The room we were escorted to was quite large. Still, when compared to the other suites, it was considered small. There was only one bed in the room, and it was double-sized.

Just the mere sight of it made me feel awkward.

The hotel employee left after saying, “If something happens, please call me immediately.”

Then came an indescribable silence.

“…”

“…”

At first, I was calm. However, the more I thought about it, the more self-conscious I became. Philip’s odd behavior also added to my restlessness.

From outside of the window, I could hear the constant onslaught of rain and wind. Occasionally, thunder would ring, which was scary.

“…Do you, want to drink something?”

“S, sure…”

After I replied, Philip poured the already prepared cold fruit tea into a glass and handed it to me.

“Kya—!”

However, at that moment, thunder struck from nearby. Surprised, the glass slipped out of my hand and I was soaked by the fruit tea.

The unpleasant dampness of my dress and its coldness gave me goosebumps. I really did seem out of it today.

“Forgive me, are you alright?”

“No, it’s my fault. I’m sorry, I spilled the tea. I’d like to take a bath…”

“A, alright.”

He let me wash myself first. I changed into the clothes that had been prepared and entered the shower. Bathing in the warm water, my tension eased.

At the edge of the sofa, Philip was reading a book. He got it from the bookshelf. His expression was very serious as he read the book.

“Excuse me, I’vefinished showering.”

“Yes.”

“It seems that you’re reading a book.”

“Yes.”

Not once did he look at my way as he replied.

My curiosity about what made the book so intriguing was peaked. However, when I turned my attention towards the book, I realized that it was upside down. Instead of calming down, it seemed that he had gotten worse.

“Um… your book, is upside down.”

“…!”

Only after I had pointed that out did Philip notice. His cheeks became red. He entered the bathroom in a flash with the words, “I’m going to take a shower.”

I involuntarily smiled. However, when I recalled that he was taking a shower, I became restless again.

Thus, I decided to kill time by reading the magazine he had put down.

“Phil, you’ve finished—”

The moment I saw Philip’s appearance, I became fascinated.

He was dripping wet. His damp, black, hair and slightly flushed cheeks complemented his beauty many times more than usual. He exuded an incredible sensuality.

As I stare at him, I got lost in excitement and failed to hear him.

“Viola?”

“…N, nothing!”

I averted my gaze in a hurry and calmed myself down.

After that, after we passed time conversing with each other, it was time to sleep. As far as I could tell, the storm was unlikely to stop.

I was positive Philip, too, realized that going home that night would be impossible.

I didn’t know what to say. There was only one bed. That was right, I should offer to sleep on the sofa.

While I was contemplating it, Philip opened his mouth.

“I’ll sleep on the couch, so you should use the bed.”

“That won’t do. Phil, you can sleep on the bed.”

“I don’t want to be a man who makes his beloved sleep on the couch while he alone gets the bed.”

“…!”

If you say that, I can’t refuse.

In the end, in spite of my words, I slept on the bed alone.

***

An hour had passed since then.

No matter how many sheep I counted, I couldn’t fall asleep at all. I had lost count on how many times I had turned around. I went to the kitchen area to drink something warm for a change.

“Phil, do you want some hot tea?”

“…You’re still awake? Yes, please.”

“I understand.”

That said, the moment I saw the tea leaves, I realized I had never brewed tea before. I had no idea how much to put in, nor for how long I should steep them.

After managing to brew two cups of tea, I returned to the room and awkwardly placed a cup in front of him. Then, instead of sitting at the corner, I opted to sit closer to him.

Philip sipped the tea and eventually said, “Delicious.” He was smiling.

Hearing his words, I rubbed my chest in relief. I also took a sip.

“—I’m sorry, but please stop drinking that tea and just throw it away.”

It was bland. It was nothing more than tea-colored hot water. To make Philip drink something like that, I was brimming with both remorse and shame.

However, Philip only laughed. “For you to brew tea for me, I’m already overjoyed. The taste doesn’t matter. Thank you.”

His words and smile only made me want to cry even more.

“…Why?”

“Viola?”

“Why do you love me so much?”

When I realized it, I had already asked such a thing.

“I don’t know.”

“Eh?”

“I don’t know the reason. But, as of right now, I’m nothing without Viola.”

When I saw Philip’s smile, I wasn’t sad. Still, for some reason, I wanted to cry.

At the same time, I began to feel a fluffy, blaring, sensation in my chest. It was different from anything I had felt before.

---

***T/N:

The two? In the same room.

Viola? Taking a shower.

Philip’s virgin mind? Exploded.

Hotel? Trivago.

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