This time, the door opened just a crack.
Something was thrown inside.
Azuma tried to turn his head to look.
And then, he saw a box of condoms lying silently on the floor.
He couldn't help but mutter, "Just like Sayuri!"
The "matchmaking mom" scenario, which seemed like something straight out of anime, was now playing out in real life.
Under the clear light, Eriri's emotions gradually calmed down.
And as the fear faded, her reason returned.
Finally, Eriri realized the awkward situation between them.
"You! You... you... you!"
She stammered but couldn't form a full sentence.
Eriri didn't even know what more to say.
This scene reminded her of the time back on the schoolyard.
It was so embarrassing she wanted to find a hole to bury herself in.
But Azuma had come to help her again.
The only difference was that Eriri had control over her emotions now. She didn't rush to bash her forehead into Azuma's in hopes of making him forget everything like before.
"You... close your eyes."
Eriri's voice was still choked, as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
"I've closed them. I won't open them," Azuma responded.
He understood well that now wasn't the time to tease Eriri further.
If he did, he might truly traumatize this tsundere girl.
"U... umu... hug me up, please."
Eriri whispered softly in Azuma's ear.
Azuma kept his eyes closed, gently picking Eriri up and standing up.
"Go straight... stop, now turn a little to the right, a bit more, keep going... alright!"
Finally, they reached the bed.
Eriri quickly crawled under the covers.
"Can I open my eyes now?"
Azuma asked.
"Umu... you can open them."
Eriri curled herself up completely under the blanket, leaving only her emerald-green eyes visible, shining with a hint of shyness as she peeked out.
Azuma opened his eyes and saw that Eriri was completely hidden under the blanket, understanding that her level of embarrassment had hit its peak for the day.
He was about to say goodbye and leave.
"Well then, I'll go first"
"No!"
Unexpectedly, before Azuma could finish his sentence, Eriri cut him off with a loud cry.
Her emerald eyes were clearly starting to fill with tears.
"Stay, don't leave me, please?"
Eriri's voice was so soft, almost a whisper.
Seeing her like this, Azuma stood frozen, feeling his heart melt.
Gone was her tsundere shell, and what remained was a tender, vulnerable side of a girl, so alluring it made his heart race.
Very cute!!!
"But... are you sure you're okay?"
Azuma carefully considered his words, unwilling to tease her further in this situation.
"Bottom drawer of the wardrobe, there's my stuff."
Eriri's voice came from beneath the covers, still slightly choked.
Azuma walked over to her wardrobe.
The wardrobe was spacious, filled with all sorts of dresses, each different in style.
There were even a few evening gowns, all tailored perfectly to Eriri's measurements, clearly custom-made.
He pulled open the bottom drawer, and a series of pink, white, and blue clothes printed with small bear patterns appeared in front of him.
Azuma chose the simplest one, a plain-colored set.
He also grabbed another set of pajamas from the wardrobe and brought them over to the blanket.
Azuma gently touched the edge of the blanket, where Eriri was hiding.
"I'll wait in the bathroom, I won't leave, don't worry."
With that, Azuma left the room for a moment.
From under the covers, the "blanket monster" reached out and grabbed the cute clothes he had brought.
A faint rustling sound followed, and then the room fell silent.
A long while later, Eriri's voice finally came from under the blanket.
"You... can come back now."
Azuma walked over.
Eriri had crawled out from under the covers, but her pale face was still flushed.
Her long lashes held a few remaining tears, sparkling like tiny stars.
Chapter 63: Hinatsuru Ai Appears: Please Accept Me as Your Disciple!
Eriri moved to the edge of the bed.
Then she turned her face away, avoiding eye contact.
If it were an invitation to sleep together with Yukima Azuma, with her personality, she definitely wouldn't be able to say it.
But tonight, if Yukima Azuma leaves...
Eriri might not be able to sleep at all, and might even cry several times.
Yukima Azuma sat down on the other side of the bed.
Eriri's bed had a feminine style with soft pink hues.
The bedsheet was adorned with cute cherry blossom patterns.
As soon as he sat down, the first sensation was softness.
So soft that it felt as if it could swallow he whole.
But it still provided a supportive feeling.
Yukima Azuma lay down next to Eriri, leaving a moderate gap between them.
Eriri also lay down.
She tried to close her eyes to hide her embarrassment.
But as soon as she closed her eyes, terrifying grayish-white images appeared in the darkness before her.
For Eriri, someone who never watches horror shows or movies...
The terror of this night was truly unbearable, and the aftereffects were still overwhelming.
She could only open her eyes, a sense of unease rising in her heart.
Yukima Azuma vaguely sensed the fragrance from the person beside him.
The fragrance from Eriri, always gentle and sweet.
It was like the smell of ripe pears, sweet and inviting, making one want to take a bite.
At this moment, the fragrance seemed to waver.
Thinking back, he had asked before; others seemed unable to sense this scent.
Yukima Azuma thought about it.
The same had happened when he was with Kato Megumi.
The faint fragrance of Tuberoses flowers, which no one but him could smell.
But it really existed.
Otherwise, Yukima Azuma wouldn't have been able to quickly find the girl with such a subtle presence, like a Ninja.
While he was thinking, Yukima Azuma reached out his hand.
Quickly, he touched the soft hand of the girl, then held it tightly.
Eriri only slightly shuddered, then made no further reaction.
Normally, she would resist a little.
But at this moment, Eriri's ability to defend herself was truly too low.
Yukima Azuma playfully toyed with Eriri's small hand.
He quickly noticed that her palm was slightly cold.
Tonight, she must have been so scared that she couldn't handle it.
Yukima Azuma regretted teasing her, making her watch the entire horror program.
His finger gently stroked her small hand, then slipped between her fingers.
The two of them intertwined their ten fingers tightly.
Eriri's fingers opened and closed.
Repeating this a few times, she finally made up her mind and tightly grasped Yukima Azuma's hand.
(t/n: I feel like this part is so lewd)
Feeling the warmth of his hand transmit to hers.
Eriri slowly closed her eyes.
The frightening things no longer appeared.
Her emotions fluctuated many times.
At this moment, Eriri was extremely tired.
When she felt reassured, she immediately let go of all her defenses.
Her breathing gradually became steady and calm.
In less than five minutes, the girl had fallen into a deep sleep.
Tonight, the heavy rain slammed against the window.
Tonight, the thunder roared, rumbling without stopping.
But none of it could intrude into the girl's dream.
In her dream, there was only the soft bed and the handsome boy.
.....
The next day.
The morning light shone through the window, illuminating the room.
Perhaps due to the heavy rain the night before, the sky today was unusually clear, almost without a cloud in sight.
This made the morning sunlight appear even more radiant than usual.
Sensing the change in light, Eriri's cute eyebrows slightly twitched.
Then, she slowly opened her eyes.
Just like last time.
The boy was still right in front of her.
Eriri shifted her hand slightly.
Mmm, it's numb.
She shifted her foot.
Mmm, it's wrapped too tightly.
She was once again curled around him like the time she slept at Yukima Azuma's house, her whole body like an octopus, tightly holding onto him.
Eriri looked at the boy's profile and fell into deep thought.
Was her sleeping position really that bad?
No, anyway, it's his fault.
Hugging him really felt comfortable.
More comfortable than any pillow in the world.
So she couldn't really blame herself, right?
Perhaps these thoughts in her mind were being sensed.
Eriri saw Yukima Azuma slowly open his eyes.
Their gazes met.
"Good morning, Eriri."
"Um... umu... Good... good morning, Azuma."
There's a saying, "The first time is awkward, but the second time feels familiar."
This time sleeping with Yukima Azuma, Eriri seemed to feel a bit calmer.
Though she still couldn't escape the embarrassment.
But this time, she didn't get angry the moment she woke up.
Letting go of Yukima Azuma, Eriri kicked him off the edge of the bed.
Yukima Azuma got up, stretched, and then looked at Eriri with a reproachful gaze.
"Are you just going to use me and then throw me away?"
"Hmph, so what if it's true! You did your job as my pillow, now get out!"
Eriri arrogantly said, even throwing a haughty look at him.
Her small fang looked rather fierce.
Yukima Azuma shot her a glance before heading toward the door.
Just as Eriri breathed a sigh of relief...
Yukima Azuma picked up an object near the door, casually tossing it straight at her head.
Then he opened the door and ran away.
Eriri, who was hurt, held her head, looking at the object Yukima Azuma had thrown to examine it.
When she clearly saw what it was...
Eriri's whole body immediately became unsettled.
"A... aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The morning's prelude was marked by Eriri embarrassed scream.
...
"Didn't you have breakfast before you left?"
Sayuri, Eriri's mother, heard her daughter's scream and smiled, asking Yukima Azuma.
"No, no, my family has a cat, it's waiting for me to come home and feed it," Yukima Azuma replied.
"A cat, huh?" Sayuri's gaze was full of meaning.
Yukima Azuma nodded firmly, then said his goodbyes and ran off... again.
.....
Not taking a taxi, as soon as Yukima Azuma stepped out of Eriri's house, he started jogging.
Consider it a morning workout.
When passing by a convenience store,
Yukima Azuma stopped to buy a pack of dumpling wrappers.
Although Kasumigaoka had told him to bring breakfast,
If he only bought prepared food, that senpai with long legs and black stockings would definitely not be pleased.
To make up for it, Yukima Azuma decided to show off his skills by making wontons for breakfast.
Although homemade wontons wrappers would taste better,
Making them in the morning might not be in time.
When he reached the entrance of the apartment complex,
A notification appeared in his view: "Stamina increased slightly."
Yukima Azuma was used to this, so he slowly stopped.
However, this time, something seemed different.
After the "Stamina increased slightly" message,
Another notification appeared:
"Through a complex training process, your stamina has improved. Stamina increased by one point."
Seeing this message appear in his view,
Yukima Azuma was surprised and pleased.
He opened the attribute panel to check.
[Owner: Yukima Azuma]
Stamina: 6 7
Intelligence: 8
Charm: 8
Skills:
Fluent in languages (Lv6)
Literature (Lv6)
Cooking (Lv6)
Programming (Lv4)
Shogi (Lv8)
Notes: Skills below level 4 (beginner level) have been hidden and do not appear on the panel.
Looking at the stamina value increasing from 6 to 7,
Yukima Azuma nodded in satisfaction.
He gently clenched his fist,
...But he didn't feel like he could punch through the planet.
When he grabbed the doorknob,
...He didn't accidentally pull it off the door.
But Yukima Azuma did feel that his breathing after the long run had become lighter.
His stamina was gradually recovering.
Whether it was his cardiovascular ability, core strength, or endurance, all had noticeably improved.
After sensing the change in his stamina,
Yukima Azuma's gaze shifted to the line "Shogi Lv8."
Since his match with Yamato Kajin last time, when this skill leveled up,
Yukima Azuma always felt an invisible aura rising from his body whenever he played.
If he didn't consciously suppress it,
This aura was strong enough to directly affect his opponent's physical state.
This had gone beyond just using an aura to mentally suppress others.
Yukima Azuma felt that this skill might not be as simple as he once thought.
Or maybe...
Any skill that reaches the level of "Mastery" would begin to show special transformations?
Currently, Yukima Azuma only had the shogi skill at this level,
So he couldn't make a firm conclusion.
However, the progress bars for the skills "Cooking" and "Literature" had surpassed two-thirds.
Grasping the doorknob of the apartment,
Yukima Azuma put thoughts of skills aside for the moment.
When he opened the door,
He called out loudly into the house:
"I'm home!"
Immediately, a response came from the living room.
But it wasn't the usual greeting.
Instead, it was:
"Does the two-side braided blonde hair feel good? Does Ex-boyfriend-kun still remember the way home? I thought my Ex-boyfriend-kun would never want to come back."
Facing Kasumigaoka's sharp and mocking words,
Yukima Azuma could only smile awkwardly in response.
A girl's jealousy was unavoidable.
And one couldn't be too harsh.
Otherwise, it would only hurt the girl's heart.
If she was jealous, all that was needed was to comfort her.
"How could that be? I came back quickly because I didn't want Kasumigaoka-senpai to be hungry."
Yukima Azuma displayed a responsible and determined demeanor.
Kasumigaoka Utaha snorted lightly, clearly appeased by his words.
"Where's my breakfast?"
"I was afraid store-bought food might not be good for your health, so let me make it myself for you, senpai."
"Sounds good, but will it taste good?"
"Haha, I'll make wontons, my specialty. Have you ever had them, senpai?"
"Wontons? If they taste bad, you'll be washing the dishes."
"I promise they'll taste great!"
"Umu."
See? It's not that hard to comfort her.
Yukima Azuma grabbed the packet of dumpling wrappers and headed to the kitchen.
