"I'm back, Muxiao! I brought lunch. You must be hungry, right?"
Opening the door and stepping into the empty room, Natsumi Sakura froze, dumbfounded. She searched the cabinets and under the bed, then rushed downstairs to check around, confirming one thing.
Muxiao Xiao had gone out!
"Didn't I tell him to stay home? Going out in broad daylight—doesn't he worry about being seen?" Natsumi hurriedly called and emailed him, but her attempts sank like stones in the sea—no reply, no answer. She was stunned.
Where did he go?
At least send a reply!
The entire afternoon, Natsumi drifted through in a daze. By dinnertime, her mother noticed her listless expression at the table, staring at her barely touched rice, and sensed something was wrong.
"Natsumi, no appetite? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, Mom," Natsumi quickly shook her head, forcing a weak smile. "I'm fine, just… maybe I ate too many snacks and don't feel like eating."
"Really? You look pale," her mother frowned. "Natsumi, if something's bothering you, tell me. Is it because of Houichi?"
She'd noticed that her daughter, usually so close with her childhood friend Houichi Matsubara, barely spoke to him at the hospital today. Could her mood be because of him?
"It's really not that, Mom. You're overthinking."
"I'm full. I'm going back to my room—"
Natsumi put down her chopsticks and fled to her room, flopping onto the bed. She unleashed a flurry of punches on her soft pillow. "Damn it, Muxiao! Where did you go… Come back already!"
"Holy crap! So many missed calls—and emails?"
Muxiao picked up the phone, seeing the screen flooded with notifications. Glancing out the window, he realized, after all the commotion, it was already evening.
Turning to Shima Izuki, the brazen woman leisurely dressing herself, covering her alluring body and the marks left by Muxiao's "attention," he froze.
"What's wrong, President?" Izuki giggled, covering her mouth. "Still not satisfied? Want to keep going? I can't, though—if we continue, I'll break."
It wasn't just polite talk. The pleasure Muxiao's tentacles—especially that unique one—brought her was overwhelming, something she couldn't resist. If even she couldn't withstand it, the other members wouldn't stand a chance. That's why Izuki was so certain Muxiao would captivate them.
"If the President needs it, I can contact members now. Satisfying your desires is a priority, after all."
"Who's talking about that? I need to go back," Muxiao typed, exasperated. He'd spent a whole day in this evil organization. Sure, touring the base took some time, but most of it was spent on naughty activities. Tch, damn honeyed trap.
"You really won't consider staying here?" Izuki asked, now dressed, her earlier provocative demeanor replaced by a sharp, professional air, like a capable office lady. "Compared to that cramped house, the Himegami Society offers plenty of space for you to move freely, no worry of being seen, and members to serve you…"
Stop talking! If you keep going, I might actually stay! But the temptation faded as he thought of Natsumi and saw the flood of messages, emails, and calls on his phone.
This organization was great, but he had to return to Natsumi.
"Drive me back."
"Looks like the President still hasn't fully embraced the Himegami Society," Izuki said with a confident smile. "No matter. We'll work to satisfy you. By the way, you're looking for supernatural beings or monsters, right? We've got some leads."
That fast?
"Want to check it out? There's also a target we're eyeing for membership."
"…Let's go at night. I need to head back first."
"Very well."
At 8 p.m., Izuki drove Muxiao back to Natsumi's house. Spotting the lit window on the second floor, he leaped from a tree, his tentacles reaching for the window's edge to push it open. It didn't budge.
???
Locked?
Peering inside, he saw Natsumi sitting on the bed, staring at him expressionlessly, her sharp gaze piercing. Muxiao flinched.
That's a scary look!
And such a sour face!
She was mad—definitely mad. Muxiao fumbled for his phone. "Natsumi, open the window."
No response.
"I'll go in through the front door, then?"
That finally got a reaction. Natsumi rushed to the window in three strides and flung it open. Muxiao squeezed inside, turning to see the ponytail girl with her hands on her hips.
She didn't speak, just stared.
He waved a tentacle. Still no reaction.
Tilting his head, he moved toward the door, only for the furious beauty to chase him down and grab his tentacle.
Yank—
"Muxiao, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
"Natsumi, it's not that serious, is it? I just went out for a bit. Staying cooped up at home is boring," Muxiao typed, his tentacles poking each other weakly.
"I'm not locking you in the house, but going out alone is dangerous, don't you know that?!" Natsumi huffed. "I told you this morning to wait for me at home… If you wanted to go out, I could've gone with you! I'm not trying to cage you!"
"And you didn't even call me back. Do you know how worried I was?!"
Feeling guilty, Muxiao shrank back, his tone even weaker. "I was busy with other stuff and didn't notice your calls. Sorry, Natsumi."
"Busy with what? Too busy to even check my calls?"
Busy with naughty stuff.
Emmm, if I say that, Natsumi will explode. Instead, he typed, "I met some new friends and got roped into being the leader of an evil organization."
Natsumi: "…"
Evil organization? Leader?
Why are Muxiao's experiences always so wild?
"I wasn't planning to go out, but Tohka Matsubara showed up out of nowhere and introduced me to this organization, so I…"
"Tohka Matsubara?!"
Natsumi's voice shot up an octave, cutting him off. She lunged forward, grabbing his head. "Muxiao! You were with a woman? And Tohka Matsubara of all people?!"
"…"
Natsumi was angry—really angry this time. The thought of worrying herself sick at home while Muxiao was off with Tohka Matsubara, ignoring her calls, made her blood boil.
"It's not what you think! She came to me, I had no choice. Besides, she can help me…"
"Help you? Who knows if she's sincere? I can help you too!" Natsumi sat on the bed, her voice sour. "And you know how dangerous she is after her personality changed."
"She's a brother-obsessed yandere, but for now, she won't target you," Muxiao typed, suddenly serious. "But if she tries to hurt you, I'll take her out first."
"Ugh, Muxiao…"
His words melted Natsumi's jealousy. She lowered her head, covering her face shyly, her earlier resentment forgotten.