Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 267 Girls Side: "Masumi and the Criminal"

Back at the coffee shop and then back to her room, Rinne immediately lost her usual composure, collapsing onto the bed without even taking off her coat.

It's a pose that makes clothes wrinkle, and then you can't help but bang your forehead against the bed.

"poor……"

Rinne felt her skin was burning hot, making her wonder if she had just been outdoors in winter. How could it be so hot? She felt like her face was about to be scorched.

Every time I think back on it, I feel embarrassed about my actions.

Rinne banged her head against the bed and kicked her feet. It was rare for her to show such distress as someone her age, and it was all thanks to that boy... no! It was all thanks to her own emotional outburst just now.

She was just a typical perverted woman! Rather than an act of venting her frustrations or relieving stress, it was more like she had completely lost control.

Furthermore, she later made strange noises, which Masumi must have thought was very inappropriate.

She buried her forehead in the pillow, the pillowcase rubbing against her cheeks, causing a slight pain. The pillow pressed against her eyeballs through her eyelids, and Rinne used this sensation to force herself to stay awake.

I should be able to get up by now, right? I can lift my head, but my back is still limp and weak.

The calendar on the wall naturally came into view.

Only four days into February, Rinne gently turned the previous page. Of the thirty-one days in January, six dates were marked with a small red marker.

The mark is a simple cat face drawn by Rinne.

Since December 19th of last year, including today, there should be around 10 markers.

Every time she makes a mark, Rinne's cheeks turn as red as the color of the marker.

Even if you remember how ashamed you were when you last marked someone, and think that this is the last time you'll mark someone, there will still be a next time.

It's really... beyond saving...

As Rinne thought this, she hugged her thighs tightly, pressed her forehead against her knees, and curled up into a small ball like a pill bug.

Unconsciously, she curled herself up smaller and smaller, her delicate body forming an exaggerated curve, in order to hide her pounding heartbeat, tightly shrinking into a ball.

She thought that the reason her heart was beating so hard was because she had vaguely touched upon the reason that would lead her to do that kind of thing.

Rinne has always wanted to be special, to be someone others can rely on, and to have her own unique qualities.

Therefore, in interpersonal relationships, Rinne also wants something that belongs only to her.

But what should we do?
If you ask someone to treat you specially, then from that moment on, that "specialness" loses its special attribute.

So after Masumi said, "Rinne, you're horny just by existing," which threw her into a panic, terrible thoughts began to grow in the cracks of her mind.

—Speaking of which, this was actually inspired by Mio, but um, that's not important.

The first contact was almost imperceptible, only the sensation of skin sticking together.

Rinne couldn't help but think, "Is that all? But why does the textbook say that boys would find this satisfying?"

Until he saw Masumi suppressing her breathing, staring intently at him.

His consciousness seemed to be drawn into his eyes.

She became able to feel his body temperature, breath, and heartbeat with her lips.

Unbeknownst to her, Rinne closed her eyelids and felt a calm breath on her lips, finally understanding.

She thought that rather than calling it intimate contact between the two of them, it was more like this—proof of dedicating one's time to the other.

From Masumi's perspective—this icy beauty, who can only be admired from afar and is difficult to approach, is now so devoted to her, and an indescribable feeling arises in her heart.

Their times intertwined, etching eternity.

In order to convey Rinne's feelings and tell Masumi that he is also special in her heart.

At this moment, he would reach out and gently stroke her head, a simple physical contact as usual.

Masumi adopted an attitude of complete understanding towards her, stroking her hair and cheeks without the slightest hesitation.

This tenderness made Rinne want to embarrass Masumi.

She wanted to peel away that layer of his serious yet gentle demeanor, to reach out to her and delve into her heart, a layer that was somewhat unpleasant.

However, the final result was quite the opposite.

"……Ugh."

A soft sigh.

With her long, slender fingers slipping between the fabric and her skin, Rinne removed her mid-calf white socks, revealing her snow-white, soft toes.

Her toenails were neatly and beautifully trimmed, with the tips of the nails shimmering with a watery sheen.

She crumpled the socks she had taken off into a ball and tossed them on the floor.

"..."

After a moment of silence, her usual habits and upbringing still wouldn't allow her to be so unruly. Rinne rolled out of bed, took off her coat, and hung it on the hanger.

Then he knelt on the ground and carefully folded the white mid-calf socks that had been lying on the floor.

"……family."

Rinne uttered the word in a low voice.

This is Masumi's answer to that question.

Although Rinne remembers asking the question and Masumi's answer, her memories afterward are as blurry as if they had been baked in an oven.

It's amazing that she can still continue like this.

It's almost as if it confirms Masumi's statement, "Rinne, you're lewd just by existing."

"Rinne looks like a cat."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"No, I suddenly feel like I really want to have one."

"That's really a twisted sense of humor. I just like cats, that doesn't mean I want to be a cat..."

The heir protested by slightly increasing the pressure, and for a moment Rinne wanted to bite down.

"Rinne's Quirk is already perfect in my eyes. I'll work hard to earn money and save up for her upbringing!" he teased sarcastically.

Are you planning my future?

Rinne calmly retorted, but fearing the consequences of actually doing so, she simply wrapped herself up tightly.

"Planning for the future?" Masumi showed a surprised expression for a brief moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Yes, this is a responsibility I should take on."

responsibility.

Planning for the future.

Right after he uttered that word, Rinne blurted out the question.

"—What exactly is our relationship now?"

Why did I ask that question back then?
Perhaps it's because of... a feeling of skepticism.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner.

A subtle restlessness permeated the coffee shop.

Rinne herself was inevitably affected as well.

Because it's a holiday for lovers who adore each other, both parties must have a clear understanding of their relationship.

Then.

—What exactly is her relationship with Masumi now?
Rinne had this question in her mind.

What is the relationship between the coffee shop heir and the young owner?
This sounds like a contractual relationship. Even if Mr. Jing Jian asked me to take care of him, there's no need for me to get involved as well.

Friends?
But would a normal friend do that kind of thing for him?

To say they are the most reasonable lovers doesn't seem quite right either.

However, Masumi's answer touched Rinne's most tender spot.

Yes, if it's family, then it's fine.

I feel like I've been poisoned by something called Masumi, but...

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

Because the words were forced out while the speaker was panting, they carried a slightly bitter taste.

"Um..."

Mio suddenly woke up, dragging her somewhat tired body, and looked at the phone on her pillow.

6:22, February 5, Sunday.

It's so early, it's not time to get up yet.

Even Masumi, who usually goes for a morning run, wasn't up at this time. He tends to get up later than usual after winter begins.

Mio immediately brought her nose close to the shirt she wore while sleeping.

It was a long white shirt that was quite loose on her, the hem of which went past her hips and covered part of her snow-white thighs, with her slender fingers peeking out from the cuffs.

After smelling the aroma directly, Mio immediately realized something was wrong.

"As expected, Masumi's flavor has faded."

Indeed, Masumi's scent on the shirt had faded considerably; no wonder her sleep was so light.

"I just had Masumi wear it a few days ago to replenish her scent, sigh... I can't believe I made this mistake, since I can't sleep well without Masumi's scent..."

Mio grumbled about her failure, rubbing her sleepy eyes to check her physical condition.

This is a habit she developed from the time she started learning piano.

Playing the piano is not just about finger skills; one must also maintain peak physical and mental condition, which gradually evolved into a daily routine.

...Well, I'm not in bad shape, but something's a little off.

Mio knew the reason perfectly well.

There are still nine days until Valentine's Day. Because Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I practiced making chocolates until very late last night.

Thinking about this, Mio exited her phone, and a wallpaper appeared on her screen, featuring a boy who was more important to her than anyone else.

Good morning, Masumi. It's another refreshing day.

She flashed a radiant smile at the boy on the wallpaper.

Even though Mio knew that the person on the wallpaper wasn't the real Masumi, she still couldn't help it, and didn't want to, show an unseemly side to Masumi, even in a photograph.

This is one of the things that Mio insists she likes most about Masumi.

"And then... this one!"

Mio flipped through her phone's photo album. The photo showed Masumi, dressed in a winter uniform, making coffee with a meticulous expression.

Masumi in her butler's uniform... so straight, so dazzling.

Ah, I wish I could tear it into a complete mess.

If only I could take off that butler's uniform and glimpse the trembling, heartfelt emotion hidden within...

Mio then swiped the screen to greet Masumi in the photos one by one.

This is also Mio's morning habit.

Yes, every Masumi is so handsome.

Originally, Mio printed out photos and covered the walls and ceiling of the entire room, just like in her apartment in Tokyo.

However, since she is now living with Masumi and other girls, it would be easy for them to find out, so she had to switch to a cell phone and a tablet.

To preserve Masumi's handsome figure, Mio specially bought a 1TB iPad to store the photos.

She had actually considered buying a DSLR camera to better capture Masumi's content, but when she thought that it would distract her from the camera, she simply gave up on the idea.

I never get tired of looking at it.

A blush of happiness spread across Mio's face.

However, just looking at Masumi's face without any response made me feel a little lonely...

Ah, right!

Mio fumbled for the Bluetooth earphone case by her pillow, put it on her ears, and pressed the play button on her phone at the same time.

The next moment, Masumi's voice came through the earphones—
"Hey, recording and stuff, it feels..."

"It's just a small wish, Masumi, won't you even grant me this?"

"Well, that's fine, considering how much more extreme Mio has done... But we live together, so there's no need to record it, is there?"

“If Masumi could share a bed with me and say these things to me every morning, I definitely wouldn’t want the recording.”

“Okay…” Masumi said in a conciliatory tone.

Although it was meaningless content, like behind-the-scenes footage, Mio couldn't edit or cut it because it contained Masumi's voice.

"Cough cough."

He cleared his throat to clarify.

"Good morning, Mio. Thank you for all your hard work all this time. You always work so hard for me."

Ahhh...! This is it!

Upon hearing these words, Mio was instantly overwhelmed with happiness, her head spinning.

Driven by this feeling, I really wanted to run to the next room and act cute towards Masumi.

But what's troubling is that, after what happened yesterday morning, and perhaps due to the lingering effects of previous events, Masumi has been locking herself in to sleep since last night!

Upon hearing this news, Mio was struck dumb, but—

With this, she can live on forever.

"...Um, recording and stuff, it feels..."

"Well, that's fine, considering how much more extreme Mio has done... But we live together, so there's no need to record it, is there?"

"All right……"

"Good morning, Mio. Thank you for all your hard work all this time. You always put in so much effort for me..."

The recording played on repeat in my headphones.

I feel so happy, like being held in Masumi's arms.

A surge of intense heat coursed through her body, causing Mio to writhe uncontrollably.

It feels like I've been poisoned by Masumi.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

As soon as she closed her eyes, she could feel that Masumi was right beside her, making her impatient.

"I really want to touch Masumi!"

Mio blurted it out.

Although I could hear Masumi's voice and be surrounded by her presence, it was ultimately no match for the real person.

The physical distance separated by the wall is also worrying.

What other ways can I calm my restless mind right now?
Got it!

A sudden inspiration struck her. Mio got out of bed and hurriedly rushed down to the second floor, turning into the bathroom.

There might be some clothes that Masumi took off but didn't have time to wash in the laundry basket.

really.

Mio picked up Masumi's sweater from the laundry basket, buried her face in it, and felt a comfortable sensation against her skin. She then took a deep breath.

A sense of security immediately enveloped her entire body.

"This is it, it's really useful..."

Mio, completely unaware that she was inhaling Masumi's scent like a pervert or a nymphomaniac, was just then—

"Ok?"

A pair of boxer shorts caught Mio's eye; the cuffs, like tentacles, peeked out from among the clothes piled in the laundry basket.

There is only one boy in the star, so it's easy to guess who his owner is.

"..."

Mio sighed expressionlessly. No matter what, if she did that kind of thing, she would be a complete pervert.

She's just a girl who likes Masumi.

After absorbing enough of Masumi's scent, Mio returned to her room as if nothing had happened.

She planned to take another nap to get some rest, since the coffee shop would be open for business today.

Although she doesn't have the same emotional attachment to this coffee shop as Rinne, Mio still has her own unique persistence.

Because he works at the coffee shop.

"Hmm? It seems like I've suddenly gained something in my hand?"

Mio looked at the fabric she was clutching in her palm, completely bewildered.

"what!"

Mio instinctively cried out in surprise.

"What is this...! Why am I holding Masumi's boxer shorts so tightly? Uh, who put these in my hand? I have absolutely no recollection of what happened during this time!"

She spread out her simple, solid-color boxer shorts on her bed, unsure of what to do.

Masumi wore...

"what!?"

Oh no, what was she trying to do?! We absolutely cannot cross that last line!

Mio shook her head vigorously, trying to cool down her boiling brain.

It would be terrible if Masumi or anyone else found out!

Rinne: "You really are an incurable pervert, Mio."

"I, I... I'm not a pervert...!"

Rinne: "Really? You mean stealing a boy's underwear when no one's around, hiding it in your room, and sniffing it isn't perverted behavior? Mio thinking like that is perverted in itself!"

Masumi: "Mio, although I know you like me a lot, this is just perverted! Please forgive me, but I can't accept it!"

No, no! Masumi, it's not like that! Let me explain!

The vivid hallucinations tormented Mio, causing her to kneel on all fours and pound the floor of the room.

This must never be allowed to happen!

Well, just put it back as if nothing happened.

Put it back in the laundry basket.

Everyone is fast asleep right now, so there's no need to worry about being caught by anyone.

but……

Huh? So, in other words, I'm safe no matter what I do while everyone else is still asleep.

No one can see what she does.

"........."

No, no! Absolutely not!
Mio then lay back on the bed.

She only lay down because she was sleepy; there was no other reason.

It was just a coincidence that Masumi's boxer shorts were placed right next to her face.

Put it back! Put it back now!

Well, since you're putting it back, it's only natural to bring your face and nose close to the boxer shorts, right?
Oh my, my heart is beating so fast.

Let me take a deep breath and calm myself down.

"call--"

(Sniffing.)
"--call."

Good, I've calmed down.

After fully absorbing the air from her deep breaths, Mio regained her composure.

Very good, you didn't succumb to impulse.

They managed to control themselves.

Mio felt relieved that she hadn't crossed that final line.

Take another deep breath.

"call--"

(Sniffing.)
"--call."

Although she didn't know why the air smelled so reassuring today, Mio didn't intend to investigate further.

She sat up in bed.

So next, it's time for the cut to show the criminal returning to the crime scene—

(End of this chapter)