Miyuri pointed to a room and said, "I have some in my room. It should be on the bedside table or in the storage cabinet. If it's not in either of those places, look for it in the wardrobe. Sorry for the trouble."
Hikari nodded and walked towards the room Miyuri had indicated.
———
After entering the room Miyuri mentioned, Hikari glanced around.
He found that although the room was quite large and had a big double bed, there was only one pillow and one blanket.
All the other daily necessities were also for one person only.
It looked completely like a room for a woman living alone.
It seemed that although Miyuri was already engaged to Natsuki Kazuto, they didn't sleep together before officially getting married and still lived separately.
After looking around curiously for a bit, Hikari started searching for the liniment as Miyuri had instructed.
However, he didn't find it by the bedside or in the storage cabinet, so Hikari had no choice but to start rummaging through the wardrobe.
After searching through the wardrobe filled with Miyuri's dresses, skirts, and underwear, and basically figuring out what colors this auntie preferred, Hikari finally found the bottle of liniment she wanted.
Holding the hard-found liniment, Hikari walked out of the room.
———
"Here," Hikari handed the liniment over.
"Thank you, Hikari-kun!", Miyuri gratefully took it and then unscrewed the cap herself.
Then Hikari saw that after taking the liniment, Miyuri began applying the medicine to herself while groaning in pain.
Watching Miyuri's cautious, pain-fearing movements, Hikari couldn't help but shake his head, "Aunt Miyuri, you mainly sprained your ankle joint, right? Applying it like this is both painful and ineffective. I don't think it will fix your sprained ankle."
Hearing this, Miyuri put down the liniment in her hand, looked up, blinked her eyes, and said helplessly to Hikari, "I know, but it really hurts too much. I can't bring myself to do it properly."
Actually, it wasn't just the pain; applying treatment to her own foot was indeed quite inconvenient if one wasn't very flexible.
Hikari knew this and immediately took the liniment from her hand, saying, "Let me help you with it."
"Okay, thank you, Hikari-kun. I'll sit properly!"
Following Hikari's words, Miyuri obediently sat on the sofa and slightly lifted her injured foot.
Hikari first applied a generous amount of liniment to her fair and tender foot, then pressed a few times with two fingers.
"Eh… That tickles! Hikari-kun, what are you doing to Auntie?", Miyuri was tickled by Hikari's actions and couldn't help but laugh as she asked.
"Preparation for bone-setting," Hikari said without looking up.
Fortunately, Aunt Miyuri's feet were usually well-cleaned and maintained. They weren't dirty or smelly, and were fair and tender, worthy of being called 'jade feet'. Otherwise, this task would be quite uncomfortable.
Hikari thought to himself.
"You!"
Looking at Hikari gently rubbing her foot, Miyuri originally wanted to say something with a smile, but at that moment, Hikari, who was holding her foot, suddenly gave it a forceful twist.
"KYAAAAAA!"
She couldn't help but let out a painful moan. Her clear, soft voice already carried a sob, as if something had been pierced.
"Done," Hikari, however, calmly let go of that fair, tender jade foot, then picked up a cotton swab and continued to apply the medicine for her.
"You brat, couldn't you be a bit gentler? You almost made Auntie die from the pain…", Miyuri's beautiful eyes now welled with tears, and she looked at Hikari with a pitiful expression as she complained.
"Better a short pain than a long pain. Endure it for a moment, and you'll feel comfortable. You're feeling much better now, right?", Hikari said with a calm expression.
"Mmm… It does feel much better. It seems almost completely better!", Miyuri rotated her ankle a few times, feeling only slight discomfort, and immediately started wiggling her little foot excitedly.
"Be still, I'm still applying medicine," Hikari said impatiently, patting her smooth calf.
Hearing Hikari's words, Miyuri immediately became still.
She looked down at Hikari, who was now gently and slowly applying medicine to her ankle, and a subtle, indescribable feeling suddenly arose in her heart.
'Peace, happiness, comfort, relief… So Hikari-kun has grown up to be so excellent. '
'Not only does he have a strong body that gives a full sense of security and reliable strength, but he's also very gentle when applying medicine, seeming very good at taking care of people.'
'It seems I've suddenly realized this kid is quite handsome now that he's grown up.'
Miyuri's pair of charming, beautiful eyes fixed intently on Hikari's young, handsome profile. Unconsciously, she swallowed.
"Aunt Miyuri, why are you staring at my face so intently? Your gaze is a bit scary," Hikari, who had finished applying the medicine and looked up, happened to meet those beautiful eyes sparkling with unusual light, and immediately asked Miyuri.
Whoosh!
Having her secret staring discovered and exposed, Miyuri's pretty face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
But maintaining her elder's demeanor, she still spoke stubbornly, "Who's been staring at you? Auntie didn't realize you were so narcissistic, Hikari-kun!"
"But… your technique for applying the medicine is quite professional and gentle."
"And you're so reliable. The girl who marries you in the future will probably be very happy."
As she said this, as if picturing Hikari with a girl in her mind, Miyuri showed an 'auntie smile'.
But hearing this, Hikari shook his head, casually placed the liniment on the coffee table.
Then he looked directly at Miyuri and said to her, "Marriage and all that are still far too early for me. Compared to me, Aunt Miyuri, you should probably handle your own matters first."
Hearing Hikari's words, Miyuri's previously rosy face suddenly turned pale, as if she had anemia.
She opened her mouth with difficulty, her tone somewhat stammering as she asked, "Th…that… Hikari-kun, the conversation I had with Akito and that Takeshi… did you… did you hear it?"
Hikari had originally only intended to remind Miyuri, but seeing how nervous she became upon hearing this, he immediately adopted a relaxed tone to comfort her, "Actually, I didn't hear much, just roughly… roughly a few sentences."
"Re…really? You heard it after all?", Miyuri's beautiful, charming face was full of nervousness, "Hikari-kun, please don't talk about these things, okay?"
"I hope you can help Auntie with this. If there's anything you need Auntie's help with, Hikari-kun, Auntie will… will also agree to help you!", Miyuri pleaded, her tone both nervous and humble.
"Willing to help me with anything?", Hikari looked at Miyuri and asked.
"Mhm! As long as Hikari-kun keeps my secret, you can tell Auntie any request you have. If Auntie can satisfy you, she will satisfy you!", Miyuri looked at Hikari nervously.
Seeing how nervous and humble Aunt Miyuri, who was usually lively, cheerful, and liked to tease and mess with him, was now, Hikari couldn't help but smile.
"Alright then. There's something I can do by myself, but it would be much more comfortable if Aunt Miyuri helped me with it. Can Aunt Miyuri help me do it?", Hikari asked with a smile.
"Ah? Wh…what is it?", Looking at Hikari's young, handsome face that still held a trace of youthfulness, Miyuri's heartbeat started to accelerate uncontrollably.
'Will Hikari-kun propose something similar to what that Yoshizawa Takeshi guy wanted? '
Miyuri believed Hikari's character was definitely much better than Yoshizawa Takeshi's, but at his age, right in the middle of adolescence, wasn't it normal to be curious about those things?
'So, if it is Hikari making such a request, should… should I refuse?'
'He's so young, so pure, probably hasn't even been in a relationship, right?'
'At this age, making such an embarrassing request is already very shameful. If I reject him, wouldn't it severely damage his self-esteem?'
But if she agreed, given her position, it seemed somewhat inappropriate.
Miyuri fell into a mental storm.
Looking at Miyuri's conflicted expression, Hikari smiled and said, "It's very simple. What I'm talking about is actually,.cooking. I don't want to cook just for myself tonight, so please make a portion for me too, Aunt Miyuri."
"Ah?", Hearing Hikari's answer, Miyuri, whose mental car had just been speeding down the highway, felt like she'd crashed, her brain freezing up for several seconds.
"Hikari-kun, you… your request is just this?", Miyuri asked somewhat incredulously.
"Mhm! I can handle cooking by myself, but it's not very comfortable. If Auntie makes a portion for me too, it'll be much more comfortable."
"And don't worry, Auntie, I'm not like that Yoshizawa Takeshi guy. I'll keep your secret. I was just joking with you earlier," Hikari smiled at Miyuri.
"Really? Thank you, Hikari-kun!", Hearing Hikari's words, Miyuri let out a huge sigh of relief. She tightly held Hikari's hands with her jade-like ones, her large, watery eyes looking at him with immense gratitude.
She had originally prepared herself to sacrifice a little bit, but she never expected Hikari to agree to keep her secret unconditionally, without taking advantage of the situation at all.
Indeed, Hikari's character was ten thousand, no, a hundred million times better than Yoshizawa Takeshi's.
Looking at this nephew-by-convenience's handsome face, Miyuri felt both happy and grateful, and her mood relaxed considerably.
But soon she became nervous again, "I believe Hikari-kun won't tell others, but… but that Yoshizawa Takeshi guy also knows about this. If that guy spreads the news about me, wh…what should I do?"
Thinking that Yoshizawa Takeshi might leak the fact that she and Natsuki Akito were in contact privately, Miyuri's face turned pale, and she became somewhat distraught.
At that moment, the voice of Hikari beside her came, calming her mind.
"Don't worry, that Yoshizawa Takeshi guy won't talk about this," Hikari said with a calm expression.
Miyuri looked at Hikari in confusion, "How can Hikari-kun be… so sure?"
Hikari smiled and said, "I understand the personality of someone like Yoshizawa Takeshi very well. In his view, as long as he doesn't reveal that matter, he'll always have a hold over you."
"And given the extent of his desire for you, Auntie, he won't let go so easily."
Hearing Hikari's words, although she felt somewhat uncomfortable, Miyuri relaxed a bit.
She patted her ample chest and sighed in relief, "So that's how it is."
Hikari then continued, "Moreover, even if he really does talk, it's fine. When the time comes, I can 'testify' for you, Aunt Miyuri."
"Hikari-kun…", Hearing Hikari's words, Miyuri was instantly moved.
Her large, sparkling, doe-like eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.
"If that Yoshizawa Takeshi guy harasses you again, Auntie, you can come to me," Hikari was just about to advise Miyuri a few more words, but before he could finish, he was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace by her.
"Hikari-kun! Thank you so much!"
Along with the excited cry, came another familiar 'face wash', only this time it was even more intense than the one when they first met in the morning.
And it lasted longer.
It wasn't until Hikari felt he was about to suffocate that Miyuri finally released him.
"Aunt Miyuri, could you please not hold so tight? You could suffocate someone," After breaking free, Hikari breathed in fresh air deeply and complained casually.
"This thank-you reward, does Hikari-kun like it?", Miyuri suddenly asked Hikari with a smile.
Turning his head and seeing the playful smile in Miyuri's charming, peach-blossom-like eyes, Hikari suddenly realized.
'Wow, so Aunt Miyuri isn't the naturally airheaded type who doesn't understand what she's doing.'
'So the 'face wash' and such are considered rewards, is that it?'
'Wow. Just, wow.'
'No wonder she can be a female protagonist targeted by a 'delinquent' type character. They really all have their unique skills.'
Sitting beside him and looking at Hikari, who still remained calm, Miyuri was also somewhat surprised, "Boys your age should blush and be extremely shy after getting a 'face wash' from me, right? Why are you completely unaffected?"
Although she had never given anyone besides Hikari a 'face wash', she still knew how tempting her figure was to men.
"My willpower is strong, and you are my aunt," Facing Miyuri's gaze, Hikari maintained a straight face and spoke in a calm tone.
The truth was, since coming to this world, he had long been tempered by all kinds of 'face washes' from various beauties: young girls, little l*litas, mature women, and so on.
As a battle-hardened veteran, he could only say that Miyuri's attack was nothing special.
Although Miyuri didn't know this, seeing his righteous and solemn expression, she still smiled and said, "Good. Auntie was afraid you'd be too shy and run away directly."
"Actually, that just now wasn't really the reward; it was just Auntie's usual affection for you, Hikari-kun."
"Auntie's real reward is… this!"
Miyuri suddenly leaned in close
towards Hikari…
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