Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 337, Section 5: "The Night Before the Final Chapter"

It was already late at night when I got back to Kobe.

Masumi took a shower in the bathroom and changed into a loose-fitting black loungewear set.

Tonight at the LOVE HOTEL, only he and Qianai didn't shower in the hotel bathroom, which is understandable.

After all, Masumi didn't want to be bathed in front of the girls. It was completely different from soaking in a hot spring.

He used the bathroom first, and then it was Qian'ai's turn.

Because she felt bad about leaving Chiai waiting alone in the room for too long, Masumi shortened her shower time considerably compared to usual, and only used a hairdryer for half a minute to dry her hair, leaving the ends slightly damp.

"...Qian'ai? I'm all washed up. It's your turn now."

Masumi spoke to the girl inside through the door.

"..."

No one responded.

Because Chia had told Masumi not long ago, "I'll be playing on my phone while I wait for you," he subconsciously assumed that Chia had probably fallen asleep while playing on her phone.

However, after gently pushing open the door, the scene inside startled Masumi.

The quilt was shaped into a semi-circle, and Qian Ai looked like a turtle tucking herself into its shell, her body curled up into a small ball under the quilt, with only her pair of fair and delicate feet showing outside the quilt.

"Qian'ai? Is she asleep?"

Masumi spoke softly as she approached to cover her with the blanket.

"No, no..."

A faint response came from under the blanket.

The childhood sweetheart peeked her head out from under the covers, and the sounds that had been deliberately kept out all rushed into her ears.

The ticking of the clock on the cabinet was exceptionally clear, and even the tiny dust particles dancing in the light became particularly noticeable.

Even though all five senses have become incredibly sharp, only the mind remains hazy.

Ever since returning from that place filled with hints... no, it was already explicit, Chiai has maintained this reaction.

It's almost like when someone has heatstroke, even their common sense gets dehydrated from the heat.

Masumi's lips curled into a look of helplessness:
"Is Qian'ai still bothered by what happened at the hotel? It's all in the past, don't worry about it."

"How could I not care! Such an embarrassing thing happened. Masumi-nii even lied to me and said it was a neck and shoulder massager, which caused Asami-nee to misunderstand and tease me about being 'impure' and stuff..."

"Yes, yes, it's all my fault. Can you get out of the blanket now?"

No matter how much Masumi apologized, Chiai still refused to leave her turtle-shell-shaped blanket.

"……don't want."

"If Qian'ai doesn't come out soon, I'm going to drag you out."

"Well."

Upon hearing this, Qian'ai's feet, which were sticking out of the blanket, immediately curled up tightly as if stimulated.

Masumi stared intently at Chiai's small feet from close range.

Now even the soles of her feet have turned bright red, and her plump, soft toes are arranged neatly like a row of pomegranate seeds.

It's rare to have the chance to closely observe other people's feet, and Masumi was curious whether Chiai's feet were always this red whenever she was with him.

Seemingly sensing Masumi's intense gaze, Chiai nervously tried to tuck her feet under the covers as well.

Masumi instinctively grabbed Chiai's ankle as she tried to escape, and mischievously poked Chiai's slender and shapely toes with her finger.

The adorable pad of her toe was poked with Masumi's fingertip, leaving a shallow indentation. As Masumi moved her finger away and touched another spot, the indentation bounced back to its original shape and reappeared at the spot where her finger had poked the toe.

"Woo!"

A sweet voice emanated from her beautifully shaped lips.

Seeing her sensitive reaction, Masumi finally began to realize that she might be doing something inappropriate for children.

"Masumi-nii, let me go!"

Qian Ai said through gritted teeth.

"Then promise me you won't stay in bed pretending to be a coward."

"Who's playing the coward?! Masumi, let go of me first!"

"Ok."

Masumi released her hand, and the little foot immediately darted away as nimbly as a fish.

The childhood sweetheart, who had been cooped up in bed, finally threw off the covers and sat on the bed in a duck-like position, staring at him with a sullen look, her ears as red as bright red butterfly wings.

"Masumi-nii is all talk and no action, he's got a bad heart..."

"Chiai isn't new to knowing about my terrible personality, is she?" Masumi laughed. "Even so, you still like me, don't you?"

"That's not the case!"

"How could this be! You don't like me? Have you fallen for someone else?!"

Masumi exaggeratedly acted out a look of disbelief, as if she were very shocked.

Such an exaggerated tone would probably only earn him eye-rolls if spoken by Rinne or Asami, but if spoken by Mio or Kaigetsu, they would probably take this opportunity to get closer to him.

Only Chiai's reaction was the simplest, just as Masumi had expected.

"No, I've always liked Masumi-nii! I always have, and I still do!"

"Liar."

"I'm not kidding you, it's true!"

Seeing Chiai hurriedly sit up in bed, Masumi laughed heartily.

"Masumi-nii's personality is too bad."

"I don't love you enough, you really hurt me with what you just said."

“I won’t fall for that so easily this time. Masumi-nii has always enjoyed teasing me.”

Chiai's soft, limp tone reminded Masumi of her junior high school days.

"I tease Chiai because I like her."

"What's wrong with him? He's a primary school boy!"

She pouted in protest.

"I want to be more like a normal couple."

"They're more like a normal couple..."

Masumi roughly knows what Chiai wants... Okay.

He then sat on the bed, leaned forward, brushed aside Qian'ai's bangs, and kissed her smooth forehead.

The skin on the forehead that the lips touched was smooth and soft, and the bones were well-proportioned and rounded.

Masumi pulled her mouth away, and Chiai collapsed weakly onto the bed, frozen in place with her head tilted back.

As for her expression... well, it turned bright red as usual, so there's not much to say. She looked like a strawberry.

A sudden silence descended, and the two remained in this state for quite some time before Qian Ai finally spoke, as if to break the silence:
"...Is that all?"

"what?"

Masumi paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly.

"I understand, then, like this—"

Masumi's face slowly approached Chiai's.

The girl, as if breathing through her pupils, slowly opened her eyes wide.

I felt a soft touch on my lips.

Although Qian'ai's lips are small, they are very full.

After a light touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water...

"Um--!"

Qian Ai was grabbed by her childhood friend and had her mouth ravaged before she finally parted her lips to protest.

"Wait a minute, Masumi-nii!"

Her face turned red all the way to her neck, her whole body trembled violently, and her hands waved frantically in front of her face.

"While I did try to kiss you just now, this kind of...adult kiss...is still..."

"Qian Ai is really hard to understand."

Masumi sighed in exasperation.

"Although I don't want to force Chiai to do something she doesn't want to do, we're already in an adult relationship. How long will Chiai keep up this shyness?"

"Um, that was..."

Chiai raised her chin as if she were a drowning person trying to breathe, trying her best to answer Masumi's question.

It seems the air here is too thin for Chiai. Masumi stared at her lower lip and the occasional glimpse of her tongue, and said:
"I will help Qian'ai confirm it, so please trust me, okay?"

After saying that, he stretched his neck as if to block the childhood sweetheart's refusal and gently kissed Qian Ai's lips.

Masumi's lips were slightly cool, which was very much his style.

Chiai suddenly remembered the fortune she received last year on Miyako Island: "Do not pluck the lowest string, for the string can speak of extreme resentment."

This time even more
Qian Ai took a deep breath. The sound of her breathing vibrated her eardrums.

It's so hot. It's only May, but all the heat seems to be concentrated under my skin.

The light reflected in her emerald eyes trembled slightly. Her eyelashes fluttered up and down, and her ears, peeking out from her hair, were as red as ripe tomatoes.

She straightened up, a determined look on her face, and slowly leaned closer to Masumi's ear, her heart pounding.

Qian Ai's voice drifted into my right ear.

The sound, mixed with breath, tickled Masumi's ears.

The scent of shampoo wafted to my nose.

That sentence did indeed reach Masumi's stiff ears.

"I like Masumi-nii, so... I also want to take my relationship with Masumi-nii... to the next level..."

Chiai seemed to have exhausted all her strength just by saying that one sentence. Just as Masumi was thinking this, she saw the childhood friend close her eyes tightly.

Then he suddenly crossed his arms, grabbed the hem of his pajamas, and pulled them up.

In an instant, her fair abdomen was exposed, revealing her cute navel and the ribs faintly visible above her abdomen.

Faced with the sight that would make all the boys stare with bloodshot eyes, Masumi, on the other hand...

Like all boys.

Masumi stared at her intently, only to be glared at fiercely by her.

"Masumi-nii, you're being very cunning!"

Qian Ai stared at him, her face flushed, her eyes narrowed with a reproachful look.

Masumi suddenly realized. Ah, he also needs to take his clothes off.

As he deftly took off his loungewear shirt, Qian'ai had already taken off all her pajamas.

The childhood sweetheart, wearing only underwear, sat in a W-shape on the bed.

The moment Masumi saw her, her heart started pounding.

The triangular fabric supporting the chest is so provocative that it's probably not a style for everyday wear.

"Huh? Qian'ai, what's that you wearing...?"

Is it... strange?

Qian Ai crossed her arms over her shoulders and asked shyly.

"No, not at all! She looks very attractive."

Masumi affirmed without hesitation.

"Is that so... Phew..."

As if to calm herself down, Qian Ai took a long breath and gradually relaxed.

She shifted her hips, which were clad in matching underwear, her flushed face fixed on Masumi. Then, as if hastily trying to make amends, she awkwardly explained:

"Masumi-nii, don't misunderstand! It's because I heard Rinne say before that 'there isn't a single day in life when you don't need to fight or lose,' so that's why..."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Qian'ai."

Masumi's eyes were filled with a gentle smile; she must have wanted to appear more mature and charming.

Thinking about this, he felt that compared to the charm of sentimentality, that kind of pure innocence and cuteness touched his heart even more.

"What's with the thank you? It sounds weird, and...it's so embarrassing."

Qian Ai's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Given Chia's usual fashionable but conservative and cute style of dress, it's hard to imagine her wearing such alluring lingerie.

This sense of novelty might never get old, but today, it's only in the middle stage.

Then, as if encouraging herself, Chiai pursed her lips and leaned closer to look into Masumi's eyes.

"Masumi-nii, I like you."

She whispered in Masumi's ear as if speaking directly to her brain.

"I like you, I like you so much, I like you the most... I'm sorry, although I was too cowardly to say it properly for a while, I've always liked Masumi-nii, and that has never changed..."

The girl Masumi cherishes most in this world is standing before him, confessing her love...

Masumi couldn't say anything for a moment, she just kept staring at Chiai's flushed face.

When they were just ordinary childhood friends, Masumi never imagined that one day things would turn out like this.

After a while, he couldn't help but hug Qian Ai's slender, snow-white body tightly, press himself against her, and kiss Qian Ai for the third time.

This time it was even stronger, and they craved each other.

"Woo..."

Qian Ai made a cute sound in a very short moment.

I want to hear more.

Masumi put her arm around Chiai's shoulder, and Chiai did not resist. Following her lead, she fell onto the soft bed.

Her beautiful hair was spread out on the pillow, and in the center of it, a pair of moist eyes were fixed on Masumi.

"Masumi-san..."

She called Masumi's name in the gentlest of voices.

"I'm a coward, so this time, please do whatever you want to me, Masumi-nii, otherwise I won't be able to resolve my inner conflict..."

Qian Ai was very scared.

But Masumi's gentle eyes and all-encompassing smile slightly eased her inner fear.

"Well, I see."

Masumi responded in a gentle voice.

He lowered his head and gently rubbed his nose against Qian'ai's nose.

"Are you alright? Are you feeling uneasy?"

She didn't answer Masumi's question. Instead, with a tremor, she suddenly raised her right arm and tightly covered her eyes with her smooth forearm, as if she could no longer bear his gaze.

She didn't want Masumi to see her current expression of complete depravity and shamelessness.

It's a self-deceptive form of protection, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

Masumi found it somewhat amusing. Just when he thought Chiai was about to shut herself off completely, her left hand, which was hanging by her side, began to grope on the sheets with a mixture of hesitation and urgency, as if she were searching for something.

Masumi instantly understood her intention and extended her right hand to meet her.

Chiai's fingertips were cold. When she touched Masumi's warm hand, she trembled slightly as if she had been electrocuted, and then immediately and without hesitation, she tightly grasped his hand.

Her fingers, somewhat clumsy yet incredibly firm, slipped through the gaps between his fingers, interlocking with his.

Her face remained hidden beneath her arms, preventing Masumi from seeing it at all.

Her arm, covering her eyes, obscured most of her face, revealing only a small but stubborn chin and soft lips that she had bitten until they were slightly red and pale.

But her hands, without reservation, conveyed all her vulnerability, trust, and surrender to him at that moment.

Feeling the soft yet firm strength in her palm, the last trace of worry in her heart vanished, and Masumi grasped Chiai's hand in return.

"Qian'ai really likes holding hands. Does it make you feel at ease?"

Masumi's voice was low, with a hint of hoarse laughter.

"...!"

Chiai's arm, which was covering her eyes, visibly stiffened for a moment. Then, as if to confirm Masumi's words, the hand that was intertwined with his tightened even more unconsciously.

She didn't speak, but let out a soft sob from deep in her throat, with a heavy nasal tone.

It was as if she was protesting his rhetoric, or as if she was silently acquiescing.

Masumi paused for a moment because of her adorable reaction, then continued with an even stronger, teasing interest.

"Not saying anything? Then it seems so."

He brought his lips to Qian Ai's again and gently kissed her lips.

And then, once again.

one more time.

one more time.

Each time she repeated this action, Qian'ai felt the tangled threads in her heart slowly unraveling and being straightened out.

Rationality is gradually disappearing.

In the end, only instinct remained.

"Do not pluck the lowest string, for it can express deep resentment."

The poem from which this divination slip originates also has a second stanza:
"Heaven may never grow old, but love will never sever. My heart is like a double-stranded net, with a thousand knots within."

"The night has passed, and before dawn, the lonely lamp by the east window has gone out."

(End of this chapter)