After drinking the mush made by crushing and heating compressed biscuits, much of the color returned to Shimaura Hitomi's cheeks, and her eyes became bright and lively again.
Her features were lovely—the kind that looked beautiful without makeup. Makeup only made things harder; in other words, it took seasoned skill and experience to enhance Shimaura Hitomi's looks with cosmetics.
Shimaura Hitomi had said that every time she tried putting on makeup, the neither-human-nor-ghost thing in the mirror scared her off. After enough attempts, she had given up on the idea.
Kiyoharu took out a wet wipe from the pocket of his outdoor jacket and wiped her face. As usual, Shimaura Hitomi thanked him, watching Kiyoharu through the white mesh of the wipe.
What will Senpai do to me?
He had changed what had happened in reality and brought her to this cabin. Surely they were not here merely to rest.
Dreams magnified the evil desires hidden in people's hearts. For instance, Shimaura Hitomi had longed for Kiyoharu's embrace, and that wish had come true during their last dream excursion.
The chill from outside seeped in through the cracks of the wooden cabin. Even with the fire burning, Shimaura Hitomi still shivered a little. She tried to put her coat back on, but Kiyoharu spoke first. "If you're cold, come here."
Seeing Kiyoharu open his arms, Shimaura Hitomi only hesitated symbolically before thanking him and happily leaning over.
The instant she pressed against Kiyoharu's chest, his hand naturally wrapped around her waist from behind and slowly moved upward.
The fitted cashmere sweater perfectly emphasized Shimaura Hitomi's advantages. Come to think of it, Kiyoharu had always liked this type—short but well-endowed. One of his girlfriends in his previous life had had a similar build.
As he recalled, when those women had come at him with kitchen knives, that petite, curvy girlfriend had claimed his right hand.
"Mmm, Senpai~" Under Kiyoharu's caress, Shimaura Hitomi could not help letting out a coquettish sound. "Do you like it here, Senpai?"
"I do." Kiyoharu brought his nose close to the back of Shimaura Hitomi's head, brushed aside the damp ends of her hair from crossing the cave, and kissed the girl's tender neck.
Shimaura Hitomi's body stiffened as if shocked, then swiftly heated up.
Senpai's embrace really did chase away the cold!
Perhaps it was too comfortable. Coupled with Kiyoharu's active teasing, Shimaura Hitomi could not help feeling a sense of guilt. She asked, "Does Senpai usually do this with Airi at home too? Hers should be bigger than mine... um..."
Was hers more pleasant, or was mine?
Shimaura Hitomi was too embarrassed to say it aloud, but Kiyoharu soon cut her off with an irritated wave of his hand. "Don't mention that Red-Eyed Devil."
His other hand did not stop moving, continuing to enjoy that soft, full presence.
R-Red-Eyed Devil?!
It was Shimaura Hitomi's first time hearing someone call Airi that. Usually, everyone exaggerated how noble and beautiful Airi's red eyes were. Who would associate them with a devil? Besides, it reminded Shimaura Hitomi of the red-eyed fruit flies from high school biology, making it oddly funny.
More importantly, the irritated, mocking tone in Kiyoharu's voice made it clear that he had quite a problem with Airi.
She recalled what Ayano had said during the day—telling her to bring warmth to a husband living a miserable life. And judging from Kiyoharu's inner thoughts in the dream, there really did seem to be a problem between him and Airi.
With that in mind, Shimaura Hitomi's courage swelled. She snuggled further into Kiyoharu's arms and said softly, "If anything in Senpai's everyday life makes you unhappy, you can tell me. Senpai helps me so much at school, so I should help share your burdens too."
As she spoke, Shimaura Hitomi took Kiyoharu's hand and pressed it against her chest, signaling for him to use more force.
She was no longer satisfied with gentle teasing.
Kiyoharu nearly cried. Look at this—where had this little angel come from? After taking abuse from the Young Lady every day, perhaps his subconscious had begun imagining an upgraded angel version of Shimaura Hitomi.
It was a little perverted, but it was actually a good thing. If he could enter Lucid Dreams like this often, Kiyoharu would have someone to confide in—and someone completely risk-free.
The Red-Eyed Devil could not possibly come into his dreams to arrest him, could she?
Kiyoharu put his skills to work. Before long, Shimaura Hitomi's eyes misted over, her thighs unconsciously tightening and relaxing as her body restlessly twisted in Kiyoharu's embrace.
Seizing the chance, Kiyoharu cupped her cheek and lowered his head to kiss her.
Some said people could not imagine things they had never known, but Kiyoharu felt that Shimaura Hitomi's soft little lips in reality could not have been much different.
After a long while, their lips parted.
A glistening transparent thread reflected the orange-red glow of the stove, illuminating the girl's flushed cheeks.
Shimaura Hitomi rested both hands on Kiyoharu's shoulders, sprawled against his chest and breathing heavily like a well-behaved puppy that had just played fetch with its owner.
"Did you like it?"
"Mmm... I liked it..."
More than liked it—Shimaura Hitomi was so happy she felt like she might turn into a cloud in the sky.
Senpai was really good at this. Were these skills honed on Airi?
But his relationship with Airi seemed poor now. Instead, in this dream where he could do whatever he wanted, he had been getting handsy with her. Hmm...
Shimaura Hitomi thought of a saying: "The first person plants the tree; those who come after enjoy its shade."
Just as she was thinking of asking for more, the world spun before her eyes. The next second, Shimaura Hitomi jolted awake in the bedroom of her rented apartment.
Outside the window, the moon shone among sparse stars, while the desolate cry of a crow came from afar.
It took Shimaura Hitomi quite a while to calm herself. Then she suddenly grabbed her phone, typed out a message, and sent it to Kitahara Ayano.
Ayano-chan, I'll meet your request and seduce Senpai, providing you with material for your work. Please, please keep it secret. Don't tell the Young Lady. I'm begging you!
Setting aside the awkward situation of being controlled by someone else, Ayano's suggestion was not bad. With Ayano's help, Shimaura Hitomi would have more chances to steal Kiyoharu's advanced catalyst.
The premise was that Ayano could truly help her keep it from Airi.
Whenever Shimaura Hitomi imagined being exposed and discovered by Airi, she trembled uneasily. She was only a minor character. With her utterly ordinary family background, she simply could not bear the Young Lady's wrath.
In bustling Shibuya, in the expansive top-floor apartment of a luxury building, Kitahara Ayano sat curled up in her swivel chair with her knees hugged to her chest, sketching away on her drawing tablet.
Her phone notification sounded. She glanced at it, nodded in satisfaction, then turned her gaze toward the scene on her monitor, where the male lead was being intimate with a heavily endowed female character.
Clearly.
She had no way to use herself as the model for this scene. What she had was a fashionable figure in clothes and a perfectly proportioned B cup. Shimaura Hitomi, meanwhile, was practically born to be the template for a busty manga character.
After finishing several consecutive panels, Ayano nodded with satisfaction. As she got up to rest, she checked the updates on her social media app.
When she saw Kiyoharu's post about washing Airi's feet, Ayano laughed. Was that guy deliberately showing her how harmonious his family life was?
It was a bit of a show-off.
Still, Kiyoharu-kun's outlook was indeed different from that of most of Todai's stuffy top students.
What ordinary man washed his fiancée's feet and then posted about it online to show off?
Kiyoharu seemed completely unconcerned about what others thought, just as he had ignored all objections and chosen to become a teacher, prompting many people in high society to call him unambitious.
Later, his teaching achievements became outstanding, and many distinguished families even invited him to tutor their children. That was another matter entirely.
Ayano stared at the censored photo of the foot-washing tub for a while. She pulled on a pair of white thigh-high socks, struck a seductive pose, found the right angle, took a close-up photo of her feet, and sent it to Kiyoharu.
A pair of lovely feet that can unlock more functions—this is for the perverted foot-fetishist Kiyoharu-kun.
In this regard, she was confident she would not lose to Airi.
Before you continue