The rustling sound of dressing, the slight creak of the wooden stairs, and the gradually fading footsteps...

Ichika lay on her side on the sofa, her delicate toes slightly curled, the arch of her foot still holding his warmth.

So this is what it feels like to tempt someone?

That dangerous aura from Shuichi-kun just now, it really erupted in an instant...

Ichika gently placed a hand over her heart. Its beating felt inexpressibly vibrant. In comparison, its usual steady, gentle rhythm felt more like a deathly stillness.

The feeling of her heart being seized and then released, and the sense of survival that followed, made her feel more clearly that she was alive.

Alive in this world.

The sense of detachment from the world seemed to be gradually melting away...

...

[Fumika Ogawa, Sense of Belonging: 90]

[Sayuki Ogawa, Sense of Belonging: 90]

[Tamako Akiyama, Sense of Belonging: 80]

[Ichika Kitagawa, Sense of Belonging: 70]

[Haruka Igawa, Sense of Belonging: 20]

[Current Monthly Salary: 3,600,000 Yen]

Shuichi looked at the system interface as he walked into his bedroom and threw himself into the wheeled office chair in front of his desk. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"How strange... was there something different today? Are hands and feet different?"

Making a move with his hands before didn’t increase her sense of belonging, but touching her feet did. This damn system didn’t come with an instruction manual; it was so hard to figure out.

So, was his understanding flawed? Did the system really just calculate it based on the shop owner’s mood?

As he was thinking, Shuichi spun his chair and suddenly felt it hit something, followed by a series of whimpering sounds.

Looking down, he saw a very short maid’s skirt. "When did you get here? What are you doing?"

"I just got here. I was trying to install the cat teaser for Neko-chan, but I accidentally got stuck. Can you give me a hand, Master?" Tsuki asked pitifully, swaying her skirt.

"Cat teaser?" Shuichi raised an eyebrow at her words and lowered his head further, only then seeing the situation inside.

In the narrow space under the desk, even Tsuki’s petite body could barely move. And directly in front of her upturned face was a toy he had previously bought for the cat, now hanging from the underside of the desk.

Shuichi was speechless. "That heartless cat hasn’t been here in ages, and you’re still setting this stuff up? And what’s the point of putting a cat teaser in a place like that?"

Tsuki touched the toy with her face. "I was thinking, if it’s hanging here, when Master is reading, Neko-chan will be drawn over and play under the desk. That way, studying won’t be so boring."

"It certainly wouldn’t be boring... I wouldn’t be able to read a single word either." Shuichi patted her little butt. "Are you really stuck?"

"Mmm..." Tsuki hummed and squirmed a couple of times.

"You can’t get out?"

"Mmm..."

"Not my problem. Figure it out yourself," Shuichi said, heartlessly refusing to help.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he straightened his chair, sat down properly, picked up a book from the desk, and leaned back, intending to enjoy a quiet evening of reading.

Tsuki let out a dissatisfied whimper, then reached her hands behind her, trying to push his chair away to see if she could get out.

But her hands landed on his leg instead.

Just as Shuichi was about to say something, his phone vibrated. He forgot about her and quickly took it out.

It was a message from Naomi.

[Are you asleep, Shuichi-kun?]

[Do you want me to be asleep or awake, sensei?]

Shuichi replied, tapping on the screen. The weather was getting colder; even sitting here, the tops of his thighs felt a little chilly. At least he wasn’t outside in the cold wind.

[Teasing me again? You’re getting more and more naughty, Shuichi-kun.]

[Is it a difficult question, sensei? I’m actually a bit conflicted myself. Sometimes I hope you’re in a good mood and don’t need me to comfort you. Seeing you happy makes me happy too. But other times, I have these bad thoughts, wishing you were in a bad mood today and would come to me for comfort...]

Shuichi skillfully typed out a long string of text. He suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency, which made him frown.

Where was this urgency coming from? Was he getting anxious because payday was approaching?

"Master, is that... Naomi-sensei again?" Tsuki panted quickly in the cramped space.

"Yeah. You stay in there for a while longer. We’ll talk after I’m done," Shuichi’s heartlessness earned another dissatisfied whimper from the little maid.

[You don’t have to blame yourself, Shuichi-kun. I understand. And... I’m a bit conflicted too. I’m always wondering, are you waiting for me tonight, Shuichi-kun? It would be good if you went to sleep early, it’s better for your health. But if you were waiting for me...]

[If I’m waiting for you, does that make you happy, sensei?]

[Mmm... it makes me very happy.]

A satisfied smile appeared on Shuichi’s face, and he let out a long breath. As if sensing his mood, Tsuki also let out a long sigh of relief.

[Then... shall we talk on the phone today?]

After sending the text, Shuichi anxiously rocked his chair back and forth.

Tsuki whimpered and complained, "Master... what is it now? Is there anything your little maid can do to help you with your worries?"

Shuichi gave a perfunctory reply, "It’s nothing. Be quiet when I’m on the phone with Naomi-sensei in a bit."

"Oh, I understand..." Tsuki pressed her thin lips together, making sure not to make a sound so she wouldn’t disturb him.

The phone vibrated. This time, before Shuichi could call, Naomi called him.

"Good evening..."

"Good evening to you too, sensei." Shuichi’s voice seemed to tremble slightly with excitement.

Naomi couldn’t help but chuckle. "Are you that excited? We just saw each other during the day."

"How can that be the same? This is a midnight call, and it’s from a charming woman like you, sensei." Shuichi idly toyed with the hem of Tsuki’s skirt.

"Oh my, charming woman?" Naomi couldn’t help but laugh at the term. "That sounds nice too."

"But I still prefer calling you sensei," Shuichi replied with a smile.

Naomi hummed softly. "You’re not being honest, Shuichi-kun. But that’s fine. A title like that can also serve as a constant reminder."

"Are you going to say ’this is the last time’ again?" Shuichi teased. "That’s fine too. The last time for today, or the last time for tonight."

"Teasing me again?" Naomi said reproachfully. "I don’t know what you did, but Sumire-chan seems to hold a huge grudge against you. Because of those photos last time, she insisted that I take a similar one for her to keep, saying that would make things even."

"With Nagase-sensei, it was mainly about discussing cosplay. She clearly likes it, but she’s always too stubborn to admit it and says I’m bullying her." Shuichi thought about it. The last time he went to her house, they discussed cosplay, including the Rikka cosplay. And later, in the student council office, it was the Bunny Girl Senpai cosplay. He wasn’t wrong.

"When it comes to Sumire-chan, that’s true..." Naomi was quite familiar with Sumire’s true nature.

"What character did you cosplay, sensei? Can you tell me?" Shuichi asked curiously, rocking his chair back and forth more happily.

"Do you really want to see?" Naomi asked with a hint of a smile.

"Yes, I’m especially interested. You’re already so charming in your usual clothes, sensei. I can’t even imagine how captivating you would be in cosplay."

"Since you want to see it so badly, Shuichi-kun, then I’ll send it to you," Naomi said, not being secretive like Sumire. She didn’t mind such things too much.

Shuichi soon received the photo, and his eyes lit up.

It was a black and white nun’s habit, giving off an air of holiness, but the form-fitting cut highlighted her curves, making it quite seductive. The front and back flaps of the skirt couldn’t hide Naomi’s pale, slender thighs, and the white garter stockings showed a different kind of charm from her usual black ones.

"How is it? You should have received it, right? Is it pretty?" Naomi asked, lying on her soft bed with a smile on her lips.

"It’s beyond pretty. Right now, I have a desperate urge to confess to you, sensei. The kind that can’t wait another second."

"Is it that dramatic?"

Hearing his words, Naomi felt a sense of satisfaction and sweetness in her heart, something she had never felt when she was with her ex-fiancé.

"It’s true. As real as steel!" Shuichi said with great sincerity.

Tsuki, being the closest, felt the full force of this sincerity.

"Then what do you have to confess, my child?" Naomi asked with a smile.

"Well... among the seven deadly sins, the only one that truly needs confessing is probably the worldly desires that arise from teenage hormones."

"You’re very honest, Shuichi-kun. So, what are you thinking about right now?"

"I’m thinking about what you look like, sensei."

"What do I look like?"

"Like your collar is open, and you’re biting your lips."

After Shuichi said that, a rustling sound came from the phone. He instantly realized what was happening, swallowed hard, and his spirits lifted.

Seeing this, Tsuki was even more careful to avoid making any noise, so as not to disturb Master’s phone call. That was not something a little maid should do.

So... she found something nearby to stuff in her mouth.

"Anything else?"

Naomi’s breathing came through the phone, as if she were whispering right in Shuichi’s ear.

"I’m imagining you gently soothing your own heart."

"Mmm..." Naomi hummed in response. "You really do need to confess properly, Shuichi-kun. These are all very dangerous thoughts."

"Then how should I confess?" Shuichi held his breath, not wanting to miss the slightest sound from the other end.

"As long as you expel the evil thoughts from your body and become calm and clear-headed again, your confession will be complete. Don’t be afraid, Shuichi-kun, sensei will help you..."

"How are you going to help me, sensei?"

Naomi didn’t reply, but sent a LINE message instead.

Shuichi opened it—[Thighs.JPG]

In the photo, her smooth, pale legs glowed with a seductive sheen under the dim bedside lamp, and her silk nightgown was piled up beside them.

It wasn’t hard to guess Naomi’s current state.

"You mentioned before that you like looking at legs, didn’t you, Shuichi-kun? And that you relax while looking at them?"

"You remember very clearly, sensei."

"I remember everything you say very clearly, Shuichi-kun, especially when you praise me," Naomi said with a laugh, and then a buzzing sound started. "Now, sensei is going to start helping you confess. Be a good boy and listen carefully to my voice, understand?"

"Mmm..." Shuichi gripped the hem of the skirt in his hand tightly.

...

The next day, as soon as Shuichi entered the ramen shop, An threw herself into his arms. Her sister, Tsuki, was about to get angry, but the little fool started complaining first.

"Shuichi-kun, my sister is so mean! She said she would keep my snacks for me, but she secretly ate a lot of them!"

The exam results came out yesterday. As usual, An’s performance was stable for the sake of snacks, so according to their agreement, all her snacks were returned to her. But she remembered the quantity of her snacks much more clearly than her textbooks and immediately noticed some were missing.

Hearing this, Shuichi patted her little head, thinking to himself, Your sister is embezzling more than just your snacks, and she’s secretly eating more than just snacks.

She coveted everything, from the cat’s breakfast to its toys.

Tsuki blushed a little. "Didn’t I already say that Shuichi-kun will take you to the supermarket to buy snacks this weekend?"

"That’s what Shuichi-kun is buying for me. What does it have to do with you?" An’s mind was very clear on this matter, and she wasn’t so easily fooled.

Tsuki was at a loss for words. She couldn’t very well say that she ate the konjac jellies and popping candy for Shuichi’s sake, so he should be the one to compensate her, could she? "Alright, alright. You’re lucky I’m letting you go to the supermarket with Shuichi-kun. If you keep making a fuss, no one will be allowed to buy you anything."

An pouted and looked expectantly at Shuichi, her eyes clearly hoping he would punish her bad sister.

Like spanking her bottom, or that other magical kind of punishment.

Shuichi winked at her and whispered, "I know. You just watch in a bit."

An immediately cheered up, shot her sister a triumphant glance, and then went back to her seat, ready to watch a good show while eating her breakfast.

Seeing this, Tsuki wasn’t angry, but rather exasperated. This fool was truly a lost cause.

"It seems you and Tsuki-chan didn’t go for a walk in the park across the street last night, Shuichi-kun," Mrs. Akiyama said, blinking curiously as she served the steaming hot breakfast.

"It’s been a little cold lately. The student council president isn’t in good health; she might catch a cold from the evening wind," Shuichi said, unsure of what she was thinking.

Mrs. Akiyama must have guessed about the student council president, and she should know about the class president too. But... why didn’t this woman seem worried about her two daughters at all? What kind of strange logic was that?

Seeing her younger sister’s eyes widen again, Tsuki quickly explained, "Don’t talk nonsense, Mom. I’ve explained before, we were just discussing some things."

"Discussing what?" An felt her sister was lying to her.

"The future plans for the ramen shop and things like that. What, are you interested too? Then you can write me a five-thousand-word proposal as well," Tsuki threatened.

An immediately fell silent and quickly signaled to Shuichi with her eyes to teach her sister a lesson.

Shuichi winked in understanding, took out his phone, and skillfully operated it a few times. Tsuki instantly froze and slowly slumped onto the table.

"Mmm, mmm, discussing things. Shuichi-kun is indeed quite mature and a very suitable person to discuss things with. Speaking of walking in the park when it’s cold, you can totally wear a coat to keep warm. Back then, Tsuki-chan’s father..."

Mrs. Akiyama trailed off, blinking as she looked at her older daughter. "Tsuki-chan? What’s wrong? No appetite today? Or are you not feeling well?"

"I’m fine, maybe just a little tired lately..." Tsuki said, her face flushed, her eyes starting to look moist.

An watched this scene, completely bewildered. How did Shuichi-kun do that? She really wanted to know...

"If you’re tired, you should rest more. You too, Shuichi-kun. At your age, you need to take care of your body," Mrs. Akiyama said, her gaze falling on the special dishes.

Hearing this, Shuichi subconsciously touched his lower back.

"You’re playing favorites, Mom! Why don’t you tell me to rest more when I’m tired?" An didn’t understand and complained indignantly.

Mrs. Akiyama snorted. "You silly An-chan, what are you tired from?"

"You’re the silly one, Mom! I work hard helping in the shop every day too. You just favor my sister," An said, feeling wronged.

"Then you can switch with your sister tomorrow. From now on, I’ll teach all my recipes to Tsuki-chan, and let her deliver meals to Shuichi-kun and everything."

After Mrs. Akiyama said that, An hesitated. She had a feeling her mom was tricking her, but... the job of delivering meals to Shuichi-kun was very important, and learning to cook was also very important for their relationship.

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, or so they say.

"Do you want to switch?"

"F-forget it..."

An’s face fell. She buried her head and started gobbling down her breakfast. Thinking too much was tiring; she needed to eat more.

Shuichi couldn’t help but smile. He reached his hand behind Tsuki’s back and gently poked An’s waist.

The latter tickled and flinched. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Shuichi signal her to be quiet. So she quickly closed her mouth and secretly glanced at her sister, who was trembling slightly as she lay on the table, and her mother, who was busy behind the counter.

Shuichi flipped out a lollipop with the back of his hand. An’s eyes lit up instantly, and all her previous unhappiness vanished. She happily took it.

Just as she was about to stuff it in her pocket, her wrist was suddenly grabbed. An jumped in fright.

Tsuki sat up straight, her face flushed, grabbing her sister’s wrist. She turned and glared at Shuichi, reprimanding him in a low voice: "You bastard, you actually gave my sister a lollipop? And behind my back like this..."

"You’re bullying me again, sis! You already said I could go to the supermarket with Shuichi-kun, so why can’t he give me a lollipop?" An felt her sister was being especially mean today.

"No. Other snacks are fine, but lollipops are not," Tsuki said irritably, looking at her foolish sister. Can she really eat that casually?

"I’m not giving it to you." Although An was a fool and not good at sports, she could eat and sleep well, so she was actually stronger than her sister. Moreover, Tsuki was not in her best state right now. She lost her grip, and her sister broke free.

"What are you two arguing about now?" Mrs. Akiyama looked over.

Shuichi cleared his throat. "Ah, sorry. I saw the class president was unhappy, so I gave her a piece of candy. I accidentally overlooked the student council president."

Saying that, he took another lollipop from his pocket and stuffed it into Tsuki’s hand. "This should be fine, right? There’s no need to fight. Everyone gets one."

.

.

.

.

You can read advance Chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.

pat reon.com/GreenBlue17

200 Power Stones for 1 extra Chapter.

5 New reviews for 1 extra Chapter.