Splash—
The curtain of rain showed no signs of stopping.
And beneath this downpour, in the stairwell of the residential building directly across from Gao Hai's home, a young woman with long blonde hair lay under a waterproof blanket for camouflage. She held a pair of binoculars, her expression impassive as she stared at the second floor of the opposite building, her gaze fixed on Gao Hai, who was bent over and half-kneeling on the floor.
"What's the situation now?"
The distinctly cool voice of Kaguya Shinomiya sounded through the earpiece the blonde girl was wearing.
"Miss Shijo has remained on the first floor. Gao Hai went up to the second. They've temporarily separated. Miss Shijo is now heading to the laundry room, presumably to use the dryer for her wet clothes. Gao Hai is on the second floor; he entered the bedroom, and now he's... hmm, he's spacing out."
The blonde girl reported the situation in a deadpan manner, but her voice hitched for a moment before she continued.
"Hayasaka?"
Noticing the girl's unnatural pause, Kaguya immediately questioned her.
"It's nothing, just a trivial matter. Based on my observations, the two of them are completely innocent, in the budding stages of a romantic relationship. Although there are still many suspicious things about that man, Gao Hai, from the current situation, he seems to be acting quite the gentleman toward Miss Shijo."
The girl called Hayasaka was none other than Kaguya Shinomiya's personal maid, the multitalented Ai Hayasaka.
Her speed, strength, and reflexes were near the peak of human limits. She had mastered various combat and assassination techniques and was an expert in all domestic chores, as well as being highly skilled in intelligence gathering, tracking, and reconnaissance. Although she had lost some face yesterday when Gao Hai managed to shake her tail after escaping from Shuchiin, it was undeniable that the young woman's abilities were formidable; she was not to be trifled with.
And at this very moment, Ai Hayasaka had been dispatched by Kaguya Shinomiya to secretly monitor the date between Gao Hai and Maki Shijo. Ever cautious, Kaguya believed that Gao Hai's attitude and actions when alone with Maki Shijo would reveal everything about his character, personality, and moral bottom line, determining once and for all if he could be trusted.
As for why Hayasaka had paused, the reason was quite simple.
After running into the computer room, Gao Hai, following a moment of hesitation, had opened Pete's Station, clicked on the 18+ tag, and started browsing various images.
Is he trying to calm himself down by looking at that stuff to blow off some steam first?
I don't know what to make of this man, but why is everything he's looking at training-themed? I have a feeling that if Miss Shijo gets involved with him, her future will be very difficult.
Being a normal young woman herself, Hayasaka blushed slightly but quickly composed herself and continued to observe the situation across the way.
Meanwhile, at the Shinomiya residence, Kaguya sat in her private chambers, frowning as she stared at a stack of documents in her hand.
It was Miwa Maeda's autopsy report.
"While still alive, her chest was cut open and her heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys were removed. Due to the intensity of her struggles, the nails on her left pinky and middle fingers, as well as her right index finger, were bent back and broken. One eyeball was plucked out... Incomprehensible. Could it be a player?"
Unlike the other horrific cases whose details were being 'Obscured', this one was under serious investigation by the police. It seemed it wouldn't be a situation where everyone simply forgot about it.
But the absence of abnormality was, in some circumstances, an abnormality in itself. At least in Kaguya's eyes, the very fact that Miwa Maeda, a player from the Shirakawa Apartments, had been murdered was the highest level of anomaly. She was certain there was something more behind this, but she couldn't yet determine if it was some kind of warning, or perhaps a premonition.
If players were the enemy, the Shinomiya family's power would be utterly meaningless.
She sighed. There was no point in worrying about a problem without an immediate answer or solution; it wouldn't change the present reality. Instead of dwelling on it, it was better to first resolve the issue with Gao Hai.
"Hmph, a gentleman, is he?"
Kaguya Shinomiya let out a cold snort.
She was one hundred thousand percent certain that Gao Hai was no gentleman.
Although he might appear proper, the man clearly had a lecherous side and was the type to be unfaithful to his partner.
Kaguya remembered with perfect clarity how he had tried to trick her into a kiss back when they were trapped in the collapsing ruins of the Shirakawa Apartments. The guy thought he was going to die for sure and could safely reset, so his baser desires started to surface. In other words, he was a terrifying person who, once pushed into a helpless situation, would take a mile if you gave him an inch and act recklessly. For all she knew, he was about to make a move on Maki any minute now.
However, with the blessings and enhancements they now possessed, even if he did try something with Maki, the Hayasaka she had sent would be unable to stop him.
But she had no need to stop him, either. If he truly gave his heart to Maki, it could be considered a good thing.
"Lady Kaguya, Miss Shijo is on the move. She's left the laundry room, still wearing the same shirt, and is heading for the second floor."
Hayasaka's voice suddenly crackled through the earpiece.
Is it starting?
Kaguya's expression grew serious. She sat up a little straighter, a faint stir of emotion in her heart, unable to quite pinpoint what she felt about the situation that might unfold.
Tap—
A pair of fair, slipper-clad feet padded softly up the stairs.
Her clothes were mostly dry and just needed to air out a little longer, so Maki, not yet in a hurry to change, decided to head up to the second floor to see what Gao Hai was up to, having deliberately avoided her.
"Oh, are your clothes dry already?"
But almost as soon as she reached the second floor, a sound came from one of the rooms, followed by Gao Hai's calm voice.
"Are you in here?"
Maki walked toward the source of the sound, pushed the door open, and saw Gao Hai sitting in a computer chair with his legs crossed, hands resting on his upper thighs. The computer monitor in front of him displayed a grassy field wallpaper. He turned his head calmly, his expression perfectly normal as he looked at her.
"Haven't changed yet? They should be dry by now. Won't you catch a cold like that?"
Maki couldn't detect anything unusual from Gao Hai's face.
Could he have been doing something indecent?
She'd heard from a friend that if you approach a boy and his computer screen is on the desktop, he might have been doing something he didn't want anyone to see. In that case, you just had to check the trash can next to the computer for any used tissues. If there were any, he did it. If not, everything was fine.
Although she wasn't quite sure what specific 'indecent' act this referred to, Maki instinctively stepped closer, her gaze flicking to the trash can beside the computer.
It was empty.
Okay, so that means everything's fine, right?
The thought brought a small sense of relief to Maki.
"They're almost dry, but they still need to air out a bit. I hung them on a rack in the laundry room. I'll go down and change in a little while."
As she spoke, Maki's eyes scanned the room, and she sat down on the single bed behind Gao Hai.
Gao Hai's gaze shifted slightly.
This was a bit of a bad situation.
He'd been looking for some 'resources' to deal with his urges, but before he could complete his training on the path of the sage, this girl had come upstairs, forcing him to frantically close the webpage. Now he didn't even dare to sit up straight.
"Um, well, how should I put this... Hai-kun, I really should thank you for surviving the Shirakawa Apartments."
Unaware of Gao Hai's current predicament, Maki, after a moment of fidgeting, finally spoke up in a small voice.
"Thank me? No, we survived because we fought together. It's definitely not right to thank just one person or focus on a single person's contributions."
Gao Hai cleared his throat, answering righteously while his eyes instinctively glanced her way.
Ah, now that she's sitting down, the lines of her legs are even more beautiful.
The shirt covered the upper part of her thighs, but the fair skin of the lower half was exposed, all the way up to the top.
Her little feet, now without slippers, looked great too. They look small enough to hold in one hand. And those calves... they look like they'd feel amazing to touch.
Ahem, no, I need to stay calm. Use my brain to control my body!
Calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down—
At that moment, Gao Hai was trying with all his might to regulate his emotions.
Completely oblivious, Maki squirmed a little, shifting her waist and legs awkwardly before continuing in a low voice:
"I still feel like I should thank you. Thank you for being willing to place your trust in me."
"It's the first time I've been treated so sincerely by a boy. To be honest, my heart is beating a little fast, and I don't really know what to do."
"And, you know, while it's true that we all worked together to survive, you were the one under the most pressure, weren't you? Hai-kun, I think you should be proud of that alone. And I'm truly grateful to you, Hai-kun."
For the normally reserved Maki, saying such things undoubtedly required immense courage.
But right now, with no one else around, in this moment when it was just the two of them face to face, the girl felt a surge of bravery welling up inside her.
Upon hearing such a sincere expression of gratitude, and hearing the understanding and compassion in her words for the suffering he endured during his resets, Gao Hai fell silent for a moment. The emotions in his heart churned, refusing to settle, while the flames within him burned ever hotter, threatening to rage out of control.
It was as if a little angel Gao Hai and a little devil Gao Hai had popped up on his left and right shoulders respectively.
[Go on, kiss her! Go kiss her!]
The little devil Gao Hai on his left shouted, brandishing a demon hunter's pitchfork.
[Do it! Strip her down! Show her your POWER!]
The little angel Gao Hai on his right drew the Yamato, making a declaration of power.
[French kiss her, lick her neck, lick her all over! Mark her with your scent, don't you ever stop! Aaaah—]
The devil Gao Hai on the left roared with gut-wrenching passion before collapsing to the ground, one finger pointing forward.
[Make her shy, make her pregnant, make her give birth! She is the first step in your grand otaku-pandering harem enterprise! Complete this step, and my... mission... is complete!]
The angel on the right chugged a big gulp of chicken soup, then collapsed, foaming at the mouth as he yelled.
Hold on, why are you two so dramatic? Is your DNA a bit too diverse... wait, this is my own internal monologue, isn't it? Does that mean the problem is actually with my DNA?
Gao Hai's mind was a mess.
He slowly stood up, instinctively pulling down the hem of his shirt and adjusting his pants slightly. He paused for a moment, then ran a hand through his hair, scratched his nose, paused again, and then took a step. He walked directly over to Maki's side and sat down.
Thump!
The small single bed rocked slightly.
"Hey, wh-what's wrong?"
Startled by Gao Hai's sudden move, Maki instinctively squeezed her legs together and scooted cautiously to the side.
"It's nothing, ahem, it's just that... I suddenly wanted to be a little closer to you."
Gao Hai coughed a few times, his head lowered, as he spoke slowly.
"I-I see..."
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Maki quietly scooted away another inch, her cheeks beginning to flush.
What's happening? What's happening, what's happening?
Why does Hai-kun seem so strange? No, wait, this feeling... I remember it. Back when he was burned and I was applying medicine, when he held my hand and tried to confess to me, the atmosphere was a lot like this.
"Um, I'll go check on the clothes downst— huh?"
Flustered, Maki tried to stand and leave, but Gao Hai reached out and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to sit back down.
Then, Gao Hai moved two steps closer to her, closing the distance between them in an instant.
"I've received your thanks. But I need to thank you too, Maki. Without you, I'm not sure I could have held on until the very end. To me, you could even say that you saved me."
Taking a deep breath, Gao Hai looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Maki.
"Ugh, y-you're bringing that up again. I already told you, it was... wait, now that you mention it, I just remembered. Back at the end, you went to save Kaguya but pushed me through the door instead. I haven't settled that score with you yet!"
Maki had started to shrink back instinctively, but just then, the memory of Gao Hai pushing her away at the last moment flashed in her mind. Her brow furrowed, and her demeanor instantly shifted from weak to strong.
"Ah... that..."
Gao Hai's advance faltered, and he subconsciously let go of her wrist, only for Maki to grab his in return.
"Why did you push me? Did you think I couldn't help?"
Maki leaned forward slightly, looking at Gao Hai seriously as she asked.
"Of course not. I just hoped that at least you could get out. It was pretty much an instinctive reaction. No matter what, I didn't want things to go wrong at the very last step. If we really couldn't make it, I had to at least make sure you got away. I'm sorry, I really wasn't considering your feelings then."
Gao Hai scratched his head awkwardly, apologizing in a low voice.
"What's that supposed to mean? Don't do that ever again. Since we're supposed to be getting through this together, don't pull stunts like that. If... if I had survived like that, I wouldn't have been happy. What I want is for us to walk out of there together, okay, Hai-kun?"
Maki took a deep breath, her brownish-purple eyes shining with a fierce light.
Staring into that light, Gao Hai was momentarily stunned again, then let out a low chuckle. It was a laugh that came from the heart, as if a great burden had finally been lifted.
"What are you laughing at? I'm being very serious with you."
Sensing his strange attitude, Maki grumbled in dissatisfaction. Then she saw Gao Hai's head lower as he suddenly leaned in close.
"I'm happy because I've realized that I truly like every single thing about you, Maki. The way you look, your body, your personality, your temper, everything about you. I can't find a single thing to dislike. I've realized that I like all of you—"
The words were like a whisper in her ear.
Accompanied by the warm breath on her face.
By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late to react.
Lips met lips in a gentle touch, sharing their warmth.
"Mmph..."
The girl pulled back with a small cry, turning her head away as a deep blush spread across her cheeks.
A kiss.
Again, with this guy.
"What are you doing... Something like that..."
She wanted to be angry, but she couldn't summon the rage.
She wanted to reciprocate, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
The words that finally came out sounded less like a reprimand and more like a pout.
"If you're scared, you can close your eyes."
Gao Hai simply said as he leaned in again. Just like that, their foreheads touched once more, their breaths mingling.
Maki's body trembled slightly, but in the end, she obediently, slowly closed her eyes.
The second meeting of their lips was firmer than the first.
…
(1120 characters omitted here)
…
And Maki's little feet finally struggled and planted themselves against Gao Hai's chest.
"I already told you to stop—!!!"
The next moment, Gao Hai was sent flying through the air, crashing into the wall opposite the bed.
Taking deep breaths, Maki scrambled up and fled the room with great speed.
And only then, finally coming to his senses, did Gao Hai stare blankly, realizing what he had done in response to the girl's feigned resistance.
Ah, it seems I've kind of messed up, huh...
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