Chapter 17: Under the Bright Moonlight

Chapter 17: Under the Bright Moonlight

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“The night is not dark when the moon is full; it is merely a different kind of dawn, lit by dreams instead of fire.“

The night felt exceptionally peaceful. After finishing a day of work that had drained every ounce of my energy, I decided to spend some time unwinding with video games. My favorite console was already humming in the living room, and I sat comfortably on the sofa, controller in hand. Thoughts of the strange events from a few weeks ago during my commute still flickered in the back of my mind, but I tried my best to push them aside.

“Chinatsu, do you want to play?” I called out from the sofa, hoping she would join me.

Chinatsu was in the kitchen. I knew she had been overthinking many things lately, especially regarding the state of our relationship. Tonight, however, I simply wanted to distract her for a while.

She eventually emerged from the kitchen with a faint smile. “What are we playing?”

“This is a co-op game from our company called Sangoku Warriors. We can play together. You don’t have to think about anything heavy. It’s actually quite fun,” I replied, looking up at her, hoping she would agree.

Chinatsu smiled softly and took the controller I offered. “Alright, I’m in.”

We began to play together. The game was simple and didn’t require intense concentration, making it the perfect way to pass the time. Our laughter occasionally filled the room as the characters on screen performed ridiculous stunts. For a moment, all the burdens weighing on our minds vanished, replaced by a warm sense of togetherness.

“Look, I leveled up!” Chinatsu exclaimed enthusiastically.

I chuckled, heartened to see her spirit returning. “Nice, you’re starting to get the hang of this.”

Time slipped away quickly, and before we realized it, the clock already showed 11:00 PM. I saved the game and stretched my stiff limbs. “It’s late. I think it’s time for us to get some sleep.”

Chinatsu nodded, rising from her spot on the floor. She planned to sleep in the bedroom with Akiho, while I would take the sofa, as I had been doing since my sister came to stay. We only had one bedroom, and for the time being, I was willing to sleep on the sofa so Akiho could feel comfortable.

However, as Chinatsu stood up, she accidentally caught her foot on the leg of the small coffee table in front of her. She lost her balance, and without warning, she fell directly onto my lap as I sat on the sofa. In a heartbeat, our lips met in a brief, accidental, but utterly shocking kiss.

I felt my heart hammer against my ribs. We both froze, paralyzed by what had just occurred. Chinatsu’s face turned a deep shade of crimson, and I was likely no different. We stared at each other in a heavy, awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say.

But before I could even open my mouth to apologize, the bedroom door swung open. Akiho, my sister, appeared in the doorway, heading toward the kitchen for a late-night snack from the fridge. Catching sight of our tangled, intimate position, she stopped dead for a second before bursting into loud laughter.

“Oh, oh! What’s this?!” she teased, her voice dripping with mischief. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but... it seems I’ve arrived at just the right moment, haven’t I?” Akiho smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, clearly relishing the spectacle.

Chinatsu practically bolted from my lap, her face turning even redder. she looked frantic as she smoothed out her clothes, while I could only scratch my head in sheer embarrassment.

“It’s not what you think, Akiho-nee,” I said, my voice rising in a slight panic.

Akiho laughed again, walking over to pat my shoulder. “Well, I don’t need the details, Kazu. I’m just curious—how far have you two actually gone?” she asked, arching an eyebrow with a playful glint in her eyes.

“E-Eh?!” Chinatsu looked like she was about to go into shock, and I was completely at a loss for words.

“Have you guys... actually kissed for real?” Akiho continued her interrogation, clearly enjoying our shared confusion.

“A-Akiho-nee! Enough, stop teasing us,” I finally managed to say, trying to shut down my sister’s relentless prodding.

Akiho only laughed harder. “Alright, alright. I’m just joking.” She finally made her way to the kitchen, grabbed a snack from the fridge, and headed back toward the bedroom with a knowing grin. “Goodnight, lovebirds,” she called out before closing the door.

Chinatsu and I stood there in a stifling, awkward silence after Akiho left. The atmosphere had turned strange, and neither of us knew how to break it.

Finally, Chinatsu let out a small, nervous laugh, though her cheeks were still flushed. “I didn’t expect that to happen. I’m sorry.”

I gave a stiff smile and laughed along awkwardly. “I-It wasn’t your fault... I’m sorry too.”

After a few more moments, Chinatsu excused herself to go to bed with Akiho. I returned to the sofa, trying to settle my racing thoughts. Though the incident was a total accident, there was something sweet hidden beneath the embarrassment. Perhaps, in this clumsy closeness, we were actually drifting nearer to one another.

However, one thing was certain: tonight would be a difficult one to forget.

I realized the clock would never stop moving, and sleep was finally starting to pull at me. “I better sleep... The darker it gets, the creepier it feels,” I muttered, a cold shiver running down my spine.