After taking out several pinhole cameras in succession, he pulled out a bottle of pink potion and placed it on the table like a treasured object.
A handwritten white paper was stuck to the bottle holding the potion, and on the paper were a few crooked, squiggly characters.
Although the handwriting was ugly, you could still make out what was written.
Three big characters.
"Fun…ny…water!"
"Heh! Heh! Hee! Hee! Hee!"
———
Bright sunlight filtered through the blinds, shining on the white sheets tinged with pink.
Hikari threw off the covers and sat up.
Hearing the noise, Mashiro Chisato, who had been sleeping beside him, also sat up.
"Hikari-kun…", Mashiro Chisato softly called, her tone a little weak, but carrying an indescribable joy.
"Good morning, Chisato-chan."
Hikari turned his head and smiled at Mashiro Chisato.
Before him, the pure-looking girl somehow now had a trace of alluring charm between her brows.
"Good morning!", Mashiro Chisato snuggled into his arms, happily rubbing his cheek.
After the in-depth, all-night conversation last night, the two's relationship had improved considerably.
So now Hikari could call Mashiro Chisato by her name.
Last night, at Mashiro Chisato's insistence, Hikari stayed over at her place.
They talked about a lot of things.
Although in this life Hikari was still a high school student, even in a lower grade than Mashiro Chisato, he had experienced university life in his previous life.
So when the almost-university Mashiro Chisato asked curiously, Hikari told her how wonderful university life really was, how marvelous it could be.
Mashiro Chisato, who had no experience at all, was hearing about university life for the first time.
Hearing about a world completely different from high school, Mashiro Chisato immediately immersed herself in the wonder of how great university could be.
For almost the whole night, she listened with sparkling eyes.
From night till dawn, she stayed up wanting to learn more about the novelties of university life from Hikari.
Having hardly slept all night, Mashiro Chisato was understandably exhausted now.
Watching Mashiro Chisato, who was enduring her tiredness while he helped her put on her school uniform, Hikari patted her head, "Chisato, you rest at home today. Don't go to class."
"Mm, okay!", Mashiro Chisato obediently nodded.
After helping Hikari get dressed, the two tidied up the messy room together.
Folding the somewhat damp, smelly sheets, Hikari casually threw them into the washing machine.
"Chisato-chan, you rest well, I'll be leaving first," With that, Hikari prepared to go.
At this, Mashiro Chisato couldn't help but hug Hikari's waist, lightly nibbling his earlobe in reluctance, "Hikari-kun, I really don't want to see you go, I still want to chat with you…"
"You rest well first," Hikari smiled, turning back to stroke her cheek.
"Mm, I'll rest well. Hikari-kun, you have to go to the same university as me later, okay!", Mashiro Chisato nodded.
"We'll talk about that later, Chisato-chan," Hikari smiled.
"Um… Hikari-kun, I have a request!", Mashiro Chisato suddenly said.
"What is it?", Hikari looked a little puzzled.
"Um… Hikari-kun, could you not call me Chisato-chan anymore. I want… I want you to call me Chii-chan, Sato-chan, is that okay?", Mashiro Chisato hugged Hikari tightly and asked in a low voice.
"Nope," Hikari shook his head.
"Ah?", Mashiro Chisato looked up, stunned, then suddenly grew nervous.
"Hikari-kun dislikes… that I'm older than you?", Mashiro Chisato's body trembled, her face showing panic as she asked.
"Huh? Why would you ask that?", Hikari was a little confused.
"Not calling me Chii-chan isn't because you dislike me for being older than you, so you don't call me that to differentiate us?", Mashiro Chisato said with vacant eyes.
Hearing that, Hikari could only laugh and cry, "Chisato-chan, you're only a year or two older than me. That kind of age among peers, who would dislike it?"
Seeing Mashiro Chisato's eyes gradually regain their light, Hikari continued to explain, "The reason I said you can't be called Chii-chan is because I know another person who can also be called Chii-chan."
"So if I call you Chii-chan or Sato-chan, it'll be easy to get confused."
"So normally I'll still call you Chisato-chan."
Hearing Hikari's words, Mashiro Chisato's eyes finally fully returned to life and a smile reappeared on her face.
"Hikari-kun, you explained so clearly, you're so thoughtful," After secretly rejoicing for a moment, Mashiro Chisato curiously asked, "By the way, Hikari-kun, who is that other person who can be called 'Chii-chan'?"
Hikari smiled: "She's a classmate of mine. Her name is Shiina Chizuru."
Mashiro Chisato looked thoughtful, "Hikari-kun, you and that Shiina classmate, are you also… in a relationship like ours?"
Hikari nodded.
Mashiro Chisato showed no trace of anger, only a smile, as if saying "I thought so."
"Hikari-kun, hearing you say that, I feel like I and the other 'Chii-chan' are so destined. Can you introduce this Chizuru classmate to me?", Mashiro Chisato asked curiously.
Hikari thought for a moment, "Wait a moment, I'll ask her."
Saying that, Hikari took out his phone and sent a message to Shiina Chizuru.
[Chizuru, another 'Chii-chan' wants to meet you, is that okay?]
———
[Another Chii-chan?]
Seeing Hikari's message, Shiina Chizuru immediately sent a puzzled expression.
[My neighbor is named Mashiro Chisato, she's a third-year high school senior…]
Hikari gave Shiina Chizuru a brief explanation, and Shiina Chizuru quickly understood what the other 'Chii-chan' meant.
Learning that there was another Chii-chan, and that she even looked somewhat similar to her, Shiina Chizuru felt very curious and immediately agreed to meet Mashiro Chisato.
———
Thus, with Hikari as the middleman, Mashiro Chisato and Shiina Chizuru arranged to meet tomorrow night, and Hikari would introduce them to each other then.
After confirming this, Mashiro Chisato returned to sleep peacefully, intending to make up for the fatigue from staying up late last night.
Hikari left her house and headed to school.
When he reached the bottom of the Asou apartment building, Hikari suddenly saw a familiar graceful figure also just coming out of the apartment.
The woman noticed him too and turned back to greet him proactively.
"Hikari-kun, good morning!", Katsuragi Shouko waved to Hikari with a smile.
"Good morning, Mrs. Shouko," Hikari replied politely.
At this hour Mrs. Shouko was probably heading to work; her hair was neatly pinned up and she wore an office OL outfit very different from her usual home casual clothes.
Although it lacked some of the homely familiarity, it made her look much more capable.
And as a mature woman, Shouko's body curves were really nice. Even a simple small suit filled her out well front and back, rounded and perky.
Coupled with the black stockings on her shapely legs, it was eye-catching at a glance.
"Hikari-kun, you're going to school, right? Sayaka just left not long ago," Katsuragi Shouko asked with a smile.
"Yes. Mrs. Shouko, are you going to work?", Hikari asked casually.
"Yes," Katsuragi Shouko nodded with a smile.
"I thought Mrs. Shouko was a full-time housewife who didn't have to work," Hikari said.
"Eh, is that the impression I give you, Hikari-kun…", Katsuragi Shouko frowned slightly, her expression seeming a bit downcast.
Hikari smiled and explained,n"That's not what I meant. I just thought the homey Mrs. Shouko is so virtuous that she gives off a perfect wife-and-mother vibe, so I said that."
"But seeing you today, I believe even at work you'd do perfectly."
Hearing Hikari, Katsuragi Shouko immediately beamed, "Hikari-kun, you know how to talk, no wonder girls at school like you."
Hikari felt Shouko's words had some implication, smiled, and didn't answer.
Katsuragi Shouko then indeed laughed and said, "Honestly, I really like Hikari-kun. These days high schoolers who are as composed as you are rare."
"If Sayaka were to date in high school, I wouldn't approve. But if her boyfriend were Hikari-kun, I don't think I'd be able to oppose it at all."
Hikari laughed, "Mrs. Shouko, you flatter me."
Although he didn't know why she suddenly said something a bit abrupt like that, Hikari heard her mention Katsuragi Sayaka.
And the way she glanced at him with a look like evaluating a future son-in-law and seemed quite satisfied made Hikari suspect something.
He guessed that yesterday's incident between him and Katsuragi Sayaka had been somewhat known to Mrs. Shouko.
Otherwise she wouldn't have looked at him like a prospective son-in-law and blurted out something about Sayaka dating him.
Sensing she may have overstepped, Katsuragi Shouko apologetically patted her rosy lips and smiled a little embarrassedly at Hikari.
They exchanged a few more pleasantries.
Time was short, one going to school and one to work, so they were about to part ways.
But just before Katsuragi Shouko left, Hikari glanced at her smooth, round forehead and suddenly asked, "Mrs. Shouko, are you and Tsunetaka getting along well?"
"Eh?", Hearing this, Katsuragi Shouko turned her head and realized Hikari was asking whether she, as stepmother, got along with her stepson Kareki Tsunetaka.
Although the question felt a bit gossipy and abrupt, since she had just mentioned wanting Sayaka to date Hikari and that he might become family in the future, Mrs. Shouko didn't get angry. Instead she answered seriously with a smile, "Well… are we getting along? To be honest, Tsunetaka is a bit too introverted, so family relations haven't progressed very smoothly."
"But I believe Tsunetaka will be a very good person, so in the future we should get along well."
Sweet, kind Katsuragi Shouko smiled and nodded confidently.
Seeing her confident look, Hikari said nothing more, only casually, "Mrs. Shouko, Tsunetaka used to stay at home for years without going out or seeing any guests."
"If you suddenly approach him, it's normal he'd be uncomfortable. But Mrs. Shouko, you should also pay attention to any unusual actions from Tsunetaka…"
"In any case, if you have troubles, you can come to your neighbor me for help."
Hearing this, Katsuragi Shouko happily nodded, "Mm! Thank you so much, Hikari-kun. You've already helped the three of us mother and daughters so much before. Now you're still so warm-hearted, I really don't know how to repay you! I'll always remember what you've done, and if you have any difficulties you can always come to Auntie!"
"Mm."
After nodding, Hikari turned and left.
———
As usual most of the time, Hikari stayed at school for the better part of the day.
The Pure-Love Radar didn't go off today, so apart from occasionally dealing with girls who'd come looking, like Natsuha, Akane, the Sakuramiya sisters and others who had connected relations, there was nothing particularly special.
Near the end of the school day, the last class's teacher seemed to have something come up and had the class rep, Shiina Chizuru, notified that after the study period the final class would not take place.
Before the last class began, Hikari left the classroom, planning to go straight home.
First, because a study period is boring, better to go home than sit through it.
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