Early the next morning, before Yumiko had fully emerged from her hazy slumber, she extended her right hand intending to embrace Jhin. However, she grasped only empty air. Her violet eyes snapped open; she was completely awake now.
Where was Jhin?
Before she could ponder if yesterday's events were a dream, a fragrance drifting through the crack of the door captured her attention.
It smelled so good. This must be Jhin making breakfast, right?
The gluttonous worm in Sakaki Yumiko's stomach was awakened. She sat up and saw the messy clothes and the bunny girl outfit on the floor, finally confirming that yesterday was no dream. A wave of joy rose in her heart, and a trace of a smile played on her lips.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Yumiko, are you awake? I'm coming in."
"W-Wait a moment!" Even though their relationship had made a breakthrough, Yumiko still couldn't handle appearing stark naked before Jhin without batting an eye. Enduring the soreness in her limbs after the intense exercise, she hurriedly changed into her clothes before allowing Jhin to enter. "Alright, you can come in."
"Good morning, sleepyhead." Jhin walked into the room wearing a pink apron printed with strawberries, carrying a bowl of soup in his hand. "This is Ginseng and Goji Berry Chicken Soup. It replenishes qi and blood, so drink up. Or perhaps, do you want me to feed you?"
"I... I can do it myself."
If Kazami Kazuki were present, she would surely sigh and shake her head in great disappointment at Yumiko's performance. You completely wasted your time reading that "Bride Training Manual" yesterday! Why can't you learn to actively act spoiled?
"Alright then. Careful, it's hot. Blow on it first."
"Mn."
Drinking chicken soup simmered by one's lover—what a beautiful thing this was. However, Yumiko didn't stay happy for long. Michiru Matsushima, wearing pajamas and looking bleary-eyed, walked in. She asked Jhin with a charming naivety, "Jhin, how come you weren't by my side when I woke up this morning? I'm hungry."
Yumiko's gaze instantly turned sharp. Michiru Matsushima's words contained a massive amount of information. If she remembered correctly, Jhin should have been sleeping in her room yesterday, waking up early only to make soup for her.
Yet Michiru was asking why Jhin wasn't by her side when she woke up. This was sufficient proof that Jhin likely hadn't slept in her room last night, but had run off to Michiru's place instead.
While I was sleeping, Michiru actually stole the base!?
Sakaki Yumiko found it somewhat hard to believe. Was this really something that foolishly cute Michiru Matsushima could do? To seamlessly call Jhin away while she was sound asleep?
Facing her gaze, which was as sharp as a blade, Jhin laughed awkwardly. He recounted how he got hungry in the middle of the night and was invited to Michiru Matsushima's room to eat mangoes.
She was still lying in bed with sore limbs, while Michiru Matsushima could walk around looking for Jhin. This glaring gap forced Yumiko to plan on picking up the exercise regimen she had shelved who knows how many times.
She reached out her jade-like hand, her slender fingertips pinching Jhin's cheek neither too lightly nor too heavily. If it was too light, she worried it wouldn't have a deterrent effect; if it was too heavy, she couldn't bear it. She had to settle for adding a charming eye-roll. "Just this once. My room has plenty of instant noodles."
"Understood. Michiru, you sit here too. I'll go bring the chicken soup for you."
"Oh, okay."
Michiru Matsushima sat down sheepishly. She also knew that what she did yesterday wasn't very honorable. But she couldn't take all the blame. She had been staying in her room just fine, but suddenly noises started coming from Yumiko's room next door. Even though the dorm's soundproofing was excellent, the sounds still managed to penetrate through. This had piqued her curiosity.
The result was her using a paper cup as a stethoscope to listen at the wall for half the night, changing several pairs of panties in the process. That was why she discussed with her other self to abduct Jhin while he was out of the bedroom.
Jhin came in with the chicken soup. Michiru crossed her legs and opened her mouth to him coquettishly. "Jhin, feed me."
The hand with which Yumiko held her spoon paused. She placed the spoon back into the bowl and imitated Michiru's action. "Jhin, feed me."
The room was momentarily filled with the smell of gunpowder. However, Jhin was no ordinary person. He was a Harem Protagonist determined to bring happiness to all girls; this tiny problem couldn't stump him!
A person has two hands, and there happened to be exactly two girls who needed him to feed them personally. What a beautiful coincidence.
Jhin stood between them, a spoon in each hand, feeding them chicken soup simultaneously. Seeing Jhin handle it this way, neither Yumiko nor Michiru had any objections, and they finished all the chicken soup.
"Ugh... I'm so full. I'm a bit sleepy." Michiru Matsushima felt her whole body warm up after drinking the chicken soup, and drowsiness surged uncontrollably into her brain. She yawned. "Then I'm going back to my room to sleep. Jhin, if you see NyanMelu, remember to open my bedroom door for her."
"Hmm? Did she not sleep in your room yesterday?"
"She ran out to play halfway through the night." Cats have much better hearing than humans; she probably ran out because she was woken up by Jhin and Yumiko.
"Alright."
Jhin took the tableware to the kitchen to wash, then returned to Yumiko's room. She was leaning against the headboard flipping through a book. Before Jhin could see the specific content clearly, Yumiko hid it away with lightning speed.
"Does your body still hurt?"
"What do you think?" Yumiko retorted grumpily.
"Hehe, who asked you to wear the bunny girl outfit?"
Jhin bent down to tidy up the messy room. When he had gathered all the clothing, he noticed the bunny girl outfit was missing. "Yumiko, where did your bunny girl outfit go?"
"I put it away, obviously. You don't suddenly want it again, do you??" Yumiko scooted toward the corner of the wall in fear, pulling the blanket up to her chin to block Jhin's line of sight.
"Where is your mind wandering? I just didn't see the clothes and asked. Where is it? I'll take it to wash with the rest."
"Oh." Realizing she had thought dirty thoughts, Yumiko turned beet red and lowered her head, not daring to look at Jhin. "It... it's in the wardrobe."
Jhin held the pile of clothes, separated the underwear from the outer garments, and put the latter into the washing machine. The underwear could only be left for Komine Sachi to handle. After all, with three new people like Eriri around now, if they bumped into him washing girls' underwear early in the morning, who knows what kind of misunderstanding it would cause.
Walking out of the bathroom, Jhin happened to run into Eriri. He praised his own foresight in his heart; otherwise, his worries would definitely have become reality.
"Morning, Eriri."
"Good morning. Why did you come out of the bathroom?"
"Just put the clothes to be washed in there."
"Is that so?" Eriri's nose twitched slightly as she sniffed the fragrance in the air. "Did you cook something? It smells so good."
"Yeah, I simmered some chicken soup."
"Waah, can I have some?"
"Uh... it's already been finished."
Eriri looked away from the kitchen in disappointment. She hesitated for a moment before issuing an invitation to Jhin. "Wait a moment. Can you come to my room for a bit?"
____
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