Thoughts, dates, and baths with a slice of sunburn

Mom sighs at my request, scrutinizing me with a hard-to-read look.

"If she hasn't told you about the content of that letter she addressed to me, then you probably shouldn't pry into it for now. She'll tell you for sure once she knows that she can entrust you with her secrets, Kei."

So I was onto something after all! Too bad Mom won't let me in on this!

While my mother doesn't give me the answer I want, I get all hints I need to work with her information.

"Well, off you go," she tells me with a more thorough smile this time. I have no reason to linger around in the kitchen, therefore returning to my room until the bath is ready for me.

Back in my room, I allow myself to plummet into my bed. Mom's words leave no doubt about it. There's something going on with Koyori. Whatever it is, she's not telling me right now and her behavior doesn't hint at any underlying issues either. Could there be more depth to her advice than meets the eye? Does Koyori really need me so badly? Would she open up to me if I managed to earn her unwavering trust?

Koyori may have pleaded to have as much fun as possible but if there's an issue I'd like to solve it. That's just how friendship works. As long as she's happy, though, I should probably listen to Mom.

I really need to get my act together and start acting like a proper friend. Maybe I should just talk to her again later?

Considering the number of questions on my mind, it shouldn't hurt at all to approach my friend in conversation. However, there's hardly a point if all I do is stutter like a fucking idiot. Knowing my problems is a good start but it's meaningless if I don't know how to fix them. Regardless, though, trying and failing is still better than running away.

Not really knowing what to do, I move over to my computer. To my surprise, it's still turned on. Only the monitor shut off, apparently. Turning it back on, a wall of messages appears on my Ciscord program. They're from Jun.

~Can play some GSO now if you want.~

~Kei, u there?~

~Don't ignore me, man, that's just rude.~

~Bro did you die?~

I shake my head as those messages flush over the screen. Admittedly, I have been online this entire time but assuming death after not responding for a few hours is still a little too much. Sighing, I type an answer.

~Stuff happened. Had to leave the comp for a few hours. Might be busy for a while too.~

He's online as always, typing a reply immediately upon receiving my message.

~Bro, you're never busy. What's up?~

For a moment, I contemplate hiding this from Jun, but then I come up with a smart way to explain the situation.

~My cousin came over for a sudden visit. She's a girl my age and she's staying in my room for a while. I have to entertain her. It's rough.~

Jun is immediately spamming several surprised emojis into the chat.

~Bro, that's like pulling two 5-star characters at once!~

Geez, there goes his gacha talk again…

~Is she hot? Send pics!~

~No she's flat and no I'm not sending any. She's kinda cute though.~

I immediately regret typing this. Jun's response arrives immediately.

~You're dating her, right?~

~Idiot, you just don't date your cousin. I'm logging out.~

Shaking my head in disbelief, I shut down the computer entirely. Even though I lied about her being my cousin, his dating comment still gnaws at me. I've been able to ascertain my likely crush on her but could I actually 'date' her? Somewhere deep down, my stomach is buzzing with an eerie feeling at the thought of it, materializing as a dangerous concoction of excitement and fear. Needless to say, my hormones aren't helping either, nor Koyori suddenly entering the room in nothing more than a bathing robe.

She's totally naked under that robe!!!

I'm quickly averting my gaze so as not to present my reddened cheeks to the girl, who hurries past me, over to her luggage.

"Oh thank you very much for carrying it up here," she cheers at me. "Can I use the remaining space in your wardrobe?"

"Sure," I breathe, suddenly feeling really funny. "I'm going to take my bath now."

Then, remembering Mom's words, I add.

"M-make yourself feel at home, Koyori."

*

My heart is beating uncomfortably fast until my body sinks into the pleasantly warm and bubbly bath.

Ouch!

A sharp pain erupts at several places on my upper body and parts of my legs. For a moment, I’m suspecting the bath water to be too hot but then the pain would materialize in my entire body. My eyes fall on the naked skin of my arms which hurt the most.

Ah, I got sunburned…

The unhealthy red tint of my inflamed skin reminds me of the fact that I have spent at least two or three hours outside without using any sunscreen. Considering how seldom I leave the house, it’s only to be expected that I entirely forgot about sun protection.

Well, I’m certainly not going to leave the house tomorrow, this is stinging badly…

Thankfully, the irritation of my skin somewhat diminishes once my body gets used to the pleasantly warm bath water, allowing my attention to drift from my sunburn to my sudden escape from Koyori. Once again, the image of the adorable girl scurrying past me lingers in front of my inner eye which zooms in on critical parts of her body.

Only now, I begin to realize how strangely attractive Mom's pink bathing robe made the girl look. Even though it’s fairly oversized for her, it still underlines her slender body shape really well. Suddenly, my imagination is running wild trying to imagine her naked body underneath.

No, STOP!!!

I have to shake my head multiple times to banish the pictures from my mind. Guiltily, I sink deeper into the water.

Yes, she just looked really gorgeous but that's still wrong! She's your friend, not some stupid manga character. You can be horny all day about those fictional characters but Yori-chan is off-limits! Remember that, me!

It escapes my logic. Why did her unusual attire strike such a reaction in me? She's not even sexy! Is my pubescent mind really this desperate? What's the difference between reality and fiction? Why does seeing a fictional girl naked not embarrass me at all while the mere thought of it makes me feel so terribly uncomfortable when it's Yori-chan?

A drawing can't talk to you and it doesn't have feelings. Koyori, however…

Somewhere in the back of my mind, the girl is standing in front of me, only a towel obscuring her body. She's yelling at me, calling me a pervert. Immediately, I feel even more guilty.

I need to stop letting those lewd magazines influence my view of Koyori! She's better than this!

How could I look her in the eye if my mind is secretly removing layer upon layer from her skin? I must absolutely make a clear cut between Koyori and those fictional characters painting my image of girls entirely wrong.

There's another thing that worries me greatly. Romance in anime and manga is hardly ever portrayed realistically. Either the couple just loves each other because the plot demands it or the romance keeps getting teased but never actually takes off. How am I even supposed to know how a real romantic relationship works?

Assuming that I really have those feelings for Yori, how should I interact with her? What kind of romance might develop? Man, I have no clue…

I've read about a lot of crappy confessions somehow working and yet a lot of thoughtful ones lead to a rejection. I honestly don't know how to tell her how I feel. What if she doesn't like me the way I probably like her? The fear of hearing a rejection from her sweet lips leads to anxiety the moment I ponder revealing my likely crush.

Could I actually ask her out though?

I really like her personality and appearance, both angelic in every aspect. When I think about dating her, however, a creepy feeling spreads all over my body. Didn't people who were dating also kiss?

Also, didn't Koyori use the same water?!

Realizing how close to an indirect kiss this is, I suddenly feel extremely hot, prompting me to rise out of the water, jump into my clothes and hastily return to my room where Koyori is already waiting for me…