His Cousin Acknowledges Shirou / Shirou Spends the Night at a Hotel with Mashiro

"Alright, alright, take good care of this kid! You're always welcome to come work here!" The female shop manager smiled, patted Shirou on the shoulder, and gave him a thumbs up.

"Shirou... I'm sleepy." Mashiro said, tugging at Shirou's sleeve.

The female shop manager covered her mouth and laughed, with an expression that said, "So that's how it is." Then she said, "Oh, right, Shirou, you should take your girlfriend home soon!"

Shirou realized he couldn't explain it clearly either, and in order not to worry the shopkeeper, he could only take Mashiro and head towards the street.

But what to do now? With a child in tow, and being a newcomer himself, he had nowhere to stay. Just then, Shirou suddenly realized that the place he had led Mashiro to seemed to have a lot of pink-signed inns around.

In the end, Shirou had no choice but to take Mashiro to an apartment managed by the yakuza. All he had to do was pay a fee and register his name; no identification was required, and he could spend the night in a small hotel.

Mashiro should have stayed at a proper hotel, while he could have just found somewhere to make do. However, it's impossible to feel at ease leaving the child alone. He might get strangled by his clothes or drown in the washbasin. Compared to the one who had the black-clad head maid, Mashiro here is even less capable of taking care of himself.

Inside the room, Shirou shoved the girl into the bathroom, telling her to take a hot bath. Then he picked up her phone and used Magecraft to fix it.

During the day, Mashiro texted her cousin before arriving at the station, and then her phone fell into the water. Now that Shirou has fixed her phone, as soon as she turned it on, text messages started flooding in like crazy.

The phone rang immediately afterward! Shirou turned his head away, walked backwards into the bathroom, and handed the phone to Mashiro, who was in the bathroom, saying, "It's your call. Explain things to them properly first."

Shirou walked out of the bathroom, made two cups of ginger tea to cool himself off. The combination of heat and cold today was enough to make even him sick, let alone the girl.

"Oh." The girl pressed the answer button, followed by a somewhat noisy woman's voice. Even though the speakerphone wasn't on, Shirou was still startled by the piercing hissing sound.

"Mashiro! Where are you right now!?" The person who called was Sengoku Chihiro.

This person can be considered a distant relative of Mashiro in Japan. Although they are not related by blood but share the same surname, Mashiro should call her her cousin. Because she works as an art school teacher, which is related to Mashiro's ambition to become a manga artist, she was asked to help take care of Mashiro.

Overall, he's a pretty terrible guy, and the one who caused Shirou and Mashiro to meet.

It was because she was drunk that she messed things up. She was supposed to pick up Mashiro, but she was late. She didn't expect Mashiro to have dropped her phone in the water and couldn't contact her at all. As a result, she forgot about her cousin Mashiro outside until she sobered up.

When she sobered up, she realized the situation was very serious. After all, her cousin was completely lacking in common sense, unable to take care of herself, and it wouldn't be surprising if she wasn't careful and got abducted. She decided to contact her cousin. If she couldn't reach her by tonight, she would call the police.

Mashiro moved the phone away from her ear a short distance, and only brought it back after the noise subsided. She replied slowly, "Hmm? I was taking a bath in the bathroom."

"Bathroom? Where are you? Who are you with?!" the voice on the other end of the phone shouted.

"I'm in the hotel bathroom, um, with Shirou," Mashiro replied.

"Pfft...!!!" Shirou, who was outside the bathroom, was parched from being busy for so long. He had just taken a sip of the ginger tea he had just brewed when he heard the girl's words and immediately spat it out.

"Who is Shirou? Which bastard is he?" a loud shout came from the other end of the phone.

"Shirou is Shirou," Mashiro said, tilting her head.

"What does he look like? How old is he?" the person on the other end of the phone pressed.

"Hmm..." Mashiro paused for a moment, then looked at Shirou, unsure how to describe it. She could draw it realistically, but describing it verbally was too difficult.

At this point, Shirou dared not just listen, otherwise he didn't know what kind of misunderstanding it would cause. If the other side called the police, he would go bankrupt and live a life of fleeing from then on in search of happiness in this world.

"Mashiro, I'm coming in. Anyway, let me explain." He had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk into the bathroom, intending to take the phone and help Mashiro explain.

However, at this moment, Mashiro, who was soaking in the bathtub, already had her own plans. She submerged her mouth in the water, revealing her two big eyes, and stared intently at Shirou, who was walking in from outside, ready to pounce!

"No..." Shirou's expression changed. He realized what the girl was about to do and quickly reached out to stop her, otherwise things would become increasingly difficult to explain.

Mashiro raised her phone with both hands and pointed it at Shirou...

Glug glug~! Snap~!

A flash of light, followed by a loud sound, and then the photo was sent out by Mashiro without warning.

From the scene, it looks like Shirou is reaching out to snatch the phone from Mashiro's hand, and it's happening in the bathroom...

Great! The evidence of the crime has been sent out...

Chapter 819 My cousin acknowledges Shirou

The photos are extremely suspicious!

The surrounding scenery—the walls covered with water-resistant tiles, the floor non-slip, the shower head above, and the shampoo, shower gel, and lubricant placed nearby—clearly revealed the bathroom environment.

As for the outermost side-opening door, a young man walked in. He was in the prime of his life, and his actions clearly indicated that he wanted to stop the person being filmed.

If it's submitted to the police, it's already pretty much confirmed. The only remaining question is whether it was consensual or a kidnapping by one party. A natural child like Mashiro couldn't possibly be involved in a honey trap.

The worst part is that there's a pink inflatable mat leaning against the wall.

It's important to know that this place was actually set up by the underworld to facilitate people's clandestine and shady activities. After all, legitimate service industries are subject to various restrictions, so people can do whatever they want here under the protection of the underworld. Therefore, the decoration style is predictably filled with eroticism.

In the drawer at the other end of the bed, all sorts of indescribable props are sold, and in the wardrobe, you can rent all kinds of strange clothes, which are said to enhance the feelings and fun between men and women.

Shirou stated that he had absolutely no interest in these things.

"What?! He's about the same age as me, and handsome too! Unbelievable..." The other person's wicked nature was revealed without any attempt to hide it.

"Hmm?" Mashiro tilted her head in confusion, wondering what the other person was talking about.

"Ahem, no... I mean, did the other person not lay a hand on you?" Sengoku Chihiro changed her question. Although, in her opinion, if they really had, it wouldn't have been a loss; in fact, it would have been a gain. But the person in question was Mashiro, and it wasn't the same as her situation.

"Hands touching? Hands touching, and feet touching while walking?" Mashiro didn't quite understand the meaning of this phrase.

"No, I mean he didn't touch your body." Sengoku Chihiro said, rubbing her head and enduring the stinging pain. She had been drinking all day and still hadn't woken up.

"Ah, so you mean my whole body has been touched?" Mashiro said honestly.

"What!!!" Sengoku Chihiro shouted from the other end of the line. Ever since she made the call, her heart had been in a state of shock and turmoil.

"..." Shirou, listening from the side, was also on tenterhooks. How could this be getting more and more outrageous? Whose fault was this anyway?! It was because you didn't know how to dress yourself, change your clothes, or clean yourself properly that you caught a cold! And why didn't you care at all? Am I becoming more and more cynical?

Shirou covered his face, feeling increasingly disgusted with himself the more he thought about it.

"I felt it when they were helping me change my clothes. I fell into the water earlier," Mashiro continued.

'Why didn't you say that sooner! Saying only half a sentence can lead to misunderstandings that are terrifying,' Shirou thought to himself.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Sengoku Chihiro, on the other end, opened another can of beer, took a big gulp, and felt that everything was fine.

"Chihiro?" Mashiro asked after a long silence on the other end of the phone.

"If you're feeling unwell or unhappy right now, I'll come pick you up right now," Sengoku Chihiro said.

"No..." Mashiro shook her head and said, there's nothing wrong with staying here.

"Are you sure you don't need it?" the other person asked again, confirming.

"Hmm, I think it's fine," Mashiro replied without hesitation.

"Is that so? Then give the phone to the boy who's taking care of you, and I'll pick you up tomorrow," Sengoku Chihiro said.

"Okay!" Mashiro obediently replied.

The girl blinked, glanced at the hot water in the bathtub where she was soaking, and then looked at Shirou was squatting by the bathroom door drawing circles. She made a decision: she wanted to be considerate of Shirou had worked hard all day.

The girl stood up from the bathtub and was about to leave when she handed her phone to Shirou, who was squatting by the door, unsure whether to go in or out.

"Thank you... Hmm? Hmm!"

Shirou turned around and saw a girl who had come out completely naked, without even wearing a towel. Because of the hot bath, her cheeks were flushed, and her fair skin was radiating heat, making her even more attractive than usual.

"Don't just walk out like that without any clothes on!" Shirou quickly turned his head and said urgently.

"Oh..." Mashiro lowered her head and agreed somewhat unhappily. She clearly wanted to take care of Shirou, but he didn't appreciate it at all.

After getting Mashiro back into the bathtub, Shirou answered the phone with a complicated expression, resignedly explaining the address and the specific situation.

"Um, Ms. Chihiro, hello. I'm sorry I only just managed to contact you. Miss Shiina is safe and sound, without any danger or harm. However, she didn't explain many things clearly, so please calm down and listen to my explanation."

After that, it's up to the other party to decide. Even if he's treated as a kidnapper and forced to live a life of disguise and escape, he's mentally prepared.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I've already guessed what happened. But you're such a kind person, thank you for taking care of Mashiro for me." Sengoku Chihiro leaned back in her chair opposite her and said casually.

To be honest, she wasn't really worried. This whole thing was full of problems, and a normal kidnapper wouldn't hand over their phone to their target to play with.

Another point is that she's certain Shiina Mashiro is an incredibly difficult problem to handle, and she has to pass the responsibility of taking care of her on to someone else! But who should she pass it on to? If she were in school, she could pass it on to a responsible student in her dorm, but it seems like she's not planning on going to school right now.

Hmm? Isn't there one right here? And the kid found it himself...

"Now that she's with you, I'm relieved. So I'll leave the rest to you. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning," said Sengoku Chihiro.

"... Huh? Really?" Shirou was stunned for a while before he reacted and said in surprise.

"Sure," Sengoku Chihiro replied with a smile.

"No, no, this isn't appropriate," Shirou said urgently.

"It's very late now, and it's not convenient for a weak woman like me to go out." The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly became soft and coquettish, sounding slightly affected. However, the other person seemed completely unconcerned about being exposed.

"Wait..." Shirou wanted to say something more.

However, the other party acted decisively, raising their voice to say:

"It's alright. If you really can't help yourself and do something, you'll have to choose between going to jail and marrying me. Goodbye~! See you tomorrow!" Sengoku Chihiro hung up the phone decisively, then opened a can of beer to celebrate her quick thinking.

Life doesn't need so many complicated things; all you need is another beer!

Cheers!

I need to take leave because of family matters.

I just got a call; my grandma injured her foot, and I heard it's quite serious. I'm taking a taxi back to visit her now. I won't be updating today; I'll see if I can type this on my phone tomorrow.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chapter 820: Shirou Spends the Night at a Hotel with Mashiro

"Wait a minute! Why am I marrying you? Cousin, can't you reconsider? We're a man and a woman alone in a room! Hey! Hey? Hey?" Shirou yelled in frustration, but his rant was too late to get through, as the phone was already busy.

At that moment, the sound of rushing water came from the bathroom again. The girl, having soaked in the hot bath for a while, came out again and said to the man outside the door:

"Shirou, I'm done washing up. Help me get dressed..."

"Yes... yes..." Shirou reluctantly agreed. He couldn't ignore it even if he wanted to, since the girl hadn't even brought in any change of clothes.

"Should I wear bunny girl pajamas or catgirl pajamas?" Shirou pushed open the wardrobe, looked at the clothes provided inside, and then turned around to ask.

"Both the rabbit and the cat look good, let's wear the rabbit one today," Mashiro thought seriously for a moment and agreed.

"I understand," Shirou replied, carrying the indoor version of the bunny girl outfit, and walked into the bathroom.

There are actually quite a few clothes to choose from in the wardrobe, but since they don't expose the key areas and are made of fabric more like pajamas, there are only these two types left.

With a soft rustling sound, the girl finally finished changing her clothes.

The white, fluffy ears and pink ear canals sway as she walks. Although it's made of the most ordinary material, it looks exceptionally good on the young girl.

Her long, light golden hair, freshly conditioned, looked silky smooth and shiny.

It is said that clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha, but it seems that even the Iroha needs a true immortal to complement it.

Mashiro is the best model. Although this part is a bit off, Shirou has to admit that the girl is indeed very beautiful and charming.

"Anyway, let's have some tea to cool off and avoid catching a cold." Shirou looked away, picked up the tea he had brewed earlier from the table, and handed it to the girl.

"Thank you." The girl in Mashiro obediently accepted the tea.

Shirou felt the atmosphere was a little awkward and turned his head away. The two of them held their teacups together and drank quietly.

Mashiro finished her hot ginger tea, her face flushing even more. She put down the cup, looked at Shirou, and asked, "Hmm, finished drinking... Shirou, are you going to sleep?"

"Pfft..." Shirou spat out another mouthful of liquid. Why did it feel like he'd drunk ginger tea? Should he start saying things like that again?

Is this an invitation? Does this child even have any sense of gender?

Why does this sound like a crime? What kind of drink would make a girl want to sleep with him?

Indeed... people in the arts tend to be more open-minded. Some, like Picasso, are promiscuous, fathering countless illegitimate children like a breeding ground, and refusing to acknowledge or care about any of them.

Da Vinci, a long-bearded old man like Dumbledore, transformed himself into his ideal self and even painted a smiling self-portrait.

It hung in an inconspicuous place in the Louvre Museum in France for over a hundred years, completely unknown, before being stolen by an Italian guy, which led to it being published in the newspapers, making it known to everyone, and eventually becoming one of the most famous paintings in the world.

When the Van Gogh came, he cut off his own ear.

Thinking about it this way, it's not impossible for a young, vigorous girl to have a relationship with a boy of similar age.

"Shirou..." Mashiro called the boy's name in a deep voice.

At this moment, the girl's cheeks still retained the rosy blush from the steam of the bath, and her amber eyes, illuminated by the lamplight, burned like flames as she stared intently at Shirou.

"Um, I... I'll go take a shower now." Shirou awkwardly looked away, trying to escape the awkward atmosphere. If he didn't leave soon, things might get out of hand.

"Shirou..." The girl reached out and grabbed the boy's clothes, preventing him from leaving.

Shirou stopped and tried to turn his head, but he froze halfway through.

Could it be that the girl has also become interested and wants to do that? No, no, no! Shirou dismissed the thought in his mind.