Chapter 295: Seito: I Really Need to Practice My Drifting Techniques More~
....
Sawamura Sayuri's words carried a fascinating layer of ambiguity.
If it had been just her first sentence, it could easily be dismissed as a mother trying to play matchmaker for her daughter and Seito. But that follow-up... Seito couldn't shake the sneaking suspicion that the mature woman might actually be harboring a few suggestive thoughts toward him as well.
Yet, looking closely at her serene expression, it didn't quite seem that way either. Unable to fully read her intentions, Seito simply pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
"I... I, I..."
Eriri's blush crept all the way from the base of her neck straight to her face. She desperately wanted to muster up her signature tsundere denial, but found that the sharp retorts she wanted to throw out were completely wedged in her throat!
Thud!
Without a second thought, Eriri bolted up from her chair, buried her face in her hands, and fled upstairs back to her room.
Watching her dramatic departure, Seito turned to Sayuri and asked cautiously,
"Auntie, what exactly did you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said," Sayuri replied with a sweet, placid smile.
Her expression was entirely flawless, leaving Seito with absolutely no clues to dissect. Deciding not to overthink it, he quietly resumed eating his meal, and Sayuri followed suit. The two of them continued their dinner in a companionable, silent rhythm, neither offering another word.
Ten minutes later...
Having finished his meal, Seito stood up, scooped a fresh bowl of rice, and neatly layered a generous helping of meat and vegetables over it.
"Auntie, I'll go bring Eriri her dinner first."
"Go ahead," Sayuri nodded smoothly, having no objections.
Turning on his heel to head up to the second floor, Seito found himself contemplating the situation once more. Even if Sayuri's second comment had just been a playful jest, the heavy hint dropped in her first sentence was blindingly obvious. Imagining Eriri's iconic twin-tails, Seito decided that as a self-proclaimed degenerate of culture, he was absolutely staying over tonight!
A moment later.
Arriving outside Eriri's bedroom, Seito placed his hand on the knob and gave it a gentle twist. The door was unlocked. Stepping inside, he quietly clicked the door shut behind him.
Eriri was curled up in her computer chair, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, using her knees to shield her brilliantly flushed face from view.
"Eriri, eat something first," Seito said, walking over and extending the bowl toward her.
Stare—
Eriri didn't say a word, her wide blue eyes locked intently onto him.
"What is it?" Seito asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Seito... have you ever actually liked me?"
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Eriri let out a tiny, incredibly timid whisper. Judging by the pitch of her voice, she was thoroughly embarrassed.
"Now how am I supposed to answer that?" Seito tapped his chin, feigning deep contemplation.
After a long pause, he looked directly at her and smiled mischievously. "Of course I do! I like all beautiful girls! What can I say? I'm an absolute degenerate of culture!"
Seito was a man fully dedicated to building his own grand crystal palace, after all. Having been blessed to traverse into a massive anime crossover world, it would be a disservice to his past-life dreams if he didn't establish a proper harem!
"Ughhh~"
Eriri's face flushed an even deeper shade of crimson. She subconsciously blocked out the second half of his sentence entirely. Her mind was in a state of absolute chaos, spinning so fast she felt completely dizzy!
Seito set the bowl down on her desk and quietly waited for her to compose herself.
But as the silence stretched on and Eriri remained completely frozen, he began to feel a bit restless. Wandering idly around the room, he casually pulled open her wardrobe.
"Oh?"
Spying a hidden stack of custom illustrations tucked away inside, Seito pulled them out to take a closer look. A few moments later...
"..."
Seito's eyes widened in sheer astonishment. Holy moly!
He had initially assumed that the private doujinshi she drew featuring him and Totsuka Saika was scandalous enough, but he never expected to find a hidden treasure trove featuring explicitly him and Eriri! This was...
With a highly amused, wicked expression, Seito turned back toward the bed. By now, Eriri had snapped out of her daze and looked over. The exact moment her eyes registered the specific manuscripts clutched in Seito's hands, her soul practically left her body. She suffered an instant social death, her head practically venting steam like a boiling kettle.
Seito grinned, carefully sliding the artwork back into its hiding place. He walked over to the edge of the bed and seamlessly swept her up into his arms.
"W-What do you think you're doing?!" Eriri gasped, startled into a token, feeble struggle.
"I just feel like the pacing in your illustrations is a bit unrealistic, so I've decided to help you perform some practical field research!"
"Huh?! You— You—!"
"Twin-tails have their own unique tactical advantages, you know? You clearly haven't mastered the core essence of the technique yet~"
The next morning at 5:00 AM.
Inside Eriri's bedroom.
Seito sat resting in the computer chair, glancing briefly at Eriri who was fast asleep under the covers, before dropping his head in quiet reflection.
A brand-new battlefield, an entirely fresh dance of offense and defense! For a high-speed drifting technique like this, Seito felt he really needed to log more practice hours in the future. After all, he had only recently acquired his driver's license!
Stretching his arms over his head, Seito let out a relaxed yawn. Once he headed to the academy today, he would have to ask Hiratsuka Shizuka to officially log a day off for Eriri. Given her current delicate physical condition, there was absolutely no way she could handle attending classes today.
Stepping out of the bedroom, he made his way down toward the first floor. As he passed by Sayuri's bedroom, he noticed the door was left slightly ajar and instinctively glanced inside.
There sat Sawamura Sayuri, sporting a pair of prominent dark circles under her eyes, staring dead at him with a deeply resentful gaze.
"Do you have any idea how incredibly loud it was last night?" Sayuri's tone was entirely laced with a sleepy, exhausted grievance.
"Loud?" Seito replied, perfectly calm and unbothered. "Perhaps I'm simply too powerful. What can I say? It gets remarkably lonely at the top!"
Sawamura Sayuri: "..."
Her lips parted, but she found herself completely at a loss for words. But setting everything else aside, she had to admit—Seito truly was devastatingly powerful.
"Go ahead and fix your own breakfast today. I desperately need to get some sleep,"
Sayuri murmured wearily. She could finally get some proper shut-eye now!
"Have a good rest, Auntie~" Seito chuckled softly, turning to leave.
Staring at his retreating back, a soft, warm blush crept back onto Sayuri's cheeks.
I definitely have to seek his guidance and test his mettle myself when the opportunity arises! With that firm resolution locked away in her heart, Sayuri closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Down in the first-floor living room, Seito walked over to the main entrance, stepped outside, and gently pulled the heavy door shut behind him. Since Eriri and her mother were both sound asleep, he figured he might as well head back to his own place to eat. It was the perfect opportunity to pick up some fresh breakfast on the way.
Strolling leisurely down the peaceful streets, Seito maintained a lazy, relaxed stride. The early morning sun cast its golden rays across the landscape, coating the town in a brilliant, warm overlay. There weren't many pedestrians out yet; the few people around were mostly residents purchasing breakfast or vendors opening up their small storefronts. This kind of tranquil, harmonious scenery could only be truly appreciated during the early hours of the morning.
After walking for about half an hour, Seito stepped into a familiar local breakfast diner to purchase a fresh batch of steamed buns and fried dough sticks. Having finalized the mobile transfer payment, he stepped out of the shop, intending to head straight home.
However, the exact moment he crossed the threshold, a familiar, pleasant voice called out from his side.
"Oh? Seito-kun, you're out buying breakfast early too?"
Seito turned his head toward the source, only to find Nishimiya Yaeko staring back at him with an expression of pleasant surprise.
.....
Thank you for reading.