Chapter 429

“Are you up? Did you sleep well?”

I headed downstairs with Miyuki, where Midori greeted us in an apron.

She wore a flesh-colored T-shirt underneath. For a startling moment, I thought she was wearing nothing but the apron, though in hindsight, it wouldn’t have been entirely shocking.

If anything, I would have enjoyed the sight.

“Yes. Did you sleep well?”

“I did. That bedhead is quite a look.”

‘You look gorgeous too, ma’am.’

‘Especially with that black bra faintly showing through your shirt. It’s incredibly erotic.’

Swallowing those thoughts, I bowed my head in greeting.

“Thank you.”

“Come have a seat. I’ll have breakfast ready in a moment.”

“Alright. Where is your husband?”

“He headed out early.”

That meant I was the only man left in the house.

If only it were nighttime.

We could have gathered in the living room, sharing light drinks and chatting before subtly shifting the conversation to more suggestive topics. That would have been a perfect scenario. What a complete shame.

I sat at the table, my eyes still heavy with sleep, and held Miyuki’s hand tightly. When Kanna came down the stairs, I gave her a lazy, morning-dazed smile.

“Good morning.”

“Morning.”

To Kanna, I was practically a stranger, so it was funny that she didn’t even bother to fix her messy hair.

Did she see me as a real younger brother? Of course not, but the idea was a turn-on in its own way.

“Looks like you two slept well.”

Kanna sat across from Miyuki, a teasing edge to her voice.

The tablecloth by Miyuki rustled, and Kanna immediately flinched.

She opened her mouth in a silent scream and glared at her sister. Miyuki had definitely just pinched her with her toes, a silent warning to watch her mouth.

Come to think of it, the tablecloth here was quite long.

The sudden thought of Miyuki using her foot to stroke me under the table made my lust flare up out of nowhere.

While I was lost in dirty thoughts, Midori finished making breakfast, setting down a plate of perfectly grilled mackerel before taking a seat.

“Enjoy your meal.”

Maybe because I was still half-asleep, her voice sounded incredibly tender.

It drove me crazy to imagine Midori using that exact tone to praise me like a good boy, tapping my hips as she coaxed out my climax.

After finishing our meal in that warm, familial atmosphere, I headed up to the second-floor bathroom and brushed my teeth with the toothbrush Miyuki had set out for me yesterday.

I returned to Miyuki’s room and placed my hands on her waist as she made the bed.

“What happened to last night’s sheets and blankets? Did you wash them?”

“I did.”

“When?”

“I tossed them in the washing machine right after we changed them last night, and hung them out to dry as soon as I woke up.”

“Did your mom say anything?”

“She asked why I was doing laundry. I told her I sweat a lot during the night, and she just accepted it.”

Knowing Midori, she had probably caught on, but since she hadn’t shot me any knowing looks during breakfast, I figured it was fine.

I was slowly seeping into this family.

“Is that right? What are your plans for today? Just staying home?”

“Yeah. I’m exhausted.”

“I wonder why.”

Miyuki let out a weak laugh at my suggestive tone.

“I have to study, too.”

“Who studies at the very start of vacation?”

“I told you, studying is all about consistency.”

“Even so... Actually, never mind. That sounds exactly like you.”

“Are you heading home now, Matsuda-kun?”

Hiyori wasn’t coming over for her workout until the evening.

I wanted to linger here until then, but overstaying my welcome would be shameless.

I could always stay longer next time. For today, it was best to head back.

“That’s the plan.”

“Okay. Make sure to take some side dishes with you. My mom said she packed some.”

“Got it.”

Back at my place, I put on an anime to brush up on my knowledge for Renka.

I was about to subject her to neglect play, so it was questionable if we really needed to bond, but it was best to use my free time to prepare for the aftermath.

I munched on the snacks I’d bought on my way back, silently watching the TV. The oppressive heat eventually faded, and as a cool breeze drifted in through the slightly cracked window, I glanced outside.

Evening was fast approaching. It was about time for Hiyori to contact me...

I was just reaching to check my Cell Phone when it went off.

Bzzzt!

[I’m leaving now.]

Hiyori had sent a short, one-sided notification.

It was a pleasant coincidence, but that presumptuous tone required immediate correction.

When she arrived, I would have to discipline her with a good spanking—partly to teach her a lesson, and partly to satisfy my own desires.

[Where are you?]

[At a cafe. I just parted ways with my friends.]

[Alright.]

It took less than twenty minutes for Hiyori to reach my house after sending that message.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell chimed cheerfully. I stepped outside and opened the Main Gate.

“Hello.”

The moment I saw Hiyori offering a cheerful greeting, I immediately threw an arm around her neck, pressing her down into a tight headlock.

“Ah, why...! Why are you doing this?!”

Smack!

“Ow! That hurts!! I swear you’ve done this to me before?!”

Hiyori shrieked, her upper body forced down as I held her firmly.

I smacked her on the back a few times—lightly, but hard enough for her to feel it—and spoke.

“Didn’t I tell you not to dress like this?”

Hiyori, still trapped in my grip, shot back sullenly.

“What’s wrong with it?!”

“You’re seriously asking me that?”

“I covered everything up just like you told me, sunbae-nim, so why are you making such a fuss?! Is it because of my arms? It’s summer, I can’t exactly wear long sleeves...!”

To her credit, the vast majority of her body was covered.

Her pants reached her ankles, and while a sliver of her stomach was exposed, it wasn’t overly revealing.

But the outfit itself was the issue.

Today, Hiyori had chosen to wear leggings.

The tight material clung to her body, perfectly outlining the curves of her breasts and ass.

Had she just worn this straight here, I might have gotten a headache, but I could have let it slide with a bit of scolding.

The real problem was that she had gone out to meet her friends dressed like this.

Even worse, I had repeatedly told her to dress modestly when going out, yet she clearly had no intention of listening. It was unbelievable.

I noticed a rolled-up newspaper stuffed in the mailbox by the Main Gate. I grabbed it, forced Hiyori’s upper body down further, and began furiously swatting her ass.

Whack! Smack!

“Ahhh! Why are you hitting me?! Stop it, you idiot!”

“Excuse me?”

“N-No... I’m sorry...”

Whack!

“Eek! That actually hurts...! Stop hitting me...!!”

She had such a plump, bouncy ass that every strike landed with an incredibly satisfying thwack.

Whack!

I delivered one final, stinging smack to her ass with a flick of my wrist. Then, pointing the crumpled end of the newspaper toward the house, I spoke.

“Get inside.”

“Geez...”

Hiyori glared at me, not even bothering to fix her disheveled hair.

Her fiercely stubborn glare was surprisingly cute.

“Geez? Were you about to curse at me just now?”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Are you going inside or not?”

“I’m going...!! So annoying...”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Then stop hitting me, you pig!”

“Why, you little...”

I gripped the newspaper tighter and rolled it up again. Startled, Hiyori quickly scurried away.

She kicked her shoes off haphazardly, yanked the sliding door open, and darted inside like a hamster fleeing a predator. I glanced around to ensure none of the neighbors had witnessed our little disturbance. Relieved to see the street empty, I shut the Main Gate.

“Hurry up and change. Why do I have to have this conversation every single time I see you?”

Hiyori snorted at my thoroughly exhausted tone.

“You could just not say anything. But wait a second...”

Hiyori trailed off and marched right up to me, leaning in to sniff my T-shirt.

Slightly thrown by her bizarre behavior, I asked her a question.

“What are you doing?”

“You smell weird, sunbae-nim.”

“Weird how? Like sweat?”

“No. It’s a genetically unpleasant smell. Did you go out today by any chance?”

She must have caught a whiff of Miyuki’s signature plum scent. Calling it a ‘genetically unpleasant smell’ was a ridiculous exaggeration.

Then again, it was the scent of her romantic rival.

“I went over to Miyuki’s house.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said, I went over to Miyuki’s house.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You heard me.”

“Why would you go to another girl’s house without my permission?!”

She snapped at me so naturally that I was almost caught off guard.

If I told her I’d slept over, she might just collapse and pound the ground in tears.

I stopped myself from awkwardly scratching my cheek and replied.

“I can always go to your house, too.”

“Huh...?”

The fierce glare on Hiyori’s face instantly dissolved into a blank, dumbfounded expression.

Judging by her slack jaw, she hadn’t expected me to counter with that.

She probably thought I would either argue back or just brush it off like I usually did.

“Let’s go together next time.”

“....What is that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think it means? I want to say hello to your parents and meet your younger sibling, that’s all.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Stop sneaking in casual speech.”

Hiyori’s lips twitched upward into a pleased smile, and she unceremoniously flopped backward onto the mattress.

Watching her do the exact same thing I did the moment I got home was equal parts funny and absurd.

I pulled a change of clothes from the closet and tossed them onto Hiyori’s chest. I stared blankly down at her as she immediately started grumbling, complaining about why she had to change and arguing that her current outfit absorbed sweat perfectly for a workout.

“Hey.”

“...”

“You have absolutely no intention of listening to me, do you?”

“Dunno.”

“Hiyori.”

As soon as her name left my mouth, her indifferent attitude vanished, and her eyes shot wide open.

Her wide, startled eyes reminded me of a cute little squirrel. I kept talking.

“Dress modestly from now on. You can do that, right?”

She clamped her mouth shut, her face slowly turning red. She clearly liked hearing me say her name.

Changing tactics had been the right move. As expected, managing relationships required the perfect balance of the carrot and the stick.

“Are you going to answer me?”

“No... I will...”

“Don’t just say ‘I will, I will’ and then show up dressed like this again. You must be tired of getting scolded every day, too.”

“....I gave you a good answer and you’re still scolding me...”

“Do you want to talk back?”

“No...”

“Let’s make a promise.”

“A promise?”

“Just hook your finger.”

I held out my hand, my pinky extended, right in front of Hiyori’s face. She stuck out her lower lip in a pout before linking her pinky with mine.

Her skin felt cool to the touch even in the summer heat, completely different from Miyuki’s warmth.

Feeling that cool chill against my skin, I continued.

“Dress modestly from now on. This is the absolute last time I’m going to bring up your clothes.”

“Are you already tired of me?”

“What exactly is going on in your head for you to jump to that conclusion? Listen to me. If you make this promise and then show up dressed like this again, I’ll punish you worse than you can possibly imagine. Understand?”

“How are you going to punish me?”

If you are that curious, try wearing this outfit again.

Honestly, I deliberately wasn’t telling her the details in the hopes that she actually would dress like this again.

Because I genuinely wanted to punish her worse than she could imagine.

“Stop talking back. I asked if you understood.”

“Ugh, fine, I got it... You’re so naggy.”

I gave Hiyori a light flick on the forehead for her reluctant answer, then pointed toward the bathroom with my other hand.

“Go change.”

“Okay.”

With our pinkies still linked, Hiyori firmly pressed her thumb against mine to seal the promise before sitting up.

She scooped up the clothes I had given her and trotted off.

I watched her back, about to get ready for the workout myself, when my Cell Phone suddenly vibrated again. I paused.

Assuming it was a text from Miyuki, I checked the screen, only to find a message from someone completely unexpected.

[Hey, Trash.]

It was none other than Renka.

[Yes.]

[Do you have time for lunch tomorrow?]

[This is sudden, isn’t it?]

[You said you were going to look at figures. Let’s just meet in Akihabara.]

She must have been chewing over the last text I sent her, and guilt had clearly driven her to reach out.

Ah... why did my dear Renka always insist on acting so unbelievably adorable?

She radiated a completely different brand of cuteness from Chinami, and I absolutely loved it.

Replying and telling her not to bother—all in the name of continuing the neglect play—would be a total rookie move.

You have to look a person in the eyes to truly read their emotions. This was a golden opportunity to savor Renka’s ever-shifting emotional states in person. I couldn’t pass this up.

[Yes. Sounds good.]

[Aren’t you going to say thank you?]

She was trying to throw my exact words back in my face.

Acting all high and mighty without even realizing who actually held all the power here.

I would humor her for now.

[Thank you.]

[Yeah.]

An outdoor date with Renka for the first time in a while, huh?

I would have to plan my outfit carefully—something that looked like I’d put in a lot of effort, but also like I hadn’t tried at all... Yes, that was the perfect vibe.