Bitter, sour, wanting to cry.
Haruka Yuzan stared intently at the girl in front of him, not backing down in the slightest.
"Boring."
Chiba Shimizu spoke indifferently, finding the boy's childish trick rather meaningless.
"Seriously, don't your eyes even feel sore?"
Haruka Yuzan took a deep breath, looked away, and rubbed his eyes, tears of genuine emotion falling,
"Calling me boring, missy. It's more boring for a lady to run off to a boy's room in the middle of the night..."
Chiba Shimizu looked down at the boy from her lofty perch, with a gaze akin to that of a princess looking down upon ants, utterly devoid of emotion,
"I have something I want to talk to you about."
The girl's cool voice reached him,
Haruka Yuzan rubbed his eyes and looked up, seeing her delicate, impassive face which seemed to hold a hint of... spirit?
On closer inspection—especially of the area on her upper body that protruded quite prominently—he paid extra attention. Hmm... indeed she had the assets to back up that spirit.
Wearing a snowy sleep dress, the girl's figure looked even more slender and delicate. Despite the tiny waist barely enough to grip, it had to bear the weight of growth beyond the ordinary. The pressure of daily life must be enormous, how pitiable...
Looking at Misaki Saki, who seemed carefree and unburdened by any pressure, it was clear that Chiba Shimizu had taken on far too much. Is this really what a high school student should handle?
Thinking about that little girl who claims to be an adult every day, and comparing... tsk...
Suddenly, the image of Misaki Saki worms into his mind, her cute face filled with a deep puzzlement as she pointed her little finger at him, seemingly asking,
Do you even know what you're talking about?
Huh...
Haruka Yuzan shook his head, better not to think about that 'airport.' The girl in front of him was more important.
Do you have something you want to talk to me about?
Looking back at Chiba Shimizu, he patted the bed beside him with a smile,
"Come, take a seat, any topic is fine. I'm very happy to help a beauty with her troubles, and chatting all night is no problem at all."
Hearing this, Chiba Shimizu hesitated for a moment but still sat at the edge of the bed, politely, yet seemingly compelled by a reason... she had been standing so long that her calves were starting to ache.
She was earnest to a fault... the girl was always like that,
Just as she insisted on paying back the lunch money today.
Because Reiko Onodera cooked her lunch every day, she thought of repaying the madam quickly...
Could this be considered a flaw in the "perfect girl" persona?
However, for Haruka, it was a good thing.
After all, he had found a helper for the birthday plan.
A genius beauty with an intelligence rating of 9.
Although there was a hint of utilization, it was a mutually agreeable situation, and ultimately, everyone's intention was good.
"Alright."
A moment later, Chiba Shimizu nodded.
"Can you tell me the reason?" He had guessed a little, but still wanted to hear it from the girl herself.
"No reason, just that. Goodbye."
With that, Chiba Shimizu stood up and left the bedroom.
As her slender figure disappeared from his sight, Haruka Yuzan lay on the bed feeling an indescribable sensation.
They say a person's eyes are the windows to their soul, but in the girl's clear eyes, he could only see a reflection of himself, and her earnestness... bordering on stubbornness.
Perhaps this was what Chiba Shimizu considered worthwhile, the meaningful things she was willing to pursue?
Before long, just as Haruka Yuzan was about to sleep, the bedroom door opened again.
Before he could get a clear look,
a sneaky little figure slipped through the entrance and carefully closed the door behind her.
Seeing the shadow on the big bed, she immediately pounced.
"Hey!"
Misaki Saki landed in the boy's arms, chuckled, and began to vigorously sniff around Haruka with her little nose.
.....