Chapter 149: Yurine is Number One in the World!
As dusk settled, the sky lounge was bathed in the golden-red afterglow of the sunset. In the distance, the Tokyo Tower sparkled in the twilight, like a gem-encrusted needle piercing the heavens. The clouds were stained with layers of grape purple, rose gold, and amber orange, as if watercolors had been splashed across a canvas by an unseen hand.
Below, the waters of Tokyo Bay shimmered, reflecting the sky's splendor. Occasionally, a boat would glide by, trailing a wake of glittering gold. The city lights began to bloom, one by one, softening the silhouettes of the skyscrapers in the twilight. The flow of traffic resembled a river of stars flowing through the streets.
The glass curtain wall of the sky lounge provided an unobstructed view. The champagne in Ryohei Tanaka's hand glowed faintly, echoing the colors of the sky. He seemed to notice something and turned his gaze in a certain direction. "The Tokyo Tower is lit up," he said softly.
"Hm? Oh, it's so pretty!" Yurine, who had just taken a bite of her tiramisu, looked over. The Tokyo Tower was emitting a soft yet brilliant orange-gold light. It was incredibly striking against the night sky, like a castle from a fairy tale or a pyramid of light.
Yurine gazed at the Tokyo Tower, and Ryohei gazed at her.
In the dim, intimate lighting of the lounge, the sight of her delicate profile made his heart skip a beat.
As if sensing his stare, Yurine turned to look at him.
Ryohei took a sip of champagne and smiled. "In my heart, Yurine is even prettier."
"Am I the prettiest?" Yurine's eyes sparkled, and the corners of her lips curved upward. A faint pink blush crept onto her ears.
"Hmm..." Ryohei pretended to ponder for a moment, as if truly considering whether she was the prettiest, then quickly declared, "Yurine is number one in the world!"
"That's such an exaggeration!" Yurine chided, playfully swatting him, a little embarrassed. She then took a sip of her champagne to calm herself down.
...
They had a simple dinner in the sky lounge—the food menu was mostly snacks and light meals, but the drink selection was extensive. All in all, it was a very nice experience. After getting a little something to eat, they returned to their room.
The journey from the entrance to the bedroom, a walk of a dozen or so steps, took them several minutes. Their pace was only slightly faster than the tortoise in the fable.
"Tanaka-kun, can you promise me one thing?" Yurine suddenly grabbed the hand Ryohei had placed on her dress and turned to look at him.
Ryohei paused, then answered without a moment's hesitation, "I promise."
"I haven't even said what it is yet," Yurine said, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons as she broke into a happy smile.
"I'll promise you anything!" Ryohei said, though he couldn't help but wonder what she wanted him to promise. For some reason, he had a feeling it was related to Lucoa.
"Mm... Tanaka-kun, you're making me feel a little touched," Yurine said, her eyes shimmering as a gentle smile played on her lips. She raised her other hand and caressed his face with her slender fingers, looking him straight in the eye. "Don't be intimate with other people in front of me..." she said softly. "Can you do that?"
Ryohei looked surprised. He had expected her to ask him to keep his distance from Lucoa or something similar. He didn't hesitate. Looking into her eyes, he said seriously, "I can do that!"
Just after he said it, a thought struck him. 'Don't do it... in front of you? Does that mean it's okay when you're not around?' His heart suddenly leaped.
"Arigato!" Yurine clasped her hands together with a sweet smile. "As a reward, I'll give you a big fat slap!"
"Huh!?" Σ(°Д°;
Ryohei froze in shock. Then, Yurine burst out laughing, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Just kidding~."
He was utterly speechless. He grabbed her slender shoulders and said in a mock-ferocious tone, "That was a terrible joke. I'm going to have to punish you!" He pushed her onto the sofa. "Turn around, back facing me..."
...
Ryohei taught Yurine a harsh lesson by punishing her with the duty of being his back-scrubber. He leaned back in the thermostatic bathtub—which was large enough for another person—and enjoyed her attentive service. Admiring the dazzling Tokyo Tower and the sparkling city lights through the glass wall, Ryohei felt like he had reached the peak of his life.
...
Half an hour later, they emerged from the bathroom. They dried each other's hair and then played a real-life version of the dress-up game Miracle Nikki. Ryohei picked out an outfit for Yurine: ultra-thin summer pantyhose, an A-line skirt, an off-the-shoulder t-shirt, and black high heels with red soles, all worn over a set of black lace lingerie. He then had her style her hair into a "dangerous wife" hairstyle.
She was an absolute bombshell.
Yurine, in turn, dressed Ryohei in a white t-shirt, a light-colored shirt, casual pants, and white sneakers. He was devastatingly handsome. Like two peas in a pod, the more they looked at each other, the more they liked what they saw.
...
Meanwhile, back at the house—
Lucoa was hesitant. She desperately wanted to go and secretly watch them—she had wanted to spy on them at Yurine's family home last night, too, but had managed to resist. It was wrong, she shouldn't do it, and it wouldn't change anything. A sour feeling welled up in her heart.
Lucoa confirmed something to herself once again: she had strong feelings for Ryohei, the human who had "summoned" her, and those feelings were leaning towards love. It felt incredible. Why would "someone" with her experience and lifespan fall for a human whose life was shorter than one of her naps?
She thought about it. It had to be because his cooking was just that good. Every meal he made left her completely satisfied, and he was always surprising her with new culinary delights. He was a good person, too. And the way he tried so hard to resist her teasing, pretending to be annoyed while secretly fighting his desires... it was cute.
Lucoa suddenly felt like she understood Tohru a little better.
...
And at that very moment, in the Kobayashi household—
Tohru, who had just finished the dishes and was now sitting on the sofa watching TV with Kobayashi and Kanna, suddenly sneezed. She touched her nose, puzzled. "Who's talking about me?"
"Maybe you're catching a cold?" Kobayashi glanced over.
"Impossible!" Tohru puffed out her chest proudly. "We dragons never get sick. It's impossible for us to catch a cold."
"Wow... must be nice," Kobayashi said with a hint of envy.
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