Chapter 45: Rina’s Gentle Hands

As everyone could probably guess, for a girl like Kaoru, revenge would be extremely difficult. She had no powerful family, no strong allies, and no overwhelming strength. The only thing she could rely on was her own determination.

Once hatred took root in her heart, however, she no longer cared how difficult the road ahead would be. She continued visiting the goblin cave while secretly practicing martial arts with her friend Nanako, waiting for the right opportunity to take revenge.

Love, friendship, betrayal, and revenge... the second volume of Primitive Desire: A Beautiful Girl’s Unforgettable Adventure in the Goblin Cave contained many different elements. Compared with the first volume, the story was much richer, and Kitahara was quite satisfied with the overall outline.

At the end of the volume, the three girls would defeat the goblins and discover a mysterious portal deep inside the cave, leaving a hook for the next volume.

Once the entire outline was settled in his mind, writing became extremely smooth. It was much easier than struggling with Tokyo Love Story. Kitahara became completely absorbed in writing and lost track of time. Before he knew it, the entire afternoon had passed. By the time Hayami Rina came to call him for dinner, he had already written three or four thousand words.

"Kitahara-kun, it’s time for dinner."

Hearing Rina’s voice, Kitahara finally stopped typing and looked at the clock. "Already evening?"

He stood up and stretched, immediately feeling the stiffness in his shoulders and neck. His wrists were also slightly sore from typing for so long. He rubbed them and smiled at Rina.

"Rina-nee, what delicious food did you make? Come to think of it, I’m actually a little hungry!"

Rina didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked at him with a slightly worried expression. She had noticed how long he had been sitting in front of the computer. Without saying anything, she walked over and gently pressed his shoulders, making him sit back down.

"Kitahara-kun, you’ve been sitting here all afternoon. That’s bad for your health. You should get up and move around sometimes. Don’t work yourself too hard." Her voice was gentle, but there was a faint trace of concern in it.

Kitahara smiled. "I know. I just got too absorbed in writing and forgot about the time."

Rina shook her head helplessly and began massaging his shoulders. Her movements were gentle at first, but when Kitahara relaxed against the chair, he couldn’t help sighing comfortably.

"Rina-nee’s massage feels really good. A little harder."

"Like this?"

"Mm, that’s perfect."

Rina increased the pressure slightly and carefully massaged the stiff muscles around his shoulders and neck. Looking at Kitahara’s relaxed expression, she couldn’t help feeling a little distressed. He had been working so hard lately. Even though he now had enough money to live comfortably, he still treated writing seriously and spent almost every free moment working on his novels.

In Rina’s eyes, this was one of the reasons Kitahara was so admirable. He was young, talented, successful, and already financially independent, yet he had never become lazy because of his success. Instead, he continued working toward his goals. No wonder he had achieved so much. Success really wasn’t accidental. Behind every achievement was persistent effort that other people couldn’t see.

Thinking about this, Rina’s admiration for him deepened! At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling a little ashamed. She had been receiving so much care from Kitahara recently, while there seemed to be very little she could do for him in return.

What could she do? She couldn’t help him with writing, and she didn’t understand much about publishing or business. The only things she could offer were the small things in daily life. Cooking for him, taking care of the household, reminding him to rest, and making sure he ate properly.

Perhaps these ordinary things were insignificant compared with everything Kitahara had done for her, but at least they were things she could do sincerely. She wanted him to know that she wasn’t simply accepting his kindness without giving anything back. She wanted to become someone who could support him too.

After massaging him for a while, Rina finally stopped. "All right. Let’s go eat before the food gets cold."

Kitahara stood up and stretched again, feeling much more comfortable than before. "Thank you, Rina-nee, your hands feel so good! I want you to use these hands tonight to massage my penis..."

"You don’t have to thank me for something so small." Rina replied, her face flushing red with embarrassment. "I’ll massage you again before bed if your shoulders still hurt."

The two of them returned to the living room. Little Aya-chan had already been waiting impatiently for dinner, and the moment she saw them, she immediately complained that she was hungry.

"Mom, you’re finally here!"

"Sorry, Aya-chan. We were just talking for a while."

"I want to eat!"

Rina laughed. "All right, all right. Let’s eat."

Dinner was especially sumptuous that evening. Ever since Kitahara had become part of their household, the quality of their meals had improved considerably. Fish, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and other nutritious foods were no longer things they needed to carefully calculate before buying. Rina could prepare whatever she thought was good for Aya and Kitahara.

The change was especially obvious in Aya. The little girl seemed more energetic these days, and even Rina herself felt that her complexion had improved.

At the dinner table, Aya excitedly talked about everything that had happened at kindergarten. One moment she was talking about a classmate, the next she was discussing a game she had played, and then she suddenly remembered something else and changed the subject completely.

Rina listened patiently, occasionally reminding her daughter to slow down and eat properly. Kitahara also listened with a smile, sometimes asking a question that made Aya become even more enthusiastic. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

There was nothing extraordinary about this dinner. It was simply a family eating together and talking about ordinary things. Yet perhaps that was precisely what made it precious.

After dinner, nobody was in a hurry to return home. Since the weather was pleasant, Kitahara suggested that they take a short walk. Rina agreed, and Aya immediately became excited.

The three of them left the house together and walked along the streets of Tokyo. The city at night was beautiful. Neon signs illuminated the streets, shop windows glowed brightly, and countless pedestrians continued moving through the bustling roads. Tokyo truly was a city that never slept.

Even at night, there were street performers showing off their talents, food stalls preparing dishes for customers, couples walking together, and groups of friends laughing as they passed by. Children ran around happily, while adults carried their own worries and hurried toward their destinations. Some people were arguing, some were laughing, and some simply walked silently beside the people they cared about.

Looking at the lively streets, Kitahara suddenly felt that ordinary life had its own charm. Beside him, Aya happily talked about what she wanted to do tomorrow, while Rina occasionally reminded her not to run too far ahead.

Watching the two of them, Kitahara felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. He had once thought happiness had to be something grand. Money, success, achievements, and countless rewards all seemed important. But at this moment, none of those things mattered particularly much. Having dinner together, taking a walk after dinner, listening to Aya’s childish chatter, and seeing Rina smile beside him... these simple moments were also a kind of happiness.

Rina seemed to feel the same way. She quietly walked beside Kitahara, occasionally glancing at him with a gentle smile. She didn’t say anything, but her heart felt unusually peaceful. For someone who had spent so much time worrying about life and carrying everything alone, being able to walk beside someone she trusted was already something precious.

The night breeze passed gently through the streets, carrying the sounds of the city into the distance. The three continued walking together, disappearing into the lively evening crowd.