"Mashiro, come eat. And remember—breakfast is here from now on."
"Mhm. Mashiro understands."
Faced with Mahiru's warmth, Mashiro nodded obediently—and then glanced at Hayashi Maki without thinking.
Hayashi Maki kept eating with a straight face, the faintest smile at the corner of his mouth.
After breakfast, Shiina Mashiro went back to the room next door and resumed drawing.
Taking advantage of Mahiru in an apron washing dishes, Hayashi Maki slipped up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.
Mahiru's body gave a little jolt; she shot him a helpless look over her shoulder. "Maki-kun, don't mess around… I'm doing housework."
"I'm not messing around. I just wanted to tell you what happened with Mashiro."
"Eh? With Mashiro… just now?"
Mahiru frowned and glared at him. "So I send you to wake her up, and you climb into bed and make a move on her?"
"Uh… I was educating her. Mahiru, you don't know—she has zero life skills!"
"When I went in, clothes and underwear were thrown everywhere, and she wasn't even dressed! How was I supposed to hold back?"
Hayashi Maki's aggrieved complaint about Mashiro left Mahiru speechless.
"That still isn't a reason to touch her, Maki-kun. At least spend some time together first. She's not like me—you two only just met!"
She said it seriously, then turned and gently looped her arms around his neck. "She'll be yours sooner or later. Can't you be patient and wait a little?"
The moment Mahiru saw her cousin, she'd already imagined Hayashi Maki going after her—she knew what a lech he was. With a beauty like Mashiro, of course he'd make a move. She just hadn't expected him to be this hasty—sent to wake Mashiro for breakfast, and he climbed right in.
"Ahem… Mahiru, the point is she has no sense of boundaries between men and women. She treats you and me as 'handlers'—won't get up unless her handler picks out her clothes, or even dresses her."
"She's like a pet. And Mashiro's a world-class artist—pure as a blank page."
"Her old roommate was a girl named Rita who raised her into this. I think we really do need to teach Mashiro properly, or someone else will take advantage of her."
Hearing that, Mahiru more or less got his angle and couldn't help rolling her eyes. "So only you get to take advantage, huh? She just got back from the UK and you're already making a move—you're awful!"
She grumbled, but she wasn't actually angry. "Still, you have a point. If she's really this clueless and can't function without a handler, that'll be a problem."
"Looks like being a genius artist has its costs."
At her understanding tone, Hayashi Maki smiled and kissed her cheek. "My Mahiru is so wise. Exactly—she needs to realize her body isn't for anyone to see. That's why I gave her a lesson she'd remember."
"Lesson? More like you drooling over her body! Honestly, shameless—I don't even know what to say to you."
Mahiru rolled her eyes again, but dropped it and asked, concerned, "Mashiro's room is a mess now? No tidying? I should go check later."
"I already cleaned it up, but it's good if you look in on her. Mashiro just arrived and she's alone in a strange place—she needs care."
"My Mahiru—beautiful, kind, empathetic. A perfect match for me."
She sniffed proudly. "I'm beautiful and kind—so what are you? Go on, tell me how you 'match' me."
Hayashi Maki smirked, leaned to her ear, and breathed a warm puff. "You're good at reading hearts, and I'm good at… removing clothes. Isn't that a match?"
"Puh! What nonsense are you spouting? Trying to corrupt me again? Maki-kun really is a huge scoundrel!"
She thumped him a few times with her tiny fist, then added, "Alright, I get it. I'll keep an eye on it. I've still got dishes to wash; I'll check on Mashiro after. You go do your thing."
"Weren't you going to that offline guild meet today?"
At that, Hayashi Maki spread his hands. "Not today. The guild leader's moving and switching schools, so it's pushed to next month."
"My 'Ako wife' was crying her eyes out over it."
Mahiru gave him a flat look. "And this 'Ako wife'—you're sure it isn't a guy pretending? I've heard classmates say they make girl alts just to chat with people…"
Just thinking about it was gross. "Some folks chat up a 'girl' great online, meet up, and it's a guy. Life crisis unlocked."
At her pointed concern, Hayashi Maki laughed and ruffled her golden hair. "Mahiru, don't underestimate your man. I am a demon, after all—my mental fortitude isn't that fragile."
"And I don't take online stuff that seriously anyway. Besides… if I do get crushed, I'll sprint straight into your arms for comfort."
Mahiru couldn't help smiling. "Good. I'll comfort you properly when the time comes."
Compared to a game 'wife,' the real her was the best—and within arm's reach. That would only raise her standing in his heart.
After nudging Hayashi Maki out of the kitchen, Mahiru quickly finished the dishes and headed next door, ringing the bell. Hearing it, her feelings were mixed. It had been her room, and now Mashiro lived there. The room had special meaning for her; it held more than a few traces of her and Maki-kun—and it was where she'd started to accept him.
Mashiro opened the door at the noise, staring up at her blankly. "Mahiru, did you need something?"
"Mhm, I do. May I come in?" Mahiru asked with a smile.
Mashiro tilted her head, then nodded. "You can."
She stepped aside to let Mahiru in. Thanks to Hayashi Maki's magic cleanup, the only things on the floor now were a few pages and books Mashiro had just dropped.
Mahiru instinctively bent to pick up a page and glanced over it. Her world-class-artist cousin suddenly wanting to draw manga here—she still thought it odd.
After a moment's reading, Mahiru's eyes went wide.
"This… you call this manga?"
~~~
100 Powerstone Bonus Chapter!