Night fell.
Lights began to illuminate the streets.
Natsuki led Juju out of the back door of the Love Hotel.
"Stu-stupid…" Juju's small face was crimson, and she leaned weakly against Natsuki, her legs too soft to walk by herself. She angrily pinched the soft flesh on Natsuki's waist, "You should rest too!"
Natsuki said innocently:
"I just said to rest in the room. You were the one who insisted on coming out, weren't you?"
"Ptooey!"
Juju glared at him indignantly.
You close your eyes and rest, and I'll move myself… How dare you say something like that!
"And one more thing!" The more Juju thought about it, the angrier she got, and she couldn't help but pinch Natsuki again, gritting her teeth, "If you make me call you 'Master' again next time, you're dead!"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong."
Natsuki raised his hands in surrender, offering no resistance.
He would agree now and do it again next time.
Anyway, when Juju was crying and begging for mercy, she would call him whatever he wanted; she simply wouldn't refuse.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Natsuki's expression, Juju knew what he was thinking and was so angry her teeth ached. "I just misspoke. There won't be a next time ever again!"
"Yes, yes."
Natsuki still nodded in agreement.
Whether there was a next time was up to him, not Juju.
Juju puffed out her cheeks: "Don't touch me anymore!"
"Yes, yes."
"…Stupid Natsuki!"
Juju immediately got angry. You say you won't touch me and then you don't touch me. Although she knew it was intentional, she was still so annoyed. "If you nod again, do you believe I'll twist your head off?!"
"…"
Natsuki sighed helplessly. Tsundere girls were indeed troublesome. If it were Sayu, she would be alternating between 'Master' and 'Father' by now.
"Let's not go eat."
Natsuki suddenly stopped.
"Eh?"
Juju looked up with surprise, feeling a little nervous.
Did Stupid Natsuki get angry because her tone was too bad just now?
"It seems Miss Juju currently has a lot of resentment that needs to be vented." Natsuki turned around, saying with a serious expression, "So, let's go back to the hotel and rest for a while longer."
"Ptooey!"
Juju's small face flushed red, and she indignantly spat.
He still wanted to go back and rest! Even if he was a donkey on a production team, he should rest for a while!
"You, you, you, you… don't you ever get tired?!"
Juju was both shy and angry.
Those light novels clearly said that only the ox gets tired, not the field, so why was it the other way around now?
"Not tired at all." Natsuki lowered his voice, "This morning I made the Yaarctopus into Dark Cuisine, and the effect was very significant."
"You… you shouldn't eat that kind of stuff anymore!"
Juju's small face was crimson, and she warned him through gritted teeth.
Natsuki whispered:
"Juju clearly enjoyed it too…"
"Ptooey!" Juju immediately became indignant, grabbed Natsuki's arm, and bit him, "I'll bite you to death!"
Natsuki held Juju's hand: "Let's go, back to rest."
Juju shouted shyly:
"No way, I'm going home!"
"…"
As they were bickering, a serious voice suddenly sounded behind them.
"Sir, please stop."
Natsuki turned to look and saw a woman in a policewoman's uniform, pushing a bicycle, walking towards them with a serious expression.
"Officer, can I help you?"
Natsuki stopped and responded politely.
Clearly, this was a basic patrol officer working at a police box, the lowest level of Japan's police system. Her main mode of transport was a bicycle, and her job involved daily street patrols, finding lost cats and dogs, handling lost and found items, neighbor disputes, and safety awareness campaigns—all managed by basic patrol officers.
Simply put, it was "if you have trouble, go to the police box."
The officer parked her bicycle, came in front of Juju, knelt down, and said gently:
"Don't be scared… What is your relationship with this boy?"
"Eh?"
Juju looked up, glanced at Natsuki, then lightly snorted and turned her head away, saying contrary to her true feelings:
"No relationship."
Upon hearing this, the officer's expression became even more serious, and she glared indignantly at Natsuki.
Hey, hey, what's with that look like you're staring at a criminal?
He and Juju were in love and a dating couple; resting in a hotel wasn't against the law, was it?
He certainly didn't lure a child with 100-yen snacks like in those books!
The officer stepped forward, shielding Juju behind her, and continued to ask:
"How old are you?"
"…"
Juju was stunned, then her little face instantly flushed, and she couldn't help but wish for a hole to crawl into.
Stopping her suddenly and asking her age, he clearly took her for a child!
Police, of course, wouldn't interfere if a normal couple came to a hotel to rest.
But if someone brought a child to a hotel, the police certainly couldn't just stand by.
"I'm already seventeen!" Juju's neck turned pink, and she couldn't help but shout, "I'm not a child!"
"What?"
This time it was the police officer's turn to be surprised, as Juju didn't look seventeen at all.
Wearing a white dress now, she looked even younger, completely like a child.
Of course, a high schooler bringing a child out of a hotel warranted stopping and questioning.
The police officer was still uneasy and looked at Juju, saying:
"Excuse me, can you show me your student ID to prove your identity?"
"I didn't bring it out." Juju was exasperated, "It's summer vacation now, I certainly wouldn't bring something like that out!"
The police officer hesitated:
"In that case, can you call your family?"
"No, I won't call!"
Juju flatly refused.
Her dad and mom didn't know about her becoming a player, so there was no way to explain it clearly, right?
And Stupid Natsuki was a super scumbag; once her dad and mom found out, they would definitely forbid her from leaving the house.
"It's just to confirm your identity, why are you unwilling to call?"
The police officer's eyes quickly became suspicious.
At this moment, Natsuki raised his hand and said:
"I have a way to prove that Juju is a high schooler."
The police officer turned to look at him and asked:
"What way?"
"It's simple." Natsuki said calmly, "Officer, find a high school math problem and have Juju solve it for you on the spot. If she's a child, there's no way she could do it, right?"
Juju: "..."
Police officer: "..."
It had to be said, although the method was simple, it was incredibly effective.
Not to mention a child, even a junior high student couldn't solve a high school math problem.
A moment later.
Juju's identity was successfully verified; she finally answered a trigonometry problem, proving she was a standard female high school student.
"My sincerest apologies!" The police officer bowed ninety degrees, full of remorse, "I've caused trouble for both of you!"
"Officer, you were just doing your duty, and you didn't do anything wrong." Natsuki smiled and said, "It's just that I happen to be a lolicon."
"Die!"
Juju clenched her small fist and punched Natsuki's knee.
"However..." Natsuki asked again, "Where is the police box your station is located?"
"Huh?"
The police officer looked over in confusion.
Natsuki said seriously:
"My girlfriend is very angry, so she's preparing to write a complaint letter."
Police officer: "..."
Thump!
Juju gave Natsuki's knee another punch, then quickly said with a red face:
"Don't listen to his nonsense, I'm not angry at all... Officer, please don't be angry, I definitely won't write any complaint letter."
After speaking, Juju tugged on Natsuki's sleeve and shouted angrily:
"Hurry up and go!"
"..."
After they had dinner together, Natsuki sent Juju home, then slowly walked alone towards the train station.
Just as he reached the train station, his phone suddenly rang.
He took out his phone; it was a call from Tsubame.
"Senpai?"
Natsuki answered the phone.
"Natsuki-kun..." Tsubame's sweet and gentle voice sounded from the other end of the phone, with some hesitation and shyness, "Are you free tonight?"
Before Natsuki could answer, his daughter's voice came through the phone, full of anticipation:
"Dad, Mom said she missed you!"
"I didn't..." Tsubame's voice was embarrassed, "O-okay, I did miss you. Natsuki-kun, when are you free to come back and see Aoi-chan..."
Natsuki smiled and said:
"I'm free now. Wait for me, I'll be home right away."
"Huh?" Tsubame was startled and quickly said, "Natsuki-kun, your work is important, don't push yourself..."
Natsuki said:
"No pushing, I've been rushing these past two days and finally finished all my work. So, Senpai, get cleaned up and wait for me to come home."
Tsubame: "..."
No words were exchanged along the way.
Half an hour later.
Natsuki arrived outside Tsubame's apartment building and pressed the video doorbell:
"I'm back, Senpai, open the door."
Thump thump thump.
Footsteps could vaguely be heard running behind the door.
Then the door clicked open, and a child happily ran out:
"Dad, you're back!"
"I'm back, I'm back."
Natsuki smiled, picked up Aoi, and began to lift her high.
In the living room stood Tsubame in pajamas, watching Natsuki lift Aoi high, a slight smile on her lips.
"I'm back." Natsuki turned to look at Tsubame and smiled, "I've been working so hard for so long, I'm so tired, I urgently need a kiss from Senpai."
Tsubame's pretty face froze, then paled, and she lightly chided:
"Don't even think about it."
Natsuki immediately looked dejected, his voice wronged:
"I finally got home, but I don't even get a kiss. Senpai really doesn't like me anymore, does she?"
Aoi blinked, ran to Tsubame's side, tugged on her sleeve, and whispered:
"Mom, Dad is so pitiful."
Tsubame: "..."
He's not pitiful at all, he's just pretending to be!"
Natsuki said gloomily:
"Since Senpai doesn't like me anymore, I'll just go back to work."
"Mom, don't let Dad go."
Mist welled up in his daughter's eyes, and she pleaded softly.
"I-I understand..." Tsubame quickly comforted her daughter, "Aoi-chan, don't cry, I definitely won't let Dad leave."
Having no choice, Tsubame could only walk in front of Natsuki and glare at him irritably.
"Natsuki-kun, don't be too much!"
Natsuki pointed to his cheek, naturally unfazed by Tsubame's light chiding, and smiled:
"Kiss here first."
"..."
Tsubame took a deep breath, stood on her tiptoes, and lightly kissed Natsuki's cheek.
Natsuki then pointed to his other cheek and instructed:
"This side too."
Tsubame stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again.
Since she had kissed the left side, kissing the right side was naturally no big deal.
Natsuki smiled, pointed to his lips, and said:
"One more spot."
"That's enough." Tsubame couldn't help but chide, raising her hand to lightly pat him, "Don't corrupt Aoi."
His daughter opened her arms and said expectantly:
"Mommy, I want a kiss too!"
Tsubame bent down to pick up her daughter and kissed her daughter's cheek: "Good girl, Aoi-chan."
"Aoi-chan, this is a gift for you."
Natsuki held up the shopping bag, which contained various fluffy dolls.
A child's happiness is simple; receiving a fluffy doll can make them happy for days.
"Thank you, Dad!"
Aoi was super happy.
"There's one more..." Natsuki took out another shopping bag and smiled, "If Aoi-chan has a gift, Senpai must have one too."
"I don't need it."
Tsubame said she didn't need it, but her body was quite honest, reaching out to take the doll, her lips unconsciously curving upwards.
A high schooler's happiness is also simple.
Receiving a gift from a boy she likes, no matter how valuable, makes her very happy.
"It's so hot outside, I'm all sweaty." Natsuki changed into his slippers, "Senpai, I want to take a bath."
Tsubame was sitting on the sofa, squeezing the doll, and said upon hearing him:
"Just go wash yourself."
Natsuki raised his hand and said:
"I want Senpai to help scrub my back."
Tsubame: "..."
Taking an inch, asking for a mile!
He was clearly taking advantage of his daughter being nearby to push his luck!
Seeing Aoi's expectant gaze, Tsubame finally bit her lip, pointed a finger, and said,
"Go take a bath quickly! I'll scrub your back!"
"I really like Senpai the most," Natsuki got up and walked towards the bathroom. He had been to Senpai's house several times and was quite familiar with it. He turned his head at the bathroom door and said, "Senpai, you won't trick me, right?"
"Hmph~"
Tsubame couldn't help but glare at him, her cheeks puffed out as she said, "My word is my bond."
Aoi said expectantly, "Mom, I want to bathe with you too."
"Aoi, watch cartoons on the sofa," Tsubame quickly said, "Scrubbing a back is hard work; I can do it alone."
Japan indeed has a tradition of families bathing together. Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons can combine freely, which is not strange, just like Indians prefer to use their hands to wipe their bottoms. This is other people's tradition; perhaps it's difficult to understand, but respect is enough.
But Aoi was not her biological daughter, so of course, they couldn't bathe together.
Tsubame walked to the door and suddenly realized, "Eh, wait… I only said I'd scrub your back, who said anything about bathing together?"
Sighing lightly, Tsubame pushed the door and walked into the bathroom. She glanced at Natsuki, who was showering, and her pretty face flushed slightly.
No matter what, she still felt shy.
"Senpai, come here," Natsuki beckoned, "You can scrub my back now."
Tsubame cautiously walked over, warning, "Natsuki-kun, don't do anything strange."
"Don't worry, Senpai," Natsuki said seriously, "Aoi is right outside, how could I do anything strange?"
"That's good…"
Tsubame relaxed a little.
With her daughter just outside, no matter how excessive Natsuki was, he wouldn't go overboard, right?
However, the next second.
Tsubame felt a strange chill on her body. She looked down in confusion, and a flash of white met her eyes. Her pretty face instantly turned crimson.
"Eh, eh, eh, my pajamas… how did they end up in Natsuki-kun's hands?!"
Tsubame's beautiful eyes widened. Without Natsuki needing to explain, she immediately understood and quickly covered her body, saying with a mix of shame and anger, "You, you actually used Time Stop to take off my clothes?!"
"Senpai, listen to me," Natsuki held up the pajamas in his hand and explained sincerely, "Just now, the showerhead shook, and it was about to get Senpai's pajamas wet. There was no other way, I could only use Time Stop."
"Liar!"
Tsubame bit her lip, not believing him at all, and couldn't help but scold, "Three seconds is more than enough time for you to pull me away; you don't need to take off my clothes at all!"
"Alright, I'll tell you the truth," Natsuki placed Senpai's pajamas aside and turned to face Senpai, "I want to bathe with Senpai."
"Pfft~"
Tsubame spat lightly, turning her face away with a blush and whispering, "I only agreed to help scrub your back, I never agreed to bathe together."
Natsuki showed an evil smile and stepped forward, saying, "Once you're in my territory, Senpai, you don't have a choice."
Tsubame: "…"
So why did my bathroom become your territory?!
"Senpai, don't run around. You don't want Aoi to hear, do you?"
The bathroom was only so big. Natsuki quickly wrapped his arms around Senpai.
Tsubame: "…"
This is too much!
It's truly too much!
Tsubame tried hard to keep her pretty face stern and said, "Natsuki-kun, I'm angry!"
"Then let me tell Senpai some good news…" Natsuki whispered, "Aoi's mother has hope of recovery."
"Eh?" Tsubame quickly looked up, "What are the specifics?"
Natsuki picked up Senpai and walked towards the bathtub, saying,
"We can talk while we bathe."
Tsubame had no choice but to bathe with him, her pretty face flushed.
Anyway, they had bathed together before, so bathing again… wasn't a problem.
"Natsuki-kun, hurry up and tell me," Tsubame hid in the bathtub, with only her slender, elegant neck exposed, and urged softly, "How is Aoi's mother now?"
Natsuki whispered, "This afternoon, Mitsui-san sent me a message saying that she found a player who has a mental soothing skill and can treat the symptoms of mental breakdown in those people. However, the treatment will take some time; it can't be done overnight."
"It's good that there's hope," Tsubame breathed a sigh of relief, "Aoi hasn't fully woken up yet, so waiting a bit longer would be best."
Natsuki asked, "Were Senpai and Aoi at home all day today?"
"Of course we were at home," Tsubame said softly, "I did want to take Aoi to the shopping mall to buy some clothes, but Aoi is very shy and doesn't want to go out."
Natsuki said,
"Tomorrow, let's take Aoi out to play together, okay?"
"Eh?" Tsubame looked up, a little surprised, "Are you free tomorrow?"
"Of course I'm free," Natsuki said gently, "For Senpai and my daughter, no matter how busy I am, I'll make time."
"Easy for you to say, you haven't sent Aoi a single message all day…"
Tsubame snorted lightly and turned her pretty face away: "…Then tomorrow it is."