Chapter 41: Night

Changing clothes after the pool went smoothly without much trouble.

As long as I changed my top while there were still lots of people around, I could just slip on my skirt afterward without worrying about anyone’s gaze.

Since Yuna’s towel had gotten wet, I gave her mine and dried myself using magic inside a toilet stall.

The afternoon classes were a blur—I was completely worn out from the pool and spent most of the time half-asleep. Even after school, the fatigue wouldn’t go away, so I sent a message to the club group saying I’d be skipping today and headed straight home.

Once back in my room, I took off my uniform, hung it on a hanger, and crawled into bed in just my underwear. Honestly, even putting on pajamas felt like too much effort.

A light headache, sluggishness, and sleepiness washed over me. I didn’t resist—I let it all take me.

---

…I had a dream.

In the dream, I was still Ikuto, and it started with Alicia transferring to our school.

As soon as Alicia entered the classroom and spotted me, she rushed over and hugged me in delight, sending the whole class into an uproar.

Then came her self-introduction. In the middle of her speech, Alicia kept blushing or smiling every time she glanced at me, and the class would erupt each time.

Hisui picked a fight with Alicia, Souta teased her, and for some reason, Yuna—who was apparently in the same class—could only offer a wry smile. It was all so lively… a scene that maybe, just maybe, could’ve really happened.

---

…Waking up was the worst.

The heaviness in my body was still there, and for some reason, my heart felt terribly restless. Emotions I couldn’t explain welled up inside me, and I couldn’t make sense of them.

I sat up. It was already dark outside, and I had no idea what time it was. I fumbled around for my phone on the nightstand and turned on the screen.

“It’s already past midnight…”

Along with the time, there was a message from Yuna.

‘You looked really out of it, so I didn’t wake you. If you’re hungry, there’s food in the fridge. Good night.’

She’d sent that about two hours ago. I replied simply: ‘Thanks, good night.’

Now that I was thinking about food, my stomach let out a loud growl.

Guess I’m still hungry.

『…I’m quite hungry myself.』

Alicia’s voice echoed in my mind.

That usual laid-back tone of hers somehow made me feel a little relieved.

『Shall we eat something?』

I put on my pajamas, then quietly made my way downstairs to the living room, careful not to make any noise. The lights had already been turned off, so I only switched on the bare minimum.

Inside the fridge was a meal of rice and pork shabu-shabu. Light and refreshing—it went down really well.

『My body feels heavy… I wonder if I’ve caught a cold?』

While washing the dishes, I spoke to Alicia in my head.

『That might be it. I haven’t been feeling great since this morning either.』

『So… Alicia, you’re feeling it too? Your body?』

『Yes… I think I feel it the same way you do, Ikuto-san. Though, I could always sever the sync between us and stop feeling it.』

『Wait, you can do that?』

…That’s kinda unfair.

『If I cut the sync, I lose access to all five senses. So I rarely do it.』

『I see…』

So you can’t just cut the bad feelings and keep the rest. Not that convenient, I guess.

『Well, on days like this, best thing is to take a bath and just sleep it off.』

I pressed the reheat button by the kitchen to raise the bath temperature.

After that, I went back to my room, got a change of clothes, and headed to the bathroom.

I noticed something was off while I was washing myself.

…My skin felt more sensitive than usual.

When I ran my soapy hands over my body, it tickled in a strange, squirmy way. I kept washing as best I could, but Alicia, who was more ticklish than me, seemed to be having a hard time coping.

『Nnh… fuaa…』

Her breathy moan echoed inside my head, stirring a vague, restless feeling in me.

Trying my best to ignore that feeling, I finished washing quicker than usual, wrapped my hair in a towel, and soaked in the tub, letting the water cradle my body.

The soothing warmth spread through me, seeping into every limb.

Only then did I start to feel settled again. I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

After a while of basking in the bath’s comfort, I casually asked Alicia a question that had been on my mind.

『Hey, Alicia… don’t you think I’ve been acting weird today?』

『Your condition’s not great, that’s for sure…』

Alicia responded in a weary tone. Even though the bath had helped a bit, the fatigue still lingered.

『It's not that. I mean emotionally. Like, I feel kind of unstable—like my mood swings are all over the place and I can't really control them. What did it seem like to you, Alicia?』

『Now that you mention it, I suppose I could see that... But, well, given everything that happened, isn’t it kind of understandable?』

She must have been thinking about what happened earlier in the day. Alicia said that while looking a bit awkward about it.

I remembered the shameful scene from earlier and felt too mortified to bear it, so I sank my face into the surface of the water.

『W-Well, when you're not feeling well physically, your emotions tend to dip too! It's totally understandable!』

Alicia’s gentle attempt to reassure me only made it more painful.

After all, Alicia knew everything about me.

…Like how, in that moment when I lost control and messed up earlier, I got caught between guilt and a strange sense of relief, and my body reacted just a little in a way it shouldn't have.

Realizing that all over again, I felt my face flush hot with embarrassment.

After I got out of the bath, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and finished my usual routine before heading back to my room.

On a day like this, the only thing to do is go to bed early.

I slipped straight into bed, turned off the lights, and closed my eyes.

But maybe because I soaked too long in the bath, my body felt unusually warm, and I couldn’t fall asleep.

And whenever I shut my eyes, all those steamy scenes from earlier kept replaying in my head, like a loop.

Images of girls in disheveled uniforms, underwear showing… and then, the feeling of Jun’s chest...

...Yeah, there’s no way I’m sleeping like this.

By the time I realized it, my body was already flushed and reacting to the memories.

I tried to focus on something else to cool myself down, but when I rolled over, the hardened tips of my chest brushed against my arm through the fabric. That sweet friction sent an involuntary jolt through me.

"Nn...!"

A restless heat was building below my stomach, and the crotch of the fresh panties I’d put on after the bath was starting to feel a little damp.

Without thinking, I was rubbing my thighs together, seeking stimulation.

『Hya…!?』

Alicia’s voice echoed in my head, snapping me out of it like a splash of cold water.

What the hell was I doing... in Alicia’s body, no less—

『Ikuto-san... um...』

Of course, there was no hiding the state of my body from Alicia, so there wasn’t much point in trying to explain.

『S-Sorry… I…』

『Ah, um… you don’t need to apologize. Really, I’m the one who should be sorry.』

『...Why are you apologizing, Alicia?』

『Because I’ve always been with you… and because of that, you haven’t been able to do things like this, right? I never even realized it until now...』

『T-That’s not...』

『I-It’s okay! Starting tonight, I’ll disconnect the mental sync while we’re sleeping… So during that time, feel free to do whatever you like, Ikuto-san!』

『“Whatever I like,” you say, but Alicia… do you even know what kind of stuff I might be doing?』

『I know exactly what that kind of stuff is! I-I’m an adult woman too, you know! Even I… sometimes… take care of myself when I can’t hold it in...』

『O-Oh… I see...』

Ugh… that confession is just unfair.

So she’s saying she did that even while we were traveling together? Seriously?

『A-Anyway, that’s how it is, so please don’t hold back! I don’t want to stay all worked up like this either…』

『O-Okay…』

Somehow, as if being pushed into it, I ended up agreeing to masturbate using Alicia’s body.

『…But, there’s just one thing I’d like to ask, is that alright?』

---

I turned on the lights and locked the room. Then, I prepared tissues and a fresh pair of panties by the bedside and moved the full-length mirror next to the bed so it reflected the space above it. Once everything was ready, I sat down on the bed.

Reflected in the mirror was the figure of a girl, her cheeks flushed with anticipation for what was about to happen. Despite her youthful appearance, the unmistakable aura of a aroused girl radiated from her entire body—an unbalanced yet undeniably erotic contrast. The depths of her body were already burning with heat, and even though I hadn’t touched her yet, I could tell her underwear was damp.

『Ikuto, thank you for indulging my selfish request.』

Alicia’s wish was this: "Just for the first time, could you look at my body and only think about me while you do it?"

『I don’t have breasts like Jun, and my figure isn’t as good as Fumika’s…』 she added apologetically, but for me, it was an offer I couldn’t have hoped for. I could play with Alicia’s body while watching her reflection in the mirror. The idea that the reflection was technically me was a little weird, but something like that wasn’t enough to stop a high school boy’s libido.

『…Well then, I’ll cut the mental sync. Goodnight, Ikuto.』

『Goodnight, Alicia.』

I waved at the mirror. Then, Alicia’s voice faded away.

『…Alicia?』

No response.

I couldn’t hold back anymore.