"It seems you're enjoying yourself!"
"It's a shame I've been so worried about you two, only to find you like this. Tsk, tsk!"
Yukiko's teasing voice broke the silence, snapping Eri back to reality.
Panic set in instantly. Eri pushed Akashi away with a quick, flustered motion.
The scene Yukiko had walked in on—Eri holding a young boy so intimately—was beyond embarrassing.
She looked anything but the dignified woman she prided herself on being. At that moment, she resembled a reckless and improper aunt, caught red-handed.
Eri's face turned a vivid shade of crimson, the blush quickly spreading down her neck and across her chest.
Her reaction was nothing short of mesmerizing.
"Yukiko, it's not what you think!" Eri stammered, her voice tinged with desperation.
But the next moment, the usually eloquent Queen of Law found herself at a loss for words.
She had no explanation, no plausible excuse to offer.
Unable to face the situation, Eri dove under the quilt, hiding herself like a frightened ostrich.
Watching her mortified friend, Yukiko couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" she chuckled, her voice brimming with amusement.
'Eri, this day has finally come for you! I've waited so long to see you flustered like this!'
Her mind flashed back to her own humiliating moment in the office, and she felt a surge of triumphant vindication.
Seizing the opportunity, Yukiko decided to press her advantage, adopting a mock-dramatic tone.
"Eri, you've changed. You're no longer the upright, principled woman you used to be."
"I was still trying to figure out why you'd adopt a little boy. And now, here we are…"
"I didn't expect you to—"
Before Yukiko could finish her sentence, her words turned into a sharp yelp.
Akashi had moved faster than she could react, delivering a light but decisive slap to her ass.
The interruption silenced Yukiko immediately.
Catching sight of Akashi's stern, warning glare, Yukiko swallowed her words. She knew better than to provoke the little succubus.
Her legs felt weak just remembering his capabilities.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You two were just having fun," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender.
"I just feel sorry for myself, you know? Running around to buy clothes for you two, and this is the welcome I get."
With that, Yukiko plopped herself onto the sofa, slipped off her high heels, and began rubbing her tired feet, still encased in sleek black stockings.
The scene was both lively and oddly captivating, but only Akashi seemed to appreciate it fully.
Meanwhile, under the quilt, Eri was burning with embarrassment. She felt like she might just evaporate from the heat.
However, Yukiko's words gave her some relief.
They were lighthearted, with no real sting.
Gathering her courage, Eri poked her head out from beneath the quilt and whispered, "Yukiko, thank you."
"You're welcome," Yukiko replied with a smirk, tossing a bag of clothes in Eri's direction.
"Don't mention it. I didn't skimp, you know. I brought two sets of suits and skirts for you and even bought three extra outfits. See if they fit. If not, I'll get more!"
Eri sat up, her face still flushed. "Clothes are the least of my worries. You didn't get burned or hurt running around, did you?"
"Burned?" Yukiko blinked, her beautiful eyes clouded with confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
Before the conversation could continue, Akashi stepped in, grabbing the bag of clothes.
"Auntie Eri," he said, his tone firm, "go inside and change your clothes. This isn't the way to present yourself!"
Caught off guard by the scolding, Eri's lips curled into a small pout.
But without further protest, she allowed herself to be ushered into the bathroom.
Once inside, she sighed, closing the door behind her.
The moment replayed in her mind, and she couldn't help but feel a bit sulky.
"Akashi actually scolded me," she thought, her lips trembling slightly.
Still, there was nothing to be done. Resigned, Eri began changing into the clothes Yukiko had brought.
---
Akashi quickly ran over to Yukiko, leaning close to whisper the outline of their fabricated story.
Receiving the "script," Yukiko responded with a confident OK gesture.
Acting? That's her specialty.
When Eri emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a simple yet elegant white dress, Yukiko immediately slipped into character.
With an expression of heartfelt emotion, she began her performance.
"Thankfully, there were no burns!" she said dramatically.
"But Eri, you have no idea how dangerous it was!"
"The flames burned the stockings I was wearing. Akashi had to help me pull them off in time, or it could have been much worse!"
Eri's concern was immediate. "Your leg! Is it okay?"
"Oh, don't worry!" Yukiko replied, waving a hand as though brushing off the severity of the situation. "I don't feel any pain at all now."
She cast a grateful look at Akashi, her tone dripping with exaggerated sincerity.
"When we got back to the hotel, Akashi even found some burn ointment and applied it to my legs for such a long time. Really, he saved me!"
Her performance was polished to perfection, her gratitude practically glowing.
But Akashi's eyes widened in disbelief.
Yes, he had thought up this storyline, but not with 'this ' level of detail—or innuendo!
He shot Yukiko a sharp look.
What is this woman doing? Twisting the script to tease him like this?
Sure enough, when he turned back, he saw Eri staring at him with an odd expression, a mixture of surprise and suspicion.
Realizing the situation could spiral further, Akashi decided to intervene before Yukiko dug a hole too deep for him to escape.
He quickly changed the subject.
"What should we do about this?" he asked. "Should we call the police?"
Yukiko immediately shook her head. She knew exactly what had happened—and why calling the police wasn't an option.
As a consummate actress, she seamlessly transitioned into her next act.
"Absolutely not!" she declared, her voice filled with exaggerated urgency.
"If the police get involved, the news will spread like wildfire!"
"Imagine the headlines: 'Grand Slam Best Actress Kidnapped by Thugs.'" Yukiko shuddered theatrically.
"Those reporters would write the most disgusting stories. No, Eri, you must promise to keep this a secret!"
With that, Yukiko grabbed Eri's wrist, adding a coquettish flair to her plea.
Akashi couldn't help but admire her quick thinking. He gave her a subtle thumbs-up.
She's really good at this, he thought. A true pro.
But Eri frowned slightly, her expression turning serious.
"They weren't after you," she said. "They were coming for me."
Yukiko didn't miss a beat. "That's even more reason to stay quiet! You know how relentless the paparazzi are, Eri."
"And if word gets out and we somehow attract attention from the gang involved, wouldn't that be even more dangerous?"
"Honestly, the best thing we can do is pretend none of this ever happened. Let the police handle it."
Eri hesitated but eventually nodded. "You're right. It's safer this way. Let's leave it to the police to investigate."
After a moment, she asked, "Where's my phone? I need to call Midori and tell her I'm safe."
Eri quickly located her phone and dialed Midori Kuriyama.
On the other end of the line, Midori was just waking up after fainting at the office.
Her colleagues had assumed it was hypoglycemia and sent her to the hospital, where she remained unconscious for most of the day.
When Eri's call came through, Midori was overjoyed to hear her teacher was safe.
Eri gave her clear instructions to stay quiet about the incident, which Midori promised to do without hesitation.
With that, the situation finally seemed to settle.
Yukiko and Akashi exchanged a look, their expressions unreadable.
Raising her eyebrows, Yukiko said nothing, but the gleam in her eye suggested amusement.
Akashi, for his part, let out a silent sigh of relief.
For now, at least, the storm had passed.