"Why are you delivering the food? Where's the class president?"
It wasn't even seven in the evening when Tsuki showed up at the door with a lunchbox. Shuichi opened the door for her, asking curiously.
"Didn't you say the cat's toys arrived today? So I came in her place," Tsuki said, licking her moist lips, her eyes brimming with eagerness.
"The class president's probably fuming. She always sneaks a few bites when she comes over. You're basically stealing food from a tiger's mouth," Shuichi teased, letting her in and closing the door.
Tsuki laughed it off carelessly. "Whatever, what's she gonna do about it?"
Shuichi thought to himself, 'Don't underestimate a foodie's wrath.'
The two chatted and laughed as they made their way to the dining table. Tsuki dutifully set out the food, then fixed him with a burning gaze and asked, "So, where's the toy? I came fully prepared today."
"The delivery's still unopened. Go unpack it—it's piled up in the corner of the living room," Shuichi said, casually tossing the task to her.
After all, a little maid's job is to work—and she'd better be good at it.
Tsuki eagerly went to unpack the delivery, while Shuichi dug into the meal. It seemed like Mrs. Akiyama had cooked today—pretty lavish.
Not long after, Tsuki came bounding back, arms full of stuff, kneeling in front of Shuichi with expectant eyes.
"Not everything's for the cat. For example, there's a water bottle in there meant as a gift for someone," He said.
Tsuki rummaged through the pile and pulled out a shaker cup for mixing protein powder. "This one?"
"Yeah," Shuichi confirmed with a nod. It was for Sayuki.
After intense exercise, you need to replenish protein, right? A shaker cup's pretty practical. Of course, there are other ways to replenish… like, ahem, dietary supplements.
Tsuki set the cup aside, a bit disappointed, thinking there might've been some special play involved. "Anything else?"
"Hmm, that gacha toy with the capsule pattern is also for someone else," Shuichi said while eating.
"What about this candied haw stick? That's for me, right? Can I eat it?" Tsuki looked at him longingly.
Shuichi chuckled. "Such a glutton, just like your sister. Go ahead and eat, but at least wait until after dinner, yeah?"
Tsuki reluctantly held back her impatience.
By some coincidence, Shuichi dropped his chopsticks. As a dutiful little maid, Tsuki immediately crawled under the table to pick them up.
That "pickup" took quite a while.
When they were both done—one full from eating, the other satisfied in another way—they finally had time to sort through the online shopping haul.
Tsuki unwrapped the candied haw stick and started munching eagerly, making loud smacking noises.
Shuichi, feeling a bit heated watching her, poked her puffed-up cheek. "By the way, what exactly happened this afternoon? The class president wasn't clear, just said your mom was all smug again."
Tsuki paused her snacking, seemingly worried he'd steal it, and hid the candied haw behind her back. "They say the owner of that champion ramen shop… uh… after eating Mom's cooking… closed his eyes and stayed silent for a long time… then stood up and bowed respectfully…"
Shuichi glanced at the floor, noticing a blue-and-white striped something that had appeared out of nowhere.
Having knelt for too long, Tsuki's legs were giving out. She arched her body, supporting herself with her knees and one hand on the floor, stretching her legs. "They say… he thanked Mom for showing him… what the soul of cooking is~~~ and made him realize… the path of cooking… he's still far from the end… there's… an infinitely… vast… world ahead…"
Shuichi listened intently. "I see. Sounds like this champion ramen shop owner is a cooking fanatic."
Tsuki seemed to have a cramp in her thigh, gasping in pain. "Yeah… he even asked to become her apprentice on the spot, hoping to learn the… huff… soul of cooking."
Shuichi smirked. "That's nothing. Mrs. Akiyama's cooking is still far from touching the soul. Mortals basically can't achieve that."
To truly understand what it means to touch the soul, you'd need at least a fivefold boost. Without cheats, it's impossible.
Tsuki, face flushed from leg pain, eyes unfocused, panting heavily, still managed to retort, "Don't underestimate mortals. Candied haws are the ultimate soul-touching dish…"
Shuichi thought she'd misunderstood the true path to the soul but, seeing her in such discomfort, didn't argue. "Fine, you're right, okay? Instead of debating this, let's check out these toys.
This cat teaser wand—it's automatic. And this one sticks to the wall, super low-effort. The cat can entertain itself. There's also this model, a moving lark, and a breathing, bouncing fish…"
A jumble of pet toys, and they weren't cheap. Shuichi couldn't help but sigh—men are truly at the bottom of the consumer chain. Can't compete with women, kids, the elderly, or even pets.
But all this talk was pointless. Tsuki was whining and clearly not listening, so Shuichi gave up. "You don't seem in the mood to work today, so just head back."
Tsuki's heart skipped a beat. Just go back like that? She stood up slowly, brushed off her skirt, and adjusted her clothes.
"Wait, where's your candied haw?" Shuichi asked, puzzled. She'd taken a couple of bites and hidden it behind her back, but now it was gone?
"Finished it," Tsuki said, licking her lips and clutching her skirt as she prepared to leave.
"Don't forget, tomorrow we're going to Nagase sensei's place," Shuichi called after her, eyeing her skirt. He heard her muffled response, then packed up the cat's toys, changed, and headed to the gym.
---
At the gym, Sayuki was in the second-floor yoga room, working on her flexibility, lying on a yoga ball. Her supple waist hugged the curve of the ball, her neck fully exposed, her ponytail dangling to the floor.
The familiar upside-down pose sent a jolt through Shuichi. He strode over in a few steps, reaching for her yoga tank top.
"Don't mess around," Sayuki said, swatting his hand away in annoyance.
"So cold. You're always like this, Sayuki-san. All proper when you're dressed, acting like you don't know me, even though I got you a gift," Shuichi grumbled, but his hands didn't stop, sliding toward her full thighs.
Her legs, likely from running or some other intense workout, were covered in a sheen of sweat.
"What gift?" Sayuki asked casually, not pausing her workout, as if she didn't care much.
Shuichi didn't mind, pulling out the prepared gift from behind. "Nothing fancy, just a shaker cup for protein powder."
Sayuki's waist suddenly surged with strength. She sat up, grabbed the box from his hand, and said, "I wouldn't accept anything expensive anyway. We're not that close."
"No special relationship, huh?" Shuichi hugged her from behind, just as he'd described to Ichika yesterday.
Sayuki half-resisted, half-allowed his hands to wander. "What special relationship? In your dreams. But… thanks."
It wasn't flowers like he'd given her sister, but a fitness gift was thoughtful in its own way.
"Not gonna open it?" Shuichi asked, nuzzling her neck and tugging her yoga tank top askew.
"Now? Sure, why not." Sayuki let him have his way, opening the box and pulling out the shaker cup.
It was a frosted gray, semi-transparent, fairly neutral, and stylish. Sayuki was pleased—until she shook it and heard an odd noise.
Puzzled, she opened the lid, and her eyes twitched at what she saw inside. "How long are you gonna keep groping? Explain this first—what's this?"
"Hm? Oh, a little surprise. Like it, Sayuki-san?" Shuichi said casually, glancing at the capsule inside the shaker.
Sayuki rolled her eyes. "Keep this kind of surprise for my sister."
"What? Don't like it? I got two, you know—one for Fumika-san too. If you don't want it, I'll give both to her," Shuichi teased, rubbing his face against her neck.
"Stop kissing, I'm all sweaty," Sayuki said, breaking free from his embrace.
"I don't mind," Shuichi said, smacking his lips regretfully.
"I do. You're getting saliva everywhere," Sayuki said, rolling her eyes again.
"Oh, I also got a phone charm recently. Wanna see, Sayuki-san?" Shuichi said, pulling out his phone.
Sayuki looked at him, confused by the sudden topic shift, but as he demonstrated, she caught on quickly.
"Fun, right?"
"Fun, my foot," Sayuki spat.
"Later, in the massage room, in front of Fumika-san…" Shuichi gave her a knowing look, clicking the dice.
"…" Sayuki stayed silent, glancing at him before saying noncommittally, "Time to work out. Don't waste time."
"Got it!"
---
Today, Sayuki was extra strict, as if pissed off, and Shuichi was utterly exhausted. He lay on the floor, panting, looking at her.
"What're you staring at?" Sayuki snapped.
"Sayuki-san looks good everywhere, but she's too stingy, won't let me appreciate properly," Shuichi said, genuinely regretful.
He'd explored every inch of Fumika's body thoroughly, but Sayuki always stopped him from lingering too long.
"Get up. Let's go to Nee-san for a massage to loosen your muscles," Sayuki said, bending to hoist him up. But then she noticed him fiddling with the new phone charm, and a bad feeling hit her.
Shuichi grinned mischievously and pressed the dice without hesitation.
"Mmph…" Sayuki let out a muffled sound, her legs giving way as she crouched, glaring at him in embarrassment and anger. "You trying to kill me?"
"You're the best, Sayuki-san," Shuichi said, blinking. She never said it outright, but she always went along with him and took his words to heart.
"Best at what? Didn't you call me a bad woman?" Sayuki said, recovering and dragging him up from the floor. Instead of carrying him, she supported him by his arm, holding his waist.
Shuichi, thick-skinned as ever, leaned into her shoulder naturally, going for her cheek.
"Stop it," Sayuki said, turning her face away in disdain.
"Sayuki-san smells too good. How can I resist?" Shuichi buried his face in her neck, sniffing and kissing lightly.
"I haven't showered. What's so good about it? All you do is sweet-talk," Sayuki said, but she tilted her chin slightly, accommodating him.
"Wanna get used to it first, so you don't slip up in front of Fumika-san later?" Shuichi dangled the phone charm.
Sayuki huffed. "Isn't that what you want? To see me struggle to keep it together in front of Nee-san. If there's no risk of getting caught, would you even find it fun?"
Shuichi looked at her sly smile, her fluttering lashes, and zoned out for a moment.
"What're you staring at?"
"Bite me, Sayuki-san."
"What's gotten into you now?"
"You're so cooperative, but I'm not paying any price. It feels… unbalanced."
"…" Sayuki looked at him speechlessly, then indulged him, pinning him against the wall and kissing him hard.
His lip was bitten again, and Shuichi felt satisfied, letting her drag him to the massage room next door at the salon.
"Why didn't you carry him in today?" Fumika asked curiously.
"This guy's been gaining weight fast. It's getting tough," Sayuki said, tossing him to her sister.
It wasn't exactly a lie—it was starting to take effort.
Fumika-san dutifully started to take off Shuichi's workout jacket, but he stopped her. He pulled out his phone and a small item, slipping it into her hand.
Fumika froze, then opened her hand to look. Realizing what it was, she panicked, glancing at Sayuki.
Seeing her sister sitting and reading a magazine, she sighed in relief, clutching the item tightly.
Shuichi leaned against the massage bed, winking at her. "Try it now, Fumika-san."
Fumika glanced at her sister hesitantly, whispering, "You're teasing me again, Shuichi-kun."
"I really want to see it. Your shy, restrained look is so captivating. It gets me every time," Shuichi said, slipping his hand into her clothes, finding nothing underneath, just like the other day.
Fumika bit her lip. "Then… I'll help you bathe first, and we can try it in the bathroom…"
Shuichi wasn't satisfied. "Why not now? Sneaking it behind Sayuki-san's back—you can do that, right, Fumika-san?"
Fumika gave him a resentful look but couldn't resist his expectant expression. She went to prepare the essential oils.
While preparing, she quietly tested it…
Standing across the room, back to them, Fumika's movements were subtle. Shuichi and Sayuki exchanged a glance, smirked, and looked at her back.
Even from behind, they could see her kimono-style bathrobe being lifted.
After preparing the oils, Fumika returned to the massage bed. As she sat, her body stiffened, and a soft moan escaped her lips.
"Nee-san, what's wrong?" Sayuki asked, rubbing her thigh with a hint of amusement.
Fumika-san's face flushed red. She gripped the massage bed, sat on a stool, clutched her lower abdomen, and trembled. "I-I suddenly have a stomachache."
"Oh? You okay? Want me to rub your stomach?" Sayuki teased, standing and approaching with concern.
"No need! Sayuki, you… mmph… just sit over there… mm… it's fine," Fumika-san said, dodging to the side, grabbing Shuichi's shoulder. Her misty eyes glared at him, signaling him to stop.
But Shuichi just blinked, savoring her shy, alluring expression, with no intention of stopping.
"You're so distant now, Nee-san. No need to be shy with me," Sayuki said, stepping closer, but then paused.
"No, really…" Fumika-san buried her face in her arms at the bed's edge, trembling and unable to look up.
Sayuki covered her mouth, stifling a laugh, and backed off. "If Nee-san says no… then… mm, fine."
As the instigator, Shuichi watched, thoroughly satisfied, already planning how to distribute the rest.
After all, a die has six sides…
One for the student council president tomorrow, and…
Ichika's been curious about that stuff lately. Wonder if she'll bring up last time's question again.
Maybe I'll mention this to her…
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