Chapter 451

"Yes... No... Oh, my...! You shouldn't say things like that. Yes, yes... I will go back Home..."

I couldn't hear the other end of the line, but judging by Chinami's responses, Renka was telling her not to stay at the Home of a sinister bastard like me and to come back instead.

"A walk? I understand. But I'd like to take a shower first, so may I let you go? Ah, well..."

It sounded like Renka was asking why she was in such a rush to shower...

To think a mere slave was prying into every little detail of a high-class citizen's life.

I was going to give her a stamp of praise, but scratch that.

She needs the whip. A lot more of the whip.

"I will tell you later. Yes... I'll call you back."

Chinami, who had been strictly polite to a slave, hung up.

Rolling her round eyes, she looked back and forth between her Cell Phone and me; I had just stepped out of the bathroom after drawing water for the open-air bath.

I offered her a bright smile and said, "Shall we go in?"

At that, Chinami, who had a long towel wrapped around her waist like a makeshift skirt, gave a tiny nod.

"Yes..."

She answered in a voice smaller than a mosquito's, unable to even look properly at my naked body. She must have been incredibly embarrassed.

"Come this way."

"S-Should I take off my clothes...?"

"You're taking a shower, so of course you should, right?"

"I'm perfectly fine taking a shower with them on..."

"In that outfit? Your blouse will get ruined. If you're really that shy, just tell me. I'll turn my back while Master is showering."

"Y-Yes..."

Wiggling her cute little toes, Chinami stepped into the bathroom.

She looked back and forth between my face and the thick steam rising from the bath before speaking.

"Then... please turn around."

"Already? Aren't you getting in the bath?"

"It is only proper to shower before getting in... A-And I have to take off my clothes..."

"You can just get right in."

"No... That is bad for hygiene..."

"Understood."

"May I perhaps use a towel?"

"A towel? After your shower?"

"No. In the middle of it."

Why would she need a towel while showering?

She didn't seem like the type to scrub herself with one... Well, I would find out soon enough.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thank you."

Giving an easy nod, I picked up the showerhead on the opposite side of where Chinami stood.

As I silently turned on the faucet, the faint rustle of clothing slipping off drifted over the sound of the running water.

It was the sound of Chinami taking off her clothes.

Why was she acting so shy?

Come to think of it, both Miyuki and Renka had shown the exact same reaction as Chinami when we bathed together in the early days of our relationships.

It was still the same now. Even though they had both gotten much better about it, they never showed the same boldness in the bath as they did when we were having sex.

Was there some specific reason unique to women?

As a man, I really couldn't tell.

Deciding not to overthink it, I washed myself and stepped into the bath.

Hearing the water splash, Chinami's shoulders gave a start.

Seeing her plump ass made me horny all over again.

She probably had no idea I was staring right at her.

"Junior..."

At the call from Chinami, who was silently washing herself with her back to the bath, I gave a brief reply.

"Yes."

"You aren't looking, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Then why do I feel like I'm being watched...?"

"It's your imagination."

"I see..."

Slide.

She dragged the small bath stool over to try and block her back from view.

Thinking her desperate attempts were incredibly cute, I asked, "Aren't you coming in?"

"A-Ah, I haven't finished washing yet..."

"I'll wash you."

"N-No...! You shouldn't say such indecent things...!"

"How is that indecent?"

"Because of your voice, Junior, I can't focus on my shower...!"

"I'll be quiet then."

"Yes...! Thank you..."

Having timidly asserted herself, Chinami turned her head a short while later and looked back at me.

I quickly spun around at that exact moment, but the sloshing water surely gave away that I had been watching her.

But without a word of complaint, she hurried into the bath.

Whether she simply hadn't had the time to scold me or was just generously letting it slide, I didn't know.

"You can turn around now..."

"Should I?"

"Yes."

At her words, I carefully turned back around, only to see her submerged in the water up to her bottom lip.

Sitting atop her head was a neatly folded wet towel—I had no idea when she had grabbed it.

"What's with the towel?"

"Ah, it's just a habit. When I was little, I heard that doing this helps with blood circulation... Ever since then, I've done it every time I get into a bath."

So that was why she had asked if she could use a towel.

The sight of the towel resting gently atop her soft pink hair was incredibly cute.

"Is that so?"

"Y-Yes."

"I really, really like you."

"M-Myaah...!"

Startled by the sudden confession, Chinami's face bobbed halfway into the water before popping back out.

She looked as if her heart had just plunged into her stomach.

"W-Why would you say something like that so suddenly...!"

"Why not? I'm just expressing how I feel."

"..."

She wore an expression that made it impossible to tell if she was pleased or just shocked.

Chewing on her lip, she stared at me for a long time before pulling the towel down from her head to hide her face behind it.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she murmured, "I-I really like you a lot, too..."

Ah... Her reaction was just too damn lovely.

"Are you going straight Home after this?"

"I think that would be best..."

"I'll give you a ride, so let's go together then."

"Yes... I'll be in your care..."

My healing was maxed out for the day.

After such a deeply satisfying day, I knew I'd sleep like a rock.

The next afternoon.

I was staring out at the drizzling rain when a woman with long legs walked over and opened the passenger door. I offered a greeting.

"Hi."

Flashing a bright, refreshing smile, Hiyori raised a hand in return.

"Hi."

"Try that greeting again."

"Hiya."

"Again."

"Howdy."

"Again. Properly."

"Nice to see you."

It was ridiculous how she adamantly refused to say a proper hello, as if it would kill her.

Glancing sideways at Hiyori as she picked this childish battle of nerves, I clicked my tongue and jutted my chin toward the passenger seat.

"Get in."

"What was that just now?"

"What was what?"

"Clicking your tongue."

"Because you're frustrating me."

"Why am I frustrating you?"

"Just get in already. Don't stand out in the rain."

"Okaaay."

With that bright reply, Hiyori climbed into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt.

Did something good happen to her yesterday? It felt like a while since I'd seen her this energetic.

"Where are we going?"

Shrugging at her question, I started the car.

"No idea. Let's just drive around and grab a bite wherever looks good."

"I like having no plans. But there's something I want to eat."

"Tell me."

"takoyaki."

"Will that even fill you up? Do you know a place that sells it?"

"There's a place downtown."

"Aren't they cracking down on food carts?"

"It's not a food cart, it's an omakase."

"What?"

"A takoyaki omakase. It's famous on social media these days as a unique date spot."

What on earth was a takoyaki omakase...?

Were they really taking street food, slapping a premium label on it, and selling it at a markup?

Whoever came up with that had some serious creativity.

They certainly knew how to pique people's curiosity.

"I'm curious, but I'm not eating that."

"Why not?"

"If it's an omakase, it's going to be way more expensive than regular takoyaki. Why would I pay a premium for takoyaki?"

"It's not just takoyaki, you know. It's a full course meal, so other dishes come out, too."

"Stop talking crazy."

"Are you insulting everyone who goes there by calling them crazy?"

I scanned our surroundings, looking for a good spot.

Up ahead, I spotted a small, recessed space by the side of the road.

I briefly parked the car there. Just as an anxious-looking Hiyori opened her mouth to say something, I grabbed her firmly by the back of the neck.

"W-Wait...! A joke...! I was just joking...! Eek...!"

Forcing down the upper body of the frantically pleading Hiyori, I leaned over her and started wildly spanking her slightly raised backside.

Smack! Spank!

"Ah, c'mon...! I told you it was a joke...! Why won't you even let me make a joke?! It hurts...! Stop hitting me...!"

I was only hitting her hard enough to sting, yet she was exaggerating so much...

The rod was the best medicine for a spoiled child.

However, since Hiyori was naturally rebellious, the more I hit her, the more her green frog disposition might flare up.

Having sufficiently disciplined Hiyori, I finally let her go.

Without even thinking to fix her disheveled hair, she stared at me with a bewildered expression, as if her soul had been drained.

After sitting there in a daze for a while, she reached a hand back to rub her shorts and said, "Why do you always resort to violence when you don't have a comeback...!"

"Then don't do things that ask for a beating."

"I'm going to get my revenge..."

"This is your third time. I won't let you off easy next time."

"And what are you going to do if you don't let me off...!"

I'll force you to stay a night at a Hotel.

Swallowing those words, I gripped the steering wheel.

"Let's eat rice bowls today."

"Why don't you tell me to listen to you?"

"Even if I did, it's not like you'd listen."

"You should do it anyway. I might be moved and actually listen one day."

"Yeah, right."

"Are you giving up? Are you trying to detach yourself from me? Miyuki Hanazawa must have told you to do that, right?"

Everything had been so peaceful just this morning, but now my ears were ringing from all her noise.

Looking at our Hiyori, whose bad karma had long since exceeded the limit, the urge to just skip hearing Miyuki's answer and drive straight to the Hotel or Home grew stronger.

Bzzzt!

[Why did you ignore my calls yesterday? You want to die? Didn't I tell you not to do this? If you want something, use your words. Stop acting so petty, you Trash.]

Renka's message, arriving at just that moment, was so abrasive that it gave me a headache.

It was still pretty funny, though.

"Who is it?"

Poking her head over, Hiyori tried to check my phone screen.

Tapping her head away with my own, I answered, "I'll tell you later."

"When?"

"Well. Sometime soon."

"When exactly is sometime soon?"

"The day you stay out overnight."

"...Huh?"

The girl who had been so fiercely snapping and getting in my face just a second ago instantly lost all her momentum at the mention of staying out overnight.

Her earlobes turned faintly red; she must have been thinking some dirty thoughts.

And from that one remark, she seemed to realize it as well.

That she would soon have to face the final battle with me.

Thinking her speechless expression was quite cute, I kept my mouth shut without offering any further explanation and started the car again.