Chapter 226 Car

Chapter 226: Chapter 226 Car

The two of them waited for a moment until Haruka took the takoyaki from An Akiyama. After chatting for a bit about a new dress—successfully keeping the little airhead in high spirits—she followed Shuichi to explore the rest of the festival.

"Youth is such a wonderful thing," Haruka remarked, a hint of envy surfacing as she watched the students brimming with energy.

"It’s not like you’re eighty years old, Haruka-san. You’re still so young. Isn’t it a bit early to be saying things like that?" Shuichi replied. He stopped at a candy apple stall, bought one on a whim, and handed it to her.

Haruka took it, looking at the bright red, delicious-looking candy apple before bringing it to her lips for a light lick. Her tongue flicked out for just a split second, and Shuichi found himself dazed for a moment. He couldn’t help but marvel again—it really was incredibly long. He wondered if it could actually tie into knots...

"Generally, a person’s physical condition starts to slide after twenty-five. I’m almost thirty; I don’t have the same vitality you kids do anymore. For instance..." She waved the candy apple. "I can’t really handle sweets like this anymore."

"Do you want me to finish the rest for you then?" Shuichi teased.

Haruka’s eyes shimmered with a playful light as she smiled. "If you want to, Shuichi-kun, go ahead. I don’t mind an indirect kiss—or even a direct one, for that matter. But... Can your body really handle it? You’ve ordered so many outfits in so many different sizes."

Shuichi looked troubled. "My body is perfectly fine. It’s just... I don’t have enough time in the day. It’s a real shame."

Haruka burst into a fit of giggles. Shuichi didn’t get annoyed; he just shrugged. "I’m telling the truth."

"Mhm. To be able to handle all of them, you really are quite impressive, Shuichi-kun. However... I might be worth all of them combined. Your workload wouldn’t just increase by one—it would double. Once you provoke me, I’m not so easily satisfied..."

Shuichi inwardly sucked in a cold breath. That was a bit terrifying. More importantly, there were only twenty-four hours in a day. He had to sleep eventually, right? It seemed this Snake-Succubus Widow was someone he shouldn’t provoke lightly. But it made sense—snakes were known to go at it for a full day at a time.

Seeing his dead-serious expression, Haruka couldn’t help but laugh.

"Oh, right. I should give these measurements to you." Shuichi remembered, pulling out his phone to send over Naomi’s data.

"This one isn’t showing up in person?" Haruka glanced at her phone and saw another woman with an outstanding figure. She hadn’t seen her in the flesh, but she was likely a beauty. This boy certainly had high standards.

"Yeah, I want to get her a coat. For the style, something suitable for a onee-san type—maybe a bit on the cool and handsome side..." Shuichi briefly explained the direction, leaving the details to Haruka. Being used to various client demands, she expertly noted them down.

While they were talking, Haruka’s phone suddenly vibrated. She checked the caller ID, paused for a second, and quickly answered. "Why are you calling so suddenly? Is it an emergency?"

Even without leaning in, Shuichi could hear that it was Haruka’s father. It sounded like her mother had been scammed.

"Yes, I understand. I’ll head back to look after Mom right away."

Haruka hung up and turned to Shuichi urgently. "I’m sorry, Shuichi-kun, but I have to excuse myself. Something happened at home, and I need to head back."

"I’ll go with you. Maybe I can help," Shuichi offered. He was counting on this widow for his tea next week; he had to help where he could. If she got stressed out and moved away, it would be a huge problem. Plus, it was a legitimate chance to build up her sense of belonging.

"It’s not that serious. You should stay and enjoy the festival," Haruka politely declined. Having lived through far worse tragedies, this level of trouble didn’t break her. She didn’t care much about the money; she was just worried about her mother’s mental state. Her father had called because he was worried too but couldn’t leave work immediately.

"You might have forgotten, Haruka-san, but I have a butler. To boast a little, I have a bit of influence," Shuichi said, a confident smirk playing on his lips.

Haruka was momentarily dazed by his self-assured look, then gave a graceful smile. "Then I’ll trouble you to accompany me."

They didn’t waste time. They left the school, got into the car, and Shuichi buckled his seatbelt as he watched her start the engine. "Do you know the specifics of what happened?"

Haruka drove steadily, not letting the situation affect her driving. She sighed helplessly. "My mother tried to sign me up on a matchmaking site, but she ended up on a phishing site."

Shuichi understood immediately. It was a classic scam: issues with the bank card, a need to verify details, and then the password is stolen and the money is gone.

"Sounds like your mom doesn’t believe in our relationship."

"Who knows? Maybe the lie was a bit too over-the-top—telling her I was competing with young girls for a boy," Haruka laughed, shaking her head.

Before long, they arrived at the Igawa residence—a classic single-family home. Shuichi followed Haruka through the gate and up to the second floor. In the living room, Haruka’s mother was slumped on the sofa, still wearing her apron, clutching her chest with a look of pure misery.

"How much was it? You look like the world ended. Surely that card didn’t have all your savings?" Haruka sat down beside her, her tone light and casual.

"3.8 million yen..." Her mother’s eyes filled with tears. "Your father only makes about 5 million a year. It’s all my fault for being so careless."

"Now, now. Do you want to end up back in the hospital from stress and spend even more on medical bills? Then Dad really would have worked a year for nothing." Haruka pulled her into an embrace to comfort her. "It’s my fault for making you worry."

"Don’t say that, it’s not your..." Her mother suddenly noticed Shuichi looking around and recognized him instantly. "Ah, I’m so sorry! How rude of me. You’re Chiba-kun, right? Please, have a seat."

"Don’t worry about it. I’m the one intruding on such short notice," Shuichi smiled, sitting in a single armchair.

The mother looked at him and sighed again. Haruka quirked an eyebrow and took the chance to change the subject. "What? Is Mom not satisfied? Shuichi-kun is very talented—and handsome to boot."

The mother quickly turned to Shuichi. "Don’t misunderstand, Chiba-kun. I just think our Haruka isn’t good enough for you." She then turned back to her daughter. "You’re almost thirty. Chiba-kun is so young—what are you thinking? Do you really want to ruin this boy’s future?"

"Well, I like Shuichi-kun. I like him a lot. Especially his youthful, overflowing energy." Haruka put on a defiant act, immediately triggering her mother into a long-winded lecture.

For a moment, she completely forgot about the scam.

Shuichi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Haruka really knew how to push her mother’s buttons. But saying she liked his youthful energy so bluntly was certainly bold. With this kind of cardio, her mother’s heart was probably very healthy; there was no need to worry about a heart attack. That one sentence probably did more damage than the 3.8 million yen loss.

Her throat went dry from scolding, and seeing her daughter seemingly ignoring her, the mother stopped to take a drink of water. Just as she was about to resume, she realized she was ignoring Shuichi again.

"Sorry, Chiba-kun, for making a scene. It’s just... sigh. Regardless, I truly feel Haruka isn’t a good match for you." She glared at her daughter again. "You’re a married woman—I mean, a widow. Stop corrupting Chiba-kun, will you?"

"How is it corrupting him? Shuichi-kun enjoys his time with me very much." Haruka stood up and sat on the arm of Shuichi’s chair, leaning her body into him. Her finger traced his face in a highly provocative manner.

Shuichi caught her scent and felt his heart flutter; it really felt like being coiled by a beautiful snake. The mother was fuming, her previous misery completely replaced by agitation. Seeing that her daughter wouldn’t listen, she turned to Shuichi.

"Sigh, Chiba-kun, I’m saying this for your own good. That girl, Akiyama-san, I think she’s great—talented and cute, much better than my Haruka. You should consider her instead. Don’t let a moment of impulse lead to a lifetime of regret."

She was genuinely looking out for him, and Shuichi could feel the sincerity. But before he could speak, Haruka interjected. "You don’t need to worry, Mom. Since you’re so afraid he’ll regret it, I don’t need a formal title. As long as I have his body, I’m satisfied."

The mother was speechless with rage. How did her daughter become so troublesome? If she passed away and left her alone, she couldn’t imagine how wild Haruka would get!

Just then, Haruka’s father returned. He was a man with graying hair and a lean, somewhat serious face. He walked in, saw his daughter draped over a young man, and froze, swallowing whatever he was about to say. "And this is..."

"Shuichi-kun. Mom told you about him, right?" Haruka introduced him simply. Shuichi, pinned down by her soft weight, couldn’t stand up, so he just nodded. "Hello, sorry for the intrusion."

"Ah, forgive the lack of hospitality," The father replied with a complicated expression before looking at his wife. "Did you call the police? What did they say? Is there any hope of getting the money back?"

Haruka was speechless. She had spent all that effort getting her mom to stop thinking about it, only for her dad to bring it up immediately. Naturally, the tears started again.

"It’s my fault. I should have noticed something was wrong. The police took a report, but they said the scammers are overseas, so the chances are slim..."

"Then let’s just pretend it never happened. It’s only three million. We still have savings, don’t we?" The father was hurting too, but he didn’t scold her.

However, more than the money, the father was clearly focused on Shuichi. He kept glancing over as if he wanted to say something, but he just shook his head and comforted his wife. His comfort only made her sadder as she apologized over and over for his hard work going to waste.

"Sigh, I just got her calmed down. Why’d you have to bring it up?" Haruka sighed.

"Do you need help? I might be able to get it back," Shuichi said, lightly patting her hand. He had tried to trigger the request earlier, but Haruka hadn’t wanted to trouble him, so it hadn’t worked.

"Wouldn’t it be too much trouble? That sort of thing is hard to handle, right? I heard it’s nearly impossible to track them if they’re abroad," Haruka hesitated.

"It’s no trouble. Just a phone call. Let’s give it a try," Shuichi said casually. Haruka looked at her sobbing mother and finally nodded. "Then I’ll leave it to you, Shuichi-kun."

"I’ll go make the arrangements." Shuichi slipped out of her embrace and walked to a corner by the window, pretending to mess with his phone.

The father noticed this and looked at his daughter. "You’ve decided on him?"

"Mhm," Haruka nodded.

"He’s quite young. It might be difficult in the future." The father was being diplomatic, but Haruka understood.

"I know. It’s fine."

The father was silent for a moment, then said deeply, "Then... good luck."

"Good luck with what? I said he’s too young, she’ll just hold him back. Do you know what your daughter said? She said she doesn’t even want a formal title!" The mother forgot the scam again as she heard them. "You need to talk to her; I’ve reached my limit."

The father frowned slightly. No title? That would make her a... This was indeed unseemly. But his daughter was thirty, not a child, and she had always been strong-willed. Once she set her mind on someone, she wouldn’t budge. There wasn’t much he could say.

In the middle of the silence, Shuichi returned. Haruka looked up. "How is it?"

"It should be fine. Just wait a bit." Shuichi didn’t know the specifics of the operation, but the effect would be fast.

The wait wasn’t long—about ten minutes. While the mother was still crying in her husband’s arms, the phone on the coffee table vibrated. Haruka picked it up, looked at the screen, and froze. She looked at Shuichi in total disbelief.

"You really did it? I knew you weren’t ordinary, Shuichi-kun, but can this really be done so easily? In such a short time... how?"

Shuichi leaned over to look at the phone. It was a balance notification from the bank. He smiled. "I don’t know the details myself. I just told my butler, and he handled it."

"Are you talking about..." The father started.

Haruka handed him the phone. "I asked Shuichi-kun for help, and the stolen money has already been returned."

The father was stunned. He took the phone to check, and just as he did, another message arrived. It seemed to be from the scammers?

[We are incredibly sorry! We were blind! Please, please spare us this once! We beg you!!! Please forgive us!!!]

What was this? The father was confused, but his wife snatched the phone away. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. Something the police couldn’t do, this young man did in ten minutes? Police might be incompetent, but they were a massive organization. Who exactly was this kid?

"It really is back!!!" The mother didn’t care about the ’how.’ She stared at the balance, her eyes still red but now sparkling with joy. She hugged the phone as if she wanted to kiss it. "Thank goodness..." She thanked the gods first, then remembered who actually deserved it. "It’s all thanks to Shuichi-kun. I would have died of grief otherwise..."

"You’re too kind. It was a small matter. Since it’s solved, I won’t overstay my welcome." Shuichi stood up. "Haruka-san, could you give me a ride?"

"I’ll head back with you. Mom doesn’t need comforting anymore, and I can properly thank Shuichi-kun tonight," Haruka said suggestively, looking at her mom. "So, Mom, no more matchmaking sites. If you get scammed again, it’ll be a hassle for Shuichi-kun, and I’ll have to find more ways to thank him."

After all that drama, the mother was too tired to argue. She waved them off. "Do whatever you want. I can’t stop you. But Shuichi-kun, please think it through. Haruka is... different from others. You should know about her past experiences."

"Thank you for your concern, Auntie," Shuichi nodded, thinking the couple was actually quite nice.

The parents saw them to the door. As they got into the car, the mother’s phone rang again. This time it was the police, asking her to come back and provide more details to "increase the chances" of recovery. Hearing her complain about their incompetence over the phone, the two of them drove off laughing.

The father watched the car disappear, muttering, "This Shuichi is not simple at all. Maybe it’s not a bad thing?" At least someone with that kind of background would be resilient. He might even know a powerful priest... maybe Haruka’s ’problem’ could be solved?

"What are you saying?" The mother asked, hanging up.

"I’m saying she has her own ideas. You don’t need to worry so much. At least Shuichi-kun seems like a good person who will treat her well."

"It’s not about how he treats her. Right now, they can ignore the age gap because she’s still beautiful." The mother looked worried. "But she can’t live without a man. When she gets older and loses her looks, and he loses interest... Well, it’s all the same. If she found someone her own age, he wouldn’t be able to satisfy her anyway. Men all become useless at a certain age. My friends all complain about being neglected. It’s just her fate, sigh..."

The father cleared his throat awkwardly. "Anyway, since everything is fine, I should get back to work. I took half a day off, but I should head back. The industry is in a slump, so as a section manager, I need to lead by example."

In the car, Shuichi looked at Haruka’s profile. "What are you thinking about? You haven’t said a word."

"I’m thinking about how I owe you more and more favors. I don’t know how to pay you back," She smiled.

"If all else fails, you can just give yourself to me. No need to overthink it," He joked.

"For anyone else, that’s a reward. For me, that’s more like a curse," She laughed, shaking her head. "I’ll pass my bad luck to you. You saw it—it’s not just the past. It’s everything. My dad missing his promotion, my mom getting scammed today..."

"You’re overthinking. Why shoulder everything yourself? Isn’t it exhausting?"

"Maybe." Haruka didn’t dwell on it. "Though I don’t know the details, the cost of getting that 3.8 million back so fast must have been far higher than the money itself. I was thinking of waiving the fee for the custom clothes, but that doesn’t feel like enough."

"We have plenty of time. Pay me back slowly. I’m not in a rush. If you must, you can just clothe me for the rest of my life." Shuichi didn’t say she didn’t have to pay him back, knowing she cared about such things.

"I can do that," Haruka laughed. She felt incredibly relaxed talking to him, with no age-gap disconnect. And... his scent was becoming even more alluring. It used to just be pleasant, but now it was intoxicating. Was she imagining it?

"By the way, I’m curious about something," Shuichi said suddenly.

"What?" She glanced at him—a casual look that was so sultry it made his heart skip.

"Can your tongue actually tie into knots?"

Haruka paused, tilting her head. "Do you mean like tying a string? Or the tongue itself?"

"Wait... the tongue itself can tie a knot?" Shuichi couldn’t imagine it. He only ever saw the tip; was it even longer than he thought?

"Do you really want to see?" Haruka blinked, her voice thick with suggestion.

"Can I?"

"Hang on." She turned the steering wheel and pulled over in a suitable spot. She flicked her hair back and turned to face him. "Never seen one this long? Curious?"

"A little. I don’t mean anything by it, just pure curiosity." Shuichi turned in his seat, leaning against the door.

Haruka opened her mouth and extended it, moving it around to show him the full extent. It was an eye-opener.

"Don’t you bite it when you eat?"

"Not really. It’s not much different from a normal person’s."

"Does it feel like there’s not enough room in your mouth?"

"Don’t say that! Now that you’ve said it, I don’t know where to put it." She laughed, then rummaged through the glove box and found a small transparent bag containing a sample of sewing thread.

"Tying knots is actually something I’m quite good at. When I was a kid and realized I was different, I practiced. Later, when I got into fashion design and worked with sewing, I’d practice when I was bored."

She put a length of thread into her mouth and began. The operation wasn’t visible—just a series of chewing and swirling motions for about four or five seconds. When she opened her mouth again, there was a perfect knot in the thread.

"Impressive, right?" She showed a rare hint of pride.

"Definitely. It’s a shame I couldn’t see how you did it," Shuichi said regretfully.

"Do you want to feel what it’s like to be the thread?" Haruka quirked an eyebrow. A wave of indescribable, serpentine sensuality radiated from her, making his blood boil.

"Are you serious, Haruka-san?" Shuichi wasn’t sure. He thought she was just teasing him as usual, but this felt real.

"Because you look like you really want to... I’m serious too." She smiled, placing a finger on his lips. "But, Shuichi-kun, can you keep your composure? Only kissing. It’s not that I’m playing hard to get—I’m a divorced woman, and your female friends are all more exceptional than me. I have no right to string you along. I just really don’t want to bring you bad luck."

"I’m not worried about bad luck. I just feel like the timing is off—like I’m taking advantage of the favor I did you." Shuichi shook his head. "Let’s forget it."

"You were just talking about me giving myself to you, and now you’re so hesitant." Her finger traced from his lips to his jawline, then gripped his chin. "It’s just a kiss. That’s hardly a repayment. If anything, I’m the one taking advantage of you."

"Then... shall we try?" Shuichi leaned in slightly.

Smelling the fresh scent on him, Haruka’s inner hunger began to stir. She leaned forward, her long, curled lashes trembling. She captured his lips and... began to let him understand the exact process of tying a knot.

To be honest, Shuichi considered himself fairly experienced by now, but this experience shocked him. It was hard to describe—it felt like his very soul being stirred and tangled.

After a long time, Haruka finally pulled away, a look of lingering desire on her face. She had asked if he could handle stopping at just a kiss, but she was really asking herself. After all, compared to someone like Fumika, her drought had been much longer and harder to bear.

"How was it? Meet your expectations?" Haruka reached for her handbag and hurriedly pulled out a small object.

"Far exceeded them. I thought I’d be embarrassed if I actually caught feelings, but you were playing for keeps." Shuichi licked his lips. He felt like he’d learned a legendary technique he’d have to teach the others later.

"If we’re talking about being embarrassed, it’s me. I can’t hold back anymore." Haruka had already positioned the object. She opened her phone and tapped the screen. As a low buzzing sound started, her entire body relaxed into a satisfied expression, letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Uh... should I say good job at a time like this?" Shuichi blinked, watching her look of blissful intoxication.

"It really was hard work. Trying to resist eating you up was a struggle. Seriously, for some reason, the scent you’re giving off is even more irresistible than before." Haruka smiled and restarted the car.

"Is it okay to drive like that?"

"Scared? I told you, it leads to misfortune," She teased.

"I wouldn’t say I’m scared. I’ve tried more intense things."

"Oh? Like what? Tell me." Now she was curious.

"On a high-speed motorcycle. Yeah. I was the seat." Shuichi didn’t hide it. For some reason, he felt a strange kinship with Haruka and didn’t feel the need to keep secrets.

"That does sound intense. And fun." Haruka thought for a second. "Do you want to try it in a car sometime? For some reason, you don’t seem to have a car around the shopping district. You can borrow mine whenever you want. I don’t mind if you play in it with your friends, either."

"That sounds like a great deal." Shuichi didn’t refuse. He was definitely interested.

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