Chapter 424

Haihara was thinking about all sorts of random things.

And so, she waited until almost eight o'clock.

Seeing that Kazama Kiriori still showed no sign of coming out, Haihara felt a surge of curiosity and wanted to secretly go and take a look.

She put the snake back in the glass box.

Step by step, she walked quietly to the bedroom door. After thinking for a while with a blank expression, she slowly turned the handle and pushed the bedroom door open a crack.

As expected, it was very quiet inside.

Before this, Haihara had never stepped into Kazama Kiriori's room, but upon seeing it, she discovered that it was indeed filled with many plush toys and cushions, making it more girly than she had imagined.

However...

"..."

Haihara paused, somewhat surprised.

Kazama Kiriori was not still asleep in the bedroom.

The girl, two years older than her, was leaning against the headboard, hunched over, panting heavily in a terrible state, like a sick dog.

It seems that Kazama Kiriori had already woken up.

After hesitating for a moment, Haihara pushed open the door and went into the bedroom to check on Kazama Kiriori's condition.

This composed beauty with a pretty face looked like she hadn't slept well; her eyelids were tired, and her face was as pale as if covered by a layer of haze.

Are you feeling unwell?

Haihara thought Kazama Kiriori sick and reached out to touch her forehead.

But it wasn't too hot.

At that moment, Kazama Kiriori subconsciously raised her hand to touch Haihara's hand. Haihara didn't resist much, but just looked at her as if waiting for an answer.

It seemed like it took Kazama Kiriori a while to react.

"... I."

"Um?"

Kazama Kiriori looked quite different this morning than usual.

There wasn't that feeling of reliability.

It's like glass that's easily broken.

"Sorry, I just had some nightmares... I should get up now, don't worry about me."

Kazama Kiriori's gaze flickered uncertainly.

It looks like I had a really bad nightmare.

He looked weak, and his face looked like he was about to cry.

"Get up? You look terrible. Why don't you rest for a while? Is there anything you'd like for breakfast?"

Haihara looked worried.

Kazama Kiriori wanted to refuse, but seeing Haihara's concerned expression, she seemed to hold back something, then fell silent and whispered:

"That's true... I'll stay here a little longer. As for breakfast, we'll talk about it later today."

"Teacher, you don't need to worry."

It means she should just stay here alone for a while longer.

That's true.

Normally, Haihara should leave the bedroom now to give Kazama Kiriori time to deal with everything. Although she felt it wasn't a good idea, there was nothing she could do for her.

However, when she tried to look at Kazama Kiriori and accidentally met her gaze, it was a completely different story.

It really looked like a pitiful expression.

It's hard to describe.

Like a shivering dog that can no longer resist the urge to be affectionate and dependent.

Moreover, those pitiful eyes would occasionally be used to steal glances at him.

Haihara couldn't stand that expression.

"Kazama, is there anything you want to tell me?"

She leaned closer so the other person could speak clearly in a very soft voice.

Kazama Kiriori realized her lapse in composure and lowered her head. "No, it's nothing... What's wrong?"

"If I can help, you can tell me."

Haihara's expression remained calm, seemingly unsurprised and unconcerned by anything Kazama Kiriori said.

Upon hearing these words, Kazama Kiriori instinctively clutched the blanket.

This suggestion appears to be under consideration.

She abandoned her usual maturity and efficiency, revealing an indecisive look, just like Haihara Lily Chou a couple of days ago.

This silence lasted for a while in the room.

Finally, a faint blush appeared on Kazama Kiriori's face. She almost buried her face, not wanting to look directly at Haihara now, and whispered—

"Can I... give you a hug?"

The girl's voice was low and hoarse, until it became almost inaudible.

For a moment, Haihara thought she had misheard.

But right now, this shy big dog was indeed asking for a hug.

Haihara opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

That's... that's quite normal. After all, if you really have a terrible nightmare, you might want to seek comfort, usually from your mother or someone similar.

Well, although I'm not Kazama Kiriori's mother.

Haihara's voice also became somewhat dry.

"... oh."

She wasn't sure if she had actually said "yes," but her body had already moved to the edge of the bed, within a distance where Kazama Kiriori could comfortably hug her.

Haihara didn't seem particularly embarrassed.

However, she would be a little nervous if she were to hug Kazama Kiriori.

"OK."

Kazama Kiriori seemed to really want a hug.

Or perhaps she had wanted this for a long time, but had been holding back.

After Haihara agreed, she didn't hide how pathetic she looked. After a while, slowly, Kazama Kiriori hugged her.

Kazama Kiriori appeared expressionless, and after she hugged Haihara couldn't see what happened next.

In Haihara's view, it seemed that she was the more inexperienced one.

"..."

At first, it felt very cold and large, and almost the whole body was pressing down on me.

Then came the sweet and itchy warmth of a young girl's body.

It's different from the feeling of hugging Takanashi, where you feel that the other person is more delicate and needs to be handled with more care.

Everything about Kazama Kiriori evoked strong feelings in her.

Breathing, body temperature, arms, and also the chest.

It's very soft.

But after that, Haihara sensed more of Kazama Kiriori's current emotions.

She also reached out and hugged Kazama Kiriori.

"Just a nightmare? Is something upsetting you?"

The smaller Haihara of Haibara, like a mother, gently patted Kazama Kiriori's back and asked a question.

She could hear Kazama Kiriori's breathing, which sounded like a child's.

She didn't know why she felt like a child.

It has a kind of coquettish meaning.

"I just want you by my side when I have nightmares..."

The large, cold dog's voice was hoarse yet endearing.

The words she blurted out unconsciously were excessively sweet.

Furthermore, when holding Haihara, Kazama Kiriori also likes to smell Haihara scent.

Haihara was worried that she might have an unpleasant odor.

Next, it seemed that Kazama Kiriori had drawn enough inspiration from Haihara, and she no longer looked haggard and anxious because of a nightmare.

In short, this little incident passed peacefully.

Although Kazama Kiriori was so embarrassed afterward that she barely said a word, thankfully Haihara was the same.

This situation continued until Kazama Kiriori went out to buy groceries and get some fresh air before noon.

Despite wearing a sweater that she thought was thick enough, Kazama Kiriori still felt cold outside and wanted to go home as soon as possible.

Compared to her mother, she is quite sensitive to the cold.

Even after spending so much time out grocery shopping, Kazama Kiriori still couldn't forget what happened that morning. Thinking about it, she couldn't help but pat her face, trying to calm herself down.

Recently, her emotions have indeed been a bit unstable.

She had just had a nightmare, but it made her think of all sorts of bad things, and she started worrying that something might have happened to her mother, which made her feel very depressed.

As a result... I couldn't resist acting cute with my current mother.

"... call."

She exhaled softly.

Lately, she has been feeling very uneasy.

Long before Christmas, she had a terrible nightmare and had a very bad feeling.

As a result, she didn't realize what was happening when her mother had the accident. By the time it occurred, her mother had been transformed into a high school student.

This only made her feel lingering fear.

If something even worse were to happen, her negligence would have unbearable consequences.

Therefore, she wanted to stay by her mother's side throughout this period.

One of the purposes of the Crystal she sent was to be able to confirm her mother's whereabouts at any time.

However... actually, if it weren't for all these worrying things lately, judging solely from her mother's current state, Kazama Kiriori has to admit that she's incredibly destructive.

She had just had several urges to be more intimate.

Fortunately, I managed to hold back in the end.

After calming down, Kazama Kiriori decided to adjust her mood and face her mother again.

On her way home, she walked from the snow-covered street to a doorway sheltered by eaves. Despite the narrow space, she didn't notice the woman standing beside her.

She bumped into it, then paused for a moment:

"I'm sorry... you?"

She froze before she could finish her sentence.

What came into her view was a woman as beautiful and alluring as a ripe fruit, yet possessing an ethereal quality.

The woman was dressed like any other human being, in winter clothes, but her face was unforgettable at first glance.