Kamen Rider is playing the villain in Pretty Cure

"The pain helps you remember better."

Of course, he typed all of these himself.

I have to praise the protective power of Pretty Cure's suit again. The knights and the team next door were severely damaged. When they were beaten and their transformations were cancelled, their mouths and eyes were opened and deflated, they looked so miserable, especially the wounds on their faces, which looked like they were hit by a fragmentation grenade at close range.

But Pretty Cure was much better off! She also took a fatal flying kick from him, and likewise, her mouth opened and eyes closed, and Erika rolled on the ground with only her blue glowing undershirt left. Surprisingly, she only had her nose scraped by a stone while rolling around, and other than that, she was completely fine after resting for a while.

"You actually forgot to fight on the battlefield. This is what happens." Ash poked Erika's cheek, which was puffed out like a swamp fish in dissatisfaction. He couldn't help but poke it a few more times because of its soft and elastic feel. "If Itsuki hadn't appeared in time and chased that person away, who knows what would have happened."

Yeah, who knows? He definitely doesn’t know. (Laughs)

Today, Erika didn't jump up and refute as she did in the past. She just nodded to indicate that she heard it, glanced at Ash from the corner of her eye, and then quickly turned her blushing cheeks away, leaving Ash confused for a moment.

What's wrong? Am I exposed, or is there something strange on my face?

"How about it, do you still want to sleep?"

"Really? How can I sleep after getting beaten up?" Erika blushed and quickly slapped Ash's dirty hands away, covering her cheeks. "He actually kicked a lady in the face. I will never forgive that guy!"

Ash smiled slightly when he heard this. There are so many people who say this to me.

"Next time, learn from your mistakes and show no mercy to your enemies."

"Anyway, I understand...Don't lecture me like that. I'll change."

After getting the promise, Ash finally nodded. Since you can learn the lesson, it doesn't matter if I kick you. You are really a teachable kid.

I don't know why, but Erika is so obedient today.

stare----

It's not an illusion.

From just occasional sneak glances at the beginning to a slightly longer gaze, Erika is now staring straight at Ash's profile.

Of course, Ash ignored the gaze as usual. Being a villain requires a thick skin; it's crucial for survival.

"You, see it!"

Erika, whose blush could not fade away, suddenly spoke up, breaking the tacit pretense between the two and shattering the tranquility.

After all, Erika doesn't know how to endure this matter when she is so upset at the moment.

"Ah, what?" Ash managed to reply with his shoulders trembling slightly.

"You already knew this. I've been watching you!" Erika finally snapped, returning to her usual playful self. Her cheeks flushed like apples as she waved her fists. "You clearly knew this a long time ago, yet you're still pretending to be clueless. And even then, you're still snickering!"

The pounding in her heart could no longer be stopped. She had to speak it out, now! Here!

Finally, after the outburst, Erika's face flushed, she waved her fists, and began to make a loud noise in her characteristic way, regardless of anything.

"We've been fighting so hard, but you always like to say some sarcastic things about me and Lei! You obviously don't understand anything about our feelings and our efforts!" After the outburst, Erika said out loud all the things that had been stuck in her heart.

"You care about Lily-san very much, and you also care about the newcomer Itsuki. You always like to tease us and make fun of us! Do you know that we care about you in the same way?" Erika was busy wiping her nose and trying to suck up her snot, but it still dripped onto Ash's clothes.

"You're so nice to everyone. That's why it's so hard to figure out what you're thinking or what you really like!"

You keep doing these things to us, don't you say you don't understand anything?!

"It's all your fault, it's all your fault!" She swung her fists and hammered at Ash's chest repeatedly. However, without her transformation, she didn't even have enough strength to give Ash a back rub. Ash just looked at Erika, who rushed over in shame and anger. "It's all because of those weird things you said that I was worried about sleeping all night!"

"Ah, what did I say? Besides, would a little girl like you think so much?"

"Of course not!"

"Obviously, obviously, I'm a girl too, and yet—" Erika, blushing even more, seemed to have reached the limit of her patience. A tear trickled down her cheeks, and the pounding of her fists on Ash's chest came to a halt. "And you're still saying those weird things to me! Even I'd have my own thoughts!"

You guy, since you dare to say such great things, you should be even more responsible to me!

"It's so hot...but I finally bought it!" After waiting in line for a long time in the hot summer, I finally helped Erika buy today's limited edition Strawberry Daifuku. Lei, who was working hard and sweating profusely, smiled.

After all, it's for your family and friends, so it doesn't matter if you sweat a little. Erika has been a little off these days, so I hope these can cheer her up!

It’s a pity that I don’t know what the store manager likes to eat, otherwise I should pack some for him.

With a simple vision, Lei pushed open the door in front of her.

"Erika, Manager, I'm back!"

Chapter 88 I’m sorry, Lei

"Are you saying I did something wrong?"

After hearing what Erika said, she originally thought that the bad manager would say something weird to cover up her bad behavior, but she didn't expect that Ash seemed to really start to reflect on it.

Ash thought about it carefully. Because he really liked the heroic side of Precure and was even more eager to witness miracles that no one else could do, he would use the various skills he had learned from time to time to tease and stimulate them. For some unknown reason, he would feel very happy when he saw their shy and embarrassed looks, and naturally he would want to get close to them and see more of them.

But what if the feelings brought about by these embarrassments attract too much of their attention and hinder their growth?

Not only them, I also seem to have been affected by this. While I was attracted to them, I was also attracted by their "brightness". There is no doubt that this probably made me weak.

Now that he has figured out the key point of the problem, Ash has nothing to worry about. The previous few times he thought about this, he was interrupted by them. This time, he must make a decisive move!

"Indeed, doing so wouldn't be good for your growth." Erika's eyes widened in disbelief when she heard that Ash actually intended to correct his behavior. "I don't intend to apologize, but I won't do it again..."

"No!" Erika suddenly interrupted Ash's words loudly. In Ash's surprised eyes, the aquamarine on her blushing cheeks, which hid the girl's emotions, stared straight at Ash's pure and flawless eyes.

"That's not what I wanted to say—I, I am..."

“I…I!”

Ha, that's not what you meant. Aren't you here to accuse me?

"If you don't explain it clearly, no one will understand."

After hearing what Ash said, Erika finally broke the string of reason and shouted loudly to Ash.

"After you hugged me and said those things, even if I were Erika, I would feel lonely and want to act like a spoiled child!"

"You, idiot store manager!!!"

Ah, finally, it's out.

“…”

At this moment, the blush on Erika's face had become redder than a fresh apple and even redder than a monkey's butt. After hearing the whole text, Ash opened his mouth in disbelief and blinked subconsciously.

What? You said so much just to act coquettishly to me?

Even Ash's maid was helpless against Erika.

“You…”

"I don't understand what you're saying, hug me!"

“I said…”

"Stop making so much noise! ​​I want a hug, hug me tight now!"

Ash sighed and put the potion bottle aside.

"Oh, alright, alright, I lose to you. How old are you?"

[You certainly didn't behave like her at her age, but I don't think she's the one with the problem.]

"You came out at this time?"

Opening his arms, Ash wrapped his arms around Erika's smaller body and crossed them behind her back. He exclaimed, "She's so light," and gently picked her up.

"..."

Erika hugged Ash like this. She originally thought that she would faint immediately because of being too close to a man, but unexpectedly, the throbbing heart slowly began to calm down.

What's going on, this feeling?

However, even if I don't find out what's going on, it doesn't matter.

The girl's petite body burst with enthusiasm that was different from usual, and her eyes looking up at Ash seemed to be twinkling as if they could absorb him.

Erika tried to smile as usual, but she couldn't hide the blush on her face.

Ash lowered his head to meet that "soft" gaze like the ocean, and was actually a little fascinated by it. It was an expression he had never seen or imagined before.

Ash's arm, which was passed under the girl's armpit, moved.

"Is this too close? You don't like me being so close...?"

Erika's eyes were cast towards the ground, with a lonely expression on her face. Ash could only shake his head repeatedly in response to her coquettish behavior.

"Hehe, I don't mind you, that's great!"

Can Erika also make such an expression?

Oh no, what’s going on? She’s just Erika, but why do I feel like she’s a little cute?

Looking at the girl's smiling face, for some reason, Ash felt his heart relax, as if a certain "persistence" he had been carrying was lifted off his shoulders, making him feel more relaxed than ever before.

"Hoohoo...Hehehe, hehehahaha!"

Erika let out a snickering sound as she leaned her cheek against Ash's chest, feeling the man's broad and strong chest.

"What's wrong? What's so funny?"

"Hahaha, just hugging each other like this for no apparent reason, just like, just like idiots!"

"You still know this, really, who is this idiot?"

"It's not me anymore!"

"That's definitely not me."

Erika smiled happily, without any trace of her previous depressed expression.

"Manager...Mr. Ash, Ash, you have been hiding something from us, right?"

"You...what do you mean, which aspect?"

Hearing Erika's words with a smile, Ash's heart, which had temporarily let down its defenses, was suddenly shaken.

When was it revealed? This blue color usually looks silly and dorky, is it all just an act?!

Even if he was exposed directly, Ash would have just laughed it off, but now he was rarely panicked.

"Well, don't look at me like that. I just don't study as hard as Lei and Itsuki. I'm not really stupid!"

Although I couldn't remember clearly because the shock was so great at the time, there was no doubt that Ash was doing something behind their backs.

"But, can you tell me why? Even just a reason?"

What is the reason...what else could it be?

"Does it have to be a reason? If I have to, I hope you can continue to shine and become stronger. Only then can you be called a Pretty Cure worthy of the title you speak of."

Erika, leaning in Ash's arms, uttered two more sounds that shook his entire body.

"fraud."

At this moment, looking up at Ash's face with an expression that seemed like he was enduring something, Erika, whose brain was working much better than usual, could feel that he was hiding and carrying something unknown alone.

Seeing such an expression, how could anyone not want to help him?

"Huff, don't look so surprised. I understand. Ash is an adult, and adults always hide things from others. If Ash doesn't want to say anything, then don't say it. Erika-sama won't hold it against you."

"But, you look very tired from enduring all this time, right?"

Erika grabbed Ash's back with her small hands tightly, as if she wanted to rub her body into Ash's arms.

"Ash, it's okay to become less strong..."

"When we were Pretty Cure, we were stronger than Mr. Ashu, if that's the case."

"Then I will protect you!"

------

"Then I will protect you!"

Someone had said this to him before, not just one person, but two or three people, many of his friends, many of whom he couldn't even remember their names, had said this to him before!

This sense of déjà vu, this familiarity, turned into an unprecedented shock, shaking the soft part that he had always protected under his iron heart.

"Erika..."