Two Enjoying the Sofa

10:23:25 AM.

The long-awaited moment has arrived.

"Is this Shindo-san's home?"

"Oh, yes."

"In that case, we'll start moving it in."

After the delivery company diligently shuttled back and forth between the truck and our living space, the sofa was finally set up.

"Thank you very much~"

We waved goodbye to the deliveryman and returned to the room.

"..."

"..."

Silence filled the room as Suzuka and I stared at the new sofa, unable to contain our excitement. The transformation of our living space to match our preferences was incredibly satisfying.

But more than anything else...

"Yuki! Come!"

Suzuka, sitting on the sofa with an odd enthusiasm, called out to me while patting her knees.

"Wait a moment. I have an idea. Let's take a photo to commemorate the arrival of the sofa."

"Oh, right!"

Suzuka joined a photography club, and I had come to enjoy photography through her. So, we happily took pictures of the new sofa together.

After taking photos to our hearts' content, Suzuka returned to the sofa, patting her knees again.

With a determined expression, she gestured for me to come.

"..."

Silently, I rested my head on her soft thigh. Up until now, I had been sitting cross-legged, which had caused discomfort.

"Hehe. This is so much more comfortable than sitting cross-legged!"

"To be honest, it was worth it to splurge on a long sofa like this."　

I said while lying down comfortably. The sofa was just the right size to accommodate both of us comfortably. It not only made it easier for Suzuka to sit without discomfort but also enveloped me in a dreamy comfort that I had never experienced before.

"I think so too. Thanks to your choice of a longer one."

Suzuka replied as she gently stroked my hair.

I wondered when I had become such a spoiled person. It was undeniable that I had become more and more of a pampered partner. Even my outward appearance had changed.

Turning to face Suzuka's side, I decided to make myself even more comfortable.

"Mm..."

"Hahaha! You fell for it, Yuki! I've been treating you nicely all this time just to lull you into a false sense of security and then crush you!"

Suzuka suddenly pressed my face and playfully squeezed my belly.

"I-it's ticklish."

"Sorry, sorry. I just couldn't resist squeezing you while you were lying there. Teehee?"

There was no real apology in her tone. She was clearly enjoying herself. But well, she was so cute that I couldn't stay mad. Did you think so? Remember it later! I will definitely do it again!

"Hey, Suzuka."

"Yes?"

"Sofas are amazing!"

I shouted with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm.

Suzuka burst into giggles as she looked at my innocent expression.

"You know, Yuki, I might have never seen you this happy before."

"It's your fault. Because you keep making me fall for you more and more, I'm becoming disgustingly affectionate."

"That's right. I'm getting dangerously excited too, you know?"

"Yeah?"

"Yuki. I don't know if you've noticed, but your way of speaking to me has become much gentler. It's like, 'Oh, you're so sweet', and it makes me all fluttery."

"Oh, that's a bit different. I've just been trying to improve myself as I get older. You know, I used to be really rude in the past, right? I thought I should clean up my language. Well, I still use some pretty rough words, though."

"...You know."

"Yeah?"

"I wish you would say something like, 'Oh, I love you so much that I can't use foul language!' It would have made me happier."

She said it with a bewildered expression.

Damn, this troublesome fellow.

Come on, you're such a pain. Even if I said something like that now, you wouldn't accept it and say it's too late. But that's fine with me.

"Because I love you so much, I don't want to hurt you with foul language."

"Hmph. I see, I see."

“Is this enough for you?"

"Because I love Yuki."

I didn't intend to make her satisfied, but Suzuka, who seemed satisfied, cheerfully patted my head.

Actually, you know what? Isn't it embarrassing for me to be saying 'I like you so much I don't want to hurt you with foul words' while I'm getting a lap pillow?

Suzuka... Are you happy with anything I say now?

"Hey, because I love you so much, could you pet me more?"

"Well, alright."

"Is this okay?"

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I'm starting to feel a bit awkward about how you seem to be happy with anything I say..."

"Ahaha, then, Yuki, I'll say it too! I want to nibble on your arm like I did yesterday. Hey, hey, can I nibble?"

"I guess it's fine."

"That's the spirit!"

A loud, sharp voice.

"What do you mean?" Before I could even wonder what she meant, she began to explain.

"Even though I just said something pretty gross, Yuuki accepted it. So, if you like someone, you'll easily accept whatever they say!"

"I see. Now that you mention it, saying that I want to nibble on your arm is quite unusual. But because I like you, I guess I don't mind."

"That's right. So, now, I'm the kind of person who's so in love with Yuki that I'll be happy no matter what you say. Oh, Yuki, you're drooling on my thigh right now, aren't you?"

It's hard to talk when you're getting a lap pillow. Because of that, I accidentally drooled on Suzuka's thigh.

"Sorry about that."

"No worries. I drooled all over your arm yesterday when I was nibbling on it, so I don't mind. Besides, I think it's cute when Yuki drools."

"You find it cute when I drool? Is your brain okay?"

"Maybe not. But it's fine. After all, I've already become your lifelong wife."

Not too long ago, we used to say that if we didn't get along, we'd get a divorce. But now, we laugh at how far we've come from that.

"Hmph. I'd love to show your previous self what you just said."

"Hahaha, my old self would be totally shocked, like, 'Huh? Huh? Huh?' It's really funny!"

"Well, if I showed my past self what I've become now, it would probably be like, 'Hey, what happened to your dignity as a man? The girl giving you a lap pillow is just your childhood friend!'"

"Yeah, yeah. By the way, Yuki, isn't it time for us to switch?"

"Fine, fine. I can't refuse when you ask. Also, the sofa makes it easier to do lap pillows."

Reluctantly, I moved away from Suzuka's lap pillow and sat on the sofa.

"Now it's my turn. Here we go!"

She climbed onto my lap and hugged me tightly. But instead of facing the same direction, she turned around and hugged me from behind, thanks to the sofa's presence, making the embrace even tighter.

"It's intense. But thanks to the sofa's backrest, my back doesn't get strained, so it feels good."

"That's right. Thanks to the backrest, Yuki won't fall over backward, so it's perfect!"

She said that and pressed her soft body even closer. Her arms wrapped around my neck with strength.

As an experiment, I tried to push her away, but Suzuka, full of complaints, appeared.

"Bu~, I gave you a long lap pillow, and you're trying to push me away? You're the worst! I'm hurt now. I treated you so nicely!"

"I'm sorry. But it's a challenge to see how much of my pushing away you can withstand!"

"Eek! You're so forceful! I won't let go for sure!"

"Well, are you a monkey?"

"It's fine to be a monkey. Because I want to hug you."

I couldn't push away Suzuka, who admitted to being a monkey, so I embraced her back tightly.

"Hehe. Yuki, I really love you! So, sorry, it might be a bit uncomfortable, but can I hug you tightly?"