Carrying the little shota in her arms, Eri hurried into the bathroom.
Once the door was securely shut, she let out a sigh of relief. She was confident that Yukiko hadn't noticed anything unusual. However, her long, black-stockinged legs trembled slightly, betraying her inner turmoil.
Akashi wriggled free from her grasp, landing on the floor with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Though his face appeared innocent, the boy clearly harbored other thoughts. Tilting his head, he asked with a teasing tone,
"Auntie Eri, did you wet your pants? Your socks are all wet!"
His voice was laced with feigned naivety.
"Auntie Eri is so naughty! Even I didn't wet myself after I turned two!"
The little boy's innocent remark turned Eri's face bright red. Mortified, she stammered, "No! Akashi, Auntie didn't wet her pants!"
Desperately trying to save face, she added, "I must've spilled some water on myself earlier… Yes, that's what happened!"
But Akashi wasn't about to let her off the hook so easily. He glanced at his own clothes and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "But Auntie Eri, my pants are wet too… And I wasn't with you when you drank water."
Eri froze, her mind spinning as she realized the back of Akashi's pants was also damp. Her thoughts buzzed with panic. Acting quickly, she grabbed his little hand and said firmly,
"Akashi, don't worry about it. Let's just get you cleaned up, okay?"
Before he could argue, Eri sprang into action. With the speed and efficiency of a seasoned lawyer, she removed all evidence of the incident. Her stockings and clothes were quickly discarded into the laundry bin, ensuring there would be no trace left behind.
Once the evidence was "destroyed," Eri crouched down, gently grabbing Akashi by the shoulders. With a serious yet slightly flushed face, she warned,
"Akashi, don't talk about what happened just now. Especially not to Yukiko, understand?"
Her tone turned stern as she added, "If you tell anyone, I'll get very angry. And when I get angry… well, you don't want to know what happens."
Though Eri's pink fists weren't exactly menacing, her glare carried enough authority to make Akashi nod obediently.
"Understood, Auntie Eri," he said with a small, knowing smile. 'People under a roof must bow their heads, ' he thought to himself. He had grown accustomed to this life. In fact, he found himself enjoying the peculiar "privileges" he received—like a young emperor being doted on by a palace of attendants.
The bath that followed was anything but ordinary. Between splashes of water and playful antics, Akashi's mischievousness seemed to trigger a series of comical "accidents." The bathroom echoed with the sound of splashes and Eri's startled reactions, punctuated by Akashi's laughter.
By the time the two emerged in their pajamas, nearly an hour had passed. Eri held Akashi's hand tightly, her face still tinged with unease. She glanced at him and thought, 'I can't let Akashi bathe alone anymore! This child is far too clumsy—he'd hurt himself if I wasn't there to catch him!'
Unbeknownst to Eri, without her company, his Pear God Fall passive ability won't get activated.
Now, she have such a misunderstanding in her heart
Determined to prevent any future accidents, Eri silently vowed to supervise every bath from now on, even if it meant 'inconveniencing' herself. The thought made her cheeks flush even more.
When they stepped into the living room, Yukiko was lounging on the couch, watching TV. She was dressed in a pink camisole nightgown that highlighted her long, graceful legs. Eri, coincidentally, wore the same style of nightgown in white.
Yukiko glanced up and smirked. "Oh, twins! I didn't realize we were dressing alike."
Eri rolled her eyes, muttering, "You're the one borrowing my clothes again. I've already lent you that nightgown twice. Don't make it a habit!"
Yukiko laughed it off, brushing a hand through her damp hair. "Oh, relax, Eri. You've got enough clothes to spare. Besides, it looks great on me, doesn't it?"
The two women, both radiant in their matching outfits, looked like a scene straight out of a drama.
"Come here," Yukiko called, gesturing toward the TV. "They're reporting on that abandoned construction site we 'visited' this afternoon."
Hearing this, Eri tensed for a moment. She quickly led Akashi to the couch, sitting beside Yukiko. But as the interview played on the screen, her nerves eased. The broadcast was innocuous, nothing that could expose their involvement.
Relaxing a little, Eri leaned back, stealing a glance at Akashi. The boy, now calm and collected, met her gaze with an innocent smile.
---
Yukiko patted her smooth, alabaster thigh and burst into laughter.
"It's hilarious how the Tokyo police are as clueless as ever!" she said. "Did you hear that weapons expert? He said the crater might have been caused by a howitzer shell. A 'howitzer '! Only terrorists would have access to that kind of firepower, and now they're blaming it on that infamous Red Gang!"
Her tone grew even more amused. "Eri, Akashi, you have no idea how entertaining this is. Watching them escalate their suspicions from petty gangsters to organized crime, and now to full-blown terrorists—it's better than any cartoon!"
Yukiko's carefree laughter filled the room, her mood lightened by the knowledge that neither she nor Akashi could be linked to the incident.
But Eri didn't share her amusement. She gave Yukiko a deadpan look before picking up the hair dryer from where her friend had left it. Scooping Akashi onto her lap, she began drying his hair.
The little shota sat quietly on Eri's soft legs, facing the ever-composed legal queen. As her gentle hands worked through his damp hair, he couldn't help but feel ticklish. Squirming slightly, he shook his head, sending droplets of water flying everywhere.
"Ahh!"
Eri let out an exaggerated scream, her voice blending frustration and playfulness. "Akashi, you can't do that! I'm trying to dry your hair—you have to cooperate, or Auntie will spank you!"
Despite her words, her expression betrayed nothing but fondness. With a twinkle of amusement in her eyes, she teasingly flicked his nose.
Akashi froze for a moment before settling down, allowing Eri to continue her task. He seemed to enjoy her attention, and for a brief moment, there was only warmth between them.
Yukiko, sitting nearby, couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Crossing her arms, she said with mock indignation, "Eri, you're spoiling that boy more than you ever spoiled Ran. Don't tell me you're planning to raise him as your own son?"
Eri snorted, brushing off the comment with ease. "Why not? Is there a problem with that?"
Yukiko raised her eyebrows, leaning in dramatically. "Oh, it's not a problem. It's just… unusual. I mean, Auntie Eri raising a little boy? We haven't seen each other in a few years, and here you are, acting more eccentric than ever!"
Eri's face flushed deep red at the teasing accusation. She snapped back, her voice tinged with annoyance, "Yukiko, if you keep this up, I'll make sure you sleep on the streets tonight!"
Sensing the shift in her friend's tone, Yukiko decided to ease up. Her playful demeanor gave way to something more serious as she said, "But Eri, don't you think there's more to Akashi than meets the eye?"
Her words caught the little shota's attention. Akashi stiffened, his heart skipping a beat. 'Is she going to expose me? ' he wondered, unease creeping into his chest.
Eri, too, was taken aback. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Akashi carefully, trying to decipher the meaning behind Yukiko's cryptic remark. The atmosphere grew tense, a subtle unease hanging between the three of them.
Yukiko, seeing the growing tension, couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. She relished the sight of Eri and Akashi squirming, the tables momentarily turned. But knowing when to pull back, she broke the silence with a laugh.
"Relax, Eri," Yukiko said, her voice laced with teasing amusement. "I just mean… if Akashi hadn't handed me that stun gun and given you a pistol this afternoon, we wouldn't have stood a chance against those thugs! If it weren't for him, we'd still be stuck in that construction site with no way to escape."
She paused, her tone turning thoughtful. "The fact that he managed to get his hands on those weapons without anyone noticing… doesn't that strike you as a little extraordinary for a child?"
Eri's eyes widened as Yukiko's words sank in. She recalled the events of the afternoon—the stun gun, the pistol. Both had been handed to them by Akashi. But how had he managed to acquire such items in the first place?
Her gaze fell on Akashi, her expression tinged with suspicion and curiosity. The little shota avoided her eyes, his innocent facade beginning to crack under her scrutiny.
For a moment, the room fell into silence, the air heavy with unspoken questions.