Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 148, Section 23: "In a dream, one is unaware of being a guest."

My body slid into the blankets and was immediately enveloped in the warmth of the bed.

Coming to her senses, Masumi exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, "Seno?!"

"Hey, why is Masumi-kun shouting like a girl?"

Asami grinned mischievously. "Heh heh, I've wanted to see Masumi-kun make this face for a long time. I've wanted to tear that fake, serious face of yours to shreds."

"Seno, do you know what you're doing right now?"

"As the master of my dream, I am punishing the uninvited guest who has intruded into my dream," she said righteously.

"No, this is not a dream."

"You really are a habitual liar, Masumi-kun. In reality, you should be far away in Kobe right now, busy with the coffee shop's business. How could you suddenly appear in Kusatsu?"

"Is it possible that he took the tram to Kusatsu today...?"

"Haah~"

Asami swallowed back the yawn that had rolled to her lips, tears welling in her eyes, interrupting his slow and methodical explanation.

"I never thought I'd yawn in my dream," she murmured to herself.

"Oh, excuse me, what did Masumi-kun just say?"

Although she usually acts carefree in front of him, this is the first time he has observed her at such close range, let alone lying on the same bed. It feels like the intimacy of a couple living together or newlyweds sharing a bed.

Under the quilt, her arms were covered in sweat, tightly wrapped around herself, and through her skin, one could feel the warmth of her lingering in bed.

Following the graceful curve of her chin and her slender, beautiful neck downwards, her snow-white skin is revealed inch by inch.

Because of the side-lying position, that contour was squeezed out particularly clearly.

The color is comparable to that of a fully ripe strawberry... Could it be?

Masumi closed her eyes, not daring to accept the challenge.

"Masumi-kun, why did you close your eyes?"

"I want to wake up from this nightmare as soon as possible."

"What is that?" Mami laughed happily. "Open your eyes now, or... I'm going to kiss you."

"Your breath will smell bad when you first wake up, please don't do that."

"Masumi-kun!"

Her mischievous smile turned into a faint, murderous grin as she uttered a sound of dissatisfaction.

The soft touch suddenly turned into an impact, harmless but numbing Masumi's entire body, because her arms were holding her so tightly she couldn't move. Masumi couldn't imagine what she had used to ram into her.

"Even in my dreams, he still has that annoying look, it's infuriating."

She complained, then snorted through her nose, "Don't you dare sneak away."

Her plump, rounded thighs tightly clamped around Masumi's left leg, which was trying to escape. Even through the thin fabric, one could feel the fleshy texture.

Asami parted her lips slightly, her sweet voice seemingly melting, possessing a honey-like quality:

"Or is it that Masumi-kun wants to kiss other places?"

My heart started beating erratically.

"What do you want to do?"

Masumi opened her eyes resignedly, and in her line of sight, a stunningly beautiful face wore a mischievous smile.

"Nothing, I just wanted to see more of Masumi-kun's awkward reactions."

"My right hand is numb from being pressed down, can I move it a bit?"

"No tricks allowed."

As soon as his right hand moved away from under his body, Mami seized the opportunity to grasp it firmly, their fingers interlocked, and a real heat emanated from his skin, making his palm feel as if it were burning.

"What are you..."

"I can do whatever I want, which is why I'm not explaining to Masumi-kun."

"Isn't this too much of a whim?" Masumi sighed.

"Because it's in a dream."

A smug and provocative smile appeared on Asami's lips.

"Even in a dream, this is far too willful and reckless."

"Tsk, that's just like what Masumi-kun would say in real life. This dream is too realistic."

Even now, does this guy still not realize that he has already woken up?
Beneath her disheveled black hair, her beautiful coffee-colored eyes, half-hidden, suddenly shone with starlight.

"By the way, since it's a dream, it's okay to go a little further, right?"

"To go even further means..."

Masumi's throat trembled slightly, and her body suddenly tensed up, as if a snake had crawled over her from head to toe.

"Ugh, there really is a difference between reality and comics."

"Seno."

"W-What's wrong, Masumi-kun?"

Mami swallowed hard, and for some reason, her tone became a little hesitant.

A slight blush rose to her cheeks.

The touch eroded Masumi's thoughts through her soft fingertips. He tried to remain calm, and the voice he squeezed out of his throat was several times more pathetic than usual.

Have you ever heard the saying that humans cannot imagine things they haven't seen?

"But aren't Gundam and Ultraman just figments of our imagination?"

"Idiot, don't do that while you're chatting!" Mami asked, puzzled.

"Well, so there's a premise to this statement: it's based on our senses. Even though I've never seen a Gundam, the roar of its engines, the flight path of its aircraft, and all sorts of weapons are all based on these imaginations... Could you please take your hand away?"

"right."

Mami blinked, looking confused. "Now that you mention it, my senses seem a bit too acute. Could it be...?"

The next moment, her cheeks flushed red to an unbelievable degree.

"So, that means this isn't a dream!?"

It's like the sound of carbon dioxide escaping after you unscrew the cap of a soda bottle.

In September, cool air blew in from Lake Biwa, and the heat under the blankets dissipated in the wind.

◇

"I'm sorry! Masumi-kun! I, I..."

The more he tried to explain, the more he stammered and fragmented his words became.

Asami simply pressed her forehead against the bed surface, adopting a posture of repentance and apology.

"..."

The atmosphere became very subtle. Masumi remained silent for a long time. Seeing her so gentle face, she felt a little uncomfortable and sighed deeply.

"Never mind, there's no need for that."

"No, no matter what, I really went too far this time."

Mami kept her head down and refused to look up, then gritted her teeth and released her emotions.

"Ugh, that's enough! Why did I have to fall asleep at this time of year? Wait, could I be having a nightmare?"

This desperate look, clinging to a sliver of hope and fantasizing about turning back time, really has Seno's style.

Masumi felt inexplicably at ease, a slight smile playing on her lips, and slowly opened her mouth:

"Seno."

"Ok?"

"I don't really care much about apologies, but..."

"But what?" Mami looked up, puzzled. "Why are you looking at the ceiling, Masumi-kun?"

"Um, could you please put your clothes on first?"

Even with her body pressed against the bed, the girl who apologized in the dogeza posture still showed a noticeable curve as she was pressed against the bed.

"Huh? Eh? Eh eh eh eh eh!!!!!"

◇

Two minutes later, Mami, wearing only her underwear, glared at him fiercely.

Even with her back to her, Masumi still felt like she was being pricked by needles.

"I said, at least put on all your clothes properly, don't just do this half-hearted thing."

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, Masumi-kun has seen this level of exposure countless times."

Even if you've seen it many times, it doesn't mean you can remain calm and composed, Masumi sighed quietly in her heart.

“…How annoying,” she suddenly said.

"what?"

"I said—I hate this feeling!"

Mami's scream echoed throughout the room, then she bit her lower lip and said:
"I did a bunch of messy things while I was half asleep, and even my naked and disheveled state was seen by Masumi-kun, but I can't blame anyone else for it! Because I did it all on my own initiative."

"I hate this feeling!"

"That's it."

Masumi subconsciously echoed, and Mami immediately glared at them with eyes that had turned icy cold.

"Hey, Masumi-kun."

Her beautiful eyes suddenly became empty, staring straight at him, making Masumi feel a chill run down her spine.

"I didn't seem like a pervert just now, did I?"

"No, it doesn't look like it." Masumi scratched her cheek guiltily.

"Yeah, that's good."

Perhaps it was self-deception, but Mami accepted the answer, lowered her head, her eyes unfocused for a moment, staring blankly at the bed, seemingly lost in thought, as if she were stunned.

When she looked up again, her expression was her usual mischievous smile.

"Speaking of which, Masumi-kun and I are even now, right?"

Before Masumi could answer, she thought for a moment, then nodded seriously, "No, I should say I've gained something, after all, Masumi-kun is a boy."

"I don't feel that way at all."

"Really? But Masumi-kun's body didn't say that just now," Mami teased him.

A smooth, rounded, mature body suddenly drew closer, the lines of its ribs faintly visible beneath its bra. Upon closer inspection, Seno's fat was quite evenly distributed, except for its slightly plump belly. "I know, I know, guys are all two-faced creatures, aren't they?"

"You're really not being honest, Masumi-kun."

She kept nudging Masumi with her eyes.

This girl, who was clearly embarrassed just now, can now jokingly use it as a topic of conversation to provoke me. Masumi really doesn't understand where her bottom line is.

"Please don't talk like you're some kind of dating expert. You don't know enough guys to make that kind of conclusion, do you?"

“Indeed, I only have Masumi-kun.” Asami nodded generously in acknowledgment, then added with a hint of ambiguity, “However, Masumi-kun is different.”

"What is this talking about?"

"...Masumi-kun, what do you think our relationship is right now?"

Her beautiful coffee-colored eyes looked directly into his eyes.

Masumi turned her face away, avoiding the main point, and said, "Friend."

Dissatisfied with his answer, Mami narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp and scrutinizing, and said meaningfully.

"Hey, if friends reach the level that Masumi-kun and I have, is that still considered a pure friendship? It's more accurate to call it a 'sexual friendship'."

"It can't all be my fault."

"Yes, really! But Masumi-kun didn't resist, did he?"

"Wasn't it you who chained me up with your hands and feet, and..."

"And what?"

Masumi's confidence waned considerably at this point. As a boy, if he took a forceful stance, breaking free would certainly not be a problem.

Just now, being gazed at by Mami with seductive eyes in bed, my instincts instantly bared their fangs in my mind, almost devouring my rationality completely. I couldn't resist that magic.

"I'm sorry, there was indeed something wrong with me, and I will take responsibility for that part."

After he finished speaking, he looked up and saw Asami with a completely red face.

"Wait a minute! Why are we suddenly discussing responsibility? Our matter hasn't escalated to that point yet, has it?"

Upon hearing his seemingly enlightened reply, Mami immediately wore an embarrassed expression. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, her gaze sharpened, and she glared at Masumi.

"Don't try to change the subject. Answer my question: what is our relationship now?"

It seems someone else has changed the subject.

"..."

After a long silence, Masumi looked into her eyes again and replied, "I guess you could say it's... the ambiguous period."

A relationship that's more than friends but not quite a romantic one.

This is an adjective so convenient it's almost unfair, encompassing everything from budding feelings to passionate, fiery love.

"Hey, the ambiguous stage, huh?"

Asami repeated the word with an implied meaning, then pouted her lips in protest, "What a cunning answer."

"And what about you and Rinne?"

The unexpected question prompted Masumi to think for a moment before answering, "The relationship between the shop manager and the young master."

"anything else?"

"...the ambiguous period."

Mami remained noncommittal and continued to press, "Where's Umizuki?"

"Guardian...and the ambiguous period."

"So, Xiao Qian'ai is a childhood friend and someone in a period of ambiguity."

"Uh, almost."

Masumi nodded reluctantly. Things were getting a little out of control, and she was forced to examine her relationships with other girls in front of a girl she admitted to being in a "flirting" phase.

Mami's expression didn't seem to change much.

"And what about Miss Mio?"

"Ex-girlfriend."

"No ambiguous period?"

"No."

Although Masumi's answer remained unwavering, Mami gave a suspicious snort and shifted her gaze back to the front.

“Masumi-kun, although you usually read more books than I do, it’s time for me to give you a lesson.”

"What kind of science popularization?"

"In a relationship, the opposite of liking is not disliking, but indifference, because people don't dislike someone who is insignificant. It is precisely because they care that they have a lot of emotions for no reason."

"I see."

In a girl's room, Masumi is given a lesson by a beautiful woman wearing only underwear. In such an improper setting, Masumi actually gains new life experience, which is truly incredible.

"Then let's include Kurokawa as well."

He answered in a defiant, "what's the use?" manner.

Mami's gaze was like a stab, and Masumi couldn't help but shrink back when suddenly met with a fierce stare.

She suddenly spread her arms wide, struggling to maintain the pose in mid-air.

"What's going on?" Masumi looked completely confused.

"It's obvious, isn't it? A hug is an essential part of any farewell or reunion," she said matter-of-factly.

"Last time at the station, only Masumi-kun didn't come up to hug me... Wait a minute!"

A strange light shone in Mami's eyes. "I understand now. So that's how it is. You regretted not being able to seize the opportunity to embrace her during our farewell, so you deliberately came to my door today?"

"I'm not that bored. I came here today to..."

"Come on!" As if to interrupt him, Mami said, "You must have come alone without telling everyone, right? Otherwise, how could Miss Mio tolerate you coming alone?"

"No, I've already told everyone. Also, please let me finish speaking..."

"Don't listen, don't listen!"

As if determined to stop him from continuing, Mami suddenly lunged forward, catching Masumi off guard and knocking her down onto the tatami mat.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

The back of his head slammed solidly into the tatami mat, followed by a second impact.

Asami mounted him with her full weight, her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and anger.

"Masumi-kun is such a scumbag! Having so many ambiguous relationships isn't enough for you. I've only been gone for less than a week, and you're already eager to drag me back to your love nest? That's impossible!"

The fleshy, plump thighs were firmly locking Masumi's lower body in place, but Masumi had no time to enjoy the sensation, only managing to squeeze out weak, feeble sounds from her throat.

"No, that's not the case."

"So what do you mean? Isn't it just encouraging me to try one more time, to persevere one more time, not to give up on my dreams, and that everyone under the stars is waiting for me, urging me to go back with you?"

"This kind of classic, straightforward plot development is already at the point where it won't get published in the light novel industry!"

After venting her anger, she still seemed unsatisfied. She placed her hands on Masumi's abdomen, lifted her buttocks, and then sat down heavily.

"Hiss!" "Hiss~"

At the same time, two gasps of cold air overlapped in the air.

Masumi and Asami, still in their precarious positions, turned around simultaneously and discovered that the paper door to the room had been opened a crack at some point.

A pair of brown eyes were peering intently through the gap.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to have bothered you."

After realizing that she had been discovered, Seno's mother frankly opened the partition door without showing any surprise.

"Mom just wanted to ask, Mr. Miyazawa...Mr. Masumi, do you have any dietary restrictions?"

"How about beef hot pot for dinner? That's what I was going to ask, but then I thought about it and realized that oyster seafood hot pot would be better. What do you think, Mr. Masumi?"

"Oh, of course, no problem. Thank you for your help, Auntie."

“Okay.” Seno’s mother nodded with a smile, then glanced meaningfully at her daughter, who was stunned and speechless, with an indescribable expression on her face, before looking away.

"Eh, you actually like this position? Asami is really bold."

"Mom was walking down the hallway when she heard some slightly loud noises. She thought they were arguing, so she came up to check on them. Turns out it was just playful banter."

"But Mr. Masumi looks a bit thin, so please be careful not to hurt him."

Seno's mother wore a nonchalant expression, her calm tone as if she were reminding someone of something trivial like, "It's raining, don't forget your umbrella when you go out."

"Then please go ahead. Before dinner is ready, Mom will guard the entrance to the second floor and not let anyone upstairs, so please don't worry."

As she said this, a gentle smile appeared on her face, and she closed the door.

The two were left looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Seno."

Masumi broke the silence by speaking first.

"Uh-huh."

Asami lowered her head, her eyes were moist, and her cheeks were flushed. Her quiet and reserved demeanor was completely different from before.

"I did come to see you this time because I have something to ask you, but it's not what you said."

"Oh, I see."

She seemed completely off-track, as if she wasn't paying any attention to what he was saying.

Masumi frowned slightly, grasped Asami's soft waist and abdomen with both hands to support her upper body, causing the latter to suddenly exclaim "Eh!" and her cheeks to blush even more.

"Are you listening to me?"

He looked up at the other person's face, their beautiful coffee-colored eyes darting around in confusion.

"Yes, I'm listening! Also, Masumi-kun, stop leaning forward."

"Aren't you usually even more outrageous than this? Why are you suddenly acting like this now..."

Upon hearing this, Mami said, embarrassed and annoyed, "It has nothing to do with the distance, it's all about the posture!"

"Isn't it too much to force me to chat with Masumi-kun by using the seat opposite me?"

She glared at Masumi unhappily.

The latter glanced at his current situation: his hands were firmly gripping Mami's waist, his fingertips pressing into her fair and smooth skin, which was covered in sweat and seemed to be melting.

"This must be... a dream."

(End of this chapter)