The next morning,
The moment Leno opened his eyes, he saw the two sisters sleeping soundly, curled up in his arms. His head immediately started to ache, leaving him on the verge of tears.
Who knew what had gotten into Nami last night—she had insisted on squeezing in to sleep together.
That stubborn, unreasonable attitude was completely different from her usual self.
Unable to resist her, Leno and Nojiko had no choice but to let her onto the bed. And with that, Leno was the one who truly suffered.
Things had been heating up nicely between the two of them, only for her to barge in and douse the freshly lit spark in an instant.
All that was left was a bellyful of pent-up frustration with nowhere to go, nearly giving him an internal injury.
In the end, he could only accept his fate, crawl out of bed, and take a cold shower, silently chanting the 'Clear Heart Mantra' while the icy water poured down.
As for how he eventually fell asleep? Even he couldn't remember.
Now, looking at Nami's sweet sleeping face—completely devoid of any guilt—Leno felt his teeth itch.
She had barged in for no reason, ruined his good time, and then slept like nothing had happened?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. The angrier he got, the more unwilling he was to let it go. He raised his hand and gave that round, perky curve a solid smack.
"Mm…"
Nami let out an unconscious whimper, wriggling lightly in Leno's arms. One long, shapely leg draped over him, rubbing against him without any awareness.
The soft, smooth sensation stimulated Leno's already sensitive nerves, causing the fire in his chest to flare up violently.
Taking a deep breath, Leno clenched his teeth and forcibly suppressed the surging restlessness. He quickly got dressed, rose to his feet, and strode out of the bedroom.
He stood outside, letting the cool breeze wash over him for a long while. Only after the heat in his body dissipated did he finally feel a bit better.
Getting tossed around like this first thing in the morning left Leno in a foul mood.
What kind of karmic sin was this?
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he looked toward the distant sky.
At the same time, elsewhere,
Outside the temple,
With the first light of dawn breaking, Uta had already come outside to begin her daily routine—vocal training, professionally known as "warming up."
Having come to Skypiea for the first time, she had been deeply shaken by the strange and wondrous scenery here.
Clouds within arm's reach, islands floating in the sky, and all manner of fantastical landscapes interwoven together—it felt as though she had stepped into a dreamlike world.
At the same time, the peace and purity of this place stirred her musical inspiration.
An irresistible urge welled up within her, a desperate desire to capture all of this in melody and share it with the entire world.
As her emotions churned, scenes flashed through her mind one after another, leaving her almost sleepless the night before.
Because of that, she had come out earlier than usual today.
At this moment, her eyes were gently closed as she opened her mouth. One graceful note after another flowed from her lips, drifting softly into the morning light.
The faint light scattered, and against the morning mist, the girl's slender figure projected a hazy sense of beauty.
It was at this moment that Leno appeared.
The moment his eyes fell upon this breathtaking scene, he froze in place, his gaze completely locked.
Time itself seemed to stand still. His mind went blank as he was instantly immersed in the stunning sight before him.
He had never noticed before that the girl in front of him could be so breathtakingly beautiful—so beautiful it stole his breath.
In truth, Uta's outfit today was no different from usual: a fitted short dress paired with a set of petite orange ankle boots.
Combined with her bow-tied hairstyle gathered behind her head, she radiated a uniquely youthful liveliness and charm.
From Leno's perspective, Uta seemed to be glowing, especially those long, exposed legs that dazzled the eye.
Sensing movement, Uta opened her amethyst-like eyes and looked over.
When she saw that it was Leno, the calm on her face instantly blossomed into a radiant smile.
"Leno, you're here~"
Before the words had even finished leaving her lips, she had already leapt into his arms.
She rubbed her little head against him in a flurry, her lively hair swaying as her cheerful voice followed.
"Where did you go yesterday? I didn't see you at all~"
"I went to visit an old acquaintance yesterday. I didn't come back in the evening."
Wrapping an arm around the girl's delicate body, Leno took a few deep breaths at her neck and shoulder before answering.
"So? Are you having fun on Skypiea?"
"Mhm! It's so beautiful here. I really like this place~"
Uta lifted her head to look at Leno, her eyes shimmering like starlight, the upward curve of her lips revealing her delight.
"Oh right, there's something I want to talk to you about~"
"It's about Mr. Gordon…"
"We'll talk about that later…"
Leno's voice was hoarse, as if something inside him was barely being held back.
As he felt the softness in his arms and inhaled the faint fragrance filling his senses, the smoldering fire in Leno's mind exploded with a loud 'boom.'
"Huh? You—mm~"
Uta had just started to ask something when her lips were suddenly sealed by a scorching presence.
The sudden assault made her pupils tremble violently, her cheeks flushing red in an instant. Even the hairstyle that had been perked up behind her head drooped limply.
After only a brief moment, she closed her eyes and began to respond awkwardly.
And Leno, having endured an entire night, instantly transformed into a savage beast, eager to devour the little white rabbit before him in a single bite.
Lowering his head, he captured Uta's soft lips, forcefully prying them open, while his hands—acting on pure instinct—began to roam restlessly.
After a long while, their lips finally parted.
Uta, her face flushed deep red, gasped for cool air, her eyes brimming with springtime allure as her body went limp in Leno's arms.
"Le—Leno… let's change locations…"
"Just what I was thinking!"
At this moment, Leno desperately needed an outlet. He snorted out two streams of hot breath, his eyes already laced with red.
Hearing Uta's words, he didn't hesitate. Scooping her up in his arms, his figure vanished from the spot in an instant.
At the top of a massive vine, two figures suddenly appeared atop a quietly floating island cloud nearby.
"O-Outdoors?"
Only after lying down on the island cloud did Uta finally realize what was happening, her cheeks turning so red they looked ready to drip blood.
Out in the open? Wasn't this a bit too wild?
When she said to change locations, she meant going back to the bedroom—not doing it under the blazing sun!
"Don't you think this makes it even more exciting?"
Leno's devilish voice coaxed her softly.
"But—"
Rip—
Without giving her a chance to react, the thin fabric tore in Leno's hands as if it were made of paper.
When that flash of pale radiance appeared, Leno lost all rationality and pounced forward.
In the next second, the once-solid island cloud began to roll rhythmically…
…
…