Roy originally thought about pushing the door open directly to catch her off guard, but seeing Hanako’s current state through the crack, he changed his mind.
A subtle approach would play much better into his hands.
He raised his left hand and gently knocked.
Three light taps sounded exceptionally clear in the silent night.
“Who is it!” Hanako’s panicked voice gasped from inside, accompanied by a flurry of frantic rustling sounds and the dull thud of something slipping to the floor.
Her heart felt like it was about to stop from pure fright.
Her mind went completely blank, and for a few terrifying seconds, she forgot that only she and Roy were in the house.
“It’s me…” Roy’s voice drifted through the door, tinged with a deliberate note of confusion.
“Hanako-san, are you okay?
I thought I heard a strange noise coming from your room.” The moment she heard his voice, Hanako snapped back to reality.
Oh my god!
It’s Roy!
Why is he awake?
Why is he right outside my door?
Her face burned as if on fire.
She cast a desperate glance around the dimly lit room, searching for the delicate panties she had discarded in her panic moments before.
Her gaze swept across the floor, under the bed, beneath the vanity chair…
Nothing!
They were nowhere to be found, and she had been too overwhelmed by her desires earlier to remember where she had thrown them.
“I…
I’m fine!” Hanako raised her voice, trying her absolute best to sound normal.
“It’s just…
a bit of insomnia!
I was just doing some light midnight stretches!” As she spoke, she looked down at herself.
The ivory silk nightdress clung precariously to her curves.
Gritting her teeth, she gave up on finding her underwear for now, hurriedly smoothing down the fabric and pulling the hem down forcefully to cover her bare thighs.
But the delicate silk was short to begin with, and a cool, suggestive sensation against her skin reminded her of exactly how exposed she truly was.
“Hanako-san?” Roy’s voice called out again, sounding closer.
“C…
coming!” Hanako took a deep breath, haphazardly smoothing her tangled brown hair with her hands, checking the corner of her mouth, and trotted to the entrance.
As her hand brushed the doorknob, she suddenly froze.
The door was already unlatched.
With a light turn, it drifted open a crack.
Did I forget to lock it?
Her pupils trembled with sheer embarrassment.
She had been in such a desperate rush earlier that she hadn’t secured the door properly.
Then just now…
those breathless sounds…
Roy was standing right here…
how much did he hear?
Did he see anything through the gap?
Shame washed over her like a tidal wave, but with him waiting right there, she couldn’t simply ignore him.
Shaking her head to clear the dizzying thoughts, she pulled the door open.
“Roy, do you need something?” Hanako tried her best to maintain a natural expression, but her flushed cheeks, flickering eyes, and slightly ragged breathing betrayed her completely.
Roy stood at the doorway, his intense gaze taking her in from head to toe.
The intoxicating scent of her recent bath, mixed with an indescribably sweet, musky aroma unique to a aroused woman, drifted straight into his nostrils.
Her long hair was still slightly damp, clinging beautifully to her neck and collarbone.
The straps of her silk nightdress were askew, revealing a breathtaking expanse of her smooth, fair skin.
She was holding the hem down tightly, but her two slender legs were pressed closely together, her knees slightly turned inward in an anxious, defensive posture.
“I got a bit thirsty and wanted to grab some water,” Roy withdrew his gaze, his tone remarkably calm.
“But as I passed by your door, I thought I heard you calling my name?” He stared directly into her eyes, probing for a reaction.
“Huh?” Hanako’s face flushed a brilliant crimson, resembling a ripe berry.
She looked away, not daring to lock eyes with him.
“Calling…
calling you?
N…
no, you must have misheard…
maybe I was just talking to myself out loud?” The excuse was incredibly weak, and even she didn’t believe it.
“Is that so…” Roy took a small step forward, boldly closing the distance between them.
Hanako could feel the sheer masculine warmth radiating from his body, making her pulse race even faster.
“Water!
Right, the water!” Hanako seized the excuse like a lifeline, desperate to change the subject.
“I have some water right here in my room!
Come in, come inside and I’ll get it for you.” The moment the words left her mouth, she internally gasped.
Why did I just invite him in?
Into my bedroom, in the middle of the night, while I’m dressed like this?
But the invitation was out there, and deep down in a hidden corner of her heart, she realized she wasn’t actually resisting it.
Instead, a strange, thrilling wave of anticipation washed over her.
“Okay.” Roy didn’t give her a single second to reconsider, stepping firmly past her into the private sanctuary of her bedroom.
The room was filled with a warm, ambient yellow light and permeated with her sweet, floral fragrance.
Roy’s sharp eyes quickly scanned the layout.
The swivel chair in front of her vanity was tilted askew, its cushion slightly rumpled, while a drawer on her nightstand remained slightly open, revealing a telltale hint of lace-trimmed fabric.
“I have some bottled mineral water here, but it’s a bit cold,” Hanako stammered, her back turned to him as she picked up a portable electric kettle.
“Let me boil it for you.
Drinking something warm on a chilly night is much better for your health.” Her hands shook slightly as she poured the water into the kettle, pressing the switch.
The appliance hummed softly into life.
“Hanako-san,” Roy suddenly spoke, his voice dropping an octave, rich and deep.
“H-huh?
Yes?
What is it?” Hanako turned around, holding the empty plastic bottle in front of her chest almost like a shield.
“Just now…” Roy took another step forward, cutting the distance between them down to mere inches, close enough to feel her shallow breaths.
“I really did hear you calling my name.
Very clearly.” His gaze locked onto hers, refusing to let her escape.
“You…
you definitely misheard…” Hanako whispered, her fingers tightening around the bottle until it crinkled.
Without breaking eye contact, Roy reached out behind his back.
With a crisp, deliberate click, he turned the lock on her bedroom door.
The sound of the latch sliding into place was deafening in the quiet room.
Hanako’s heart leapt straight into her throat.
“Wh…
why did you lock the door?” her voice grew even softer, trembling with undeniable panic.
“I’m just worried Eevee might suddenly wander in and disturb us,” Roy replied smoothly, an unbothered expression on his face.
He leaned in just a fraction closer.
“But tell me, Hanako-san…
did I really mishear you?” “Yes!
Yes, you did…
you definitely misheard,” Hanako nodded frantically, desperately clinging to the fragile lie as her body grew flushed beneath the silk of her dress.