The tender stillness lingered just long enough for the emotions to settle like the warmth of sunlight through a curtain.
Then Shin stood up.
Everyone looked at him, expecting another sentimental line, maybe another tease or a laugh. But instead, he walked over to Rika, who was still nestled in Ai's side. Her eyes, still shimmering, flicked up to meet his—and widened in surprise as he gently but firmly scooped her up into his arms.
"Sh-Shin?!" she yelped, arms instinctively wrapping around his neck as her feet left the floor.
Asahi squealed behind them, clapping both hands over his cheeks. "Onii-Chan is carrying Rika-Onee-Chan like a baby!! Like a princess!"
"Hey—!" Rika tried to twist in his grip, but his arms only tightened around her waist and legs. Her face was already crimson, her hands fisting into his shirt. "Y-You can't just pick me up like this in front of everyone!"
Shin smirked, not slowing even a step. "Sure I can. I'm taking her to my room. We need to talk. Alone. Don't even think about following us."
His tone was light, but everyone caught the unmistakable glint in his eye—the kind that made Ai narrow her gaze in knowing jealousy, Aiko roll her eyes with a sly grin, and Yuki twitch with indignation. Only Asahi tilted his head with innocent curiosity, completely missing the weight behind Shin's words.
"Don't break the bed," Aiko called after them with a wink.
Rika buried her face in Shin's chest, utterly defeated. "You're the worst…"
"You love me for it," he murmured into her hair.
He carried her into his room—their room now, in a way. The one with the joined beds from the previous night, pushed together to create one sprawling nest where they'd all collapsed into each other in tangled limbs, flushed kisses, and whispered confessions.
The door clicked shut behind them.
Shin didn't hesitate. He walked her straight to the bed and laid her down gently, as if she were fragile glass. Rika looked up at him, breath catching in her throat—not just from the fall of her back into the mattress, but from the look in his eyes.
Heat. Hunger. Affection. Possession.
"Y-You said you wanted to talk," she whispered, even though her voice trembled.
"I do." He leaned down, lips brushing against her ear. "But I also want to remind you how loved you are."
Her breath hitched. "Onii-Chan…"
"I saw the way your eyes dimmed earlier," he murmured. "When everyone got asked to move in. When Ai asked for that little reassurance. When you thought maybe you were being left behind."
"I-I didn't—"
"Don't lie to me, Rika." His hand slipped under the hem of her shirt, warm palm brushing her bare stomach. "I don't want you to feel like you're last. You're not."
She trembled. "I know… I just… sometimes it feels like… everyone's always ahead of me. Ai, Aiko, Yuki… even Asahi's so bold with you…"
He kissed her, silencing the words. It wasn't a soft kiss. It was firm, insistent—an answer in itself.
"You're mine," he whispered against her lips. "You've always been mine. Sweet, blushing, stubborn Rika who burns brightest when she thinks she's being left out. I love you. I want you."
Her eyes filled again—but this time with something different. Something molten.
"You better mean that," she whispered shakily.
He smiled, brushing her bangs back. "Every word."
Then he moved, slow but sure, pulling her shirt over her head. She lifted her arms for him, body arching slightly, and the pink bra underneath barely contained her curves. Shin's gaze darkened.
"So beautiful…"
Rika turned her face, unable to meet his gaze directly, her cheeks a brilliant red. "Y-You say that to all of us…"
"I say it because it's true. Every single time."
His fingers slipped under her bra strap, pulling it down her shoulder, kissing the bare skin as he went. Her body was already reacting—tense, heated, needy. She reached for him, fingers fumbling at the buttons of his shirt, but he gently stopped her.
"No rush," he said, kissing her again—softer this time. Slower. "Let me take care of you today."
Her heart thudded at those words.
He undressed her gradually, savoring every inch of her flushed skin, kissing her collarbone, her stomach, her thighs. She squirmed under him, breathy gasps escaping her lips, hands clutching the sheets. Every time he touched her, it was with deliberate care. Like she was something precious. Something he couldn't bear to damage.
By the time she was bare beneath him, she was panting, chest rising and falling, eyes glassy with heat and emotion.
"Onii-Chan," she whispered, fingers curling around his wrist, guiding his hand where she needed it.
He obeyed. Teasing at first, fingers sliding between her legs, drawing soft moans from her lips. She was already wet—aching—and he took his time, circling, pressing, coaxing her higher and higher until her back arched and her hips bucked.
She cried out when she came, body shuddering beneath him, nails dragging lightly down his back as her release pulsed through her. He held her the whole time, whispering soothing words, kissing her temple.
But he wasn't done.
Rika gasped when she felt the press of him—hard, hot, insistent—at her entrance. Her legs parted on instinct, but her voice trembled.
"Y-You don't have to be gentle," she whispered.
Shin paused, leaning down to meet her gaze. "But I want to be."
And then he entered her, slow and deep. Rika cried out, hands flying to grip his shoulders. He was thick, stretching her open, filling her completely. Their eyes met—and held.
"Onii-San… ah…"
"You feel incredible," he breathed, thrusting slowly, savoring the way she clenched around him. "So tight… So warm…"
Rika moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist, meeting his thrusts. Her body was on fire, every nerve lit up with sensation. Each movement sent shivers down her spine, each kiss stole more breath.
"I love you," he said again, thrusting deeper.
She arched into him. "I love you too…!"
Their pace quickened, the sound of skin against skin echoing softly in the room. Rika's moans grew louder, higher-pitched, her nails dragging across his back, her body moving with him in perfect rhythm. She was losing herself in him—in his warmth, his strength, his love.
"Come for me again," he whispered into her ear. "Let me feel it…"
She shattered.
Her orgasm tore through her with a desperate cry, her whole body clenching, shaking, legs tightening around him. And Shin followed, groaning low in his throat as he released inside her, grinding deep with one final thrust.
They stayed like that for a long moment—pressed together, bodies slick and warm, breathing hard. He held her close, brushing sweaty strands from her face.
Rika clung to him, eyes damp, lips trembling with a soft smile. "T-That wasn't just because you felt bad, right?"
He chuckled, kissing her forehead. "No. That was because I'm completely, hopelessly in love with you."
She buried her face in his chest again. "Good. Because I want to come here every day. I want this every day."
"You will," he promised. "And more."
And then they lay back together, tangled in blankets and each other, the world outside their door fading away.
In this room, with her heartbeat pressed against his… Shin knew he had found yet another piece of the home he was building.
And Rika? She no longer felt like the last one.
She was right where she belonged.
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END OF CHAPTER : 197 : THE WARMEST PLACE!
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