"Um… can you hold me a little longer, Hikari-kun?", Katsuragi Shouko suddenly couldn't help but say.
"Alright," After all, things had already happened, and Hikari wasn't about to refuse this small request of Katsuragi Shouko.
He opened his arms and held the plump body of this mature widow in his embrace.
The two of them just stayed like that, holding each other quietly for a while.
Hikari didn't feel anything of it.
But once her restless, uneasy heart had been gradually soothed by Hikari's warmth, Katsuragi Shouko's reason returned with increasing clarity.
She suddenly remembered how, just this morning when she ran into Hikari downstairs, she had even thought about matchmaking him with her daughter Sayaka, making them lovers.
The thought that Hikari might very well become her son-in-law, the thought that she herself had already looked at this young man with the eyes of a mother-in-law… and yet here she was now, leaning in his arms, Katsuragi Shouko only felt more and more awkward.
Her whole pretty face had unknowingly flushed crimson.
"Mrs. Shouko, are you alright?"
Hikari keenly noticed that Katsuragi Shouko's state in his arms wasn't quite right. He reached out, touched her cheek and forehead, and found her a little hot. At once he asked.
"Ah! N-no… nothing!", Katsuragi Shouko quickly replied.
"Sorry, Hikari-kun. I'm already this old, and yet… and yet I still want to act spoiled. Really disgraceful. It's fine now," As she spoke, Katsuragi Shouko struggled to pull herself away from his arms.
But her movements were quite slow. After all, what one's mouth says and what one's heart and body want aren't always the same.
Only when Hikari let go of her hands, after a bit of hesitation and shyness, did Katsuragi Shouko finally leave his embrace completely.
The two of them exchanged a few more awkward words.
Then Hikari said, "Mrs. Shouko, let me walk you back."
"Mm," Sensing the atmosphere getting more and more awkward, Katsuragi Shouko nodded in agreement.
But just as she stood up from the sofa, her long jade-like legs immediately trembled uncontrollably, a tearing pain faintly spreading through them.
Even though it was treatment, wasn't it far too rough, too inconsiderate of a delicate woman's body? Katsuragi Shouko couldn't help but cast Hikari a resentful glance.
Yet when her eyes fell on Hikari's young, handsome face, what little resentment she had instantly vanished without a trace.
After all, though she had nearly been unable to endure it, he had already been gentle, already held back much of his strength during treatment, hadn't he?
Recalling the earlier situation, she knew Hikari hadn't done it on purpose. It was just that his power was far too great, his inner force too strong, and accidentally it had stretched and swollen her small dantian that hadn't been cultivated in years.
So young, and yet in the medical arts and cultivation, he was so… terrifying. His experience was so rich that even she, a mother of two, was outmatched. It left her still somewhat lingering in the aftertaste.
Seeing her swaying unsteadily, Hikari understood her inconvenience and immediately stepped forward to support her fair arm.
"Mrs. Shouko, let me hold you back."
Hearing him, Katsuragi Shouko thanked him, then shook her head, "N-no need, I can walk on my own. Um, Hikari-kun, could I trouble you to get me a few tissues?"
"Sure," Though not knowing why, Hikari casually pulled a few from the dining table and handed them over.
Katsuragi Shouko glanced at the marks on Hikari's neck and then began wiping at the sore spots on her own collarbone and throat.
Just after she had been poisoned, her behavior had been somewhat frenzied, so she had accidentally left a whole ring of hickey marks on Hikari's neck.
Perhaps out of a sense of reciprocity, Hikari had left a few marks on her in the same places.
She had nearly forgotten about them, but now, standing up, catching sight of the marks on Hikari's neck and the reflection of her body on the TV screen, she snapped back to awareness.
She rubbed hard, but those marks weren't so easy to erase.
After fussing for a while with little effect, Katsuragi Shouko had no choice but to pull her collar higher, covering most of her delicate white collarbone. For the rest, she occasionally blocked with her hand, it should be fine.
Once she'd decided, Katsuragi Shouko got up and headed toward her own place next door.
But the moment she entered her living room, her body stiffened in surprise.
For she had thought the room was empty, yet on the sofa sat a figure.
That broad, fat figure was none other than her stepson, Kareki Tsunetaka.
Hearing the door open, Kareki Tsunetaka turned his head.
When he saw Katsuragi Shouko, his beady eyes locked firmly onto her.
An overwhelming oppressive force, carried by those wolf-like eyes, pressed down on her, and Katsuragi Shouko instinctively looked away.
Seeing her evasive gaze, her flushed, charming face, and the hickey marks on her swan-like neck, Kareki Tsunetaka's heart twisted sour.
In an instant, he knew what had just happened next door with Katsuragi Shouko.
To think he had plotted so hard, spent so much money and effort, only for another to reap the rewards.
Not only had that damned Hikari gotten the meat he'd prepared so carefully, but now he had to watch the sullied flesh return home full of filthy water. Kareki Tsunetaka burned with rage.
"Hey! Katsuragi Shouko, where were you just now? Why are you only back now?", Kareki Tsunetaka demanded angrily.
"I… I just went for a walk," Katsuragi Shouko replied guiltily, not even noticing the rudeness in his tone and address.
"A walk? Why so long then? And why is your face so red, your lips all swollen?", Kareki Tsunetaka pressed on, planning to wait until she slipped up, then send the video to the old man, let him deal with this shameless, filthy s*w.
Hearing his questioning, Katsuragi Shouko panicked for a moment, but quickly thought on her feet, "I… I just went for a run, then ate some spicy oden. That's why my face is red and my lips a little swollen."
'The hell, who does this woman think she is fooling?'
Hearing her obvious lie, Kareki Tsunetaka clenched his fists in fury.
Her lie was full of holes, was she looking down on him, a home security guard?
His face flushed red with anger.
"Damn it!"
Looking at her now, her cheeks flushed with alluring charm, her demeanor even more seductive and captivating, her plump body seemingly moist with freshness, Kareki Tsunetaka could no longer restrain himself.
He shot up from the sofa, ready to pounce on her, to force himself on her.
Seeing this, Katsuragi Shouko hugged her chest and shrank back in fright.
But then, a tall, strong figure appeared behind her.
Seeing that imposing form, Kareki Tsunetaka's fat body froze.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing to Aunt Shouko?", Hikari frowned at the bespectacled home security guard.
"…"
Kareki Tsunetaka didn't reply, only his legs trembled slightly.
Perhaps it was some indescribable aura, just facing Hikari was a struggle, and he couldn't even muster thoughts of resistance.
Without a word, he bolted toward the stairs and quickly ran back up.
Seeing this, Katsuragi Shouko, who had been terrified, finally let out a big sigh of relief.
Turning around, she looked at Hikari, gratitude shining in her beautiful eyes, "Thank you so much today, Hikari-kun. Both just now and an hour earlier… without you, I really wouldn't know what to do…"
Looking at his broad, reliable shoulders, Katsuragi Shouko's heart quivered. If not for Hikari telling her the living room might be under surveillance, she might already have thrown herself into his warm embrace.
Seeing her moist gaze, just like when he had been treating her earlier, Hikari waved his hand, "It's fine. I always like helping others. Oh, right, Mrs. Shouko, remember to keep this charm close to you. And if anything else happens, you can contact me anytime."
Taking the smooth, warm talisman he handed her, Katsuragi Shouko's eyes grew even more filled with gratitude and indescribable feelings.
With things settled, Hikari left the room. It was, after all, someone else's home.
As he stepped out, he checked the system message ringing in his head.
[Ding! Detected that host successfully foiled home security guard Kareki Tsunetaka's plot, saved Katsuragi Shouko, and gave the lonely wife warmth and consolation, successfully spreading the spirit of Pure Love!]
[Reward obtained: Pure Love Points +200!]
Hearing the prompt, Hikari nodded in satisfaction.
Taking out his keys, he unlocked his own door, planning to shower and later meet Shiina Chizuru and Mashiro Chisato, to introduce the two little Chiis to each other.
But just as he opened the door, footsteps sounded from the stairwell, along with two girls bickering.
Turning his head, he saw a pair of sisters.
They were none other than the daughters of Mrs. Shouko he had just consoled, Katsuragi Sayaka and Katsuragi Yuki.
The two sisters, still bickering, immediately stopped when they saw Hikari.
Sayaka brushed her hair behind her ear, raised her hand, and greeted, "Hikari-kun."
Yuki crossed her hands over her skirt and said softly, "Good afternoon, Hikari-kun."
"Hello, Sayaka, Yuki-chan," Hikari politely replied.
Since he had helped them carry luggage before, plus his looks and temperament were excellent, they both had a good impression of him.
So the sisters were quite friendly, even chatting with him for a while.
They even invited him to dinner, though he politely declined with an excuse.
Disappointed, the two returned home, only to find their mother sitting dazed on the sofa.
Her expression carried traces of trouble, conflict, guilt… but also reminiscence, delight, longing.
The complex feelings of a mature woman, her two teenage daughters couldn't read them.
Yuki simply ran over, took her mother's arm, and asked curiously, "Mom, wasn't Hikari-kun just leaving our house? Did you talk to him? What did you talk about?"
Hearing her youngest, Katsuragi Shouko buried her complicated emotions, forced a smile, and began to reply, "Oh, nothing much…"
But just as she spoke, she noticed not only Yuki had returned, her elder daughter Sayaka had too, and was also watching curiously.
Meeting Sayaka's gaze, Katsuragi Shouko's body tensed. Her already sore hips burned, as if seared by fire.
She answered quietly, "Uh… really, it was nothing, just some small talk with Hikari-kun…"
"It's late, I need to cook," With a perfunctory excuse, she slipped out of the living room.
Watching their mother hurry away, unwilling to speak more, the sisters didn't sense anything wrong, assuming she was just tired from work.
But Yuki whispered to Sayaka with a grin, "Sis, don't you think Mom's acting weird today? Her face looked all red."
"And I feel like she wasn't telling the truth. I bet what she talked about with Hikari-kun wasn't ordinary. Maybe it's some big secret~"
Sayaka shook her head, "Weird? I didn't notice anything."
Yuki giggled, "Maybe Mom was actually talking with Hikari-kun about you, or even arranging your engagement, hahaha!"
"Yuki, you want a beating again!", Sayaka's pretty face flushed scarlet.
Though deep down she might have thought of such things herself, even dreamed of them, being teased about it was still unbearably embarrassing.
So, even with a smile tugging her lips, Sayaka picked up a pillow and smacked her sister.
"Ow! But you like him, don't you! Everyone knows you're into Hikari-kun," Yuki teased, pinching Sayaka's slim waist.
"Don't think I don't know you also secretly watch him!", Sayaka countered, pinching Yuki's thigh.
"Hikari-kun's so handsome, what girl wouldn't look? What, not even dating yet, and I can't look at your boyfriend? I'll tell you, even if he becomes brother-in-law, if you don't watch him closely, I'll sneak a bite~", Yuki giggled.
"You… don't go too far!", Sayaka snapped.
Watching her two daughters playfully bicker in the living room, Katsuragi Shouko couldn't help but smile faintly.
But when she heard Hikari's name and felt the lingering warmth and faint ache below, her smile slowly faded, and guilt flickered in her eyes as she looked at Sayaka.
———
[Elsewhere]
Hikari quickly tidied up the mess left from treating Sayaka, gathering the sofa covers and cushions soaked with sweat, saliva, even blood, washing and drying them, before finally taking a shower.
Clean and changed, he left his apartment.
At a finely decorated bubble tea shop, Hikari sat down and pulled out his phone.
This was the meeting place he had agreed on with Shiina Chizuru and Mashiro Chisato.
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