Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 277, Section 12: "It's said that going hiking with a yandere female protagonist will unlock a bad ending."

On the way away from Chiai's house, Mio didn't say a word, and the two of them walked forward in silence.

Winter days are getting shorter and night has fallen.

As you walk through the residential area, the streets are lit up by gaudy neon lights, and the dazzling array of billboards hurts your eyes.

Masumi gazed silently at Mio's profile, the ambiguous light shifting across Mio's fair and smooth skin as Masumi traced Mio's well-proportioned features with her eyes.

Her slightly upturned, sharp eyes and flawless, icy beauty resembled a rose with too many thorns.

Ice Rose.

The sight of her after so long made Masumi doubt the Mio he had first met. He remained silent and walked beside Mio, the soles of his sneakers slowly treading the pavement.

As the traffic light turned from red to green, and Masumi was about to follow the crowd across the zebra crossing, Mio suddenly grabbed his hem forcefully.

"Ok?"

The traffic lights were flashing, and after a female high school student rushed across the road at the last minute, the traffic lights silently changed from green to red.

"What's wrong? Mio."

Masumi stopped and turned to face Mio.

Her honey-gold bangs swayed gently, casting a melancholy shadow between her sharp brows and eyes.

Even in a dimly lit place with her back to the neon lights, her subtle emotions were clearly visible.

Mio's gaze drifted thoughtfully back and forth, and she spoke to Masumi in a barely audible voice:

"I don't want to go back to the coffee shop right now."

"so."

Let's find a suitable place to chat.

"it is good."

Masumi nodded and asked.

"where are we going?"

"Love Hotel".

Mio uttered the word expressionlessly.

"Eh!"

Masumi stared in disbelief, her beautiful yet aloof face revealing no hint of truth.

Is Mio angry?

"To be precise, it's jealousy."

Mio made no attempt to hide her displeasure.

"Then... pat my head?"

"Is Masumi treating me like a child?"

Mio raised her head with a displeased expression and stared straight at him.

"Well, then..."

Masumi's gaze drifted nervously back and forth.

"stare--"

Mio continued to pierce him with her sharp gaze. Her eyes were like an anchor, preventing Masumi from setting sail.

"What happened again?"

"What happened to the head pat we just agreed on?"

Mio gave a reproachful look, as if she were facing a boyfriend who had stood her up.

"Hey, okay."

In the end, you still have to pat their head.

Masumi gently placed her broad palm on Mio's head, and Mio immediately snuggled closer, like a loyal dog longing for its master's affection.

Mio is definitely a dog-loving girl.

Meanwhile, Mio, the dog-loving girl, closed her eyes contentedly, her radiant hair swaying gently.

"I like Masumi the most."

"Ok, I know."

The way she was trying so hard made Masumi's heart flutter, and she ran her fingers along Mio's blonde hair.

Mio isn't naturally blonde, but ever since I met her, Masumi has never seen her with any other features besides blonde hair. This flawless, beautiful hair is also proof of her hard work.

"...So I got really angry when I saw Masumi and Chia acting like that."

Mio's voice sounded no different from her previous heartfelt confession, but it contained a hint of reproach.

"I'll pay attention to it in the future."

"What should we be careful about? Locking the door or keeping things hidden?"

The pointed question made Masumi's heart skip a beat, and she froze, unable to speak. She could almost hear her own arms cracking.

"never mind."

Mio lowered her head as if not caring, and murmured softly.

"Now... is not the right time..."

Masumi didn't know what she meant by "timing," but his instincts told him that now was not the time for him to pursue it either.

"So, does that mean Mio has calmed down?"

"That's not enough. Masumi has already been completely honest with Chiai."

"That was just an accident that happened during our 'heart-to-heart talk'."

Masumi sighed. Even so, Mio didn't seem very angry at the moment. Instead, she smiled happily, as if she didn't feel troubled at all.

"Oh, a 'heart-to-heart' talk?"

Mio narrowed her obsidian-like eyes, slightly curving her lips, and looked at Masumi with a knowing look.

"Masumi and Chia are clearly not a couple, so why are they talking about 'heart-to-heart talks'?"

Feeling a chill run down her spine, Masumi quickly spoke up:
"Uh, 'heart-to-heart talks' aren't just for romantic partners! Childhood friends or close friends can do it too."

Masumi explained it this way. Ugh, I feel so bad about my behavior, like a scumbag who's been caught cheating by two girls and clumsily trying to justify himself.

Indeed, there were more than two... no, more than two.

"You're quite the smooth talker, Masumi."

Mio suddenly took a step closer, tapped his chest, and then gently tugged at Masumi's collar, acting coquettishly.

Standing at a traffic intersection, Mio was naturally surrounded by pedestrians who would occasionally cast curious glances at the couple who "looked like they were having a tiff," but she didn't care about their stares at all.

Masumi also felt that she had gotten used to it.

"It's just normal. Besides, didn't Mio just see how disheveled I was?"

Recalling what happened not long ago, Masumi inevitably felt her face burning; it was so incredibly embarrassing.

He stroked Mio's head for a while before letting go. Mio nodded contentedly and then snorted through her nose.

"If it weren't for that incident, I wouldn't have so easily given up on making a fuss about Qian'ai's sneaking away."

"If Mio is happy, then could we—"

"cannot!"

Mio denied it without hesitation.

"...I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Anyway, Masumi just wants me to delete the photos, and I absolutely won't do it!"

Mio's attitude was resolute.

"I'm going to set this picture of Masumi as my phone wallpaper and screensaver... Ah, I might as well print it out and stick it all over the ceiling and walls, so that every day when I open my eyes I'll see Masumi being so honest with me~ It's just so wonderful!!"

"Absolutely not!"

Masumi quickly stopped her from going too far.

"Going to a print shop means that outsiders will see this photo!"

He suddenly felt a little fortunate that his band career hadn't made much of a name for itself, otherwise—

Nude photos of the handsome lead singer of a popular rock band... would probably trend online immediately if released.

"makes sense."

Mio seemed convinced and nodded in deep agreement.

"I don't intend to let anyone see this photo; I'll just keep it and enjoy it myself every day."

"...Forget it, that's it."

Helpless, Masumi simply gave up the struggle.

"It's getting late, it's time to head back to the coffee shop."

Exhausted, Masumi just wants to lie down on the bed and get a good night's sleep.

"Aren't you going to have a heart-to-heart talk?"

Mio suddenly said.

"what?"

"If Masumi can confide in Chiai, then she should be able to confide in me too, right?"

Mio said meaningfully, a gentle smile appearing on her lips.

"Oh, of course, that's fine, but I'll pass on Love Hotel."

"Considering Masumi's sincerity, I can reluctantly make a compromise." Mio conceded a step.

"Shall we go to Mount Rokko?"

"Huh? Okay."

The unexpected turn of events left Masumi somewhat stunned, but she still nodded in agreement.

On another note, was Mio too fixated on "mountains" today?

Fortunately, Mount Rokko has a relatively low altitude and is close to the Osaka Plain, a prosperous industrial and commercial area in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe region. It is highly developed and does not have any isolated areas that even detectors cannot find.

"...It's not just mountains~"

Mio suddenly spoke up.

"To be honest, although the mountain village depicted in the game is very tempting, I'm still a little worried because it's connected by land. I heard that out of the country's 6852 islands, only 416 are inhabited. Maybe an uninhabited island with no signal would be more suitable."

"...I sincerely hope that Mio can abandon this terrible plan."

Masumi was sweating profusely, both on her back and in her heart.

Needless to say, this must be related to Mami. I really want to teach that guy who recommended that kind of messy game to Mio a lesson.

◇

"Ah-"

"Sister Mami, you have a cold?"

"No, Rinne, don't worry about me. It's probably because only my lower body was in the kotatsu table, and there was a temperature difference."

"In that case, Mami-nee, please come in a little more." Rinne shook her head.

"it's okay no problem!"

Mami is frantically playing the fan-made game that just loaded.

"Speaking of which, the female protagonist of this game is really scary! Because she witnessed the male protagonist and his childhood friend just flirting, plus the lucky pervert incident while taking a bath, she became jealous. She first pretended to be nonchalant and lured the male protagonist to the mountains, then knocked him unconscious when he wasn't paying attention and imprisoned him in an abandoned house in the mountains... Waaah! I've unlocked the Bad End!"

"Asami...it's so noisy..."

Haiyue, who had been sleeping with her face pressed against the table, slowly opened her eyelids.

"Because it's really terrifying! I can't imagine what it would be like if there were girls like that in real life! Speaking of which, Masumi-kun, Mio-san, and Chiai have been gone for quite a while now, could it be—"

"As long as Asami doesn't give Mio that kind of inspiration, I don't think there's any need to worry about it."

Rinne took a sip of her black tea and spoke in a calm tone.

"Rinne is so calm, she looks like an old lady... Ugh!"

Rinne mercilessly delivered a chop to Mami's head. Mami let out a scream of pain.

"Please be quiet, Mami-nee. Stop yelling all the time. Besides, the girl downstairs is still studying. She's going to start preparing for college entrance exams this year."

"Oh, I see."

Asami rubbed the sore spot. Rinne's chop to the hand just now was really merciless. It was definitely partly revenge for her saying that she "looked like an old lady."

Inspiration...

Speaking of which, two weeks ago, Mami lent Mio several doujin games in one go. I wonder if Mio-san has played any of these games...

Well, none of that matters.

Mami shook her head and refocused on the monotonous monitor screen.

Let's cheer up and try to get a good result this time!
◇

Get off the tram at Rok Ka Road Station and walk along the steep mountain road entrance, where the spacing between the streetlights gradually widens.

This means that the territory of darkness is also constantly expanding.

Mount Rokko is located in southeastern Hyogo Prefecture. Unlike Mount Daikichi, which Masumi visited in Uji City last summer, it is a much larger, continuous mountain range with an elevation of 931 meters.

The island nation's first golf course was built here.

The sound of the wind blowing through the gaps in the leaves grew increasingly sharp, creating a very eerie atmosphere in the woods and along the mountain path.

So, since she started walking up the mountain path, Mio has returned to her silent state.

Because Masumi happens to be one of those who believe in the existence of ghosts, she felt even more uneasy, like the dim stars flickering uncertainly in the sky.

"...If you want to enjoy the night view, I think the Venus Bridge in the city center is more suitable."

He couldn't help but speak, breaking the unsettling silence.

"The circular bridge in Suwayama Park?"

Mio responded.

"I heard there's a 'Love Lock Monument' there, where couples who vow eternal love lock their messages of love there, and their love will be fulfilled. I really want to find a chance to go there with Masumi."

"That's it, that's good."

Hearing Mio's words, Masumi immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that you're thinking about going to the Venus Bridge means you're safe right now.

"Although I don't quite understand, this means that Masumi is also looking forward to a happy ending in our relationship."

Mio smiled, and the clouds that had previously obscured the moonlight finally passed by, allowing the moonlight to spill over into the woods.

Eyes that have adapted to the darkness now see even the faint moonlight, which they usually take for granted, as a source of light.

Suddenly, the view opened up, revealing a spacious area.

The two finally arrived at a lookout point, which was very simple and desolate compared to popular attractions such as the Hokkei-dai or Tenran-dai on Mount Maya. It was just an ordinary wooden bench.

Undeterred by the cold, fallen leaves piled up in a thick layer on the surface.

Masumi suddenly remembered last spring, also at an observation deck in the Rokko Mountains, when she first revealed the vulnerability beneath her cold and strong exterior to herself.

The darkness not only blurs vision, but also softens, slows down, and blurs the barriers between hearts, making it easier for people to open up and express their feelings.

I see. This is indeed a great place for heart-to-heart talks.

"Would you like to have a heart-to-heart talk here?"

"Ah."

After looking around for a moment, Mio nodded with satisfaction and said:
"There's nobody around, and it doesn't look like anyone's going to come here. It's a good place."

"Uh, yes, yes."

Is Mio's criterion for judging a "good place" simply that no one comes here?
In that case, compared to a teenage girl who longs to confide in someone and can't hold back her feelings, she seems more like a criminal.

As the vivid hallucination entered the unspeakable scene, Masumi couldn't help but shudder.

"Are you feeling a little cold, Masumi?"

Mio asked with concern.

"Yeah, not bad."

"Why don't we huddle together for warmth? I heard that doing some exercise would be even better."

Mio's tone didn't sound like she was joking at all.

"No, I won't."

Masumi's heart pounded wildly.

The barriers between hearts have thinned, and the will to refuse has also weakened.

He held his breath, looked down at Mio's face, and froze for a moment.

"Mio?"

Mio didn't sit down next to him, and it was clearly not because she disliked the dirty surface of the bench.

After all, the fabric of her long skirt, which covered her knees, was already touching the ground.

"Huh? Why? Weren't we supposed to have a heart-to-heart talk?"

Her honey-gold hair fell to Masumi's knees and thighs, and Mio revealed an impeccable, sweet smile.

"It is indeed a 'heart-to-heart talk,' after all, isn't it also a 'heart-to-heart talk' when Chiai seduces you while wearing a bath towel?"

"That was a misunderstanding—um."

Masumi's words were cut off by a passionate kiss.

Mio tilted her head back, her fair skin flushed, and beads of sweat trickled down her beautifully slender neck, while hot breath escaped from her lips.

"As expected, this isn't really the right time for a kiss. Hmm, it's definitely better to do something more suitable."

With a deeply moved expression, Mio gently touched her lips, a gesture that made Masumi acutely aware of the fervent emotion emanating from her eyes, like the beautiful night sky sweeping in. This time, she kissed Masumi from a different angle and direction.

Masumi's throat trembled slightly, unsure of what to do, and she swallowed hard.

"Can this still be considered a heart-to-heart talk?"

"of course."

Mio's snow-white throat bobbed unguardedly.

"The process of getting to know each other is called heart-to-heart talk~"

"Yes, really."

Masumi was defeated.

In the end, I wavered.

kiss.

A kiss between lovers.

An even deeper kiss than that.

February 9th, five days before Valentine's Day.

(End of this chapter)