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As Renz reached out, Erina immediately sensed his "surprise attack" on her waist. With a quick pinch, he targeted a particularly sensitive spot, and Erina's body involuntarily shuddered in response. If Renz pressed a little harder, she would start giggling from the ticklish sensation.
Erina turned around sharply to glare at him, immediately stopping her embrace with Mashiro Shiina. "Don't tickle me there," she said, clearly annoyed.
Renz, smirking, rolled his eyes. "Hey, if I talk to another woman, you get jealous, but when you're hugging Mashiro, openly 'cheating' in front of me, I can't even express my displeasure?"
"Then don't poke there," Erina retorted, disdainfully.
Renz, with a mischievous grin, moved his hand higher. A blissful smile spread across his face, clearly enjoying his playful teasing.
Erina's eyes twitched. "Where are you touching?" she asked, intentionally keeping her voice even, though she had already noticed exactly where his hand had wandered. She was just hoping he'd be embarrassed enough to put it down.
"Your chest," Renz responded nonchalantly.
"You know, and you still dare to say it?!" Erina shot him a cold look. "Do you want to give it a squeeze too?"
As if to answer her challenge, Renz gently squeezed with his right hand.
"Super big, white, and soft!" Renz said, with a grin.
"Correction, I wasn't being intentional. I just wanted to observe my wife's physical condition. It seems she's still developing," Renz explained. "And you told me to squeeze it. I just wanted to touch it, get a feel for the general outline, and then I was going to let go."
Erina's gaze softened with a hint of exasperation. "I really want to punch you."
"Go ahead, hit me," Renz teased. At this point, he finally lowered his hand. It was clear that their playful banter, though cheeky, was all in good fun. Neither of them would get genuinely upset over such things.
Erina raised her hand as if to strike, but then pinched Renz's cheek instead. "I'm leaving now!"
A fleeting look of melancholy flashed across Erina's face.
"Without realizing it, I stayed a bit longer," Erina said, as she wrapped her scarf around her neck, adjusting it slightly.
Renz stepped forward. "I'll walk you part of the way."
"Eh, eh, it's late. You stay here and take care of Mashiro. It's windy and a bit cold outside. The station is very close; I can go by myself," Erina said with a smile. "No need to trouble you."
Despite her insistence, Renz wasn't having any of it. "I'm dressed warmly; the wind outside won't bother me. Mashiro is home watching TV; nothing will happen. I'm walking you to the station."
Erina shook her head. "I didn't marry you just to save myself trouble," Renz added, his voice firm. "It's so close; walking you to the station is my duty."
"I'm not jealous!" Erina replied, her gaze fixed on Renz. She understood the intent behind his words. "It's just that, for things within my capability, I don't want to burden you anymore."
"For so many years, you've tirelessly upheld 'that promise.' I don't want you to be too tired."
Renz's ears ached hearing this. Over the past few days, Erina had been reflecting. This rare chance to rewind her life had allowed her to gain awareness of how much she had unintentionally burdened Renz over the years. Reflecting on everything, she realized how often she'd relied on him for things that she could have managed herself.
Renz had always silently borne her willfulness, putting in effort where she hadn't noticed. Take caring for Mashiro Shiina, for example. Erina now understood that she had unnecessarily added to Renz's load. She should have been the one to take care of Mashiro, as she had in the original timeline, and it was her care that had made Mashiro so clingy in the future. Instead, she'd put that responsibility on Renz.
Seeing the earnestness on Erina's face, Renz had no reason to be stubborn. "Since that's the case, remember to call me when you get back to Totsuki Academy."
"Thanks for understanding!" Erina smiled, her eyes filled with gratitude. She was truly afraid that Renz would adopt a "no matter what, I must take care of her" mindset. Back then, it had been a willful promise, and Renz had honored it without fail. But now, Erina felt it was her turn to fulfill that promise.
...
Later that night, as Renz lay in bed scrolling through his phone, he received a call from Erina. She had returned to Totsuki Academy. Usually willful, Erina now seemed unusually mature, which caught Renz's attention. What had she been thinking about?
Renz recalled her earlier words: "That promise." Which promise was she referring to?
It was most likely a promise made years ago, around the time when Mirai Nakiri was born. At that time, Erina had struggled with postpartum depression. Her emotions had been volatile, and she had been irritable, aloof, and difficult to deal with. It had been a challenging time for Renz, but he had understood and worked tirelessly to care for her.
One night, during her postpartum period in the hospital, Erina had entered a furious state, crying alone, and demanding that Renz cherish her in different ways. She made him promise things like buying her ice cream, taking her to an amusement park, and listening to everything she said. Renz, of course, had agreed, fulfilling all her demands. But he had never expected that this would leave such a deep mark on her.
Maybe Erina had always struggled with a sense of insecurity. That's why those promises meant so much to her.
As Renz closed his eyes, thoughts of Erina filled his mind. Meanwhile, on a certain video platform, a food video gained traction quickly thanks to the recommendation algorithm. Renz's personal account followed suit, its follower count surging rapidly.
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