The second thing was that this morning, when he ran into Katsuragi Shouko downstairs at the apartment building, through the Pure Love Observation Technique, he discovered that the energy above her head faintly seemed a little dark.
Today Kareki Tsunetaka, that self-styled home security guard who lived next door to him, maybe was thinking of doing some kind of "big thing," so he planned to go back earlier to check it out.
What Hikari didn't expect was that just as he came downstairs, he bumped into Katsuragi Sayaka, who seemed to have just finished P.E. and was returning to class from downstairs.
"Hikari-kun!", Seeing Hikari, Katsuragi Sayaka, who had just been saved by him yesterday from Advisor Sato, immediately greeted him happily.
"Sayaka-san," Hikari responded politely.
"Um… Hikari-kun, we're neighbors now, after class do you want to… want to go home together? After all… after all, we're pretty much on the same route…", Katsuragi Sayaka's fingers fiddled a bit unnaturally with the hem of her skirt, her small face slightly flushed, pink lips parting softly as she asked Hikari in a low voice.
Looking at Katsuragi Sayaka in this state, Hikari finally understood why this morning Katsuragi Shouko had said she wouldn't object if he and Katsuragi Sayaka dated.
But faced with this kind of rare request from a beautiful girl to walk home together, Hikari shook his head and refused, "Sorry, I actually have something to do, I need to go back first."
"Ah, I see! It's fine, Hikari-kun!", Hearing his words, Katsuragi Sayaka quickly nodded, showing she understood.
"Then I'll head back first," Hikari said.
"Okay!", Katsuragi Sayaka immediately stepped aside.
Watching Hikari's departing back, Katsuragi Sayaka's skirt swayed, her full chest rose and fell lightly, her pink lips pouted slightly.
'Aiya, according to what Mom said yesterday, taking the initiative to invite Hikari-kun doesn't seem to work… No, I have to think again, how can I get closer to Hikari-kun?'
'After all, he's helped me so much, I have to repay him. If I became his girlfriend, it'd be more convenient to repay him, right? Besides, Mom also said she really wants a son-in-law like Hikari-kun…', Katsuragi Sayaka thought back to the tricks her mother Katsuragi Shouko had taught her, still mulling over how to capture Hikari's heart as she walked back to class.
———
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Katsuragi Shouko swung a broom, still diligently sweeping the already rather clean floor.
She planned to contribute more for this home, to let her stepson feel the warmth of family, and to improve the relationship among family members.
So today she deliberately came home early from work, to give the house, previously inhabited only by Kareki Tsunetaka and thus quite dirty, a thorough cleaning.
Kareki Tsunetaka, being both a shut-in and lazy, had let dust accumulate in many corners.
But virtuous Katsuragi Shouko, tirelessly cleaning, intended to make the place spotless.
Yet while using a lint roller to clean the sofa cushions, she suddenly felt a little dizzy.
"Uh…"
She braced her forehead slightly, willow brows faintly furrowing.
At this moment, footsteps suddenly sounded from upstairs.
The fat figure of Kareki Tsunetaka came down the stairs, arriving beside her, and with a face of concern asked, "Auntie Shouko, are you feeling unwell?"
Hearing this rare greeting from her stepson, Katsuragi Shouko didn't sense anything strange, only thought her efforts had made him feel the warmth of family too.
Looking at the small eyes behind his glasses shining as if full of concern, Katsuragi Shouko hurriedly shook her head, "No, it's nothing at all, just… my head suddenly felt a little dazed."
'Heh heh, dazed?'
'Of course!'
'Just now I sprayed aphrodisiac solution on the chairs and sofa!'
A glint of pride flashed in Kareki Tsunetaka's eyes, but his face still showed concern, "Auntie Shouko, you must have overworked yourself with housework, why not take a little rest?"
Katsuragi Shouko nodded, "That's true, then I'll rest a bit."
Thinking that her efforts might have warmed her stepson's heart, a pleased smile appeared on her mature and beautiful face, making her already attractive features even more charming.
Kareki Tsunetaka beside her was momentarily dazed, swallowing hard before saying, "Then I'll go make you some barley tea!"
"Thank you," Katsuragi Shouko sat on the sofa, smiling and nodding.
Kareki Tsunetaka walked to the coffee table. While preparing the tea, he secretly observed Katsuragi Shouko leaning half-reclined on the sofa.
She was touching her smooth forehead, as if checking if her temperature was normal.
Seeing her beautiful face slightly flushed, though outwardly still not too abnormal, Kareki Tsunetaka couldn't help muttering, "This s*w can really hold on, huh. Even now she doesn't look like she's going into heat. I thought she'd break down right in front of me, tch tch tch…"
"But she hasn't touched a man in ages, right? Once she drinks my joy-water, let's see how long she can endure!"
Thinking this, he quietly lifted the vial in his hand, pouring more than half of the pink liquid into her teacup.
After stirring it up as if nothing were unusual, he placed the tea in front of her.
Watching with his own eyes as Katsuragi Shouko drank the dr*gged barley tea, he then found an excuse to go upstairs.
It wasn't that he didn't want to watch her ensuing disgrace.
He just didn't want her to notice anything suspicious and start doubting.
After all, today's scheme, because of his deliberate setup, actually had quite a few flaws.
Besides, he had long since installed a hidden camera in the living room, able to monitor everything.
Although her body already clearly felt unwell, Katsuragi Shouko didn't sense her stepson's abnormality.
Lying on the sofa, she only felt hotter and hotter.
Her clothing wasn't thick, yet it was as if she were wrapped in a heavy coat under the blazing summer noon sun, sweat pouring all over.
Touching her forehead, she found it burning.
"Huff… huff…"
"Why… why do I feel so hot…"
"And… and a little like that sort of thing, what's going on?"
Shaking her head, she poured herself a glass of cool water, but drinking a few sips brought no relief.
"Although I'm engaged to Tsunetaka-kun's father, he's been abroad and we haven't done that yet. Could it be… I'm just wanting too much?"
"Maybe… I should go to my room, handle it myself…"
Feeling inexplicably almost unable to endure, though ashamed and ridiculous at the thought of doing that in her stepson's home, her head felt too hot and fuzzy.
But just as she stood up, a sudden urgent knock came from the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
She quickly got up and opened it.
"Auntie Shouko!", A tender voice came.
Looking down, she saw a boy about six or seven years old standing there.
"Oh, it's little Matsu-chan, come in, come in!", She led the neighbor's boy inside.
"Auntie Shouko, my mom asked me to give this to you!", The boy handed her a box.
Opening it, she found it was a gift of sweets.
Probably a return gift from the neighbor after her visit yesterday.
"Alright, Auntie will accept it," She smiled and nodded.
After seating the boy, she poured him tea, chatting casually.
———
Meanwhile, upstairs in his room, Kareki Tsunetaka was watching intently through the living room camera.
"Damn brat!", He cursed, seeing the boy suddenly appear, afraid the plan would be disrupted.
"But it doesn't matter," He quickly calmed.
Originally, he just wanted to wait until the dr*g took full effect, then deal with his stepmother directly.
Now with this boy suddenly appearing, it upset the plan. But if under the dr*g's effect Shouko laid hands on the boy, that worked too.
As a mature woman with two kids, to touch a boy… in Japan that was a serious crime.
And with the video recorded by his cameras, he would have complete leverage over her.
With such a hold, she would still obey him completely.
As for whether she and the boy had a relation, he didn't care. It was just a means to threaten her.
Thinking this, staring at her full and voluptuous figure, he licked his dry lips.
———
In the living room.
Katsuragi Shouko had no idea every move she made was being monitored.
But she increasingly sensed something wrong with her body.
This was definitely not a fever.
Not only burning hot all over, but also wanting certain things, absolutely abnormal.
Realizing this, after a few words with the boy, she promptly sent him home.
Watching through the feed, Kareki Tsunetaka felt regret.
This meant he lost the leverage.
But it was fine, he could go down himself.
Though that added some risk, he believed once it happened, he could completely conquer this s*w his father hadn't touched yet.
And the thought of soon acting in person got his blood pumping.
Swallowing saliva, feeling victory secure, the shut-in guard no longer stared at the feed, instead watching his stash of movies and anime, planning to go in full force against that woman who dared claim to be his stepmother.
After about ten minutes, wiping his hands, he stood up.
"By now, the timing should be right. Time to head down."
Turning back to the monitor, not seeing Shouko's figure, he assumed she must be lying in a blind spot, maybe behind the sofa in the throes.
Brimming with confidence, he opened his door, marching downstairs like a lion surveying his territory.
Yet upon reaching the living room, Kareki Tsunetaka was dumbfounded.
Shouko was nowhere in sight, not even a trace of clothing.
Disbelieving, he searched every corner: behind the sofa, behind the kitchen, even behind the fridge and under tables.
Still nothing.
He froze.
Rushing upstairs, he searched the recordings.
Quickly, the events replayed.
Shouko had seen the boy out, returned, then soon after stood again, and vanished from the camera's view, never reappearing.
The living room showed no sign of her, as if she'd disappeared from the house altogether.
'Wait… could it be she isn't in the house anymore?'
The possibility hit him, and he dashed downstairs.
———
Ten minutes earlier.
Body burning, Shouko half-leaned on the sofa, panting, not knowing what to do.
As her mind felt about to melt, she suddenly recalled Hikari's words from that morning.
The other details were already fuzzy.
But one sentence she remembered very clearly.
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