Suzuki wasn't exactly sure how long he had been asleep.
For the first time since he could remember, he wasn't forcefully jolted awake by a blaring alarm clock demanding he sacrifice his body to the corporate grind. He was just allowed to exist.
He knew his luck in this second life was surprisingly good. Even setting aside his overpowered unique skills, his base genetics weren't bad at all. His face was definitely above average, his mind was sharp, and his physical body was highly capable. Combined with the absolute cheats he had acquired in this fantasy world, he finally had the luxury to do something he had never done before.
He had the luxury to be lazy.
Yup. Just completely, shamelessly lazy.
Suzuki genuinely didn't want to work. He just wanted to lie in bed, binge-watch anime, read web novels, and exist without a single, suffocating thought about the future.
Yet, he knew a completely stagnant life was impossible. At least, it was impossible if he actually wanted the things that made life worth living—like a partner, a family, and a home. If he wanted those things, he had to try at least a little bit harder.
But after everything that had just happened, didn't he deserve to rest for a while?
Lying there in the dark, he realized just how profoundly relaxing it was to sleep without that invisible, crushing pressure whispering in his ear. The voice that used to constantly tell him he wasn't doing enough, that he was going to starve if he stopped grinding, was finally gone. He possessed the power to rewrite reality itself. He was going to be okay.
He didn't care about world domination. He didn't want to be a legendary hero. He just wanted peace of mind. He wanted to live without the constant, paralyzing fear of losing everything.
Being an orphan in his previous life had forced him to fiercely treasure whatever scraps of security he could build. He had taken nothing for granted, because he knew exactly what it felt like when the floor fell out from under you and life turned into a hellish survival mode.
He had struggled endlessly. So, honestly? If he occasionally indulged in some casual, physical fun with beautiful women, he didn't think anyone had the right to judge him.
He was just a human man, after all. He wasn't a saint. If women happily offered themselves to him, he accepted. But he always kept a strict emotional distance. Even if they were willing to give him their entire hearts, he absolutely refused to give his in return.
He was just... a bit of a coward.
Getting emotionally hurt was just too troublesome. Yes, he was resilient. He could adapt and survive a broken heart if he had to. But... why would he voluntarily subject himself to that? His life had already been difficult enough; why would he deliberately invite more pain into it?
His core philosophy was the ultimate extreme of Japanese societal norms: Do not cause trouble for others.
As an orphan, he had weaponized that mindset. He never caused trouble for his caretakers or his peers, and in return, he expected absolutely nothing from them. It was a cold, transactional way to live. He expected nothing, so he was never disappointed.
He used to look at people who constantly relied on others—people who acted like giant, helpless babies—with a mixture of intense irritation and quiet, bitter jealousy. He hated how entitled they were, acting as if the world owed them salvation. Yet, he was deeply jealous of their absolute freedom. They could live recklessly because they knew they had a safety net. They had friends or parents who would catch them when they fell.
Suzuki had no one. If he fell, he hit the concrete.
Because of that, he had forged himself into his own absolute pillar. He was the Atlas holding up his own world.
Yet, despite his deep-seated belief that he was perfectly fine being completely alone... someone had stubbornly refused to leave his side.
The reason Suzuki had slept so deeply and for so long wasn't just because he was physically exhausted. It was because his sleep was accompanied by an incredible, suffocating warmth. It felt like he had finally found a safe harbor—a place he had never known, but had subconsciously longed for his entire life.
Still half-asleep, he naturally shifted his body, instinctively wrapping his arms tighter around his pillow and burying his face into it.
But as his consciousness slowly returned, his tactical mind noticed a few alarming discrepancies.
This pillow was incredibly soft, yet surprisingly firm. It radiated a deep, intoxicating body heat. It smelled faintly of ash and sweet wildflowers. And, most concerning of all... the pillow was softly breathing against his chest.
"...."
Suzuki blinked his dark eyes open, his mind completely blanking as he stared down at the "pillow" trapped in his arms.
"Good morning."
Despite the incredibly compromising position, Shizu was looking up at him with an unimaginably gentle expression.
Her anti-magic mask was gone. The horrific burn scar beneath her eye had completely vanished. Because his Etymologist skill had forcefully harmonized her physical body with the immortal spirit, her biological clock had been completely reset. She was no longer an aging, dying woman. Her features were vibrant, youthful, and breathtakingly beautiful.
And she was pressed entirely flush against his body.
With a beautiful, restored woman held tightly in his arms, Suzuki's healthy, twenty-something-year-old biology immediately kicked in. It was absolutely, physically impossible to stop the natural morning reaction currently happening in his lower body.
"..."
A suffocating, painfully awkward silence descended over the room.
Both of their faces simultaneously flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. Suzuki was completely paralyzed, utterly unsure of how to extract himself from the situation without making it infinitely worse.
Shizu, however, tried to salvage the moment. She might look like a young woman now, but chronologically, she was still a seventy-year-old grandmother! She had to be the mature adult here!
Forcing a gentle, utterly flustered smile, she slowly reached a hand up and softly patted the back of his head.
"I-It's fine," Shizu stammered, her voice betraying her panic. "Don't worry about it, Suzuki-kun. It just... it just shows that you are a very healthy young man... y-yeah..."
"...."
Suzuki squeezed his eyes shut and let out a long, silent groan.
Despite her terrible attempt at grandmotherly reassurance, feeling her soft hand in his hair and her incredibly warm body pressed against his... naturally just made the physical reaction even worse.
Yup, Suzuki thought miserably. It's absolutely impossible not to get hard right now.
---
Early, since I am an early sleeper now.
Anyway, please enjoy~!