A lively feast was in full swing inside the private room. The lights flickered warmly, the air thick with the rich aroma of various dishes. B-Css students gathered around, ughing, toasting, and sharing stories, their faces beaming with joy as they celebrated their victory.

  However, they all instinctively kept their voices down, careful not to wake the sleeping boy in the corner.

  Now, if you were to ask Uesugi Gen whether he was touched by this scene—

  He wouldn't dare move.

  Yes, Uesugi had actually woken up a while ago. And the moment he did, he immediately became aware of his situation.

  The smooth fabric beneath him, the warmth enveloping him, the indescribable fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, and…

  The gentle hand softly stroking the back of his head.

  Everything pointed to one clear fact—he was currently resting in Ichinose’s p, receiving a knee pillow.

  It took him 0.3 seconds to piece everything together.

  Victory party… ditched everyone to py games… got dragged out of bed by Ichinose… came to the venue… went back to sleep…

  Which meant—the entire css was watching him sleep in Ichinose’s p right now?!

  That thought immediately brought back memories of the time he was surrounded by the whole css on the uninhabited isnd.

  Not this again!

  Faced with such a reality, Uesugi decided to fully commit to his escape pn—by burying himself even deeper into Ichinose’s p.

  “…Hmm?”

  Sensing his movement, Ichinose paused her gentle strokes, tilting her head down, her rge eyes scanning his face.

  “Uesugi-kun, are you awake?”

  Her soft voice echoed in his ears.

  Nope. I’m not awake. You’re imagining things.

  Still in full avoidance mode, Uesugi remained perfectly still, pressing his face further into Ichinose’s embrace.

  As the saying goes—Ichinose can never wake up someone who’s pretending to be asleep.

  Seeing that Uesugi wasn’t responding, Ichinose gave up with a sigh and resumed stroking his head.

  Ichinose’s p is so comfy…

  Soft, warm, smells nice… You know what? I’ll just stay like this until the party’s over. (￣﹃￣)

  Once everyone leaves, I’ll sneak out of her p, and no one will ever see me in this embarrassing position!

  Just a little longer…

  But then, something felt off.

  His eyes snapped open.

  Grabbing Ichinose’s hand, he slowly sat up from her p and stood in front of her.

  “Ah! Uesugi-kun, you’re awake! I—”

  Delighted to see him finally up, Ichinose quickly tried to stand as well.

  But the moment she did, her legs wobbled, and she stumbled forward.

  Instinctively, Uesugi spread his arms and caught her.

  Long periods of pressure on the thighs can restrict blood circution, causing numbness, loss of sensation, and in severe cases, even muscle damage.

  By Uesugi’s estimate, she had been in that position for over an hour.

  Realizing this, a flicker of irritation rose in his heart.

  What’s so great about me that you’d put yourself through this? You knew your legs would go numb, and you still didn’t wake me up?

  But before he could scold her, Ichinose tugged at his shirt.

  “Come on, Uesugi-kun, let’s go join Kanzaki and the others.”

  “That can wait.”

  Ignoring her urging, Uesugi gently helped her sit back down.

  Then, he knelt in front of her, looking at her pale, slender thighs. He lightly pressed his thumb into her skin, leaving behind a faint red imprint.

  “Can you feel this?” he asked softly.

  Ichinose hesitated, sensing the unusual seriousness in his tone. Lowering her head, she murmured, “It’s not that bad… I just need to sit for a bit.”

  “You sit tight. I’ll be back soon.”

  Before she could reply, Uesugi turned and strode toward the B-Css gathering.

  Ichinose watched as he exchanged a few words with Kanzaki and the others.

  To her surprise, Kanzaki nodded solemnly, gesturing for Uesugi to hurry up.

  Moments ter, Uesugi returned.

  Without another word, he squatted down in front of her, his back facing her.

  “Get on. I’ll carry you back.”

  “…Eh?”

  “Come on. I already talked to Kanzaki. We’re going to hold another celebration after we return to school. So right now, just let me take you back.”

  “No… I’m really fine, I just need a little rest.”

  “You need to get back to the dorms and apply warm compresses. Your muscles have been under pressure for too long. Or would you rather I do it for you here?”

  “N-No way! Not in front of everyone, that’s embarrassing!”

  “Then behave and let me take you back.”

  “B-But…”

  “I listened to you all those times you called me. Are you really going to ignore me now?”

  “…Can we at least wait until the party’s over?”

  “I’m getting angry.”

  “…Fine.”

  Reluctantly, Ichinose wrapped her arms around Uesugi’s neck, resting her chin on his shoulder.

  Feeling her settle in, Uesugi secured his grip around her soft, smooth thighs and effortlessly lifted her up.

  As they disappeared down the corridor, Kanzaki stroked his chin and turned to Nagakura Asako.

  “See? I told you they have a conjugate retionship.”

  As they made their way down the hallway, Ichinose’s voice softly reached his ear.

  “Uesugi-kun… Am I heavy?”

  “Nope. Actually, you’re lighter than I expected. Guess all your weight went to the right pces.”

  Uesugi answered absentmindedly, still distracted by the unparalleled sensation pressing against his back.

  A deep blush spread across Ichinose’s face.

  “D-Don’t say that out loud!”

  “…Back in first year, everything was normal…” she muttered under her breath.

  Then, as if mustering up all her courage, she took a deep breath.

  “Uesugi-kun…”

  She hesitated, then finally asked the question that had been lingering in her heart.

  “Do you… like me?”

  Uesugi’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

  His expression remained neutral as he replied, “I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t like Ichinose.”

  “That’s not what I meant,”

  Ichinose pouted, reaching up to pinch his ear.

  “You know exactly what I’m asking!”

  “Alright, alright! I get it, I get it.”

  Uesugi grinned, wincing from her grip.

  “No dodging, no wordpy, no tricks,”

  Ichinose sealed off all his escape routes.

  “You know what I mean.”

  Seeing there was no way out, Uesugi finally spoke.

  “I like you.”

  He paused, then added—

  “…The same way you like me.”

  ---

  T/N: ANHHHH NO WAY ALREADY?? THEY CONFESSED ALREADY OGMOMGOGMOMGOMG

  omg i cant believe im listening to EVERYBODY TALKS rn it fits so well and also conjugate retionship means one of some permanence, where individuals are financially, socially, emotionally and physically interdependent, where they share household and reted responsibilities, and where they have made a serious commitment to one another.