My Rental Boyfriend Is My Boss?! - Chapter 21
Chapter 21. Am I Changing?
‘Uh… yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, you can’t… Is it okay? You can’t do that… No, no, no.’
Michiru was troubled. He was obviously drunk, and he smelled like sweat. You can’t complain about what they do to you when you’re in the arms of someone who has lost their reason. Michiru had only let him into her room because she thought that Kamijemori would sleep until morning anyway.
It was inappropriate. Inappropriate. Kamijemori would probably regret it later.
“Minoru? You’re drunk right now… and I’m wondering if this is a bad idea…”
At first glance, Michiru had no reason not to respond to the beckoning of a beautiful man with seemingly sane words and a squishy smile.
Even though she had never had any experience, Michiru was a healthy girl of her age and was interested in relationships as well as having a boyfriend.
She had seen a man with an iron mask, who rarely showed his emotions, gradually show his feelings in front of Michiru, even though he was hired by her, and expressed his feelings in a clumsy way.
If she liked Kamijemori, who was not the “perfect editor” that she had never known before, she could not help but be moved by his soft smile.
‘Isn’t this what you call a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”?’
Although Michiru felt guilty for taking advantage of his weakness, another part of her whispered to herself that she should be rewarded for carrying him this far while sweating.
‘Yes, I’m sure this is a reward… It must be…’
She was a strong woman by nature, though she was usually concerned about appearances.
The bed creaked, and Michiru put her feet up on the single bed, which was too small for both of them to lie on. She slumped into his strong arms, and a large hand slid around her back.
It was the first time in her life that she had an arm pillow. The close proximity of their faces, their bodies touching each other, and their smells made Michiru forget how to even breathe and go stiff.
“… Good, good.”
“… Hmm?”
Michiru was expecting to feel his lips on hers, but his shapely lips arched, and his hand on her back loosely stroked her head.
“You’re a good girl. You’re a… good girl…”
Kamijemori’s voice was as soft as his hands, and his expression was full of peace.
This is the first time that she had ever seen such a thing. Michiru’s instincts were troubled and confused as to whether she should be relieved or disappointed.
‘It’s not what I was expecting… but it smells like perfume…’
Michiru had been in a hugging position once when she rode the Ferris Wheel, but this time she was officially being hugged tight. For the first time in her life, Michiru let out a breath as she felt the firmness of the hug.
She could feel the thickness of his muscles through the thin clothes, and even feel comfortable.
He was a strange guy, afraid to speak frankly, and always held back his expectations…
Michiru was suddenly reminded of Kamijemori’s words that she had heard at the pub earlier.
He may have only been pretending to be her boyfriend before Kato. Still, Michiru felt like she was hearing for the first time how Kamijemori felt about her.
“Um, Minoru…”
“Yes?”
When she opened her mouth slowly, Kamijemori replied in an entranced, breathless voice. He must be out of his mind. Michiru was not sure what to say, but she was going to say it anyway.
”A while ago, at the… izakaya…”
“Hmm?”
“Well, you were talking to Kato and I happened to hear it.”
“Yeah.”
When Michiru confessed that she had overheard him, he was not surprised and just nodded loosely.
“Those… words…”
Did he mean it? Or was he pretending to be her boyfriend?
Michiru didn’t know what she was expecting to hear. She didn’t know if she would be disappointed to hear it. Michiru didn’t even know if she wanted to hear the truth.
‘I wonder what kind of answer I want to hear from…’
Asking such a thing to a drunk person was worse than eavesdropping.
In the silence that came, Michiru could hear Kamijemori’s secret exhale.
“Do you remember what I said before…?”
“What?”
Which was it? It didn’t occur to Michiru at once, and when she looked up slightly, her eyes met Kamijemori’s reddish ones.
“You don’t have to put up with me. You don’t have to hold back.”
That was what he had said to Michiru before.
As long as Michiru wanted to, she didn’t have to put up with this during this time. He said so.
Michiru’s gaze swam and her face fell.
‘Still, I can’t ask this question.’
What if he answered that he really meant what he said to Kato, or that he was just pretending to be her boyfriend?
As Michiru buried her face in his chest and fell silent, Kamijemori stroked her hair loosely.
“… Am I changing?”
The words he muttered were faint, as if he were talking to himself. It was a voice Michiru could hear from this distance.
Michiru thought for a moment and gave a small nod.
“I think you’re pretty sweet when you’re a boyfriend.”
“I see.”
“I think you should smile more at work too.”
“You smile at nothing?”
Michiru couldn’t help but laugh at the curious voice.
“It’s called affection. Minoru, you have a good face, so if you don’t say anything, it’s twice as scary.”
“Hmm, am I always scary?”
“Oh, that’s not what I meant…”
Kamijemori giggled at Michiru, as she panicked over the small slip.
“No, I don’t feel that way about you anymore!”
When Michiru looked up to excuse herself, her eyes met Kamijemori’s surprised face for a moment. It was immediately narrowed.
“Then what do you think?”
He smiled softly and seductively, which made Michiru hot to the ears.
“Oh, you’re… normal.”
“Normal?”
“… Or cool as well.”
It was somewhat embarrassing to be asked this question again.
When Michiru fidgeted as she told him, his gaze swiftly swept, Kamijemori answered with an amused huff.
“Am I cool?”
“Yeah, well…”
It was incredibly embarrassing to say this in front of him.
For some reason, Michiru, who was answering, felt more awkward and looked away, and she turned her vision around.
“Heh.”
The next thing Michiru knew, she was looking up at the ceiling. In front of her, Kamijemori was looking down at her with a happy look in his eyes.
Michiru could only look up at him in disbelief, mouth agape.
She wondered if she was dreaming.
The question came to her suddenly, but the clear weight of his body and the warmth of his body through her clothes told her that this was real.