Being rejected didn't bother Lin Mu. He continued to write until 5 AM before finally closing his computer. Stretching his back and yawning, Lin Mu wore a smile on his face. "Finally done."
He had already sent the first volume of his light novel to the email address of the Fujimi Fantasia Bunko editor, Machida Sonoko. After taking a shower, Lin Mu lay down to sleep.
In the room next door, Shiina Mahiru suddenly woke with a start. She touched the corner of her eye. The dampness made the girl realize she had been crying in her sleep without knowing.
For the past few days, she had been held by that scoundrel Lin Mu as she slept, or she had been so exhausted after being bullied by him that she had no time or energy to think about sad things, so she had slept relatively peacefully. But today, sleeping alone, she had involuntarily dreamt of her mother, Shiina Sayo.
In the dream, her mother stared at her with a blank expression and said, word for word, "You are an unwanted child. You shouldn't have been born in the first place! Your existence is a thorn in his and my hearts, the result of our compromise with the family. We will not love you, and you are not worthy of it!"
Although Shiina Mahiru knew her mother wouldn't actually say so much to her, this was just her own excessive interpretation born from her inner pain, resulting in such a nightmare.
A girl who had been full of expectations, who had worked hard for more than a decade to gain her parents' approval, suddenly learned that she was unwelcome from the moment she was born and that there was no chance of ever receiving her parents' love and care in the future. This pain of being completely negated was something only Shiina Mahiru could truly understand.
Rubbing her eyes, Shiina Mahiru bit her lip and sat up straight. She hesitated, then suddenly took out her phone and sent a message to the scoundrel next door.
"You there?"
The moment she sent it, she immediately retracted it. Shiina Mahiru gave a bitter smile. "It's already 5 AM, how could that guy be awake? I'd better not disturb his sleep."
She couldn't get back to sleep either. The dream had made her start to feel anxious and insecure again, and she began to space out. The feeling of emptiness in her heart frightened Shiina Mahiru even more.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She looked down and saw it was a message from Lin Mu.
"I'm here. I was just about to sleep. It's 5 AM now, aren't you sleeping, Shiina?"
Shiina Mahiru bit her lip, an inexplicable sense of joy in her heart. "Can't sleep," she sent back.
Lin Mu naturally started chatting with her. "What a coincidence, I can't sleep either. May I come over?"
Shiina Mahiru: "Yeah."
Seeing the reply, Lin Mu's eyes widened. If he wasn't mistaken, she had agreed?
Lin Mu: "I'm coming over! For real!"
Shiina Mahiru: "Yeah."
How could Lin Mu possibly remain calm? He immediately left his room, went to the door next door, and rang the doorbell.
A minute later, the door opened with a "click," and a delicate little face appeared before him. The girl was dressed in white pajamas, her fair skin supple and tender, and her cute, delicate face was slightly flushed. After seeing Lin Mu, she lowered her head to look at her own toes, then made way for him.
Lin Mu unceremoniously stepped into the room and, at the same time, swept her up by the waist. Arriving at that fragrant bed once again, he slipped under the covers with her.
Lin Mu had long since noticed her slightly red and swollen eyes. It was obvious she had been crying. So he didn't do anything else. He just held her, leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead, and then gently stroked her soft hair, soothing her emotions. "Be good now, sleep. It's still early, you can still sleep for another hour or so."
Lin Mu's gentleness made Shiina Mahiru's heart tremble. Although she had agreed to let him come over, she was actually conflicted. On one hand, she was afraid he would think she was an easy girl. On the other hand, her heart felt so empty that she just wanted someone to be with her. But if he were to do wicked things to her, she would feel ashamed, and while there would be anticipation, there would also be disappointment. She would feel that he only liked her body, not her as a person.
However, this guy was too cunning. She was right here in his arms, without a single defense or bit of resistance, yet he deliberately made no move. He just gently comforted her like that.
This, in turn, moved Shiina Mahiru even more. Compared to those two parents who didn't care about her at all, this scoundrel Lin Mu felt more like family. Feeling the warmth on her head as he stroked her little head, Shiina Mahiru suddenly felt a great sense of peace. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep again.
Seeing the little angel asleep, Lin Mu also closed his eyes. Although he admitted he was a scoundrel who had proactively made moves on her more than once out of lust, he was still very gentle with his own familiar. The girl's body was soft and had a very charming, faint fragrance. Holding her was incredibly comfortable. He felt he could get addicted. In the future, if he didn't sleep holding her, he probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep.
...
About an hour or so later, Shiina Mahiru slowly stirred and woke up. Although she was still a bit dazed, she quickly became fully awake when she saw the face of the man holding her. Looking at her vibrating phone, she knew it was time to get up and make food, otherwise she wouldn't be able to eat before catching the tram to school.
Despite being reluctant to leave this warm embrace, she still quietly slipped away. Without waking him, she got up on her own to wash up. Putting on her apron, she began to cook.
Strangely, her mood became wonderful. She hummed a little tune as she chopped vegetables. Occasionally, Shiina Mahiru's eyes would glance in the direction of the bedroom. Thinking of a certain someone's praise, she put even more care into the meal she was preparing.
At the same time, the girl couldn't help but start to anticipate his expression when he ate her food. He'll praise me, right? He definitely will!