Heartbeats and Illusions

Miss Angel is taking a bath… in his bathroom.

This fact alone sent an odd wave of discomfort and disbelief coursing through Natsukawa Kanade. Sure, he'd handled plenty of chores before—washing clothes, scrubbing floors, doing the dishes—but this felt entirely different. Bathing was an intimate thing, and for Shiina Mahiru, a girl no less, to casually use his bathroom felt like it breached some invisible boundary.

Yet, knowing Shiina, her intentions were probably pure as freshly fallen snow. She likely doesn't think much of it, Kanade reasoned, though it didn't stop his mind from wandering down paths he desperately tried to avoid.

Her impulsive decision to bathe here almost felt like… an invitation. Kanade immediately shook his head, banishing the thought. No, no, no! I'm overthinking this. Shiina wouldn't have any strange ideas. To her, this is just a simple favor between friends.

He clung to this rationalization like a lifeline. After all, hadn't he done something similar just yesterday? He'd stayed over at Fujiwara Chika's place and borrowed her bathroom without a second thought. No big deal. Right?

With a heavy nod to affirm his innocence, Kanade forced himself to relax. Yes, this was just a normal interaction between friends.

"K-Kanade, can you hear me?" Shiina's sweet, melodic voice echoed from behind the bathroom door, accompanied by the sound of water splashing gently against porcelain.

Kanade froze. His breath hitched, and his heart thumped wildly in his chest. "Y-Yeah, I can hear you. What's up?"

Hoping to catch her words more clearly, he moved closer to the bathroom door. That was mistake number one. From this position, he could see her shadow faintly outlined on the frosted glass. Though obscured, the silhouette stirred his imagination, and before he realized it, his gaze had wandered to the basket of clothes she'd discarded before entering.

Mistake number two.

The sight of her neatly folded school uniform, skirt, and undergarments made Kanade's mind spiral into chaos. He immediately squatted down, covering his face with his hands as shame and guilt washed over him. What am I even thinking?!

"This is so messed up," he muttered, berating himself. Yet, the more he tried to push the thoughts away, the more they clawed their way back, unbidden and relentless.

Kanade recalled something a friend had once said: The allure of the unknown is often the strongest. The half-seen, the partially obscured—these were the things that sparked the wildest imaginations. It was like the cover of a piano's keys being slowly lifted to reveal a masterpiece underneath. A mystery revealed too quickly was fleeting, but one unveiled bit by bit lingered sweetly.

"What am I even comparing this to?!" Kanade muttered through gritted teeth, slamming his hand against the floor. The sharp jolt of pain snapped him back to reality, just as Shiina's voice floated through the door again.

"Kanade? Are you still there?" Her voice was softer now, tinged with a mix of curiosity and impatience.

"Y-Yeah! I'm here!" Kanade responded, forcing himself to sound normal, though his heart was anything but calm.

"...You're not doing anything weird out there, are you?" Her tone turned suspicious, and Kanade could almost hear the water swirling around her as if she were shifting uncomfortably in the tub.

"Of course not!" Kanade blurted, a little too loudly.

Though his words were adamant, his mind betrayed him. Like staring at her shadow on the glass… imagining her sitting in the tub… thinking about the warmth lingering on her clothes after she'd taken them off… I didn't think about that! Not even for a second!

Inside the bathroom, Shiina's face turned a deep shade of red as Kanade's voice echoed in her ears. "I-I didn't even accuse you of anything yet!" she stammered, sinking further into the water until only her caramel-colored eyes peeked out.

Her thoughts weren't any calmer than Kanade's. Idiot Kanade… perverted Kanade… stupid big pig's hoof! she thought, the insults piling up as her heart raced. She knew boys could be like this. Her classmates had warned her that high school boys were creatures ruled by their impulses.

Still, the idea of Kanade doing something weird with her clothes… that was too much. No way, right? At least… he should wait until we're in a relationship or something!

Her mind betrayed her as well, imagining what Kanade might actually do if it ever came to that. Her classmates had said boys would act out if they held back too much, but…

No, no! Why am I even thinking about this?!

Her caramel-colored eyes darted to the door, and she let out a small, flustered hum. "Ugh… why is this so hard?"

Unaware of Shiina's inner turmoil, Natsukawa Kanade was pacing back and forth outside the bathroom like a tightly wound spring. "Shiina, I swear I'm not doing anything weird! You've got to believe me!" His voice was a mix of urgency and desperation as he tried to clear his name.

For a moment, the bathroom was silent. Then came the faint sound of bubbles popping, followed by a strange gurgling noise that made Kanade freeze in place.

"H-Huh? What was that?" he muttered under his breath, straining his ears to hear better.

The odd sounds continued, but just as Kanade leaned closer to the door, he caught himself. Wait, what am I doing? If I get any closer, she might think I'm trying to peek! He froze mid-step, caught between his curiosity and his guilt.

Before he could spiral into another round of self-recrimination, Shiina's voice finally broke the silence. It was soft but clear, carrying a hint of her usual calmness.

"Kanade, I need clothes. I'm done showering."

"C-Clothes?" Kanade repeated, glancing nervously at the basket by the door. His gaze fell on the neatly folded school uniform, and his stomach did an uncomfortable flip. "Uh… but those are already…"

"I'm not wearing those again!" Shiina's voice rose slightly, sounding both annoyed and indignant. "They're dirty now. I can't wear them after showering!"

Kanade winced. Of course. That was just common sense, wasn't it? He quickly shook off his hesitation. "Right! Got it! What do you need?"

"There's a spare change of clothes in my bag," Shiina explained. "Also… could you bring me one of your shirts?" Her voice dipped a little at the end, almost shy.

"M-My shirt?!" Kanade's eyes widened, and he instinctively glanced at his own clothes as if to confirm he even had something suitable. "Uh, yeah, okay. No problem!"

As he hurried to retrieve Shiina's spare clothes, Kanade couldn't help but feel like something about this whole situation was oddly… calculated. Who just casually carries a spare outfit in their school bag? Was this normal for girls?

He'd heard rumors, of course. Girls' bags were like miniature treasure troves, packed with everything from nail clippers and makeup remover to snacks and sometimes even things they didn't need. But Shiina didn't seem like the type to carry around half her house.

After rummaging through her bag, Kanade finally found the spare set of clothes. They were neatly folded, and the soft pastel colors gave them an undeniably cute vibe—just like Shiina herself.

Wait… stop thinking like that! Kanade scolded himself, shaking his head. This isn't the time for weird thoughts. Just focus.

Still, as he held the delicate fabric in his hands, he couldn't ignore the faint flutter of his heart. This is so bad…

"Kanade?" Shiina's voice called out again, breaking him out of his trance. "Are you still there?"

"Y-Yeah, I've got your clothes!" Kanade shouted back, fumbling to gather everything.

His heart raced as he approached the bathroom door. The last thing he wanted was for Shiina to catch him standing there awkwardly when she came out. That would only add fuel to the fire of this already embarrassing situation.