The movie playing on the TV was called Sadako.
Initially, Arisa thought it was some kind of emotional life drama, but to her complete surprise, the originally normal Sadako suddenly transformed into a terrifying ghost at a certain point in the film.
She let out a frightened scream.
"Ahhhh!"
In the living room, Suzumura Kenta, who had been pondering how to restore a harmonious relationship with Arisa and make her forget about his attempt to peek at her bathing that morning, heard this sudden scream.
Realizing this might be an opportunity, he quickly ran to her room door.
"Arisa, what's wrong?", Suzumura Kenta asked with a concerned look.
"There's a monster... in the TV," Inside the room, the very timid Arisa was trembling with fear, tears even welling up in the corners of her eyes.
"Ah! A monster, that's just TV," Seeing Arisa's exaggerated reaction to the horror movie, Suzumura Kenta initially intended to casually explain that horror movies are all fake.
But halfway through his sentence, seeing Arisa's panicked expression and her delicate body trembling with fear, a plan suddenly formed in his mind.
Suzumura Kenta feigned panic and said, "You're doomed, Arisa! In our Japan, TVs often hide ghosts and monsters. Whenever someone disturbs them, they come out to curse the person."
"And you've disturbed it. Today, it will definitely come out to curse you!"
Hearing Suzumura Kenta's words, Arisa was horrified, "Ah? Then... what should I do? I won't watch anymore, I'm going to sleep now..."
Arisa originally wanted to close the door and go straight to sleep, but thinking about the ghosts and curses Suzumura Kenta mentioned, she felt extremely afraid again.
Noticing Arisa's fear, Suzumura Kenta seized the opportunity, "Arisa, do you dare to sleep alone tonight? How about this, come to my room and sleep with me. Two people together might scare the ghost away."
"Besides, I know a bit of ancestral Japanese exorcism techniques. So, why don't you come and sleep with me?"
Arisa was very timid. After being scared by the ghost on TV, she really needed someone to rely on right now.
But for some reason, upon hearing Suzumura Kenta's words, she felt no desire to get close to him at all. Instead, another man's face appeared in her mind.
It wasn't her fiance, Suzumura Kouta, but that young man Hikari.
"No need, Kenta-kun, I'll sleep by myself," Arisa shook her head, refusing Suzumura Kenta's proposal to share a room.
She had been scared by the ghost on TV moments ago, but after regaining some composure, she noticed Suzumura Kenta's somewhat lecher*us expression and l*stful gaze. This immediately reminded Arisa of his attempt to peek at her bath earlier that day.
Suzumura Kenta seemed to have ill intentions towards her.
Therefore, Arisa would not agree to sleep in the same room as him.
"You'll get cursed by the ghost like this, I—", Suzumura Kenta tried to say more, but Arisa had already closed the door directly. Looking at the firmly shut door, Suzumura Kenta's face was filled with frustration.
On the other side of the door, Arisa, who had resolutely closed the door and rejected Suzumura Kenta, wasn't feeling too great either.
Although she absolutely refused to sleep with Suzumura Kenta, who was clearly a lecher eyeing her body.
As a very timid person, she was still very afraid of the grotesque ghost from the TV.
Especially since Suzumura Kenta had said earlier that the ghost would come out to curse her.
This made Arisa even more terrified.
In the dim room, Arisa seemed to think of something.
She quickly took out her phone and, with trembling hands, dialed a number.
———
In the restroom, a cellphone ringtone sounded.
Feeling the vibration in his pocket, Hikari reached in, pulled out his phone, and answered the call.
"Hello? Arisa?"
["It's me, good evening Hikari-kun! There's something I need to trouble you with, it's..."]
Arisa briefly explained about watching TV, being targeted by a ghost, and possibly being cursed.
Then she said she was afraid to sleep alone tonight and asked if she could stay over at Hikari's place.
Hikari didn't say much to Arisa either, just casually agreed first and then quickly hung up the phone.
Being targeted by a ghost from the TV was quite laughable. Hikari guessed that Suzumura Kenta, had probably exaggerated the story, which made this girl scared.
However, Hikari couldn't explain much either.
Because as soon as he looked up, a pair of eyes, slightly tinged with resentment, were staring at him.
Peach-blossom-like bright eyes held a pool of spring water, their captivating gaze mesmerizing. The owner of these beautiful eyes was none other than Sayako.
Sitting on Hikari's lap, having just had her "lesson" interrupted, Sayako was now looking at him with a resentful expression.
Originally, Hikari had been giving Sayako her "lesson" in the izakaya's storage room.
But right in the middle of the lesson, Sakai Yutaka came knocking.
The shy Sayako immediately covered his mouth tightly, forbidding him from making a sound. This forced Hikari, who had initially considered messing around a bit, to comply.
Then, afraid Sakai Yutaka might come looking in the storage room again, Sayako dragged Hikari to the restroom to continue the lesson after he left.
But unexpectedly, Sakai Yutaka also came to the restroom not long after.
Caught off guard, Sayako, a bit tipsy, didn't react in time and made a slight noise.
Fortunately, no clues were discovered.
Then, shortly after Sakai Yutaka left, Arisa's call came in.
These successive interruptions made it very difficult for Sayako, who had originally wanted an immersive lesson today.
With her lips slightly swollen, she didn't want to continue either. She stood up directly and said, "Alright, let's stop the lesson for today. Let's go out first."
"Okay," Hikari nodded in agreement.
After standing up, Sayako adjusted Hikari's collar for him.
And Hikari helped fasten the clasp of her bra, pull up the zipper at the back of her floral dress, and tie the knot at her waist.
After the lesson was over, Hikari and Sayako helped each other tidy up a bit.
After waiting for Sayako to use the restroom, wash her hands, and rinse her mouth, the two walked out of the restroom one after the other.
As soon as they returned to the main hall, a waitress approached and informed Sayako that Sakai Yutaka had already left the izakaya.
Sayako didn't have much of a reaction to this.
After all, the reason she had pulled Hikari into giving her a "lesson" was partly to avoid Sakai Yutaka's excessive enthusiasm and advances.
Of course, the bigger reason was that she herself really wanted to get closer to Hikari under the pretext of continuing the lesson.
Unaware of the inside story, the waitress, after delivering the message, asked with concern, "Manager, why is your face so red, and your lips too? Are you sick or do you have internal heat? My family has an ancestral herbal remedy that's very effective for internal heat. Should I bring some for you tomorrow?"
Hearing the waitress's caring words, Sayako's pretty face flushed. She quickly waved her hand and said, "I'm fine, it's just a bit hot. Go attend to your work!"
After sending the waitress away, Sayako immediately took out a small mirror from behind the counter to look at herself.
When she saw her rosy cheeks, flushed complexion, swollen lips, and her clothes and hair still slightly disheveled,
Sayako couldn't help but pinch Hikari's waist, "It's all your fault!"
Hikari pretended to grimace in pain but couldn't help laughing, "How can it all be my fault? At least half the responsibility lies with you, Aunt Sayako."
"Wasn't it all your doing? How can I have responsibility?", Sayako retorted coquettishly.
"It's all because Aunt Sayako is too alluring and overly... ample, making it difficult for me to control myself," Hikari stated matter-of-factly.
"Still talking nonsense!", Blushing from the compliment, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, and feeling somewhat pleased inside, Sayako still reached out and pinched Hikari's waist again.
Hikari also knew reasoning with women was pointless, so he promptly closed his mouth.
Letting Sayako continue her coquettish scolding and playful hitting.
It must be said, Aunt Sayako's fair, smooth skin and ample curves really did feel wonderful.
Recalling the sensation, Hikari couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
As if sensing Hikari's thoughts, Sayako blushed and scolded, "D-don't... don't think about it anymore!"
Hikari couldn't help but show a hint of helplessness, "Aunt Sayako, during the lesson you refused to go further, delaying the lesson progress is one thing, but now you won't even let me review it in my mind?"
Hands on hips, Sayako nodded, "Mhm! Just don't think about it, otherwise... otherwise Auntie will get shy..."
Perhaps because her reasoning wasn't sound nor her stance firm, Sayako's initially stern prohibition ended with her voice growing very small.
Seeing Sayako's adorable appearance with her cheeks flushed from shyness, Hikari also smiled and nodded, agreeing to Sayako's request.
And looking at Hikari's youthful, handsome, and slightly boyish face, a flicker of guilt couldn't help but pass through Sayako's eyes.
Regarding this "lesson" matter.
She had actually been very tempted earlier, even her wandering thoughts were no less than Hikari's.
But she was truly afraid of hindering Hikari. After all, he was still so young. Moreover, if she truly gave in to such temptation, it seemed somewhat disrespectful to her deceased husband.
Therefore, even when she was almost completely immersed in the lesson earlier, Sayako always remembered not to go any further.
At most, she just used her hands to touch a bit.
Seeing Sayako's conflicted expression, Hikari also understood that although their interactions were harmonious in all aspects and their compatibility was certainly good, they were still missing that final spark.
At times like these, one couldn't rush. It required patient grinding.
Hikari believed that the narrow, tight path leading to Aunt Sayako's heart would eventually open up completely.
After helping out a bit at Sayako's izakaya and chatting with her for a while longer, Hikari prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he gave Sayako a Clear Jade protective charm and reminded her to keep it with her.
After all, even though the cuckolding father-son pair, Ryusei Haruyoshi and his son, had been completely reduced to ashes, with Sayako's top-tier looks and figure, she was still very likely to be targeted by other cuckolders.
For example, the seemingly honest-faced Sakai Yutaka.
That guy might look honest, and his words and actions never crossed the line, appearing quite respectful towards Sayako, his widowed sister-in-law. But still, his attentiveness towards Sayako was a bit too excessive.
In this kind of "2D World," Hikari was well aware that he most likely had issues.
However, Sakai Yutaka didn't dare to do anything to Sayako yet, or perhaps he was hiding it very well.
But precautions still had to be taken.
So after carefully assuring Sayako, Hikari finally turned and left the izakaya.
Seeing Hikari about to leave, obvious reluctance showed on Sayako's pretty face.
She still couldn't help but ask, "Hikari-kun, are you really not staying over at my place today?"
Hikari shook his head. "I have something to attend to at home today, so I won't sleep here."
"Alright," Sayako nodded helplessly.
Hikari patted her smooth, jade-like back, then turned and walked out.
Actually, she had been living alone for several years already and was mostly accustomed to loneliness and solitude. But as the saying goes, 'I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the light.'
After Hikari returned to his hometown this time and spent a night at her izakaya, she could no longer get used to nights alone again.
Thinking about Hikari not sleeping at her place tonight made Sayako feel somewhat uneasy.
And when Hikari was around, she felt very at ease and slept soundly.
Thinking about Hikari's insistence on leaving, a look of worry involuntarily appeared on Sayako's beautiful, enchanting face.
"Hikari-kun... he wouldn't be angry, would he?"
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