Chapter 390

Click.

Miyuki opened the door and strolled lazily down the corridor.

Watching her shuffle away, dragging her Hotel Slippers, was so cute it was driving me crazy.

It would be perfect if she were hugging a pillow, too, but knowing Miyuki, that would never happen.

Swallowing that mild disappointment, I followed her and gently began massaging the back of her neck.

Her head tilted back slightly at the touch.

She seemed to savor the sensation. We were heading toward the elevator like that when we ran into Tetsuya coming out of the opposite corridor.

"Hi, Tetsuya."

Tetsuya offered a warm smile as he saw Miyuki raise a hand to greet him, her voice still thick with sleep.

But the smile only lasted a moment.

When he noticed me massaging the back of her neck, his face instantly twisted into a hideous scowl.

"What is it...? Are you feeling sick?"

Miyuki asked in concern as she studied his expression.

Tetsuya seemed to snap out of it, quickly smoothing out his expression as he replied.

"No... I just got a sudden stomachache."

"Really? Do you have an upset stomach? What did you eat yesterday?"

"I-I just had some skewers from a street stall. Thanks for worrying."

"Make sure you tell someone if it hurts. Or you can ask the concierge where the school nurse is, and they'll point you in the right direction."

"Right... Did you just stop by Matsuda's room before coming out?"

He was trying to probe Miyuki, but Tetsuya had to know.

He had to know she'd slept in my room.

She was rubbing her eyes with completely disheveled hair, looking exactly like someone who had just rolled out of bed. Even an oblivious idiot like him had to be certain.

"Huh? Well... yeah."

Miyuki took the question in stride.

She probably just agreed with his phrasing because saying she actually slept there might sound a bit too suggestive.

Miyuki didn't realize it, of course. She had no idea her answer was unintentionally driving Tetsuya into even deeper misery.

Deciding she didn't need to know anyway, I grabbed her arm and pulled her against me.

Then I spoke to Tetsuya.

"You going to the beach again today?"

"Huh? I am, but..."

Tetsuya's voice trailed off as his eyes shifted toward Miyuki.

Did he want to go with her?

Not a chance.

Come to think of it, Tetsuya truly seemed to believe he could win Miyuki back whenever he pleased.

He probably thought she would break up with me the moment she saw my trashy side, and that she would soon realize there was no man better for her than him.

He must have been holding on to that hope.

Completely unaware of how utterly delusional that thought was.

But this school trip must have finally made him realize how complacent he'd been.

That was why he'd been so aggressive toward me yesterday.

"Have fun."

Cutting Tetsuya off, I guided Miyuki right past him.

"We're going to eat right after roll call later, if you want to join... Mmph...!"

I covered Miyuki's mouth just like yesterday to stop her from inviting him, making sure to nip any further involvement with that guy in the bud.

Ding!

I stepped into the elevator that arrived with perfect timing, quickly pressing the button for Miyuki's floor and then the door-close button.

It might have been petty, but I hated even being in the same space as Tetsuya. Plus, Miyuki's lungs would only get polluted by breathing the same air as him, so this was for the best.

"What are you doing? I was talking, why are you rushing off so fast?"

Miyuki grumbled as she struggled to pull my hand away from her mouth.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders and gently stroking her slender neck, I nonchalantly changed the subject.

"Once roll call is over, let's head straight to the dining hall without dragging a bunch of people along."

"I think Matsuda-kun is the only one who needs to be careful about that."

She was clearly referring to how I'd invited Hiyori yesterday.

I had no counter for that, so my only option was to act shamelessly.

Coming to that conclusion, I gave Miyuki a light push on the back when the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

"See you later."

"Yeah. Don't be late."

"You too."

The tip of Miyuki's tongue peeked out from between her dry lips before sliding back in.

A faint crinkle formed on the bridge of her nose.

Finding the gesture incredibly adorable, I stood there watching her walk down the hall toward her room until the elevator doors slid shut, carrying me back down.

The lobby was quiet, since there was still plenty of time left before roll call.

I sank into a plush sofa in the corner, and a wave of languor washed over my body.

I was feeling a bit drowsy, not having slept much last night after going at it so fiercely with Miyuki.

Thinking I should catch a quick nap after breakfast, I pulled out my Cell Phone and sent a message to Chinami.

[Master.]

Not long after, she sent back a photo.

In it, Chinami was throwing up a V-sign next to her cheek while standing in front of a sullen-looking Renka.

Both of their hair was still damp; it looked like a picture taken yesterday when they had stopped to rest by the stream.

Chinami's outfit was fine, but I wasn't happy with Renka's.

She was wearing a T-shirt with a rather low neckline, just enough to show a faint hint of cleavage.

For a slave to dare wear something like that without her master's permission... I'd have to teach her a lesson when I got back.

[You both look pretty.]

[Hehe, thank you. Is my junior enjoying his time over there?]

[I'm surviving well enough.]

[You sound like a lone survivor complaining in a world of zombies.]

[I think I might find some strength if I saw a picture of Master in her pajamas.]

[Ah. Could you wait a moment?]

[Sure.]

There was a certain eroticism that seemed to unconsciously slip out of Chinami.

Considering how she'd exposed her bare stomach the last time I asked for a pajama photo, I had a feeling she would send another picture highlighting a certain charming feature.

I was waiting for Chinami's reply with high expectations when my Cell Phone vibrated.

The caller ID showed Renka.

A satisfied smile spread across my face at my beautiful slave's voluntary call. I hit the answer button.

"Hello."

-What are you doing?

"What do you mean?"

-Why are you making Chinami do weird things?

They must have been together.

But to call it weird things... what hurtful words.

"I just asked her to send a picture, though?"

-That's exactly what makes it a weird thing. You really live up to your name, Trash.

Hmm. Hearing Renka's sharp, ringing voice really sparked my passion for educating her.

"You're being unreasonable again. Also, President."

-What.

"Don't wear clothes that expose your cleavage. That's one warning."

-What are you talking about...? How do you know what I'm wearing?

"I have my ways."

-I haven't worn anything like that...! Stop trying to bait me.

"You even lied. That's an additional warning. You know what happens at three strikes, right?"

-I-I don't know anything...! This isn't a joke... Get lost!

Click.

The call abruptly ended. I waited for another five minutes, but Chinami's photo never arrived.

It seemed Renka had stopped her... I couldn't just let this slide.

Staring at my darkened Cell Phone screen, I killed time by pondering some new and unconventional play to enjoy with Renka later.

Eventually, feeling thirsty, I stopped by the Convenience Store to buy a bottle of water. As I walked back out, I spotted Hiyori stepping out of the elevator, her face dripping with sheer annoyance.

"Huh?"

She must have spotted me too, as her sleepy, half-lidded eyes suddenly went wide.

I was about to walk over and warmly greet her when—

"Ouch."

I let out a dry laugh at the sight of Hiyori letting out a soulless shriek and collapsing to the floor in the most artificial way possible.

It was completely absurd, but at the same time, it felt oddly lively and overflowing with a relaxed charm.

One of the reasons Hiyori was so popular was probably that exact side of her... her easygoing nature that completely disregarded keeping up appearances.

I approached her as she lay there, completely unbothered by the stares she was drawing from the people around us, and asked flatly.

"What are you doing?"

"I twisted my ankle."

"It didn't look like that at all, but if you say so."

"Right? So help me up."

"How? Should I hold your arm?"

"No. Give me a piggyback ride."

She'd been keeping this act up since yesterday.

It was like she was possessed by a ghost intent on clinging to my back.

"Get up."

"Piggyback."

"I'll carry you if I feel like it, so go sit down first."

Hiyori shot me a sullen look at that, but she hauled herself over to a nearby circular bench and sat down.

I stood across from her and continued speaking.

"Did you come down for roll call?"

"Yes."

"You're surprisingly early."

"What do you mean, surprisingly...! Aren't you looking down on me a bit too much?"

"I am looking down on you. Where's Mitsushima?"

"Miho is coming down with the teacher."

"Is that so? You're just going to rest in your room today, right?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you hurt your foot."

"I barely even got hurt. A school trip only comes once a semester, I have to enjoy it to the fullest."

She was on the verge of tears yesterday complaining about how much it hurt, yet here she was, putting on a brave face...

I chuckled as Hiyori proudly stuck her nose in the air, then spoke.

"It'll hurt a lot if salt water gets in the wound, you know? The bacteria are dangerous, too."

"It's scabbed over, so it's fine. Look."

Hiyori kicked off one of her slippers, lifting her leg high to show me the sole of her foot.

As a result, the short shorts she was wearing stretched and rode up, offering a slight glimpse of her groin.

"How is it? Looks all healed up, right?"

A pair of red panties barely covered her crotch.

The moment I saw it, all the blood in my body rushed south.

Even after everything I'd stressed to her, our Hiyori still had absolutely no sense of caution.

"How am I supposed to check when there's a bandage over it?"

"Peel it off and check."

I stared in amusement as she curled and uncurled her toes while saying that, then made a sudden grab for her foot.

Using the tips of my fingers, I tickled the center of her sole right over the bandage.

"Eek...!"

Hiyori let out a squeak that sounded both flirtatious and incredibly goofy as her leg flailed outward.

As a result, the already slight view up her shorts expanded into a full-blown showcase.

This time she seemed to realize her underwear was on full display and quickly slapped both hands over her crotch, though I wondered if she knew that only made the pose look even dirtier.

I clicked my tongue, looking down at Hiyori as she sat there in that incredibly girlish posture with her calves splayed outward.

"You've been doing weird things for a while now."

"...You saw it, didn't you?"

"I saw it."

"What color was it?"

Such a bold question.

I let out a breath of disbelief and answered.

"Red, wasn't it?"

"That's right. You have a sharp eye. You definitely weren't looking at my foot, only up there. Am I right?"

She was exactly right.

"No. You're the one who spread your legs."

"That sounds kind of dirty, doesn't it?"

Hiyori had definitely gotten much bolder.

Had she already completely adapted to this sort of thing?

If that was the case, then I'd just have to raise the stakes and further her education.

As Hiyori and I continued our idle chat, Miyuki eventually made her way downstairs.

The moment she spotted Hiyori and me together, her strides quickened as she closed the distance.

Noticing her approach, Hiyori offered a greeting in a quiet, slightly coy voice.

"Hiya."

Miyuki, having just reached our bench, tilted her head.

"What was that?"

"I said, hello."

"Ah... really? Hello to you too. Is your foot doing okay?"

"Just okay."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, it's just okay."

Seeing Hiyori hastily tack on the polite phrasing just as Miyuki's eyes began to narrow, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety.

"Thank you so much for yesterday."

I was just about to massage my temples at the impending headache, but when those words of gratitude popped out of Hiyori's mouth, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

That's right. If you show some gratitude first, Miyuki will open up to you, even if it's just a little bit.

Just take it slow. And please, for the love of God, stop picking fights with her.