The embrace we shared lasted for as long as it could. Whether it was because of the comfort or the warmth that we both needed, none of us moved to separate from one another. Well, I guess what Juri revealed also played a part in it.

Learning those things about her and how she treated what happened and what I did to help her a week ago as something precious to her, I couldn’t deny the happiness born from it.

Due to that, I pondered really carefully how to craft my response to her gratitude. Should I go all out and reveal everything about me or limit it to what would be acceptable to her?

Noticing that I was stuck in that state, Juri also didn’t disturb my thoughts and simply enjoyed the moment.

However, all good things had to end, right?

Even before I could finish arranging my thoughts, the oil lantern died down sooner than we expected.

With that, darkness once again engulfed the cabin.

Juri broke off from our embrace, picked up the flashlight, and stood up to check on it, leaving me behind on that table.

Unfortunately, after spending more than five minutes trying to light it up again, Juri had no choice but to accept that it ran out of oil already.

When she returned to my side, I tried rummaging in my bag again. But even with my girls’ incredible foresight to pack a lot of essential things in it, there was no oil to be found…

I guess that’s the limit of their powers, huh?

Anyway, it didn’t really matter to me. I mean, I was ready to take shelter to wait for the rain to let up here in the darkness.

“Are you afraid of the dark, Juri?” I asked when I noticed her fidgeting in her seat as she deliberated whether to turn off the flashlight or not. She’s still holding it but given its utility, it could only light one direction. It’s not like a lantern that could spread out its light.

“No… I just thought it would be colder in the dark.”

“Well, the lantern wasn’t really heating this place. We’re still affected by the cold with or without it…”

“I know that… Just that… I can’t see you in the dark.”

Even though that last part was whispered in an almost inaudible volume, I heard it clearly.

Since I told her that we should drop all pretenses, she’s probably just embarrassed to say it.

Maybe, if the light was turned to her, I could see her blushing profusely. But she wouldn’t do that, right? She kept the flashlight pointed in front of us.

“Well, what about this…?”

Grabbing one of her arms, I put her hand on my face again, letting her trace its contours with her palm. Then, taking the flashlight from the other hand, I turned it off and placed it where I originally put it.

While she was still scrambling on what she was supposed to do, I grabbed ahold of her other hand and brought it to my face as well.

Then, even with this darkness, I pushed my head closer to her, enough for our eyes that were reflecting the faint light coming from outside to be locked with each other.

“Ruki…?” She asked, sounding a little unsure at this situation.

“Well, you could’ve used the flashlight to see me in this darkness but for some reason, you weren’t doing it. So, I took the liberty to give you this alternative… By the way, your hands are cold. Warm them up with my cheeky face, hmm?”

Even though I couldn’t see her expression clearly, I noticed how she shook her head a few times as though she was clearing her head of unnecessary thoughts.

A few seconds later, her hands moved, squeezing my head as much as she could before I slid them down to my shoulder.

As I felt her somehow putting a bit of force to it as though she was using me as a support, I heard the dull sound of her chair moving along with her silhouette standing up from her seat.

Understanding what she was about to do, my arms naturally moved to her waist as I guided her towards me.

Then before completing what she aimed to do, she leaned down, her lips brushing against my ear as she whispered in a soft and perhaps, unintentionally tempting voice.

“… I’m not the only one feeling cold here, Ruki. That’s why… can we warm each other up?”

“If you say it like that, it will have a double meaning, you know? Well, I won’t reject that. I mean, you can see where my hands are.” I replied, sounding a little playful.

As soon as I said that, I felt warmth enveloping my ear. But at the next moment, a slight pain registered in my head as her teeth chomped on my earlobes.

Yeah… Instead of scolding me with words. Juri opted to nibble on my ear instead as it was the closest to her.

Nonetheless, while she was still punishing me with it, I continued guiding her to my lap.

I thought she was just going to sit sideways but the reality surprised even me. Opening up her legs, she settled down on my lap in a straddling position.

With her arms crossing behind me, Juri pressed herself against me in the most daring way possible.

“Juri?” I called out to her even though I could simply enjoy this situation. Moving my hands from her waist to also enclose them around her, I guided her hips forward, enough for her to slide closer to my crotch.

At this point, I could already feel myself getting turned on in this situation. However, with Juri still busy nibbling on my ear, I could only wait obediently for her.

Thankfully, that wait didn’t even last for a minute.

Leaving my ear wet and a little sore from the way she nibbled on it, Juri straightened her back, putting us in the same situation as earlier. However, with our current situation, she was staring me down while I was looking up at her.

There’s still little to no light. Nonetheless, with our eyes slowly growing accustomed to this darkness, it’s not hard to see each other’s outlines anymore.

“Ruki, do you think this is appropriate? I’ve no prior experience acting this bold but… if this can warm us up faster while we wait for the rain… I don’t mind this.”

Truthfully, I also didn’t expect her to be this bold. But isn’t this the result of the situation I created? I told her to drop all pretenses and with the circumstances around us… using an excuse like that had more validity than the excuse we used earlier when we were walking hand in hand.

“Appropriate or not doesn’t matter now, I guess? As long as you’re not forcing yourself to act like this, it’s fine. And as someone who had a lot of experience regarding ‘warming each other up’… This is undoubtedly a quick way to do it… You can feel it, right? We’re both heating up. It’s probably not long now before we sweat as well.”

“I’m not forcing myself… However, it does matter. I shouldn’t be this close to you. No matter the circumstances…”

Upon saying that, Juri hung her head low, guilt once again flooding her mind. However, instead of being consumed by it, what she did next surprised me once again.

Shaking her thoughts off, Juri raised her gaze once more, her eyes seemingly shining with determination.

“I know I shouldn’t but Ruki… Will Satsuki-chan forgive me for this?”

Without waiting for me to reply to that, Juri, while holding my head in place, closed the remaining distance between our lips, initiating our first kiss…

I could feel her whole body shaking from doing this yet with her decisive choice to do this… she’s breaking her own rule by herself without waiting for us to think of a loophole…

In any case, I should answer that determination she showed, right?

After letting a few seconds pass, my arms gradually tightened around her body and my lips started moving, guiding her on how to kiss properly.

Forgetting everything and only focusing on each other, we surely achieved what we both aimed to do… In no time at all, our bodies warmed up enough for us to not be bothered by the cold brought about by the unrelenting rain outside.

In this dark cabin where we could barely see each other, our budding relationship had started blooming. However, there were still obstacles on our path that we needed to pass through before it could bloom completely.

Maybe we’d be able to address it today, maybe not. But one thing was for sure… there’s no going back now that we crossed the line that we drew for ourselves.