In the Same Bed
How old can a man and a woman who aren't lovers be and still sleep in the same bed?
Based on my experience, it’s until the secondary sexual characteristics really start to kick in.
When a boy starts becoming more of a man.
When a girl starts becoming more of a woman.
Once you start growing, you begin to receive judgmental stares from those around you.
That’s from experience.
I remember the last time I slept in the same bed as Choa was when we were in the fifth grade of elementary school.
It was back when Choa used to whine about her chest hurting because the buds were starting to form.
That day, too, we were exhausted from playing and were taking a nap, stuck together like glue.
Since we loved feeling each other’s body heat when we were kids, we were hugging each other tightly that day as well.
My mom, who came home earlier than usual, was horrified to see us sleeping stuck together.
She asked if we were still sleeping like that.
She even scolded me, saying she thought we were doing something "naughty."
At the time, I didn't understand what "naughty" meant.
It was only after I got a bit older that I understood the implication.
Anyway, after that, my mom lectured us, saying we were too old to be sleeping stuck together, and the days of Choa and me sharing a bed came to an end.
“It’s been a while since we slept together.”
Choa’s voice drifted from right beside me.
Her tone was slightly higher, like a middle schooler on their first school field trip.
“……Yeah, I guess so.”
On the other hand, my voice was lower and more sunken than ever.
It felt like my throat was being constricted.
To the point where it was hard to even speak.
“Was the last time we slept together back in middle school?”
“Elementary school.”
“Aha.”
It was such a sudden turn of events.
We had just come back from playing games, said goodnight, and stepped into our respective apartments.
Not even a minute later, Choa had opened my door and walked in.
Then she said we should sleep together for old times' sake.
As her "daily slave," I had no right to refuse.
We had decided back in high school that the command of the person who held the "slave rights" was absolute.
The result was this.
We were lying side-by-side on a single-sized bed.
Because we were sharing one blanket, the space underneath was sweltering with our combined body heat.
I was hyper-aware of Choa’s presence against my right shoulder.
We were at a distance where even the slightest movement would cause us to bump into each other.
Afraid that I might accidentally touch her body, I kept my posture rigid, like a soldier at attention, and pressed myself as far to the edge of the bed as possible.
It’s a truly ridiculous story.
Just a few days ago, I was using Choa’s butt as a pillow.
Even for me, I would have been nervous, but I wouldn't have been *this* nervous.
This was all because of what happened a few days ago.
The time I sucked on Choa’s breasts.
I even bit her nipples.
Thankfully, she didn't seem to remember, but since I remembered it vividly, being in this dim bedroom together made that moment flash into my mind instinctively.
“Why are you staying so far away?”
Choa, who had been staring at the ceiling, turned her body to look at me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her pretty face, blurred in the darkness.
“Scoot over here.”
Choa tugged firmly at the hem of my T-shirt.
“You’re going to fall off while you sleep.”
“So what if I fall?”
Choa’s scent colored the air.
Before getting into bed, Choa had gone home and taken a shower.
Because of that, a fragrant, rich rose scent was wafting off her.
For the record, she had changed into pajamas, too.
They were pajamas, but…….
It was a black, dress-style lingerie.
Flashy floral lace covered her chest like a bra. Her slim waistline was exposed so blatantly it felt like she was trying to show off her figure.
I didn't know Choa owned clothes like this, and I had no idea why she was wearing it now.
When I asked, she said it was just what she wears to sleep these days.
She said a friend gave it to her as a gift last year, and despite how it looked, it was comfortable and cool, so she started using it as sleepwear.
“It’s an order. Scoot over here.”
“Just sleep comfortably.”
“I said it’s an order.”
I sighed and moved just a little, really just a tiny bit, to the side.
Perhaps frustrated by my hesitation, she acted.
“I said get closer like this…!”
Choa hugged my arm.
I flinched in tension.
As if she were trying to wedge my arm between her breasts, her soft, squishy chest pressed firmly against my arm.
“……Aren’t we a bit too close?”
I said it as if squeezing the words out of my throat.
“What’s the big deal between us?”
Choa rested her chin on my shoulder.
“Don’t tell me……”
Choa narrowed her eyes and gave me a playful, smirking smile.
“Are you self-conscious?”
Yeah.
Of course I’m self-conscious.
An outfit more provocative than usual.
Skinship more intense than usual.
Any creature born a man would start to get the wrong idea.
“……As if.”
I closed my eyes and sang the national anthem in my head.
“Yeah, honestly, if it’s in front of you, I don’t think I’d even be embarrassed to be naked.”
“Because we’re childhood friends.”
“Even though I don’t have the ‘balls’ for it.”
Choa giggled.
“Anyway, it’s been a while. We used to sleep like this all the time when we were little. It brings back old memories for no reason. Remember that? When I accidentally punched you in the nose while I was sleeping?”
A silent night.
The air was subtly awkward.
It was the perfect atmosphere to reminisce, just like a scene from a movie.
“Of course I remember. My nose was bleeding from both sides back then.”
I played along with the trip down memory lane. It would help me forget the soft, squishy sensation currently pressed against my arm.
“But you know……”
Choa’s voice, which had been excited while talking about the old days, became completely calm.
She paused, leaving a long silence as if wondering what to say next.
Then, Choa slowly opened her mouth.
“…………What does a kiss feel like?”
I lifted my head to look at her, wondering if I’d misheard.
When I looked up, Choa avoided my gaze.
“W…… Why are you asking that all of a sudden……?”
I lowered my head stiffly.
I stared blankly at the ceiling.
All my nerves were concentrated on my right ear.
“I saw that couple earlier.”
If she meant "that couple," she must have meant the ones who were sharing a passionate kiss under the streetlamp before we entered the apartment building.
“How good must it feel for them to be so lost in their own world that they didn't even notice other people passing by…… Does it really feel that good?”
“How should I know?”
To think I’d be nervous just from talking about kissing.
It’s truly hilarious.
We’re the kind of people who hold debates about which AV actress acts better, or who can "squirt" better.
Choa must be asking out of pure curiosity.
There couldn't be any other intention…….
Probably not.
“What do you…… think it would be like…… to kiss?”
Why does she have to drag it out like that?
It just makes me more self-conscious.
The night leads people down the path of delusion.
I walked down that path, letting all sorts of fantasies run wild in my head.
“I won’t know until I try it.”
Choa’s hand, which had been hugging my arm, slid up onto my chest.
“……Should we try it once?”
“…………What?”
“I’m just curious…! I’m just saying we should try it because I’m curious…!”
Choa’s grip tightened, and my T-shirt crumpled.
A strong impulse surged through me.
My lower lip twitched as if craving a kiss.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, just go to sleep……!”
I barely managed to hold onto the thread of my reason.
I turned my back to her.
I couldn't look at Choa’s face right now.
“And don’t go asking just anyone to kiss you.”
“I’m not asking just anyone.”
Choa’s hand moved a little higher.
“I’m saying it because it’s you.”
That’s the kind of thing that makes a person get the wrong idea.
I decided to ask if I was right to be confused.
“What does that mean?”
“……Because we’re childhood friends.”
“So what?”
“I think childhood friends can at least kiss each other.”
What kind of logic is that…….
As if trying to convince me of her logic, Choa mumbled an explanation.
“We’re basically family…… and for family, a kiss is just a form of affection. In other countries, family members even kiss on the lips as a greeting…… so, you and me…… kissing…… it’s just at the level of a greeting.”
Choa pulled on my shoulder.
As my body, which had been turned away, tilted, Choa climbed on top of my waist.
Her weight pressed down on my stomach, and her soft thighs squeezed my waist from both sides.
She had completely taken the mount position.
“So…… let’s try it once…….”
“Are you crazy?”
“Anyway, you don’t have romantic feelings for me, and I don’t have romantic feelings for you. It’s a no-count.”
Choa’s two small hands pressed down on my shoulders from above.
“……Just think of it as practice for your future girlfriend.”
Choa’s face drew closer and closer.
Her hair, which had been resting on my shoulder, fell down and tickled my cheek.
Hot, ragged breaths puffed out and washed over my face.
-*Chu*
Choa’s soft lips kissed my palm.
“Ah…….”
Just before our lips could meet, I covered my mouth with my hand.
“……What if?”
“Huh?”
“What if I do have romantic feelings for you?”
Choa’s expression stiffened.
Her complexion darkened, a look as if she’d been betrayed.
Seeing that face made my heart ache.
It seemed she hadn't even considered that possibility.
“……I’m lying.”
I grabbed Choa’s waist and laid her down beside me.
And this time, I climbed on top of her.
“So, are we doing this? Or not?”
I brushed her bangs aside.
Choa hesitated for a moment, then looked me straight in the eye.
“……I want to try.”
“It’s a no-count, right?”
“It’s a no-count.”
I wondered if this was right, but…….
I didn't have enough reason left to worry about such trivial things.
Only a strong impulse remained, taking the place of my reason.
I know I shouldn't do this.
But if not now, would I ever have another chance to kiss Choa?
I cupped Choa’s head, which was the size of a fist, in both my hands.
Because we’re childhood friends.
Because we’re childhood friends.
Because we’re like family.
-*Chu*
This is a greeting.
A greeting done on a whim.
Probably.