On the other side, Suiren had pretty much lost her appetite, her mind filled with everything Aoi had just said.
"Hikari-kun actually still remembers those things from when we were kids? And he's still liking me?"
"But we've all grown up now, and I'm even engaged. This can't go on. I should find some time to properly explain things to Hikari-kun."
Thinking of Hikari, who used to be like her little brother when they were young, Suiren made up her mind that next time, she had to clearly explain the relationship between the two of them to Hikari.
———
Meanwhile, Hikari still had no idea that Aoi had already "exposed" his many years of "secret crush" on Suiren.
At this moment, Hikari had just arrived at Miyuri's place not long ago and was taking care of her in her bedroom.
After all, until Natsuki Kazuto died, Miyuri had never broken off her engagement with him.
So in a sense, Miyuri could be considered a widow-to-be.
Perhaps because too many things had happened too suddenly and her mood was extremely unhappy, not long after Hikari entered her bedroom, Miyuri asked him to continue teaching her to do some happy things.
Hikari naturally did not refuse and lent a hand to this troubled would-be widow.
After Hikari activated the mechanism of happiness, the somewhat gloomy Miyuri finally showed a smile again.
When Miyuri had sunk into pleasure, panting happily and so exhausted she could not move, Hikari supported her round hips and slowly laid her back onto the bed.
Looking at Miyuri now, her delicate body sprawled out on the bed in a big spread-eagle shape, her beautiful eyes hazy, Hikari left her bedroom and went into the kitchen to busy himself for a while.
When he returned to the room, Miyuri, who had just fallen back from heaven to the human world, had already regained her senses.
Hikari immediately said to her, "Aunt Miyuri, I've just made you some food. If you're hungry, eat a bit first."
"Okay, thank you, Hikari-kun~", Even though her lower belly was already quite full, Miyuri still got up and hugged Hikari, resting her head against his chest and thanking him in a soft, sweet voice.
With Hikari's support, Miyuri, whose legs were sore and even a bit painful, limped her way to the dining room.
Hikari accompanied Miyuri as they ate dinner together.
After dinner, seeing drowsiness appear in Miyuri's eyes, Hikari immediately stood up and said, "Aunt Miyuri, you should rest. I have something to take care of at home, so I'll head back first. I'll come back later to keep you company. If anything comes up, you can call me anytime."
"Alright, sorry to trouble you, Hikari-kun," Miyuri nodded gratefully, hugged Hikari's head, and kissed him on the cheek.
After sending Miyuri back to her room to rest, Hikari casually helped her close and lock all the doors and windows, then left Miyuri's house and hurried back toward his own home.
———
Night fell, the sunset had completely disappeared beyond the horizon, and the moon and stars took their places. The streetlights along the rural road cast a dim yellow glow.
A petite, graceful figure darted lightly through the dark yellow light.
She had long, flowing, silky blue hair. Her delicate little face was still a bit youthful, yet her chest was so full it made many mature women feel ashamed. She could be said to still have childlike innocence while already possessing the potential to become a succubus.
"Heehee! When I see Hikari-kun in a bit, should I greet him first, or just jump straight into his arms?", Jinno Ai walked along, already thinking about what would happen later.
She had always had a good impression of Hikari, her childhood playmate, and after that courage test event, Jinno Ai missed even more the feeling of being together with Hikari.
Whether it was the warm body heat when she was held, or Hikari's reliable charm as a mature man, both deeply fascinated Jinno Ai, who had lacked a father's love since childhood.
Jinno Ai guessed that with Hikari, a Tokyo high school student, coming to the countryside, he must be extremely bored staying at home with nothing to do.
After all, he didn't know many people in the countryside. Besides staying home watching TV shows and playing on his phone, what else could he do?
So after finishing up the affairs at Ino Shrine today, Jinno Ai snuck out behind her mother Jinno Sumire's back and hurried toward Hikari's house, planning to secretly give him a surprise and keep him company doing some fun things together.
But just as Jinno Ai was letting her imagination run wild, thinking about what kinds of games she and Hikari, a lone man and a lone woman, could play at his house, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an unexpected incident.
Two figures suddenly appeared in front of Jinno Ai, standing stiffly in the middle of the road and blocking her path.
Looking at the two burly men in black who had appeared out of nowhere, Jinno Ai frowned slightly and slowly slowed her steps.
"Little girl, all by yourself?", one of the men in black said with a grin.
"What do you want?", Jinno Ai didn't answer, frowning as she asked.
"You're pretty. We want to invite you to play a little game with us uncles. How about it?", The other man in black smiled as he walked closer to Jinno Ai.
"Get lost! Stay away from me!", Seeing the two men in black gradually closing in, Jinno Ai clearly realized that them stopping her here was no accident. They had their eyes on her.
"You little girl, how can you talk to your uncles like that? So rude. Looks like we'll have to give you a proper lesson later," In response to Jinno Ai's shout, the two men in black showed no sign of backing off and instead moved even closer.
Seeing how these two men in black were quite well-built and didn't look like ordinary street punks at all, Jinno Ai felt a bit troubled.
'Who sent these guys? A family faction hostile to the Jinno family?'
'Or some corporate force that has been suppressed by mother?'
'Or perhaps a religious sect whose beliefs conflict with Ino Shrine?'
The Jinno family had a huge estate and business, but they also had plenty of enemies.
The Jinno family held a great deal of status in Ino Village.
That was because not only did the Jinno family manage the largest Ino Shrine in the village, they were also involved in many aspects of various industries throughout the village and town, enjoying great prestige across all of Ino Village.
With power that large, it was only natural to have all kinds of enemies.
Being targeted like this wasn't the first time for Jinno Ai, the Jinno family's young lady.
What troubled her, though, was that she had snuck out of the shrine today. Because her mother, Jinno Sumire, didn't really like her having too much contact with Hikari, her childhood friend, she didn't have bodyguards accompanying her like usual.
Watching the two men in black gradually approach, a trace of fear appeared on Jinno Ai's delicate little face.
"Don't! Don't come any closer!"
Seeing the frightened look on the cute face of the Jinno family's young lady, the two men in black became even more excited.
"Haha! Little girl, don't be scared. We uncles just have something we want to talk to you about…"
"Yeah, it's not safe to walk alone at night. Be good and come with us."
Forcing Jinno Ai into a dead corner against a wall, one of the men in black let out a creepy laugh as he reached toward her petite body, preparing to grab her.
But just as his hand was about to catch Jinno Ai's arm, the fear on her face suddenly vanished.
She made an extremely quick sidestep to avoid the reaching hand, then turned and slammed her elbow into the man's ribs. Taking advantage of his pain and unsteady balance, she followed up with a fierce kick that sent him crashing to the ground.
"Hah! Who said it's not safe for me to walk alone at night?", Jinno Ai lightly flicked her water-blue long hair, crossed her wrists and rotated them, and smiled heroically at the man in black who was still standing.
Although she was the Jinno family's young lady, Jinno Ai was not the kind of fragile girl who couldn't even tie up a chicken.
On the contrary, she had practiced judo for many years.
Her combat ability was definitely not weak. Ordinary adult men were no match for her at all.
At this moment, the other man in black saw his partner get taken down in an instant and widened his eyes in shock.
"Y-you little girl are actually this strong?", He frowned at Jinno Ai, wariness showing on his face.
Jinno Ai quickly took off the hair tie on her wrist and tied her long hair, which had been hanging down her back, into a high ponytail, looking solemnly at the man in black in front of her.
She could tell these two men in black were not ordinary punks.
If they were just regular thugs, she wouldn't be afraid even if a few more showed up.
But these two felt more like experienced enforcers, not easy to deal with.
The reason she could take one down so quickly just now was because he underestimated her due to her appearance, allowing her to take advantage of his carelessness.
If they fought head-on, with him being a well-built adult male, he would definitely have the advantage.
Still, Jinno Ai wasn't afraid. One-on-one, she was confident.
After tying her hair, Jinno Ai struck a fighting stance with heroic flair and even took the initiative to provoke him, "Uncle, weren't you going to grab me? Come on."
Seeing this petite girl daring to provoke him so confidently, the man in black felt a bit angry.
But he didn't rush. He just sneered at Jinno Ai, "Just wait."
Hearing that, a bad feeling suddenly surged in Jinno Ai's chest.
All of a sudden, the door of a van that had been parked by the roadside for who knew how long slid open.
Four or five more burly men in black got out.
Seeing the backup arrive, the man in black who had first been sent to capture Jinno Ai laughed and said, "See that, little girl? In this world, being able to fight is worth jack. You need power and backing. You'd better come with us obediently."
Considering the possibility that Jinno Ai might have bodyguards, the people sent this time weren't just the two of them. They only started with two because they thought grabbing a little girl like her would be enough.
Now that they'd realized Jinno Ai could fight, of course more people came to help.
But just as the man in black smugly turned his head, about to tell Jinno Ai to get into the van obediently, he discovered that the blue-haired girl had vanished from where she had been standing, leaving behind nothing but an empty wall.
Turning his head, he saw a blue high ponytail swaying up and down, a petite figure rapidly pulling away in the distance. Jinno Ai had sensed something was wrong and decided to run.
"She's trying to run! Chase her!", he shouted.
The other men in black immediately went after Jinno Ai.
Although Jinno Ai made the decision to run quickly and at the right time, catching the men in black off guard, she was still petite, with legs that weren't very long, and her running speed wasn't especially fast.
The men in black were more numerous, and under their encirclement and pursuit, Jinno Ai was quickly caught up to and blocked inside a narrow alley that only allowed passage in one direction.
Seeing Jinno Ai finally cornered, the man in black who had first tried to grab her hurried forward, panting slightly as he sneered, "Run! Keep running! Why aren't you running now? No place left to run, huh? Behave and come with us. Run again and we'll break your legs!"
As he spoke, the other men in black swarmed forward and surrounded Jinno Ai, forcing her back against the tall wall at the very end of the alley.
"Wait! Don't do anything yet. Do you want money or something else? We can talk," Jinno Ai knew that even with her judo training, she couldn't possibly be a match for so many burly men, so she tried to probe their motives or stall for time.
But the man in black saw through her intentions at once and waved his hand with a cold laugh, "Grab her and take her away. This little girl's trying to stall. Her bodyguards might show up any minute. Move!"
Hearing that, Jinno Ai knew her plan had been exposed.
Watching the men in black slowly close in, she clenched her teeth, didn't retreat any further, and instead took on a ready fighting stance, preparing to fight to the death.
Seeing Jinno Ai like this, the man in black only sneered coldly. With so many of them, there was no way they couldn't take her down. This Jinno family young lady still trying to struggle was nothing but overestimating herself.
But at that moment, a steady yet heavy set of footsteps suddenly came from behind the men in black. It sounded like only one person, yet it felt strangely oppressive, as if each step was stomping on their hearts, pounding endlessly into their ears.
The men in black all stopped their advance at once.
"Little Ai, why are you here?", a slightly puzzled voice rang out.
Hearing that voice, the men in black instantly grew tense, instinctively assuming that someone from the Jinno family had come to protect Jinno Ai.
But when they turned around, they discovered that there was actually only one person.
And it was just a young boy who looked like a high school student.
"Hey, where'd this little brat come from? Lost or something? Get the hell out of here!", one of the men in black warned viciously.
"Hikari-kun?", Jinno Ai recognized the newcomer.
Seeing Hikari, she was first delighted, but when she noticed the five or six burly men in black, she immediately stopped herself from greeting him.
Instead, she kept blinking at him, signaling him to leave quickly, not to be reckless, to hurry to the shrine and tell her mom about this, and bring the Jinno family people over.
After all, with so many of them, Jinno Ai didn't think Hikari alone could beat them. She didn't want Hikari to get hurt trying to save her. Abandoning her now and going to report this was the smartest choice.
But Hikari seemed unable to understand Jinno Ai's hints, or the threat posed by these men in black at all. He continued to walk toward them slowly.
Seeing Hikari approaching step by step, the man in black who had spoken earlier felt anger rising in his chest.
Catching the questioning looks from his companions, he spoke directly, "Since this brat seems to know her and doesn't know when to quit, grab him too. We'll bury him together later!"
After saying that, several men in black turned around and moved to surround Hikari.
Seeing this, Jinno Ai grew frantic and couldn't help shouting, "Hikari-kun, run! These guys are up to no good!"
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