Chapter 352 If One Day Kurisu Gets Pregnant

“Yes, boss,” Aoki replied, slightly lifting his face. There was a forced confidence in Aoki’s tone, yet beneath it lingered a faint trace of hesitation. “I’ll try to reopen my family’s restaurant again. Since I’ve already quit being a bounty hunter, I need to have an income. Aside from supporting my family, I also need to save up… who knows, maybe someday Kurisu gets pregnant.”

Aoki added that last line in a joking manner, his words carried with a faint smile. It was the kind of smile that might appear natural at a glance, but anyone paying close attention would notice it was more like a shield—a mask Aoki wore to cover his awkwardness.

“Eh?” Kurisu froze instantly. Her eyes widened, staring straight at Aoki with an expression brimming with shock. Her pale cheeks flushed faintly red, while her fingers, which had been holding a teacup, stopped in midair, trembling ever so slightly.

Aoki, realizing that look, immediately turned toward her. When his gaze met Kurisu’s eyes—eyes filled with confusion and something else, something he couldn’t quite put into words—Aoki himself fell silent. His faint smile slowly stiffened, like ice cracking under heat.

For a moment, Aoki was completely at a loss, before he realized his mistake. The words that had just slipped out of his mouth had clearly gone too far.

For an instant, he had forgotten that all of this was nothing but pretense. His careless statement could easily lead to misunderstandings—especially with the woman now sitting right across from him.

“Hmm… that’s right,” Michiyo quickly interjected, trying to ease the atmosphere. Her smile was warm, though her eyes remained slightly sharp, watching Aoki with keen attention. “In that case, do you need my help? I could help you clean up your family restaurant, and even take care of some of the preparations for its reopening.”

“No need,” Aoki replied softly, lowering his head a little. His voice carried a gentle tone. “But thank you for your kindness, Lady Michiyo. After all, I already have a wife who can help me.”

As he said the word “wife,” Aoki stole a brief glance at Kurisu, then forced a smile—this time, a little more genuine, though still stiff.

“Ah, that’s true!” Michiyo answered cheerfully with a small laugh, nodding in satisfaction.

The conversation then flowed naturally, drifting into lighter topics. They all chatted together for several dozen minutes.

The table was filled with the sounds of spoons and chopsticks clinking against plates, interspersed with small laughs, brief comments, and casual conversation. Yet beneath the warmth of it all, Aoki still felt a thin layer of awkwardness pressing on his chest.

Eventually, Aoki and Kurisu took their leave. They rose from their chairs, offering polite farewells.

Aoki had insisted on paying for their meal, but Kuzan firmly patted Aoki’s shoulder, saying that he would cover the cost himself.

Though Aoki tried several times to refuse, in the end he gave in, his face tinged with slight embarrassment.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, the wooden door jingled faintly behind them, followed by the warm breath of the afternoon breeze.

The lingering aroma of food drifting from inside was soon replaced by the smell of iron and burning coal from Kuzan’s blacksmith shop, which stood right next door.

Aoki then brought Kurisu inside the blacksmith shop for a brief visit. The place was alive with the rhythmic clang of hammer against metal, sparks flying now and then from glowing hot steel being forged.

The workers greeted Aoki with weary smiles, some of them wiping sweat from their brows, recalling the old days when Aoki had worked alongside them. A wave of nostalgia briefly passed through Aoki’s eyes—just for a moment—before he finally bid them farewell.

Not long after, having said their goodbyes, Aoki and Kurisu continued on their way toward Aoki’s home.

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