"Get over here yourself."
Natsuki patted his thigh.
"No way!" Miko's pretty face flushed, and she pouted with embarrassment, covering her chest defensively with both hands, "That dream has happened many times, and nothing has happened... Maybe it's just an ordinary dream."
Natsuki raised his eyebrows and said, "Do you really think it's just an ordinary dream?"
"..."
Miko stopped talking.
Dreaming of another herself from time to time, and the experiences in the dream are quite clear, it is indeed very strange.
It was precisely because she cared that she would tell Natsuki.
"No prompt..."
Natsuki narrowed his eyes, gazing at his childhood friend.
However, after waiting for a moment, no prompt appeared before him.
"Come here." Natsuki beckoned to Miko.
Miko covered her chest with both hands and said vigilantly, "I'm not coming over."
Natsuki explained, "Come here and let me touch your head. If it's related to an anomaly, the game will most likely give a prompt."
Miko hesitated for a while, then cautiously moved to Natsuki's side.
The next second.
The girl's startled cry rang out in panic.
Natsuki pounced like a hungry tiger, pulling Miko into his arms, a sinister smile on his face as he said, "I'm sorry, I was just tricking you."
"Pfft~"
Miko's pretty face was flushed, and she couldn't help but lightly spit, unwilling to meet Natsuki's gaze: "Let go of me quickly."
"No."
"...Shameless!"
"Now I'll show you what true ecchi is."
"Wait, wait a minute... Not there..."
"..."
Joking aside, even though he had been intimate with Miko for a while, the game still didn't give any notification.
Could it be that Miko really just had a series of ordinary dreams?
"The game hasn't given any notification. For now, it seems she hasn't been entangled by an anomaly." Natsuki said softly, "But you still need to be vigilant. Ordinary people don't have continuous dreams... If you dream of another yourself again, remember to tell me the details immediately after you wake up."
Miko's pretty face was flushed, her pearly teeth biting her lips, and she said bashfully, "You... first take your hand out!"
"Ah, sorry."
Natsuki looked down and realized he was measuring Miko's conscience.
"I don't want a verbal apology!" Miko cried out in annoyance, "Go commit seppuku quickly!"
To skillfully put your hand into someone else's clothes... How many times have you practiced with others?!
After Natsuki withdrew his hand, Miko rolled away to dodge, then, both shy and angry, she chased Natsuki away.
He's not coming back.
The old neighborhood boy, who was only eccentric but generally decent, is gone forever. Now, only a lewd aggregate with a head full of lewd thoughts remains.
However...
Looking at Natsuki waving downstairs, Miko let out a soft sigh, the blush on her pretty face still deep.
But she didn't dislike it.
"I'm home."
Natsuki pushed the door open and entered the house.
"Welcome home."
Kaguya, wearing an apron and with a towel wrapped around her head, was mopping the floor. Kaguya who once couldn't even crack an egg was now almost graduating from her bridal training.
"Woof woof..."
The clumsy dog wagged its tail and woofed, rushing over to welcome Natsuki.
As for Mrs. Shimizu, she had already sat on the sofa, holding a tablet in one hand and a phone in the other, beginning her ghost otaku life.
"I'll help."
Natsuki perfunctorily petted the dog's head, then picked up tools and cleaned with Kaguya.
Buzz buzz buzz.
A phone vibrated suddenly in the living room.
Natsuki was mopping nearby, glanced at the phone, and then said, "Kaguya, your phone."
"Okay."
Kaguya walked over and picked up the phone, looked at the caller ID, and slightly frowned.
The caller's note was 'Third Brother', undoubtedly Shinomiya Un'yo.
Since their 'breakup' at the Shinomiya family last time, the two had not been in contact. Now, he suddenly called, and she didn't know what he would say.
Hesitating for two seconds, Kaguya still chose to answer the phone.
After speaking a few words softly, Kaguya put down her phone, let out a soft breath, bit her lip lightly, and whispered, "Third Brother called me home for dinner, and he also said he would make up the living expenses he didn't give me before."
A saying came to Natsuki's mind: "No good deed goes unpunished."
Before, when Kaguya ran away from home, he directly cut off her living expenses and didn't send a single message during that time. Now, he suddenly plays the family card; he must have an ulterior motive.
Natsuki looked at Kaguya and said, "Do you want to go back for dinner?"
"No." Kaguya shook her head gently, "It's too hot, and I don't want to run around. Besides, dinner won't be enjoyable."
Natsuki said, "Then don't go back."
"Exactly." Mrs. Shimizu sat on the sofa, extending a finger, "Recently, I saw a term on Twitter that I think makes a lot of sense, called 'Danshari'. Anything in life that makes you suffer, that causes you endless mental exhaustion, throw it away, the farther the better."
"Don't go to places you don't want to go, don't eat meals you don't want to eat. Don't do anything that makes Shinomiya unhappy." Mrs. Shimizu smiled, "Anyway, Natsuki-kun will support you."
"Mother, what are you saying!" Kaguya's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "I can support myself!"
Mrs. Shimizu tilted her head, looked at Natsuki, and said with a smile:
"What does Natsuki say?"
Natsuki said seriously:
"If I have a strawberry, I'll give the whole strawberry to Kaguya, and I'll eat the strawberry butt."
Kaguya gave him an embarrassed glare: "The President is too exaggerated!"
A moment later.
The phone rang again.
Kaguya gently furrowed her brows, answered the call, spoke a few words softly, then let out a sigh and said:
"It's my second brother… he's also calling me back for dinner."
After another while, the phone rang for the third time. Kaguya furrowed her brows and answered the call again.
Natsuki turned his head and looked, muttering:
"I guess it's your eldest brother?"
"Mm." Kaguya nodded lightly, sat back on the sofa, and whispered, "They… know about my player identity."
"I see."
Natsuki suddenly understood.
Shinomiya is a famous large zaibatsu in Japan, a typical 'wealthy lord'. Regarding the news of the Strange Tales, the strategies of various countries are uniformly to block it, maintain stability, and not let ordinary people know. But as wealthy lords, Shinomiya's three sons naturally have channels to obtain information.
The Ichiban Street Strange Tale in Kabukicho, plus the Nightmare Strange Tale in the hotel, both operations were located in Tokyo. It was quite normal for those people to know about Kaguya's player identity.
Although thousands of players have been registered, Japan's population is over 100 million, so players can be said to be one in ten thousand. If someone in the family is a player, and a quite powerful one at that, it's natural to build a good relationship.
In short, one sentence.
The world bustles for gain, and the world scrambles for gain.
One of Shinomiya's family precepts is to use others by any means necessary. But now, as the one being used and contended for, Kaguya's mood was inevitably complex.
"If you don't want to go, then don't." Mrs. Shimizu hugged Kaguya and said warmly, "Mother and Natsuki will always stand by you."
"I know." Kaguya nodded lightly, "But they said it's been a long time since they visited Father… They plan to visit Father together tomorrow."
Natsuki raised his hand and said:
"Should I go too?"
"Eh?" Kaguya looked over in confusion, "Why would the President go?"
Natsuki said earnestly:
"It's perfectly reasonable for me to visit my future father-in-law, isn't it?"
"Pre-President, what are you saying!" Kaguya's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "I'll go by myself tomorrow, you can just stay at home!"
"…"
No words for the night.
The next day.
Six o'clock in the morning.
Miko, as usual, quietly got up and slipped back home.
Natsuki got up with her, went to the bathroom first, then lay down beside Kaguya.
Massage is very necessary, it must be persistent, not a single day can be stopped.
For example, Hayasaka and Juju, who used to be flat-chested, are now completely well-endowed.
"Hmm…"
Noticing the movement behind her, Kaguya's body trembled slightly, and a delicate blush uncontrollably rose on her pretty face, then she continued to feign sleep.
As long as she didn't wake up, she wouldn't know anything, and the President could do whatever he wanted. Otherwise, she definitely wouldn't be able to resist slapping the President away.
If she persisted, she could become as big as Hayasaka, right?
Kaguya couldn't help but think of Hayasaka.
Everyone used to be at the same level, but on the island, Hayasaka was clearly a size bigger than her. It must also be because of the President, right?
Kaguya closed her eyes, and images of Natsuki and Hayasaka appeared in her mind, then… the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
Slap!
Kaguya slapped Natsuki's arm and sat up.
"What's wrong?"
Natsuki was a bit confused.
He could usually give massages, but why was she not allowing it today, right from the start?
"I can't sleep!" Kaguya puffed out her cheeks, "I'm going to the park to walk the dog!"
"…"
Today was the day to visit Shinomiya's father, so around nine o'clock, Kaguya changed her clothes and went out under the sun.
Natsuki also didn't stay at home all day. He followed Kaguya out, first went to the Strange Tales Management Bureau to apply skills for official players, then went to apply healing skills for Mizuhara Chizuru. After finishing the miscellaneous tasks, it was already past eleven o'clock without him realizing it.
Walking back, Natsuki was thinking about what to eat for lunch when a sweet, pleasant, unfamiliar voice suddenly came from his ear:
"Is that Natsuki?"
Natsuki turned his head and saw a tall, beautiful black-haired woman with short hair enter his sight, carrying a vegetable basket on her arm.
"Aunt Shuuko, good morning."
Natsuki bowed in greeting, recognizing the black-haired woman's identity at a glance.
It was Shoko's mother, whom he had met a few times before, but they hadn't talked much.
Komi's Mother's expression became serious, and she raised her chin, saying:
"Don't call me aunt."
"Hmm?"
Natsuki looked over in confusion.
Komi's Mother smiled brightly, making a peace sign: "I'm forever seventeen."
Your daughter is already seventeen, where do you get off being a Magical Girl!
When they met before, Natsuki had noticed that Shoko and her mother had different personalities. Now, after just one sentence of conversation, the personalities of the mother and daughter were indeed poles apart.
Natsuki readily complied and called out again:
"Sister Shuuko, good morning."
"Hahaha." Komi's Mother raised her hand to cover her mouth and chuckled, clearly quite pleased with Natsuki's tact, her eyes crinkling into a smile, "Is Natsuki here to play with Shoko?"
"That…"
"Shoko is at home, why don't you come over for lunch?"
Komi's Mother was exceptionally enthusiastic.
Natsuki hesitated:
"It's better to ask Shoko's opinion first…"
"Oh, no need to ask." Komi's Mother gave a thumbs-up, her smile bright, "A mother bringing a boy home for dinner doesn't need her daughter's permission. Our house is just ahead, we'll be there soon."
"…"
Komi's Mother invited him so enthusiastically that Natsuki couldn't refuse. Plus, he still had a Skin Card to give to Shoko, so he followed her home.
A moment later.
"I'm home~"
Komi's Mother pushed the door open and entered the house; the living room was quite quiet.
"Father is still working overtime and isn't home today. Shoko and her younger brother are both in their rooms upstairs." Komi's Mother said, bending down to take out slippers from the shoe cabinet, "Natsuki, wear these slippers."
"Thank you, Sister Shuuko."
Natsuki bowed in thanks.
"I'll go to the kitchen to wash fruit first." Komi's Mother said with a smile, "Natsuki, you can go upstairs and play with Shoko for a while. The room with the cat sign on the door is Shoko's room."
Natsuki naturally wouldn't refuse: "Then I'll go find Shoko first."
He couldn't possibly have improper thoughts about Komi's Mother, so maintaining an appropriate distance was very necessary.
He walked up the stairs to the second floor.
Natsuki quickly found the the timid girl's room, then raised his hand to knock on the door.
Thump, thump, thump.
Footsteps quickly sounded from behind the door, followed by the door gently opening, revealing a delicate, unadorned face.
"Meow?"
Seeing Natsuki in the corridor, Komi stared blankly with wide eyes, then rubbed her eyes in disbelief, clearly thinking she was hallucinating.
"Shoko, let me in first."
Natsuki stepped into the the timid girl's room and then looked around curiously. This was his first time entering the the timid girl's room.
There were several dolls on the bed, and the quilt hadn't been folded.
On the desk were various small ornaments.
The walls were adorned with various cute animal stickers.
The laptop was on, playing cute pet videos.
There were also scattered light novels and snacks on the floor…
The room was a bit messy, but not dirty, and the air was quite fresh and pleasant.
Clearly, the aloof beauty from campus, who could only be admired from afar, was actually just an ordinary girl in real life.
"You, you, you, why are you outside the door?"
The the timid girl still looked incredibly bewildered, and couldn't help but poke Natsuki's arm, only then confirming that the Natsuki in front of her was real and not a hallucination.
"I just ran into Sister Shuuko on the way…" Natsuki explained the reason, "She insisted that I come over for lunch, and I really couldn't refuse, so I had to come."
Komi opened her eyes wide, puzzled:
"Sister Shuuko?"
Natsuki said:
"Your mother said she's forever seventeen, so I could only call her Sister Shuuko."
Komi: "…"
Seeing Natsuki's gaze fall on the snack bags on the floor, the the timid girl's pretty face flushed, and she quickly began to tidy up the room.
Her room wasn't usually this messy. It was just that she had just returned home yesterday, finally let go of all restraints, and returned to her true self, so she couldn't help but indulge a little for a while.
Snacks, cola, NicoNico, she didn't fall asleep until the early hours of the morning, and when she woke up, she was lazy and didn't want to move, completely unaware that Natsuki would visit.
No!
She had to clean up the room quickly!
A girl, in front of her boyfriend, naturally wants to maintain elegance and composure. A messy room would be too embarrassing!
However, it was better when Shoko wasn't tidying up. As soon as she bent down to tidy the room, Natsuki's gaze was involuntarily drawn to her.
As is well known, when girls are at home, they naturally don't wear underwear for comfort when wearing pajamas. At this moment, the the timid girl was wearing pajamas.
So white.
Today's clouds were round and white.
Natsuki had only taken two glances when Shoko noticed him; the the timid girl's pretty face instantly flushed crimson, and she frantically covered her chest.
Shame and anger made her lose her footing, and she stumbled, almost falling.
"Be careful."
Natsuki, quick as lightning, pulled the the timid girl into his embrace.
Clutched by Natsuki, the the timid girl, in her panic, made a rather poor decision: she closed her eyes.
Closing your eyes when encountering danger? You're practically inviting trouble!
Looking at the the timid girl, whose pretty face was flushed crimson like fire and whose long eyelashes trembled in panic, Natsuki felt a surge of heat and couldn't help but lean down to kiss her.
"Mmm…"
The the timid girl's eyelashes trembled slightly; she had no idea how to write the word 'resist.' Aside from closing her eyes and playing ostrich, all she could do was tightly press down on Natsuki's right hand to keep it from moving wildly.
A moment later.
Natsuki suddenly released Shoko, straightened the wrinkles on her pajamas, and then sat properly on the other side of the low table.
"Eh?"
The the timid girl opened her eyes in confusion, her gaze hazy, not understanding why Natsuki had suddenly stopped.
A few seconds later.
A knock suddenly sounded from the corridor, followed by Komi's Mother's cheerful voice:
"Shoko, open the door, Mommy's coming in~"
The the timid girl's pretty face flushed crimson; only then did she remember she was at home.
She hastily got up to smooth out the wrinkles in her pajamas, then frantically rose to open the door.
"Mommy's here to bring you fruit."
Komi's Mother held a plate with clean grapes and sliced apples.
She handed the fruit plate to Shoko and said with a smile:
"You and Natsuki have fun; I'll go prepare lunch now."
Komi immediately panicked and stammered:
"I, I'll go down to help!"
If she stayed in the room, she would definitely be taken advantage of again.
What if he treated her like he treated Juju… The the timid girl wanted to escape.
"No need." Komi's Mother stopped Shoko, smiling, "I can manage by myself.
Natsuki is here for the first time; you should entertain him well."
The the timid girl wanted to cry but had no tears, only able to watch as her mother closed the door and left.
"Shoko, come sit." Natsuki patted the cushion beside him, "Come here, I'll show you a treasure; you'll definitely like it."
The the timid girl's pretty face was crimson, and she shook her head frantically, unable to help but whisper:
"I, I don't like that kind of thing!"