After deciding to give up, I became popular

Hearing Kanade Natsukawa whisper softly in a calm voice, Mahiru probably couldn't stand it, muttering "Idiot" under her breath while angrily pressing the pads of her fingers hard on his knee.

And so, the two of them started playfully bickering again.

...

Feeling that continuing to be affectionate and intimate in the bathroom would cause them to get dizzy, they didn't engage in further physical contact and decided to get out of the bathtub after soaking for a while.

Mahiru still had her daily skincare routine to do in the bathroom, so Kanade Natsukawa went out first, drying his hair in the living room while waiting for his girlfriend to come out.

For a moment, Kanade Natsukawa considered whether he should wait without drying his hair and playfully act spoiled with Mahiru, but doing something harmful to his body (it's better not to let hair air dry, as it can easily cause headaches) in front of someone who takes care of her hair so diligently... he had a feeling he would be scolded again, so Kanade Natsukawa quickly dried his hair.

Kanade Natsukawa originally wanted to wait for her in the bedroom, but doing so would mean greeting Mahiru in an atmosphere of "what's to come" and in a very tense state, so he decided to stay in the living room where they usually spend time together to conveniently deceive the restlessness in his heart.

And to prevent excessive nervousness, Kanade Natsukawa even turned on the TV to watch meaningless, unfamiliar programs.

Just then, a sound came from the hallway.

Feeling a little embarrassed to turn around, Kanade Natsukawa could only pretend to be intently listening to the program, and then he sensed Mahiru's presence beside him.

He then looked up and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

If Mahiru had come in a provocative nightgown, Kanade Natsukawa would seriously suspect that she was testing his rationality, but fortunately, Mahiru was wearing a knee-length nightdress with an open cardigan.

With sheer material layered over smooth, glossy fabric, this nightdress had a sense of transparency but didn't reveal the body's outline, not giving off a vulgar impression.

Of course, perhaps it was because the angel-like Mahiru gave off such a sacred feeling that even if it were a revealing design, it would probably only reveal a cute side of her.

The nightdress itself was a camisole style without sleeves, but because she had a lace cardigan over it, it only subtly peeked through without directly exposing her skin, presenting a delicate style.

Mahiru may have felt Kanade Natsukawa's gaze, and she shyly shrunk back, but instead of trying to cover up, she cast an inquiring look: "Is it, is it strange?"

"No, it's very cute and suits you well," Kanade Natsukawa shook his head, explaining seriously, "I was just thinking, it's a little different from what you wear at home."

By 'home,' he was of course not referring to this rented apartment, but the house where he had previously taken his girlfriend to meet his parents.

"Wearing something like this at, at your house wouldn't be very good, would it? Um... I'm only putting in a little effort now because only you are looking," Although she said that, Mahiru, still fidgeting, carefully sat down beside him, pressing her body close.

The light, thin texture, and a slightly richer fragrance than what he smelled in the bathroom, yet a sweet but not cloying refreshing scent, made his body, which was supposed to be calming down, restless again.

Just sitting next to her had this effect; if he were to hold her, the fragrance would surely be even more intoxicating, right?

"Honestly, I was wondering what I would do if you came wearing a really daring nightgown."

"Actually, I did consider it," the angel-like girl nodded.

"Huh?" Kanade Natsukawa was a little dumbfounded.

"But, um... if I was too, too eager, I was afraid it would make you feel repulsed," Mahiru explained.

"How could I be repulsed?" Kanade Natsukawa retorted; if anyone saw such a shy and cute girl and was repulsed, then that person would definitely be Tetsunanto, "Of course I'm not repulsed, even—I would be very happy if you wore it for me."

"I, I won't wear it," the angel-like girl pouted.

"Eh～... You won't?" Kanade Natsukawa sighed.

"Do you want me to wear it that much?"

"Of course I want you to wear it... but I'd rather see it when you want to show it to me."

"Umm..."

"So you don't have to force yourself now," Seeing that his girlfriend seemed a little down, Kanade Natsukawa leaned closer, giving her a light hug and a gentle peck on her forehead to comfort her.

Although the shy Mahiru was also cute, there was no need to force herself to wear it while still hesitant; what was more important to him was that Mahiru chose to do it willingly.

Then he honestly dropped the topic, tilting his head to show his confusion to Mahiru, who seemed to have something to say for some reason, and then he heard her deny it in a slightly raised tone: "It's nothing." Kanade Natsukawa didn't press her, simply gently taking her hand.

As always, just holding Mahiru's hand made her body stiffen for a moment, but Kanade Natsukawa said nothing, simply gently enveloping it with his hand, and then her body relaxed, resting her head on Kanade Natsukawa's shoulder.

Mahiru's leaning motion never put pressure on him, yet it was close enough to say "I won't leave," and Kanade Natsukawa naturally leaned his weight slightly towards Mahiru.

The two were close, but their hearts were even closer.

Extra: Love Never Ceases (Angel Arc End)

Perhaps it was already late, and the variety show had also ended, as the calm voice of a news anchor began to come from the living room television.

Kanade Natsukawa was in a half-asleep state, and the comfortable warmth beside him kept him in a state of being unable to fully concentrate, resulting in him just blankly listening to the news broadcast, but subconsciously, he changed the way he was holding his girlfriend's hand.

He had been enveloping her hand with his, but now their fingers were intertwined, as if craving Mahiru, using his actions to assert that he wouldn't let go.

Perhaps it was because she had just taken a bath, the angel's delicate fingers were completely warm, and she didn't run away, letting him play with them and even gently squeezing back in response.

"Is it about time to go to sleep?" Kanade Natsukawa said softly, although him suggesting it always felt like he had ulterior motives, but dragging it out like this wouldn't do either.

"Yeah, let's go to sleep then."

Hearing Kanade Natsukawa's question, the angel quietly and gently squeezed his hand again.

Then Kanade Natsukawa simply took the initiative to pull her up and led her slowly to his bedroom.

There wasn't really anything to see in his room; there was nothing new or interesting, and Mahiru had already visited many times, but even so, she still looked around, perhaps because that was her personality, not really observing carefully, but perhaps just because it reminded her of what was to come, so she looked around to relieve her nervousness...

Then the angel's gaze settled on the desk, and she smiled softly: "The stuffed animal is nicely displayed."

Saying so, Mahiru pointed to the cat stuffed animal she had won at the amusement park during their Golden Week date.

Because it was a rare long holiday, she cherished it very much, taking the initiative to invite him out and going to many places together, and finally getting the urge to try and easily getting this stuffed animal.

Although this stuffed animal did seem out of place in his room, it was a gift from Mahiru after she worked so hard to win it, and it would be a shame to just put it away, so it had been displayed in his room.

He originally didn't think anyone would want to enter his room like this, and he didn't really care, just putting it there, but now that the person who gave him the stuffed animal had pointed it out, he felt a little embarrassed.

"It's not really decorating, it's just... if I kept it in the closet, it would get dusty and smelly, right? But I definitely wouldn't hug it to sleep like you do," Kanade Natsukawa explained to her.

"Ugh?!" The angel suddenly let out a cry, "Are, are you making fun of me?"

"Eh? Why do you say that?" Kanade Natsukawa suddenly paused, but his girlfriend feeling embarrassed was also very cute, making him want to tease her even more, "It's clearly a very cute thing to do, right? Of course I have no reason to make fun of you, and I'm also very happy that you cherish it so much."

He was of course referring to the large bear stuffed animal he had given the angel as a birthday gift shortly after meeting Shiina, which seemed to be very popular with her, and he had later heard that she often hugged it to sleep.

As for who told him... besides her brother-obsessed little sister, Mairu-san, who else could it be?

"Umm..." The angel looked a little strange, with a restless and uneasy aura, but more than that, she had a shameful impulse to cover her face.

She might be embarrassed about being told that she hugs stuffed animals to sleep, even though this person was her boyfriend.

Then Shiina Mahiru's gaze wandered for a while, as if silently protesting that Kanade Natsukawa's words were a bit sharp, but after he frankly praised her several more times, that thorny gaze gradually softened, eventually becoming just an emotion called shyness.

"Any, anyway! I just think... since it's something you gave me, I have to cherish it properly..." the angel explained with a pout, looking like she didn't want to be seen as a still-spoiled child.

"I'm very flattered by that..." Kanade Natsukawa nodded, then suddenly remembered something, "Speaking of which, you didn't bring the bear today, did you?"

He had entered the bathroom first, and Mahiru had gone back to her place to get things she needed for the night, so since he hadn't seen it, he couldn't imagine what she had brought.

"Yeah, of course, because you're here today," the angel nodded seriously.

"Uh..." Kanade Natsukawa suddenly became speechless for a moment, not knowing whether he had replaced the bear, or whether the bear had always been replacing him?

But the good news was—regardless of whether she was going to treat him as a body pillow substitute or not, he wasn't going to be timid anymore, and he naturally intended to touch her as much as he wanted.

Of course, in a way that was definitely legal.

He even wanted to hug her right now, but because she was next to the cat stuffed animal, Kanade Natsukawa's gaze also turned to the cat stuffed animal.

The round, large eyes seemed to contain emotions, but also seemed to contain nothing, but when he wasn't looking at it, he felt like it was always staring...

He suddenly began to feel uneasy, as if he was a child who didn't know what was going on seeing a married couple being intimate, even though he and Mahiru weren't in that kind of relationship yet and hadn't experienced that feeling, he felt that the feeling was very similar, so Kanade Natsukawa silently took off the jacket that was hanging on the chair and covered the cat stuffed animal with it.

"What's wrong?" The angel looked puzzled.

"How do I put it... being watched by it like that makes me feel restless?" Kanade Natsukawa explained.

Even though he knew that it was just a stuffed animal, not even a living thing, and even if it did see, it wouldn't matter, he didn't know why, but he felt that what was about to happen... no, what he was going to do to Mahiru shouldn't be seen.

Of course, Kanade Natsukawa didn't plan to develop to the point where his reason was completely burned out, but even so, he hesitated to let those pure eyes reflect the intimate moments of lovers.

"..." The angel showed a very gentle smile, as if she was seeing him in a new light, "I didn't expect you to care about something like that, Kanade."

"..." It's hard not to care, right? Kanade Natsukawa thought.

"But that side of you is also cute," Seeing beauty in the eye of the beholder, the angel wouldn't tease him too much.

But he was still a little unconvinced, "Does that come from someone who needs to hug a bear to sleep?"

"Ah! Wasn't that topic over just now? Seriously!" The angel was a little unwilling, and her face became puffed up.

But this feeling of shame and anger didn't last long, and was slowly resolved step by step by Kanade Natsukawa's offensive.

Before he knew it—or rather, it was premeditated, to enjoy a more delicate touch, Kanade Natsukawa had already moved closer, first gently pecking her lips, then vaguely hearing her giggle as if she felt ticklish.

That was a sound that only the two of them could hear, a sound that no one else could hear, so Kanade Natsukawa wanted to hear it more, to hear that sweet sound that would make people sink into it, so the kiss that was just a touch naturally became deeper, closely intertwined, deeply craving each other's heat.

This passionate method was the first time, for Shiina Mahiru, Kanade had always been more gentle, wanting to do it but only doing it lightly, touching and separating, seeming a little too timid, but this time it was very different, with a kind of... magic that would make her sink endlessly.

Her brain had completely stopped thinking, and her eyes were full of his figure.

She wasn't used to it, or rather—not yet used to it, because after this battle, Kanade Natsukawa might never be able to accept that ordinary shallow style again, he would want to demand more from the angel, and that was what he thought now.

Because he realized that Mahiru had no intention of refusing him at all, and even began to respond actively, he realized that at this moment, their relationship had become even closer.

Whenever she let out a sweet and husky voice, seemingly stuck in her throat, he would begin to feel an indescribable sense of excitement.

夏川奏也 knew he was simple-minded, or perhaps all boys were so simple-minded, always quick to believe others, sometimes listening to the eldest, sometimes to the second.

However, as a result, heat began to accumulate continuously, as if a force was driving and enhancing his momentum.

He could feel that the angel's slender body was no longer as stiff as it had been at the beginning, but began to soften and weaken, eventually leaning limply against him again. And when he thought about how her soft limbs were touching him through the thin clothing, 夏川奏也 couldn't help but reach out, wanting to cherish her and ask for more.

One of the hands that had been holding her tightly began to touch her slender waist through her nightgown, and she let out a slight tremor that he could only feel when kissing her, but it was probably even more than that.

Then he slowly stroked her waist with his palm, and just like that, 真昼’s body arched and twisted slightly, but not as if she was about to run away, as if she was just trying to find a comfortable position to better withstand his onslaught.

Knowing this fact was like adding fuel to the internal fire.

夏川奏也’s half-natural movements seemed to be taken for granted as he began to climb the peak.

But before his palm touched the softer place above, 真昼 shook her body dramatically and closed her eyes again.

Only then did he suddenly begin to wake up, realizing what he was doing at this moment, and hurriedly tried to withdraw his palm and stop kissing, trying to separate himself from her, but 真昼主动主动 buried her face in his chest and refused to leave, her red face as if it was about to melt.

Even his hand that wanted to withdraw was chased by her slender palm and overlapped with it, as if to retain him.

"That... I don't intend to revise what I said when I asked to stay overnight."

"..."

The words of confession, buried in his chest and sounding somewhat vague, were uttered one by one. This time, it was 夏川奏也’s turn to tense up.

This means... right?

He lowered his head slightly and met the eyes of the angel, who had just raised her head to steal a glance at him.

Perhaps because they had just kissed, her face, as red as fire, revealed a look of near-pleading.

Those caramel-colored eyes were moist, as if sweet drops were about to fall at any moment, timidly observing his every move...

夏川奏也 couldn't help but swallow.

Maybe... no, for sure, 真昼 she would definitely accept what he did.

Even if it meant giving up her only important thing, she would accept it, 夏川奏也 even suspected that she would be happy to offer it.

She trusted 夏川奏也 so much, and loved him deeply.

夏川奏也 also had this confidence, not in unfounded fantasy, but it could be detected from her daily actions—

At first, he was the one who took the initiative, then she tried her best to avoid it, and slowly it became the situation where she would take the initiative from time to time, but he would start to avoid talking about it...

Of course, he understood why, but the key was whether he could really respond to 真昼’s trust and love? And just a moment ago... even though he had already prepared and resolved to just hold her to sleep, now it looked like a joke...

These various contradictions churned within him, the desires of his body impatiently urging him, and the feelings of truly wanting to love her conflicting with each other, on the verge of joining forces to destroy his rationality.

He was clearly just breathing out lightly, but 真昼’s body would tremble in response.