Tokyo Soft Rice King.

Would you like some water?

"Oh... I was a little thirsty, thank you."

Kuroba Akira, who had just woken up, did feel a bit thirsty, so he thanked her and reached out to take the bottle of mineral water.

But Zhencheng dodged Kuroba Akira's hand and said with a smile.

"Shall I feed you?"

Without waiting for Kuroba Akira's reply, Makoto unscrewed the bottle cap on her own.

The absence of the clicking sound that occurs when the bottle cap separates from the disposable seal indicates that the bottle had been opened previously.

Then I saw that Zhencheng deliberately placed the water bottle in front of his chest, with the bottle opening at the same height as Shuangtou.

You have to half-squat down to drink it...

Why go through all that trouble to drink it? And it's so deliberate!

Zhencheng smiled and leaned forward, saying this.

"Here, please use it."

"..."

Kuroba Akira wanted to say no, but Makoto stood in the doorway, exuding an air of unyielding authority, as if to say, 'No one is allowed to leave unless they drink mine.'

Before Kuroba Akira could even cooperate, Makoto seemed to have already noticed the height difference, and with a look of realization, said guiltily.

"Ugh, I'm so inconsiderate to make Kuroba-kun drink water in such a tiring position..."

"N-nothing..."

So just give it to me directly... or you could move aside, I'll go downstairs to get some water...

Then, in the next instant, Kuroba Akira felt his body lose its balance and his vision spun around... Huh?

With a low sweeping kick, Zhencheng caused Kuroba Akira's body to fall to the side, and then she pulled him into her arms with one hand and slowly put him on the ground.

Throughout the entire process, the water bottle in his hand remained level without spilling a single drop of water—it was practically a special skill!

"Here, that's all, please use it."

Looking at Makoto's smiling face that filled his vision, Kuroba Akira realized that he was lying diagonally in her arms, and Makoto knelt down on the ground, thus changing to a breastfeeding position.

Stunned, Kuroba Akira opened his mouth, and Makoto pressed the bottle opening against Kuroba Akira's lower lip.

"Drink slowly, don't choke, okay?"

Motherhood…!

I've had similar play with Akiko before, but playing with a high school girl of the same age... it doesn't seem to be the first time.

After all, the class monitor always provided lap pillows and fed them.

But the other party is a real orange... I still feel a little embarrassed!

"How is it? Is it sweet?"

"Um……"

It does taste a little sweet... So it's not just plain mineral water after all?

"It contains honey lemon water, which can help with hangovers and relieve fatigue."

After saying that, Zhencheng suddenly tilted her head and smiled, her eyes flashing with a sly light. Her pink tongue gently darted out and pressed against the corner of her lips, like a kitten that had stolen some cream.

"I made it myself, and I added some other seasonings."

"..."

"Kuroba-kun, would you like to try some of the ingredients?"

Her tongue stretched out.

"...!"

Kuroba Akira's eyes widened, and he almost choked on the lemonade.

Something's not right...! This flirtatious vibe... How did Zhencheng become so alluring, just like the class president!

"Don't be so nervous, Kuroba-kun. I was just kidding. I didn't add any weird stuff, so you can drink it without worry."

Is this really a joke...? Kuroba Akira can't tell anymore.

"However, in order to taste it, I also drank it directly from the mouth, so there was an indirect kiss... But Kuroba-kun, you have so much experience kissing girls, you probably won't mind such a small thing, right? So let me take advantage of you."

After saying that, Zhencheng also put the bottle back in place, allowing Kuroba Akira to speak. She even used her sleeve to wipe Kuroba Akira's mouth and neck.

They took meticulous care of us.

Kuroba Akira was a little unsure what to say because Shinichi had changed quite a bit.

There was indeed a little ambiguity when we went shopping at CM together before, but at that time, Zhencheng wouldn't have expressed her feelings for me so obviously.

But now this is practically a direct confession, it's just a matter of writing 'I like you' on your face.

I don't know what triggered it...

"But if it were someone else, they wouldn't need such a container at all; they would just go straight for the food and take advantage of it."

Okay, so that seems to be the reason.

Is it a competitive mentality...?

After replenishing his fluids, Kuroba Akira suddenly felt the urge to go to the toilet. After all, he had been lying down for more than 20 hours straight, and he must have accumulated quite a bit of fluid.

Then, Zhencheng, anticipating Kuroba Akira's feelings, asked considerately.

"Ah, Kuroba-kun, do you need to use the restroom? Shall I help you there? You're probably still not feeling well, aren't you?"

"Uh, how do you know... about my physical condition?"

Kuroba Akira didn't finish his question because he suspected that Shinichi was also one of the participants.

But if he thought about it carefully, he would realize that if Zhen Cheng were really a participant, she wouldn't be trying to take advantage of indirect kissing now; she would have already enjoyed it herself.

In other words, when Makoto insisted on feeding Kuroba Akira water, deliberately using a breastfeeding posture, and even intentionally mentioning indirect kissing, it actually had a bit of a 'self-comforting' element to it.

So Shinichi is definitely not the culprit, but Kuroba Akira, who had just woken up, was not very quick-witted. Coupled with the unease and wariness caused by being boiled in water, he was unable to think clearly.

Then, Makoto read Kuroba Akira's thoughts further and said with a wry smile.

"I didn't participate. I was downstairs reading... although I couldn't concentrate at all."

"Phew...that's alright..."

Instantly, a dark aura erupted from her. Zhencheng tilted her head, the shadow of her falling hair obscuring half of her face, but the eye that was exposed was frighteningly bright.

"Kuroba-kun, why did you breathe a sigh of relief? Are you glad I didn't participate?"

"Uh! That's not what I meant! I meant, thankfully you're a person with common sense, Zhencheng, and you didn't follow them and do anything reckless."

Zhencheng approached Kuroba Akira step by step, her gentle voice filled with a honey-sweetness that suddenly froze the air.

"But the only reason I didn't participate was because I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of others. And because my sister participated, I still felt the same way she did. It really does have something to do with distance, it was even stronger than when I was at home... So I really wanted to participate, you know? Kuroba-kun, do you know how hard I had to hold back? Do you know how loud their voices were? But I held back, you know? I even refused Aunt Akiko's suggestion that I go into the soundproof recording studio because I didn't want to run away... Hey, Kuroba-kun, aren't I amazing? Praise me, aren't I amazing?"

"Wow...that's amazing..."

Kuroba Akira swallowed hard, feeling an even stronger urge to go to the toilet.

Why did Zhen Cheng's corruption progress suddenly increase so much?! There wasn't even a hint of corruption before this!

Fortunately, Zhencheng did not continue to have an attack. Instead, she shook her head, rubbed her forehead, and said...

"Sorry... I might... um, I didn't sleep well last night..."

Kuroba Akira scratched his cheek, turned to the side and pointed to his bedding, making a suggestion.

"Hey, Zhencheng, do you want to take a nap? I've just gotten up, so you don't need to bring the bedding if you need it..."

Then Akira Kuroba witnessed firsthand what a 'complex and contradictory inner struggle' truly meant.

“Okay! I'll definitely use the bedding that Kuroba-kun used… Ah, no… that won't do… Thank you, Kuroba-kun. Although I really wanted to use the bedding you slept in… I really shouldn't, because I definitely won't be able to sleep if I lie down in it, and I won't be able to resist. If I can't resist, my sister will find out, and then it might affect you… You're already tired enough, I can't let you suffer any more… Also, if I sleep here, my feelings are a bit complicated. I'll regret not participating, and then I'll feel a kind of emptiness… So I'll pass… But it's really, really, really a pity… So, if you have any spare bedding next time you sleep somewhere else, Kuroba-kun, could you give it to me then?”

In the end, Zhencheng managed a heartbreaking smile.

"..."

Zhen Cheng...

It's broken!

Chapter 370 Women's Friendships Rely on Men

Akira Kuroba is very worried about Makoto's current mental state.

Her attempt to convince herself was a clear manifestation of her inner turmoil.

If things continue to worsen, she may become deaf to everyone's advice, develop extreme thoughts due to depression, and might even resort to violence.

At this moment, Kuroba Akira also perked up, carefully considering what to say to help restore her progress in turning evil.

Don't hesitate, and don't refuse, otherwise she'll think, 'Why can't I?' Once she starts to get stuck on this, she's not far from 'revenge'.

So Kuroba Akira knelt down just like Shinichi had done earlier, patted his thigh, and said...

"It seems you're also very tired, Zhencheng. Why don't you lie down and rest for a bit? You can borrow my thigh."

"...Kuroba-kun, I'm not tired."

"Mental exhaustion is exhaustion, even worse than physical exhaustion. Don't be shy, I already promised you I would take responsibility."

I will take responsibility... reassuring words.

"..."

Saionji Machi silently closed her eyes and nestled into Kuroba Akira's arms, lying on her side and hugging his waist, burying her face in his groin.

The girl stopped pretending and showed her vulnerable side to the person she liked, just like when she was a child and would act spoiled with her older sister...

However, this time, the person who was her emotional support was no longer her older sister, but Kuroba Akira, her first love.

Although Zhencheng seems sensible, understanding, and well-mannered now, much more reliable than her willful older sister, this is actually just a result of her past imitation of her sister's 'habit'.

I forced myself to be strong, underwent rigorous training, kept my nerves on edge, avoided being exposed, and had to put on a mature appearance...

The original Zhencheng was a child who loved to cry and act spoiled.