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"Kitahara-kun, I'm back."
Not long after, Togawa Sakiko, fully covered in a bathrobe, pushed the door open and returned to the room.
Looking at Togawa's calm expression, Kitahara Makoto couldn't help but be surprised. He lowered his voice and said:
"Isn't Togawa angry?"
Having no money, going to an izakaya to drink, getting drunk and coming back, then running up a tab and telling her high school daughter, who is earning money to support the family alone, to go pay the bill the next day... Such a father was truly rotten.
Kitahara Makoto strongly suspected that the job search was just an excuse, and that he might have just been messing around outside all day.
"Because I'm already used to it."
Togawa Sakiko sat down by the bed, her pearly teeth gently biting her lip:
"The first time I was really angry. At that time, I was still working as a customer service representative, and after paying rent, there wasn't much money left, but my dad was still running up tabs drinking outside. The second time was disappointment, the third time was helplessness... This was already the fifth time."
No wonder you would turn dark later!
An alcoholic father, a broken home, proud self-esteem, desperate reality—the darkening buff was fully stacked!
Although Sakiko left the Kessoku Band, she still harbored a small hope of returning to the past. Unfortunately, a song called "Haruhikage" became the last straw that broke the camel's back, ultimately leading to her dark transformation and breakdown.
"But it doesn't matter now." Togawa Sakiko looked up, her eyes bright and moving in the lamplight. "Kitahara-kun promised yesterday that you would always be by my side and wouldn't let me be alone again. Please be sure to keep your word."
"..."
Kitahara Makoto suddenly felt a little flustered.
After the matter was over, when she heard him say he wanted a harem, would Togawa turn dark again and pull out a cleaver?
Probably not.
They weren't officially dating, so it wasn't considered betrayal... right?
Splash, splash.
The faint sound of washing came from outside the room.
"Dad is starting to bathe," Togawa Sakiko whispered. "He drank again today, so he should fall asleep quickly after his bath... Here you go."
While speaking, Togawa handed over a Bluetooth earphone:
"Normally, when I can't sleep, or don't want to hear the sounds outside, I put on earphones to listen to music and watch stress-relief videos."
Kitahara Makoto immediately became interested. He took the earphones and put them on, curiously asking:
"What kind of stress-relief videos does Togawa-chan usually watch?"
"Cute pet videos on Niconico." Togawa Sakiko took out her phone, unlocked the screen, and opened her favorites. "These are them."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
Looking at the videos of the clumsy Alaskan puppies and various meowing kittens, Kitahara Makoto fell silent.
Was this the inherent difference between boys and girls?
Cute pet videos were decent, but for stress relief, they were a bit of a stretch.
"Your expression is a little strange..." Togawa Sakiko tilted her head and looked over, asking softly, "What kind of stress-relief videos does Kitahara-kun usually like to watch?"
To capture a boy, one must understand his interests and hobbies.
Togawa Sakiko had always been a person of action. Since she had clarified her feelings, she would naturally choose to take the initiative.
"Good question."
Kitahara Makoto interlaced his fingers and said:
"When it comes to stress relief, of course, it's hoof trimming."
"Eh?"
Togawa Sakiko widened her bright eyes, a string of question marks appearing above her head.
"Hoof... what?"
Sorry, I don't think I heard clearly.
Why would hoof trimming be stress-relieving?
"Hmm, I haven't paid attention to hoof trimming..." Togawa Sakiko pursed her pink lips. "Are there any other ways to relieve stress?"
"Also, washing blankets."
"..."
"Alone in the wilderness."
"..."
"Forged in Fire."
"..."
"These are all things I've never heard of before." Togawa Sakiko's pink lips moved slightly, her tone hesitant. "Can these really relieve stress?"
"The effect is actually quite good." Kitahara Makoto strongly recommended, "Togawa-chan will know once she sees it."
"Alright..."
Togawa Sakiko directly searched for hoof trimming on Niconico, then selected the hoof trimming video with the highest overall rating and clicked play.
A moment later.
Looking at the 'exploding' cow hooves in the video, Togawa Sakiko's pretty face tensed, her pearly teeth tightly biting her lower lip, and she felt completely unwell.
(How... how awful!)
(Why...)
(Why does Kitahara-kun like this kind of video?!)
(Although I want to have common interests with Kitahara-kun, I really can't accept hoof trimming!)
"Don't force yourself." Seeing Togawa-chan's face turn pale, Kitahara Makoto whispered, "Turn it off. Let's watch other videos."
"I'm, I'm sorry..."
Togawa Sakiko apologized in a low voice.
"Everyone's interests and hobbies are different. There's no need to apologize."
While he said this, Kitahara Makoto still felt a bit regretful.
If she couldn't even accept hoof trimming, then videos of pimple popping or corn removal would definitely be even less acceptable. She would miss out on a lot of joy in life, wouldn't she?
"Phew..."
After turning off the hoof trimming video, Togawa Sakiko let out a sigh of relief, her slender fingers sliding across the screen, searching for other videos.
"Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Lightning Strike, the Deafening Silence of Commentators from Various Countries"
"British Government Declares Bankruptcy"
"Variety Show: Kiss First, Then Love, How to Make Strangers Quickly Become Couples"
"Eh?"
Seeing the video title, Togawa Sakiko's finger slipped, and she subconsciously clicked play.
As everyone knows, late-night variety shows in Japan often have a wide range of content, and "Kiss First, Then Love" was no exception. The video began with two hosts and an 'expert' seriously discussing how even strangers could become couples by kissing five times in different places.
As the video played, the atmosphere in the room subtly shifted.
"It, it sounds like it makes some sense."
A flush quietly rose on Togawa Sakiko's face, her slender eyelashes trembled slightly, and she glanced at Kitahara Makoto out of the corner of her eye, her voice tense:
"Kitahara-kun, how about we try..."
Try what?
Your dad is still bathing outside, and you actually want to hide in the room and try kissing with a boy? Aren't you too bold!
To be honest, Kitahara Makoto's biological instincts really wanted to try. Togawa must smell incredibly good.
But rationality kept him calm.
"Poke--"
Kitahara Makoto reached out and gently poked Sakiko's waist, whispering:
"Hana is watching us."
"..."
Togawa Sakiko quickly turned her head, only then remembering that there was still a Beast Eared Girl in the room. Her pretty face instantly flushed rapidly.
To say such a thing in front of a child... How shameful!
Too shameful!
Togawa Sakiko suppressed the urge to become an ostrich and quickly exited the video: "There's no movement outside, rotten old man must have finished showering and gone back to his room... I'll go check."
A moment later.
Togawa Sakiko, having washed her face, quietly pushed the door open and had already calmed down.
"My dad has already returned to his room, he should fall asleep very soon... Eh eh eh?"
Before she could finish speaking, a dark shadow suddenly darted wildly around the room; it was a moth that had somehow flown in.
Togawa Sakiko was clearly very afraid of these powdery moths. Seeing the moth fly above her head, she frantically dodged. As a result, she slipped and happened to fall onto Kitahara Makoto, pushing him directly onto the bed...
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