Eriri moved to the edge of the bed, turning her face away to avoid eye contact.
If it had been an invitation to sleep beside Yukima Azuma, with her pride, she definitely wouldn't have been able to say it. But tonight… if Yukima Azuma left…
She might not be able to sleep at all. She might even end up crying.
Yukima Azuma sat on the other side of the bed.
Eriri's bed was feminine in style—soft pink sheets with delicate cherry blossom patterns. The first thing he noticed when sitting down was how soft the mattress was. So soft, it felt like it might swallow him whole—yet it still supported his body.
He lay down next to Eriri, leaving a respectful gap between them. She followed, carefully lying down as well.
She shut her eyes in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, but as soon as she did, terrifying gray-white images filled the darkness behind her lids.
Eriri never watched horror movies or shows.
Tonight had been too much. The lingering fear hadn't subsided at all.
She could only open her eyes again, anxiety creeping up from the pit of her stomach.
From beside her, Yukima Azuma could faintly smell her familiar scent—sweet and gentle. Like ripe pears—so inviting it made one want to take a bite.
But tonight, the scent seemed uncertain, like it was flickering.
He remembered something similar with Kato Megumi. The faint aroma of tuberose blossoms—no one else seemed to notice it, but he had.
It was real. It had to be. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to find the girl who blended into the background like a shadow.
Lost in thought, Yukima Azuma reached out his hand.
His fingers brushed against Eriri's and gently closed around hers.
Eriri flinched ever so slightly but didn't pull away.
Normally, she would have resisted. But tonight, she had no defenses left.
Yukima Azuma played with her hand absentmindedly, quickly noticing how cold her palm was. She must've been really shaken by the horror program.
He regretted teasing her.
His fingers slowly interlaced with hers. Their hands clasped together, fingers tightly entwined.
Eriri hesitated, her fingers twitching open and closed a few times before finally gripping his hand tightly in return.
Feeling his warmth seep into her hand, Eriri relaxed. She closed her eyes again—and this time, the terrifying images were gone.
Her emotions had surged wildly all night.
Now, with comfort so close, she let all her defenses fall.
Her breathing slowly steadied.
In less than five minutes, Eriri had fallen into a deep sleep.
Outside, heavy rain slammed against the windows.
Thunder roared.
But none of it could disturb the girl's dreams.
In her dream, there was only a soft bed—and a certain boy lying beside her.
The Next Morning
Morning sunlight filtered through the window, lighting up the room. The storm had cleared overnight, and the sky was brilliantly blue, not a single cloud in sight.
The bright light made Eriri's delicate brows twitch slightly.
Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.
Just like last time… the boy was still right in front of her.
Eriri shifted her hand.
It was numb.
She moved her foot.
It was wrapped tightly around something warm.
Just like that time at Yukima Azuma's house, she had curled herself around him in her sleep like an octopus, clinging to him for dear life.
She looked at his profile, lips pressed into a thin line.
Was her sleeping posture always this clingy?
No, it was definitely his fault.
Hugging him felt too comfortable—way better than any pillow.
So, she couldn't really be blamed, right?
As if sensing her thoughts, Yukima Azuma slowly opened his eyes.
Their gazes met.
"Good morning, Eriri."
"Um… umu… G-Good morning, Azuma."
There's a saying: the first time is awkward, but the second time feels familiar.
Sleeping beside Yukima Azuma again, Eriri felt strangely calmer. Still embarrassed, yes—but not angry.
At least not right away.
That lasted about five seconds before she shoved him off the bed.
Yukima Azuma landed on the floor with a thud, groaning as he got up and gave her a reproachful look.
"Use me and then toss me away? Is that how it is?"
"Hmph! So what if it is? You served your purpose as my pillow. Now get out!"
Eriri crossed her arms and gave him a proud, haughty glare.
Her little fang made her look extra fierce.
Yukima Azuma rolled his eyes and turned to leave.
Just as Eriri exhaled in relief—
Thunk.
Something soft smacked her in the forehead.
Yukima Azuma had tossed an object at her from the doorway, then ran off without looking back.
Eriri clutched her head and grabbed the object to inspect it.
As soon as she saw what it was…
Her entire body froze.
"A… AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Her scream pierced through the morning air like a siren.
"Didn't you have breakfast before leaving?" Sayuri, Eriri's mother, smiled as she watched Yukima Azuma hurry toward the gate.
"No, no. I have a cat at home. It's waiting for me to come feed it," Yukima Azuma replied with a straight face.
"A cat, huh?" Sayuri's eyes gleamed meaningfully.
Yukima Azuma nodded seriously, said his goodbyes, and took off.
He didn't take a taxi. Instead, Yukima Azuma jogged home, treating it like a morning workout.
He stopped by a convenience store along the way and picked up a pack of dumpling wrappers.
Kasumigaoka-senpai had asked him to bring breakfast, but if he only brought store-bought food, she'd definitely look down on him. That long-legged, black-stockinged senpai was hard to please.
So he decided to make wontons himself and show off a little.
Homemade wrappers would taste better, of course, but there wasn't time for that.
By the time he reached the apartment, a notification appeared before his eyes:
[Stamina slightly increased.]
He was used to these pop-ups.
But this time, something new followed:
[Through complex training, your stamina has improved. Stamina +1.]
Surprised, Yukima Azuma opened his attribute panel:
[Owner: Yukima Azuma]
Stamina: 6 → 7
Intelligence: 8
Charm: 8
Skills:
Fluent in Languages (Lv6)
Literature (Lv6)
Cooking (Lv6)
Programming (Lv4)
Shogi (Lv8)
(Skills below Lv4 are hidden.)
Seeing the increase in his stamina stat, Yukima Azuma nodded in satisfaction.
He clenched his fist.
No, he didn't feel like he could punch through a wall.
When he grabbed the doorknob—
No, it didn't snap off.
But he did feel the difference. His breathing had become lighter after the run, and his body felt more durable overall.
While admiring the changes, his eyes wandered to Shogi Lv8.
Ever since his match with Yamato Kajin, that skill had felt… different.
Like a faint aura radiated from him whenever he played.
If he didn't consciously suppress it, it would even affect his opponent's physical state.
It had become more than just psychological pressure.
Maybe any skill that reached the level of "Mastery" would begin to change in some way?
Currently, only shogi had reached that level, so he couldn't say for sure.
Still lost in thought, he opened the apartment door.
"I'm home!"
A voice called back from the living room—but it wasn't a welcome.
It was:
"Oh? Did the twin-tailed blonde feel nice, Ex-boyfriend-kun? You still remember the way home?"
Yukima Azuma smiled awkwardly.
Girls get jealous. That was natural.
But he couldn't be harsh in return.
That would just make things worse.
"I came back quickly because I didn't want Senpai to be hungry," he said with a calm smile.
Kasumigaoka Utaha snorted, but her expression softened slightly.
"Where's my breakfast?"
"I thought store-bought food might not be good for your health, so I decided to make it myself."
"Oh? Sounds nice. But will it actually taste good?"
"Haha, I'm making wontons. Ever had them, Senpai?"
"If they taste bad, you're washing the dishes."
"Deal!"
"Umu."
That's how you handle it. Gently.
Yukima Azuma pulled out pork, shrimp, and lotus root from the fridge and got to work.
With practiced movements, he began preparing the filling.
The dumpling wrappers weren't the best, but his Lv6 cooking skill would more than make up for that.
Soon, a neat pile of wontons filled the cutting board.
He made extra to freeze for later.
Just as he was about to boil water, a knock came at the door.
Who would come on a Sunday morning?
Probably not Eriri. She had school the next day.
Sora Ginko? No tournaments recently. Unlikely.
Kato Megumi? He didn't smell the tuberose scent.
Kasumigaoka Utaha walked toward the door and opened it—then blinked in confusion.
There was no one there.
Until—
"Excuse me! Is this the home of Yukima Azuma-sensei?"
A soft, gentle voice spoke from below.
Kasumigaoka looked down.
A cute little girl stood there, wearing a red backpack and holding a large white bunny bag.
Utaha froze, her cold demeanor cracking.
"Yes, this is his home. Who are you looking for, little girl?"
The girl wore a blue-and-white dress, a white beret, and had long brown hair tied into twin pigtails. An ahoge stuck up from her head like a stubborn sprout.
"Um… I'm looking for Yukima-sensei!"
Even Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't stay cold in front of this adorable child.
"Come in," she said gently. Then she called out toward the kitchen. "Yukima-kun, someone's here for you."
If not for the girl behind her, she probably would've yelled: "Azuma! Your secret love child's here!"
Yukima Azuma stepped out, drying his hands.
He blinked.
He had never seen this girl before—but with his memory, he'd remember if he had.
"I'm Yukima Azuma. May I ask who you are?"
The girl's eyes sparkled the moment she saw him.
"Sensei! Please accept me as your disciple!"
Then—bam!—she dropped to her knees in a formal seiza.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes twitched as she glanced at Yukima Azuma.
He let out a breath.
"Uh… I appreciate the sentiment, but let's talk first, okay? You don't have to kneel."
He extended his hand, and the girl brightened instantly.
She placed her tiny hands in his. He helped her up.
"I'm Hinatsuru Ai! I'm the daughter of the Hinatsuru family!"
Yukima Azuma's eyes lit up in recognition.
Of course—he remembered the hot spring hotel where he'd faced off against Yamato Kajin.
That hotel had matched his tastes perfectly, down to the calligraphy scrolls.
Hinatsuru Ai.
A child prodigy in shogi.
He remembered hearing about her—an heiress to one of Japan's most famous hot spring hotel chains.
"I saw your match at the hotel, Sensei!" she said excitedly. "It was amazing! The way you played… every move made my heart race!"
"That's why—no matter what—I want to learn shogi! Please accept me as your disciple!"
Her eyes sparkled as she clutched his hands tightly.
Yukima Azuma thought for a moment.
"Well… you haven't had breakfast yet, right? Let's eat first. We'll talk after."
"Okay!" Hinatsuru Ai chirped. "I can help! I've been learning to cook at my family's hotel!"
Yukima Azuma chuckled and patted the ahoge sticking from her beret.
"It's almost ready. You can just wait."
Ai nodded and sat obediently in the living room.
Kasumigaoka Utaha followed Azuma back to the kitchen.
"You're really thinking about taking that girl as a disciple?" she whispered.
"I'll see how talented she is first," he replied.
Utaha peeked out at the hopeful girl in the living room.
She had a bad feeling about this.
But she was so young. Surely nothing weird would happen.
Right…?