"Mom!" Yukiko let out a whine that bordered on a total breakdown. She felt as though her entire body was about to spontaneously combust.
Even for a private heart-to-heart between mother and daughter, wasn't this a bit too blunt?
More importantly, that big idiot was hiding right next to her! If he heard those words, wouldn't he completely misunderstand? Wouldn't he think she had been fantasizing about... that... all along?
At the thought, Yukiko bit her lower lip in a mix of shame and indignation, her ears turning a shade of red so deep they looked ready to bleed.
In truth, Mrs. Fujimine had already dropped similar hints to Hayashi Shuichi back when she visited the izakaya. At the time, however, Shuichi had been far too dense to catch the subtext, assuming the Fujimines were simply asking him to look after Yukiko. As people who had been through it all themselves, the Fujimines believed that when it came to their daughter's love life, it was better to guide her with an open mind than to build a wall of forbidden fruit.
Because they were satisfied with Shuichi's character and capabilities, they chose this modern, frank way to remind Yukiko of the risks.
Outside, the rhythm of the rain began to soften. Mrs. Fujimine glanced at the wall clock, then pulled back the covers and stood up.
"It's late. Get some sleep."
Only after her mother's footsteps had completely faded into the distance did Yukiko whip the covers off. She glared, huffing with indignation, at the curled-up form of Hayashi Shuichi.
"You... you heard everything, didn't you?"
Her voice trembled slightly from the sheer weight of her embarrassment.
Shuichi slowly poked his head out from under the duvet, his face flushed—though mostly from the effort of stifling his laughter. He put on his best innocent act, blinking wide, guileless eyes.
"Heard what? I fell asleep just now."
"Liar!" Yukiko's face burned. She snatched a nearby plushie and threw it at him with all her might. "You definitely heard it! That... those things she said..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, eventually tapering off into a tiny, mosquito-like hum.
Suddenly, Shuichi reached out and caught her wrist as she swung another doll. His gaze turned uncharacteristically soft and earnest.
"Yukiko, I promise you. Until you're ready... I won't do anything."
Yukiko froze, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn't expected this guy—who usually lived to tease and annoy her—to suddenly become so serious.
"Who... who asked for a promise?!" Yukiko stammered, hurriedly yanking her hand back. She couldn't, however, hide the slight, involuntary upward curve of her lips.
She turned her back to him, lying down and pulling the duvet all the way over her head. Her voice came out muffled from beneath the fabric: "Just go to sleep! We have to get up early tomorrow!"
Shuichi looked at the little mound on the bed and smiled silently. He tucked the corner of the blanket in for her and then lay down himself. Staring at the ceiling, his mind finally began to settle. Before long, the weight of exhaustion pulled him under, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
After a while, Yukiko—feeling the heat becoming unbearable—finally poked her head out from under the covers.
"It's so hot... how did you stay under there for so long?"
She asked several times but received no answer. Puzzled, she sat up and leaned over her plushie to check on Shuichi, only to find that he was already fast asleep.
"You're such a pig, sleeping that fast!"
Yukiko pouted. Looking at his sleeping face and thinking about how many times he had taken advantage of her tonight, a spark of mischief flickered in her heart. Her eyes landed on a tube of lipstick sitting on the nearby vanity. A wicked glint appeared in her eyes, and she crept out of bed on tiptoe...
At four in the morning, Shuichi was jolted awake by his alarm.
He sat up groggily. "It's not even light out yet, why is the alarm..."
Mid-sentence, he caught sight of the unfamiliar bedroom and remembered exactly where he had spent the night. He listened intently. The living room was silent. Mr. and Mrs. Fujimine must have finished their movie and retired to their own room long ago.
Shuichi hopped off the bed and moved stealthily toward the door to retrieve his clothes, only to find the spot empty.
Then it hit him—Mrs. Fujimine had said she was going to wash "her daughter's" clothes last night.
No way... did she actually do it?
Shuichi rubbed his temples, a headache forming. He walked over to Yukiko and gave her a gentle nudge. "Yukiko?"
The girl merely rolled over, hugging a teddy bear like an octopus. She muttered something under her breath, her lips pouting and rubbing against the plush fur.
"Shuichi... hehe... stop... don't lick me there..."
What on earth is she dreaming about? Shuichi shook his head, half-amused and half-exasperated. Seeing how soundly she was sleeping and knowing how exhausted she had been from filming, he decided not to disturb her further.
He cracked the door open and slipped out into the darkness, feeling his way toward the bathroom.
Just as Mrs. Fujimine had said, his shirt, pants, and even his boxers had been washed and dried in the machine. Shuichi picked up the warm clothes and was just about to change.
Suddenly, the living room light flickered on!
It was Mr. Fujimine, who had woken up thirsty in the middle of the night. The washing machine was located right by the sink outside the bathroom—the very path one had to take to get to the kitchen.
The moment the light hit him, Shuichi froze. His mind raced, desperately trying to calculate how he could explain this without Mr. Fujimine breaking his legs.
Fortunately, Mr. Fujimine was still half-asleep. Although he saw a figure standing there, Shuichi was currently wearing Yukiko's pajamas. In his bleary-eyed state, the father took the figure for his daughter.
"Why aren't the lights on? Be careful not to trip," Mr. Fujimine muttered. With that simple warning, he continued his trek toward the kitchen.
Shuichi realized he'd been misidentified and didn't waste a second. He grabbed his clothes and ducked into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He didn't dare turn on the light; he changed in the pitch black, feeling his way through the fabric.
Once he was back in his own clothes and heard the sound of Mr. Fujimine returning to the master bedroom, Shuichi finally slipped out of the apartment.
As he reached the ground floor, he tried to ghost past the security desk, but he was spotted by the guard on duty. It happened to be the same older man who had checked him in earlier.
"Out so early—?"
The guard started to speak but stopped abruptly. He stared at Shuichi for a second, then burst into a fit of laughter.
"Man, you young people really know how to play, don't you?"
"What?" Shuichi was baffled.
"Haha, it's fine, I get it, I get it," the guard chuckled, nodding sagely.
Shuichi had no idea what the man was talking about, but he wasn't about to stick around to ask. He hurried out of the building.
The guard watched him go, shaking his head. "The Fujimines are back, and they still let their daughter play like that? Showbiz is really something else..."
Mounting Midori Orizasa's bicycle, Shuichi began the ride home.
The post-rain air was crisp, carrying the fragrant scent of damp earth and grass. The streets were nearly deserted, with streetlamps casting long, shimmering shadows across the wet pavement.
Shuichi made it back to the Mouri agency building without a hitch.
Inside, Reiko was fast asleep in her room. However, his "apprentice," Furuya Rei, had completely commandeered his own bedroom...
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