Yuuki Asuna looked helpless and sighed.
"You're really trying to be fair to everyone, aren't you?"
"Naturally." Asagiri spoke as if it were obvious. "Don't forget, my initial Persona, Human Asura, corresponds to the upright Emperor in the Tarot. Like they say, it's not poverty but inequality that causes trouble. Keeping every teammate's emotions stable is also my responsibility as captain."
"Where do you get these twisted theories?"
Even as she complained, Asuna reached for two towels, a bath towel, and daily necessities like toothbrushes and rinse cups from the shelf. She muttered while calculating in her head.
"Facial cleanser, conditioner, body lotion… convenience stores probably don't sell those. I'll just buy new ones when I go shopping with gumi and bring them over. But…"
Her expression suddenly turned troubled. Her voice dropped.
"My allowance this month might not be enough. And it's not easy to tell Mom I'm buying a whole new set of toiletries…"
"I'll buy them for you," Asagiri said.
"That won't do." Asuna waved him off imdiately. "If you want to give a gift, that's one thing, but the stuff I use isn't cheap. If you buy everything, I'll feel bad."
She smiled sweetly, then softened her tone as if negotiating terms.
"If you really want to show your sincerity as my boyfriend, then… just buy one bottle of shampoo."
Asagiri chuckled. "Let guess. Out of everything you listed, shampoo is the cheapest, right?"
"It's not cheap either, okay? It's over three thousand yen."
Caught, Asuna stuck out her tongue and made a face. Then she looped her arm through his and leaned in with a bright smile.
"No matter how close we are, I can't let you spend money on everywhere. That's not good. So just shampoo, alright? Consider it a return gift for the al I made you last ti."
"I don't mind."
"How can you not mind? You're also a student, and you don't have inco…"
"I do."
"Huh?"
Asuna froze, curiosity lighting her eyes.
"Are you working part ti? You never ntioned it."
"Part ti work? No, no, no." Asagiri shook his head with the calm dignity of a hermit who had seen through worldly desire. "I'm an independent eroge developer."
Asuna stared at him for a second, then exhaled as if she had accepted her fate.
"…As expected of you."
In that instant, a dozen guesses flashed through her mind. Investing with inheritance, coaching with his middle school sports record, fighting competitions, or even so absurd scenario where he beat up delinquents and called it work.
She never expected independent eroge.
Asagiri's life really was abstract from the roots.
"So… is making eroge profitable?"
"It's alright." Asagiri replied casually. "I'm not doing it mainly for the money. It's to bring happiness to people."
Then he sighed, looking deeply moved.
"It's a sha that after becoming a Player, I haven't had ti to keep developing. Alas, the independent eroge world has lost its brightest star. Heartbreaking. Tragic."
…
Not long after, they arrived at Asagiri's place.
"Then… I'll go shower first."
Asuna's face was visibly shy. She bent down, kissed his cheek, and spoke awkwardly, her words tangling.
"You should shower too… and tonight, that… I…"
The longer she tried, the redder her face beca. In the end, she forced the words out in a voice as thin as a mosquito.
"Tonight… let's sleep together again."
Asagiri nodded without hesitation. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
"Don't look at like that. It's embarrassing…"
Mist shimred faintly in Asuna's eyes. She grabbed the shoulder bag with her change of clothes and hurried into the bathroom connected to the master bedroom.
Asagiri turned toward the other bathroom, but his phone rang.
"Ashikaga sensei? What's wrong?"
"Utsunomiya." Ashikaga Miwa greeted him, then her voice lowered. "I'm calling to remind you. Those online news reports are gone."
Asagiri understood imdiately. The reports about the divine disappearance phenonon, and the comnt sections ntioning the death ga.
He wasn't surprised.
"So the authorities are controlling public opinion," he said indifferently. "Makes sense. If it spreads unchecked, the whole world destabilizes."
"That's right. Which is why I'm calling to remind you of sothing else." Ashikaga Miwa's tone was unusually serious.
"Don't discuss anything related on your phone. The operators behind email and chat apps may already be cooperating with the authorities. They could be screening ssages automatically. I don't know how far it's gone, but keep a low profile for now. If you need help, contact anyti. Be extrely careful. Understood?"
"Don't worry, Ashikaga sensei." Asagiri chuckled, lazy as ever. "I'm the strongest."
Ashikaga Miwa gave a small scoff, completely unmoved.
"Save that kind of cool talk for the girls around you."
The call ended.
Ashikaga Miwa rose from behind her spacious desk, walked to the floor to ceiling window, and looked out at Tokyo's bright nightscape. Behind her gold rimd glasses, her gaze turned complicated.
"What will this world beco…"
…
Half an hour later, inside the bathroom of the master bedroom.
"Whew…"
Asuna took a few deep breaths, gathering courage like she was preparing for battle. She opened the door a crack, peeked out, and called tentatively.
"Asa… Asagiri, are you done?"
"Mm. I'm done."
"Then… then I'm coming out…"
Her cheeks were bright red with embarrassnt, but she pushed herself forward anyway. She opened the door and stepped onto the wooden floor on bare feet. It wasn't cold, just smooth and quiet.
Asagiri sat by the bed, and his gaze naturally fell on her.
Asuna wore delicate white lace sleepwear. It was elegant, a little daring, and sohow made her look even more like herself, proud and earnest at the sa ti.
The mont she felt his eyes, her toes curled slightly with nervousness. She wanted to cover herself, but she didn't. Instead, she held her ground, trying to be brave. Her voice trembled.
"Um…"
Halfway through, she ran out of words. She pressed her lips together, made up her mind, walked over, and sat beside him. She lifted a hand to tuck her long hair behind her ear, stealing a careful glance at him from the corner of her eyes.
Her first thought was simple and honest.
"My boyfriend has such a good body…"
Asagiri's build was indeed excellent, clean muscle lines without being overly exaggerated.
And she already knew, from the last ti they slept together, that being held by him felt safe. Warm. Comfortable.
But then she noticed his hair.
His black hair was still damp, droplets clinging to it. Asuna frowned imdiately.
She stood up, hurried into the bathroom, grabbed the towel she had used, and returned. Standing in front of him, she gently wiped the water from his hair while scolding him in a soft voice.
"Why did you co out without drying your hair properly? It's spring, sure, but the bathroom is warm and steamy. The room's cooler. You'll catch a cold. Honestly, why are you acting like a child?"
"Catch a cold, ?" Asagiri smiled and let her do it. In this position, all he had to do was look up to see her, close and vivid, and his expression turned even more relaxed.
"With Human Asura's bonus, my physical fitness already surpasses normal limits. If anything, the cold virus is the challenger."
"You still want to show off at a ti like this?" Asuna rubbed his head lightly, exasperated, but the tenderness in her tone was unmistakable.
"Even if you're strong, you still need to be careful. And if your hair drips onto the pillow, it'll be uncomfortable to sleep."
Asagiri answered without hesitation. "Then I'll steal your pillow."
Asuna's lips curved as she teased back, pretending to be firm.
"I won't let you sleep on mine. You can sleep on your wet pillow yourself…"
Before she could finish, Asagiri reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Mm…"
Asuna let out a soft sound, startled by the sudden pull. Her face flushed deeper. She tossed the towel onto the bedside table and, with shaky courage, sat on his legs.
She looped her arms around his neck and looked into his face. Her eyes were gentle, full of warmth she couldn't hide.
"I love…"
"I love you."
Asagiri said it first, like he was stealing the opening move.
Asuna froze, then her cheeks turned even hotter. She pouted softly, half annoyed, half delighted.
"What the… You said it too fast. I was supposed to say it first."
Asagiri's lips lifted. "Then we can do it again. This ti, you say it first."
"No." Asuna shook her head, still pouting. "It's not fun if we redo it."
Then she leaned in and kissed him, tender at first, then more direct, like she was making up her mind with every second.
When she pulled back slightly, her voice was soft, breath warm against him.
"I'll give you a chance to make it up to with actions."
[TL: My new fanfic is out now—One Piece: Pokémon Master of the Seas! Check it out!]
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