Looking at the girl's flushed little face and hearing her tiny voice, Fumiya Jin's heart, as hard as iron, was actually tempted and trembled slightly at this moment.
In truth, according to his plan, there was no time to rest properly right now; there were still many things to do this morning. He took out his phone again and checked the time. It was just nine o'clock. He thought for a moment and set an alarm for an hour later.
Then he put away his phone and replied to Nijika, "Then let's give it a try. Let's go, to my room."
"...Should... should we go to the room..."
"Of course. Sleeping on the sofa is so uncomfortable."
Nijika was pulled upstairs by Fumiya Jin and arrived at his room. Although she was a little shy, it wasn't her first time in Fumiya Jin's room, after all. Compared to the last time she came over in the middle of the night, this situation didn't seem quite as embarrassing. So she cleared her mind of the messy, not-safe-for-kids thoughts that had popped up.
She took a deep breath, then sat down on the edge of the bed, moving a little further in. Then she patted her lap, motioning for Fumiya Jin, wanting him to lie on the bed so she could give him a lap pillow. But Fumiya Jin didn't lie down directly. Instead, he sat down beside her, turned to face her, and reached out to pull her into his arms.
Nijika's face instantly turned red, but since this was the second time he'd held her like this, and the last time he'd held her for a whole afternoon, she wasn't particularly flustered, just a little embarrassed.
"But... but how can we sleep like this...?" Nijika pouted.
"Doesn't the necklace's description say it?" Fumiya Jin said seriously. "The more contact, the better the sharing effect, so to test it, we should definitely max it out as much as possible."
"Is that really the reason?" Nijika puffed out her cheeks slightly and shot him a look, her eyes clearly saying, "Are you taking me for a fool?"
Fumiya Jin chuckled. "Well, there's another reason... You need to rest too, Miss Instance."
Everyone knows your physical condition refreshes after leaving an instance. But after three tense days inside one, the mental fatigue doesn't completely disappear. So both of them really did want to get a good sleep, and Nijika couldn't deny it.
"Then let's do this," Fumiya Jin said, holding the girl. With a slight push... they both fell back together.
Aiya—! Nijika cried out in surprise. When she came to her senses, they were already lying on the bed together. Fumiya Jin had even brought over pillows and placed them under their heads. Since they were both fully clothed and the room temperature was pleasant, there was no need for a blanket.
This left Nijika at a bit of a loss for a moment. Yesterday afternoon, they had a tree trunk to lean on; Fumiya Jin held her as they sat leaning against it. But now, there was nothing like that. However... she looked at Fumiya Jin's eyes. She saw that he had really closed them, and there was indeed a faint weariness showing between his brows. After persevering for so many days, he was probably truly tired...
"So, sleep," Fumiya Jin said, gently stroking her head. Then, he actually closed his eyes and began to sleep, making no more rude or frivolous moves. Even his hands holding her were placed respectfully—one under her neck as a pillow, the other around her waist and resting on her back, with no intention of groping or touching inappropriately.
Then, he said softly, "Oyasumi."
Nijika's little face was scorching hot, almost hot enough to steam. She raised her head and stole a glance at Fumiya Jin's face.
"Alright... I'll indulge you just this once," she murmured softly.
A heart-stopping phone alarm rang.
"Ah... why is there an alarm...?" Even Nijika, suddenly awakened by the ringing, was disoriented. She pouted and rubbed her eyes, only to find... that while she had been lying on her side facing away from Fumiya Jin, she was now facing him, curled up in his arms, her nose close enough to touch his chin when she looked up.
Fumiya Jin had also just woken up. Hearing her, he sounded helpless. "Is it possible that I couldn't have gotten you into this position unless you turned over yourself?"
Too embarrassed to admit it, she just puffed her cheeks and changed the subject. "So, what's with the alarm?"
"I set it. There's something important to do next," Fumiya Jin said. "Do you remember the girl who came out of the room across from us before the first instance ended? Her name is Yuki Suou, from our school..."
Fumiya Jin then briefly explained that Yuki Suou had contacted him with an invitation. After all, Nijika had entrusted the rest of her life to him; he definitely had to tell her about something this important. He hadn't mentioned it before simply because he didn't want to distract her before she entered the instance.
After hearing him out, a worried look appeared on Nijika's face. "So... you're planning to accept her invitation?"
Fumiya Jin nodded and gave his reasons. "First, the Suou family has powerful connections, funds, and social resources to mobilize. Teaming up with her can get us a lot of support and extra intel. Second, based on the previous instances, random teammates are mostly unreliable, so the more of 'our own people' we have, the easier it is to survive. Although we can't queue as a team of three yet, it will probably be unlocked soon. Third, Yuki Suou's personal abilities are quite strong. This trip shouldn't be too dangerous, but it will let me get another wave of rewards and unlock three-person queuing sooner. From a strategic perspective, it's definitely a net gain. When the time comes, the three of us entering together will definitely have an advantage over just the two of us."
Nijika listened and knew he had a point, but she couldn't help but worry. She could also see that he had made this decision after careful consideration.
The girl sighed softly. "Alright, since you've already decided, I'll support you."
She fiddled with a strand of her hair and lowered her head slightly. "From your description, that Miss Suou must be much more capable than me. If you're with her... you two will definitely be able to clear the instance easily, right...?"
Fumiya Jin saw the girl's slight dejection and smiled, reaching up to pinch her cheek. "Why are you being so self-deprecating again?"
"Not at all," Fumiya Jin shook his head. "Everyone has their own area of expertise, and there are many things in this world that only you can do. Nijika, especially the hardworking Nijika you are now, is not inferior to anyone."
"Nijika is the girl in this world who needs to worry about this kind of thing the least."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Okay, I understand."
In the entryway. Fumiya Jin finished putting on his shoes, ready to leave.
"Fumi~"
Fumiya Jin turned his head and saw Nijika.
"Why did you come down? Didn't I tell you to get some good sleep upstairs?" Fumiya Jin asked.
"I remembered something I wanted to tell you..." Nijika fiddled with her hair. "Um... come a little closer, lend me your ear."
Fumiya Jin smiled. He didn't bother asking "Why are we whispering when there's no one else in the house?". He played along, walking over and leaning his ear toward her.
"Mwah~"
______
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