"Welcome"

Said a male voice as we entered an inn near the square where the dance was happening at that moment. After Emi's words, the two of us headed to the nearest inn, which was just a few minutes away from the square. Initially, I thought about taking Emi to the castle or to my house. However, Emi seemed to be totally against that idea.

According to her, it wasn't the place that should be special, but the person. Although I understood what Emi was saying, I still thought we should at least stay in a nice place. So, I decided to look for the most luxurious accommodation I could find.

And that brings us to the current moment, where Emi and I find ourselves in a relatively fancy-looking inn, while an attendant watches us closely. Since we left the square and started walking here, Emi has been acting strangely, squirming and avoiding eye contact every time I look at her. I know it's embarrassing, I don't deny that I'm embarrassed too, but the way she's acting is making everything even more awkward than I feel it should be.

"Umm... could you please book a room for the two of us?"

I asked, keeping my gaze on the man behind the counter. Upon hearing my words, he cast a discreet glance at Emi, who was standing behind me, and then returned his attention to me. Although I didn't know exactly what was going on in his mind, I'm pretty sure he thought Emi was a man. Generally, there shouldn't be anything wrong with two friends sleeping in the same room, at least that's what I believe.

"Sure... but... is your friend okay?"

Said the man, discreetly pointing at Emi. Looking back at her, I noticed her expression was extremely embarrassed, and she fidgeted uncomfortably from time to time. To be honest, the situation was a bit uncomfortable for both of us.

"Ah, yes... he's just very shy. Being in front of new people usually makes him like this"

I explained. Although my words sounded a bit awkward, I just hoped the attendant would accept them. Besides, if you look at Emi, all you see is a man. I highly doubt he thought we were a couple about to do something indecent.

"Ah, I see"

Said the man as he reached out towards me, handing me a key with a number. Since this was a fairly common protocol, I just bid him farewell and went upstairs with Emi. Our room was at the end of the hallway, so it wasn't hard to find.

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As soon as I unlocked the door, I entered and looked around. The room was remarkably luxurious for an inn and even came with an attached bathroom. The bed was quite spacious, providing more than enough room for two people to sleep without feeling uncomfortable.

"Well... you can take a shower first; I'll take a look around the room"

I offered to Emi, pointing to the bathroom door with a gesture. Hearing my words, she simply nodded and headed towards the bathroom. Once Emi was out of my sight, all the tension I had been accumulating for some time came crashing down at once.

(Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God...)

This thought kept echoing in my mind as I struggled to contain my anxiety. Even considering my past life, this was the first time I found myself in such a situation, which honestly wasn't very encouraging. In these circumstances, I really didn't know how I should react.

(Is this really happening... Emi and I are really doing this?)

I paced back and forth across the room uncontrollably. My breathing was starting to become irregular, and I didn't even know anymore what I was exactly doing. Although I had simply moved forward, I was basically in autopilot mode. Only now was it sinking in what was about to happen.

(Okay... first, I need to calm down)

While sitting on the bed, I made a conscious effort to regulate my breathing and calm my mind.

(This is something that would happen eventually, Emi wants to have children, and we both love... but...)

With this thought in mind, I looked around the room until my eyes fixed on the bathroom where Emi was.

(Is it really okay to do this here? And is this really what Emi wants?)

It's not like I was against doing it with Emi, but still, I hoped it would be in a somewhat more special place. Although Emi had said that the importance of this moment was in the person you share it with, not just the location, I still struggled with the idea. While these thoughts filled my mind, the bathroom door opened.

"Umm... Ren... how do I look?"

As my gaze moved to Emi, my heart skipped a beat. Emi had her hair down, a strand tucked behind her ear stood out. Despite wearing pajamas, it was evident that wasn't the sole purpose of that outfit.

"W-Where did you get that?"

I swallowed hard, completely captivated by Emi's appearance. She was simply too adorable.

"Umm... it was in the bathroom... I think the last guests left it there"

Emi said, her face turning red. Then, she started walking slowly toward me until she stood in front of me. Emi then threw herself onto me, and we lay side by side on the bed.

"Ren..."

Emi whispered in a soft tone, her eyes shining with desire, and her face blushing more intensely. Slowly and naturally, Emi and I brought our lips together, intertwining our hands. At that moment, my heart was beating extremely fast, and my mind wasn't functioning properly. Although I didn't know what the future held for us, I promised myself that, no matter what happened, I would continue to love Emi until the end.