First Day Of Ski Trip, At The Lodge: The Grand Party Of Day 2

“And that’s exactly why the two of us have decided to step in and lend a helping hand.” Mina-san spoke with absolute confidence.

“Eh?”

I tilted my head in bewilderment at this entirely unexpected development.

“I mean, ‘now is your absolute chance,’ you see?”

“Now is my chance?”

As I queried her back, Mina-san quickly clarified:

“Touko explicitly headed back to the room a moment ago, saying she was exhausted. The four of us are sharing a four-person room over in the new wing.”

“Right.”

I let out a vague sound, still entirely failing to grasp the full scope of what she was implying. Mina-san let out a frustrated groan, scratching her head with impatience.

“Oh, come on! We’re telling you that the three of us are going to keep Kazumi completely tied down over here, which means you have a golden opportunity to sneak off and be completely alone with Touko right now!”

“Ehhh?!”

As a sound of pure shock automatically slipped from my mouth, Manami-san aggressively closed the distance to press the attack.

“If you keep remaining so incredibly hesitant, Isshiki-kun, the relationship between you two is never going to advance. That’s why we’re telling you that now is the absolute time to act!”

“Besides, it makes things rather awkward for us when Touko constantly keeps those types of topics strictly off-limits anyway,” Mina-san added.

“But Touko-san doesn’t know anything about this plan, does she?”

“See? That exact kind of timid attitude is precisely why you’re stuck! You’re Touko’s boyfriend, aren’t you? There shouldn’t be a single issue with the two of you spending some private time together in her room.”

“Exactly. Even if something happens during your private time together…”

“Ultimately, that’s exactly how a couple’s relationship takes a massive leap forward sometimes.”

“Even when I get into a massive brawl with my own boyfriend, the moment we hook up, we mysteriously patch things right up, you know?”

The words of the two girls dissolved into my brain like a dangerous magical potion.

…I see. So my timid, indecisive attitude really is the core underlying problem here…

The absolute final blow was this statement delivered by Manami-san:

“No matter how strong independent women claim to be these days, when it comes to confessions, proposals, and intimacy, we desperately want the guy to be the one to take the lead!”

…Is that so? When it comes to intimacy, taking the initiative is an absolute obligation for me as a guy…

“Now that you comprehend, hurry up and go! The two of us won’t be returning to the room for at least another two hours. Naturally, we’ll keep Kazumi completely occupied.”

“Yes, indeed—go create some unforgettable memories. Here, this is the room key.” With that, Mina-san aggressively pushed a plastic card key into my hand.

…That’s right. I am Touko’s boyfriend. I can’t keep acting completely terrified of her forever. I need to be the one to invite her forward, even if I have to be a bit forceful…

Driven by a dangerous cocktail of heavy alcohol and the fierce encouragement of the two girls, I turned my steps toward Touko-san’s room with that exact thought firmly anchored in my mind.

Although my footing felt a little unsteady, I pressed forward along the corridor connecting the main building to the new wing. Along the way, I passed right in front of the grand communal baths and stepped into the new wing, where a staircase leading up to the second floor immediately came into view. Despite being called the “new wing,” this building possessed a distinctly traditional Japanese-style design. The interior decor looked precisely like a classic ryokan inn. I wonder if they designed this specifically to appeal to foreign tourists? Touko-san’s room sat at the absolute far end of the corridor after climbing up to the second floor.

…Alright, let’s do this! I’m going to act like a real man and close the distance with Touko-san completely! If she looks willing to accept me, I’ll carry it all the way through in one go…

Driven by the heavy intoxication, those chaotic thoughts kept spinning loops inside my head.

I finally arrived directly in front of Touko-san’s room. Taking one massive, deep breath, I slid the card key into the slot. With a crisp clack, the sound of the lock releasing echoed in the quiet hallway.

I opened the door. Looking down at the entryway, there was only a single pair of shoes. There was absolutely no doubt about it—Touko-san was completely alone inside! I slid open the wooden shoji door leading into the main living quarters. The interior of the room was completely pitch black. The only illumination was a tiny fraction of outside light filtering weakly through the closed curtains. Four futons were laid out neatly across the tatami mats. One of them formed a distinct, rounded mound. Touko-san was undoubtedly fast asleep inside.

My heart began thumping frantically against my ribs. Every single step forward felt clumsy and awkward.

…Don’t hesitate now, Yuu Isshiki! You’ve already carried yourself all the way here. Today, I’m going to make my move, even if I have to be a bit forceful!

Of course, if she were to flatly deliver a firm refusal, I fully intended to back away quietly. However, if I allowed this golden opportunity—or rather, this momentum—to slip through my fingers today, I felt as if I would truly never be able to cross that line with Touko-san until the day we actually got married.

I sank down onto my knees right beside the sleeping figure. She was lying on her side, her back turned completely toward the entryway. Mind you, in the heavy dark, I could decipher nothing more than a mere silhouette.

“Touko-san…”

I gently placed my hand onto her shoulder from above the quilt.

“Mmh… nnh…”

“Touko-san, please wake up.”

I gently shook her body to rouse her from sleep. She lifted her head slightly from the pillow.

“W-Who is it…?”

“It’s me, it’s Yuu. Yuu Isshiki.”

“Eh? Yuu…? Why are you here…?”

“Touko-san, I… I desperately want you.”

I wrapped my arms around her from behind as she sat halfway up in the futon. She appeared to be wearing a light yukata robe. I buried my face directly into her long, cascading hair.

“Wait… h-hang on a second…!”

“Touko-san, I can’t hold back anymore!”

With that, I locked my arms around her body, pulling her tight against me from behind. The sensation of her rich, soft bust bounced explicitly within my embrace. A raging fire of desire instantly ignited throughout my entire body. I captured those ample, soft mounds with both of my hands.

“Ah!”

A tiny shriek slipped from her lips. Ignoring her protest, I forcefully turned her body around to face me.

“W-Wait, stop, please…”

In my intoxicated state, that breathless voice sounded precisely like an invitation crying, ‘more, more.’ Forcing her to face me completely, I buried my face straight into her rich chest. With that momentum, the two of us tumbled sideways onto the futon. She was on the bottom, and I was pinned directly over her.

…Touko-san isn’t fighting me off…

Operating under that assumption, I parted the front folds of her yukata robe. Even in the deep dark, a pale, white cleavage and a bra—though I couldn’t decipher its color—came into faint view.

“N-No, don’t…!” she gasped, her voice carrying an intensely heated quality.

“Touko-san, I am completely serious. I love you so much. I want to marry you this very instant. No, I swear I will absolutely marry you in the future! That’s why…” Spouting those desperate words, I buried my face back into her rich chest.

“Wait, stop… I beg of you…”

I slid both of my hands underneath her yukata, reaching behind her back to swiftly unfasten the hooks of her bra.

“Hic!”

Once again, a tiny shriek escaped her lips.

“Touko-san…”

The exact instant I attempted to pull the bra away—

“I-I’M NOT HER!!!”

The moment she screamed those words at the top of her lungs, the overhead lights in the room snapped on with a brilliant flash.

“Eh?”

I blinked against the sudden glare, looking down at the person I was currently locking in a tight embrace. The girl lying beneath me was… Honoka. Her face was flushed bright crimson, and large tears were actively pooling in her eyes.

“Eh?!”

As a sound of absolute horror ripped from my throat—

“What on earth do you think you are doing…?”

An ice-cold voice echoed dangerously from right behind me. Trembling with absolute terror, I slowly turned my head to look back…

Standing squarely in the doorway was Touko-san.

“T-Touko-san…”

Completely struck blank with horror, I scrambled backward, breaking away from Honoka instantly. Honoka clutched the front of her disheveled yukata tight against her chest, scrambling backward as far as the futon allowed.

“U-Um… listen… this is a total misunderstanding. I swear I thought she was you, Touko-san…”

“…”

“I was told explicitly that this was your room, and that you were completely alone inside… On top of that, the room was pitch black…”

“Get out…” Touko-san spoke quietly, her voice trembling as she desperately squeezed down a raging torrent of fury.

“L-Look, please, I swear to you I completely believed she was you—”

“I said get out! Both of you, get out of my sight right now!!!” Touko-san erupted, screaming at the absolute top of her lungs.

It was painfully clear that I no longer possessed a single right to utter another syllable. Driven strictly by her command, I stood up like a sleepwalker, floating aimlessly toward the exit of the room. Honoka hastily rearranged her yukata and scrambled to her feet.

“Um… Sister, listen, this whole mess was—”

“I don’t want to hear a single word from you. Get out of this room this instant!” Touko-san refused to let Honoka speak a single word of explanation either.

The moment Honoka and I stepped out into the corridor, the heavy sound of the lock snapping firmly into place echoed from behind the closed door.

…It’s over…

Standing out in the hallway, I stood completely frozen in a state of absolute shock. Honoka remained standing quietly beside me for quite a significant chunk of time before she finally opened her mouth.

“I… I only came over to borrow some skin lotion since I had just stepped out of the bath. But my sister and I must have missed each other at the communal baths. She told me, ‘Just wait in the room until I get back,’ so… I ended up falling asleep while waiting. And then…”

Apparently, the reality of what happened next was far too intense for Honoka to put into words.

“I am so sorry, Honoka.” Offering those words was the absolute best I could manage.

Honoka cast a brief, intensely embarrassed glance up at me, before turning away to walk silently back to her own room.