Chapter 353

"What the...?"

The next day, as I circled the Outdoor Parking Lot under the morning sun, my eyes widened when I saw the scratch on my car's rear bumper.

‘When did this happen? It definitely wasn't there when I left yesterday...’

I didn't scratch it myself. If I had, I would have noticed while driving.

‘Did another car hit it in the Parking Lot while I was watching the movie with Hiyori?’

‘Or did some kids running around smack it with a toy robot or something?’

Whatever happened, a curse slipped right out.

If someone damages another person's car, they should leave a message at the number on the windshield. There are way too many people who have no conscience these days.

‘I had absolutely terrible luck yesterday... Is this a continuation of that?’

I never expected a string of bad luck like this.

I should have known when the Melon Milk spilled down my neck. This is my fault.

If I reported it to the police and checked the CCTV, I could catch the culprit right away, but... forget it.

I was better off spending that time with the other heroines, and since the scratch wasn't big, I'd just consider it a small price to pay to ward off worse luck.

Things like this just happen in life.

I decided to be generous and let it go. Instead, I'd just smack Hiyori's ahoge to siphon off some good luck.

Looking at my arm, I noticed a swollen bump.

It was a mosquito bite, proof that summer was approaching.

These damn things were starting to show up. I needed to get ready to wipe them out.

After a very brief walk, I watered the flowerbed that Miyuki so carefully maintained, then went inside and lay down on my mattress.

I spent some time lazily lounging around until my Cell Phone vibrated. I checked the screen.

[Matsuken.]

It was a message from Hiyori.

The distance between us had shrunk significantly since yesterday, and this morning text was the proof.

My already pleasant mood improved even more.

Anyway, Matsuken, Matsumatsuken...

‘Can't you just pick one? That way I can actually get used to it.’

Of course, it was just a passing thought. Matsuken, Matsumatsuken, Matsumatsu... I didn't care what I was called as long as it was an affectionate nickname from Hiyori.

[What.]

[You're up early.]

[Yeah. You're up early too?]

[I usually wake up around this time.]

[So there was a reason you sleep so much at the Academy.]

[Could you stop bringing that up? I don't sleep that much, you know.]

[So you admit you sleep in class.]

[Shut up. Did you use the items well?]

[I used a few, but I saved most of them.]

[I only gave you useful ones, so you should be thankful.]

It was cute how she took the credit.

‘Should we meet?’ Since Miyuki was sleeping over at a friend's house and coming back late, the answer was practically set in stone.

If I had free time and didn't meet a heroine, I'd be disqualified as a protagonist.

[I thanked you yesterday.]

[Do it again.]

[Thanks.]

[Good boy. I'll pat your head for you.]

‘Can't you pat somewhere other than my head?’

Swallowing those words, I was about to ask Hiyori if she had any plans when—

[What are you doing?]

Her next message arrived.

For some reason, it felt like Hiyori wanted to see me too.

Feeling a strong hunch, I sent a reply.

[Lying down.]

[Going to sleep?]

[No. Do you have plans today?]

[Nope.]

[Then pay off your debt.]

[Didn't I pay it off yesterday?]

[I told you to come out when I call you on the weekend. That includes both Saturday and Sunday.]

[That sounds like a stretch...]

‘Playing hard to get even though you like the idea.’

Instead of pretending I didn't care just to coax an answer out of her, it was better to push her one more time here.

[I'll see you in an hour.]

[What are we doing? Watching a movie again?]

[No.]

[Okay.]

Yeah, that was the answer I wanted.

Having made plans, I quickly got up and went to take a shower.

Hiyori showed up in a highly revealing outfit just like yesterday, as if to make a point.

Seeing her in a tight, sleeveless crop top that clung to her upper body and sky-blue hot pants with a distressed, ripped hem gave me an instant headache.

It was good that her chest was fully covered, but the crop top was elastic. Combined with Hiyori's large breasts, it somehow looked even more erotic than yesterday.

Furthermore, the fact that her vertical navel—beautifully exposed from top to bottom—and her slender, pale waistline were on full display earned her a failing grade.

Pulling this after I nagged her so much yesterday and even took her home to change was proof that she expected me to act like a prude.

At the same time, it seemed she wanted to tease me.

Grimacing the moment I saw her, I spoke.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Why? I brought something to wear over it right here."

Hiyori lifted the obviously thin white cardigan draped over her arm.

I let out a heavy sigh from the depths of my chest and pointed toward her house.

"Go get something else."

"They said it's going to be hot today."

"You said that yesterday."

"It's the truth, what do you want me to do? Plus, I washed all my clothes."

‘Right, I figured you'd do this, so I came prepared.’

Giving Hiyori a look that said she was impossible, I jerked my chin toward the car.

"Haa... fine. Just get in."

Hiyori's thin, long eyebrows twitched slightly.

She seemed puzzled by my reaction, surprised that I had let the situation slide so easily.

At the same time, she also looked a little disappointed.

"I can really get in?"

"Yeah."

"Really...? Okay."

With a swish of her long blonde hair, Hiyori got into the passenger seat, then tilted her head at the navy oversized shirt resting on the seat.

"What's this? Did you buy clothes on the way here?"

I answered her question with a smirk.

"Wear that today."

"This? Me?"

"Yeah."

"Ah... so that's why you told me to get in so easily?"

Hiyori's eyes curved into half-moons.

It was a bewitching smile. One that made me want to pounce on her for a split second.

"Exactly."

"You're needlessly well-prepared."

"What do you mean 'needlessly'? You should be thanking me."

"I don't think this will match my outfit. And the color is so dull it's putting me off."

‘Mhm. I really love how Hiyori's mouth motor is already revving up.’

"Put it on before we get out."

Giving her an ultimatum, I started the car.

Draping my shirt over her upper body like a blanket, Hiyori asked, "What are we doing today?"

"No plans. I figured we'd just walk around and go inside if we see a fun-looking shop."

"Ah, I like that kind of thing. Like an unplanned date."

The sudden mention of the word "date" caught me completely off guard.

Slightly flustered, I instinctively twitched my shoulders.

Realizing my slip-up, I glanced at Hiyori, but she was just fiddling with her Cell Phone.

It seemed she hadn't noticed my reaction, which I considered a relief.

‘Strangely, I always feel like I can't afford to lose ground against her for even a second.’

Relieved inwardly, I drove through the refreshing weather all the way downtown.

"Uh... what do we do now?"

Swaaaash—!

Hiyori asked as we stood at the entrance of a building, watching the heavy rain forcefully pummeling the ground.

Smacking my lips in disappointment, I looked around.

"...I don't know."

We had arrived downtown, parked, and were walking side by side when the torrential rain suddenly poured down.

I thought it would be a passing shower, but a wide stretch of the sky was dark, and the rain only grew heavier instead of stopping.

‘I've had such shitty luck since yesterday.’

With that thought, I saw people crowding into a nearby Convenience Store.

I had a feeling all the umbrellas would be sold out at this rate.

Turning my head to Hiyori, I said, "I'm going to buy an umbrella, so stay here."

"Right now? It's raining a lot, though? Won't it stop if we wait a bit longer?"

"It doesn't look like it's going to."

Declaring that, I stepped out into the pouring rain.

Ignoring Hiyori's shouts to cover my head with the shirt she was wearing, I sprinted straight for the Convenience Store.

Even though I had just cursed my bad luck, my mood wasn't actually that bad.

That was because there was a classic rom-com cliché that typically appeared when it rained out of nowhere like this.

Arriving at the umbrella rack, I reached out with a satisfied smile.

‘Just as I thought.’

There was only one umbrella left.

If this didn't lead to a scene where the protagonist and heroine shared an umbrella, it wouldn't be Doki-Aka, a game practically stuffed with cliché tropes.

After paying for the umbrella, I braved the fierce wind and returned to Hiyori.

"Let's go to a department store or something and look at clothes."

Seeing my heavily drenched state, she shook her head back and forth.

"You have a really reckless side to you."

"Not as much as you. Come on, before the rain gets heavier."

"Got it."

Hiyori didn't seem to have any great aversion to sharing an umbrella.

She didn't hesitate or look at me cautiously, and her tone was perfectly calm.

‘That's a little disappointing. I was expecting her to act shy.’

‘Is this how she felt earlier when I told her to get in the car without lecturing her too much?’

The moment Hiyori stepped under the open umbrella, an absurdly strong gust of wind swept in and slammed into us.

Flap—!

The umbrella flipped inside out in an instant, leaving Hiyori face-to-face with the headwind.

Taking the tremendous gust head-on, her body staggered wildly.

"Ah...!"

At the same time, her hands instinctively shot out to keep her from falling, grabbing my waist.

Without a second thought, I hunched forward, wrapping my arms around Hiyori to shield her as she braced her head against my chest.

Retreating back to the building in that state, I managed to fix the umbrella, then gently patted the lower back of Hiyori, who was still holding onto my waist.

Then, I asked, "Are you okay?"

The physical touch was just a habit.

Like I often did with Miyuki, Renka, or Chinami, it was just an action meant to soothe the other person.

But Hiyori didn't seem to take it that way.

As she flinched and pulled away from me, I could see her ears turning red in real time.

"...Yeah..."

My shirt, which Hiyori was wearing, had been blown up to her chest by the wind.

That meant her waist had been exposed.

Put simply, I had just touched Hiyori's bare skin.

With a damp hand covered in rainwater, no less.