Chapter 474

"Yes, Mom... No. Not Chinami's house... A different friend's house. Someone... who goes to the Kendo Club with me."

She could have just said she was sleeping at Matsuda's, but there she was, lying without batting an eye.

Of course, there was a high chance she would have been firmly rejected if she did, but a lie was still a lie.

I needed to educate Renka for committing such an unfilial act.

"Yes... Please tell Dad, too. Yes, I'm sorry for the sudden notice."

Having apparently received permission, Renka offered a polite apology, hung up the phone, and looked at me.

"It's done..."

Hearing her say that with such a dejected expression made me feel like Trash for some reason.

I was indeed Trash, but I still felt that way.

"Do you just want to go back?"

"I just finished telling them, so why would you say that out of nowhere...! Do you want to die?"

"Because you looked like you were feeling guilty. We can rest for a bit, and I'll send you back a little past midnight."

"Suit yourself. And I'm hungry. I'm going to wash my face, so order some food."

"You're acting like quite the demanding boss."

"Order it for me."

Seeing her suddenly switch from a commanding tone to a pleading one, I figured she must have been worried I would scold her under the guise of an education.

Chuckling at Renka, who always had to test the waters at least once, I told her I understood. She shot me a nervous glance before heading into the bathroom, and I ordered room service.

After that, I called Chinami.

"Hello. Good evening, Junior."

"Sorry for calling so late. You weren't sleeping, were you?"

"It's fine. I haven't even gotten into bed yet, so don't worry."

"What were you doing? Eating peaches?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Aren't you sick of them?"

"Not at all. What were you doing, Junior?"

"I came to the Raffia Hotel with the President."

"Ah...! Do you mean that place?"

"Yeah. The place where I gave Master a massage."

"I-I see... Is Renka there too?"

She seemed to jump straight to dirty thoughts.

Then again, maybe in the past she wouldn't have known, but with how far our relationship had progressed, even someone as innocent as Chinami had to know what that meant.

"She said she was going to wash her face for a bit."

"Aha... Did you happen to go to that room?"

"Unfortunately, it's not that one. Do you want to come here too, Master? Should I go pick you up right now?"

"Hyak!? M-Me...?"

"Yeah."

"I... well... Ahem...! My mother would likely say no to such a sudden overnight stay..."

"Is that so?"

"Yes... Soon... let's coordinate our schedules after discussing it thoroughly, and go together..."

"Understood. I'll video call you later."

"Okay..."

It felt a little disappointing to end the call so quickly.

I didn't need the sharp, stinging sort of healing I got from Renka; I needed sweet comfort.

"Are you in your room?"

"Yes."

"Send me a picture."

"What kind of picture do you mean?"

"One of you in your pajamas."

"Aha. Well, I happen to be wearing my pajamas right now... I'll send one right away."

"Great. I'll be waiting."

"Okay."

Not long after I hung up, right as Renka stepped out of the bathroom, the photo from Chinami arrived.

Below Chinami's innocent, brightly smiling face, I could see her frilly Momo-sama pajamas.

The size fit Chinami's frame perfectly, but because her breasts were large and she was sitting upright, the pajama top naturally rode up, exposing a sliver of her belly.

This was exactly why I hadn't bothered asking Chinami to send a dirty picture.

She managed to pull it off all on her own, as if she instinctively knew what was sexy.

"What are you staring at so intensely?"

Renka approached me while I was admiring the photo, asking the question in a sullen tone.

She casually lay down next to me and peeked at my Cell Phone. It took less than five seconds for her voice to escalate.

"Hey!! What is this?!"

"Why are you screaming right next to my ear? It's a picture. I asked her to send it, so she did."

"I know it's a picture... but why did you make Chinami send something like that?! You blackmailed her, didn't you?!"

"What blackmail? Can't I even ask for a picture?"

"Normally it's fine, but she shouldn't be sending them to a guy like you! And her belly button is showing...! You told her to make it sexy on purpose, didn't you?!"

"Your paranoia is completely out of control. I never said a single word about that."

"Stop lying! Should I ask her?"

"Go ahead and ask. But if I'm telling the truth, I'm going to hang you from the door."

My tone was calm, but the chilling content of my words instantly killed Renka's momentum.

"What... am I a piece of meat? Hang me...? Could you not say things so carelessly...?"

"You're the one who started talking carelessly, President. Calling me 'a guy like you,' accusing me of blackmail... Do you know it's a terrible habit to shoot your mouth off and then try to worm your way out of it?"

"Shut up... But did you contact Chinami?"

"Yeah."

"When...?"

"We talked on the phone for a bit while you were washing your face."

"T-The phone...? Then did you also tell her you came to a Hotel with me...?"

"I did."

"Ah, why on earth would you tell her that...?!"

"Is that a problem? Master knows everything the President and I have done, and vice versa."

"Even so..."

"Besides, we're going to meet up together soon anyway. It's better to mention it in advance so she can mentally prepare."

"You told her that too...? That we should all meet up soon?"

"I've been telling her that from the start."

"Haa... I'm really going to go crazy..."

Heaving a sigh heavy enough to sink the ground, Renka buried her face in the pillow.

Then she weakly pounded the bedsheets with both fists.

Seeing her act like that was a stark contrast to how she used to be.

She used to always have her guard up around me, but she had softened up a lot.

Throwing tantrums and staging silent protests like that... she must have gotten quite used to me and finally felt comfortable.

Tap.

"Hyak?!"

It was adorable how her entire body jolted when I poked her butt.

Renka demanded to know what I was doing, but I simply smiled in response. Just as she was yapping at me, the doorbell rang at the entrance, and I got out of bed.

The room service I had ordered was Tendon.

When I had tried it last time, it wasn't exactly up to the standards of a specialty restaurant, but the quality was still decent. I figured it was better to play it safe with something familiar than to gamble on an unknown dish.

However, it seemed Renka didn't share that sentiment.

"Why Tendon at this hour?"

She walked over as I set the Tendon down on the table in front of the sofa and complained.

I was pulling out the chopsticks wrapped in neat packaging, and my brow furrowed at her dissatisfied tone.

"Why are you being so picky? What's wrong with Tendon?"

"I'm not being picky... eating greasy food this late will make my stomach feel bloated tomorrow... I'm not complaining about you buying it or anything..."

"You are complaining."

"Ah, geez... If I say I'm not, then I'm not! Why do you always have so much to say...!"

"Do you want to get scolded?"

"No. I don't. Don't talk to me like that."

"There you go again, saying whatever you want and then—"

"Shut up."

Cutting me off, Renka sat across from me and used her chopsticks to inspect the tempura sitting on top of the rice bowl, piece by piece.

Then, making sure I could hear her, she continued.

"Still, it looks like it'll taste good."

"Don't try to butter me up."

"H-How is this buttering you up?! Are your ears broken?"

"That's how it looks to me."

"Your eyes are rotten too! You piece of Trash."

"If it wasn't, then it wasn't. Why are you cursing at me?"

"Because you only listen when I curse."

"And you only listen when you get scolded, President."

At my indirect warning, Renka flinched and tore open the soy sauce packet.

Despite everything she said, she really must have hated the idea of being hung from the door.

But why did she keep asking for punishment? Next time, I really should hang her up.

Under the faint glow of the mood lamp, Renka looked incredibly beautiful as she slept soundly.

Her long side bangs resting across her nose looked funny... she really had a face of a thousand expressions.

The events of the day must have exhausted her; she didn't even wake up to the sound of rustling bags right next to her.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I placed my hand on her forehead, brushed her bangs aside, and spoke.

"President."

"..."

"Hey."

"..."

Renka's eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly opening.

She glanced back and forth between me and the empty space next to her, looking as if she were wondering why I was looming over her.

"Ah, why did you wake me up...!"

She grumbled with a sleep-heavy voice. She really must have been deep asleep.

Or maybe she was having a good dream? I hoped I was the one who had appeared in it.

"I went and bought clothes, so put them on."

"Clothes...? I could just wear them tomorrow. Did you really have to wake me...?"

"We have to go home."

"I'm absolutely not going to your house..."

"Not my house, the President's house. I told you I'd send you back around midnight."

"I can just go in the morning, how annoying... I'm not putting them on...!"

"Are you a kid?"

"Think whatever you want..."

Renka swiftly turned her body away, pulling the blanket up snugly over herself, which was incredibly cute.

Letting out a soft chuckle at Renka's whining, I slightly lifted the blanket and tugged downward on the belt of her robe.

The belt smoothly untied with a soft swoosh.

Even though she had to know her robe was coming undone, Renka stayed perfectly still.

Was she hoping I would do this? If so, she needed to pay the price for acting like a sly fox toward her master.

I gently scratched the area near Renka's solar plexus with my index and middle fingernails.

"Eek...!"

Renka let out a low gasp, violently shaking her head as if swatting away a buzzing mosquito.

"Why are you bothering me again...! Do you have a grudge against me...? Please, stop...! I'm exhausted...!"

She was even putting on a huge show of exaggerating her pain, which only made me want to tease her more.

"I said get up."

"Ah, I said I'm not going home...!"

"Are you really not going?"

".... Haa..."

With a face full of discontent, Renka slowly sat up.

My question just now must have sounded like a half-threat to her.

I had only asked out of genuine curiosity, but seeing her react like that made me feel somewhat guilty.

"I was just asking. Are you really not going?"

"What time is it right now?"

"One o'clock."

"I'm sleepy... I already got permission to sleep over..."

"Stop grumbling and look at me."

Renka turned around as sluggishly as a turtle and faced me.

I clicked my tongue in a fond way, placed my palms against Renka's cheeks, and gently stroked the area around her eyes with my thumbs.

Then, carefully pulling the slightly parted edges of her robe closed, I spoke.

"Do you want to take a sip of water and go back to sleep?"

"You completely woke me up, and now you say that...! I'm going."

"You want to do that?"

"Yeah. Give me the clothes..."

I silently handed her the clothes I had bought. Renka snatched them, slipped under the covers, and wriggled around for a good while as she changed.

Chuckling as I watched Renka finish getting ready and sit there with a blank expression, I pulled her into a hug and slowly slid backward to get off the bed.

In response, Renka naturally wrapped her arms around my neck and leaned into my embrace.

Flashing a satisfied smile at how well yesterday's education seemed to have paid off in her commendable behavior, I gently stroked the completely disheveled hair at the back of her head.

Then, with her dangling against my front, I grabbed our things and opened the front door.