Chapter 297: You don't want Miss Yurine to know about this, do you?
In the shopping district near Kobayashi's house—
"Family members are welcome?"
Tohru stood in front of a shop, looking at her phone screen, tilting her head slightly.
She thought for a moment, her fingers tapping rapidly on the virtual keyboard as she replied: "I'll ask my family member later. (≧∀≦)"
"Ehehe~~"
After sending this message, the corners of Tohru's mouth involuntarily curled up, a happy and slightly infatuated smile appearing on her face.
"It's 'family member'!"
...
Hokkaido, Stardew Valley Ranch—
Ryohei Tanaka was not surprised at all to receive Tohru's reply. He casually replied with an 'OK' emoji.
For now, let's leave it at that!
Ryohei Tanaka put away his phone. If it didn't work out, he would just have to find an opportunity to tempt that gluttonous dragon into signing a 'deed of sale' with delicious food.
Just as he was thinking, a gentle voice came from behind him.
"Ryohei-kun, are you going out to shop now?"
"Hmm?"
Ryohei Tanaka turned around and saw Yusa standing there. She was wearing a simple yet elegant kimono today, radiating a gentle temperament.
"Yeah!"
Ryohei Tanaka chuckled lightly and said: "I was planning to buy some ingredients for tonight and also purchase some camping gear."
The ranch had camping equipment like tents and air mattresses available for rent.
Although they were thoroughly cleaned upon return, for his own people, Ryohei Tanaka wanted to provide something better.
Anyway, he wasn't short on money.
"I'll go with you," Yusa said gently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with her slender white hand.
"Sure."
It was naturally better to have someone with him than to go alone. Ryohei Tanaka nodded and readily agreed.
The two walked side by side towards the parking lot.
Ryohei Tanaka pondered over the things he needed to buy, then took out his phone from his pocket and called Quetzalcoatl.
Because they were planning to go to Hakodate to buy some seafood—
That place had the largest seafood market in Hokkaido, offering high quality at low prices. Without Quetzalcoatl, just the round trip would take ten hours.
"Tsk—!"
A very faint clicking of the tongue suddenly came from beside him.
Ryohei Tanaka put away his phone, turned his head strangely to look at Yusa, and asked: "What's wrong?"
"What?"
Yusa looked back with a face full of surprise, her eyes clear as if nothing had happened.
"Did you just click your tongue?" Ryohei Tanaka asked casually.
"I didn't."
Yusa said without changing her expression, her tone calm.
"Is that so?"
Ryohei Tanaka scratched his head.
Did he mishear?
But he really seemed to have heard a tongue-clicking sound.
Ryohei Tanaka ruled out the possibility of discord between Yusa and Quetzalcoatl—
They hardly communicated usually, let alone had any conflicts.
So, there was only one truth!
"Yusa, did you want to go out alone with me?" Ryohei Tanaka's heart stirred, and he asked half-jokingly.
Yusa tucked her hands into the wide sleeves of her kimono, revealing only the tips of her slender white fingers.
She raised a hand to lightly cover her lips and turned her face away: "I'm going to tell Yurine you're flirting with me."
"...I'm not!"
Ryohei Tanaka was stunned for a moment, instantly feeling numb!
That counted as flirting?
"Sorry, I was being narcissistic just now!"
He honestly bowed his head!
Yusa was amused upon hearing this. The corners of her mouth were hard to suppress as she looked at Ryohei Tanaka, asking with a smile in her eyes: "So, is there any compensation?"
"You want compensation too?"
Ryohei Tanaka was surprised, rolled his eyes at her, but asked anyway: "What kind of compensation do you want?"
"If I say it, wouldn't that be like me taking the opportunity to blackmail Ryohei-kun?"
Yusa chided.
Ryohei Tanaka thought about it, that was true. He suggested: "You can ask for something non-material, that way it doesn't count as blackmail."
"Mmh, that makes sense!"
Yusa nodded in agreement, then pondered for a while as if seriously considering it.
She glanced at Ryohei Tanaka inconspicuously and quickly said: "If Ryohei-kun has time, go shopping with me!"
"Just once is fine!"
"...I'm going to tell Yurine you're flirting with me." Ryohei Tanaka retorted in a gloomy tone. Now it was Yusa's turn to be numb!
She puffed up her pink cheeks slightly, then suddenly blew a breath of cold air mixed with snowflakes at Ryohei Tanaka.
"Eee—! So cold!"
Ryohei Tanaka instantly shivered, subconsciously distancing himself, and shouted: "Personal attacks are prohibited!"
"Okay then."
Yusa elegantly clasped her hands in front of her, agreeing with a gentle face, as if nothing had happened just now.
Ryohei Tanaka looked at her appearance and could only twitch the corner of his mouth.
"..."
When the two arrived at the parking lot, Quetzalcoatl was already waiting there.
The sister-in-law was dressed in a black high-collared long-sleeved shirt paired with overalls today, wearing a pink baseball cap backwards on her head.
Seeing Ryohei Tanaka, she held her phone and waved at him with her other hand: "Cunning human, come here, kiss me first."
"..." The corner of Yusa's mouth twitched slightly. Regarding Quetzalcoatl, she often wanted to retort, but sometimes she really envied her.
Her ice-blue beautiful eyes swept towards Ryohei Tanaka beside her, to see how he would react.
"..." Ryohei Tanaka pretended to look around, feigning confusion: "Cunning human? Where? Why don't I see him?"
Yusa waved her hand to condense a crystal-clear ice mirror in front of him, lightly covering the corner of her lips: "You see him now."
"..." Ryohei Tanaka glanced at her speechlessly, walked around the ice mirror towards his car, and urged Quetzalcoatl:
"Alright, stop messing around, get in the car!"
"I won't get in unless you kiss me."
Quetzalcoatl's expression was calm, and her tone was flat, as if she were talking about a trivial matter.
"Where did you come from, you stubborn kid?"
Ryohei Tanaka couldn't help but lean back and raise a hand to his forehead.
"Hmm? Do I look like a kid like this?"
Quetzalcoatl, the god governing harvest, looked down and couldn't even see her toes.
...You are a problem 'child'!
Ryohei Tanaka retorted inwardly, his hand on the door handle, feeling a bit troubled.
If it were private, it would be fine. Ryohei Tanaka might even dare to go a step further, performing a feat of 'Enemy defeated, I shall strip her clothes!'
But right now, Yusa was still here!
Although Quetzalcoatl usually acted very intimately with him, everyone could more or less see she was doing it intentionally, and knew about that thing between her and Lucoa.
If he proactively kissed her, the meaning would be different!
Ryohei Tanaka looked at Yusa—
"Why is Ryohei-kun looking at me?"
Yusa blinked her beautiful eyes, then showed a realization expression, 'understandingly' saying: "Oh, I get it!"
"I'll close my eyes, I didn't see anything."
As she spoke, she really closed her eyes.
"..." Ryohei Tanaka was instantly speechless and retorted: "Hey—! You're catching on way too fast!"
"Right? (๑˘ ˘๑)"
Yusa kept her eyes closed, responded cheerfully, the corners of her lips slightly raised, looking extremely beautiful.
A thought suddenly popped into Ryohei Tanaka's mind—If I give her one too, what would be her reaction?
Forget it, better not ruin her! That would be a bit sorry to Yurine...
Although I'm already very sorry...
"..." Ryohei Tanaka moved his gaze away from Yusa, looked at Quetzalcoatl, and walked over.
Seeing this, Quetzalcoatl unhurriedly opened the camera app on her phone and selected video mode.
With a thought, the phone floated to the side, hovering in mid-air, the lens pointing at the two of them.
"Hey—! Why are you recording!?"
Ryohei Tanaka glanced at the recording screen, instantly feeling disarrayed, and couldn't help but retort.
"How can my sister see it if I don't record?"
Quetzalcoatl said matter-of-factly, leaned back against the Patrol car, opened her arms, closed her eyes, and said:
"Come quickly and forcibly kiss me, I won't resist!"
Ryohei Tanaka: "..."
Yusa, who originally had her eyes closed, couldn't help but secretly open a slit upon hearing this, looking at the two.
Her heart felt inexplicably restless.
If Quetzalcoatl can, I can too...
"Tsk—!"
Ryohei Tanaka clicked his tongue lightly, unable to help retorting: "I'm the one being forced to kiss you, right!?"
Although he said that, there wasn't the slightest displeasure in his heart; instead, he was a little excited.
The fundamental reason was—he didn't think he would lose out this way; rather, he was the one gaining an advantage.
Of course, Ryohei Tanaka was also a bit worried. It would be disastrous if this video was seen by Yurine.
He would be done for!
"..." Ryohei Tanaka took a light breath, with a mix of excitement and worry, stood on tiptoes, and went for it...
Conveniently pinching a certain harvest god's butt—
If I get exposed, don't think you can escape! Let's go down together!
"..."
Moments later—
"Ugh... why do I feel like I've been force-fed dog food?"
Yusa muttered while opening the rear door and sitting in the second row of the Patrol: "Even though you're not a couple."
"You know too much!"
Ryohei Tanaka fastened his seatbelt, released the handbrake, and glanced at Yusa through the rearview mirror.
At this time, Quetzalcoatl had already sent the video to Lucoa, turned off the phone, and put it into her pocket dimension.
With a thought, a faintly glowing spatial tunnel quietly opened in front of the car—
Just as Ryohei Tanaka was about to ignite the engine and drive to Hakodate Morning Market, he heard Yusa lower her voice and say in a tone with a subtle intonation:
"Hey, Ryohei-kun, you don't want Miss Yurine to know about this, do you?"
"Where did you come from, you Japanese netizen!?"
Ryohei Tanaka turned his head in shock, somewhat unable to believe Yusa said that. Your image has collapsed! Hey!
"Mmh-hmm~."
Seeing Ryohei Tanaka's reaction, an indescribable excitement surged in Yusa's heart.
A cunning light flashed in her bright eyes, and she hummed lightly: "So how does Ryohei-kun plan to bribe me?"
"At this point, we might as well drag her down with us."
Sitting in the passenger seat, Quetzalcoatl suggested nonchalantly.
Yusa's heart went thump thump. This—
Exactly what she wanted!
"..." Ryohei Tanaka looked at Quetzalcoatl in surprise. Drag her down? Are you serious?
"Dun~ dun dun~ dun~ dun dun~~~"
Before he could make a decision, the phone placed on the stand beside him rang first.
Ryohei Tanaka looked at the screen; it was Lucoa.
He answered casually—
"Waaahhhhh...! Ryohei-kun, what are you guys doing?"
Lucoa's lament came from the phone.
It was as if a newlywed wife went out and discovered her home was stolen by her younger sister!
"Nothing, just planning to go to Hakodate to buy some seafood."
Ryohei Tanaka said truthfully, glancing at the rearview mirror to look at Yusa.
"Is that so? I just received a video of you and Quetzalcoatl being intimate!!"
"Just a kiss..."
"I want a kiss with you too, make it up to me later!"
Can this even be made up?
Ryohei Tanaka was speechless for a moment, muttered a vague agreement, then said 'talk later' and hung up.
"So... back to the main topic?"
Yusa reminded gently.
"..."
Ryohei Tanaka glanced at the rearview mirror again, thinking about Yusa's tongue-clicking earlier and Quetzalcoatl's suggestion to drag her down just now, to which she didn't object.
Ryohei Tanaka hesitated a moment, unbuckled his seatbelt, turned around, pulled Yusa over, cupped her face, and kissed her.
Perhaps because she was from the Ice Clan, Ryohei Tanaka felt the temperature in her mouth was slightly lower than others.
This wasn't an illusion!
And—
Her saliva was sweet!
Not strawberry flavor, nor lemon flavor, but a kind of clear sweetness similar to white granulated sugar...
Wow—!
Ryohei Tanaka marveled inwardly, feeling it was magical. The fluids all over an Ice Clan member's body were sweet.
With such a kissing partner, he could kiss until his lips peeled!
"..."
So warm!
Yusa felt Ryohei Tanaka's mouth was very warm, just like basking in the sun in winter.
The Ice Clan liked living in cold environments, but at the same time, they also liked sunlight that wasn't scorching.
A strange feeling spread in her heart!
Indescribable, yet it made her heart beat faster, giving her a feeling of not wanting it to end...
"..."
"Ugh... you really dragged her down with us!?"
Quetzalcoatl leaned against the car window, propping her cheek with her left hand.
Looking at the two kissing, a look of surprise appeared on her usually expressionless face.
She was actually joking just now, just saying it casually. She didn't expect Ryohei Tanaka to actually do it for real. Her mood instantly became complicated!
It felt a bit like sharing a precious item she cherished with someone else—
Although this feeling was faint, it was indeed slightly sour!
"I've always been one to take advice."
Ryohei Tanaka let go of Yusa, slightly unsatisfied, and turned to look at Quetzalcoatl.
Quetzalcoatl choked upon hearing this. Why haven't I seen you take advice this easily usually? But you take advice now?
"Cunning human, pervert! You probably had this idea for a long time, right? Actually using me as an excuse..."
"..." Ryohei Tanaka's thoughts were exposed, and he was slightly embarrassed.
He subconsciously looked away towards Yusa, whose face was slightly red, her fingertips lightly touching her lips as if savoring the aftertaste.
Ryohei Tanaka coughed lightly and spread his hands:
"Now you're involved too! If we get exposed, let's all go down together!"
Yusa was stunned upon hearing this, thought about it, and felt a pang of guilt. If exposed, she might really be done for!
Jashin-chan, who courted death in various ways and got beaten up, was her cautionary tale!
"I-I know!"
"..." Seeing Yusa obviously feeling guilty, Ryohei Tanaka didn't say anything more. He turned back, sat down again, and fastened his seatbelt.
Then he started the ignition and drove the car to the other side of the spatial tunnel...
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