Chapter 144: Aches and Pains (Part 1)
After Ishikawa Hayato returned to his room, he found Ryo's Mother still there.
He smiled helplessly.
Ryo's Mother watched him enter, and with Ryo not following him, she asked guiltily.
"Where's Ryo?"
"She went back to sleep."
Hearing Ishikawa Hayato say this, and recalling their tacit understanding, she sighed.
"Are you two really not dating?"
Ishikawa Hayato didn't answer.
Seeing his expression, Ryo's Mother roughly understood the situation.
They didn't need the superficial relationship of a boyfriend and girlfriend, and perhaps never would.
She reconsidered after the two had left.
Judging from Ryo's reaction, Ryo's words couldn't be interpreted as she initially assumed.
What her daughter really meant was... as long as the five of them could maintain this atmosphere, she had no objections.
Realizing this, she couldn't help but sigh.
Her daughter was truly difficult to understand.
"Hayato-kun, I understand what you're saying. I'll discuss it with my husband later."
She said, a smile appearing on her face, which was similar to Ryo's.
"Of course, if Ryo is happy to accept it, I have no objections. Besides, Hayato-kun doesn't seem to have any flaws other than being a pervert."
After she finished speaking, she saw Ishikawa Hayato wanting to run but not quite daring to, standing rooted to the spot and saying.
"Thank you very much for your approval..."
She smiled, but the next moment her smile faded.
In her line of sight, Ryo walked in from the doorway again, looking sleepy and displeased.
She quickly walked to her side, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out.
"I'm sleepy, go to bed quickly."
Watching Ryo's mother being happily pulled away by Ryo, Ishikawa Hayato let out a long sigh of relief.
...
After a night's sleep, Nijika woke up early and sat up directly from her futon.
Although her body still felt a bit heavy, her habit of waking up early was ingrained in her bones.
She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room.
The morning light, before the sun had risen, streamed in through the window.
The light reflected diffusely throughout the room, making the entire space seem quiet and desolate.
To her left, Ryo was lying on her side, her usually expressionless face having a certain charm when she was asleep.
To her right, Hitori was half-hugging her blanket, sleeping soundly.
On the far right, Kita was restlessly stretching out her hand, which reached Hitori's sheet.
Even in her sleep, she seemed to be smiling.
Seeing that the other three were still sleeping peacefully, her mood improved a bit.
This time, she had been worried about something going wrong, like an extra person or a missing person in their room in the morning.
Fortunately, nothing like that happened.
Today, there was no need to worry.
Their plan was only to stay out for two days.
This evening, Ryo's mother would come to pick them up and take them home.
She tiptoed up, preparing to wash up and make breakfast for everyone.
Walking out of the room and closing the door, she stretched, moved her arms, and sighed.
"It really hurts. Is my usual amount of exercise not enough...?"
As she turned, she subconsciously glanced at Ishikawa Hayato's room.
She blinked in surprise, then did a double take.
The door to Ishikawa Hayato's room was wide open.
She hurried over.
No one was inside.
The bed was neatly made.
If it weren't for the different way the blankets were folded, she would have suspected he hadn't slept in the bed last night.
Where did he go?
Nijika went downstairs to the first floor, looked around, but didn't see him.
At the entrance, she noticed that Ishikawa Hayato's shoes were gone.
After a brief hesitation, she put on her shoes and walked out.
She wasn't in a hurry to make breakfast.
Before, when they had a sleepover at her house, except for Hitori who woke up a bit early, Kita was also a late sleeper, and Ryo even more so.
Ryo wouldn't get up if she wasn't called for breakfast.
Stepping out of the villa, the sky outside was still a pale blue-white.
The wind was cool yet cold.
It was surprisingly cold—who would have thought there could be such a biting wind even in the summer?
Nijika showed a reluctant expression, but still looked left and right, then turned and walked towards the beach.
At the beach, amidst the sound of the waves, she saw a figure bobbing in the water.
He was striking the waves with both arms, swimming at an astonishing speed in the sea.
He's here.
She exhaled, smiled slightly, and at the same time felt a shiver.
Although she knew the water wasn’t much colder than the shore, her body still felt a chill imagining swimming in this cold morning.
She didn't go to greet Ishikawa Hayato, but stood by the shore, letting the cold sea breeze blow her clothes, quietly waiting for him.
In no time, Ishikawa Hayato noticed Nijika standing on the shore.
He quickly swam to the shore, walked out of the water, and hurried towards Nijika.
"Good morningー!?"
Nijika was going to greet him, but seeing Ishikawa Hayato looking at her with a surprised expression and extending his hand, she knew he was about to tease her, so she didn't want to greet him anymore.
She looked at him with disdain, wondering what trick he was playing.
Ishikawa Hayato reached out and poked Nijika's cheek.
"Oh, this ‘Waiting-for-Husband’ stone is actually soft.”
"Who's a Waiting-for-Husband’ stone?"
Nijika slapped his hand away, but seeing the smile on his face, she couldn't help but smile along.
"Then it seems you're calling me home for a meal."
Ishikawa Hayato walked to the side, picked up his clothes that were pressed down by a stone on the ground, put on his pants, then took his clothes to Nijika and draped them over her.
"I'm all wet, Nijika, help me put this on."
"Put on your own clothes! If you went swimming but didn't bring a towel. What if you catch a cold?"
Nijika didn't listen to him.
Instead, she started scolding him, then took his clothes and put them on him with her backhand.
Ishikawa Hayato obediently let Nijika dress him.
Watching her quickly buttoning his shirt, he said.
"A cold? That's an unfamiliar word."
Nijika looked up at him with disdain, noticing that water was still dripping from his hair, and said.
"No shaking your head."
"Looks like Ryo got you with that one," Ishikawa Hayato chuckled.
"Yeah, it was really tough."
Nijika smiled and patted Ishikawa Hayato's arm, saying, "Meeting you two was really the worst thing. Let's go back."
"Nijika's great kindness, I will remember it for a lifetime."
As the two walked back along the path, upon hearing the phrase “for a lifetime,” Nijika shot Ishikawa Hayato a sidelong glance, and Ishikawa Hayato, realizing his intention had been discovered, smiled foolishly.
Both of them suddenly felt relieved.
Nijika: 'Good thing this pervert wore underwear.'
Ishikawa Hayato: 'Good thing I wore underwear when I went out swimming.'
...
Back at the villa, Ishikawa Hayato went to shower, and Nijika went to prepare breakfast.
Ishikawa Hayato finished showering in no time, washed and hung his clothes, glanced at the brightening sky, and walked towards the kitchen.
He watched Nijika busy at work and naturally went to help.
"I'll help prepare."
Nijika didn't refuse and made some space.
The two worked together perfectly, quickly preparing several breakfasts in the kitchen.
However, as she was sprinkling seasoning on the last breakfast, Ishikawa Hayato took out a can of white sugar and, in front of Nijika, sprinkled it onto the dish still in the pan.
When he had only poured a tiny bit, Nijika grabbed his hand to stop him from pouring more, pressed down on the sugar can, and forcefully placed it on the table.
She turned around, hands on her hips, and asked Ishikawa Hayato with a beaming smile.
"Hayato-kun, do you know? Seasoning is a very important part of cooking. Are you dissatisfied with my cooking, or are you trying to make me angry?"
Ishikawa Hayato, who had thought he could enjoy sweet and sticky dishes freely after leaving home, pitifully shrugged his shoulders.
"Putting on a pitiful act won't work. I've already allowed you to add more than enough."
Seeing his scheme discovered, Ishikawa Hayato stopped pretending.
He said with a brilliant smile.
"Nijika is the best."
Nijika looked at him blankly.
She wasn't falling for that anymore.
Ishikawa Hayato quickly caved and carried the breakfast Nijika had made out.
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