"Mom, I'm going to take a bath."
"The hot water's ready, and your clothes are over there. Natsumi, do you want me to scrub your back?" her mother called from the kitchen, washing dishes.
"No, no need!" Natsumi hurriedly declined, shaking her head like a rattle. While eyeing her mother's back, she frantically waved Muxiao inside, who smoothly slipped into the bathroom.
"Mom, you should rest after cleaning up. Don't worry about me," Natsumi said, shutting the bathroom door and letting out a long sigh. "If only I lived alone, then you wouldn't have to hide like this, Muxiao."
As she spoke, Natsumi felt a spark of anticipation for living independently—renting a place of her own someday. Not just for independence, but for the thought of living with Muxiao.
That kind of life would be amazing, right?
Sadly, that life was still far off. Her mother would never agree to her moving out anytime soon.
Lost in thought, Natsumi unbuttoned her shirt, peeling off her jacket and blouse, revealing smooth, fair skin. She'd said she felt dirty, but Muxiao didn't see anything unclean about her.
Her flawless, snow-white skin, delicate collarbone, and toned, graceful abdomen stood out. Athletic girls were different—unlike delicate, frail girls, Natsumi's abs were impressive, clearly the result of regular exercise. Not as exaggerated as a man's, but her defined waistline was striking.
Muxiao's tentacle brushed her navel, snapping Natsumi out of her daze. With a shy whimper, she covered her navel. "Muxiao!"
Despite their earlier intimacy, being seen in such bright light still made her blush.
Watching Muxiao casually turn on the showerhead and stand under the hot water, Natsumi gradually relaxed.
She let her arms drop from covering herself.
We've already been so close, and I even decided to give myself to him. There's no need to be shy about something like bathing together.
With that thought, her nerves settled…
Muxiao, under the rushing water, nearly went cross-eyed. The advantage of his tentacle monster form? No one could tell when he was staring.
This must be what they call blatant ogling.
"Muxiao, want me to help you…"
Natsumi untied her ponytail, her vibrant blue hair cascading over her shoulders. Hesitantly covering herself, she started to speak, only to freeze, her mouth agape. Muxiao had somehow grabbed her discarded clothes and draped them over his head.
She was mortified.
"Muxiao!!"
Natsumi lunged, forgetting her modesty, and snatched her clothes back. "Don't play with my clothes like that!!"
…Wearing them on his head? That's too embarrassing, too weird! Natsumi couldn't handle it.
Her body pressed against Muxiao's as she reclaimed her clothes. But looking down at the adorable, dazed tentacle monster, her face burned.
"Muxiao, you jerk."
Clutching her clothes tightly, Natsumi felt the hot water from the showerhead cascade over her. Steam rose as water flowed through her hair, plastering her bangs to her forehead and wetting her long locks, which clung to her cheeks and shoulders.
Droplets fell from her head, soaking her eyebrows and sliding down her temples, dampening her lashes. Her blue eyes blinked, her nose, lips, and cheeks glistening with moisture.
Her exquisite features and radiant face looked ethereal in the misty steam, dreamlike and otherworldly.
Water continued to trickle down her neck, over her collarbone—some gathering and dripping off, others trailing further down to her navel and slender legs…
Like a lotus blooming in clear water, the girl exuded infinite allure. Muxiao was genuinely entranced. His tentacle lifted her wet hair and bangs, gently brushing her smooth, tender cheek.
For some reason, what should have been a sensual scene carried little lust for either of them. Instead, it felt like their hearts were drawing closer.
He waved a towel in front of her. Natsumi understood. "Scrub your back?"
Muxiao nodded.
"Then… I'll leave it to you."
Flustered, Natsumi got up and knelt on the floor in a duck-sitting pose, letting the hot water flow freely over her body, washing her delicate frame. Muxiao's tentacle grabbed the towel and scrubbed her back, moving back and forth before squeezing some body wash, creating bubbles across her skin.
"M-Muxiao?"
Natsumi shivered, glancing back in surprise. The towel was gone—replaced by his tentacles. Seeing them lather bubbles across her body, she panicked slightly.
"Wait, Muxiao, isn't this too… I-I can do it myself, ugh~"
This… this is too intense! Natsumi, who'd never experienced anything like this, felt her strength drain. "Muxiao, stop it! Ugh, you idiot—!"
Her pupils shrank, her body reacting intensely, her thoughts spiraling into chaos. Her cherry lips didn't know whether to cry or moan, her bones practically melting.
"Eek—!"
The sound of rushing water grew louder. Half an hour later, a blue-haired girl wrapped in a towel emerged from the bathroom, exhausted. Her flushed, steaming body radiated a tempting scent, her long legs wobbly as she walked.
Natsumi hadn't crossed the line into womanhood, but she'd tasted a hint of what it felt like.
That sensation… it was both embarrassing and intoxicating.
Meanwhile, in his room, Houichi Matsubara stared out his window at his childhood friend's house next door, gazing at her lit curtains.
"Natsumi…"
They'd once been close, but he'd only seen her as a childhood friend, nothing more. Now, as she drifted further away, Houichi longed for the days when she was by his side, reluctant to let her go.
"I won't give up, Natsumi. You're my precious childhood friend—no, more than that," he said, clenching his fist. "I've realized my feelings for you…"