Chapter 74: Stimulation

Three o’clock had arrived. Remembering what Rena Serizawa said earlier, your heartbeat quickened. Conveniently, everyone around you was fast asleep. As long as you kept quiet, you wouldn’t be discovered…

The sudden narrator’s voice jolted Anwa awake from his dreams.

He shook his head and groped under his pillow for his phone, squinting as he turned it on.

It was exactly three in the morning.

“Ah~”

Yawning, Anwa set the phone down and stared blankly up at the old wooden ceiling above him.

The air was saturated with the sweet fragrance of young girls, an aroma that relentlessly assaulted his senses and quickly dispelled any lingering sleepiness.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he glanced around. Despite the gloom, he could make out the faint outlines of the bedding that filled the room.

There were ten people sleeping here: himself, Rena Serizawa, Noe Ito, Sari Kurorai, Ino, Hanako, and several other girls.

They lay in two rows, heads close together.

Originally, Anwa was supposed to sleep on the outermost side, but after sharing a few entertaining stories, he’d been jostled into the center by the others.

He looked left and right, seeing the rounded shapes of blankets on either side.

He remembered that Rena Serizawa was to his left, so he reached into her bedding without hesitation.

After all, she’d told him to come to her at three. That was why he woke at this hour—he was far too awake to fall back asleep, so he might as well find something to do. Since she was to blame, she ought to accept the consequences.

But just as his hand settled on a smooth thigh, there was a soft “slap” and the owner of the thigh promptly knocked it away.

Was she awake?

Anwa was surprised, thinking Rena Serizawa was trying to play coy. He pressed his body closer, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

As her delicate body settled into his embrace, Anwa couldn’t help but let out a mischievous chuckle. He was preparing to go a step further when he suddenly froze.

His palm was pressed against something soft and springy—yet the size was distinctly not Rena Serizawa’s.

Could he have grabbed the wrong person?

Anwa’s heart skipped a beat.

Just then, the person in his arms turned to glare at him with a pair of beautiful, almond-shaped eyes.

It was Noe Ito.

“Tsk…”

Anwa sucked in a sharp breath, his hand instinctively squeezing tighter, sinking deeper into the softness.

“Mmm~”

Noe Ito let out a strange, stifled sound. Sensations bloomed across her chest, and a faint blush colored her face.

---

Noe Ito bit her lip, glaring at the still-bewildered Anwa and whispered warningly, “You idiot, aren’t you going to let go?”

At her words, Anwa’s first reflex was to withdraw, but memories of the infirmary flashed through his mind. His hand, which had just released her, pressed down again, this time with more intent.

“Mm…”

Another odd note escaped Noe Ito’s lips.

Thanks to their earlier games, she had no idea who had tossed her bra aside. She was unencumbered now and ultra-sensitive.

“Idiot…”

She cursed through gritted teeth, but with so many others nearby, she dared not make a sound.

Seeing her hesitate, Anwa’s hand pressed more firmly.

He was in no mood for jokes—what did he have to fear? They’d already crossed the line. A little squeeze wouldn’t hurt. Besides, Noe Ito still needed a favor from him.

With that thought, Anwa leaned in, whispering into her ear, “Nocchan, you can’t blame me. It’s your own fault for being so cute. Just think of this as my reward, like last time.”

As he spoke, his other hand wandered over, and he added softly, “You wouldn’t want anyone else to see you like this, would you?”

Warm breath caressed her ear. Though Noe Ito was furious, she was helpless. She turned her head away.

“I’ll just treat it as a massage,” she told herself.

But the way her brows alternated between furrowed and relaxed betrayed her true feelings.

Gradually, her breathing slowed, her tense body relaxing, and every now and then a strange sound escaped her nose.

---

The next morning, when all the students awoke, they were surprised to see that the usually energetic Ms. Ito was sporting dark circles under her eyes.

“Ms. Ito, did you not sleep well last night?” Hanako asked, sidling up with a blush.

She had slept on Noe Ito’s left and hadn’t noticed anything odd—except for the peculiar dream she’d had, which left her cheeks even redder.

Why had she dreamed something so embarrassing…?

Noe Ito’s face reddened at Hanako’s question. She quickly pulled the blanket to cover half her face and coughed lightly. “I just have trouble sleeping in a new bed. It’s nothing serious.”

As she spoke, she snuck a glance at Anwa, who, seeing her look over, made a grabbing motion with his hand.

The scoundrel…

Noe Ito ground her teeth in silent fury.

---

Neither of them noticed the pair of eyes watching from the corner, taking in every nuance of their interaction.

“Keiko, want to go wash up?” a classmate suddenly asked.

Hearing the voice, Keiko Kitajima snapped out of her reverie and nodded, following her friend out of the room.

She had gotten up in the night and, by chance, heard strange noises. Peeking over, she’d witnessed Anwa’s hand slipping into Noe Ito’s bedding.

Who would have thought—Anwa and Ms. Ito were involved.

Recalling the noises from the previous night, Keiko’s eyes flickered with an odd light, but her friend’s next words made her flush scarlet.

“Hey, Keiko, your pants look a little damp. Did you wet the bed?”

“Idiot! Of course not!”

Keiko pinched her friend’s waist fiercely, but her legs pressed together involuntarily.

Clearly, the pleasures of the night weren’t limited to Anwa and Noe Ito alone.

---

With a day’s experience behind them, today’s school trip was much simpler.

Fire-building, cooking—in the afternoon, Anwa was dragged by Noe Ito to the mountain stream behind the lodge, where she took numerous photos with Sari Kurorai.

Some included all three of them, but without exception, only Noe Ito’s face was visible; Anwa and Sari Kurorai kept themselves out of the frame.

He still didn’t know what Noe Ito’s family situation was like, and Anwa wasn’t eager to invite unnecessary trouble.

That evening, as it was the last night of the trip, everyone gathered in the living room for a talent show.

Relying on an old piano found in the storage room, Anwa performed the theme from “Weathering With You.”

The reception was enthusiastic—at bedtime, there was no shortage of girls hoping to sleep beside him.

In the end, though, Rena Serizawa claimed the prized spot.

She’d missed out the night before, having gone to the restroom with Noe Ito and returned to the wrong bed, falling asleep before Anwa had a chance to “attack.” She regretted it in hindsight.

To make sure nothing went awry this time, she insisted Anwa sleep on the edge.

But to her surprise, though she was ready, Anwa, exhausted from a sleepless night, slept straight through until morning.

The next day, everyone boarded the bus back to the city, marking the official end of their two-day, two-night school trip.

For the rest of the journey, Rena Serizawa ignored Anwa entirely, leaving him baffled.

(End of this chapter)