Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 207, Section 9: "The Aftermath of the Still Unsettled Holiday"

Nighttime, on the third floor of Starry Night Cafe.

"Wow~ Masumi-nii's room is so crowded."

After looking around, Qian Ai nodded and said, "It seems even smaller than when I came last time."

"Yes, because after deciding to create an anonymous singer account, Mio bought a lot of new equipment."

The room was invaded by a keyboard, speakers, and a brand-new laptop, and Masumi claimed the right to occupy the room first with her 20,000 yen second-hand laptop, not to mention Mami's monitor and game console.

Although Masumi tried her best to keep things organized, it still couldn't help but give people a messy feeling.

"Huh, have Mio-neechan and the others been practicing yoga in Masumi-nii's room all this time?"

Qian Ai caught a glimpse of the yoga mat in the corner.

"Ah."

Qian Ai gave a meaningful "Eh," then pouted as if she were being difficult.

"Masumi-nii is really lucky, he gets to see so many beautiful girls doing yoga in front of him every day."

Masumi corrected without changing her expression: "I can't see it every day, and I won't stare at it all the time."

Haiyue, who was already described as "soft and boneless," lost interest after only one or two tries, while Mami was inconsistent in her efforts.

Therefore, the frequency of Mio and Rinne's interactions was changed to once a week.

Besides, if she kept staring at it, it would be very bad for her health, and Rinne would also be very shy.

There's no need to explain these things to Qingmei, of course.

Upon hearing his words, Qianhao responded with a seemingly casual reply.

She slowly unfolded her yoga mat on the floor, tilting her neck to the left and right to move her body.

"Huh? Chiai is going to do yoga?"

"It's just stretching."

"Won't these clothes make it inconvenient to move around?" Masumi asked, looking at Chiai.

She had just taken a shower and was now wearing a smooth, shiny silk nightgown.

"It's okay, it's okay, yoga clothes also come in looser styles."

"And when you wear such form-fitting clothes in front of Masumi-nii, sometimes it's inevitable that some... awkward lines will appear."

Qian Ai stammered.

Oh, for some reason, Masumi understands.

The childhood friend took a moment to regain her composure, then slapped her own face and said to Masumi:
"Brother Masumi, come help me stretch."

"okay."

Masumi then sat down on the yoga mat and stretched out her legs.

Qian'ai sat cross-legged directly in front of him, letting his feet rest on her ankles.

"Give me your hand, Masumi-nii."

As she spoke, Chiai crossed her arms and placed her hands on Masumi's.

Because of the angle of view, the snow-white, smooth underarms were faintly visible through the raised sleeves of the pajamas.

"Then just pull it back with force."

"oh, I understand now."

Masumi nodded, grabbed Chiai's slender wrist, and pulled it backward forcefully—

Qian'ai's upper body suddenly leaned forward under the force, and then she let out a painful "ee" sound.

"I'm sorry, Qian'ai, does it hurt?"

"A little bit... but it's okay."

Qian Ai answered, breathing heavily.

"Don't stop before I speak, okay, Masumi-nii?"

"Well, I see."

Without seeing the visuals, just listening to the dialogue, you'd definitely imagine some kind of sentimental scene. If you made it into a fan-made audiobook and sold it on DLsite, maybe someone would buy it—

"My younger, mixed-race childhood friend stayed overnight at my house because of the rain."

Masumi sighed. Was it because her own mind was not healthy that she had such messy thoughts?
Ultimately, enough messy things have already happened today.

Spending a leisurely day off with a girl with no personality or quirks

The Ice Queen Turns into a Cuddly Kitten After Getting a Fever and Keeps Acting Cute Towards Me

This is the title of the all-ages version. In addition, there's a less-than-ideal hentai version sold as a bonus...

"Masumi-san?"

Qian Ai's call pulled him back to reality.

Seeing Masumi's blank expression, the childhood friend was a little unhappy:
"Seriously, Masumi-nii, don't get distracted when you're with me."

"I'm sorry. My bad."

"Hmph, Masumi-nii is so annoying."

Qian Ai turned her face away reluctantly, revealing her snow-white skin through the gap in her pajamas.

Masumi could only sincerely apologize, "I'm sorry, I'll be more serious from now on."

"Just saying it isn't enough—uh-huh!"

"Is this okay?"

"..."

Qian Ai nodded softly, uttering a weak murmur:
"……Can."

The girl, who had been quite relaxed, began to breathe erratically after several rounds of stretching.

The silk pajamas draped over her body became disheveled from the stretching movements, and the front of them unknowingly opened.

The pink color, the embroidery, and the exquisite patterns suggest a relatively expensive brand, and the style is quite sophisticated.

Having just taken a shower, Qian'ai naturally wasn't wearing any makeup, and her slightly childlike features were even cuter than usual.

Wearing underwear like this always gives me the feeling of a little girl secretly wearing an adult's formal dress.

That was close! I almost thought, "This rain today is absolutely wonderful..."

No, no, focus on helping with the stretching!

Masumi reminded herself that she mustn't have any impure thoughts about her childhood friend who was diligently stretching.

However, as if testing Masumi's willpower, Chiai's movements became increasingly larger as her joints and ligaments gradually loosened up, and the amount of her open front of her shirt increased proportionally.

Huh? Is it because the belt isn't tight enough? No, this pajama set doesn't restrict movement at all.

Moreover, silk pajamas are already smooth, and a young girl's skin after showering and applying body lotion is no less smooth. The combination of the two almost eliminates friction.

At this moment, her chest was almost completely exposed. If it were Mio, Masumi would suspect that she did it on purpose, but the innocent Chia certainly wouldn't have such thoughts.

Should we remind her?
But right now, I'm gritting my teeth, closing my eyes tightly, and stretching hard, completely unaware of my slightly disheveled appearance.

If I were to point it out myself, it would probably make Chia blush.

In conclusion, Masumi chose to remain silent.

Exhausted and covered in sweat, Qian Ai lay back on the yoga mat.

"Ugh... I'm so tired. The weather's gotten colder lately, and I haven't been feeling very active. I've been a bit lazy."

"Thank you, Masumi-nii," she said sincerely.

"fine."

Looking at his sincere-looking childhood friend, Masumi suddenly felt that her own distracted and fickle thoughts were utterly despicable.

Next time, I must help Qian'ai stretch with the most wholesome and upright mindset.

He made that vow in his heart.

Wait a minute, am I actually subconsciously looking forward to the next time?

Time passed second by second amidst Qian Ai's soft, panting breaths.

After catching her breath, Qian'ai spoke again:
"Does Masumi-nii want Kaigetsu to sing?"

“Eh, yeah.” Masumi nodded: “She really wants to do that.”

At dinner, Haiyue brought up the matter in front of everyone.

“However…” Masumi hesitated, “It’s less about her wanting to sing and more about her wanting to help me.”

If that's the case, isn't it a bit too much to ask of people?
"That's it."

Lying down, Qian'ai stared straight at the ceiling and said calmly:
“However, I believe that Masumi-nii will eventually be able to resolve this matter satisfactorily,” she said confidently.

Masumi smiled wryly: "Although I'm glad that Chiai has so much confidence in me, I don't have any confidence in myself."

"Oh, really?"

“Then,” Chiai smiled faintly, “just use the confidence I have in Masumi-nii.”

Masumi followed up on her naive words, saying, "I will cherish it and use it carefully."

"No, there's absolutely no need for that."

"Eh?"

Chiai took a deep breath and smiled sweetly: "Because I have boundless confidence in Masumi-nii."

"..."

There was a brief silence in the air.

Ironically, it was the childhood sweetheart who had uttered those words who was first unable to bear the atmosphere. She let out a strange "Ah!" and abruptly changed the subject, saying:
"Yes! Starting tomorrow, I'll work with Asami-nee to make our account's mascot."

Masumi paused for a moment, then a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"Thank you, Qian'ai."

"You can say 'thank you' after you've finished the work."

Chiai blinked cutely. "Besides, I should be thanking Masumi-nii."

"What's this?"

"Thank you, Masumi-nii, for thinking of me first in this kind of situation."

“Including the uniforms I designed for the coffee shop, it gave me the opportunity to realize my dreams.”

"Thinking about these things makes me feel very happy."

Her extremely earnest tone captivated Masumi's heart.

After saying all that in one breath, Qian'ai probably felt a little thirsty.

"Ah, I'm a little thirsty, I'm going to get some water."

"Does Masumi-nii want some?"

"No need," Masumi declined. "I should probably go to sleep."

"Huh? Going to bed so early?"

"A lot happened today, and I feel a bit tired."

"Didn't Masumi-nii stay home all day?" Chiai tilted her head slightly, puzzled.

"Yes, there are many reasons like this and that."

"Masumi-nii's speech is so hard to understand." Chiai frowned, then sighed and gave up, "Never mind, since Masumi-nii wants to go to bed early, then let him get some rest."

I won't bother you anymore, goodnight.

Goodnight, Masumi-nii.

The moment Chiai propped herself up from the yoga mat and stood up—

Rustling.

The loosely tied belt gradually loosened, bidding a silent farewell to the silk pajamas.

Masumi blinked, confirming the situation before her:
Qian'ai's pajamas were open at the front, revealing her sophisticated lingerie.

Moreover, without the belt to hold it in place, the pajamas, pulled by gravity, slipped and fell to the ground like a peeled hard-boiled egg or a shaved apple.

"Eh?"

Qian Ai froze for a moment, then her cheeks grew redder and redder.

The scene, resembling a fan service scene from an anime, left Masumi breathless.

However, having gotten used to Rinne and Kaigetsu's outfits all day, his mood didn't fluctuate much.

I still think it's great.

As for the person responsible for distributing the benefits—

"Really, really, really, Brother Masumi!?"

Chiai's high-pitched screams echoed through the coffee shop at night.

◇

"Wow, Chihiro's style is so daring!"

"...a cat that steals fish."

Asami said sarcastically, while Kurokawa Mio looked unconvinced.

"I just don't want to be talked about like that by the two of you."

Although she had already wrapped her delicate skin tightly in her pajamas, Qian'ai still used her arms to protect her chest.

"Asami-nee is clearly wearing those kinds of underwear."

"This is a huge misunderstanding!"

Asami indignantly defended herself: "I bought full-coverage styles, but no matter what style I wear, it will always look the same."

Upon hearing this, the other three people in the room all turned their attention to her.

Chiai and Kurokawa Mio's eyes wavered slightly, and Masumi seemed to hear the sound of gritted teeth.

The childhood friend silently turned her face away and muttered, "Even so, there are more occasions when Mami-nee doesn't wear it, right?"

"Alas……"

Mami was speechless.

"And Mio-neechan too, your designs are clearly more outrageous."

"In terms of skin exposure, Qian Ai is still better."

"That's what Kurokawa Mio said calmly."

Asami: "Chiai went to the beach with Masumi-kun twice before, and they were already fully dressed in swimsuits, so there's nothing to worry about."

"They're different! Swimsuits and underwear are completely different!"

"Huh? What's different? The fabric area is about the same." Mami shrugged helplessly.

"It's just different."

Qian Ai pouted, unwilling to let go.

Kurokawa Mio sighed, "What a pointless persistence."

Seeing the situation involving the three of them, Masumi sighed and rubbed her forehead.

The atmosphere wasn't good, and I should have said something, but my intuition told me that doing so might escalate the situation.

Since that's the case, then leaving is the best option.

"I'm thirsty, I'm going to get some water," he said.

"Eh? Actually, you just got thirsty after seeing Chihiro's winning lingerie," Mami teased.

"Eek—speaking of which, Masumi-nii was staring at me without blinking just now."

"So Masumi likes this style?" Kurokawa Mio pondered, resting her chin on her hand.

……

He closed the door, shutting out the girls' criticisms of him.

Masumi silently walked down the stairs.

Huh? The lights on the first floor are still on.

A frail figure stood at the bar counter where the coffee machine was located.

It's Rinne.

"Sigh~"

Masumi gasped, feeling awkward, because of what had happened during the day, she was unsure how to face the heiress.

I don't know how much of what happened actually she remembers.

Speaking of which, when Masumi woke up in bed that night, she found her hand resting on that area...

Fortunately, she was asleep.

Well, anyway, say hello, otherwise it will seem more suspicious.

He then stepped forward and asked with concern, "Rinne, is there anything else that's bothering you?"

"Eh?"

Hearing his voice out of the blue, Rinne looked up, then looked away, unsure of what to do.

Oh no, I guess I do remember some things after all.

“…It’s alright now,” Rinne said, biting her lip.

“I see.” Masumi nodded, then added, “But even if the fever breaks, you still need to continue taking the medicine, otherwise…”

"No! No need!"

Rinne suddenly made a loud noise, her face flushed, and she frantically waved her hands in front of her face.

"Eh?"

"No, it's nothing." Realizing that her reaction was a bit too much, Rinne lowered her eyelashes. "I mean, I can take cold medicine myself."

Is it just my imagination? She seems to be emphasizing the two syllables "self".

"Oh, oh..."

"Anyway, thank you for taking care of me when I was sick," Rinne said.

"Well, it's okay."

Rather, I would say I've also benefited from your kindness.

Rinne nodded. "Then, I'll go back to my room first."

Chiai will be staying in Rinne's room tonight.

"Ah."

Masumi went behind the bar to pour water, while Rinne walked out carrying a black mug with cat ears attached to the rim.

The entrance to the narrow bar is very close, and because only the light above the bar is on, the rest of the area is still dark.

In this situation, Masumi and Rinne brushed past each other, and their buttocks accidentally brushed together.

"babble!"

She suddenly let out a cute cry, and Masumi took a step back, gazing at Rinne.

A slight sense of shame washed over them, and they both looked away simultaneously.

"Uh, goodnight," Masumi said first.

"OK, good night."

After finishing her sentence, Rinne quickly left, like a black cat slinking away.

This cat is so cute today it makes my heart flutter.

(End of this chapter)