"Hurry up and kiss, don't waste it... What is that stupid dog saying!"
Gokou Ruri's small face quickly turned red, hurriedly covering her chest and stepping back:
"Pervert Sora, don't come near me!"
"Sorry, I can't stop." Izumi Sora's expression was completely innocent. "The side effect hasn't ended yet, I'm not in control of my body right now... Look on the bright side, at least it didn't order me to pin Ruri to the ground and lick you all over."
"...S-So disgusting!"
Gokou Ruri crossed her arms over her chest, a look of disgust appearing on her pretty face.
Being pinned to the ground by Sora, and then being... No matter how you think about it, that's too terrible!
"Come any closer and I'll kick you."
Gokou Ruri bluffed while hiding backwards, unfortunately, the bathroom was only so big, and she soon had nowhere left to hide.
"I told you I can't control myself." Izumi Sora's tone was innocent, walking towards Kuroneko step by step. "Ruri can take the opportunity to slip out and find a place to hide. As long as you stall until the side effect disappears, there won't be any danger."
"That makes sense..."
Gokou Ruri's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly tried to slip under Izumi Sora's armpit.
I must protect my innocence and chastity, I won't let them be easily taken away!
Unfortunately, Gokou Ruri overestimated her current stamina.
With her head heavy from the cold and her body weak, her escape path was wobbly, and she ended up bumping headfirst into Izumi Sora.
Thump.
Izumi Sora's body acted on its own, catching Kuroneko in his arms, and sighed helplessly:
"Lord Ruri's positioning is too terrible."
Gokou Ruri angrily tilted up her small face:
"If this were a game, I would have kited you and slipped away long ago!"
"..."
Their eyes met.
The air instantly became quiet.
Gokou Ruri's eyelashes fluttered in a panic, still wanting to dodge, but unfortunately, her entire body had already been scooped up; there was nowhere left to escape.
"Mmm..."
Feeling the burning hot temperature on her lips, Gokou Ruri widened her eyes abruptly. Her head buzzed softly, completely forgetting to dodge.
(I-I was kissed...)
It wasn't the cheek, but a true contact of lips on lips.
Unlike the accidental kiss in the classroom utility closet, this was a burning hot and forceful kiss.
After recovering from her shock, Gokou Ruri's long eyelashes fluttered in a panic, closing her eyes, her face full of shame.
(Now that he's already kissed me, the command should be over, right...)
However, the matter didn't end there.
Gokou Ruri quickly realized that the burning sensation on her lips showed no signs of leaving; instead, it was preparing to invade.
(Could Pervert Sora still want to...)
Although Gokou Ruri had never eaten pork, she had seen pigs run. She quickly understood what Sora was going to do, and her heart instantly leaped into her throat.
(No!)
(I must clench my teeth tightly, I absolutely won't let Pervert Sora inside!)
(Doing that kind of thing on the very first kiss... it's just too terrible!)
Gokou Ruri bit her teeth tightly in shame, intending to defend her innocence by holding her breath.
But in less than ten seconds, the girl's gaze grew panicked.
(O-Oh no...)
(My cold symptoms have gotten worse, my nose is blocked, I already have no way to breathe...)
(W-What do I do?)
Gokou Ruri frantically thought of a countermeasure, but unfortunately couldn't find a solution.
Enduring for a few more seconds, the limit had arrived.
Humans can never hold their breath to the point of suicide, so in 'despair', Gokou Ruri could only quietly relax her jaw...
The next second.
Gokou Ruri's soft body abruptly tensed.
(S-So this is what it feels like...)
Before this, Gokou Ruri thought a man and a woman kissing was actually a very hard thing to accept, exchanging saliva always felt disgusting.
But at this moment, Gokou Ruri realized the actual experience was completely different from what she imagined.
With Izumi Sora's forceful invasion, an electric, thrilling sensation rapidly swept through her soul and body. The wonderful feeling made it absolutely impossible to hate, instead... instead it made her want to sink into it.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Amidst her rapid heartbeat, Gokou Ruri only felt her head spin, quickly losing her sense of direction.
Time quietly slipped away, minute by minute.
After an unknown amount of time, the side effect on Izumi Sora's body finally disappeared, and he regained control of his body.
Looking at Kuroneko, whose small face was flushed red, hands weakly pounding his chest, clearly on the verge of suffocation, Izumi Sora finally let her go.
Pop~
With a soft sound, the silver thread quickly stretched and broke.
The next second.
The girl's rapid breathing echoed through the bathroom.
"Hah... haah..."
Gokou Ruri's eyes were moist and unfocused, her whole body slumping into Izumi Sora's embrace. She didn't even have the energy to curse anymore, only left with helpless panting.
"I am deeply sorry." Izumi Sora coughed lightly twice, raised his right hand, and helped Gokou Ruri wipe the corner of her mouth clean. "I will take responsibility."
"T-Take responsibility?"
Gokou Ruri looked over with misty eyes.
Izumi Sora turned to look at the Golden Retriever sitting in the corner:
"For example, stewing it first."
"Woof woof woof!"
The Golden Retriever trembled with fear, hurriedly barking for mercy.
(...Who needs that kind of taking responsibility!)
Gokou Ruri gritted her silver teeth in anger:
"Commit seppuku!"
Izumi Sora was taken aback: "What?"
Gokou Ruri panted: "Committing seppuku is the best way to take responsibility!"
"Committing seppuku would dirty the bathroom..."
As Izumi Sora was complaining, footsteps and laughter suddenly sounded from outside the house.
"Mom and Hinata and the others are back."
Gokou Ruri's small face changed, and she hurriedly held her breath.
"Don't worry." Izumi Sora comforted her softly. "I can turn invisible, I won't be discovered."
Hearing this, Gokou Ruri breathed a sigh of relief:
"Pervert Sora, hurry up and take a shower."
"Let me go get some cold medicine for you first." Izumi Sora gently shook his head. "You already have a fever from your cold, you must take medicine as soon as possible."
Gokou Ruri's gaze instantly turned resentful:
"Knowing I have a fever, and you still... I almost suffocated, you idiot pervert!"
"I told you I wasn't in control of my body."
"Shine! (Die!)"
"..."
Taking a deep breath, Kuroneko shyly averted her small face, pointing out in a small voice where the cold medicine was located.
"Wait for me to come back."
Izumi Sora rubbed Kuroneko's small head and quietly turned invisible and left.
"Phew..."
Watching the bathroom door quietly close, Gokou Ruri instantly breathed a sigh of relief. She secretly raised her right hand, her finger guiltily touching her lips.
A tingling, numb sensation came from her lips, causing Gokou Ruri to hurriedly and guiltily retract her finger.
"If I let Pervert Sora take responsibility just now, could it be that we could..."
"Don't let your imagination run wild!"
"What just happened was just an accident caused by the side effect, that kind of thing definitely can't count, right?"
"Just like artificial respiration isn't a kiss..."
Gokou Ruri took a deep breath, gently patting her cheeks with both hands.
"Hmph... a mere romance is nothing but a foolish hormone game."
"Only idiots let hormones control their brains..."
"I am the Black Cat of the Dark Night, the ultimate strongest Great Sage, I definitely won't fall in love."
Muttering to herself, Gokou Ruri suddenly caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her face flushed like peach blossoms, and hurriedly looked away in embarrassment.
As expected, some words can neither fool others nor deceive oneself.
A moment later.
Izumi Sora returned quietly holding the cold medicine:
"The cold medicine is here, hurry up and take it."
"Hmph~"
Gokou Ruri gave a light snort, crossed her arms over her chest, and turned her small face away in disgust.
Because of the kiss just now, she completely didn't know how to face Izumi Sora, so she could only avoid his gaze.
Izumi Sora lowered his voice:
"Shall I feed you the medicine?"
"I don't need it!" Gokou Ruri bit her silver teeth lightly, quickly taking the cold medicine. "I'll take it myself!"
"..."
After taking the cold medicine, Gokou Ruri's gaze shifted, landing on Izumi Sora, her pink lips pursed slightly:
"Pervert Sora, hurry up and take a shower."
Izumi Sora nodded in agreement:
"You go out first."
"...No."
Gokou Ruri's small face was burning hot, looking over resentfully:
"Mom and Hinata and the others are all back, they will definitely pass by the bathroom. If I don't go out, I won't be able to explain it, right?"
"Anyway, I'll turn around." Kuroneko crossed her arms over her chest, turning her body. "Hurry up and take a shower."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Izumi Sora nodded and started taking off his clothes.
His clothes were soaked and sticky against his body, very uncomfortable. Although his physical fitness meant he wouldn't catch a cold, he still wanted a hot shower.
As they were talking, footsteps soon approached outside the bathroom door.
"Onee-sama?"
The little loli's soft, glutinous voice sounded outside the door.
Gokou Ruri hurriedly responded: "It's me."
"Didn't Onee-sama go out to play?"
Gokou Tamaki asked curiously.
"I came back to grab something, and I sweat a lot on the way, so I'm taking a shower..."
Gokou Ruri guiltily lied, successfully fooling her sister.
Splash.
The sound of the showerhead came from behind.
Gokou Ruri sneakily turned her face, quietly peeking into the mirror, and then turned away in a panic with a flushed face.
Letting Idiot Sora shower in the bathroom, while I even have to stand guard... As expected, it's so shameful!
Fortunately, Izumi Sora's washing speed was lightning fast, finishing his wash in just a few minutes.
"I'm done washing."
"Here..."
Gokou Ruri quietly breathed a sigh of relief, handing over the prepared pajamas:
"These are Dad's pajamas."
"Deeply grateful."
Izumi Sora took the pajamas and put them on.
"I'm going back to my room to clean up, the muddy footprints from earlier are all over the floor." Gokou Ruri pursed her pink, moist lips, saying in a small voice, "Sora, take Edamame and teleport out first, go back to that alley from before, and wait for me to come find you."
Izumi Sora reached out his right hand, pressing it on Gokou Ruri's small head:
"Don't push yourself. Stay in the bathroom and rest for a bit, I'll go clean up."
It had only been ten minutes since Ruri took the cold medicine, it hadn't even taken effect yet. Cleaning up now would definitely be exhausting.
Gokou Ruri parted her pink lips, wanting to be stubborn, but the dizziness, stuffy nose, and body aches made her ultimately not refuse:
"...Then I'll leave it to Pervert Sora."
Although the cold was very uncomfortable, it hadn't reached the point where she couldn't move.
The real reason she let Izumi Sora help clean the room, a reason she couldn't say aloud, was:
After the kiss, I want to rely on Izumi Sora even more than before.
"Leave it to me."
Izumi Sora quietly vanished into invisibility.
Gokou Ruri covered her chest, her small face flushed red, patiently waiting.
"Woof woof."
The Golden Retriever sitting in the corner barked softly.
Hearing this, Gokou Ruri looked over:
"You want me to help you take a bath?"
"Don't even think about it."
"The drain will be clogged with dog hair."
"I'll take you back later, let your owner give you a bath!"
"..."
Time quietly slipped away, minute by minute.
In Gokou Ruri's eager anticipation, the door was soon quietly pushed open.
Izumi Sora strode in, ending his invisibility:
"The room has been cleaned up... How is your body feeling now?"
"Much better than before." Gokou Ruri crossed her arms over her chest. Faced with Izumi Sora's concern, she uncomfortably turned her small face away, giving a light snort. "I'm not dizzy anymore. Let's go change clothes, and then go to Hokkaido?"
"No rush." Izumi Sora said in a low voice. "When I got the cold medicine for you, I grabbed the thermometer too. Ruri, take your temperature first. Once we confirm your cold is really gone, we'll discuss our next move."
"Hmph, I already said I'm fine..."
Gokou Ruri muttered in a small voice, but obediently took the thermometer.
A moment later.
The temperature measurement was complete.
Her body temperature had dropped to 37 degrees, proving the cold medicine had indeed taken effect.
"Let's teleport to the alley from before first." Izumi Sora put down the thermometer in satisfaction. "It's already noon. Let's go eat ramen outside first, then go to Hokkaido after we're full. Going there too early, we might encounter the brown bear again."
Recalling the terrifying brown bear they met in the forest earlier, a flash of lingering fear crossed Gokou Ruri's small face:
"Then we'll go eat lunch first, and go to Hokkaido after."
"Woof woof."
Hearing there was food, the Golden Retriever hurriedly wagged its tail.
"Let's head out."
Izumi Sora reached out and gently scooped Kuroneko into his arm, then grabbed the Golden Retriever with his other hand, took a step, and teleported away.
While Akita City in Hokkaido was experiencing a torrential storm, Tokyo had clear skies and bright sunshine.
The warm sunlight shining on them was exceptionally comfortable, even a bit hot.
There's no need to elaborate on what happened next.
Izumi Sora and Kuroneko went to eat ramen together. On the way, they stopped by a convenience store to buy a leash and canned food for the Golden Retriever. When walking a dog outside, you must use a leash, otherwise you might be stopped by the police.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was unknowingly past twelve o'clock.
Izumi Sora took out his phone to check the weather in Akita City, Hokkaido, and found the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared; it was now sunny. So he left the ramen shop with Kuroneko and walked into an empty, secluded alley.
"The arrival location is still the Fairy Forest Campsite. To avoid exposing our identities, we also need to be ready to activate Time Stop at any moment, so..."
Izumi Sora reached out, familiarly scooping Kuroneko into his arm. Thus, there was no need to say the rest; Kuroneko naturally understood what it meant.
"One of the rules of alchemy, everything comes with a price..."
Gokou Ruri's small face quickly flushed red. Taking a deep breath, she shyly kissed Izumi Sora's cheek.
"Then... we're off."
Izumi Sora took a step, and the figures of the two people and one dog suddenly vanished into thin air.
Akita City, Hokkaido, Fairy Forest Campsite.
Because it had just rained, the air after the rain was exceptionally fresh, though the ground was a bit damp and muddy. Perhaps due to the astronomical bounty, as far as the eye could see, there were still quite a few pedestrians at the campsite.
"Time Stop!"
Izumi Sora didn't hesitate to activate Time Stop.
The entire world abruptly fell silent.
Gokou Ruri already had experience, and hurriedly whispered in his ear, issuing the command:
"Pervert Sora, walk left, we're going behind that little cabin."
Unsurprisingly, Izumi Sora experienced the 'involuntary' side effect again. Hearing this, he obediently executed the command, carrying Kuroneko and holding the Golden Retriever, walking behind the cabin.
"No one around." Gokou Ruri quickly scanned the surroundings, relaxing. "Sora, you can end the Time Stop."
Hearing this, Izumi Sora quietly ended the Time Stop, and the whole world 'came alive' again.
"Next is just waiting patiently..."
Gokou Ruri looked around nervously. Although she didn't see the brown bear, she was still full of vigilance:
"Let's wait for Sora's side effect to end first, then we'll contact Edamame's owner, no rush."
"..."
Time quietly slipped away, minute by minute.
A beetle suddenly buzzed over and happened to land on Izumi Sora's face.
"Ruri, shoo the bug away."
Izumi Sora said helplessly.
"Okay." Kuroneko agreed, issuing a command. "You crouch down."
Izumi Sora obediently half-crouched, at eye level with Kuroneko.
Gokou Ruri quickly reached out her small hand, helping to shoo the bug away.
Their eyes met.
The air quietly fell silent.
Looking at her reflection in the boy's eyes, the temperature on Gokou Ruri's face rapidly rose.
"Sniff sniff~"
The Golden Retriever sitting obediently nearby suddenly sniffed, its gaze falling on Gokou Ruri, and then it barked softly:
"It's the smell of the mating season, woof~"
Gokou Ruri's small face instantly turned completely red, glaring over murderously:
"You guy really want to be stewed, don't you!"
Mating season?
That kind of thing is absolutely impossible!
The Golden Retriever jumped in fright, thinking Gokou Ruri really wanted to stew it, and hurriedly looked at Izumi Sora, tapping its paws, issuing a command:
"Lick her! Hurry up and lick her fiercely, woof~!"
When its original owner got angry, as long as it gave them a good licking, the owner would immediately become happy.
As long as I make her happy, I won't be stewed, woof!
Hearing the command issued by the Golden Retriever, Izumi Sora's body involuntarily moved, opening his arms to embrace Kuroneko.
"W-Wait a minute..."
Gokou Ruri was instantly panicked. Her small face flushed red with shame as she dodged backward:
"Pervert Sora, hurry up and stop!"
A kiss was one thing, but now he actually wants to...
Pervert!
This is truly too perverted!
"Can't stop." Izumi Sora's tone was super innocent. "I'm not in control of my body right now."
"Then I'll run..."
Gokou Ruri turned, wanting to slip away.
"Don't run." Izumi Sora reminded her in a low voice. "I will chase after you, and might tackle Ruri to the ground in broad daylight, and then execute the command."
"..."
Kuroneko's raised right foot froze in mid-air.
If I really run away, I definitely won't be able to outrun Pervert Sora. I'll definitely be caught, and then in broad daylight be...
"A-Absolutely not!"
Just imagining that scene in her mind made steam rise from the top of Gokou Ruri's head, feeling so ashamed she wanted to explode on the spot.
Oh no!
He actually obeys a dog's commands, this side effect is truly too terrible!
While hesitating, Gokou Ruri was momentarily careless and was already caught in his embrace.
"I-I'm done for..."
Gokou Ruri's small face was burning hot, and she could only close her eyes in 'despair'.
"I'm going to get dirty... wait, is there another way?"