Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 150, Section 25: "Being with Mami always brings endless trouble."

There was no one around, and it was completely silent. It was a distance from Shimotera-cho, and the voices urging children to go home sounded as distant as if they came from a new world.

The two sat side by side on the grass, gazing at Lake Biwa, which was dyed crimson. The calm lake surface shimmered in the sunset, a breathtaking sight.

The ripples on the water, occasionally stirred by the evening breeze, appeared as sticky and smooth as candy in the twilight.

"How is it? Isn't it beautiful?" Mami asked.

"Ah."

Masumi bent her legs and straightened her back, trying to peer into the lake, but the underwater world was too dark at dusk, and she couldn't see anything, making her feel uneasy.

Lake Biwa is not a particularly large lake in terms of area, but it is quite deep.

With a maximum depth of 103 meters, the lake is comparable to the Seto Inland Sea. No wonder the ancients regarded Lake Biwa as the closest "freshwater sea" to Kyoto and called Shiga Prefecture "Omi Province".

"By the way, you just said you like Lake Biwa when it's all to yourself. If it's morning, there shouldn't be anyone there, right?" Masumi asked casually.

"Hey, Masumi-kun, don't you pride yourself on knowing me well? Why don't you guess why?"

Mami turned to look at him, pressing one cheek against her knee and hugging her thigh tightly.

“When did I say that?” Masumi sighed and lowered her head. “...Is it because I can’t get out of bed?”

"You know this very well, don't you?"

The sound rose higher and higher, and Mami suddenly stood up from the grass, her smooth hips, restrained by her denim shorts, squeezing into Masumi's eyes.

"Are you going back?"

"No, I want to get a little closer to appreciate Lake Biwa."

"Getting a little closer is..."

"Alright! Masumi-kun, come over here too!"

Mami smiled and suddenly took Masumi's hand, which was resting on her knee.

"What do you want—"

Suddenly, a slender, snow-white arm grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. Helpless, Masumi had no choice but to follow her to the lakeside.

"Wait, you're not going to go swimming in the lake, are you?"

"Yes, what's wrong? It's a pity it's not summer now, otherwise we could go swimming."

Seemingly regretful, Mami let out a sigh.

"You've swum in Lake Biwa? That's dangerous, isn't it?" Masumi frowned.

"It's just a thought," Mami said with a smile, as if to reassure him. "Of course I know it's dangerous, and it wouldn't be good if someone passing by saw us."

"Don't let my seemingly carefree demeanor fool you, I'm actually quite shy."

Masumi nodded in agreement, "It's not just a little bit, but she is indeed very shy."

She glared at me fiercely with sharp eyes.

"Masumi-kun, I want to do something really wicked, is that okay?"

“What if I don’t allow it?” Masumi said calmly.

“That won’t help.” Mami gave a mischievous smile. “Because I’m prepared to take responsibility, or rather, accept punishment, so I have no choice but to do it.”

"What punishment?"

"That's up to the person who's going to punish you. Anything is fine, as long as Masumi-kun can calm down," Mami said, raising the corners of her lips slightly.

"These words inevitably lead people to have all sorts of wild thoughts."

"Eh, Masumi-kun is still a boy after all." Mami gave a meaningful smile: "You can't have any unhealthy or dangerous thoughts, okay?"

"Then I'll just spank your butt."

"Wow! That's so unfair!"

Asami put her hands behind her back, covering her buttocks, and frowned in dissatisfaction as she backed away on the grass.

"I was just joking."

"I don't believe it. It's not like Masumi-kun hasn't hit me before..." she muttered under her breath, looking unhappy.

"That's because you were really annoying back then."

When Masumi said those words, Mami ran away like a sulking child. After returning to her hometown, her coquettish side seemed to be amplified.

"Masumi-kun, come over here quickly."

A cheerful voice drifted in on the evening breeze as she felt the lake water barefoot and exclaimed, "Wow, it's so icy!"

Masumi looked worried and frowned as she warned her, "Don't go too deep. Be careful not to trip over the seaweed or step in the mud..."

"I know, I've lived here for over ten years, I know it much better than Masumi-kun."

"Sometimes it's because of familiarity that we let our guard down."

Masumi sighed deeply. As the sky grew darker, he turned on his phone's flashlight, took off his shoes and socks, and walked to the water's edge.

"Oh! Is that a jellyfish? Should we catch one and give it to Little Moon?"

"That's a plastic bag."

Mami looked up with a smile. "You're down too, Masumi-kun. How is it? It's so cool and refreshing, isn't it nice?"

"I just feel so cold."

Mami smiled as she looked at Masumi, who had a pained expression and seemed quite annoyed. Suddenly, she thought of something and opened her arms. Masumi tilted her head in confusion.

"what?"

"An embrace during parting or reunion."

"Is it a farewell or a reunion?" Masumi asked.

"neither."

"What's that like?"

"What is it?" Asami smiled, her voluptuous curves beneath her shorts seemingly trying to conceal something, crossing over each other. "There are more than just these two reasons for a hug."

"No matter what, stop standing there and come over here."

"..."

Masumi stood there with her arms outstretched. Mami paused for a moment, then put on a helpless expression.

“Masumi-kun, shouldn’t you come over here at this time?”

"The water is so dark, I'm worried I'll step on the mud or trip over the weeds."

"Isn't that being too cautious!"

"If I can't handle you, then you'd better be prepared when I pounce on you," Mami warned in advance.

"Wait a moment, let me steady myself."

"It's too late."

Asami took steps in the water, her full thighs pushing forward into view one after another, the tight denim fabric taut with each movement, squeezing the triangle area in the middle, as she ran with all her might.

"Idiot, don't run so fast—"

Masumi had a bad feeling. If it were a classic scene from a light novel, this would probably be...

"Oops! I accidentally stepped on something!"

As her center of gravity shifted, Mami leaned forward and was about to fall into the water.

Masumi quickly closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, dug her fingers into her soft skin, and supported her lower body with her other hand to stabilize her position.

“Phew—that was a close call!”

As if surviving a calamity, Mami let out a sigh from her lips.

"Masumi-kun, you acted so quickly just now, as if you had expected this."

"Pretty much. After all, I've been reminding you to be careful underwater since the beginning, and given your reckless nature, it's not surprising that this happened."

Masumi explained earnestly and seriously.

"Ugh." Mami glared at him impatiently. "Even if it's the truth, this sentence is just too infuriating."

"True advice is harsh to the ears."

"Also, Masumi-kun hugged too tightly."

"Feel sorry."

Masumi released her right hand, and in the afterglow of the setting sun, you could see that the hem of her T-shirt had been lifted up a little, leaving obvious red marks on her snow-white skin.

"What about the other hand?"

Masumi paused slightly, "The other hand..."

The soft feel was only belatedly perceived as it was transmitted through the palm.

"..."

Before Mami could speak, Masumi said first, "Seno, listen to me first."

"Alright, I'm all ears for Masumi-kun's sophistry."

"Um, that's not how you use 'I'm all ears'."

Seeing Mami glaring at her, Masumi gave up on the pointless act of correcting the idiom and continued speaking.

"We might live in the world of a light novel, and I'm the male protagonist."

Mami stared wide-eyed in disbelief, then exclaimed, "Masumi-kun, although your chuunibyou started later than mine, the spread of the disease is much faster than mine."

"I'm serious. Don't you think the probability of me being a lucky pervert is a bit high?"

“Hearing Masumi-kun say that, it seems so.” Mami’s eyes darted around as she pondered, “I used to walk along the river like this, and I only fell down five out of ten times.”

Why were the other five times fine?

"Because those five times happened during the day."

"I take back what I just said."

It turns out that, just like Nobunaga's Ambition, the event is 100% triggered when the time and character are met.

"Don't rush to take it back!"

Asami squinted, her eyes sharp with a hint of scrutiny, and asked, "Masumi-kun, if our world were a light novel, would I be a supporting female character or the main female character?"

"...The female lead, I suppose."

The only character who could trigger the "lucky pervert" event with the male protagonist is the female protagonist, right?

"Oh, I see." Mami drawled out her words, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Seeing that her mood had improved, Masumi breathed a sigh of relief, and the fingers that had been clenched unconsciously due to nervousness relaxed.

Huh? What was that I just grabbed?
Masumi glanced casually at her palm, and at the same time, Asami's voice, barely audible, rang out:
"As a reward... it's okay to let your hand stay there a little longer..."

Even as the sun had set, Mami's cheeks remained flushed.

◇

"I'm sorry, I'm letting go."

"Wait, I haven't even stood up yet... Waaah!"

Water splashes.

"Shin-chan, Sumi-kun!"

◇

As you approach the entrance hall, you can smell the yeasty aroma of miso in the air.

"Ah~ Mr. Masumi and Asami are back?" Seno's mother, wearing an apron, greeted them with a smile, then her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "This is..."

Masumi walked in carrying sneakers in her hand and carrying the soaking wet Asami on her back.

"Hmm, this is a headache." She frowned slightly. "This child is still so troublesome."

"It's all Masumi-kun's fault!"

Asami started yelling and shouting like a child.

"Really, you shouldn't say such capricious things."

"The bath water is ready. Go take a hot bath and don't catch a cold."

"Oh~"

After giving her daughter some instructions, Seno's mother turned her gaze to Masumi, "By the way, Mr. Masumi."

"Auntie, please speak."

"In our family, apart from Mami, who is quite spoiled and always has her own bathtub, everyone else shares the same bathtub. However, the bathtub hasn't been working very well lately; it takes a long time to fill up."

She looked troubled: "Could you please share the same water tank with Mami?"

"Eh, it's me and Masumi-kun!?"

Mami was surprised, then narrowed her eyes and looked at Masumi with a meaningful gaze.

"It's alright. My sudden visit today has already caused you a lot of trouble. It's no big deal in a place like this."

“That’s not true.” Seno’s mother shook her head and chuckled. “In that case, as a guest, Mr. Masumi, please go first…”

"Wait! I need to shower first!" Mami said urgently.

She then walked straight to the bathroom.

"I'm sorry, that child is too willful." Seno's mother had a troubled expression on her face.

"fine."

Masumi nodded indifferently, then, as if suddenly remembering something, slowly said, "By the way, Auntie, I'll be bothering you here tonight. I wonder if there's a room available..."

Seno's mother smiled as if to reassure him, "Of course I'm free, don't worry."

"As for the room..."

"I'll take Mr. Masumi later."

"Ok."

◇ Turn on the showerhead and Masumi immerses her whole body in the hot water, feeling her pores open up.

This is... the bathwater that Seno took a bath in, still retaining its fragrance and warmth—describing it like this makes me sound like a pervert.

He banished these random thoughts and recalled his conversation with Mami.

"Ugh, even my underwear is wet and uncomfortable. It's all your fault, Masumi-kun!"

"Stay still and don't move, or I'll throw you off my back."

"Waaah! Don't leave me behind."

"Also, if Masumi-kun is going to carry me, why is he supporting my butt?"

"Because you said it would itch if I put it on my lap."

Wait, that's not the conversation.

"Masumi-kun is really amazing. He got approached by an editor for his first light novel."

"Ah."

"What kind of reaction is that? Shouldn't you have said 'No, just lucky' to fit your aloof persona?"

"Did I really leave you with that impression?"

Masumi sighed quietly, "I feel that we shouldn't be so rude to others when they aspire to something. If we use 'good luck' as an excuse, wouldn't that make their efforts seem ridiculous?"

"Effort is not worth mentioning." Mami said this without a trace of emotion.

"No matter what the effort itself may be like, it should not be denied or ridiculed."

Sometimes, people dedicate their entire lives to wishes that may never come true. Some may laugh at such foolishness, but those who laugh are themselves merely bystanders on the sidelines of life's journey.

"..."

After a long silence, Mami's voice rang out again:
"By the way, Masumi-kun, even if you want to recommend me, I don't have any manuscripts to show the editor right now."

"I have."

"Eh?"

"That cardboard box in your room that's labeled 'to be thrown away,' isn't it full of your comics?"

"...You've already seen them all."

"I've read them all."

"Wait, you too, the one who's not fully developed..."

"finish watching."

"..."

In the silence, Mami pressed her cheek against Masumi's shoulder and neck, like a child hugging a doll.

"So the backpack you're carrying is full of my comics?"

"Ah."

"Why do you do that?"

"I just want your efforts to be seen by more people."

"So what if we saw it?"

"Then more people will know that you are working on this."

"That sounds so silly."

“It really is silly, like…” Masumi suddenly hesitated.

"Huh? Like what?"

"Forget it, let's talk about it in Tokyo."

"How dare you keep me in suspense! Masumi-kun is so mean!"

Dissatisfied with Masumi's answer, Mami clung to him like a koala, using both her arms and legs.

"Ugh, stop! I can't breathe!"

Those long, snow-white legs were tightly locked around his waist; well, they were indeed the most powerful part of his body.

Retrieving this memory from her mind, Masumi also stood up from the bathtub.

After drying herself with a bath towel, Masumi put on the change of clothes she had prepared and walked out of the bathroom.

A middle-aged man walked towards them. Masumi realized after a moment that he was probably Mami's father. Before she could finish thinking, the man had already spoken.

"Mr. Miyazawa?"

“Yes, Uncle.” Masumi greeted him politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Miyazawa Masumi. Please take care of me.”

"It's me, Mami, who's been in your care."

"Uh, that's not true," Masumi said instinctively.

Seno's father nodded and walked past him.

He's completely different from Seno; he's the quiet, reserved type.

Chewing on his two concise sentences, the last one... wasn't it a bit too much of an omission? Shouldn't it be something like, "Thank you for your help all this time"?
"Mr. Masumi, dinner is ready."

"Ok."

At the wooden dining table, Seno's father sat at the head of the table, Masumi sat to his left, Mami sat opposite him, and Seno's mother sat next to them.

Dinner was the oyster seafood hot pot we'd agreed on during the day, along with fried lotus root stuffed with local ingredients from Kusatsu, miso soup (a must-have at every meal), and plump rice made with Omi rice, which we said was the main ingredient.

In addition, there was a spectacular number of Asahi Beer bottles, which made Masumi sweat a little.

After everyone said in unison, "Let's begin," dinner officially started.

Masumi thought to herself, "It feels like a family of four having dinner together."

That being said, if it's a family of four, then isn't one person missing?

He then asked, "By the way, I heard from Seno—"

Halfway through his sentence, the other three looked at him with genuinely puzzled expressions.

Oh right, the whole family shares the surname Seno.

Then...

"I heard from Mami—"

Seno's mother smiled and nodded slightly, Seno's father remained expressionless, while Asami herself stared at him with a meaningful look.

What kind of family is this?

"I heard from Mami that she has a younger brother. Didn't he come home today?"

"Yuki, because he studies at Omi University and often has to participate in baseball team training, he rents an apartment in Hikone and only goes home for a couple of days when he has a day off."

“I see.” Masumi nodded. “Alone? That’s really impressive.”

"This summer, Omi lost to Shimonoseki International in the semifinals. The boy was very unwilling to accept it, so he has been practicing hard and hasn't been home for more than a month."

Seno's mother sighed softly, saying regretfully, "It's such a pity that the child can't come, since it's such a rare opportunity for the whole family to have a meal together."

"Oh, really?" To avoid contradicting her elders, Masumi had no choice but to agree.

"I think that kid is so engrossed in the pleasures of the land that he's forgotten all about home."

Mami viciously pierced the cherry tomato with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"I know that Yuuki has a senior who is the baseball team manager at school. She takes good care of him every day. With a beautiful senior coming over to check on him after practice, of course he can manage."

Seno's mother shook her head helplessly. "Child, are you jealous of your brother's happiness?"

“I’m not that narrow-minded!” Mami said, implying, “It just reminds me of someone and makes me feel uncomfortable.”

Under the dining table, Masumi suddenly felt her knees sink.

He casually lowered his gaze, and sure enough, it was Seno...

"I hope that Mami can find a partner someday, just like Yuuki."

"W-what?" Mami's eyes widened. "Is this a push to get married? I'm only 23!"

“It has nothing to do with age.” Seno’s mother shook her head seriously. “Someone like Yuuki, even if she’s still single at 30, I’m not worried at all. But Asami…”

“I can find it anytime I want!” Asami emphasized.

"Besides, what's so great about getting married? Aunt Sachiko next door is already remarried."

"If marriage is bad, why would someone get married twice?"

"Well."

Mami was speechless at her mother's bizarre logic. She puffed out her cheeks as if in a huff, turned her face, and glared at Masumi with a fierce look.

Why are you looking at me like that?

A delicate, slender bare foot stomped heavily under the table, her footwork quite rough, clearly with no intention of making anyone feel comfortable.

"Sigh~"

Masumi gasped, a thud coming from under her seat as her knee hit the bottom of the table—it hurt.

"What's wrong, Mr. Masumi?"

Sensing something amiss, Seno's mother looked over with concern.

"It's nothing, I just accidentally bumped my knee on the table."

"Do we need to apply medicine?"

"It's alright, please don't mind."

"Ah."

Although she was a "friend's" mother, the fact that she was so kind to Masumi when they first met, almost like a mother caring for her child, made Masumi feel a little uncomfortable.

"Actually, Mom was very happy to see Mr. Masumi today."

Huh? I wonder when she started referring to herself as a mother?

“If Asami hadn’t been talking to us about you so often, I would probably have thought you were someone she paid to rent,” Seno’s mother said earnestly.

"That's too much!" Asami protested, dissatisfied. "Am I that pitiful?"

“It’s because you’ve always been like this,” Seno’s mother sighed. “Besides a few upperclassmen in your high school clubs, do you have any other friends? You don’t have a single boy, do you?”

“Kinjiro counts,” Mami suddenly blurted out a name.

"What is that?" Masumi asked curiously.

Seno's mother explained with some helplessness, "It's Ninomiya Kinjiro."

(Note: Ninomiya Sontoku was a thinker of the Edo period. His diligent image of carrying firewood while walking to read is depicted in a statue, which is often placed in schools to inspire students to study.)
Masumi twitched her lips, about to complain, when the slender feet under the table changed their stomping method in a wicked way, sometimes lightly, sometimes heavily, with the five toes gripping the center seam of the pants.

His body stiffened, and he placed his left hand under the table, grabbing the soft, yielding arch of her foot into his palm.

Mami didn't stop competing with him; she suddenly exerted force with her toes, her trimmed toenails scraping hard against the edges of her fingers.

"Mom, I've always been worried that Mami will one day be burdened with huge debts."

"How could such a thing happen?! Waaah!"

A clattering sound came from under the table; this time it was from Mami's side.

"what happened?"

"My knee hit the table."

"Really," said Seno's mother helplessly.

"However, it's so good to have Mr. Masumi."

She cast a meaningful glance at Masumi.

"Huh? Me?" Masumi asked, taken aback.

"In my opinion, Mr. Masumi is a very patient and gentle person, which is why he can tolerate Mami's willfulness. This child has a terrible temper, so I'll have to trouble Mr. Masumi to take good care of her."

"No, not at all."

“I’m older than him, so I should be the one taking care of Masumi-kun.”

Mami opened a can of beer with a displeased look and gulped down a big mouthful.

Seeing this, the two elders also picked up their beer bottles, opened them, and handed one to Masumi at the same time.

"Come on, Mr. Masumi, I heard from Mami that you have a good capacity for alcohol, so please don't be shy."

"Thank you."

"Besides Mami, everyone in my family has an amazing alcohol tolerance, especially her dad. When he was young, he was known as the 'Omi Drinking Champion,' able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk!"

This nickname sounds strangely familiar.

Soon, Masumi learned what it meant to have a nickname that was wrong, only a wrong name.

After drinking, Seno's father completely changed his personality, becoming much more talkative.

"Mr. Miyazawa-san...Mr. Masumi."

The way we address each other has naturally transitioned.

"Try this rice wine. It's brewed with water from Lake Biwa and rice from Omi. It's definitely the best rice wine in the island nation!"

"Thank you, Uncle, but I can't drink that much."

"It's alright, this sake isn't very strong, and its quality is in no way inferior to the sake from Hyogo. I'll fill Mr. Masumi's glass."

"Oh, no need for that, after all, you are an elder."

"It's alright, I'm not such a rigid and traditional person. Also, I'm entrusting my daughter to your care."

Huh? What was that last sentence again? My thoughts were completely clouded by alcohol, and I could only hear scattered words on the table. In my daze, I saw Seno's mother whispering to her daughter.

Asami's face turned an unbelievable red; was it because she was drunk?

"As soon as you consume alcohol, you feel light and airy, like you're floating on the sea. The sky is vast, and the water is warm."

Masumi's thoughts drifted to Lake Biwa, and she felt the world slowly sinking into darkness, while the surrounding noise softened.

(End of this chapter)