"Whew..."
After another moment of lingering, seeing that time was truly running out, Hayasaka finally escaped his clutches, and returned to her room with the clothes.
However, just as she softly closed the door, a lazy voice sounded from behind her:
"Hayasaka?"
Hayasaka's heart rate suddenly accelerated. She tried her best to control her expression, and turned around as if nothing had happened, calmly saying, "Kaguya, you're awake."
Kaguya had woken up at some point and was sitting on the bed, her hair a little disheveled, and her expression still a bit dazed:
"Why did you go out?"
Hayasaka sighed, and helplessly said, "Last night, someone heard the President's news and was about to run over without even putting on clothes..."
Kaguya's pretty face flushed, and she couldn't help but retort, "I was clearly wearing clothes!"
"Pajamas are not clothes you can wear out." Hayasaka said as if nothing had happened, "So, I had no choice but to get up early and painstakingly go out to buy clothes for someone."
"Hayasaka, you worked hard." Kaguya calmly accepted the maid's service. Her gaze shifted downwards, landing on Hayasaka's legs, and she curiously asked, "Eh... Where are your stockings?"
Hayasaka slightly brought her legs together, and calmly said, "On the way back from buying clothes for Kaguya, I got a little thirsty and bought a carton of milk. I accidentally spilled it on my stockings, and it was super sticky and uncomfortable, so I threw them away."
Lying is an art.
First and foremost, one must not show any signs of guilt or panic.
Hayasaka was very confident in herself, certain she wouldn't show any flaws.
However...
Kaguya slightly furrowed her delicate brows, a hint of suspicion appearing on her pretty face:
"But why are Hayasaka's knees a little red? And there seem to be marks from pressure?"
Hayasaka's eye twitched slightly. She tried her best not to show any signs of guilt, took a deep breath, and said, "I accidentally fell on the way back."
No!
She couldn't let Kaguya keep asking. If she asked any more, she might expose herself. Hayasaka decisively changed the subject, saying, "By the way, I saw the President on my way back just now."
"Eh?" Kaguya's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "Is the President finished?"
Hayasaka shook her head, and then shifted the blame, saying, "The President was talking to Yukinoshita. I saw them from afar and didn't go over to ask about the situation."
As expected, upon hearing Yukino's name, Kaguya involuntarily puffed out her cheeks, and immediately exclaimed, "I want to go see the President!"
Because of the official announcement on Mount Everest, the two girls were now at odds.
"Whew..."
Hayasaka secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The blame had been successfully shifted.
"Kaguya, please wash your face and brush your teeth first, then change your clothes before going out."
"..."
Meanwhile.
Natsuki was indeed chatting with Yukino.
After Hayasaka left, Natsuki simply washed up, then prepared to go out for breakfast. Having expended too much energy, he urgently needed to replenish it now.
Knock knock.
However, just as he reached the door, there was a knock.
Natsuki opened the door and saw a cool-faced, long-haired black-haired girl standing outside, none other than the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family.
"Hirano?"
Natsuki's eyes lit up.
"Hm?!"
Yukino's gaze immediately sharpened.
"I'm sorry, Yukino, I was wrong, I apologize profusely." Natsuki decisively corrected himself, and said with surprise, "Yukino, are you here to call me to breakfast?"
Yukino clasped her right arm with her left hand across her chest, and said with a sharp tongue, "Even though he just returned from the apocalyptic world, Garbage-kun still feels so good about himself, it seems there's no need to worry about mental problems."
"I don't have mental problems, but I have physical problems." Natsuki said shamelessly, "I urgently need Dr. Yukino to help examine my body."
"No problem." Yukino said with disdain, "May I ask if Garbage-kun needs a scalpel, or a chainsaw?"
Natsuki couldn't help but retort, "Wait, a scalpel is fine, but why is there a chainsaw option?"
Yukino's lips curled slightly upwards, saying, "Of course, it's because Garbage-kun's skin is too thick, a scalpel can't cut through it, so only a chainsaw will do."
"..."
After exchanging a few words, Yukino did not leave, but stepped into the room.
"Is there something, Yukino?"
Natsuki asked curiously.
Coming to his room so early in the morning, and knowing that she might be taken advantage of, Yukino clearly had something serious to discuss.
Looking at the messy covers on the bed, and a faint, lingering scent in the air, Yukino frowned slightly and said, "Why are you only just getting up?"
"Thank goodness…"
Natsuki quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he had opened the window for ventilation as soon as he woke up this morning, otherwise, Yukino would probably have had an icy expression and turned to leave.
"Do you know how I spent last night?" Natsuki's voice was full of complaint, and he held up four fingers, "I stayed in the conference room for a full four hours. Besides those who came in person, there were also online video conferences. People asking me questions came in wave after wave, asking the same things for four hours. Isn't it perfectly reasonable for me to wake up now?"
Yukino: "…"
Seeing that Yukino didn't speak, Natsuki took half a step forward, ready to pounce like a hungry tiger.
Yukino's eyes were vigilant, constantly watching his every move. She immediately took half a step back, adopting a defensive posture and said:
"Don't come closer."
Natsuki said with a wronged expression:
"I stayed in the other world for half a month, plus you went back to Chiba Prefecture before, so rounding up, it's been a month since I've hugged Yukino. I promise I'll only hug, nothing else."
Regarding the latter half of the sentence, Yukino didn't believe a single word of it.
Just hug and do nothing else?
He had said the exact same thing before, and it turned out to be a complete lie!
Natsuki continued:
"Yukino, don't you worry about me at all? From yesterday when we met until now, you're not even willing to let me hug you."
Yukino bit her silver teeth lightly and said disdainfully:
"It's clearly written in the Future Diary that you won't be in any danger, so there's no need to worry at all."
After a pause, Yukino continued:
"I woke up this morning and checked the Future Diary again. It says that you'd better not leave the hotel today, or you'll encounter unknown danger."
"Don't leave the hotel?" Natsuki nodded and said, "I definitely won't step out of the hotel today."
Having finally returned from the apocalyptic world, Natsuki only wanted to rest well and enjoy the hard-won peaceful life. Danger, that kind of thing, could roll as far away as possible; he didn't want to encounter it at all.
Yukino raised her right hand, tucked the dark hair that fell to her chest behind her ear, and pursed her lips, saying:
"There's one more thing…"
Natsuki picked up his cup and drank water, saying:
"Tell me."
Yukino said softly:
"Haruno-nee… has been acting a bit strange these past few days."
Natsuki asked curiously:
"What's wrong with Haruno?"
Yukino asked doubtfully:
"Haruno-nee's appetite has suddenly become very poor these past two days; she barely eats anything, and she often shows signs of discomfort. I asked her to go to the hospital for a check-up, but she's unwilling to go."
"…"
Natsuki understood the symptoms immediately.
Haruno wasn't sick at all; it was the side effect of her Succubus Physique acting up.
The Succubus Physique, this ability, can enhance basic attributes by absorbing energy from powerful creatures. It's quite a formidable ability, but it also has a side effect: it needs to replenish magic power periodically.
If she can't replenish her magic in time, she will fall into a state of weakness and discomfort.
It seems that Haruno has not yet mentioned her transformation into a Succubus, so Natsuki naturally wouldn't reveal the secret. He quickly said:
"I'll use a healing skill to help Haruno heal her body later."
"Thank you." Yukino thanked him softly, "That's all for those two things… I'm going back."
After saying that, Yukino prepared to leave.
Natsuki spread his arms and said:
"Before you go, let me hug you for one minute. I promise I won't do anything else."
"I'm sorry, I refuse."
Yukino spoke with a completely emotionless tone.
However, even though Yukino said she refused, when Natsuki hugged her, her body did not resist again, allowing Natsuki to easily embrace her.
The space became quiet.
Embracing Hirano in his arms, and smelling the quiet, orchid-like fragrance of the young girl, Natsuki felt an extraordinary sense of peace in his heart.
Unfortunately, the tranquility only lasted a few seconds before Natsuki felt something stirring in his heart, and he couldn't help but lean down closer to Yukino.
"You said you were only going to hug me?"
Yukino bit her silver teeth lightly, her hands pushing against Natsuki's chest, and she couldn't help but question him.
Natsuki's expression didn't change as he said:
"That's what I said a minute ago. Now, I just want to kiss Yukino."
"Shameless!"
"…"
Yukino still wanted to resist, but unfortunately, during the Sin Park dungeon, on the night Natsuki used Dream Link to invade Yukino's dream, he had already grasped all of Hirano's body's weaknesses.
With just a gentle pinch, Yukino's defense showed a flaw. Natsuki seized the opportunity and, without hesitation, blocked Yukino's cherry-blossom-like lips, then invaded them.
After an unknown amount of time, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Yukino, whose eyes had already become hazy and dazed, jolted and instantly sobered up.
Natsuki, helpless, could only release Yukino, then pointed to the bathroom and whispered:
"Go hide inside."
Yukino's pretty face was flushed, and she was slightly out of breath. She raised her hand to wipe away the silver thread at the corner of her lips, then stomped hard on Natsuki's foot before walking into the bathroom.
Natsuki wiped his mouth clean, exhaled softly, then opened the door and saw a sweet and radiant girl standing outside.
"Natsuki-kun, good morning~"
The black-haired girl's smile was bright, and her voice was pleasant.
"Eh? Haruno-nee?!"
Hearing the familiar voice drifting in from outside, Yukino, hiding in the bathroom, couldn't help but widen her eyes.
She couldn't be mistaken; it was clearly Haruno's voice.
Why would Haruno come to find Garbage-kun so early in the morning?
Could it be…
Yukino involuntarily thought of a special item—the Memory Disk.
Being trapped in the Memory Disk at that time, and going through it seven times, left an indelible and profound impact on Yukino.
Impossible!
Yukino quickly shook her head.
Everyone is in the hotel, and someone could come looking for Garbage-kun at any time. Haruno wouldn't be that unwise!
Bang.
The sound of the room door closing echoed from outside the bathroom.
The next second.
Haruno's impatient, longing voice drifted into the bathroom:
"Woof woof woof~ It's Natsuki's scent!"
Yukino: "…"
Why did that "woof woof woof" sound so much like a puppy whining to its owner?!
She's a university student, yet she's whining to a high school student with that kind of sound… Haruno is too shameless!
Haruno's longing voice continued to drift into the bathroom:
"Natsuki, hurry and give it to me… I can't hold back anymore…"
Yukino: "…"
Can't hold back?
Did Haruno come over so early in the morning just to do that kind of thing?
When did her willpower become so weak!
At the same time.
"Did Haruno-nee get lighter?"
Natsuki hugged Haruno who had pounced into his arms, and while speaking, he gestured towards the bathroom with his eyes, whispering:
"Yukino is inside."
"Eh?"
Haruno paused, leaned closer to Natsuki, sniffed, and quickly confirmed:
"It really is Yukino's scent."
Upon learning that Yukino was in the bathroom, Haruno not only didn't get nervous, but instead showed a joyful smile, wrapping her arms around Natsuki's neck:
"Natsuki, you seem to have dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Natsuki replied:
"I stayed in the conference room for several hours last night, so I really didn't get enough rest."
"I didn't rest well either." Haruno's lips curved upwards, her smile becoming even more joyful, "Last night, Yukino and I were in the same room, but Yukino kept talking in her sleep intermittently, which kept me from sleeping."
As she spoke, Haruno kept winking at Natsuki, signaling:
Ask me, ask me!
Natsuki, hurry and ask me!
Natsuki had no choice but to ask:
"What did Yukino say in her sleep last night?"
Haruno smiled joyfully and said:
"Yukino first called Natsuki's name several times in her dream, and then she said some incomprehensible things like 'slower,' which made me super curious."
Natsuki: "…"
It was possible she called his name in her sleep, but the dream talk about "slower" was ninety-nine percent fake.
After confirming that Yukino was hiding in the bathroom, it was naturally impossible for her to do anything else, so Haruno's goal now was only one: to tease Yukino.
In the bathroom.
"Did I talk in my sleep last night?"
Yukino bit her lip, trying to recall, but of course, a person couldn't know if they had talked in their sleep.
However, she instinctively suspected that Haruno was acting mischievously, saying these things on purpose, and even knew that she was hiding in the bathroom.
"Poke, poke—"
Haruno extended her finger and poked Natsuki's arm, while simultaneously writing with her hand.
Natsuki played along, saying:
"Oral statements are unreliable; I don't believe it anyway."
"Well," Haruno took out her phone and smiled, "I knew Natsuki wouldn't believe me, so I specifically recorded it on my phone last night."
"There's even a recording?"
Yukino had initially thought Haruno was playing a trick, but upon hearing about the existence of 'evidence', she couldn't help but hesitate.
Immediately after, Natsuki's voice rang out from outside:
"We can listen to the recording later. I'm so hungry, Haruno-nee, let's go eat breakfast first."
Soon, the sound of the two closing the door and leaving echoed from outside.
Yukino walked out of the restroom, her face flushed as she looked at the door, her expression hesitant:
"So... did I talk in my sleep last night or not?"