After dinner, Shiina Mahiru cleared the dishes and took Mashiro to the room next door.
Once she'd told Mashiro to bathe on her own, she came back to Hayashi Maki.
Mahiru probably didn't yet realize how helpless Mashiro was at daily life, and Hayashi Maki didn't plan to say anything—he'd let Mahiru discover it herself. The maternal glow on angel Mahiru was so strong that Hayashi Maki felt he was getting more spoiled—and more of a slacker—by the day.
If he hadn't been doing "workouts" with Yukino-chan, Haruno, Shino, and the Akizuki sisters—burning mana to catalyze the mana seeds in their bodies—he might have put on weight already.
Now that there was a dreamlike "pet girl" in the house, Mahiru's attention would be split, too.
Hayashi Maki did love taking it easy and enjoying life, but he wasn't going to let himself become actual deadweight.
After her shower, Mahiru appeared before him in a white camisole dress, cheeks faintly pink.
"Maki-kun… it's already nighttime."
Hearing her soft voice and seeing that blush, Hayashi Maki swallowed. Fresh from the shower, Mahiru's hair was still damp, carrying a subtle, entrancing scent. Her skin was luminous and dewy under the light. Her curves put still-growing Yukino to shame and easily outclassed undernourished Shino. Only Kasumigaoka Utaha and Yukinoshita Haruno could compare.
Feeling his self-control fray, he rasped, patting his thigh.
"Yeah, it's night. Mahiru, my angel—come sit."
"How about I teach you a little 'magic' that makes people happy?"
Mahiru rolled her eyes at him, but didn't refuse. She moved in slowly, then—bold as ever—settled on his lap, facing him, looping her white arms around his neck. Gazing at the handsome man with warm, burning eyes, her heartbeat kicked up.
"So, Maki-kun—what kind of magic? I want to learn."
"It's a happiness spell… but it has to be passed on mouth to mouth."
With a wicked grin, he lowered his head and kissed her rosy lips.
"Mn… you scoundrel!"
"Mouth to mouth," huh. If you want a kiss, just say so. Maki-kun was far too shameless. Mahiru felt like he was "teaching" her all the wrong things.
Refusing wasn't on the table. Tonight, he was hers—no sneaking off to Yukino or Shino midway. She hugged his neck tight and answered his fervor, and Hayashi Maki's excitement surged.
He could never get enough of a gentle, ridiculously cute girl like Mahiru. Also… tonight she was in white over-the-knee socks. Perfect. He should have Yukino-chan try that next time—he hadn't seen white stockings on her yet.
While those two were lost in their own world, Mashiro next door had already tossed her clothes and dress onto the floor and stepped naked into the bath.
When she came out again, she hit a snag: she didn't know which pair of underwear to wear. Rita had always chosen for her.
With her "handler" absent, she had no opinion at all. She pulled clothes from her suitcase and scattered them everywhere but couldn't decide. So she simply stayed nude and started drawing manga. The room Mahiru had neatly organized was a disaster again—unbearable to look at.
…
Before they knew it, morning came. It was still the weekend. Hayashi Maki had an offline meetup with his online game guild—time to find out whether "Ako wife" was actually a cute girl.
Hard to say with online folks—some guys love using female avatars to catfish other guys. Hayashi Maki just hoped Ako was female; otherwise, having a dude call him "husband" in-game would make his skin crawl.
When he got up, Mahiru was already busy in the kitchen. She was working a shift today at Saionji Youko's shop. She'd completely cut ties with that household and had no intention of using money from Asahi and Shiina Sayo anymore. So she was going to work hard and earn her own cash—she still had to "support" Maki-kun.
Sure, once his novel was released the money would come quickly, but Mahiru preferred to use her own earnings to take care of him. And she wasn't just doing shifts; she was learning management from Odoriko to build experience.
"Maki-kun, since you're up, can you go knock next door for Mashiro? Breakfast is almost ready."
"Uh… Mahiru, how about you call her?"
"I'm in the middle of something—one dish isn't done. Please go for me?"
"No problem—on it!"
How could Hayashi Maki refuse? Mahiru, you asked for this. Don't blame your man if he sees any… surprises.
At Mashiro's door, he pressed the bell—no response. He felt a mix of emotions. He recalled waiting at Mahiru's door before, playing the rogue, and scooping her up the moment she opened it.
Looking back, he'd done the right thing. For a girl as good as Mahiru, he had to seize the moment and leave a deep impression—especially when she'd been a bit self-defeating then. Pushing forward had helped their bond.
He called out a few times.
"Mashiro, are you up?"
"I'm coming in!"
After the warning, he unlocked the door with the spare key—courtesy of Mahiru. Before Mashiro arrived, he'd occasionally used it to visit Mahiru's room for… pleasant times.
Stepping inside, even braced for it, he was stunned by the chaos. A once-tidy room was now littered with manga and books, loose sketches scattered everywhere. The bed was piled high with clothes, no person in sight. He finally spotted a small curled-up figure under a heap of clothes by the desk.
Mahiru would have a fit seeing this.
Hayashi Maki sighed, bent down, and poked Mashiro's cheek.
"Mashiro, time to get up—it's morning."
"Mm…" Half awake, she murmured, "Morning isn't coming anymore."
"What nonsense is that? Up, wash up, and let's eat!" Hayashi Maki scolded lightly. With Mashiro, he couldn't be too gentle. She was like a pet—spoil a pet too much and it walks all over you. A little firmness sometimes works better.
"Mm…" Mashiro rubbed her eyes and rose from the clothes pile, adorably dazed.
"Good morning, Hayashi Maki."
As she stood, her body—white as carved jade—caught the sunlight and gleamed.
Everything was on display. The sight of her delicate, lovely form made Hayashi Maki's face heat up. He quickly grabbed a piece of clothing and draped it over her.
"Mashiro—why are you naked? You'll get someone arrested like that!"
"Mm… I was going to change after my bath last night… but my handler wasn't here, so I didn't wear anything." She tilted her head seriously, then looked up at him with expectation. "Hayashi Maki, which one should I wear today?"