-----
-----
"Bzz—"
The hum of the hair dryer faded, and Lucian's long, well-defined fingers slid one last time through Yukino's smooth, waterfall-like black hair.
"Alright, it's completely dry."
He unplugged the dryer, put it away, then walked over to the wardrobe. After rummaging for a moment, he pulled out a set of dark navy cotton pajamas and handed them to Yukino on the sofa.
"If you wear that new dress now, it'll get wrinkled. And, well… you're not wearing anything underneath… cough. Anyway, just a towel isn't great either—you'll catch a cold. Wear these for now. They're washed, but I haven't used them yet."
"Thank you, Teacher."
Yukino lowered her gaze, the faint blush on her cheeks not quite gone. She took the pajamas, still carrying a light, clean scent of detergent, and headed into the bathroom to change.
A moment later, the door opened.
She stepped out in the navy pajamas. Since they were made for a man, they hung loosely on her petite frame, the sleeves and pant legs rolled up several times.
The wide collar slipped slightly open, revealing a stretch of pale, delicate collarbone.
That oversized, "boyfriend-style" look, paired with her naturally cool and stunning bare face, gave off an oddly lazy yet alluring charm.
But the moment Kasugano Sora , sitting on the long sofa, saw the pajamas—her eyes widened.
The poor rabbit plush in her arms suffered again, squeezed mercilessly.
That navy cotton pajama set…
She had picked it out just last month, dragging her brother to the mall to carefully choose a "matching sibling set"! She had an identical one in pink!
She'd wanted it to feel like a couple's outfit.
And now, that symbol of their sibling bond… was being worn by some outsider fox-woman?!
Unforgivable. What is this? NTR right in front of her?!
Yukino, of course, had no idea about the "heavy meaning" behind the pajamas.
She walked over to the armchair and sat down, looking a little tired. Pulling her legs up slightly, she sank into the soft cushions.
After the exhausting turmoil of the afternoon, followed by a relaxing hot shower, and now surrounded by the faint, lived-in warmth of the room… for once, Yukino Yukinoshita—who usually carried her family's expectations and stood aloof like an untouchable flower at Sobu High—felt something rare.
Peace. Ease.
As if, in this man's home, she could set down all her burdens and pretenses, if only for a while.
"I'm going to take a shower and wash off the smell. You two behave. No fighting."
Lucian stretched, grabbed his clothes, and headed into the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of running water filled the space.
The living room was left with just Sora on the long sofa, and Yukino on the single chair.
The atmosphere turned… delicate.
Yukino tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Sora.
To be honest, even though this girl clearly held some hostility toward her, Yukino found it hard to feel any dislike.
As a self-proclaimed lover of "cute creatures," Yukino looked at Sora's silver hair, her doll-like features, and the way she puffed up like a little kitten guarding its food… and, unexpectedly, thought—
She's kind of… cute.
All prickly on the outside, yet clearly deeply attached to her "owner"—just like the cats she adored.
Because of that faint goodwill—and a desire to break the awkward silence—Yukino spoke first.
"Um… Miss Kasugano," she said, her usually cool voice carrying a rare hint of gentleness. "Are you Teacher's younger sister?"
Sora shot her a wary glance, chin lifting slightly. "Hmph. Of course. I'm Luu's one and only little sister."
"I see." Yukino nodded. But her sharp observation couldn't help slipping out, almost casually. "But your surnames are different… Teacher is Lucian, and you're Kasugano. Does that mean… you're not biologically related?"
Instead of getting angry, Sora lit up as if a pride switch had been flipped.
"Of course we're not!"
She straightened her slim back, her dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction as she declared, almost like staking a claim:
"Luu's an orphan too. He grew up in an orphanage. When he got old enough to leave and live on his own, he took me with him."
"So we have zero blood relation! And that means, legally, we can—"
She paused deliberately, shooting Yukino a knowing, provocative look.
Yukino's expression barely changed in response to Sora's blatant, brother-obsessed boasting.
"I see… so Teacher grew up in an orphanage."
She nodded thoughtfully.
That explained it. Despite his genius-level intelligence, Lucian lacked the arrogance of someone from an elite family. Instead, he could cook, and he knew how to take care of people.
Seeing Yukino remain so calm, Sora felt like she'd punched cotton. She huffed, hugging her rabbit plush tighter.
Click.
The bathroom door opened.
Lucian stepped out, towel in hand, wiping his damp hair.
Fresh from the shower, his already handsome features looked even more defined through the lingering mist, and there was a comforting steadiness in his every movement.
"What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing important. Just casual chat," Yukino replied, immediately regaining her composure as she stood.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was indeed getting late.
And after sitting for a while, that familiar soreness on her inner thighs crept back, reminding her that her body had reached its limit.
"Teacher… it's late. I'll… go rest first."
She kept her head down, not daring to meet his eyes—or glance toward the door of the master bedroom.
Because she knew.
Tonight, she would have to sleep in the same bed as this man.
"Alright. Go ahead. I'll dry my hair and come in."
Yukino walked into the bedroom, her steps slightly stiff.
The moment the door closed behind her, Sora's cheeks puffed up like an angry pufferfish.
She stomped over to Lucian and, without hesitation, stepped hard on his slipper with her little shoe.
"Hiss—hey! What was that for?!"
"You pervert! You creep of a big brother! If you try anything weird with her tonight, I swear I'll pick the lock with a hairpin in the middle of the night!"
Throwing down that jealous, murderous warning, Sora spun around and stormed back to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Silence returned to the living room.
Lucian gave a wry smile, rubbing the top of his foot, then quickly finished drying his hair.
Taking a deep breath, he headed toward the master bedroom.
…
Inside the bedroom—
With the main lights off and only a dim bedside lamp casting a warm glow, the room was filled with a quiet that made one's heart race.
Yukino stood by the bed, staring at the single blanket, caught in intense hesitation.
She was still wearing Lucian's oversized navy pajamas.
She debated whether she should sleep in them.
The cotton was comfortable, but without anything underneath, the slightly rough fabric brushed directly against her overly sensitive skin with every movement.
After what had happened that afternoon, certain parts of her body were still tender, hypersensitive.
If she slept in these all night, even turning over would be unbearable. She might not even be able to fall asleep.
"…It's dark under the blanket. No one will see anything."
She bit her lower lip hard, her already beautiful face burning red in the dim light.
For the sake of getting some rest, she had no choice.
With trembling hands, she unbuttoned the pajama top. The soft rustle of fabric slipping away sounded unusually loud in the silence. She carefully folded the navy set and placed it on the chair by the bed.
Then, her flawless, pale body exposed, she moved like a startled little animal—quickly lifting the blanket and slipping underneath in one swift motion.
The warmth beneath the covers slowly built.
She pressed herself tightly against the edge of the bed, curling into a small ball, gripping the blanket firmly.
Without the barrier of clothing, her skin met the soft ocean-blue sheets directly. That strange mix of vulnerability and stimulation made her heart pound wildly.
She shut her eyes, trying to force herself to sleep.
Click—
At that moment, the bedroom door handle turned.
Lucian pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"....."