In a bedroom that appeared simple and elegant on the surface—but in reality, had a closet stuffed full of cosplay outfits—

    Sumire pulled her head out from under the pillow, picked up her phone, and stared at the missed call on the screen. She let out a long sigh of relief.

    After what that guy did yesterday, he still has the nerve to call today? What does he want now? Does he just enjoy messing with me that much?

    Grinding her teeth, she cursed him silently in her heart, then sent a message to Kitagawa. The latter always woke up early, so there was no worry about disturbing her.

    [Kitagawa, Chiba… he’s not actually evil, right?]

    Kitagawa didn’t ask for details. She simply responded patiently:

    [I can only say that when he looks at me, his gaze is clean and natural.

    Also, he stopped by the flower shop last night. His eyes were the same as always—calm and straightforward. He openly admitted that he was buying flowers for another girl, without hiding or pretending.

    Take that as a reference.]

    [Oh, got it.]

    Sumire felt relieved. If even Kitagawa said so, then there was nothing to worry about. He was just a mischievous student who liked to tease people—not someone with any real ill intentions.

    She glanced at the time and instantly panicked. Crap, I’m going to be late!

    Without wasting another second, she jumped out of bed and dashed toward the bathroom.

    ….

    At the ramen shop, after finishing his meal, Shuichi headed back upstairs. Mrs. Akiyama didn’t stop him—on the contrary, she even thanked him and entrusted her daughter’s care to him.

    Naturally, Shuichi readily agreed, assuring her that he would take good care of Tsuki.

    Casually shutting the bedroom door behind him, he walked over to the bed and sat down. His gaze fell on Tsuki, who lay there looking weak and sickly.

    “Feeling any better?” He asked.

    “Mm… I’m not cold anymore, and my body feels much lighter, but…” Tsuki bit her lip, her eyes shimmering with an unspoken emotion.

    “What now? Feeling bored?”

    Shuichi sighed. This girl never gets tired, huh? Whether it’s work or school, her energy levels are absolutely ridiculous.

    "It’s not that…" Tsuki turned her head slightly, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I need to go to the bathroom…"

    It was only then that Shuichi noticed her squirming under the blanket like a restless caterpillar.

    "Then go. It’s not like I’m stopping you," He said. But then, a thought crossed his mind, and he looked at her suspiciously. "Wait… you’re not expecting me to help you, are you?"

    Tsuki’s eyes immediately lit up, her face filled with excitement. "I knew Chiba-kun was enough of a pervert to understand me!"

    Shuichi sighed in exasperation. "You’re not a kid. And even little kids don’t need that—only babies between one and three years old get carried to the toilet."

    "But I’ve seen this kind of scene before…" Tsuki bit her lip, her expression full of eager anticipation, making it painfully obvious just how much the idea excited her.

    It seemed that being sick had indeed left her a little weaker. Even though she was saying such perverted things, there was a hint of childish sulking in her tone.

    "Make sure to share your resources with me sometime," Shuichi said with a completely serious expression. "I need to see exactly what kind of stuff is filling that head of yours."

    With that, he grabbed the corner of the blanket and slowly lifted it, giving her time to adjust to the room temperature.

    Her sweat-drenched thighs came into view—not their usual smooth, fair complexion, but flushed with a feverish redness. Sёarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Like delicate petals tinged with the soft hues of a peach blossom.

    Her light pink pajamas, slightly faded from washing, did little to conceal the blue-and-white stripes underneath. In fact, they even exposed a large portion of her bare abdomen.

    Her delicate frame, soft skin—so close, so within reach.

    Shuichi reached out and ran his hand over her thigh. It was still hot to the touch, completely different from the usual cool smoothness he was familiar with.

    "Sit up and lean against me." He ordered.

    Tsuki struggled to sit up as instructed. As her pajama top fell back down, it covered the blue-and-white stripes—but somehow, that only made it look like she wasn’t wearing anything underneath, making the sight even more tantalizing.

    Once she leaned back against his chest, Shuichi firmly grasped both of her thighs. With the added support of his chest against her back, he lifted her up securely.

    Tsuki wasn’t particularly heavy—probably less than 120 pounds. But even so, if he hadn’t been working out for the past two days, carrying her would have been a real challenge.

    “Mm…”

    “Stop squirming,” Shuichi scolded, clearly annoyed.

    Internally, he couldn’t help but marvel at how much stamina some male actors must have. They really earn their pay through sheer effort, huh?

    After taking a couple of steps, he got used to the posture and was able to walk more smoothly. Holding Tsuki securely, he carried her out of the bedroom.

    At this moment, Tsuki was wearing nothing but her blue-and-white striped underwear, with Shuichi’s hands gripping her bare thighs. If anyone saw them like this, she’d die of embarrassment on the spot.

    Of course, the only real risk was Mrs. Akiyama catching them.

    Maintaining their awkward posture, the two finally reached the bathroom and stopped in front of the toilet.

    “Take them off yourself.” Shuichi ordered flatly.

    “Got it, you perverted young master.” Tsuki’s voice trembled slightly. Whether it was from sheer embarrassment or lingering weakness from her fever was unclear.

    But none of that mattered now. As she finished preparing herself, Shuichi let out a soft whistle.

    Fwooo—

    ….

    After arriving at school, Sumire sat in the office for barely two minutes before feeling restless.

    That morning, Shuichi had called her, but she hadn’t picked up. What would he think? How would he react?

    The uncertainty gnawed at her. She had the urge to go check the classroom, just to confirm his mood—but if she did, he’d definitely give her that teasing, amused look.

    That would be even more embarrassing.

    Just as she was caught in her dilemma, there was a knock at the door.

    An stepped in. “Excuse me, Sensei. My sister is sick today and needs to take the day off.”

    “What? Tsuki-chan is sick?” Tsuki’s homeroom teacher—a middle-aged woman—was visibly shocked. “Is she okay? Should we visit her?”

    The surrounding teachers, including Sumire, were equally surprised. The student council president was famous for her dedication and work ethic. No matter how unwell she felt, she had never taken a day off before.

    For her to actually miss school… she must be seriously ill.

    An kept a straight face, carefully considering for a moment before shaking her head. “No need. My sister has someone taking care of her. She’ll be fine.”

    “Are you sure she doesn’t need anything?”

    “She’s fine. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to class now.”

    Without offering any further explanation, An remained distant and curt, keeping her words to a minimum.

    Tsuki had always taught her this: If you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything. If you must answer, keep it short. No explanations.

    “Oh, okay then.”

    Just as An was about to leave, Sumire quickly called out, “Wait a second, An-chan. Has Chiba arrived at class yet?”

    An shook her head. She didn’t explain, simply stating, “No.”

    “I see… Got it.” Sumire nodded, lost in thought.

    “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now. Goodbye, Sensei.” An gave a small bow before turning and leaving.

    Sumire watched her retreating figure, her mind adrift, feeling even more restless than before.