Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Sweetness and Bitterness

The shop bell jingled faintly as another villager stepped out, leaving Haruto and Miyu alone by the shelves. The lantern’s glow painted her cheeks pink, and Haruto could see the way her hands trembled slightly as she clutched the cold bottle of peach juice.

Silence stretched, thick and awkward, filled only by the faint hum of the vending machine.

"Miyu..." Haruto said softly, stepping closer.

Her shoulders flinched, but she didn’t move away. Instead, her wide eyes lifted to meet his. That look—nervous, longing, guilty—struck him harder than any words could.

"I..." She swallowed, her lips trembling. "I can’t stop thinking about that night."

The admission slipped out like a confession, and immediately her face burned, her free hand curling against her chest. "I know it’s wrong... Ayaka... and everyone... but when I see you, Haruto-kun, my heart—"

She broke off, her voice strangled, her body torn between pulling back and stepping closer.

Haruto’s hand rose almost by instinct, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "Miyu..."

That tiny touch broke her restraint. She surged forward, pressing herself against him, her arms wrapping around his torso tightly as though afraid he might vanish. The cold bottle of juice pressed awkwardly between them until it slipped from her fingers, rolling across the floor with a hollow clink.

Her cheek buried against his chest, she whispered, trembling, "Just... hold me."

Haruto’s arms closed around her, his coffee forgotten as it hung limply in his hand. The warmth of her body seeped into him, fragile yet burning with need.

"Miyu..." he breathed, lowering his head.

Her face tilted up just enough, lips parted, eyes wet with desperation. The sight broke what little restraint he had left.

Their lips met—soft, fleeting at first. Just a brush, as though either of them might pull away. But then Miyu leaned in again, her lips clinging to his, tasting faintly of sweetness, of peach.

"Mm..." She sighed into the kiss, her arms tightening around him.

The kiss deepened, still gentle but heavy with the weight of everything they couldn’t say aloud. His hand cupped her jaw, his thumb brushing her heated cheek, while her lips trembled against his.

When they finally pulled back, Miyu’s eyes were glazed, her breathing uneven. She whispered, barely audible: "Haruto-kun... I don’t want this moment to end..."

He kissed her forehead softly, lingering there, before forcing himself to step back. "We’ll see each other soon. Go home before anyone wonders where you are."

Her fingers clung to his sleeve, reluctant, but she nodded. "Promise me... you won’t ignore me tomorrow."

"I promise."

With one last, lingering look, Miyu picked up her juice and slipped out into the night.

Haruto stood there a moment longer, the taste of her lips still lingering, the warmth of her hug burning into his chest. Then, with a heavy breath, he turned back toward his own home—knowing the sweetness of tonight had only deepened the bitterness of their sin.

The night in the countryside was silent, save for the faint chorus of crickets outside. Haruto had returned home hours ago, but instead of drifting into the easy calm of sleep, he tossed and turned in his futon.

The images in his head wouldn’t leave him. Miyu’s flushed face when they hugged. Ayaka’s body glowing under the morning light. Kana’s sly smile as she whispered close to his ear.

Every moment he tried to bury under the blanket only grew hotter. His cock was already swelling painfully beneath the thin fabric of his pants, throbbing with every stray memory.

"...I can’t take it anymore."

Haruto sat up, heart racing, and reached for his laptop. The glow of the screen lit the room as he typed with trembling fingers, pulling up a porn video to distract himself. The moans echoing from the speakers felt cheap compared to the real voices he’d already heard in his days here—but it was enough to push his body over the edge.

He grabbed a handful of tissues and set them beside the futon, already knowing he wouldn’t last long. His breath grew short as he pushed his pants down, his cock springing free into the cool air—hard, thick, and twitching with pent-up need.

"Ahh..." he exhaled shakily, wrapping one hand around himself.

The sight alone made his body jolt. Precum already gleamed at the tip, and his grip was almost too tight as he began stroking slowly. His other hand moved to his mouth, wetting his palm with spit before returning to slick his shaft.

The heat shot straight through his body.

"Shit... that’s good..."

He pumped faster, sliding his saliva-slick hand up and down the full length. His hips twitched up into the motion, chasing the friction, chasing release. The porn moans from the laptop only blurred into background noise as his mind filled with Ayaka’s lips wrapped around his cock, with Miyu whispering breathlessly into his mouth, with Kana’s teasing voice calling him naughty.

"F-fuck..." Haruto groaned, pumping harder. His cock pulsed in his grip, precum smearing down his shaft with each stroke, making every movement louder, wetter.

The tissues lay untouched as his body heated up, his moans soft but uncontrollable in the silent house. His toes curled against the futon, his abs tightening as the pleasure built.

The wet sound of his hand stroking echoed in the quiet room. His chest rose and fell with desperate breaths, sweat beading on his forehead.

He was close—achingly close—when—

Creak.

The faint sound of a sliding door.

Haruto’s body froze, cock still in his hand, slick and throbbing. His heart slammed in his chest. He whipped his head toward the doorway, eyes wide, panic already flooding him—

Haruto’s breath froze in his throat. His cock was still in his hand, glistening in the dim glow of his laptop screen, when a soft voice broke through the silence.

"Need some help?"

His entire body jolted. His head whipped toward the doorway—

And there she was.

Kana.

Her figure leaned lazily against the sliding doorframe, hair slightly messy from the night air, lips curled into that mischievous smile. Her eyes—dark, playful, glinting with wicked amusement—were locked directly on the exposed, throbbing cock he had been stroking seconds ago.

"W-what the hell—!?" Haruto scrambled, shoving one hand down over himself, yanking at the blanket to cover up. His voice cracked, cheeks burning hot. "Kana!? How did you—when—?!"

Kana tilted her head, amused at his panic. "You really should close your curtains tighter, you know," she said in a sing-song whisper, padding slowly into the room. "From the window... mmm, I could see everything."

Haruto’s stomach dropped. His cock twitched under his palm, betraying him even as he tried to hide it.

"You were watching me?" His voice was half-shocked, half-scandalized.

Kana’s smile widened, her tone dripping with playful mockery. "Mm-hmm. I was just curious when I saw your light on so late... and imagine my surprise when I peeked in and saw Haruto-kun, all flushed, moaning under his breath, pumping his cock so desperately..."

She drew the word out, savoring it, her eyes flicking down to the lump under his blanket where he tried to cover himself.

"D-don’t say it like that," Haruto muttered, clutching the blanket tighter, though his hand beneath was still pressed to his hard shaft, as if afraid it would spring free at any second. "You shouldn’t even be here—"

Kana stepped closer, her bare feet silent on the tatami. She crouched down beside him, resting her elbows on her knees, bringing her face closer until her warm breath brushed against his cheek.

"Shouldn’t be here?" she whispered, eyes locked on his. "Or shouldn’t have caught you?"

Haruto swallowed hard. He could feel the heat of her gaze burning through him, stripping away his defenses.

Her lips curled into that sly, hungry smile again. She leaned even closer, her voice dropping lower, sultrier.

"You don’t have to hide it, you know. I already saw everything. The way your hand was moving, the way your cock looked... so hard, so wet at the tip. Mm, it was... delicious to watch."

Haruto’s cock twitched violently at her words, a bead of precum smearing against his palm. He shut his eyes, groaning under his breath. "K-Kana... damn it..."

Kana giggled softly, clearly enjoying his torment. "Relax, Haruto-kun. I told you, I won’t tell anyone." Her tone softened, but her eyes gleamed brighter. "But... maybe I want a closer look for myself."

She tilted her head, lips brushing dangerously close to his ear, and whispered one last dagger of temptation:

"Are you going to keep hiding from me? Or will you let me play too?"

The room grew unbearably hot, Haruto’s body trembling between shame and desire. His cock throbbed against his hand, desperate, impossible to hide from Kana’s eyes any longer.