"'My first reader…'" Kasumigaoka Utaha murmured, her beautiful eyes brimming with excitement as she looked at the handsome young man in front of her.
"Is it all right?" Shichen asked softly again.
"Of course it is!" she agreed, sounding thrilled at first, but then got a bit shy. "B-But can it wait until I'm finished writing?"
"That's even better," Shichen said with a nod and a smile.
This version of Kasumigaoka Utaha was so innocent compared to what he remembered.
"Mmm…" Feeling oddly embarrassed, she popped a couple of cookies into her mouth to distract herself.
She was surprised by their taste.
"These… are really good." Kasumigaoka Utaha covered her mouth in astonishment.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"'Compliment?' Did you make these yourself?"
"Didn't expect that, huh?" Shichen grinned, looking pleased.
"I'm surprised you're so skilled at baking," Kasumigaoka commented, placing two more cookies into her mouth.
"Well, living on my own meant I had to pick up a few kitchen skills," he explained.
"Are you running this place by yourself?"
"No, that was before. Now I've got someone helping me," Shichen answered honestly.
"I see."
Shichen glanced at her laptop. "All right, then, I won't disturb you anymore. I really can't wait to read your novel," he said, rising to go.
"I understand. Please give me a little more time," she said hastily.
"There's no rush," Shichen replied, waving her off as he made his way back toward the register. A new customer had arrived, and he needed to greet them.
Only after watching him return to the counter did Kasumigaoka Utaha refocus her attention on the screen. She took a deep breath, placed her hands on the keyboard, and continued typing.
At that moment, her creativity surged, her thoughts flowed, and ideas gushed forth like a spring. Previously, she'd relied on her natural writing talent without much drive, but now she had a clear motivation and a definite goal.
The café remained peaceful, with each customer minding their own business, not disturbing anyone else. Shichen would occasionally step into the kitchen to taste the dishes Tohru was practicing, and it turned out the dragon maid had quite a knack for cooking—her creations were improving by the minute.
Each time Shichen offered some praise, punctuated by a head-pat, Tohru's enthusiasm soared. She ate everything she made herself, so the kitchen wasn't overflowing with food.
Before long, dusk descended. It felt like the sky went dark in the blink of an eye.
By around seven in the evening, only Kasumigaoka Utaha remained in the shop. She was still deeply absorbed in her writing, fingers tapping away and her expression intense.
Shichen glanced at the darkening sky outside, then walked over and sat down across from her again.
"Kasumigaoka-san?"
She didn't respond to his first call, so he raised his voice.
"Kasumigaoka-san!"
"Huh?" She finally snapped out of it, looking confused. "What is it, Shichen-san?"
"It's getting late," Shichen said, gesturing out the window. "You should probably head home now. You can always keep going tomorrow."
Following his gesture, Kasumigaoka looked outside and realized night had fallen.
"It's that late already?"
"Yeah. It won't be safe going home too late."
"All right. I'll stop for now." She started packing up her things without objection.
"You didn't finish the cookies. Want me to wrap them up for you?"
"Thanks—I appreciate it."
"No trouble at all."
Once she'd tidied up, Shichen walked her to the door and said, "Take care getting home, Kasumigaoka-san."
She smiled. "Thanks for worrying about me. I'll come again tomorrow."
"You're always welcome."
"Mhm."
Kasumigaoka turned and walked off, soon disappearing into the evening darkness.
Shichen withdrew his gaze, returning inside to close the café for the day.
"Tohru, it's about time for dinner."
"Just a sec, Shichen-dono! I'm almost done!" Tohru's voice called from the kitchen, sounding excited. She evidently felt she'd made some progress, and Shichen was looking forward to tasting it.
That night's dinner filled him up. Tohru's cooking was genuinely delicious—better than the fare in many restaurants—and he ended up eating two big bowls of rice. He worried she might spoil him to the point of getting fat.
After he'd bathed and changed into sleepwear, he returned to his room—and, as expected, found Tohru already in his bed.
She lay on her side in pajamas, though the top gaped open, revealing pale, smooth skin and two round mounds that drew any onlooker's eye.
Shichen stood at the doorway, looking at her helplessly. "Didn't we agree this morning that you couldn't sleep here tonight?"
"Why not? You wouldn't let me wash your back, so I figured I could at least warm your bed."
"Have you checked the weather lately? I don't need a bed warmer. Are you trying to roast me alive?" Shichen grumbled.
"No worries. My body runs cool. You won't get too hot."
"But you just said you were gonna 'warm' my bed!"
"Don't sweat the small stuff, Shichen-dono."
"Ugh…" Shichen heaved a sigh and walked over to the bed.
"This is absolutely the last night, okay? Tomorrow, you go back to your own room. Otherwise, what was the point of buying that bedding?"
"Sure!" Tohru perked up instantly at his agreement, ignoring the rest of his sentence entirely.
Shichen climbed into bed, and Tohru latched onto his arm without hesitation, rubbing her cheek against it.
"Why bother taking a bath, Shichen-dono? You already feel super clean."
Such was the biggest perk of his godly body—untouched by dirt or impurities, he truly had no need for bathing or even a toilet.
"It's part of my bedtime routine. It's important," he replied, lying there solemnly.
He hoped tonight wouldn't bring any weird dreams.
"A 'routine?' Then should I go bathe too?" Tohru asked.
"Not necessary; it's only for tonight anyway."
"Ehhh…"
"What's with the 'ehhh?' Time to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow to buy supplies."
After all the ingredients Tohru had used up that day, they'd only have coffee to sell if they didn't restock.
"Fine," Tohru grumbled. She didn't mind too much as long as she got to stay in the same bed.
They slept without incident. The following morning, Shichen awoke feeling relieved—no strange dreams again.
Tohru, unlike the previous day, wasn't already awake stealing glances at his sleeping face. She was still dozing peacefully, her lips curved in a contented smile.
What a sound sleeper.
Shichen watched her serene expression, a gentle smile forming on his own lips. He couldn't resist reaching out to stroke her cheek.
Tohru's face was soft and smooth, practically begging to be pinched—but before he could do anything else, Tohru opened her eyes.
"Shichen-dono?" She blinked.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Shichen drew back his hand.
"No, it's fine." She beamed and pressed her body against him in a hug. "It's so nice to see Shichen-dono first thing in the morning."
"You're full of sweet talk, but you're not getting a reward."
"Huh?" Tohru rested her chin on his chest, looking puzzled.
"Never mind."
She was so adorable that, unable to resist, Shichen sat up, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
There was an audible "chu" sound.
"Huh?" Tohru froze in place.
"What, you don't like it?" Shichen teased.
"No!" She shook her head forcefully, blurting out excitedly, "I just didn't expect… I'm so happy! Do it again!"
"Don't push your luck!" Shichen said, immediately shoving her away.
"Aww, why?"
"Learn to be satisfied," he declared, swinging out of bed.
"But at least make it symmetrical," Tohru pouted, gazing at him hopefully.
Shichen ignored her, heading for the bathroom and shutting the door.
"Shichen-dono—!" she called.
With no response, Tohru plopped back onto the bed, resting a hand over her cheek where he'd kissed her. Slowly, a dopey grin spread over her face.
"Heehee~"
Meanwhile, Shichen stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection. Eventually, he shook his head.
Tohru had no idea how irresistibly cute she was. If this continued, he'd cave in a matter of days.
Sigh, female pursuit truly is like a thin layer of gauze—especially when he already liked Tohru to begin with. What man could refuse a girl throwing herself at him?
Unless he didn't like girls, of course.
Shichen decided he couldn't keep letting her do as she pleased. Tonight, they definitely had to sleep in separate rooms!
He was a man of his word, after all—he'd promised a month. Caving to temptation early was out of the question.
A month of bonding would let him drop all worries afterward.
That was his idea of pure-hearted romance.
~~~
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