scent, felt like a time bomb in his arms.

One wrong move, and it would explode in his heart.