Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 140, Section 15: "A Fan Convention That Takes a Long Way Around"

It's just terrible.

Standing outside the deepest stall in the men's restroom, Masumi pressed her forehead and sighed in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to... Are you alright?"

Hearing faint rustling sounds coming from behind the door, it was clear that the girl was taking off her pantyhose.

The reason the two were in the men's restroom was that Haiyue refused to go to the women's restroom by herself no matter what, and Masumi naturally couldn't go with her either. Fortunately, the men's restroom at the doujinshi convention was a very special place.

For example, when Masumi first came here in the morning, she almost thought she had entered the wrong restroom when faced with the composed "female cosplayers".

A sudden tremor came from my pocket.

Masumi took out her phone—

Kurage: "Come in."

Masumi: "Huh? Now?"

Kurage: "Hurry up."

Kurage: "Angry pink jellyfish emoji"

Putting down her phone, Masumi looked around to make sure no one else was there, then pressed the handle and pushed the door inward.

Thump—the door seemed to have hit something and couldn't move forward an inch.

He thought for a moment and guessed that it must be a changing table, which is usually folded up against the wall and can be put down to take off shoes and stand on when changing clothes.

Masumi: "Put the changing table up there, the door is blocked, I can't get in."

"..."

Kurage: "That's fine."

Masumi pressed the handle, smoothly entered the cubicle, and then quickly closed the door.

As one of Kobe's most prestigious convention centers, the space here is impeccably clean, seemingly unaffected by the 5K issue, and the air freshener smell is even a bit too pungent.

Ignoring these insignificant environmental details, Masumi focused her attention on the other person in the cubicle.

The jellyfish girl was staring at him with a look of shame and indignation.

"Masumi...you're bullying me..."

"Uh, well, I didn't mean to."

Seeing this side of Yuukawa for the first time, Masumi's eyes darted around in confusion. In any case, she knew she had gone too far.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were really going. I thought it was just an excuse... Anyway, it's all my fault."

Masumi clasped her hands together, bowed, and apologized to the girl with a very sincere attitude.

“Masumi… doesn’t trust me…”

Haiyue bit her lower lip, letting out a pitiful, weak murmur.

She curled up on the toilet seat, hugging her knees, and buried her face between her crossed arms.

The pleated skirt, which was longer than knee-length, became wrinkled because of her poor posture while sitting. After taking off her pantyhose, her fair and tender thighs were revealed underneath the skirt.

"No, it's not that I don't trust you!"

Masumi subconsciously spoke a little loudly in her defense, which startled Haizuki. She hugged her thigh tightly, her small face lifting nervously from between her arms as she looked at Masumi with trembling eyelids.

"Really?"

"Really." Masumi nodded vigorously, her gaze quickly rising to the surface.

The girl in front of him was in a dangerous position; he could see things he shouldn't have without even looking.

"Then Masumi promises... from now on, whatever I say... you will believe me unconditionally..."

"Uh, this..."

Dissatisfied with his hesitation, Haiyue's eyes filled with tears again.

"Don't cry, I'm sorry, I promise! I'll believe whatever you say from now on!"

Having no other choice, Masumi reluctantly agreed. He didn't want to make empty promises, so if he made a promise, he had to keep it.

Is this really a good idea? Let's just consider it paying for our mistakes.

"Hook."

"Oh."

Masumi extended her little finger, but it was left hanging in mid-air.

"I haven't forgiven Masumi yet..."

The jellyfish girl's lips were pressed tightly together into a line.

"And yet... I really liked that one..."

She frowned slightly and pointed to the fabric piled on top of the pantyhose next to her.

Masumi looked over and saw that it was a pair of pure white cotton panties with pink jellyfish patterns, and the lace on the waistband resembled the umbrella of a jellyfish.

"Kurokawa said...on a date...you have to wear your favorite clothes..."

It was clear that Hanekawa really cherished this bra. She managed to squeeze out a soft sob from between her tightly clenched teeth. It was unbelievable that the usually expressionless jellyfish girl could be so emotional. Masumi felt incredibly guilty.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'll help you clean it."

Seeing the shadowy expression on the other person's face, Masumi blurted out, interrupting Kaigetsu, whose eyes widened as she stared at him.

Realizing she had spoken without thinking, Masumi quickly corrected herself, saying, "Let Kamishiro and the others help you."

"Masumi...is trying to shirk responsibility?"

"That's not true. Don't speak like Kamishiro."

"No... I want Masumi..." the jellyfish girl said stubbornly, her tone tinged with barely audible anxiety.

"Okay, I understand."

Masumi sighed. Fortunately, there was a mini washing station on the wall of the cubicle. She soaked her underwear in water, and the transparent lace spread out like a jellyfish.

He lathered up with soap and carefully washed the clothes by hand, while turning to Haiyue and asking, "By the way, did you get your skirt dirty?"

"No."

"That's good."

"..."

Silence hung between them. Haiyue sat on the toilet seat, hugging her knees, and murmured, "It's chilly...uncomfortable..."

"Um, do you have any spare underwear?"

Without even thinking, the answer was no, Masumi quietly exhaled.

Haiyue's pleated skirt was a style that went past her knees, but even so, he couldn't just let her go out like that, so he could only use the facilities in the bathroom to quickly dry it.

"Here you go, wear it yourself. I'm going out now."

Masumi handed her the dry underwear.

Haiyue's slender arms still clung to her thighs, refusing to let go, while her snow-white legs stretched straight out, her insteps taut, leaving her toes dangling in the air.

The implication was obvious, but the innocent jellyfish girl always spoke her mind: "Masumi... help me put it on..."

“That’s not appropriate,” Masumi refused without hesitation.

The girl protested, "But... Masumi just promised me..."

"I promised to trust what you say, not to become your slave."

“Then…” Haiyue tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, “This is… punishment for Masumi…”

“This hardly qualifies as punishment,” Masumi said with a wry smile.

"What is that?" the jellyfish girl asked seriously.

"Consider it... a reward."

"award!?"

Haiyue stared wide-eyed in disbelief, tilting her head slightly in confusion, "Why?"

"Uh, it involves a lot of knowledge from anthropology, sociology, and psychology." Masumi scratched her head awkwardly, feeling like she was... no, completely a pervert.

"Anyway, if you want to punish me, don't make me do this."

Haiyue quietly shook her head, "Then... let's reward Masumi."

"Huh?!" This time it was Masumi's turn to widen her eyes in confusion. "Why? I just did something really awful to you. Can you just forgive me like this?"

"Oh no... I haven't... completely forgiven Masumi yet..."

"However... Masumi takes good care of me... I also want to thank Masumi..."

“There’s no need for such thanks.” Masumi sighed. “This kind of very intimate behavior has gone beyond the boundaries of friendship.”

Although many of her actions are like this in everyday life.

“But… I want to do this…” Haiyue answered without hesitation.

"What kind of relationship allows us to do this... I don't understand... but... I want to have this kind of relationship with Masumi..."

"That kind of relationship probably requires you to be boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Then let's become boyfriend and girlfriend with Masumi."

The tone of this sentence was not strong, but it was a rare instance of her being able to utter a complete sentence.

"Masumi wants to...when do you want to have a baby?"

Haiyue tilted her head with a curious look, her voice as innocent and pure as a baby's, as if she were asking, "When are we going out to play?"

"Huh?" Masumi exclaimed in disbelief, "Where did you learn that from?"

"Back in Kyoto... Asami taught me..."

That guy, Seno...

Masumi sighed quietly. Seeing this troubled look on Kaigetsu's face, the girl lowered her eyelashes and twisted her lips in pain, appearing exceptionally vulnerable.

"sorry."

Why the sudden apology?

"My obsession with Masumi...does it annoy you?"

“When I was little… that’s how it was… girls in my class were nice to me… so I would want to get closer to them… and then I would be disliked and distanced from them because of it…”

"My mom also said... that what I'm doing is disgusting... and that I should be a normal child..."

"But I can't do it... In order not to cause trouble for others... I was told to stay at home obediently... and study high school on the computer..."

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes lowered. "I've caused Masumi... a lot of trouble..."

As Haiyue recounted her story in fits and starts, her long-suppressed emotions seemed to burst forth all at once, leaving Masumi speechless for a moment.

“I don’t hate you because of this.” He shook his head. “I just hope, I just hope…”

What does she hope for? Like everyone else she's met before, someone who resists her overly clingy personality and distances themselves from her? That seems no different from those people. "A person who can understand others and has empathy for their affairs," Masumi was once described as such. If someone is willing to open their heart to them, they cannot stand idly by and watch that pain.

"Oh, right." Masumi clapped her hands lightly as if suddenly remembering, hoping the sound would lift Kaigetsu's spirits. "You mentioned to me before a friend named 'Kose,' right?"

Before coming to the coffee shop, he seemed to be Hanekawa's only friend.

"Ah."

Haiyue nodded expressionlessly. "Sho is the only one who doesn't look down on me... but... Sho has her own world... she can't always be with me..."

“I tried to keep up with her… but… I messed it up…”

In the end... I'm still all alone...

Haiyue gasped for breath, "So... I will try my best to become like a jellyfish... to keep up with the current... and not become detached from the environment..."

After speaking, the girl lowered her eyelashes quietly, like a real doll whose energy was released after winding up a clockwork, and remained motionless.

So that's what jellyfish means. Sweat beaded on Masumi's forehead, sliding down the contours of her face. She felt so hot and wanted to escape this enclosed space.

He recalled Hanekawa's murmurs at the aquarium: "...cannot swim, has no self, no heart, can only drift with the water...cannot emit its own light, a weak and illusory creature..."

"..."

The faint sound of sneakers hitting the tiles was quite noticeable in the quiet cubicle, where you could hear a pin drop.

Footsteps pierced her ears. Haiyue looked at Masumi walking towards her, her toes curling slightly with nervousness, before Masumi gently took hers.

"Makoto...Sumi?"

The palm sinks into Haiyue's soft skin; her fair and delicate arches are so slender that they can be grasped in one hand, yet they also have a slightly plump feel when squeezed.

"Lift your feet up, I'll help you put them on."

"Huh?" Haiyue opened her eyes wide in confusion, nodded, then shook her head and said, "I lifted it for too long... my leg went numb... I can't move it..."

"I knew it would be like this." Masumi sighed as if she had no surprise. "Then don't move around."

"Ah."

"But since your foot is numb, you probably won't feel anything..."

"Woo~"

The jellyfish girl let out a soft moan from between her lips, "Itchy."

"Isn't it numb?"

"My senses... have returned a little..."

"Then bear with it."

"Yes." Haiyue said earnestly, "Don't worry... I'm best at enduring..."

"Really?" Masumi clearly didn't believe it. "If you were good at enduring, the two of us wouldn't be here right now."

The jellyfish-like girl blushed, "Masumi...you're bullying me..."

"Excuse me, could you lift your leg up for a second?"

Haiyue was as compliant as a Barbie doll that had been dressed up, raising her legs and letting her toes dangle in the air.

The fabric slowly licked from the calf up to the knee and continued upwards.

What am I doing right now? Masumi felt her consciousness was completely blurred.

The girl before him was clearly different from the goddess of the age. The heir was both weak and strong, and surprisingly strong. She only needed to remove the grudges in her heart to be free to move forward without fear.

However, this delicate girl, as fragile as a jellyfish, needed real care and action; beyond that, he didn't know how to react.

"Masumi..." The jellyfish girl called his name softly in the gentlest voice.

"Ok?"

The plaid pleated skirt created folds that exceeded the intended lines, revealing her fair and tender thighs.

What is our relationship now?

"It's probably a relationship between a guardian and a ward," Masumi replied casually.

"Does guardianship... allow one to do this kind of thing?"

"Uh, probably."

"Then what's the difference between that and being boyfriend and girlfriend?" the girl asked, tilting her head.

Before he could answer, Haiyue nodded as if she understood, "I understand..."

"what do you know?"

Masumi looked at her in surprise.

"ceremony."

"ceremony?"

Masumi pondered the nonsensical word and tentatively asked, "Is it Seno again?"

"Ah."

"You'd better not believe her too much."

Masumi lowered her eyelashes, and the lines etched on the palm of her hand—a short career line and a complex love line—inadvertently brushed against the girl's tender skin.

It resembles a plump and firm apricot, with solid flesh and abundant juice beneath its outer skin.

He suddenly felt like he was seeing something he shouldn't have, and his gaze wandered nervously.

"You can carry the rest up yourself."

"Masumi... help me..."

"We've already come this far, can't you just put it on yourself?"

“Masumi is the one who… even though she helped me get here…”

"..."

Masumi suddenly realized that Hanekawa's naturalness was not the same as her honesty. In order to adapt to the cruel survival rules of nature, cunning is an instinct engraved in the genes of every living thing, and jellyfish are no exception.

"There's nothing we can do about you."

There's nothing I can do about it.

He then picked up the delicate lace trim, slowly lifted it up, and completely covered it. He then carefully adjusted its position so that the girl would be more comfortable wearing it. The smooth touch of her skin made Masumi blush and her heart race.

"You're dressed, stand up."

"Ah."

Haiyue nodded expressionlessly, then stood up straight on the toilet seat, looking down at Masumi with a slight frown. "So high."

“I meant for you to stand on the ground.” Masumi sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Get down from up there quickly."

"It's too high...it's a bit...scary..."

You could tell that the jellyfish girl gasped, her eyelashes trembling as she looked at the ground.

“Just on the toilet? That’s too much.” Masumi shook her head, squatted down, and brought her palms together. “Step on it and help me down.”

"Ah."

Her fair, bare feet tremblingly stretched out into the air, her soft, delicate soles stepping into his palm; they were so small that he could easily hold and play with them.

The girl, holding onto Masumi's shoulders, swayed as she got off the toilet seat and landed on the changing table.

Masumi suddenly realized that her so-called "fear of heights" might just be a way for the girl to act cute.

The two were very close once again, and Masumi hesitated before calling out her name.

"Hanekawa."

"Ok?"

"I hope you can be strong," Masumi said involuntarily.

"However, this is not to force you to distance yourself from others."

"Then... will Masumi... still stay by my side?"

Masumi sighed softly, "They're already guardians and wards, so they probably will."

Perhaps his heart was wavering, his eyes flickered, and he slowly lowered his head, while inwardly mocking himself, what kind of relationship and address was this?

After saying that, he didn't speak again.

Haiyue's lips curled slightly as she looked at Masumi's silent profile. The jawline peeking out from the gap in her black hair had a sharpness unique to men. Would she get cut if she tried to lick it with her tongue?
But before she could make any move—

hum-

A tremor came from the pocket sewn into the front of the hoodie at the abdomen.

Haiyue quietly took out her phone, and Masumi leaned closer to look at it.

LINE's private chat interface:
Neko: "Why did it take so long?"

Neko: "Are you lost?"

Neko: "If you don't reply to me, I'm going to look for you in the bathroom."

Neko: "Where are you? There's no one in the women's restroom."

Neko: "Do you have a signal where you are? Reply to me as soon as you see this message."

7 missed calls.

Masumio: "Did you find Masumi?"

Masumio: "I knew it, you lowly woman."

Masumio: "Get out here right now."

Masumio: "You are absolutely not allowed to touch Masumi, do you hear me?"

“I forgot… they were still waiting for me outside…” Haiyue said innocently.

"Sigh~"

Masumi suddenly remembered something and belatedly picked up her phone.

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Masumi-kun, you're so slow."

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Aren't you coming back? You haven't been reincarnated into another world, have you?"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Masumi-kun, I didn't expect you to be such a vain man, staying inside for so long for the sake of so-called self-esteem, ugh."

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Are you giving me the silent treatment?"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "Ailune throwing an explosive barrel.gif"

Ryujinin Michiyo: "I asked the person next to me to watch the stall for you. I'll wait for you in front of the toilet and see when you come out!"

(End of this chapter)