The part-time work was three to four days per week, fluctuating depending on the shift, but usually within this period.

He could earn money over the weekend, but he chose to spend time with Mahiru. A student’s duty was to study, and he could not slack, which the owner Itomaki agreed. She had been cheering for him in many ways, along with the true reason for his work.

It was a rest day, and Amane had nothing to do since morning.

Lazy he might be, he did do some muscle training and jogging, quickly finished his assignments, and finally got some rest.

It was a lifestyle much improved from the past. He noted wryly that he was actually living a healthy lifestyle.

After doing all his tasks in the morning, there remained something he was curious about.

Yes, the thing Mahiru had been hiding recently.

Seems like she’s being jittery about something today too.

Mahiru visited Amane in the afternoon, and looked a little tense. She was a little calm after she had eaten oyatsu, but she looked a little nervous when he looked over at her. Clearly she was hiding something.

Amane did not point it out, and so she reverted to her usual calm till this point.

He sat on the sofa, and she sat next to him. She was calm, but she looked a little listless, or rather, she had something on her mind.

He finally had a break, and wanted to enjoy Mahiru..but it would be inappropriate when she was so spaced out. He hoped to hug her, at least, and replenish the lack of Mahiruism caused by his part-time work life.

“Mahiru.”

“Yes?”

“..Can I hug you?”

He was relieved to see a reaction, but he asked cautiously, and Mahiru blinked away, showed a faint smile, and nodded.

She spread her arms wide, so he went along with her goodwill as he gently embraced her.

On this day, it was the smell of chocolate.

..There’s a sweet smell everyday, huh?

Mahiru really liked sweets, but even she would not snack on them too often. She would manage her own body size seriously, and never would indulge.

Recently however, there was often a sweet smell around her.

Amane was not too fond of such foods, but he liked the sweet scents. He did not dislike the sweet fragrant scents from her whenever they touched.

However, he did not think anything more than, nice smell. He cautiously brought her slender body to his side, and when he tried to close in on her and gently touch her waist, she jolted.

“Ya!”

It seemed she instinctively blurted this refusal, and Amane sensed that his head started to cool rapidly.

They usually leaned upon each other, and direct contact might not be appropriate, even though she was his girlfriend. Perhaps it was a matter of mood, or perhaps it might be that she did not want to be touched, just like now.

I messed up, Amane gave such a look as he moved away from Mahiru. Mahiru looked up at his face, confused.

“..Sorry. I got too greedy.”

“Eh, I-I do not hate it! You are mistaken! Th-this is a misunderstanding! I do not dislike to be hugged by you, Amane-kun!?”

It seemed she realized Amane thought she rejected him, and she hastily flailed her hands, voicing her opinion.

“But you don’t want to, right?”

“I d-do not want..I am concerned about my belly now.”

“Belly?”

“..I-I may have gotten a little fatter. If you wrap my waist, that is a little.”

Mahiru said, put her hands on her belly, and Amane was perplexed.

Mahiru had perfect management over her body size, and appearance and touch-wise, he could not feel that she got any fatter.

Just moments ago, he was worried that she was so skinny, it affected her health. Perhaps it would be healthier for her to grow a little more flesh.

“Where? You still look rather thin, probably because of your dietary habits.”

He knew that Mahiru would do some stretches and simple exercises at home, sometimes go out for a jog, or even play the fitness games of the game console at his place.

Even as part of the going home club, Mahiru would never scrimp on exercise to keep herself beautiful. It was impossible to imagine her getting fat.

He did not think so, but for some reason, Mahiru was unwilling to look at him in the eyes.

“..Did you?”

“N-not at all. I have not slacked on my exercise, and I am more hardworking than before. I have balance in all my meals..but..other than those meals..”

“You’ve been snacking?”

“Snacking, you say..yes, I have been. That is the reason.”

“That’s surprising.”

Mahiru was particular about her body, and thus her food intake. It was surprising that she could eat so much to the point that she was worried.

“Well, there is what they call fall’s appetite, and the food’s delicious. We got more delicious food that’s different from summer’s, no wonder you would snack on oyatsu.”

“..It is because I have been indecisive.”

“Eh?”

“Noting..in any case, if you touch my belly, the fat will..”

“I don’t think you have any extra fat..you’re skinny, and there isn’t much flesh. If there is, it’s within the margin of error. Your muscles are sturdy, it’s fine for it to be a little softer.”

To Amane, it was the world who was so insistent on being skinny. But even by that baseline, Mahiru was appropriately slender.

He was fine even if she was a little more rounded. He did not like her because she was skinny, pretty or cute. He liked Mahiru as a person, not because of her body shape. Her body shape was fine as long as her health was not compromised.

Don’t worry too much about it. So he said as he gave her eyes a serious look. “Uuu.” She whimpered, and looked up at him.

She might think it was a huge issue, but to Amane, a little extra fat was not something to be concerned with. He did not feel any excess fat when he touched her, and if she did not allow him to, that would be a matter of life and death.

“..I want you to heal me a little, can’t I?”

“N-not that I cannot..I am fine with that.”

Amane smiled towards a somewhat reluctant Mahiru, wrapped her in his clutches, and to be precise, he lifted her out.

He hugged the frozen Mahiru, put her between his legs, had her sit on the sofa, and she ended up like a doll.

This was the most comfortable position to carry her on the sofa. Mahiru looked a little uneasy, probably because she was embarrassed.

However, she obediently leaned onto him, and one could see that she was not completely against this.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and touched the belly she said she was particular about. She was still slender however, and he wondered as to why she assumed, mistakenly, that she had grown fat.

“..I don’t feel a change.”

“I am working hard. But I do care.”

“You’re so slim though..well, if you really mind, Mahiru, I can’t say anything. I like you for however you are, Mahiru.”

“..Yes.”

Amane would cheer on Mahiru if she wanted to slim down to an appropriate level, but it did not mean he wanted her to be skinny. He flatly denied the misunderstanding she had, that she had gotten fat, and he did not want to deny the hard work and determination to slim down

Just don’t force yourself, so he thought, and he gently embraced her to feel her body that as soft as it usually was.

How much effort was needed to be so slender and soft? Truly, the bodies of girls were a mystery. While experiencing so, Amane buried his face into her shoulder, and another sweet scent entered his nostrils along with the conditioner and her milky scent.

It’s the smell of chocolate today, so he thought as he gently slid his lips towards her neck.

He did not intend to do anything, and the feeling of Mahiru’s skin was enough to make him happy. He could practically savor the delicious white skin. It was a male instinct, to be expected.

He put his lips over, kissed the silky skin, and rubbed his cheeks onto Mahiru, who made a ticklish sound.

“..You really like to fawn when you are tired, Amane-kun.

“Right back at you..but well, I want some human warmth .”

It was as Mahiru said, that whenever they felt tired, they would try to cling onto each other to be revitalized. The experience of body warmth and scents was a relieving sense of bliss.

Usually, it was Mahiru who was more prone to fawning around, but recently, Amane had been tired, so he too ended up fawning more often.

“You can do whatever you like, but please do not leave a mark. Others could see it..Chitose-san spotted the one you left the last time you stayed over, and teased me.”

“Sorry about that..I should make sure it’s not so easy to spot.”

Amane was so excited back then, half his sanity went on strike. Of course, he did not cross that line, but he obediently obeyed his desire to dye the white skin.

And so he left it on a place that could be seen. He reflected on his actions.

He was so embarrassed to recall what happened that night, and he even embraced her too hard. Mahiru in his clutches started slapping hard at his thigh.

“That is not the problem either!?? Will you become like this once you get used to it?”

“No-not that I’m used to it..I-I think that as a guy, I’m happy to leave my mark.”

Obviously, he would not get used to it simply by seeing skin once. The shame rose up to his face once he remembered so, and his desire perked, but his sanity kept it in check.

The fact remained that his desire was aroused. If there was a next time, the white skin would once again have another mark left by Amane’s lips.

There’s no way I can get used to this. It’s a girl’s body. So Amane muttered to a displeased Mahiru in his clutches, and wrapped his hand on the hand slapping his thigh. Finally, Mahiru acted docile.

Her ears were red, and clearly she was embarrassed.

“..Next time, please do so at a place that cannot be seen.”

“You’re thinking of the next time already?”

“Th-that is because..I am happy with whatever you do, Amane-kun..I really like to be petted by you.”

The sight of Mahiru fidgeting while muttering so was so adorable, and he intertwined his fingers with hers.

She said she would accept anything Amane did, and she loved to be petted, which nearly caused his sanity to go amok. He barely managed to contain himself, and only kissed her on the neck.

The still-sensitive Mahiru shivered, but she let him do what he liked.

“..Anyway, no marks to be left for now. If you want to, that will be for bir”

“Bir?”

“..Nothing at all. Please do not mind.”

“Now I’m really curious.”

“It is fine!”

The hesitant Mahiru caused him to tilt his head, and she raised her voice shrilly, trying to befuddle him or something. She forcibly pressed her weight onto him,?she’s so light, and Amane accepted with a chuckle.