Chapter 166: The Relationship with Ryōko Mikado
Franklin let out a soft breath and slowly walked downstairs. Seeing the three girls busy in the kitchen, he didn't disturb them and headed straight to the backyard.
As the elevator descended, Franklin was thinking about how to handle his relationship with Ryōko Mikado.
The elevator doors slid open. Their eyes instantly met. Ryōko Mikado, who was just about to go up, was standing right there. For a moment, Franklin didn't know what to say.
"Franklin, what are you doing down here? I just saw that Mikan and the others haven't finished making dinner yet."
"Uh…"
Franklin felt completely speechless and helpless.
"Didn't you see us starting lunch earlier and decide not to come up for dinner? I came down early to call you, but it looks like I worried for nothing."
Seeing the helpless look on Franklin's face, Ryōko Mikado gave a faint smile.
"It wasn't a wasted trip. Since you're already down here, give me one of those Youth-Retaining Pills.
Honestly, you gave them to everyone else but never thought about how your big sister is the one who's getting older and needs it the most."
Looking at the faint smile on Ryōko's face and the trace of loneliness deep in her eyes, Franklin felt his heart ache and was overwhelmed with guilt. Fifteen years—how many fifteen-year periods does a normal woman have in her life?
"I'm sorry, Ryōko-nee. I've been too selfish. Ever since I was little, I took it for granted that you'd always be by my side.
Over all these years, that way of thinking became so ingrained that it wasn't until Mikan pointed it out today that I finally woke up.
For the past ten-plus years, you've taken such good care of me. And then at lunch I said all those shameless things… I really owe you so much."
Ryōko gently lifted Franklin's lowered head with both hands.
"You're overthinking it, little Franklin. We're family, and I'm your big sister. Isn't it only natural for me to take care of my little brother?"
Looking at the gentle expression on her face, Franklin reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"It's exactly because you're so gentle that I became this selfish. If you had distanced yourself from me after Mom and Dad left, I wouldn't have ended up like this."
Ryōko smiled softly and lightly patted his back.
"Don't dwell on that stuff. Little Franklin, the fact that you now realize I love you—and that you love me—is enough.
For now, just focus on winning over the other girls. I'll keep waiting for you. Whenever the day comes that you need family by your side, I'll always be there."
The more understanding and selfless Ryōko was, the worse Franklin felt, and the more he blamed himself.
"Ryōko-nee, you're too kind. That's not okay. If I hadn't woken up in time, I would've kept ignoring you forever."
"So what if that happened? You've woken up now, haven't you? Give me a Youth Retaining Pill. The sooner I take it, the longer I can keep my youthful looks."
Seeing the carefree smile on her face, Franklin finally realized just how clueless he'd been before.
Shaking off the jumbled thoughts, he waved his hand, took a Youth Retaining Pill from the bottle, and handed it to her.
"I seem to remember you saying at lunch that you really like my figure, right? Want to take a look?"
At Ryōko's teasing expression, Franklin stopped hiding his feelings and nodded seriously.
"Yes, I want to see everything about you, Ryōko-nee. I want to burn it into my memory. Like I said, I love you. I'm not going to make you wait alone anymore."
Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, the flush on Ryōko's cheeks deepened. Without any hesitation, she swallowed the pill.
A faint white light gradually grew brighter, completely enveloping her. Franklin stood quietly to the side, waiting for Ryōko's brand-new appearance to reveal itself.
After what felt like a long time, the white light faded. Ryōko's figure—now even more perfect than Lala's—appeared before him.
Her face, which had started showing signs of maturing into a woman's, now glowed with the radiance of ten years ago. A youthful aura filled her cheeks.
Those full, soft curves—far more generous than Lala's—made Franklin stare in a daze. Her perfect body paired with glowing skin made him stand at full attention.
Before he could react, Ryōko grabbed his wrist, pulled him close, and kissed him.
Her soft lips left Franklin completely intoxicated. She tried every kind of kiss he'd never experienced before.
A long while later, their lips finally parted. Feeling like he'd been utterly dominated, Franklin was pulled straight into the examination room.
Ryōko pushed him down beneath her. Staring into those seductive, burning eyes, Franklin felt heat course through his entire body.
"Little Franklin, do you have any idea how long I've waited for this day? From a young girl all the way to a grown woman—my passionate heart had already cooled.
Thank goodness your Youth Retaining Pill is miraculous. It doesn't just restore my looks to their peak; it brings my mindset back to that youthful state too."
Hearing her explanation, Franklin finally understood why she was acting this way. And honestly, it felt amazing.
They kissed again. Franklin stopped overthinking things. His hands climbed up to those overflowing curves he couldn't fully grasp, feeling their overwhelming pressure, and his heart raced even faster.
Ryōko, who had long craved this kind of intensity, only frowned slightly at first before instantly relaxing.
"Yin-Yang Twin Life Art? So this is the technique your little Bulma girlfriend mentioned—the one that means your first time isn't a loss and lets you dual-cultivate with other girls too, right?"
Before Franklin could answer, Ryōko had already started cultivating. Feeling the fusion and exchange of yin and yang energies, Franklin activated the technique as well, harmonizing with her.
"Little Franklin, it feels like you've been looking forward to this for a long time."
Meeting her desire-filled gaze, Franklin's whole body burned.
"I really have been waiting forever. Ryōko-nee, you've been this tempting ever since I was a kid. I fell in love with you a long, long time ago."
Their heated gazes locked. Ryōko, who had waited so long for this moment, showed him all kinds of new tricks.
Amid her cries and heavy breathing, they gradually reached the peak together. The next instant, Ryōko collapsed onto Franklin's chest.
Feeling each other's racing heartbeats, she smiled faintly and immediately started round two.
"Everything you owed me before—you're making it all up to me today, little Franklin."
He lost track of time, and of how many times they climbed to the top.
Looking at Ryōko, now sleeping just as deeply as Lala had, Franklin finally let out a sigh of relief. Staring at the pure white ceiling, he felt reborn.
If the remnant volume of the Space Overlord Art hadn't already reached its limit, Franklin was certain he could break through to the Nascent Soul stage right then and there.