Episode Five

The change was dramatic. As if a bright light had suddenly shone through, her refined face glowed.
Ibara devoured her parfait with astonishing speed, gulped down her mint-scented tea in one go, then practically dragged me over to the sofa seating.

“Sis, here. Sit here! It’s a posh sofa, so it’s super comfy.”

“H-hold on a moment.”

I turned back to Aki-san.

“Um, this shop—”

“We do ask customers to refrain from napping, naturally.”

Right!

“Ibara’s a special case, though. She’s not a customer, and her insomnia is genuine. As her cousin, I want her to sleep however she can, if I can let her.”

“But it’s late now. What about contacting her parents?”

“The second floor here is her home. She lives with me.”

“Oh…”

So that’s how it is. Unexpectedly, the outer moat has been filled in.
Then, is it alright? Is it?
A couple’s seat, I suppose.
The wide-backed two-seater sofa looked decidedly high-end, and certainly seemed comfortable to sit on.
　Plus, there were two white cushions and, thoughtfully, even a blanket prepared.

“Now then, big sister. Let’s sleepy sleepy together.”

Sleepy sleepy, huh.

“Just so you know, I won’t be sleeping.”

“It’s alright, you can sleep. I’ll wake you up in the morning.”

“But I have to go home…”

“In this rain?”

Beyond the windowpane, the rain continued to fall. I had no umbrella. Given the circumstances, lending me one was out of the question.
I exhaled deeply and settled down beside Ibara.
It was fortunate I’d worn relatively loose office casuals. A suit would have been stifling. Not that I was going to sleep.
Ibara, now down to just her black stockings after swiftly removing her loafers, said.

“Why don’t you take your shoes off too, sis?”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

It was true. Might as well take them off and relax properly.
I slipped off my pumps and leaned back against the chair. My back was softly cushioned by the seat.
Not too hard, not too soft – just the right amount of give. I could sit here for hours.

“Ahhh…”

　Oh dear. I nearly drooled.
Clearing my throat, I asked.

“I-is this alright?”

“Mm-hmm, this is perfect.”

Ibara plopped down beside me and leaned her weight heavily onto me.
Through the knit of her cardigan, I felt the gentle warmth of her skin.
The sudden closeness made me feel uneasy.

“Um… I hope I don’t smell sweaty?”

“Nah, you smell nice.”

Ibara sniffed, making a soft sound, and my cheeks flushed. I wanted her to stop, it was embarrassing.

“Wh-why are you sniffing me?”

“You asked, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes… Whoa!”

This time, she grabbed my arm tightly.
　Like hugging a favourite stuffed toy, she pressed herself tightly against me.
She smelled lovely, like lemons. Was this perfume, or was it Ibara’s own scent?
Her breath brushed my ear.

“I think I like your scent, big sis. Maybe that’s why I could sleep.”

“It’s just normal perfume though…”

“Ah, wait a sec. I’m taking off my bra.”

“Why⁉︎”

“Because it’s got underwires and it’s uncomfortable to sleep in.”

Only Ibara, Aki-san, and I were in the shop. All women. There was a blanket too. But still.
Ibara undid the back clasp and deftly slipped the straps off her shoulders inside her blouse. She pulled the hem out from under her skirt with a flick and retrieved a pale green fabric from the gap.
　For a moment, her white stomach and navel flashed into view, making my heart skip a beat.
Truly, she was beautiful from head to toe. So beautiful it was bad for the heart.
Ibara roughly stuffed her folded underwear into the sofa gap and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, sis.”

“W-well, I wasn’t exactly waiting…”

“Are you taking yours off too? Your bra?”

“I’m not taking mine off!”

“What a shame.”

What exactly is such a shame…
I knew it, but she really is a strange girl. Impossible to predict her actions. Impossible to understand.
Is this some kind of generation gap too? No, definitely not.
Carefully repositioning the blanket to avoid touching any particularly delicate areas.
　But then Ibara, as if laughing at my efforts, snuggled up again.
A soft sensation pressed against my elbow with a squish.
This girl… she’s so thin, yet surprisingly large…

“Well, well. How about it, big sis?”

“Wh-what about what?”

“Not too stuffy?”

“Ah, that… no, not that. Um, it’s fine.”

“Oh, right.”

Thud. Ibara’s head rested on my shoulder. Her fine hair tickled my neck. It felt like being hugged by a large stuffed toy. So soft.

“You can sleep too, big sis. Aki-san’s here.”

“N-no, I’m fine.”

“Even though you’re tired—”

She’d hit the nail on the head.
　Aki-san turned on the tap. The sound of water hitting the sink, the clink of ceramic touching ceramic.
The sounds filling this shop without background music were strangely soothing to the ear.
If I wasn’t careful, I really might fall asleep.

“…Big Sis, you know…”

“What?”

“Why did you let me sleep peacefully this morning?”

“On the commuter train?”

“Usually, you’d wake me straight away, wouldn’t you? When someone’s head lands on your shoulder.”

“Well, there’s no particular reason… Just a whim, really.”

I couldn’t possibly say it was because your sleeping face was cute. Though that wasn’t all of it.
I know the agony of sleepless nights. And how, on mornings after such nights, you want to sleep just a minute longer if you can.
So.

“I just wanted to show you it was alright to sleep a little longer.”

“Hmm… I see…”

“…Ibara?”

“………Sshhh…”

Oh dear.

“…………She really has fallen asleep.”

Looking at this peaceful sleeping face, it’s hard to believe she suffers from insomnia.
I gently touch her fringe, brushing it aside so it doesn’t fall into her eyes. Sleeping so peacefully, I say.
Watching that serene face, one particular feeling bubbles up inside me.
Honestly, now that I’ve been dragged into this strange situation, I don’t want to admit it.
I don’t want to admit it, but I have no choice.
Ibara is, beautiful. Beautiful and cute.

Led by her steady breathing, sleepiness slowly creeps over me.
　It’s been ages since I slept with someone. How did things even get to this point?
Ah, no good. My brain’s not working anymore.
Would it be alright if I just fell asleep like this? I haven’t even taken my make-up off.
Ah well. Just for a little while.
Fifteen minutes, no, just thirty minutes.
My eyelids droop. Consciousness melts into drowsiness.
For the first time, the sound of rain falling outside the window sounded gentle.