Tanaka Masao came up behind Jahy, his hand trembling slightly as he reached out.
Even though Jahy wasn't in her complete form, she was still a member of the opposite sex to Tanaka Masao.
Masao, Masao, control yourself…
He silently repeated this in his heart, trying to stay calm. His gaze kept shifting toward the stool.
Sidelight? What nonsense. I'm calm… perfectly calm.
He forced himself to focus on Jahy's hair and began washing it carefully.
"Don't touch my ears."
The moment Tanaka Masao's hand brushed against the cat-like things on Jahy's head, she shivered, quickly pulling away and glaring at him.
"Wait—those are your ears?"
Tanaka was shocked. He had assumed they were just part of a fancy hairstyle, never expecting them to be real.
Jahy glared back at him. "What? Is that a problem?"
"Alright, alright, I'll be careful."
He promised. Jahy eyed him suspiciously but, after hesitating, sat back down.
Tanaka Masao resumed washing her hair, but his eyes were naturally drawn again to her cat ears.
I really want to touch them, even if she said no.
As everyone knows, the more forbidden something is, the greater the temptation becomes.
Tanaka Masao was no exception.
He sneaked a glance at Jahy, who was enjoying the wash with her eyes closed. Then, unable to resist, his hand reached out and brushed her ears again.
"Ah~!"
Jahy's patience snapped. She shoved him out of the bathroom in annoyance.
"You're insufferable! If I had my magic right now, I'd turn you into a bug!"
She plopped back onto the stool with a huff. Luckily, the foam in her hair had been rinsed out, so at least her eyes weren't stinging anymore.
She grabbed the shower gel, lathering her body with a contented hum. She loved the smooth, slippery feeling on her skin.
Outside the bathroom, Tanaka Masao stood in frustration.
"I was too reckless. If I'd held back, I could've helped Jahy with the shower gel. What a wasted chance…"
He smacked his right hand with his left, scolding himself.
"It's all your fault—you just couldn't resist."
"Why am I so hopeless? They're just cat ears. It's not like I've never seen them before. Why couldn't I control myself?"
Filled with regret, he walked away from the bathroom.
After soaking in the tub for a while, Jahy stepped out wrapped in a towel.
Without caring about the water dripping from her feet, she trotted straight to the fridge, pulled out a bottle of milk, and downed it in one gulp.
"Ah~ That's the best! Nothing beats a cold drink after a hot shower."
Watching her move so naturally, Tanaka Masao commented, "You've adapted fast—you're even starting to enjoy yourself."
"Of course."
Jahy puffed out her chest proudly. "I was born to enjoy life."
She looked at him and urged, "Now go take your shower."
"Got it."
Tanaka Masao picked up his pajamas and headed to the bathroom. As he walked away, Jahy smirked mischievously.
Inside the bathroom, Tanaka Masao hummed cheerfully as he showered. Every man, after all, turns into a "singing god" in the shower.
Meanwhile, a sneaky figure tiptoed into the changing area.
Jahy glanced at the closed door, then crept over to the basket holding Tanaka Masao's clothes. She rummaged through them carefully.
Her target was his armor core—but he always kept it with him. Even during a bath, he stored it in his system space.
Which meant her search was pointless.
"Where is it? Why can't I find it?"
Just then, the bathroom door swung open.
Their eyes met.
Tanaka Masao, stark naked, stared at Jahy crouched on the floor, holding his clothes.
Jahy froze, then forced a casual grin.
"Eh—what are you doing, hum"
"Ahh" ×2
Both of them screamed in unison.
Jahy quickly covered her eyes, blushing furiously.
"You pervert! Why are you bathing without clothes?!"
"What kind of nonsense is that?! Who the hell bathes with clothes on?!"
Tanaka Masao bent over, covering himself, equally furious.
"How dare you call me out? You're the one who barged in and started rifling through my clothes!"
Knowing she was guilty, Jahy didn't argue. She bolted out of the bathroom, sticking her tongue out before slamming the door shut.
"Lululu~"
Watching her flee, Tanaka Masao sighed helplessly.
Looking at his disturbed clothes, he began to speculate.
Is this like one of those anime clichés? Does she actually like me and just wanted to smell my clothes?
He stroked his chin, nodding to himself.
If that's what she wanted, she should've just asked. Tomorrow I'll work out all day, soak my clothes in sweat, and the smell will be nice and strong. Jahy will definitely like it.
At the same time, Jahy escaped from the bathroom, but she didn't know that Tanaka Masao had planned to give her a gift with a strong smell.
She came to the living room and stomped her feet in anger.
"Damn it! Why did he finish so fast? I didn't even have time to retreat.
And where is he hiding it? Not on his body, not in his clothes…
Don't tell me… did he put it inside his body?"
She froze, then gasped.
"Wait. Could he have an ability like storage magic?"
Jahy had that kind of power herself, but because Tanaka Masao lacked magic, she hadn't considered it before.
Now it seemed entirely possible.
"In that case… I'll just sneak in tonight instead."
She began plotting again.
"Wow, so cute!"
Tanaka Kazumi exclaimed as she admired Jahy, who had just put on new pajamas.
They were covered in kitten patterns, one of the outfits Kazumi had picked out.
Jahy was already adorable, but dressed in something so normal, she looked even more charming.
"Really? I think they look good too."
Jahy spun around, clearly pleased with herself.
"Here, try this one next."
Kazumi, excited as if playing dress-up, pulled out another set of clothes for Jahy.
From the sofa, Tanaka Kenji watched the scene with a warm smile.
My daughter really is the cutest.
But then his gaze landed on Tanaka Masao, and his smile instantly vanished into a scowl.
"Hey, Dad, you just looked at me with disdain, didn't you?"
"…No."
While father and son sat in silence, the two girls were happily enjoying their little fashion show.
At 11 p.m., inside Jahy's bedroom.
She turned off the lights, snuggled into the soft bed under her quilt, and smiled with satisfaction.
"Good night."