Silk Pajamas and Melodies

By the time Senri left the agency building, the sky had deepened to violet-blue, the city's lights beginning their nightly performance.

The singing practice had been intense, three hours of vocal work, learning the melody until it was embedded in his muscle memory.

Then choreography, because apparently the commercial involved him dancing while singing about electrolytes.

Then another refresher lecture with the PR team about appropriate responses to various scenarios.

His brain felt like it had been wrung out and hung up to dry.

But the song was stuck in his head, a catchy, upbeat melody that bounced through his thoughts like a caffeinated squirrel.

Rise up, reach out, feel the energy flow…

He was humming it as he opened the villa's front door, toeing off his shoes in the entrance.

The house was mostly dark, but faint light and muffled sounds came from the living room.

A high-pitched squealing, quickly cut off. Then giggling.

Senri grinned, making his way toward the kitchen.

He remembered this morning, Momo suggesting a girls’ movie night as one of the new “keep viewers entertained” plan.

He could see into the living room from the kitchen, and the sight that greeted him was worth every exhausting minute of his day.

All three girls were piled on the main couch, wearing matching pajama sets in different colors. Sachiko in mint green, Momo in soft pink, and Nataria in pale lavender, shades lighter than her distinctive hair.

The only light source was the massive TV, currently displaying what appeared to be a horror movie.

A gruesome horror movie, judging by the bloody carnage on screen as some CGI monster devoured its victim in loving, explicit detail.

Sachiko sat on the right end, munching popcorn with the calm of someone watching a nature documentary, occasionally offering commentary.

Momo and Nataria were definitely not watching.

Momo had her face buried in Nataria's shoulder, her hands clutching Nataria's arm.

And Nataria… Nataria had drawn her knees up to her chest, a decorative pillow clutched in front of her face, completely obscuring her view of the screen.

"Oh, that's definitely going to hurt."

Sachiko said conversationally, gesturing at the TV with a piece of popcorn.

Nataria made a muffled sound of distress from behind her pillow.

"Why did we agree to this?"

Momo whimpered, her voice high and thin.

"Why did I think this was a good idea?"

"Entertainment value,"

Sachiko said wisely.

"The viewers are going to eat this up. No pun intended."

Senri bit back a laugh as he moved into the kitchen, flicking on the overhead light. He should probably start on dinner, and everyone would be hungry once they emerged from their horror movie marathon.

He pulled out vegetables from the fridge, setting up his cutting board and knife.

The melody from the commercial was still bouncing around in his head, and he found himself humming it as he worked.

Rise up, reach out, feel the energy…

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Through the kitchen's open archway, he could see the girls' continued reactions. Another jump scare must have happened because Momo let out a shriek that turned into nervous laughter, and Nataria's grip on her pillow tightened.

Senri paused mid-chop, his gaze lingering on Nataria.

She looked so different like this. Not the Ice Queen or the composed, distant actor with the perfect posture and guarded expressions.

She looked... just Nataria. Cozy in matching pajamas, hair down and slightly mussed, hiding from fake monsters while Momo used her as a human shield.

His mind wandered, beyond his control, to what it might feel like to be that close to her.

To be the one she leaned against when she was scared, the one who felt her hair brush against his shoulder, the one who touched…

Suddenly, an overwhelming heat flooded through him.

His hand tightened on the knife handle, his breath catching in his chest.

Stop it, he ordered himself firmly.

Stop thinking about that. Focus on the vegetables.

The nice, non-complicated vegetables.

He forced his attention back to the cutting board, to the rhythmic motion of chopping carrots into even pieces. The melody helped; he focused on humming it, on the bouncing rhythm that had no space for complicated feelings about his beautiful, complex housemate in silk pajamas.

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A few minutes later, movement in his peripheral vision made him look up.

Nataria had appeared in the kitchen, the empty popcorn bowl in her hands.

The silk pajamas caught the overhead light, their thin fabric tracing her shape just enough for him to notice.

Her hair was slightly tousled, and there was a small crease on her cheek where the pillow had pressed against her skin.

She looked adorable.

Senri couldn't help his smile as he watched her move to the fridge, pulling out several bottles of ramune, the glass marble soda that Momo loved.

Nataria balanced them carefully in one arm as she closed the fridge door, then turned

And froze when she saw him watching.

For a heartbeat, they just stared at each other. Then color bloomed across Nataria's cheeks, a soft pink flush that spread from her face down her neck.

That spark, that electric, thrilling spark from the photoshoot, crackled through Senri's chest again.

He loved this.

Loved the way she reacted to him, the way she couldn't quite hide her response even when she tried.

Loved that he could make the Ice Queen blush.

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"What?" she asked, her voice slightly higher than normal.

"Nothing," Senri said, still smiling.

Her blush deepened. She seemed to gather herself, lifting her chin in that unconsciously regal way she had.

"What were you humming? Just now?"

"Oh!"

The question snapped him back to safer territory.

"It's for a commercial. Sports drink ad. I got the job today, I'm going to sing and appear in it."

Nataria's face transformed, her eyes lighting up with genuine pleasure.

"Amano-san, that's wonderful! That's a really big deal. National commercial exposure, brand recognition…"

She paused, then smiled, soft and warm.

"I'm happy for you."

The warmth in her voice did something dangerous to his heart.

Made it feel too full, like it might burst right out of his chest.

"Thanks,"

He managed. Then, because apparently his mouth was determined to keep talking,

"I'm a bit worried about the shooting part, though. The actual acting in front of cameras. I don't really know how to... You know, act naturally when there's a script. I want to do a good job."

Nataria tilted her head slightly, considering.

"I could help, if you'd like. I've done quite a few commercial shoots. There are techniques for staying natural while hitting your marks and delivering lines. Not that different from regular acting."

Senri's heart did that full to bursting thing again.

"Really? You'd help me?"

"Of course."

She said it like it was obvious, like there was no question she'd offer her time and expertise.

"We're friends, aren't we?"

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Friends.

The word should have been enough. Should have been perfect, even.

But it sat in Senri's chest alongside that dangerous warmth; they didn't quite fit together.

Her face was closing off, her arm around the drinks tightening the longer he remained silent.

"Yeah," he said finally. "We are friends."

For a moment, Nataria just looked at him, her dark eyes relieved.

Then Momo's voice drifted from the living room,

"Nataria-chan! The monster's eating someone's face! Come back and hide with meeee!"

Nataria blinked, as if remembering where she was.

"I should…"

She gestured vaguely with the drinks.

"We're supposed to be providing entertainment."

She didn't quite turn to leave. Instead, she walked backward, her eyes still on him, the bottles clinking softly in her arms.

"Watch out for the…" Senri started.

Nataria's shoulder caught the door frame. She stopped just short of a full collision, her eyes widening in surprise.

The drinks rattled dangerously in her grip.

Senri bit his lip hard to keep from laughing.

He should look away. Should pretend to be busy with his vegetables, give her the dignity of not being watched while flustered.

But she was too adorable.

The way her eyes darted between him and the door frame, the way her cheeks flushed again, the way she seemed completely thrown off balance by something as simple as him watching her leave.

He couldn't help it.

"Careful," he said, his grin breaking free despite his best efforts.

Nataria's blush intensified.

She straightened her spine, gathering the tattered remains of her composure.

"I'm perfectly fine,"

She said with as much dignity as someone holding an armful of ramune bottles while backing into door frames could manage.

Then she turned, properly this time, and walked back into the living room's darkness with only the slightest hurry in her steps.

Senri stood in the kitchen, vegetables forgotten, watching the doorway where she'd disappeared.

His smile felt permanent, and that warmth in his chest had spread to his fingertips, his toes, the top of his head.

From the living room, he heard Momo's delighted voice:

"Nataria-chan! Your face is so red! What happened in the kitchen?"

"Nothing," Nataria said quickly. "The heat was too much. That's all."

"Uh-huh," Sachiko said, sounding amused. "Sure. The heat."

Senri finally looked away, back to his cutting board and half-chopped vegetables.

But his grin refused to fade, and the melody in his head had changed, no longer the upbeat commercial jingle, but something slower.

Something that didn't have words yet but felt like silk pajamas and blushing cheeks and the way her eyes had lit up when she'd said I'm happy for you.

His hand moved to his pocket, pulling out his phone.

He opened his notes app, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Then, humming softly to himself, Senri began to write.

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