Chapter 13: Reflections of Insecurity ( 13 )
Kyouko gave his hair one final rub before lowering the towel.
"Alright. That's enough. You'll get sick if you stay like this."
Then, without warning, she took his hand and gave it a gentle tug. "Come on—upstairs."
"Huh? Wait—" Haruki blinked, caught off guard as she pulled him along, her wet clothes still sticking to her body as she walked quickly ahead.
"You need to wash yourself," she said, not turning around but clearly serious.
"Okay, okay~ Jeez~" Haruki let out a soft chuckle as he followed behind, amused by her sudden assertiveness.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, Kyouko stopped in front of his room and handed him a dry towel she had brought up earlier.
"Now go take a shower!" she said firmly, pointing toward the bathroom.
"Yes, ma'am!" Haruki grinned, giving a small mock salute.
Kyouko smiled, shaking her head at his playful attitude, then turned and headed to her own room.
She stepped inside, peeling off her damp dress as she walked, leaving faint droplets on the floor. She reached for another towel and then slipped into the shower near her room, exhaling as the warm water poured down over her chilled skin.