Chapter 51: The Shy Nia Sitting on His Lap
"...I understand. But let's not keep bringing this up. Be careful not to be overheard."
Hearing these words whispered softly right by his ear, Satoru fell silent for a moment before replying just as quietly.
To be honest, to put it bluntly, even now, Nia and he hadn't fully trusted her.
Not Kurumi—if Kurumi were a threat, she could have acted right after the inversion ended. No one could have stopped her back then.
What they were worried about was Sawa inside her.
Over the past month, although Sawa hadn't appeared again, Kurumi seemed to have genuinely been communicating with her. Kurumi's mood had noticeably improved, a bright smile often gracing her face as she began to integrate into ordinary life.
This was indeed a good sign.
But Sawa's condition was still a cause for concern.
The negative energy from the inversion was too strong, especially since Kurumi had inverted with intense hatred. It probably wouldn't be so easily cured.
Fortunately, Kurumi herself was well aware of this, so there was no need to worry too much about her.
"Being afraid is meaningless. Didn't you tell me before not to fret over every little thing? Why is it that when it's your turn, you're so scared~"
"I'm just being cautious. By the way... are you getting jealous again?"
After hesitating for a moment, Satoru finally spoke these words and looked at the silver-haired girl sitting in his lap, unable to suppress a slight smile.
Truth be told, before Kurumi came to this house, physical contact between him and Nia had been quite limited.
At most, it was holding hands, patting her back, or ruffling her hair.
Hugs were rare, and many of them were initiated by Nia, often in a playful, joking manner.
It could be said that their relationship back then was still somewhat reserved.
They both had clear feelings for each other but were too shy to take the next step.
Satoru wasn't exactly shy—in fact, he was quite bold in this regard, and... he wasn't a virgin anymore.
After all, he himself used to have this face in the past. Although he was an otaku, there were still girls who would proactively confess to him, and he even had dates, and even open relationships...
But in the end, they all couldn't stand Satoru's otaku nature and left him.
There was no helping it. Although there are many people in the world who are into anime and manga, unfortunately, there were almost none around him.
They couldn't accept someone like him, who was so different.
So now, he isn't very interested in the real world itself. Even if he encounters a girl who is incredibly beautiful, if she isn't an anime character, he doesn't feel much interest. In this regard, he is quite similar to Nia.
This is probably why they ended up together.
However, ever since Kurumi started living at Nia's place, Nia has become a lot more proactive.
Sitting directly on his lap, putting her hands on his shoulders, or even...
"Hmph! W-Who would be jealous! I'm definitely not!"
"Forced tsundere isn't interesting at all. I'm not into that. Your usual self is much cuter."
"Tch, isn't tsundere all the rage right now? Don't you have plenty of tsundere characters in your own novels, young man? Why are you so cold to your onee-san here? Comfort me a little."
Like now, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her face against his chest, and complaining softly.
She isn't very good at directly hugging him, so she often likes to pretend to be "tsundere" first, then put on a "hurt" but shameless act to get close to him, making it feel more natural.
Well, I guess that's another form of "tsundere"~
"Alright~ It's not like I dislike you, didn't I say it before? I really like this kind of cute, spoiled behavior of yours~"
So Satoru also smiled and wrapped his arms a little tighter around the slender, lovely girl in his embrace, rubbing his cheek against hers, making Nia both happy and a little shy.
It wasn't just because of Satoru's actions, but also because she felt ashamed of her own blushing appearance.
Even though she's almost thirty years old, she's still acting like a little girl, leaning against a teenage boy's chest. If anyone saw her, she'd be mortified!
"...Tch, who would believe that? Someone's eyes are glued to every inch of Little Kurumi's body all day long, practically wishing they could grow eyeballs all over her."
"Well, can you blame me? Kurumi really is beautiful, and she has a great figure. Besides, weren't you the one who brought her around me? Why are you the one getting angry now?"
"Hmph! When a girl does something like that, it's to test your self-control, not for you to actually do it!"
"I didn't do anything to her."
"Didn't you hug her from behind and hold her hand?!"
"That was to teach her how to cook, wasn't it? I taught you too, but you said you were too lazy to learn."
"You!"
"Um~ Can I come out now~? How about you two continue your flirting after I go back to my room~"
"..." x2
If you really thought that, you shouldn't have suddenly popped out.
Looking at the smiling girl who had just emerged halfway from the shadow-covered wall, both of them couldn't help but complain silently in their hearts.
Just as Nia was about to pull away, Satoru suddenly made up his mind and tightened his grip around her waist slightly, keeping her in place.
"No need. We have to go out later to submit the manuscript anyway, so let's sit for a while longer, right, Nia?"
"...That's true, but I really don't want to go. Takashiro mentioned that a new editor has arrived, and there's even a welcome party today. It sounds so bothersome."
"A new editor? For manga?"
"For novels. Isn't it your new editor? Your previous editor got promoted to chief editor, and this new one is apparently a stunning beauty from Northern Europe."
"Huh??"