I closed my eyes.
The sensation of something not my own touching my lips.
But it felt harder than I’d expected, and as I thought, “Huh?” and opened my eyes, what I saw was Amamiya Tōru’s mouth —transparent, yet curved in a way that seemed to be steeped in pleasure.

Her lips weren’t touching anything.
Yet I still felt something touching my own lips.
　It was the pad of her thumb.

“Did you think I was going to kiss you?”

Was it just my imagination, or was Amamiya Tōru’s face flushed?

“I thought you were going to kiss me.”

My own face was undoubtedly bright red.

“Five thousand yen isn’t enough.”
“………Then how much would be enough?”
“Do you want a kiss?”
“Enough that I’m considering taking one by force right now.”

Amamiya Tōru recoils so sharply it almost makes a sound.
She forms an X in front of her own lips with her slender, beautiful white fingers.

“Extreme pervert idiot.”

I silently decided to accept that level of insult.
　More than that, the irritation —or perhaps the frustration —at being teased and then rebuffed wouldn’t subside.
It felt embarrassing to call myself pure-hearted, but I felt toyed with.

“…But maybe I was being a bit too mean.”
“…Yes, you were. I’m hurt. I demand another form of compensation. Or rather, Amamiya-san, you’re the type to play pranks like this?”
“I don’t know why. I don’t understand it myself. I never did this sort of thing with my exes. It’s just… since Mashiro stroked my head, I’ve felt a bit… warm.”
“Well…”

What does that actually mean?
Could it be that I’m actually succeeding in drawing out her true colours?

“Well, whatever it is, one thing’s certain: I want something else in return.”
“I know that. But right now, I don’t know what else I could do to make Mashiro happy.”
“If you’d just kissed her then, she might have been absolutely delighted?”
“Don’t get too cocky.”

She drove the point home in a low voice.
Admittedly, for someone who should be socially awkward and shy, I’d been uncharacteristically bold with her today – the first time we’d had a proper conversation.
　I could tell Amamiya Tōru was genuinely annoyed, so I timidly backed down and decided to apologise.

“……… Sorry.”
“Hmm. …But, I see. So Mashiro’s body can’t be satisfied with anything less than a kiss now?”
“W-way of putting it!”
“But I’ve never done it, but I think I’d probably prefer a hug over a kiss.”
“……… Have you ever hugged someone before?”
“……Well, I suppose I have hugged before. But today I realised hugging a girl feels nicer than hugging a boy. I never felt anything when hugging before.”

That might actually make me a little happy.
If my complex, plump body – the one where my belly fat spills out when I take my clothes off – feels nice to her, then I suppose I can say I’ve achieved my wish.

“Mashiro wants to kiss, and I want to hug.”
“Why not do both?”
“That’s greedy, Mashiro.”

Amamiya Tōru spread her arms wide.
I’d learnt by now that it meant ‘come here’.

“A hug?”
“A hug. A five thousand yen worth of lovely hug. A big squeeze.”

Amamiya Tōru and I pressed close together.
We wrapped our arms around each other’s backs and held tight.

Admittedly, earlier when I’d stroked her hair, I hadn’t hugged her back, so I hadn’t realised.
A girl’s body… might actually feel rather nice.

Today, I discovered the softness of Amamiya Tōru’s body.

It’s been a day of many discoveries, I suppose.
But today, I’m truly satisfied with just this.
　Tomorrow is school again, and I’d always felt school was a bit of a drag.

But today, something good happened.
So I think I can manage.
I quietly closed my eyes.
For now, I’d focus solely on holding her body close.

Peck

It was then I felt the warm sensation on my cheek.

“That’s the end of today’s payback.”