Chapter 40 — "Sleepless"
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I tossed and turned in my bed.
The dorm room was dark and quiet, but sleep refused to come no matter what I did.
*What the hell…? My body is aching like crazy after all that Mecca fighting. I thought I'd crash hard because I'm so tired, but no… my legs are killing me.*
I shifted again, wincing.
*I should complain about the cockpit space. There needs to be more space in there. And is it possible to play music inside? That would help…*
I closed my eyes tightly and tried to force sleep.
Nothing.
"Argh!" I shouted, ripping at my hair in frustration. I let out a long sigh.
"I guess I don't have any other option…"
I threw the blanket off and stood up.
"I should go to the lab."
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The lab lights were still on when I arrived.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Nishima was there, working late at her workbench. Her lab coat was completely open — nothing underneath. Her large breasts swayed freely with every little movement as she adjusted some glowing equipment.
I immediately tried not to stare at her chest.
*Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.*
I walked closer.
"You're not sleeping either?" I asked.
Nishima turned, her glasses catching the light. She smiled brightly.
"Oh, Kaito? What are you doing here so late? It's not very polite to enter without knocking, you know."
*Without any clothes on is manners, I guess?*
Before I could answer, she tilted her head playfully.
"You missed me, didn't you? That's why you came~"
"No, I wasn't able to sleep," I said quickly. "My body is aching all over, but I'm exhausted…"
Nishima nodded, understanding.
"Oh, that's normal. The human body acts like this sometimes after extreme stress."
She reached for a small bottle and poured a deep grape-colored juice into a glass.
"Here, drink this."
I took it, suspicious.
"What is this?"
"It's a neuro-blocker. It won't actually heal you. It just tricks your brain into ignoring the pain signals."
I frowned.
"So… what does that mean?"
Nishima explained casually, "It doesn't heal the damage. When it wears off in the morning, the pain will come back double. And… it might give you some vivid or weird dreams."
I stared at the glass.
I shrugged.
"Double pain is tomorrow's problem."
I gulped it down.
The taste hit like acid — bitter, burning, metallic. I almost spat it out, face twisting in disgust.
"Ugh…!"
Nishima smiled warmly, like she was watching a child.
"You're just like a kid. How are you feeling now?"
"Hmm… normal," I muttered.
"It will start affecting you soon," she said.
I looked around the empty lab.
"You do all of this alone… Don't you feel lonely here? I've never seen anyone visit except me."
Nishima stepped closer. Her open coat brushed against me.
"Lonely? I never really think about what that word means. If not doing our work makes someone lonely, then I guess everyone is lonely."
She smiled softly.
"I did have one assistant once. She was a very quick learner. She developed so many things for the military. It was fun working with her… but she died."
My eyes widened.
"Assistant? Wait — if you had a student assistant, then how old are you?"
Nishima giggled. She leaned over me, her bare breasts swaying just inches from my face. The coat offered zero protection.
"Kaito-kun… it's not nice to ask a lady her age. I'm not an 'old lady' like Aya-sensei. I just loved this lab so much that I climbed the ranks early."
She reached out and gently touched my chest, pushing one finger playfully against my sternum.
"Now, why don't you sleep here? And if you're still not getting any sleep… you can sleep with me~"
My face burned.
I stood up suddenly.
My lower body had betrayed me completely. A very obvious, hard bulge strained against my pants.
Nishima's eyes drifted downward. She noticed it immediately.
"Pfft… Hahaha!"
She burst out laughing, covering her mouth but failing to hide her amusement.
I bowed quickly, trying to hide it.
"Thank you!"
I turned and practically ran out of the lab.
Behind me, Nishima's bright laughter continued to echo through the room.
"Hahaha… Good night, Kaito-kun~"
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*END*