When Boy Becomes Man

Over the next few days, Mahiru fell into a comfortable rhythm. After breakfast with Kousei’s family, she’d leave the house with him and spend the mornings exploring the city on her own. The friendly woman at the market had become a familiar face, so Mahiru often stopped by to pick up some of her products.

After that, she’d meet up with Kousei. Since her brief stint as a “celebrity” on the schoolyard had attracted a little too much attention, they decided it was safer to meet a bit farther from campus. In the afternoons and evenings, she often joined Kousei’s family in the pastry shop.

Despite Yuuna’s clinginess, the two had become surprisingly close, bonding about boys, swapping clothes and indulging in the kind of “girl stuff” they’d only admit to in private. Yuuna had even started to teach Mahiru the basics of baking, so she was gradually becoming a helpful hand in the shop.

On Friday evening, almost one week after meeting each other, Mahiru lay in her futon and gazed at Kousei as he read quietly in his bed. The stillness of the room wrapped around them, a comfortable silence settling between them.

“Kousei?” Mahiru spoke up, her voice soft but insistent.

“Hm?”

“Will you be reading for much longer?”

“I’m not sure.”

Mahiru puffed out her cheeks in protest. She hated it when he didn’t even glance her way while talking. Once he got lost in his books, it was as if she ceased to exist.

“I was just thinking…we could talk a little more before falling asleep,” she murmured in an incredibly shy tone.

“Hm? But haven’t we already talked plenty today?”

“Yeah, but you know… At home, I’m always so lonely during the night. I sleep alone, and there’s nobody to talk to before bed. So… Yeah.”

“Fine. Let me just finish this chapter. It’s finally getting to the part where the dense male protagonist realises the heroine is in love with him.”

Mahiru rolled her eyes, finally realising where Kousei had inherited his denseness from.

Guess I’ll have to go all in then, she thought, a determined smile tugging at her lips.

When Kousei finally looked up from his book, he was caught off guard by the sight of Mahiru standing by his bed, clad in a soft pink cotton nightgown.

“Huh?”

He blinked, struggling to make sense of the scene. She’d said she wanted to talk, so why was she just standing there so innocently?

“Can I come in?” Mahiru asked, her voice so faint it sent a slight chill down his spine.

“What?”

“Well, we said we’re going to talk, right? The futon’s really cold, so I thought… Maybe I could warm up in your bed if we’re going to be up for a while.”

Even in the fading light of his bedroom, Kousei could see Mahiru’s cheeks flushing a faint crimson.

“O-oh, I see. We can switch places if you’re freezing.”

“Geez, I really have to do everything.”

Without giving him a chance to fully process her words, Mahiru slipped into bed next to him, curling up against his side without hesitation.

“Mahiru…?”

“Tell me, what are you reading?”

“Uhm, it’s just your average romcom. It was finally getting to the good part, though.”

Don’t look at her, don’t look at her.

Kousei kept his eyes locked on the pages, his willpower the only thing keeping him from glancing at her. His entire body was heating up, and he knew that if he looked at her now, he’d lose what little control he had left.

“Hmm, the good part?”

“Yeah, you know… The protagonists confessing their feelings to each other, sharing their first kiss, things like that.”

“Oh, so you’re into that sort of stuff?”

Her voice tickled his senses like a soft breeze, and before he could stop himself, his head turned towards her. Mahiru’s ocean-blue eyes threatened to pull him in at any moment, hypnotic and endless, while her radiant, milky-white legs peeked out from beneath the hem of her nightgown. Kousei had already known how breathtakingly beautiful Mahiru was, but seeing her lying next to him so vulnerably overflowed him with the irresistible desire to get even closer.

“I-I guess.”

“Mhm, guess there’s a man in you after all.”

Mahiru’s lips curled into a tiny smile, one that made Kousei’s heart skip a beat. He couldn’t decide whether that was the smile belonging to an angel or a demon.

“You know, Kousei,” Mahiru said in a tender whisper, resting her head on his shoulder. “I know we’ve only met one week ago. But this one week has been so special. I’ve never felt like this in my life.”

Not knowing what to say, Kousei kept staring at her in silence. He was aware he couldn’t bring himself to look at her any longer, but everything about her was so overwhelming. Her rhythmic breathing, the gentle rise and fall of her graceful curves, the flutter of her long lashes, her captivating scent… Each delicate detail felt like a spell, strong enough to drive any man crazy.

He desperately wanted to forget this sight as soon as possible, yet he couldn’t pull his gaze from her. Her presence was etched into his mind, a vivid image that refused to fade. The beauty of this woman beside him – so close, so real – was something he knew he would never be able to erase.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel sad sometimes,” Mahiru continued, her voice weaving a quiet spell around him. “There are some things I do miss. For example, the animals on my grandparents’ farm, the delicious food our cooks make, my big, warm bed. But…”

She paused, letting her words hang in the air as she placed a soft, delicate hand on his chest.

“I’ve never felt so loved like in this one week, Kousei. Your parents, Yuuna, and of course, you… I don’t know if my heart can handle all this affection. So please…”

Mahiru’s voice trailed off for a moment as she locked eyes with him. Her gaze was steady, resolute. “Please, let me give you some of that love back.”

Wrapping her arms around his body, she pulled Kousei closer, until there wasn’t even the smallest gap between them, just the shared warmth of their bodies pressing together.

“See, when we’re like this, I just feel so safe. Like nothing could ever happen to me.”

“M-Mahiru?”

Kousei felt the softness of her entire body on him. Gentle breaths brushed against his ear, while the warmth of her chest seeped through the delicate fabric of her nightgown. A faint vibration from underneath her chest flowed through his body – it was her heartbeat, gentle and constant.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Kousei stammered, his pulse pounding in his ears.

“Do I really have to spell it out for you?” she murmured, her voice low and teasing

Something warm touched Kousei’s lips. Mahiru’s face was right in front of his, her eyes closed, her soft lips pressed gently against his.

The moment Kousei registered what was happening, his entire body went numb. His heartbeat, so loud and frantic just a second ago, faded into silence.

Under the soft glow of the dim bedroom light, they shared their first kiss.

In that fleeting instant, everything else ceased to exist. The world outside disappeared, leaving only the delighted gasps they exchanged and the sound of their lips meeting.

Until the door swung open with a sudden crash.

Kousei’s eyes snapped open, his body tensing as if he was about to shout, “Are you serious?!” at the top of his lungs.

“Howdy-dooo, my brother!” Yuuna’s cheerful voice rang out as she strolled into the room like she owned the place. “I forgot to tell you I won’t be home tomo– Oh.”

Her grin faded into something much more mischievous when she became witness of the spectacle in front of her. Meanwhile, Kousei and Mahiru froze in place, looking like they’d just been caught in the middle of something truly unforgivable.

Mahiru let out a mortified “Eeeek,” diving under the blanket like it could shield her from the humiliation.

“Could you at least knock before barging in?” Kousei said, his face redder than the blood currently burning through his veins from the rush of anger.

“I can’t believe it! My little bro has finally become a man,” Yuuna remarked as she wiped away an imaginary tear.