Chapter 414

“Are you leaving now?”

Midori asked as I came down to the first floor.

She looked incredibly elegant, drinking tea in the living room with Wataru.

“I'm heading out. Should I leave the empty plate in the sink?”

“Yes, that'd be lovely. But what about Miyuki?”

“We agreed to meet up this evening. She seemed sleepy.”

“She invited a guest over and said she was going to sleep?”

“Not exactly. She kept nodding off while we were talking. She also seemed to be coming down with a cold, so I figured I'd check on her again tonight.”

“A cold? In the middle of summer?”

“Yeah. Her voice sounded a bit nasal, and her forehead felt a little warm...”

“Wasn't she fine just a little while ago?”

“She was, but the symptoms started showing up after some time passed.”

“Really? Did she catch it from a relative...?”

Why did Midori look so seductive, murmuring to herself while stroking her cheek?

It was enough to make me feel jealous of Wataru.

“So you're heading home now?”

Her follow-up question snapped me out of my thoughts, and I nodded.

“Yes. I plan to catch up on some cleaning.”

“You're so diligent. I heard you've been maintaining your test scores, too... You're such a good boy, aren't you?”

Miyuki must have talked about me a lot to her family.

'Since I did so well on my exams, please give me a paizuri reward.'

Swallowing those words, I answered with a smile.

“It's all thanks to Miyuki. I'm learning a lot from her.”

“I'm glad to hear that. There's a small bag on the dining table—take it with you. They're snacks from the countryside, and they're incredibly delicious.”

“Is that right? Thank you, I'll enjoy them.”

“Of course. Come over often and have meals with us.”

Hmm... What should I do about Midori, who still exuded such pure innocence despite being married?

I had a strong urge to conquer her... but it was time I kept my wicked thoughts in check.

Still, just using these fantasies as material made me throb down there, so I shouldn't stop completely.

“I'll be going now. See you later.”

“Take care.”

Snacks in hand, I headed home with the two of them seeing me off.

I opened the bag that was giving off a savory aroma and found several traditional sweets, the kind that grandparents would love.

The taste was mediocre, exactly what I expected.

Oddly enough, though, I couldn't stop my hands.

Were they laced with drugs? They were insanely addictive.

As I munched on the snacks with the TV on, my Cell Phone vibrated. I checked the screen.

[Matsu-Matsu.]

It was a message from Hiyori.

Her nickname for me had changed again. She just called me whatever she pleased—how many names was I going to get?

I wondered if she would use a name like that when filling out our marriage registration in the future.

[Don't call me something that sounds like a snack brand.]

[It does sound pretty delicious.]

[That's a profound statement.]

[What is?]

[Never mind.]

[You were thinking about something perverted, weren't you?]

[Sounds like you were thinking along the same lines.]

[No, I wasn't?]

[I'll let you believe that.]

[I said I wasn't.]

[I got it.]

[What are you doing?]

[I'm home.]

[Weren't you meeting Miyuki Hanazawa?]

She had been keeping track. If I had said we were still hanging out, I bet she would have come over to interrupt.

[We met up, but I just came back.]

[Why are you back so early? Did you two fight?]

Did Hiyori's true feelings just slip out, or was I imagining things?

[There you go spouting nonsense again. What are you up to?]

[Hanging out with my friends. Do you want to come over, sunbae-nim?]

[No.]

[Is it too much pressure?]

[It's not pressure for me; your friends would feel pressured by me.]

[They're all super friendly, so I doubt they would?]

[That's just what you think.]

[I'm serious.]

[Even so, they probably feel differently on the inside. Have fun, but don't stay out too late.]

[There you go nagging again.]

[You're someone who needs to be nagged.]

[Understood. I'll send you pictures later.]

What did she mean by sending pictures?

Was Hiyori's concept for today a girlfriend checking in to reassure her boyfriend?

I didn't mind it, so I replied telling her to send something naughty before messaging Renka.

[President.]

[Fuck off.]

The profanity came right back.

Hearing such harsh words out of nowhere when all I did was call her title made my passion for educating her skyrocket.

I'd have to give her a little taste of the neglect play she'd be getting after the tournament.

I didn't reply. Instead, I grabbed a honey-coated stick snack and leisurely watched TV.

About three or four minutes later, Renka's message arrived.

[You aren't thinking about anything weird, are you?]

Reading that, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

It perfectly exposed her current psychological state.

I waited a few more minutes without replying, and Renka eventually called me.

Seeing the screen, I couldn't hide my smile and snickered to myself.

I could just imagine her fretting anxiously, wondering why I wasn't answering even though the read receipt had popped up.

Knowing her personality, she was probably asking herself: 'Did I do something wrong?'

'I was just being prickly like usual, but is he in a bad mood today?'

'Should I not have told him to fuck off?'

She must have agonized over thoughts like those before finally making the call.

I took my time, casually wiping my hands with a tissue and downing the water in my cup, waiting until the phone had rung about six times before pressing the answer button.

“Hello.”

“What do you want?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you call me and then say nothing?”

Ah... I had only given her a tiny taste, and the sweet scent of her distress was already wafting over.

What would she be like when I started the real neglect play? My heart pounded with anticipation.

“I was busy doing something.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.”

“Got it.”

“Mhm.”

“...Is that it?”

“Did you have something else to say?”

“Not really... but I should at least know why you messaged me.”

Normally, I'd keep dragging this out, but I couldn't mess with her head right before her tournament, so I decided to stop here for today.

“I was just bored. Are you preparing well for the tournament?”

“Yeah.”

“That's a relief.”

“Sure.”

“Alright.”

“Yeah.”

“You can hang up now.”

“...You're not just finding excuses to pick on me, are you?”

“Do you want me to?”

“No. Never mind. See you.”

The line clicked and went dead the moment she finished speaking.

Hearing my usual tone must have reassured her and brought her confidence back.

It was cute how she only hung up after I gave her permission.

Despite how she acted, Renka had a lot of adorable quirks.

She was probably the only person who could satisfy the various kinds of play that popped into my head several times a day.

Having talked to Renka, I couldn't just leave her soulmate hanging.

With that thought, I immediately dialed Chinami.

“Ah, Junior! Hello!”

The way she always answered with such a cheerful tone was incredibly lovely.

Was Chinami an angel who brought happiness to everyone in her past life?

Albeit an angel with a slightly naughty, succubus-like disposition at night.

“Hello, Master. What were you up to?”

“I just finished getting ready to head over to Renka's place.”

“For training?”

“That's right. Do you want to come too, Junior?”

“I'll pass. It's scorching outside, so be careful not to get heatstroke.”

“Thank you!”

“Are you taking the bus?”

“I am.”

“Want me to give you a ride? I have some free time right now.”

“It's fine. It's a short trip anyway, and I need to leave exactly now to make it on time.”

“Understood. If any strangers try to talk to you on the way, just ignore them.”

“D-Do I really have to go that far? What if it's just a part-timer handing out flyers?”

Using a flyer part-timer as her example... that was characteristically quirky of her.

“Then ignore anyone who doesn't have a flyer in their hand.”

“Okay!”

“And send me a picture when your training is over.”

“A picture? Sounds good.”

“Tell the President I said hello.”

“Couldn't you tell her yourself?”

'I already did; I just want to mess with her a little more.'

“Just pass on the message. You can do that, right?”

“I will.”

“Are you eating dinner at the President's place, too?”

“Yep.”

“Make sure you eat a lot.”

“You certainly have a lot of demands. I'll have to memorize them.”

“I'm just saying this because I'm worried about you.”

“Hehe... It's nice to feel your kind heart, Junior. I understand.”

Just hearing Chinami's voice was healing. I finished the call, played some video games at home, and then headed to Miyuki's house once evening fell.

On the way, I made sure to buy some cold medicine and a few liquid fatigue-recovery tonics.

My car rolled past familiar roads and entered Miyuki's neighborhood, which felt even cozier than my own.

Driving slowly, I parked in front of Miyuki's house. As I opened the door and stepped out, I spotted a face I despised nearby.

A guy with a shaggy mop of hair trudging along with his head hung low.

There was only one person in the world who owned that frustratingly pathetic hairstyle.

It was Tetsuya, the kind of guy who seemed to reek of rot just by being nearby.

Come to think of it, he lived close to Miyuki. I had completely forgotten.

He couldn't take his eyes off his Cell Phone—was he playing a mobile game or something?

Judging by the large basketball bag slung over his shoulder, he wasn't stopping by Miyuki's place. He was probably on his way to the Boxing Gym.

'Let's not get involved with a piece of shit for no reason.'

Having made my decision, I reached out to press Miyuki's doorbell, but right at that moment—

“Hello, Tetsuya.”

A slightly loud and gentle voice drifted down from above.

I glanced up and saw Miyuki leaning on her windowsill, looking down at us.

I had texted her before I left. It seemed she had been waiting for me to arrive and happened to spot Tetsuya in the process.

“Huh? Miyuki?”

Tetsuya snapped his head up at her voice. His gaze shifted back and forth between her and me.

Just as he wore a bewildered expression and opened his mouth to say something, Miyuki beckoned me over.

“The door's unlocked, so you can just come inside.”

Miyuki had unintentionally managed to rub serious salt into Tetsuya's wounds.

How commendable.

“Where are you off to, Tetsuya?”

Miyuki asked him as she watched me open the front door.

He stared in utter shock as I stepped right into her house without a single moment of hesitation. He finally stammered out a reply.

“Um... I was just heading to the Convenience Store for a bit. To buy something to eat...”

“Really? It's getting dark, so be careful on your way.”

“Huh...? Yeah...”

Miyuki gave a bright wave and disappeared from the window.

Before closing the front door, I caught a glimpse of Tetsuya's crestfallen face and clicked my tongue.

'Are you upset that she didn't even invite you inside?'

I thought this every single time, but that bastard never changed.

Wearing a smug expression, I gave Tetsuya a shrug and a casual wave goodbye before shutting the door without even waiting for his reaction.

Rather than just standing by, provoking him like this would speed up the timeline for him to come at me first. Then, I could wipe him out of the picture for good.

I sincerely hoped he'd pick a little fight with me on the day of the National Athletic Meet.

With those thoughts in mind, I erased Tetsuya from my head and stepped further into the house.