The chirping of birds started to ring out outside the windows as the morning rays of the sun spilled into Haruka's bedroom, nudging her awake.
"Umm…" she groaned softly, sitting up on the bed. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the last traces of sleep as her gaze drifted to the clock. It was still early morning. A yawn escaped her lips, long and lazy, but since she was already awake, she figured it was best to start her chores.
Today, she wasn't going to open the shop anyway—she and Aiko had decided it was time to clean the whole house. It had been over two months since they had properly tidied up, and the dust bunnies were probably plotting a coup by now.
Haruka swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded toward the door. As she stepped into the hallway, her nose was immediately greeted by the familiar, comforting scent of steamed rice mixed with the warm, umami aroma of eggs cooking. She already knew who was busy in the kitchen.
Tiptoeing into the living room, a mischievous glint crept into her dulled, bored expression. Ryoushi was there, completely absorbed in cutting negi—the Japanese leek—with precise, careful slices. His focus was absolute, like the vegetables themselves were some kind of dangerous enemy.
Haruka crept quietly around the living room, staying just out of his line of sight, and made her way to the kitchen counter. From there, she edged along the far wall, drawing closer. And then, almost like a shadow, she slipped her arms around Ryoushi's waist from behind, her breath warm against his back.
"Ah… the smell of a young man in the morning is the best," she murmured.
Ryoushi chuckled softly without looking up. "What about at night then?"
Haruka tilted her head. "Night is for sleeping. Morning is for waking up. And if you wake up smelling a handsome young man, your day just… starts right."
Ryoushi shook his head, continuing to slice the negi with mechanical precision, still aware of Haruka hugging him from behind.
It had become somewhat normal for the people in the house to be clingy toward him. After all, he was technically "available", and his presence—both scent and appearance—was hard to ignore.
He wasn't exactly bad looking, and apparently his scent had changed ever since he had awakened the system. Over the past two days, his aunt and the others had started being noticeably more affectionate, often gravitating toward him a little too eagerly.
He didn't feel awkward—after all, they had been a little clingy even before he awakened the system—but he couldn't help noticing the subtle changes now. They seemed to enjoy being close to him even more, drawn to his natural scent in a way he hadn't experienced before.
Maybe it was some kind of pheromone his mutated Ark-human body released unconsciously. His status didn't show any indication of it, of course, but then again… he wasn't exactly normal anymore.
'Mutated Ark human'—he thought wryly. Not entirely human, not entirely normal. Maybe this "species buff" only affected humans—or maybe it extended further. He didn't know. And for now, he didn't really care.
Haruka asked as she pressed closer against him, enjoying his warmth, "How was your night?"
Ryoushi slid another stalk of negi across the cutting board, answering casually, "Hot. Last night was really hot."
Haruka nodded, tightening her hold around his waist. "It was… really hot." Then, with a slightly teasing tone, she added, "Didn't I tell you I could do this? So why did you go and do it anyway?"
Ryoushi's lips curved in a faint smile. "Didn't I tell you I would? Then why are you trying to stop me now?"
Haruka chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I really can't win against you."
"You'll need more than just words if you want to beat me," Ryoushi shot back calmly, never pausing in his cutting.
Clicking her tongue, Haruka let him go and stepped back. "Okay, okay, I'll leave you to it."
He gave a small nod, and Haruka padded off toward the bathroom.
A short while later, Ryoushi leaned over the simmering pot, tasting the broth with a spoon. The flavor was balanced—just salty enough.
He covered the pans, letting the food cook on low heat while he pulled out the vacuum cleaner. Might as well get the living room done before breakfast.
The hum of the machine soon filled the quiet house, and upstairs, Aiko stirred with a groan.
She cracked open an eye, saw the morning light, and instinctively reached for the clock. Then she remembered—no college today. She chuckled to herself, stretched lazily, and rolled out of bed before heading downstairs.
There, she found Ryoushi pushing the vacuum across the tatami.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.
Ryoushi looked at her with a deadpan expression. "Well, last I checked, a vacuum cleaner is only used for cleaning… so I'm cleaning."
"Oh." Aiko blinked, missing the sarcasm completely, and then walked over with open arms.
Ryoushi had to switch off the vacuum as she wrapped him up in a hug. He hugged her back with a small sigh, already used to this sort of thing.
"Ryoushi's battery feels really strong this morning," Aiko murmured happily against his chest.
He shook his head at her words. He'd gotten so used to these strange remarks that he wasn't sure anymore if they were weird or perfectly normal. For him, it was just… daily life.
Aunt Haruka, and now big sister Aiko too, loved clinging to him and saying things like this. "Charging," "recharging," "battery"—all of it really meant the same thing: they liked being close to him.
Aiko stayed pressed against him for several long, warm moments before finally stepping back with a satisfied sigh. Her face looked brighter, more energetic, like the hug really had given her power.
"That was perfect. Here's your payment," she said cheekily, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek before quickly fleeing toward the bathroom with a flushed face.
Ryoushi just shook his head again and turned the vacuum back on, resuming his cleaning like nothing had happened.
***
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