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Walking into the bathroom.
Gotō Hitori carefully closed the door, then put Kitahara Makoto on the ground, covered herself with her bathrobe and crouched down, then actually reached out and started scratching Kitahara Makoto's chin:
"Kitahara-kun, stay in the bathroom and don't run around, or it will cause trouble for Kita."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
You're actually scratching my chin?
But... it's actually quite comfortable.
No wonder dogs love to have people scratch their chins, it feels surprisingly good.
"Ah...!"
Gotō Hitori suddenly exclaimed softly and quickly picked up Kitahara Makoto:
"The bathroom hasn't been cleaned yet, there's so much water..."
Kita had been in a hurry to leave just now, so she hadn't cleaned the bathroom. There was a lot of standing water on the tile floor. It didn't matter to humans, but when a puppy lay down on the ground, its fur would get wet.
"Kitahara-kun, stand still and don't lie on the ground. I'll clean the bathroom..."
Before Gotō Hitori could finish speaking, she suddenly felt the weight of the puppy in her arms suddenly increase, and she involuntarily let go.
Plop.
Kitahara Makoto's figure appeared out of thin air, the transformation time was up, and he changed from an animal back into a human. He barely managed to adjust his posture in the air and knelt on one knee on the tile floor.
Animals don't wear clothes, so when he turned back into a human, he naturally wouldn't have any clothes on.
Looking at the naked Kitahara Makoto, Bocchi-chan's small face turned red, and she quickly looked away, panicking and about to leave:
"I-I'll go out first..."
However, the next second.
Kitahara Makoto's distressed voice suddenly rang out:
"It hurts..."
"Eh?" Gotō Hitori quickly stopped and looked back, anxiously saying, "What's wrong, Kitahara-kun?"
"My knee hurts." Kitahara Makoto covered his knee, a look of pain on his face. "Just now, Hitori held me so high, and I fell from mid-air and hit my knee."
"I-I'm sorry!"
Recalling what had just happened, Gotō Hitori quickly apologized guiltily.
"It's all my fault. I didn't expect Kitahara-kun to change back so quickly... I'm very sorry!"
If the bathroom wasn't so humid, Bocchi-chan might have prostrated herself on the ground.
Kitahara Makoto covered his knee and got up, saying:
"When Hitori apologizes, she must show sincerity."
"Eh?"
Gotō Hitori looked up in confusion.
"I just so happen to not have taken a bath yet." Kitahara Makoto revealed his true intentions. "Hitori, help me scrub my back, and I'll forgive you."
"..."
Gotō Hitori's small head immediately shook like a rattle.
(No!)
(No, no, no!)
(Helping a boy bathe and scrub his back is too embarrassing!)
Kitahara Makoto covered his knee, his expression pained:
"It's broken, my knee is broken, only Hitori helping me scrub my back can make me stand up."
Gotō Hitori: "..."
Faced with Kitahara Makoto's rogue behavior, Bocchi-chan had no way to refuse. She was also worried that her voice would be too loud and Mrs. Kita outside would hear, so she could only blush and shyly agree:
"I-I'll help you scrub your back..."
The painful expression on Kitahara Makoto's face instantly disappeared, and he turned around and sat on the small stool under the showerhead:
"Then I'll have to trouble Teacher Hitori."
Gotō Hitori took the showerhead and towel with a red face, squatted down behind Kitahara Makoto, and began to help him scrub his back.
"Too light, use more strength."
"Oh..."
"Does Hitori take a bath alone at home, or with Futari?"
"I bathe with Futari. If no one is watching, Futari will keep playing in the bathtub."
"Playing in the water is a child's nature. Did Hitori also play in the bathtub when she was little?"
"Ah..."
"Don't tell me you didn't?"
"Mom said I was super timid. When I was little, when I entered the bathtub, I would be afraid and hug the edge of the bathtub, completely afraid to play in the water."
"..."
To be this timid, she's really something!
It was her first time helping a boy scrub his back, and Gotō Hitori originally thought she would be very nervous, but perhaps because of the small talk, she wasn't very nervous, mostly just shy.
Gotō Hitori blushed and helped scrub his back, her eyes peeking through her bangs, shyly sizing up the muscle lines on Kitahara Makoto's back, and an impulse arose in her heart:
"I want to touch..."
(Ahhh! How could I have such a thought, too, too shameless!)
(Scrub his back honestly, don't touch randomly, or I'll be seen as a pervert, right?)
(I definitely don't want that to happen!)
"That's about enough, help me apply some soap."
Kitahara Makoto said.
"O-Okay..."
Gotō Hitori quickly nodded in response and quickly took the soap and started applying it to Kitahara Makoto's back.
"T-That's enough..."
Gotō Hitori's voice was shy, wanting to slip away.
"Wait a moment, there's still the front."
"Eh?"
Kitahara Makoto slowly said:
"When Hitori takes a bath, she washes the front too, right? So, I'll have to trouble you with the front too."
Gotō Hitori: "..."
Although you have to wash the front when you take a bath, you wouldn't let someone else help, okay!
"N-No... I can't do the front..."
Gotō Hitori's small face was as red as fire. Faced with Kitahara Makoto's inching forward, she didn't dare to refuse sternly, only looking over with a pitiful expression.
Little did she know that her pitiful, weak, and helpless appearance only made people want to take advantage of her even more!
"Hitori, as a teacher, wouldn't abandon her injured student, right?"
Kitahara Makoto turned his head and looked over.
"I-I'm sorry, I won't be a teacher anymore..."
The ahoge on Bocchi-chan's head trembled slightly, sensing danger approaching, and she panicked and was about to get up and run away.
Unfortunately, she didn't exercise usually and had just been squatting for a long time. Suddenly getting up caused her to feel a darkness in front of her eyes, dizzy and disoriented, and she fell towards Kitahara Makoto.
"Careful!"
Kitahara Makoto was quick-witted and caught Bocchi-chan.
As everyone knows, when people are flustered, they will instinctively grab anything nearby to maintain their balance.
Gotō Hitori was like this at the moment.
Although Kitahara Makoto caught her and she didn't feel any pain in her body, the dizziness with stars in her eyes didn't disappear. In her panic, Gotō Hitori instinctively grabbed the object at hand.
"Hiss ~"
A strange hissing sound seemed to ring in her ears.
The dizziness and darkness gradually dissipated, and her vision returned to normal. Only then did Bocchi-chan realize what she had grabbed.
"Eh? Eh? Eh?!"
Gotō Hitori's small face suddenly exploded with redness, directly evolving into a steam princess.
"I-I'm sorry!!!"
"..."
Looking at Bocchi-chan, who was so embarrassed that she almost fainted and had shrunk into a ball, Kitahara Makoto took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to take advantage of Bocchi-chan:
"Come over and let me kiss you."
"..."
Gotō Hitori quickly shook her head.
"After the kiss, Hitori can leave," Kitahara Makoto's gaze was burning. "Otherwise, I don't know what I might do."
"..."
Gotō Hitori had no choice. To escape the bathroom, she could only move closer, her face flushed with shame.
Kitahara Makoto reached out and pulled Hitori into his embrace, then directly covered the girl's soft, rosy lips.
After kissing for a moment, the belated Kita finally came online:
"Bocchi-chan, why aren't you out yet?"
Hearing Kita's voice, Bocchi-chan, who had been obediently enduring the bullying, opened her eyes in a panic, shyly bit Kitahara Makoto, and then retreated:
"I, I'm coming out..."
"Ouch," Kitahara Makoto covered his mouth. "Today was only half a kiss; we'll continue tomorrow."
Gotō Hitori: "..."
Slipping to the bathroom door, Gotō Hitori quickly pulled it open and fled.
"Bocchi-chan, why is your face so red it's about to explode?"
Kita Ikuyo was startled, then immediately realized:
"Has Kitahara-kun turned back into a human?"
"He must have. I was on the phone with my mom for quite a while, so he must have transformed," Kita Ikuyo puffed out her cheeks, indignant. "Did Kitahara-kun take advantage of you again?"
"No..."
"Don't say no, your face is as red as a ripe tomato!"
"Th-that..."
Gotō Hitori stammered, looking down at her toes.
Washing his back was nothing, but being kissed just now was because she accidentally grabbed... she couldn't possibly say that!
"Bocchi-chan, just tell me," Kita Ikuyo, for her friend, was ready to go through fire and water. "I will definitely get justice for you!"
Kitahara Makoto's voice came from the bathroom:
"Alright, I'm waiting for Kita in the bathroom. Come on in and get justice for Hitori."
Kita Ikuyo: "..."
Kitahara Makoto leisurely said:
"Kita-sama wouldn't just be all talk and not dare to come in, would she?"
"Don't you look down on me!"
Kita Ikuyo lightly bit her teeth and decisively turned around, saying:
"Bocchi-chan, let's go. Don't mind Stupid Kitahara. Anyway, he's not wearing clothes, let's see how he comes out."
"If Kita doesn't help me get my change of clothes, I'll come out in broad daylight," Kitahara Makoto's voice sounded again. "Anyway, I'm shameless."
Kita gripped her small fists in indignation:
"...Shameless!"
"Thanks for the compliment."
"..."
It proved that ordinary people truly had no way when encountering a rogue.
Not only was Kita Ikuyo unable to help get justice, but she also had to go to the balcony to get his change of clothes and dutifully deliver them to the bathroom.
Otherwise, with Kitahara Makoto's thick skin, he really would have come out of the bathroom in front of them...
After washing up.
There was no need to say more about what followed.
Kitahara Makoto accepted guidance from Kita and Hitori, entering a crash course mode.
In the blink of an eye, it was half past ten at night.
"Whew..."
Kita was already sleepy and starting to yawn.
"That's enough for today," Kitahara Makoto glanced at the time. "Go back to your rooms to rest, then continue your training in the Dream World."
"Mhm, mhm."
Gotō Hitori quickly nodded.
Because she accidentally held it in the bathroom, Bocchi-chan still didn't dare to look up at anyone. If it weren't for the late hour and Kita being nearby, she would have already fled home.
"Let's go."
Kitahara Makoto packed his things and went upstairs with the two girls.
As usual, the two girls slept in one room, and Kitahara Makoto slept alone.
"Kita, goodnight."
Kitahara Makoto said softly.
"Goodnight..."
Kita Ikuyo rubbed her eyes as she responded.
"Hitori. Goodnight."
Kitahara Makoto looked at Bocchi-chan again.
"G-goodnight..."
Gotō Hitori kept her small head down, not daring to look up at anyone.
"See you in the Dream World."
Kitahara Makoto waved his hand and pushed open the door to enter his room.
The night passed without incident.
The training in the Dream World needs no further explanation. Theoretically, in the Dream World, a person doesn't need to eat, drink, or rest, and can devote all their time to training.
It usually takes at least two or three months for a normal person to learn the guitar, but before going to bed, Kitahara Makoto ate several magic cookies in one go, directly boosting his comprehension and thinking abilities to a genius level. Coupled with Kita and Hitori's hands-on, close guidance, and tireless practice in the Dream World, "overnight mastery" was not an exaggeration.
In summary.
The next morning in the real world.
After Kitahara Makoto woke up, he had successfully learned the guitar.
Of course, everyone's definition of "learned" is different. Kitahara Makoto had only achieved basic proficiency, able to play and sing, still far from Bocchi-chan's level.
After getting dressed, Kitahara Makoto pushed open his door and happened to see Kita yawning as she came out of the room next door.
"Kita, good morning."
"Good..."
Kita Ikuyo responded groggily, her small face suddenly flushing rapidly, and she glared at him with angry eyes.
"Stupid Kitahara is too much!"
"What did I do?"
Kitahara Makoto asked, feigning ignorance.
"You know what you did in the Dream World!" Kita Ikuyo was filled with shame. "Forcing Bocchi-chan and me to use that kind of address... Shameless! Absolutely shameless!"
Even in the Dream World, one could get tired.
Whenever Kitahara Makoto felt fatigued from learning guitar, he would amuse himself by bullying Kita and Hitori.
Kitahara Makoto sighed:
"When in danger, you call 'Master, save me,' but now that you're awake, you call me 'Stupid.' Kita, you're too much."
"Pfft~"
Kita Ikuyo lightly spat:
"Kitahara-kun, you know very well why those monsters appeared, don't you!"
Kitahara Makoto's expression remained unchanged:
"I don't know."
"Shameless!"
"..."
Kitahara Makoto took two steps forward, extended his right hand, and grabbed Kita, who was trying to escape, pulling her back.
"Why monsters appeared in the Dream World, you should ask Hana, but Kita called me stupid, and I'm very wronged. You won't leave without a kiss."
Kita Ikuyo quickly raised both hands to cover her rosy lips:
"Get away from me, I haven't brushed my teeth yet!"
Kissing without brushing her teeth would leave a taste!
"Alright, I'll give Kita two more choices," Kitahara Makoto extended two fingers. "The first choice, Kita, just like in the Dream World, call me 'Master' twice and I'll let you go..."
"I don't want to," Kita Ikuyo snorted lightly. "What's the other choice?"
"The other choice is simple," Kitahara Makoto smiled. "Kita just needs to say 'I like Kitahara-kun,' and I'll let you go."
"I-I like..."
Kita Ikuyo's small face quickly flushed red, and she couldn't help but complain:
"Forcing someone to say 'I like you,' I've never seen anyone so shameless!"
Kitahara Makoto showed no shame: "Kita is seeing one now."
Kita Ikuyo: "..."
"Make your choice quickly," Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow. "After ten seconds, if you don't choose, I'm going to kiss you."
"..."
As Kitahara Makoto began to count down, Kita Ikuyo had no choice but to turn her head away, her small face crimson, and whispered:
"M-Master..."
Kitahara Makoto's gaze was burning:
"Calling 'Master' once isn't enough."
"Master Master Master~"
Kita Ikuyo's voice was sweet and clear, calling out three times in quick succession, then she glared at him in shame:
"Are you satisfied now?"
"Satisfied."
Kitahara Makoto smiled, then suddenly extended both hands, pinching Kita's soft, slender waist, and directly lifted Kita into the air.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?"
"I'm very happy, so I'm giving you a lift-up."
"Stupid Kitahara, put me down quickly!"
"Isn't Kita happy?"
"I'm not happy at all!"
"..."
A moment later.
The two went downstairs together. Kita went to the bathroom to wash up, while Kitahara Makoto went to the kitchen to prepare food.
After the meal was prepared, Gotō Hitori just woke up.
After the three of them had breakfast, it was time to record the song demo.
The lyrics and composition were already done in the dream, and now that the demo was recorded, the video could be sent to Ms. Shiraishi for her evaluation.
Sitting on a chair by the window, Kitahara Makoto held his guitar, gently strummed the strings with his fingertips, and began to sing.
"That's the person I miss deeply at night, the one I love so much…"
At first, one doesn't understand the meaning of the song; listening again, one becomes the person in the song.
Life is a train traveling across a wilderness, and once many people get off, it's goodbye forever.
Middle schoolers and high schoolers might only find the melody pleasant, but adults can truly feel it in their souls.
The song ended.
Kitahara Makoto exhaled lightly, looked at Kita and Bocchi-chan sitting opposite him, and asked softly:
"Is the video recorded?"
"Ah…"
Kita Ikuyo came back to her senses, her face flushed as she said:
"Yes, yes, it's already recorded."
Stealing a glance at Bocchi-chan, both girls' faces simultaneously flushed.
Just now, Kitahara Makoto, wearing a white shirt, sat by the window singing and playing, with sunlight streaming in from outside, making his whole being seem to radiate light, making it difficult for the two girls to look away.
Kita Ikuyo vaguely had a premonition:
"The scene of Kitahara-kun playing and singing the guitar just now has become a golden memory, forever etched deep in my mind, something I can never forget in this lifetime, right?"
"Let me see."
Kitahara Makoto put down his guitar, walked over to Kita, and checked the recorded video.
After confirming everything was correct, Kitahara Makoto said straightforwardly:
"Kita, send the video to Ayane-nee."
"Okay…"
Kita Ikuyo agreed, opened the chat software, and sent the video.
Next was the waiting time.
Ms. Shiraishi was likely sleeping in; it wasn't until nearly ten o'clock that the message finally showed as read.
A few minutes later.
A video call came in directly.
"Ayane-nee is video calling, should I answer?"
Kita Ikuyo looked up.
Kitahara Makoto nodded and said:
"Answer it."
The video connected.
A female university student wearing pajamas with messy hair appeared on the other end of the phone, her eyes sparkling as she said:
"Unexpectedly, Kitahara-kun's song completely exceeded my expectations!"
Kitahara Makoto remained unfazed, saying:
"Thank you for the compliment."
"It's decided, I'm going to rewrite the script." Ms. Shiraishi was excited, "I'll set Kitahara-kun as the campus's first love, with other girls pursuing and secretly liking him. Years later, two of those girls form a Kessoku Band and step onto the stage… But if so, Kitahara-kun's screen time will decrease."
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"I don't mind, after all, it's the first micro-movie, and it might be the last. I just hope Ayane-nee can film it well."
"Kitahara-kun's resolve is truly high." Ms. Shiraishi blinked, a sly smile suddenly appearing on her face, "Big sister wants to give you a little reward."
As Ms. Shiraishi spoke, she pulled down her pajamas.
Kita, who was next to her, immediately became anxious:
"Ayane-nee, don't play pranks!"
"Alright, the reward will be given next time." Ms. Shiraishi propped her chin on her right hand, "If it's set as a group of sisters, besides Kita-chan, I also need to find another female high school student as a protagonist, and the others can't just be background. I can't find that many suitable female high school students right now… Does Kitahara-kun have any recommendations?"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones=1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr | 16 novels being updated, I can't read all comments