Chapter 15: Sleepover (Part 1)
Chapter 15: Sleepover (Part 1)
> Chapter 16: Sleepover (Part 2)After discussing with Ren, his dad, my parents, and myself, we finalized the plans for this weekend.
It’s a two-night, three-day thing—if you can even call it an "event." On Friday, we’ll have a regular sleepover at my place, and then on Saturday, we’ll head to my grandma’s house for another night.
Dragging Ren along on what’s basically a family trip feels a little awkward, but, well… we’ve been friends since kindergarten. At this point, he’s practically family. It should be fine. Probably...
As for why we’re going to my grandma’s place, it’s because she lives in —not too far from here.
And why Yame City? Well… I’ll leave that part for later.
Anyway, that’s how our sleepover plans came together—though, if I’m being honest, it felt more like they were decided for us.
March ××, Friday
After breakfast, I grabbed my bag—packed with a change of clothes—and headed to the Onodera residence.
This sleepover actually had a surprisingly packed schedule. I always thought Sumire preferred to take things easy, so this was unexpected. Maybe she wanted to make the most of spring break since it was almost over.
I wondered how next year’s class assignments would turn out. I’d love to end up in the same class as Sumire again, but knowing her, she’d probably just barge into my classroom even if we were separated.
I could already picture it—Sumire strolling in like she owned the place, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Then again, she already stood out so much that worrying about it now felt pointless.
Before long, I arrived at the large apartment building where Sumire lived and stepped into the lobby.
I rang the intercom, and instead of Sumire, her mom answered and unlocked the door for me. Usually, Sumire was the one to greet me, so this felt kind of… new.
It had been a while since I’d been here. Feeling a bit nostalgic, I made my way through the hall and stepped into the elevator.
Ever since we got older, Sumire had been the one coming over to my place more often. I’d picked her up at the entrance a few times, but actually going inside her apartment like this—it had been a long time.
Reaching the fifth floor, I stepped out, walked to her apartment, and rang the doorbell.
From inside, I heard hurried movement—then, suddenly, the door swung open with force.
I barely managed to step back in time, narrowly avoiding a direct hit to the face.
“Whoa, that was close!”
“S-Sorry…”
If I hadn’t moved, that door would’ve smacked me square in the face. Seriously, my heart can only take so much…
The culprit who had nearly broken my nose stood there, looking half-asleep, her hands flailing slightly. Her hair was sticking up in random places, and faint dark circles shadowed her eyes.
Yep, someone definitely stayed up way too late… and probably just rolled out of bed.
“You’re not about to tell me you need a nap after inviting me over, are you?”
“I’m fine… yawn… I’ll just grab a Monster Energy…”
With a muttered “Sorry for intruding,” I stepped inside and made my way to the living room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sumire rummaging through the fridge before pulling out a pink energy drink.
Ignoring her questionable breakfast choice, I finished greeting her mom.
“Welcome, Ren! Thanks for always looking after Sumire.”
“No, thank you for having me. I’ll be in your care for a while.”
Sumire’s mom, Himari Onodera, looked unbelievably youthful. Standing next to Sumire, they could easily be mistaken for sisters rather than mother and daughter. She was the spitting image of Sumire—just as beautiful, just as effortlessly charming. She truly lived up to the title of mom.
At her request, I’d started calling her Himari-san. It had felt a little weird at first, but with her easygoing personality, I got used to it surprisingly quickly.
I was shown to the guest room—a traditional Japanese-style room—where I set down my luggage. Rubbing my shoulders after hauling the somewhat heavy bag, I turned around, only to be met with the sight of Sumire chugging a can of Monster Energy, one hand on her hip.
She let out a loud “Ahhh,” in the exact same way a middle-aged dad would after a beer, earning a wry chuckle from Himari-san.
“Well, I’ll get back to work. Let me know if you need anything,” she said before leaving the
If I remembered correctly, she worked as a columnist. Like Sumire, she was incredibly knowledgeable—must run in the family.
For some reason, my gaze lingered on Sumire, who was now zoning out while still holding the empty energy drink can. If you focused just on this moment, she looked like a total airhead.
“Hey, we’re going out, right? Hurry up and get ready.”
I gave her a light tap on the head to snap her out of it, effectively rebooting her. Her eyes lit up as if someone had flipped a switch, and she stumbled unsteadily back to her room.
Watching her retreat, I double-checked my bag to make sure I had my wallet and everything else I needed for the outing.
After transferring between subways and buses, Ren and I finally arrived in . Some of the place names around here were different from my past life, but today, our destination lay in what would have been the Higashi Ward in my previous world.
Located along the western coastline of Higashi Ward is a place called Uminonakamichi.
As the name suggests, Uminonakamichi is a massive sandbar connecting Shika Island to the Kyushu mainland. From above, the long stretch of land jutting into the sea is an incredible sight.
The eastern part of the sandbar is a residential area, but if you head west toward the ocean, you’ll find the recreation zone.
The highlight of this area is, without a doubt, the massive aquarium—one of the largest in Japan, ranking in the top ten out of the country’s 130 aquariums.
I read somewhere that “aquarium dates” are a classic go-to. And if the internet says so, it must be true.
I considered a lot of options, but nothing felt quite right, so I figured I’d stick with the tried-and-true. Sure, it kind of feels like I’m treating Ren more like a girl, but at this point… whatever.
After all, it’s not like he’d ever suggest something like this. Probably.
So, I finally worked up the courage to ask him out on a date. Even now, my nerves are shot—I can’t think straight. We haven’t even entered the aquarium yet, and my heart already feels like it’s going to burst.
A date, a date… According to the Meikyo Kokugo Dictionary, a date is “a prearranged meeting between members of the opposite sex at a specific time and place.”
…Wait. Does that mean all the times we’ve hung out before were technically dates!?
No, no, that doesn’t count. Back then, we weren’t seeing each other as members of the opposite sex. So, yeah—this is definitely our first date.
I got so flustered that, for some reason, I started fiddling with an electronic dictionary on the bus, making myself look like a complete weirdo. It wasn’t until Ren shot me a suspicious look that I finally snapped out of it.
Seriously, what am I even doing? Getting all worked up over this on my own makes me feel like such an idiot. Ren probably hasn’t even considered this a date. Seeing him sitting there so calmly just makes me a little… annoyed.
Flustered, I turned my attention to the scenery outside the bus window. The ocean wasn’t in sight—just an endless stretch of sandy beach.
Before long, a large building appeared in the distance. We had finally arrived. The ride hadn’t actually been that long, but for some reason, it felt like we’d just completed an epic journey.
A short flight of stairs led up to a uniquely shaped structure that loomed imposingly.
Grabbing the arm of a still-dazed Ren, I quickly pulled him inside.
After confirming our reserved tickets, we stepped into the aquarium.
The first thing that caught my eye in the entrance hall was a massive skeletal display.
Suspended from the ceiling was a giant fish skeleton, and the walls were lined with countless other skeletal exhibits.
“What’s this? A ?”
“Hmm… I don’t think so… Oh, it says it’s a ”
“…Totally wrong.”
Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of ARK’s gaming streams on Youtube, so now every giant fish looks like a mosasaur to me. But, yeah… on second thought, it’s highly unlikely an aquarium would have a mosasaur fossil just lying around.
Next to the humpback whale hung the skull of a sperm whale. Apparently, a few years ago, a carcass had been found off the coast of Kitakyushu. When they brought it ashore, they decided to preserve just the skull as a specimen.
This little guy seems to have had quite the unusual journey to the aquarium.
After checking out the skeletal displays in the entrance, we stepped into the main aquarium area.
The second floor, where the entrance was located, featured exhibits like the coral reef section and a recreation of the seas around southern Kyushu. The underwater world captured in the massive tanks was nothing short of breathtaking.
We had a great time reading the descriptions beside the tanks, searching for the fish mentioned, and pointing out the ones we recognized. I couldn’t help but get a little too excited at the sight of entire schools moving in perfect unison, like a single living organism.
The coral reef area also had garden eels, which were incredibly cute. I even tried mimicking their pose, but Ren refused to join in, looking thoroughly embarrassed.
Next, we wandered into the jellyfish area.
In stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the previous exhibits, this space was quiet—almost otherworldly. The jellyfish drifted through the dim, serene environment, their translucent bodies glowing softly under the lights.
We stood there for a while, simply watching them. There was something mesmerizing about the way they floated, so effortlessly weightless. I think this might be my favorite part of the aquarium. I could watch them for hours.
At some point—I'm not sure when—it just happened. Our hands found each other.
The warmth of his touch spread through me, soft and gentle.
Neither of us said anything. Somehow, words weren’t necessary.
“Now that I think about it, it’s been a while since we last came to an aquarium,” Ren murmured suddenly. “Probably since that time in kindergarten when we all went together.”
“That was so long ago… I’m surprised you remember.”
It had been ages ago—back when we were still little kids. Around the time I first started getting close to Ren.
Back when his mom was still alive.
Our parents had probably noticed how much time we spent together and naturally started interacting more. Especially our moms—they got along really well. Before long, our families started spending time together, and we’d even go on outings as a group sometimes.
I remember coming here once back then. But that was over ten years ago. I never expected Ren to still remember it.
“Well… I only remember bits and pieces,” he admitted. “But now that I think about it, you didn’t seem to be having much fun that day.”
“Huh!? You really remember a lot.” I thought back, trying to recall the details. “Hmm… Oh! I do remember! But wait, weren’t you the one who got scared of the dolphins and started crying?”
“Hey, don’t go remembering unnecessary stuff.”
A small laugh escaped me. Ren, clinging to his mom, eyes full of tears, afraid of the dolphins—it was honestly adorable. Back then, the gap in our mental ages felt so big that I thought of myself as the responsible one, like an older sibling watching over a little kid.
It made me happy that he remembered that time. But at the same time, a faint, bittersweet feeling crept in.
Ren’s mom passed away when we were still in elementary school.
I know it’s not my place to dwell on it, but…
I glanced up at him. He looked a little awkward, like he wasn’t sure how to react, but there was no shadow of sadness in his expression.
Did I make him think about his mom? Even after all these years, I still don’t know what to do in moments like this.
But at the very least, he didn’t seem to be hurting.
Letting out a small, unnoticed sigh of relief, I tightened my grip on his hand and took the lead, guiding him toward the next area.
I unfolded the pamphlet we received at the entrance and checked the map. The first floor had exhibits featuring penguins and dolphins, while the third floor had the show pool. There was still some time before the dolphin show, so we decided to explore the first floor first before heading up.
The first floor featured a deep-sea area, an ocean floor area, and a dolphin exhibit. The deep-sea section had giant crabs and oddly shaped fish—simple yet oddly fascinating to watch.
When we reached the dolphin area, I spotted small, round dolphins called finless porpoises. Unlike regular dolphins, they didn’t have dorsal fins, which only made them look cuter.
Dolphins can live for several decades. As I stared at one gazing back at me, a strange feeling settled in. These were probably the same dolphins we had seen all those years ago. The thought of reuniting with them after ten years felt oddly profound.
I stood there in silence, lost in thought—until I heard a small snort beside me.
I turned my head and found Ren covering his mouth, struggling to hold back laughter. I shot him a sideways glance.
“What?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
He turned away, but his cheeks had turned slightly red. Suspicious. What the heck was he thinking?
Just as I was about to press him for answers, excited voices came from nearby.
“Hey, look! The dolphins are so cute!!”
I glanced over and saw a couple pointing at the dolphins, their arms intertwined as they chatted happily. The sheer sweetness of their atmosphere was a little overwhelming, and I quickly averted my gaze.
But when I turned back, my eyes met Ren’s—and that’s when it hit me.
We were still holding hands.
A rush of awareness flooded me. My heartbeat sped up, and heat crept up my face. To cover it up, I reflexively squeezed his hand. It was bigger and rougher than mine, a firm, undeniable reminder of our difference in gender.
I used to have hands like that, too. But now… holding his like this, it felt different. Somehow.
Maybe my silent fidgeting with his hand felt strange to him because Ren followed my gaze and glanced over at the couple.
Then, as if realizing the same thing I had, he cleared his throat and awkwardly shifted his eyes elsewhere.
“W-well, should we move on to the next area?”
“Y-yeah!”
From an outsider’s perspective, we probably looked ridiculous—a guy and a girl holding hands while acting all shifty and suspicious.
The more I thought about how we must look, the hotter my face felt. I needed to distract myself before I spiraled any further.
My eyes drifted down to our joined hands.
We weren’t holding hands like that yet.
The thought left an unexpected hollowness in my chest.
That couple from earlier… The way they leaned into each other so naturally—it stirred something deep inside me. A quiet, aching sort of longing.
But we’re not there yet. We can’t be.
These two days together—they’re something of a ritual. A chance to take a step forward from this uncertain, ambiguous relationship.
After saying something that was practically a confession… after spending this time together… I think I already know Ren’s answer.
I’m not that dense, after all.
So, instead of intertwining our fingers—not yet—I simply squeezed his hand tightly.
After finishing most of the first-floor exhibits, we stepped outside into the open-air area. It happened to be penguin feeding time, and a swarm of eager penguins gathered around the keeper, flapping their wings and jostling for position.
On a nearby wall, a board detailed the complex web of friendships and romances between the penguins. Even penguins, it seemed, had their own share of drama.
Watching them—each with their own quirks, forming bonds, navigating their little society—I couldn’t help but think that, no matter where you go, the world doesn’t really change all that much.
At one point, I nearly slipped and almost tumbled straight into the pool, but Ren caught my arm just in time. After that little scare, we spent some time feeding the sea lions and observing the sleeping seals.
With that, we had pretty much explored everything the outdoor area had to offer.
We could have gone straight to the third-floor exhibits, but our stomachs had other plans. At some point, we’d gotten pretty hungry.
I recalled spotting a restaurant on the first floor earlier while checking the map, so we decided to head there for lunch.
A large menu was displayed on the wall, with a ticket vending machine positioned beneath it. Apparently, you had to purchase meal tickets first.
Since we were at an aquarium, we figured we might as well go for something themed. After some deliberation, we settled on the cheese hamburger steak set—partly because it looked good, and partly because it came with an otter design printed on it.
But as we made our way to the table, a sudden realization hit me like a brick, and my mind went blank.
Of course—we’d have to let go of each other’s hands to eat. And with the tables for two set up facing each other, there was no way around it.
I knew that. I really did.
And yet, my fingers wouldn’t budge. Ren’s grip was loose—he wasn’t holding on tightly. If I simply let go, that would be the end of it. But somehow, my hand refused to obey, as if our skin had fused together.
Even after we reached the table, I still hadn’t let go. A heavy silence settled between us, stretching on far longer than it should have. Five seconds at most—but it felt like an eternity.
“…Sumire?”
Ren’s voice finally snapped me out of it. Jolting slightly, I hurriedly released his hand and took my seat.
My face burned, but now that the warmth had disappeared, my hand felt unbearably cold.
Was I always this clingy? Getting anxious just because we weren’t holding hands—wasn’t that worse than a rabbit? Well, the whole thing is a myth, but still…
What kind of face was I making right now? Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t one I wanted anyone to see. Overcome with embarrassment, I lowered my gaze, unable to shake the lingering heat in my cheeks.
When I stole a glance at Ren across from me, our eyes met perfectly. His face was slightly flushed, and he offered me an awkward smile.
The tension between us thickened—but before it could settle in completely, our food arrived, breaking the moment.
The soft clink of plates filled the air, followed by the rich, mouthwatering aroma of freshly cooked food.
Sitting before us was a hamburger steak topped with melted cheese, the surface stamped with an adorable otter print.
We pressed our hands together in unison.
““Thank you for the meal.””
Without another word, we both picked up our utensils, focusing on eating as if to bury the awkwardness in our plates.
After lunch, we explored the third floor for a while before heading to the show pool to watch the dolphin show. For some reason, Sumire kept giggling as she watched the dolphins splashing around in the waiting pool. Their playful energy was indeed adorable, but her amusement seemed to come from something else entirely.
Once the show ended, we revisited a few areas we’d missed, and now, we found ourselves in the souvenir shop.
“A huge I have to buy this!”
“I don’t know why, but these drops have a weird charm to them.”
“A turtle capsule that grows when you put it in water… huh?”
Sumire reacted to nearly every item, her excitement bubbling over as she darted from shelf to shelf. Watching her like this was oddly endearing—I couldn't help but feel like a guardian watching over a restless child.
Though, there was one thing I couldn’t ignore.
Her hand, still firmly holding onto mine.
Aside from meals and bathroom breaks, she hadn’t let go even once. At this point, I was starting to get used to it, but every now and then, a sharp awareness would creep back in, sending my heart into overdrive.
The last time we held hands like this was probably during the summer festival. I remember being incredibly nervous back then too.
But this time… something about it felt different.
Thinking back, we’d grown surprisingly closer since that summer. Honestly, I had assumed things would stay the same until we went off to college.
“Hey, look at this. Isn’t this orca cute?”
Just as I was lost in thought, the hand holding mine gave a firm tug. Following Sumire’s pointing finger, I saw a small vending machine filled with plushies—crabs, sea turtles, otters, orcas, and more.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she stared at it. Meanwhile, I wasn’t particularly into plushies, so I just nodded vaguely in response.
As expected of capsule toys, they weren’t exactly cheap—400 yen each. But Sumire didn’t hesitate. She dropped a 100-yen coin into the machine, turned the lever, and…
“Ah… not the one I wanted… It’s cute, but still…”
She held up a tiny plush crab, looking visibly disappointed. Personally, I liked crabs, but clearly, it wasn’t what she was aiming for.
Then, after a moment of contemplation, she mumbled something under her breath.
“There are six types in the lineup… so the probability of missing nine times in a row is about 20 percent. Alright! If I try nine times, I have an 80 percent chance of getting it!!”
Wait, was she seriously about to gamble her way to an orca?
“Just stop.”
I grabbed Sumire’s shoulder before she could empty her wallet over some dubious calculations.
She pouted but hesitated, glancing down at her coin purse.
Four hundred yen, huh… alright.
I decided to give it a shot myself and inserted 400 yen into the machine. Turning the lever, I watched as a capsule tumbled out. Inside was a sea turtle plushie—cute, but not what she wanted. Sumire glanced at it and made an ambiguous face.
If we kept trying too many times, we’d just end up hogging the machine…
Still, without overthinking it, I put in another 400 yen. The capsule that rolled out this time had a noticeably large silhouette.
“Ah! That’s cheating!!”
Sumire exclaimed the moment I cracked it open. Inside was the orca plushie—the one she’d been aiming for all along.
It was cute, sure, but I didn’t really need it.
Without a word, I shoved it into her hands.
“Huh?”
“Here, take it.”
“N-no, I can’t accept that…”
Sumire, looking utterly surprised, tried to push the plushie back, but I kept nudging it toward her. She made a flustered face, clearly at a loss.
"Then let’s trade for that crab. I like crabs better anyway."
"Eh… are you sure?"
"Yeah. In fact, I’d really appreciate it. I want the crab."
She blinked, peering up at me suspiciously, then hesitantly took the orca plushie. For a moment, she just stared at it, as if trying to process what had just happened.
Her dazed expression gradually softened, then lit up with joy. And just like that, she smiled—warm and bright, like a flower blooming.
"Thank you. You’re being unusually nice today."
"It’s not just today, you know."
"Ahaha."
Amidst such trivial banter, she gave the plushie a gentle stroke before tying it securely to her bag.
After that, we continued wandering through the shop, casually chatting as we browsed.
By the time we were done, we had bought more than we expected, and our bags had become surprisingly heavy.
After spending the entire day together, we were now swaying gently with the bus ride home.
Sumire was fast asleep beside me, clutching a garden eel plushie so large it didn’t even fit in her bag. She must have been exhausted from all the excitement.
On the way back from days like this, I always feel a strange sense of nostalgia. It was the same during our middle school field trips—the quiet hum of the bus, the fading warmth of the day, and that hazy, bittersweet feeling that lingers as everything winds down.
Aquariums, zoos, planetariums—places like that are classic date spots. But I never expected Sumire to suggest going to one with me.
If anything, I always saw her as the type who preferred staying home and playing games.
To be fair, neither of us are the kind of people who seek out places like aquariums just to admire the sights. And yet, to my surprise, today had been genuinely fun.
Maybe… when you’re with someone you like, even the ordinary becomes special.
Sumire showed me so many different sides of herself today.
The way she stared so seriously at the dolphins had an almost mysterious charm, like she was lost in thought in a world of her own. The way she blushed and fidgeted, shrinking into herself, was as endearing as a small animal. And the way she smiled—completely open, unguarded—made me want to protect her.
Just being able to see her like that made the trip worthwhile. Of course, the aquarium itself had been fun too.
As I was lost in thought, something caught my eye at the edge of my vision.
Sumire, sitting beside me, had started nodding off. She swayed forward, then back, her head tilting dangerously close to the seat in front of her.
This… what am I supposed to do here?
Letting her hit her head would be too cruel, but waking her up felt just as heartless. Still, if this kept up, it might start bothering the person sitting ahead of us.
I hesitated, but in the end, there was only one real choice. Yeah. It’s not like I have any ulterior motives—this is purely to keep her from hurting herself…
Muttering these justifications at lightning speed in my mind, I made up my mind and gently pulled her shoulder toward me.
Slowly, carefully, I let her lean against me, making sure not to wake her.
The faint warmth of her body seeped through my sleeve, and a soft, sweet scent lingered in the air. My heart gave a sharp thud in response.
Wait. This is bad.
I was the one who pulled her in, yet I was the one panicking. Realizing how dangerous this was—for my own sanity—I began mentally chanting mantras in a desperate attempt to stay calm.
This isn’t sexual harassment… right? No, leaving her like that would’ve been cruel. This is definitely better than letting her bump her head… probably.
As I spiraled into quiet panic over my own actions, something unexpected happened.
A small, warm hand suddenly grabbed my right hand.
Startled, I turned to look. Sumire, still half-asleep, was gripping my hand tightly, her fingers curled around mine as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The moment I realized what was happening, all thoughts of propriety or restraint vanished. Beyond any concerns about gender or boundaries, a simple, undeniable warmth spread through me.
And so, with a strangely calm heart, I let myself exist in that moment—holding her hand as the bus gently rocked its way toward the transfer point.
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