Chapter 48: You'll Get Used to It

The sky remained shrouded in mist, and the fine rain did not let up for a moment. On such a day, Haruhi Harano and Miron Seiryo stayed indoors, playing video games through the morning. After sharing a meal at noon, they curled up together, embracing each other as they drifted into a midday nap.

“Be a good girl and sleep, or else I’ll have to punish you,” Haruhi murmured with a teasing edge, a hint of ticklishness in his tone.

The golden-haired beauty in his arms was anything but obedient, wriggling her hips and twisting her slender waist, making Haruhi feel restless. He reached out and gently patted her shapely backside. “Come now, sleep.”

Still feeling uncomfortable, Miron Seiryo twisted again, glancing at the hand nestled inside her collar, rolling her eyes at him. Haruhi found this position comfortable for sleeping, but for Miron, it was quite the opposite. How could she possibly fall asleep when her conscience seemed to rest in someone else’s hand?

Catching sight of her speechless gaze, Haruhi gave an awkward chuckle and, sheepishly, withdrew his hand from her collar. Old habits die hard, after all.

Miron immediately felt relief, shifting within his broad embrace to find a cozier spot before slowly closing her eyes. But before she could truly drift off, she felt his familiar hand once again slip into her collar. Though exasperated, she was already too drowsy to care, and her body had long grown accustomed to it. She let it be.

Their nap was deep and sweet, carrying them into the afternoon. When they finally awoke after three, their heads felt heavy with sleep.

Later, Haruhi wondered how he would get to the gym in the rain. Just then, Eri Momotani messaged, offering him a lift. With a car at his disposal, he had no desire to battle the elements with an umbrella, and readily agreed.

He wanted to visit the gym as often as possible, especially since school was starting tomorrow and he’d be working part-time at the convenience store. It had been two days since he’d last seen Mrs. Uehara, and he missed her dearly—after all, she was currently the only place where he could put his “Mighty Power Pills” to use.

Though they hadn’t met in person, he and Mrs. Uehara kept up a steady stream of online messages. Haruhi always took on the persona of an innocent, slightly lost high school boy living alone in the vast city of Tokyo. Despite his hopefulness, his youth led him into various small troubles, for which he turned to the kind-hearted Mrs. Uehara for advice.

His vulnerability easily evoked her sympathy. Already feeling guilty herself, Mrs. Uehara only felt more remorse when faced with Haruhi’s lonely, downcast image, and sought ways to make it up to him.

The most direct way: a pay raise!

Thanks to the presence of classmate Yuriko Okuda, Haruhi had little real interest in money for now—if he found the right opportunity, funds would never be an issue—but he graciously accepted Mrs. Uehara’s kindness. He could always repay her in millions later.

“Be good and stay home. I’ll just work out for an hour and come right back,” Haruhi said, ruffling Miron’s golden hair before slipping out with his umbrella.

He left Miron standing there, looking every bit the abandoned wife. She had wanted to come along too, but how could Haruhi possibly take this little princess with him? How would he ever have a chance to meet girls? It had taken all his persuasive skills to change her mind.

Outside the courtyard, a black Toyota sedan flashed its hazard lights at the gate. Haruhi walked over, opened the passenger door, closed his umbrella, and greeted Eri Momotani with a smile from the driver’s seat.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.”

Perhaps because of the rain, Mrs. Momotani wore a fitted long-sleeve top and pants. Even so, her perfect figure could not be concealed; if anything, she exuded an even more wholesome beauty.

“Hello, Haruhi,” Eri Momotani replied with a gentle smile. “Since we skipped the morning run, you’ll need to add an extra set on the treadmill today!” She pressed the accelerator, and the black Toyota vanished into the rainy haze.

“No problem,” Haruhi grinned from the passenger seat.

Time always seemed to fly during workouts, especially with a stunning woman like Eri Momotani guiding him. After their session, she kindly gave Haruhi a massage to relax his muscles, and he in turn helped her stretch.

Once everything was done, the system panel popped up again:

Event triggered.
May I give you a massage, ma’am? Eri Momotani has helped the player greatly with fitness. Not wanting to owe a favor, the player wishes to help her relax as well.
Event objective: Give Eri Momotani a full body massage, at any time, in any place.
Reward: A mysterious gift.

It was identical to the previous mission panel—apparently, the system would prompt him after every workout.

Haruhi hesitated but didn’t ask outright. This wasn’t a game, after all—no matter how many times you tried things in a game, the paper dolls or 3D characters wouldn’t remember. But this was real life; they’d only gone out twice, and if he asked to massage her every time, anyone would think something was up.

No rush—there was still plenty of time. He would raise her affection a bit more first. Once her fondness increased, anything would be possible!

...

“Woo—”

Inside the classroom, Yoji Heisuke and Kazunaka Kunita were gathered at a desk, making a scene. A few other boys clustered around, watching.

Just then, Haruhi Harano walked in with his backpack. At the sound, everyone turned to look at him, leaving Haruhi baffled. Did he have Miron’s lipstick on his face from this morning? He touched his cheek reflexively—nothing there.

No, wait—she’d only kissed his lips this morning, not his cheek.

“Haruhi! Spring has come!” Kazunaka Kunita rushed over, throwing an arm around Haruhi’s shoulders and patting him heartily, his tone unclear between envy and genuine happiness.

“If I hadn’t just seen old man Watanabe sweeping up leaves, I’d have believed it was spring already.”

“I mean your springtime has arrived,” Kunita said with a hint of envy. “Seriously, what’s with you lately? You’re a real hot commodity.”

“Stop being cryptic,” Yoji Heisuke chimed in from the other side, and together they steered Haruhi toward the desk.

On the desk sat a bottle of milk and two delicate pastries.

At that, Haruhi felt a headache coming on.

Heisuke kept muttering beside him, “Haruhi, why do I feel like you’ve been so popular lately? Last week someone gave you a love letter, and now someone’s brought you breakfast. So, did you ever meet up with her? Who is she, anyway…”