Since no one else was home, Makoto hadn't locked the bathroom door while bathing.
As a result, he had barely soaked in the tub for five minutes when someone pushed open the bathroom door.
Ichika, now wearing the nightdress and stockings, walked in with flushed cheeks.
Her blushing was the instinctive shyness of a blooming young girl, but her gaze was bold and confident, her steps unwavering.
She walked straight to the tub, not even trying to cover up. She even kept sneaking peeks into the water.
What a reversal of roles.
To be honest, being barged in on by a girl while bathing—especially when she's standing right there peeking—was a bit awkward.
But Makoto didn't show any discomfort.
He knew this was Ichika's style of attack.
That night at the Nakano home, he had undone the last "shackle" on Ichika.
Her formerly aggressive but defenseless style had now become solid defense.
Of course, that only applied when the two were alone.
If she had to face Yukino head-on, her defense still wouldn't hold up.
"Does this look good on me?"
Ichika deliberately stood with her legs straight. The skin around her neck and shoulders, lit by the overhead light, looked as if it glowed.
"One hundred points. I give it a full score."
Makoto didn't hold back his praise. He also looked at her black stocking-clad legs, thinking she had even gone out of her way to bring stockings.
But then Ichika smiled brightly and said, "I knew it would look good on me. These stockings are actually Miku's. Our sizes are pretty similar, so they fit just right."
"Huh?" Makoto blinked.
Ichika shrugged it off and teased, "What? Do you have a thing for Miku too? Hearing they're hers got you excited?"
Makoto ignored her teasing and asked with a weird expression, "By 'borrowed,' do you mean you took them without asking?"
Ichika's eyes immediately shifted away.
She mumbled, "It's fine. I'll wash them and sneak them back later. She'll never know."
Makoto's expression grew stranger: "So does that mean I'm not allowed to rip them?"
"Why would you rip them… wait, are you actually into that kind of thing?"
Ichika's eyes lit up with a strange sparkle. She raised her leg and stepped into the tub.
Her entire outfit got soaked.
She seemed to find this entertaining. Before Makoto could say anything, she leaned against the far side of the tub and, moving slowly through the water, lifted one leg.
"Too bad. Looks like your little fetish won't work tonight."
She said playfully, placing her foot on Makoto's chest.
Her beautiful face bloomed with a sultry smile that, in the steamy bathroom, looked both seductive and dazzling.
She was clearly putting on a show.
And doing a pretty good job.
Of course, her acting was only part of it. The real driving force was the fire burning inside her.
Makoto grabbed her soft little foot. "Want me to go lock the door now?"
"Makoto, are you shy—eh?"
Ichika had been planning to tease him more, but Makoto pulled on her foot, and just like that night, she was drawn uncontrollably into his warm embrace.
At that point, was there even a need for words?
Of course not.
You just needed Nino Power!
…
Meanwhile, outside in the hallway, Mayu and Hiratsuka Shizuka were each carrying a small bag, chatting and laughing as they arrived at Makoto's apartment.
Because they had a bit of alcohol, their faces were tinged with a charming blush, making these already beautiful mature women look even more alluring tonight.
"You're really good to Fushimi—not only did you bring him food, but you also picked up some fruit on the way.
Tsk tsk, if I didn't know he's your favorite student, I'd think you two were secretly dating."
Hiratsuka Shizuka leaned against the wall and lazily joked.
She said it without much thought, but Mayu's blush deepened noticeably, and she feigned helplessness, saying, "Shizuka, you're teasing me again. Honestly."
Hiratsuka laughed. "It's because you're so cute when you're flustered, Mayu. Even as a woman, I find you really charming..."
She trailed off and suddenly froze on the spot.
At the same time, Mayu, who had just reached for the doorbell, also stopped in her tracks.
A strange yet familiar heat rose in both of them.
And that feeling surged up without warning, like a tsunami on a calm sea—violent and overwhelming.
Hiratsuka quickly turned her head, letting her hair fall forward to hide her expression.
Her long, relaxed legs also subtly pressed together.
What the hell?
I only had a bit of alcohol, so why am I suddenly feeling this way?
Hiratsuka bit her lip hard, fearing she wouldn't be able to withstand the surge of emotion.
As someone who had failed at countless blind dates and desperately wanted a boyfriend, she knew exactly what this feeling meant.
If she were home alone right now, she'd probably already be reaching for the special "crystal haniwa" she kept in her drawer.
Mayu also stiffened her posture. She understood this feeling even better than Hiratsuka.
After all, she had already crossed that line, and in the early days, she couldn't get enough of it.
Luckily, her self-control wasn't too bad.
"I shouldn't have invited Shizuka to my place to rest tonight."
She felt shame creeping in as she quickly pressed the doorbell.
Her mind was a bit muddled and guilty, but her thoughts remained clear:
Find an excuse to get her friend to leave quickly, so she could indulge herself freely.
The only issue was—she hadn't showered yet and still had a hint of alcohol on her.
Then the bathroom it is!
Mayu blushed at her decision and began ringing the doorbell more rapidly.
Inside the bathroom.
Makoto and Ichika both heard the relentless doorbell and instinctively paused.
"It's so late. Who would be looking for you?" Ichika's eyes were already hazy, her voice laced with sultriness.
Makoto said, "It's probably Mayu-sensei. She said earlier she and Hiratsuka-sensei would bring me a late-night snack after dinner."
"Mayu-sensei?"
Ichika instantly sobered up.
She could deal with girls her own age.
But facing the kind, beautiful Mayu? She had no clue how to respond.
From her perspective, Mayu was a wonderful person who had promised to look out for her.
Besides, everyone had a good impression of her.
Even the mischievous Ichika couldn't bring herself to play tricks on the lovely teacher.
"Can you send her away?" she bit her lip. She really didn't want to leave now.
"Probably not. You can tell just from how fast she's ringing the bell," said Makoto.
"Then what do we do? Should I hide in the bathroom and not come out?"
"No. We relocated—to my room."
Makoto immediately made the call.
His gut told him the bathroom was not the place to linger.
He scooped up Ichika and hurried to the bedroom, handing her a clean towel on the way.
"Relax, I'll handle it."
Ichika nodded nervously.
Makoto quickly dressed, drained the bathwater, and ran to the door with wet hair.
When he opened it, he saw… two mature women blushing with shifty eyes.
Oh no.
Nino's divine power!
Makoto realized what had happened.
"Makoto, I brought you some food. And your place was out of fruit, right? I made sure to get some," Mayu said, trying to keep her composure, but her voice still trembled slightly.
Thankfully, Hiratsuka Shizuka was currently operating with her "little head" in charge of the big one.
She had lost her usual sharpness and was completely preoccupied thinking: I must hold it together. I must not embarrass myself.
Because of this foggy state, she hadn't even realized she had the perfect excuse to escape: let Makoto talk with Mayu while she went to Mayu's house to, say, practice her violin.
So in this strange atmosphere, Hiratsuka followed Mayu into the house in a daze.
Makoto also noticed something was off about them and spoke up. "Did you two drink? No wonder you seem so sleepy."
Sleepy?
The two women exchanged glances for no reason and quickly looked away.
They weren't sleepy—they were barely holding it in.
Makoto pretended not to notice and offered, "Why don't you get some rest…"
"Makoto, can I use your bathroom?" Mayu could no longer control herself and suddenly stood up.
She didn't even give him a chance to reply and rushed into the bathroom with an odd gait.
As soon as she left, Hiratsuka quietly let out a sigh of relief.
She was truly afraid her best friend might notice something was wrong.
That would be absolutely humiliating.
As for Makoto still being here?
Hiratsuka wasn't concerned.
In her eyes, Makoto couldn't even kiss a girl without being forced by Yukinoshita—who had yanked his collar and practically pinned him down.
How could such a rookie possibly notice her abnormal state?
So Hiratsuka raised her flushed face, forcing her usual smile. "You don't have to worry about us, Makoto. No need for tea. I just need a moment to rest."
Worried that this excuse wasn't enough, she added, "I really did drink too much today, sorry. I'll just borrow your sofa to lie down for a bit."
"No problem. Please, rest all you like." Makoto nodded and turned off the TV with the remote.
Hiratsuka thanked him softly and flopped onto the couch, pretending to rest with her eyes closed.
Such terrible acting nearly made Makoto laugh.
He glanced at the shut bathroom door and guessed that Mayu, overwhelmed by emotion and with Hiratsuka still in the house, wouldn't be coming out anytime soon.
Only then did he return to the bedroom.
As he opened the door, a familiar fragrance hit him.
Ichika immediately leapt into his arms.
Her eyes burned, filled with an irresistible glimmer. "Where's Mayu-sensei?"
"She went to the bathroom."
To reassure her, Makoto added, "They both drank tonight."
Ichika's voice lit up with excitement. "So you're saying they're basically drunk and will soon pass out?"
"Maybe… hey, hey, where are your hands going?"
While Makoto's brain was working in overdrive, Ichika's hands were being less than innocent.
When he looked down and met her burning gaze, he was shocked. "You still want to keep going?"
"Mm-hmm." She rarely looked this excited. She even licked her lips.
Makoto could barely contain himself.
It seemed she had completely relaxed now that she believed the two women outside wouldn't interrupt.
And once she let her guard down, her earlier frustration at being interrupted came roaring back.
In situations like this, the rekindled fire usually burned even more fiercely.
Ichika's wandering hands proved that.
As Makoto stared at her in surprise, she rose onto her tiptoes, her heated face drawing closer.
Then she said something that stunned Makoto:
"This is kind of thrilling… heehee, if we're chasing excitement, let's go all the way."
Makoto: Is this what Nino's divine power is?
Outside the room.
Ever since Makoto returned to the bedroom, Hiratsuka found it harder and harder to keep herself under control.
Her mind was turning to mush, and her body moved on its own. She stood up shakily and glanced toward the bathroom.
No, Mayu's in there.
Then she looked at the bedroom.
No, Makoto is in there.
Her remaining shred of reason was being consumed by the heat. She bit her lip and stumbled toward the empty guest room.
She silently apologized to Makoto in her heart for barging in without permission.
That last bit of rationality was soon devoured by the rising heat.
With a bang, she slammed the guest room door shut.
But since the room was rarely used, Makoto had left the lock disengaged for easy cleaning.
So the heavy door bounced back slightly after hitting the frame.
Hiratsuka collapsed onto the bed, her eyes full of shame and urgency. She kicked off her slippers, rolled across the bed, and pulled the blanket over herself.
I mustn't make a sound. I have to hold it in.
She didn't even notice that the door was slightly ajar, and her flushed face vanished beneath the covers.
In the bathroom, Mayu, also blushing furiously, stared at the ceiling and murmured, "Why isn't Makoto coming to find me?"
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