Masao approached Jahy, his hand trembling slightly as he reached for her hair. Even in
her diminished form, she was still a girl, and the proximity was doing a number on his nerves.
'Get a grip, Masao. Get a grip.'
He fixed his eyes on the stool, refusing to let his gaze wander. Peripheral vision? He didn't have any right now. He was a pillar of focus.
With painstaking effort, he concentrated on the task at hand: rinsing the shampoo from her hair.
"Don't touch my ears!"
The instant his fingers accidentally brushed against the soft, cat-like appendages on her head, Jahy flinched and slapped his hand away.
"Okay, I'll be more careful," he promised.
She eyed him with deep suspicion, but after a moment's hesitation, she slowly sat back down.
As he resumed his work, Masao's eyes were irresistibly drawn back to those twitching feline ears.
'She says I can't touch them... which makes me want to touch them even more.'
It was a universal truth: forbid something, and it becomes all you can think about. Masao was no exception to this rule.
He stole a glance at Jahy; she had her eyes closed, seemingly lulled by the sensation of having her hair washed. Seizing the moment, his traitorous hand crept forward once more and gently stroked the base of her ear.
"Eek!"
The reaction was instantaneous. Furious at the second violation, Jahy scrambled to her feet and physically shoved him out of the bathroom.
—
"That bastard! If I had even a shred of my magic left, I'd turn him into a roach and step on him!" she fumed, slumping back onto the stool. At least the shampoo was rinsed out.
She grabbed the body wash, the slick, floral-scented gel lifting her mood almost instantly.
Soon, a contented hum escaped her lips.
Outside, Masao listened to the muffled singing. He looked down at his offending hand in despair.
"I blew it. If I'd just held out a little longer, I could have offered to help with the body wash... What a perfect opportunity, wasted."
He glared at his own hand as if it belonged to a stranger, then smacked it sharply with his left. "This is all your fault. No self-control whatsoever."
"Why am I like this? They're just cat ears. It's not like they're rare. How could I be so weak?"
His heart heavy with regret, Masao finally trudged away from the door.
—
After a long, blissful soak, Jahy emerged from the bath wrapped in a single towel. Dripping wet footprints trailed behind her as she dashed to the kitchen and yanked open the refrigerator door.
She snatched a carton of milk, cracked it open, and tipped her head back.
Chug, chug, chug~
"Ahhh! Now that's the stuff!" she proclaimed to the empty room. "A cold drink after a hot bath is the pinnacle of luxury."
"You're adapting to modern life scarily fast," Masao commented, watching her from the doorway. "You've already mastered the art of pampering yourself."
"Of course," Jahy declared, puffing out her chest with pride. "I was born for a life of comfort and indulgence."
She then pointed a commanding finger at him. "Alright, your turn. Go get clean. You're stinking up the place."
"Right, right," Masao said, gathering his sleepwear.
As he headed for the bath, a sly, calculating smile spread across Jahy's face.
—
Masao's off-key singing echoed from the shower. It was a well-known fact that every man became a concert-level performer under the shower.
Meanwhile, a shadowy figure slipped into the changing area.
Jahy eyed the closed bathroom door, then crept over to the laundry basket containing Masao's discarded clothes.
The shower was still running, his terrible singing muffled by the spray.
'Good, he's still occupied.' she thought.
Her hands dove in, frantically patting down pants pockets and turning shirts inside out.
Her target was his Arc Reactor. But the infuriating boy kept it on his person at all times, and when he bathed, he would put it in his inventory. Her search was proving futile.
"Where is it?" she muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration as she shook out a pair of jeans.
Creeeak.
The bathroom door swung open.
Four eyes met.
A completely naked Masao stood frozen, water dripping from his hair, staring in bewilderment at Jahy crouched on the floor, clutching his underwear.
Jahy's eyes, following the sound, traveled downward and were met with an… enthusiastic greeting.
"Ahhh!" they screamed in perfect, horrified unison.
Jahy slapped her hands over her eyes, her face burning scarlet.
"You degenerate! Why are you parading around naked!?"
"Who the hell takes a bath with clothes on!?" Masao yelled back, crouching to preserve
his modesty. "And what's your excuse!? Snooping through my clothes while I'm in the shower!?"
Knowing she was cornered, Jahy opted for a strategic retreat. She scrambled to her feet and bolted for the door. Just before she slammed it shut, she stuck her tongue out.
"Nyah-nyeh! You wish you had anything worth looking at, you pervert!"
As her footsteps faded, Masao could only sigh in exasperation.
He looked at his rifled-through clothes, and a sudden, bizarre thought struck him.
'Wait a second… is this one of those anime clichés? Does she… have a thing for me? Was she secretly trying to smell my clothes?'
He stroked his chin, convinced he'd
uncovered the truth.
'Jeez, if she has a scent fetish, she could just ask. No need for the breaking and entering.
Fine. I'll train extra hard tomorrow. A shirt drenched in a full day's sweat—nice and potent. She'll probably treasure it.'
—
Unaware of the fragrant future being planned for her, Jahy stomped her foot in the living room.
"How infuriating! Why did he have to finish so fast? I didn't have time for a proper search! Where is he hiding it? It's not on him, it's not in his clothes… He couldn't have… swallowed it, could he?"
A new, horrifying image entered her mind.
"No, that's absurd even for a human. Then... spatial storage magic? But he has no mana! ...Does he?"
She had such an ability herself, of course, but she'd dismissed the possibility for Masao due to his lack of magical power, being a human and all, but now, it seemed the only logical conclusion.
"It seems a covert night-time operation is my only recourse," Jahy declared to the empty room, and began to meticulously plot her next move.
—
"Wow! So cute!"
Kazumi Tanaka clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Jahy. The girl was now dressed in a new pair of pajamas covered in a print of tiny kittens. The normal, adorable clothing amplified Jahy's natural cuteness to devastating levels.
"Is that so? I must admit, the fabric is acceptably soft, and the design is… not entirely displeasing," Jahy said, trying to sound aloof despite the happy little twirl she gave in front of the mirror.
"Here, try this one next!" Kazumi, now fully immersed in the joy of a living dress-up doll, produced another outfit from her shopping bag.
From the sofa, Kenji Tanaka watched the scene with a soft, paternal smile.
'A daughter really is something special.'
His gaze then drifted to his son, Masao, loitering near the doorway, and his expression soured into one of mild distaste.
"Hey, Dad. I just saw you look at me with pure disdain," Masao stated flatly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kenji replied, not even bothering to look at him.
While the father and son lapsed into a comfortable silence, the two females of the house continued their fashion show, laughter and exclamations filling the warm, cozy room.
—
Later that night, in Jahy's new bedroom.
She clicked off the lamp, sank into the soft mattress, and pulled the fluffy comforter up to her chin.
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[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)