While Takei was sleeping peacefully on the goddess's lap, a conversation about him happened without him even knowing it.
Flora accidentally walked in to witness the holy mother giving Takei a lap pillow. The result was a mutual agreement to let Akari spend the night over here.
It was not without a cost though, Akari was shamelessly teased until her breaking point. After she endured the torture, Flora left her to her own devices.
"I'll leave my son in your care," is what Flora last said to Akari, as she left the room with a mischievous smile on her face.
After giving a recap of the events that transpired while he slept, Akari threw up a peace sign at him.
"Looks like we're stuck together tonight," Akari giggled.
Takei gave her a deadpan expression. "Your house is right across the street... Why don't you just go home?"
"Hmm... is that how you talk to someone who let you sleep on their lap for two hours?" Akari cutely asked.
For all intensive purposes, Akari was perfectly in the right. Takei couldn't say no to his benefactor. Somehow, it felt like Takei had been playing into her hands this whole time.
"Do what you want," Takei sighed.
Since it was just a little bit before seven in the evening, dinner was an event that would soon happen.
"I'll go help your mom with dinner, please feel free to relax until the cooking is finished," Akari kindly suggested.
Takei decided to impose on her kindness. "Thanks, I'll do just that."
Akari then left the room, which left Takei with an odd feeling. It was most likely due to him always being by her side which made him feel that he had a partner-in-crime. Now, his partner was somewhere else and not next to him. Although she was just in the kitchen, it truly felt like she was moving away from him.
Not wanting to ever feel this loneliness ever again, Takei swore to do his best to stand by her side. He didn't know what these feelings were inside of his heart, but Takei knew that he didn't want to let Akari go.
***
Besides the light teasing and several jabs, dinner passed by peacefully. There was no trouble at the Tanaka house... yet.
"What are you doing?" Takei asked.
Akari looked at Takei quizzically. "I'm setting up my mattress?"
"No, not that. I'm asking why you're setting it up in my room?" Takei explained.
Indeed, Takei's question was very valid in this situation. There were several other rooms that Akari could've used, but she decided to set up camp in Takei's room for some reason.
Akari shrugged her shoulders. "Your parents told me to sleep here tonight, since all of the other rooms haven't been cleaned yet."
"Why not Airi's room?" Takei questioned.
Akari had already asked Takei's sister earlier, so she explained what happened. "Airi said her room was too messy for another person to sleep in."
After Akari explained the situation about Airi's room, Takei immediately understood. His sister was one of those people with a gap between their public and private personalities. Out in public, Airi was a dignified student who was well respected by many people. In private though, she was a bit messy and clumsy when it came to some things.
Takei decided to ask her about some potential dangers that might appear. "Isn't it kind of bad to sleep in a room with another guy? What if I attacked you?"
"Would you do something like that?" Akari replied.
"No... Well, nothing's absolute. I don't know if I can guarantee your safety with 100 percent confidence," Takei stated.
"That answer is just like you," Akari smiled. "Well, I wouldn't mind it if you attacked me..."
Just like how Takei resolved himself to become a better person, the goddess also resolved herself to go on the offensive more.
With knowledge of Akari's feelings towards him, Takei was hit with a critical strike.
Deciding to just play it off, Takei scratched his head and began laughing. "Haha, that was a funny joke. Oh, look at the time. Let's go to bed."
As Takei started to sweat profusely from the pressure, Akari pouted at his obvious acting.
Ignoring the annoyed stare that was drilling into the back of his neck, Takei switched the lights off.
He went back to his bed and covered himself with his weighted blanket. "Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight," Akari responded.
Then, the two of them managed to sleep all the way until the next morning without any problems...
If only it were that way.
"Takei, are you still awake?"
Not even five minutes after turning the lights off, Akari was wide awake and wondering if he was awake or not.
"Yeah, I'm up. What's wrong?" Takei inquired.
Akari looked away from him for a second, before finally gaining enough confidence to tell him the source of her troubles.
"I'm scared of the dark..." Akari timidly said.
"Pfft..."
"Hey, don't laugh at my troubles!" Akari scolded.
Usually, Akari would sleep with a night light since the dark had always been her longtime fear. However, Takei didn't have any night lights at all since he was a high school student. Rather, he's never owned any night lights since he was always a rather aloof person who was usually outside societal norms.
"What do you want me to do about it?" Takei asked.
A second of pondering was all it took for Akari to reach an answer.
"Hold my hand?"
At the sound of such a dangerous temptation, Takei was having trouble comprehending the idea.
"Are you serious?" He responded.
Akari nodded. "Please."
Takei wondered if he could possibly leave her to solve this problem on her own. The drowsiness was slowly enveloping his conscience and refusing to leave. However, Takei's upbringing was proving it difficult to leave such a defenseless girl alone.
"Fine."
One word of approval came from Takei's mouth before he could even decide what his next course of action would be.
"Yay!" Akari pumped her fists.
It's too late to go back now... What a troublesome person.
Takei extended his hand towards Akari. Then, she grabbed it tightly and made sure that he knew that she wouldn't let go no matter what. That small gesture turned out to be too destructive to Takei's psyche which resulted in him blushing furiously.
As Takei's cheeks were heating up, he noticed something. Despite the difference in altitude between the elevated bed and the mattress on the floor, it didn't feel that uncomfortable for Takei.
Also, there was a large amount of warmth that was being transmitted from Akari's hand to Takei's, and vice versa. That left him in a near comatose state from the sensory overload.
Before he could greet the angels up in heaven though, Takei heard some light snoring next to him. He looked down and saw that the goddess had fallen asleep.
Takei smiled at the innocent face of the sleeping goddess and decided that it was time for him to sleep as well. He gave one last nightly farewell before he succumbed to the clutches of darkness.
"Sweet dreams, Akari."
---
Akari's True Affection Meter: 23 -> 30%
Sugar-san: Akari being scared of the dark was a perfect plot device in order to slide in some of that sugar!
Serious-san: Calm down, it's not fair if I don't have a turn as well...