Sleeping Beauty and the Witch’s Holiday. Part 1

That night.

“Haa…”

Lying on my bed at home, I stared up at the ceiling.
Yomi-san’s words came back to me.

──I’d been taking advantage of Ame’s kindness and misunderstood things.

That single sentence had struck me quite deeply.
After all, I knew exactly what she meant.
　Shigure-san was kind-hearted, considerate, always forgiving my selfishness.
I’d thought it was because I was special to her.
But was that really the case?
Perhaps Shigure-san was simply kind to everyone, and I’d just been misinterpreting it.
The question that surfaced made my chest ache.
　Something murky and slimy, filthy, was eating away at me inside.
Ugh.
I like Shigure-san being kind to everyone, but I wish she wouldn’t be kind to everyone.
I could never say this out loud, though.
I know it’s ridiculous. What do I even want?

“Aah…”

Staring at my phone’s chat screen, I let out a sigh so heavy it felt like it came from the depths of the earth.

“I want to talk to youuuu…”

I pressed down on my thumb, which was reaching for the call button, and rolled around on the bed.
I want to talk.
I want to hear Shigure-san’s voice right now.
I want her to say that Ibara is special. Then I could feel at ease.
But that’s impossible.
It’s already ten o’clock. At this hour, Shigure-san must be home.
Which means Shizuku would be nearby. I can’t call.
Our relationship is a secret.
Above all, I didn’t want to worry Shigure-san.
It’s only been two weeks since Shizuku moved in.
I didn’t want her to think I was some troublesome girl who gets emotionally unstable after such a short time.
Well, I am actually a bit of a pain, though.
I’m aware of that.

“Uwaaah…”

But I still want to see her.
　I want to see her, talk to her, hold her tight.
I want to breathe in her scent deeply, feel Shigure-san completely with every fibre of my being, from the core of my skull to the tips of my fingers.
I want this unease smothered in comfort.
Burying my nose in her pyjamas, now utterly devoid of her scent, I hugged my knees.
　Another sleepless night, time just passing by.
Around midnight, I sent a single message.

‘I’m lonely.’

Without even checking if it was read, I switched off my phone and closed my eyes.
A film-like fatigue covered my whole body, yet the depths of my eyes were painfully sharp.
Tonight, I’ll surely not sleep.

　†

At dawn, I finally began to doze, drifting back and forth between sleep and wakefulness.
Some time after the edge of the curtain began to glow white, I glanced at the clock and realised it was already past nine.
　Morning, school, being late – thoughts came like a chain reaction, until I remembered today was Saturday.
Still feeling anything but refreshed, I crawled out of bed.
The peak of my drowsiness would last until well past noon.
I hesitated, wondering if I should at least pretend to go back to sleep for a bit. Deciding to at least get a drink of water, I opened the door to my room. From downstairs came the rhythmic thump-thump of a knife.
　Aki-chan?
But that seemed far too early for her to be up. She usually sleeps until just before noon.
And then the additional, delicious smell of butter wafted up, so I stifled a yawn and headed down the stairs.
Opening the door to the living-dining area on the first floor, I saw Shigure-san pouring beaten eggs into a frying pan…….

……Eh?

“Ah, Ibara. Good morning.”

“Eh, ah, what?”

“Breakfast will be ready soon. Bread or rice?”

“Wh-why?”

“Sorry, I didn’t buy any naan.”

“That’s not the point! Why are you here, Shigure-san?!”

“I sent a message to Aki-san during the night and got her to hide the key to the back door outside.”

She puffed out her chest a little smugly. What a cute face. But.

“No, I wasn’t talking about the method.”

“Because you were lonely, weren’t you, Ibara?”

Stirring the contents of the frying pan with chopsticks, Shigure-san said casually.

“So I came.”

“…That’s all?”

“Yeah. I lied to Shizuku, said I had to work on my day off.”

“Is that alright?”

“She’s drawing at cram school right now.”

“That’s not the point. Shigure-san, you have your day off, after all—”

When I said that, Shigure-san tilted her head as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“Since it’s my day off, I came to see you, Ibara.”

Like honey dripping onto freshly made pancakes, Shigure-san’s words seeped into my mind.
She came to see me. For me. Because of that one message.
She’s far too kind.
But I’m such a pushover, aren’t I?
I was feeling down just a moment ago, and now I’m overjoyed.
　My heart feels like it might burst.
Shigure-san paused her chopsticks and turned off the gas hob.

“Shigure-san. Could you step away from the kitchen just a little?”

“Eh? Um, this far?”

“A bit more. Yes, there. About that far.”

Once I was sure she was sufficiently away from the frying pan, I threw myself at Shigure-san.

“Whoa!”

I hugged her like a tackle, burying my nose deep into her collarbone.
Today, Shigure-san was wearing a peplum top with fluttering flares and black trousers.
As I rubbed my cheek against the soft fabric, I caught Shigure-san’s usual scent wafting up from beneath the cloth.
It wasn’t just a lingering fragrance, it was her real scent.
　My brain crackled and popped, and endorphins spread through me like a dam bursting.

“Um, Ibara, your food will get cold… won’t it?”

“No. More.”

“This is a problem.”

Saying that, Shigure-san didn’t push me away.
Wanting to monopolise that sunlit comfort all to myself, I tightened my arms around her.
　Soft, smelling lovely, warm.
Shigure-san was like happiness itself in human form.

“Come on, let’s eat. We’re together until tonight, after all.”

Shigure-san’s hand stroked my head.
That alone made my whole body go limp and floppy.
It was Shigure-san’s magic, effective only on me.

“Ah, ahh…”

This time, I couldn’t stifle the yawn.
Every joint and muscle in my body had gone completely limp. I felt like I could fall asleep right then and there.
Seeing me so utterly spent, Shigure-san smiled.

“After breakfast, shall we just lounge around together?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Absolutely.
Today, I’ll stick close to her as much as possible.
Shigure-san is Shizuku’s big sister, Yomi-san’s friend, and Hiname’s benefactor.
Even if she’s just kind to everyone.
Even so, right now, she’s my Shigure-san alone.