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Once a troubling thought takes root, there's no way you can comfortably go back to sleep.
After tossing around restlessly for another half-hour, Bokue finally made a decisive move—he got up!
And, naturally, the moment he sat upright, the blanket slid off his chest and landed on the floor alongside the neatly stacked, freshly washed clothes he'd put on last night.
Good thing Yukina was such a neat freak. If she wasn't diligently cleaning and tidying almost daily, he'd quickly run out of clothes to wear.
Pulling on his scattered clothing, Bokue stretched and stepped out into the living room.
He immediately spotted Yukina standing by the sofa, her back facing him. Next to her on the table was a basket of dirty laundry and a large bottle of detergent, clearly ready for washing.
But for some reason, she had her head down, staring intently at something in her hands.
Curious, Bokue quietly approached from behind, not making a sound until he was almost right behind her.
"Yukina, what are you doing?"
"Eeeek—!"
Like a cat deep in hunting mode that suddenly had its tail stepped on, Yukina jolted straight up, shrieking in surprise. Her phone went spinning wildly into the air—performing exactly 1,980 degrees of rotation—before landing neatly back in her hand.
Of course, she caught it herself. A trained Sword Shaman from the Lion King Organization might be startled, but never completely off-guard.
"B-Bokue-senpai?!"
Yukina gasped, clutching her phone to her chest, her heart racing. She stared at him accusingly, stammering:
"S-since when were you behind me? Senpai, can you please not sneak up like a ghost…?"
"I wasn't sneaking up."
Bokue shrugged casually.
"I just walked out of the bedroom normally. You were standing perfectly still out here, and I got curious. What's so interesting that you're spacing out like that?"
"N-nothing, really. Just doing some quick research, that's all."
As Yukina spoke, she casually twisted her wrist, hiding her phone screen behind her back. Her thumb swiftly closed the suspiciously private search results page.
"Tonight we're going to that banquet, right? Back at the Lion King Organization, I never learned formal etiquette for something like this. I was just checking if there were any special rules or customs."
"Really?"
Bokue could clearly see her dodging the question, but he wasn't the type to pry unnecessarily.
"Well, there's nothing to research. As the saying goes: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Besides, shouldn't they be researching Japanese etiquette if anything?"
"Ah… yeah, you're probably right."
Yukina nodded hastily, clearly relieved he'd changed the subject.
"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Bokue asked casually.
"Yeah… I already ate."
At last, Yukina seemed to calm down a bit.
"Nagisa made pasta this morning and invited me over to eat. She said I should tell you to come over too once you're awake."
"Oh, got it. I'll just wash up quickly then head over."
Bokue flashed her a relaxed OK-sign.
Yukina squinted lightly at him, playfully reproachful.
"Then you better hurry, senpai. You woke up so late that I couldn't even use the washing machine."
Bokue paused halfway toward the bathroom, glancing back with a puzzled expression, scratching his temple.
"Actually, it's fine to use the washing machine even when I'm asleep, Yukina. When I really let myself sleep, my sleep quality is unbeatable—even thunderstorms wouldn't wake me up."
"Ah, yeah… I know."
The words slipped out automatically.
…Wait.
Bokue raised an eyebrow slightly. Was it his imagination, or did that sound a bit… loaded?
Realizing what she'd said, Yukina quickly grabbed the laundry basket and detergent, practically sprinting toward the balcony. Her voice floated back nervously:
"Anyway, hurry up and wash up, senpai! It's already late, and if you delay any more it'll be lunchtime before you eat breakfast!"
"…Right."
Seeing her scurry off, Bokue shrugged and walked into the bathroom without further ado.
Out on the balcony, only when Yukina heard the bathroom door click shut did she finally straighten up, breathing out a relieved sigh as she rubbed her burning cheeks.
She took her phone out again and reopened the browser page she'd minimized earlier. Face flushed, she lightly touched her still slightly tender abdomen and whispered quietly to herself:
"So… yesterday should've been a safe day, right?"
❁❁❁❁
After a quick wash, Bokue directly teleported himself next door to Nagisa's apartment.
When he appeared, the little True Ancestor was sprawled across the sofa barefoot, kicking her petite, snow-white feet back and forth lazily in the air, focused entirely on the phone in her hands.
"Morning, Nagisa."
Having learned his lesson earlier, Bokue didn't try to startle her from behind this time. Instead, he openly approached her, tickling the soft soles of her feet.
"Eeek—!"
Nagisa jumped straight up, but clearly, she had anticipated this. Unlike Yukina's genuine panic, Nagisa's reaction was more like playful acting.
The second she leaped from the sofa, she tossed aside her phone and spread her arms, jumping right into Bokue's embrace like a koala hugging its favorite tree. Without hesitation, she pressed her delicate lips against his, greeting him brightly:
"Mua~ Morning, Big Bro!"
Her cheerful voice shifted smoothly into something far more seductive in the next heartbeat:
"So… does Big Bro wanna eat breakfast first, or… me?"
A line straight out of a light novel or anime classic.
Bokue's reply was blunt and decisive:
"Can't we do both at once?"
"Of course~ Absolutely no problem!"
Nagisa eagerly agreed, grinning mischievously.
"After all, Big Bro has his breakfast, and Nagisa has hers too~."
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A few minutes later—
Sounds from next door leaked through the wall, clear enough for Yukina to hear from her room as she returned from starting the laundry.
Yukina sighed helplessly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and mild annoyance.
"Those two are at it again…"
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