She took off her soaked clothes and unzipped the side of her skirt.
She reached down, lifted the white socks from her feet, and gently peeled them off.
Finally, the clothes she couldn't let him see. Having a boy see her pink underwear... yeah, that would still feel a bit awkward.
After neatly folding her clothes, she turned on the shower and gently tested the water temperature with her hand.
Once she confirmed the temperature was about right, she carefully stepped under the spray, letting the warm water wash over her.
"What am I doing..."
Maki Shijo closed her eyes and muttered to herself, her head lowered.
He was just a strange man she had only known for four days.
And yet here I am, staying at his house, using his bathroom... It's almost as if something very unhealthy is about to happen.
No, that can't be right.
Shouldn't that kind of thing normally happen only after marriage?
Besides, wait a minute, she and he had only just gotten to the first kiss stage... no, not even that, because the first kiss had been rewound. In the end, nothing has happened between us. We're still just friends, right?
Standing under the showerhead, Maki felt her thoughts growing more and more tangled, making it harder and harder to think.
Just then, a voice came from outside the bathroom.
"Maki, I've left a clean towel outside the bathroom door for you."
"Ah?! O-Oh, I know, thanks..."
As soon as Gao Hai's calm voice sounded, Maki let out a startled cry, instinctively crossing her arms over her chest and shrinking back. It took her a moment to compose herself before she could speak to Gao Hai outside.
"I have a dryer. Do you want me to take your wet clothes and dry them now? Or will you get them yourself when you come out?"
Gao Hai's voice from beyond the door sounded perfectly normal as he asked another question.
"I-I can do it myself."
Maki felt her heart start to beat a little faster, but she tried her best to maintain a calm conversation with Gao Hai.
"Alright then. I've left some of my clothes here for you. You can make do with them for a bit when you're done."
She could hear Gao Hai's footsteps moving away, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing.
"...Thanks."
Maki only managed to mutter the word after he had left. She then couldn't help but cover her face and crouch on the floor.
What on earth is wrong with me?
The girl couldn't help but ask herself.
Is it because of that nightmarish experience in Shirakawa Apartments?
I feel like I'm not even myself anymore.
Her thoughts grew increasingly chaotic.
The dampness from the rain had long since been washed away by the hot water.
Maki turned off the shower, opened the bathroom door, and picked up the towel Gao Hai had left. After drying herself, she carefully stepped out, making a point to glance around the small room outside the bathroom to make sure Gao Hai wasn't hiding there, peeping or anything.
Wait, he's not the kind of person who would peep. Why am I even suspecting him of that?
Shaking her head, Maki's gaze shifted to her wet clothes, neatly folded on one side of the room. Hmm, they didn't look like they'd been touched.
Next, she looked at the clothes belonging to Gao Hai, placed on a platform next to the bathroom door.
These are his clothes...
She reached out and picked them up.
For Maki, who was only about 150-something centimeters tall, the shirt was clearly oversized. She put it on and buttoned it up, finding that her hands couldn't even poke out of the sleeves. The hem of the shirt covered most of her thighs, meaning she wouldn't have to worry about any wardrobe malfunctions.
For some reason, wearing clothes like this gave her a strange sense of security. Ugh, I don't get it.
Maki picked up her wet clothes and opened the door to the hallway, heading toward the living room.
The two-story house was very quiet at the moment. The girl knew that Gao Hai now lived alone in this house that was a bit too large for him. Thinking again of his mysterious background—parents died early, a recluse living alone, cut off from society—Maki couldn't help but feel a greater sense of curiosity. She didn't understand why someone so extraordinarily heroic in Shirakawa Apartments would choose such a decadent and withdrawn life in the real world.
With talent like yours, you could have a much better life if you wanted to, right?
Or is it that, for you, the hustle and bustle of this world holds no appeal?
Conflicting thoughts rose and fell in the girl's mind.
She reached the end of the hallway and saw Gao Hai sitting in the living room, lost in thought.
"Hai-kun, I'm done. Where's the dryer?"
Maki poked her head out from the doorway and asked.
"Ah, you're done. I'll take you there."
As if startled from a dream by her voice, Gao Hai looked up, then stood and walked over to her.
The girl subconsciously took a step back. She clutched her clothes with one hand and nervously tugged at the hem of her shirt with the other, suddenly growing tense.
However, the mischievous teasing she expected from Gao Hai didn't happen. He simply walked past her with a blank expression, leading the way to the room with the dryer.
He didn't even make a single joke, just quietly showed her the way.
What's with him?
While a part of her was slightly relieved that her worries about being teased and bullied didn't come true, another part of her felt a little displeased.
He was full of tricks when he was taking advantage of her and teasing her earlier. Now that the atmosphere is actually ripe for something, he goes quiet. Is he trying to play hard to get or something?
Isn't that just the worst?!
Feeling as if she were being looked down upon, Maki's mood soured.
What she didn't know was that Gao Hai, walking ahead of her, had a calm face that was twitching slightly.
Namo Ratna Trayaya...
The hot-blooded young man was trying to play the Great Compassion Mantra in his mind to calm himself down.
Calm down.
You have to calm down.
You're the man who achieved a perfect S-rank clear on his very first game.
And you're the man shouldering the burden of the black watch, a divine cheat item that obviously holds a great secret.
In other words, you have the protagonist treatment. How can someone like you lose your composure at a time like this?
Calm down, hurry up and calm down!
Maki is a timid girl. You can't make a move on her right now!
Although her legs are really fair.
Although her small feet look so pale and tender I really want to rub them.
Although her calves are so smooth, they must feel incredibly soft to the touch.
Although she looks especially amazing in my shirt.
And the way a hint of her skin peeks through the gaps between the buttons is just perfect.
Her thighs are faintly visible beneath the hem, and while you can't see much, it leaves everything to the imagination.
And it's all the more delectable when paired with her shy, blushing face.
And if you think about it, other than this shirt, she isn't wearing anything else right now, is she? Which means she's completely bare underneath!
Whoa, isn't that just awesome?
Whoa, what are you waiting for?
If you don't do anything now, can you even call yourself a man? A beautiful girl like this is right in front of you, and she followed you home! Even if her tsundere personality makes her a bit dishonest, she's definitely interested in this situation, right? Who would believe that a girl who's just a regular friend would go to a guy's house, take a shower, and wear his clothes? So what are you waiting for? Get a move on! If you don't act now, are you even a man?!
"Hiss—"
Gao Hai took a deep breath, suddenly turned to face the wall, and banged his head against it twice with a 'thud, thud'.
"What are you doing?"
Caught off guard by his actions, Maki was startled and took a step back as she asked.
"I am mired in the conflict between my id, ego, and superego. I am paralyzed by the dilemma of choosing between being a beast and being less than a beast. I feel like a spectator at a fork in the tracks with a toilet plunger, and suddenly I have to use this plunger to decide which track the oncoming train will run over..."
Still facing the wall, Gao Hai muttered, his voice carrying a somewhat profound and mysterious tone.
"Hey, even if you say that in such a serious voice, I have no idea what you're trying to say, you know?"
Maki stood there stunned for a moment before speaking to Gao Hai in a small voice.
"What I mean is, the dryer is in this room. You probably know how to use it, right? I have something to take care of. The rain hasn't stopped yet, so just hang out on the first floor for a while. If you need anything, you can come find me upstairs..."
Although he was phrasing it as if asking for her opinion, Gao Hai kept his forehead pressed against the wall and sidled past her like a crab. The whole time, Maki could clearly hear the sound of his forehead scraping against the wall, so clearly that she suspected he was using his head as a rag to wipe it down.
"Ah, okay..."
By the time she replied, Gao Hai had already reached the stairs and went up, keeping his back to her the entire time.
What's with this guy now?
He was all handsy during our date... I mean, while we were shopping. Why is he getting so reserved now that we're alone in the same house?
Maki frowned in thought, then looked down at her own forward armor, which only had a slight curve.
Could it be... because I changed clothes, he's starting to find me too short and too small?!
Once such a thought took root, it was hard to shake.
Downstairs, Maki clutched her clothes to her chest with a devastated expression. Upstairs, Gao Hai, facing the wall in self-imposed isolation, muttered his mantra with a look of utter despair.
Outside the window, the gloomy downpour showed no signs of stopping.
It seemed this rain was set to continue for a while longer.
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