The breakfast selection was nothing out of the ordinary—traditional Japanese fare that complemented the inn's tatami-style ambiance. Though tasty, it didn't quite compare to the homemade flavor of Angel-san's breakfasts, which Natsukawa was accustomed to enjoying at home.
Kasumigaoka ate at a leisurely pace—not because she was savoring the meal with elegance, but because she was entirely preoccupied with mischief.
Throughout the meal, her foot seemed to have a mind of its own, persistently reaching out toward Natsukawa. Her toes, soft as pearls, traced circles on his thigh, occasionally attempting to climb like a determined mountaineer. Several times, her antics caused her foot to peek out from beneath the tablecloth, earning her a sharp glare from Natsukawa.
Yet no matter how much he glared, Kasumigaoka remained unfazed. Confident he wouldn't dare make a scene in public, she grew bolder, her teasing becoming more relentless.
Cornered and concerned about drawing attention, Natsukawa had no choice but to hasten his eating, hoping to escape her "devil's toes" as quickly as possible.
But fate had other plans. At a nearby table, a guest who was clearly still suffering the effects of last night's drinking began pointing at them, his voice carrying across the room.
"Man, so nice… I wanna be with a JK, too…"
Before he could finish his outrageous statement, his friend cut him off with a smack to the back of the head.
"Shut up, you idiot! Spouting nonsense this early in the morning—are you still drunk?!"
The friend turned to Natsukawa and gave an apologetic nod.
Natsukawa didn't bother holding a grudge. The last thing he wanted was to attract more attention. If anything, he hoped the entire situation would die down quickly before things spiraled into an embarrassing scene.
That hope was dashed when Kasumigaoka, noticing Natsukawa's brief interaction with the drunk guest, doubled down on her antics. She abandoned her meal entirely, focusing all her efforts on escalating her "assault" beneath the table.
"…"
Enough's enough. Time to fight back!
Unable to bear it any longer, Natsukawa reached under the table and grabbed her delicate foot. Setting his chopsticks aside, he unleashed a counterattack, lightly tickling the sole of her foot with precise movements.
The results were immediate.
Kasumigaoka, whose teasing knew no bounds, was utterly defenseless when the tables were turned. Her body jolted at the first contact, and she quickly crumbled under the relentless assault.
"Mm…! Nghh…"
She clamped her mouth shut, her face strained as she struggled to suppress her laughter. But it was no use—Natsukawa had no intention of showing mercy. The ticklish sensations spread like wildfire, rendering her helpless.
"Ko… Kouhai-kun… st-stop…" she whispered desperately, her voice muffled.
Her body trembled as she leaned forward onto the table, one hand covering her mouth to stifle her giggles while the other clenched into a fist.
Natsukawa cast her a calm yet smug glance, lowering his voice to deliver his verdict.
"What's the magic word, Senpai?"
"S-sorry…" she choked out.
"Not sincere enough." He shook his head.
"I-I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"
"Good. That's better." Satisfied, Natsukawa released her foot.
Kasumigaoka slumped over the table, breathing heavily as she tried to recover.
"…"
Victory should have been sweet, but it was short-lived. A well-meaning staff member approached their table, concern written across their face.
"Excuse me, miss? Are you feeling unwell? Should we call for medical assistance?"
"No, no, no! She's fine," Natsukawa blurted out, waving his hands in panic. "She just… remembered something funny, that's all."
The staff member, though skeptical, nodded and left after ensuring no further help was needed.
When Natsukawa turned back to Kasumigaoka, she had regained some composure, though traces of her earlier embarrassment lingered. She glared at him fiercely, though her words painted a different picture.
"Kouhai-kun, you're such a brute… Now no one will want to marry me…"
"Oh, please. If we're going there, you were unmarriageable ages ago," Natsukawa retorted. He rolled his eyes and added with a smirk, "You wouldn't have been in this mess if you'd just eaten your food like a normal person."
"Bullying your Senpai…" Kasumigaoka pouted, pretending to be weak and helpless. "I'm just bad with chopsticks, you know… Besides, you once promised you'd feed me breakfast forever…"
"…"
Bad with chopsticks? What a blatant lie! She wasn't some foreigner who just returned to Japan!
"Past promises are just that—past. We need to focus on the present, Senpai," he shot back, shaking his head.
Seeing that she wasn't planning any further mischief, Natsukawa withdrew his hands and returned them to the table. But as he picked up his chopsticks, a thought struck him, and his expression turned complicated.
Wait… Weren't these hands just used to "punish" Senpai? Now I'm supposed to use them to eat?
While Kasumigaoka appeared clean and well-groomed, the thought still unsettled him.
"…"
Just as he debated whether to wash his hands first, Kasumigaoka's sharp eyes caught his hesitation. A triumphant smirk spread across her face.
"Regretting your actions, Kouhai-kun?" she teased. "You should be grateful. Do you know how many people would kill for this kind of 'privilege'? Yet here you are, complaining!"
"Privilege my foot! Any normal person would feel the same way!" he snapped.
Deciding he'd had enough, Natsukawa stood and began gathering his dishes.
"Forget it. I'm done eating. You can finish at your own pace, Senpai."
With that, he walked off to return his tray, leaving Kasumigaoka to pout.
Realizing her target had escaped, she finished her meal in a few small bites before following suit, albeit with far less enthusiasm.
Notes-Read all chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X