The Heroines All Regretted It

Yoru didn't randomly pick that seat just because Hayasaka was a quarter Irish, blonde, and cute.

Golden chest...

Yoru tilted his head, pretending to look out the window, but in truth he was watching the top of Hayasaka's head.

She had a golden chest icon too.

But her progress bar was pitifully low...

Based on past experience, even with regular interaction, it took a whole month for Megumi's progress to hit halfway.

Only physical contact or deeper intimacy could cause major boosts in progress!

Soon, the bus was full.

The driver reminded everyone to buckle up and started the engine.

There were no chaperones, so everyone was expected to behave.

Hayasaka silently fastened her seatbelt and snuck a glance at Yoru's profile, her eyes showing a hint of intrigue.

To be honest...

Hayasaka once thought Yoru's life was going to be miserable forever.

But after just one summer break, he had completely transformed into a ridiculously handsome guy.

Even someone like her, who never paid attention to boys, had to admit it.

Yoru was genuinely attractive and had a natural charm that drew women in.

Though she was the exception.

Back then, on orders from Kaguya, she had investigated Yoru thoroughly and dug up all his personal secrets.

Everything from what he bought to which websites he visited...

She knew it all.

So Hayasaka could say she understood Yoru quite well.

"People may look familiar, but their hearts are strangers..."

She muttered under her breath, folded her arms, and leaned against the window to nap.

"No idea how long this ride will take..."

The bus slowly pulled out from Shuchiin. Yoru took a candy from his pocket and popped it in his mouth.

He glanced at Hayasaka beside him, didn't feel like chatting, and pulled out his phone to browse the news.

If he ever found out someone had once ransacked all his private info and even stalked him, he'd lose his mind.

On weekends, the already-busy city became even more crowded.

Yoru's group was headed to a public nursing home in Arakawa Ward—

One of the poorest districts in Tokyo.

About an hour later.

The bus reached an older part of the city. The roads were narrow, and the buildings looked run-down.

Cars packed a small lane.

The bus carrying Shuchiin students crawled along like a turtle.

A few minutes later...

The driver finally had enough, stood up, and said, "Students, get off and walk from here."

"The nursing home is just five or six hundred meters ahead. Go straight, and you'll see it."

"Ugh, I told you we should've gotten off earlier."

"I can't hold it anymore."

"Let's go, it's already past nine."

The students didn't complain and all got up to exit.

"Don't push. One at a time."

As student council vice president, Kaguya came to the door to maintain order.

Yoru looked at Hayasaka's face, unsure whether to wake her.

The next second, Hayasaka, who had only been pretending to nap, suddenly opened her eyes and made eye contact with him.

"Hm?"

She blinked in surprise.

"I saw you sleeping and thought about waking you..."

Yoru awkwardly explained.

"I got it."

Hayasaka had been paying attention to everything in the bus, and she leaned on the window edge to stand up.

Yoru stood at the same time.

Just then, a chain collision happened on the narrow road.

The bus carrying Yoru and the others got hit in the back.

The repeated impacts jolted the vehicle.

Several students instinctively grabbed nearby handles for balance.

Hayasaka lost her footing, and the momentum threw her backward. Her head was about to slam into the bus interior.

Yoru quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"Hold on, we've got a collision at the back..."

"Is everyone okay? Nobody injured?"

The driver and Kaguya both looked toward the back.

"Thanks..."

Hayasaka looked at Yoru, then pulled her hand back.

"No problem."

Yoru nodded calmly and glanced behind.

'I actually confessed to him before...'

Hayasaka stood steadily again, remembering how she once lost a bet and was forced to confess to Yoru at a subway station.

Looking at Yoru now, she suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

The rear-end incident quickly settled down.

It had been a chain reaction.

Yoru didn't linger and got off the bus.

He followed the large crowd forward.

The nursing home being in a remote, shabby area wasn't surprising—it'd never be in the city center.

Kaguya led the way at the front.

Yoru walked near the back of the group, where a few girls deliberately slowed down to strike up conversation with him.

He felt a little surprised and unsure of what to do...

And a bit annoyed.

A while later, the nursing home finally came into view.

Everyone arrived at the entrance. A plaque read "Arakawa Ward Nursing Home."

The surrounding area was open and spacious, with flat roads and a clean, tidy environment.

A caregiver from the nursing home was there to greet them.

A woman in her thirties walked up.

Kaguya stepped forward to coordinate.

"Thank you, students of Shuchiin, for coming to our nursing home to help and care for the elderly."

"Come in and take a short break."

The caregiver waved them inside.

There was no fence or wire enclosing the facility, but there was a large arched gate with a plaque.

It covered a huge area, and the ground was paved with cement.

As Yoru and the others entered, the caregiver gave a brief introduction about the nursing home.

Japan was a highly aging society, and this place functioned as a social welfare institution.

Once inside, Yoru could see many elderly people strolling around.

The caregiver quickly introduced the buildings, the cafeteria, where to get water if thirsty, bathrooms, tool rooms, and vegetable gardens...

And explained their task for the day.

They were here as one-day volunteer workers.

But it wouldn't be exhausting—there were breaks, and after finishing light tasks, they could spend time with the elderly, play chess, or chat.

After a short rest, the caregiver began assigning tasks, calling names from a roster.

"Tokisaki Kurumi..."

"Here!"

Tokisaki Kurumi, dressed in her Shuchiin uniform, stepped out from the group.

"Tokisaki."

Yoru's gaze was drawn to her.

Every time he saw Kurumi, he would think of his own Kurumi back home.

"Kitakami Yoru."

Hearing his name, Yoru stepped forward confidently.

"This student is so handsome," the caregiver muttered, then resumed calling names.

Soon, the twenty students had all been assigned their tasks.

Yoru, Kurumi, and two other boys were sent to the vegetable garden to weed and catch pests.

The four gathered together.

They clearly weren't close. After brief greetings, they acknowledged each other and moved on.

They headed to the tool shed to pick up gardening tools.

The other two boys walked ahead together, while Yoru and Kurumi walked a little closer—at least they'd met before.

"What a coincidence, Kitakami-kun."

Kurumi greeted him with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, kind of is," Yoru chuckled.

At the tool shed, each person received a pair of old gloves and a small trowel.

Gloves on, they headed to the vegetable garden behind the nursing home.

It was more of a large-scale crop field than a garden.

From a glance, it was about the size of a football field.

"Vegetables are expensive. If the elderly can grow some themselves, it definitely helps save money..."

"And the nursing home probably doesn't have much funding either," Yoru muttered as he stepped into the garden.

The group spread out to begin work.

"Are these cucumbers?"

Yoru walked around with his trowel and stopped at a trellis.

Thin vines, about the thickness of a chopstick, were covered in soft white fuzz and bore small yellow flowers with finger-sized cucumbers.

He lifted one curiously to examine it, then gently set it down.

Then he noticed small wild vines on the ground growing together with the cucumbers, twisting and competing for nutrients.

He used the trowel to dig out the weeds at the root and began carefully searching through the garden.

Before he knew it, he had walked past several plots—pumpkins, napa cabbage, corn...

He'd pulled out some weeds, though not many. Clearly, the nursing home maintained the garden regularly.

"Meow~ Meow~"

A sudden cat's meow caught Yoru's attention.

He stopped and looked around curiously.

In the colorful, trellis-covered vegetable field, he tried to figure out where the sound came from.

"Meow meow~"

"Meow meow~"

The meowing sounded again, not far off.

Yoru walked several dozen steps and pinpointed the source.

It was an open section where potatoes were planted.

Yoru quietly stopped, appearing behind Kurumi and watching the scene before him.

She was playing with a black-and-white cat.

But the cat didn't seem to care.

It lazily lay on the ground, not afraid of people at all.

"Oh my, why won't you pay attention to me?" she said, using a piece of weed to gently tease the cat.

It didn't react, and she pouted in her signature tone.

Just then, Yoru stepped forward, and Kurumi finally noticed him.

"Maybe it just doesn't like people, or maybe weeds aren't the same as canned food and fish snacks…"

"I've already checked everything around that area," Yoru said as he crouched beside her.

"I also went over a few sections," Kurumi pointed to another area.

Yoru nodded slightly, and the two decided to take a short break.

He slowly reached out to the cat.

It was called a 'cow cat' due to its black and white pattern, like a Holstein cow. Orange cats had similar naming logic.

Surprisingly, Yoru's hand landed smoothly on the cat's back, and he gently petted it.

The cat stayed relaxed, lying in the dry dirt while licking its paw.

"Huh?"

Kurumi looked at Yoru in surprise.

She tried to pet the cat, so why wouldn't it let her?

"This must be a cat raised by the nursing home—probably free-range. That's why it's not scared of people," Yoru said as he pulled his hand back.

"I didn't think of that…"

Kurumi said, eyes down, and cautiously reached out again.

"Meow meow—"

The cat meowed twice, dodged, and ran off.

It clearly didn't want her to touch it.

"What... Me?!"

Kurumi froze, wide-eyed, staring at her hand, then at Yoru.

"I have no idea," Yoru shrugged.

"Hmph..."

Kurumi stood up, looking a little unhappy.

"Let's get back to work," Yoru said, brushing off his hands. The garden was still big.

"Right. Oh—by the way…"

"You seem to know a lot about cats. Do you have one at home?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, I've got one."

Yoru looked closely at Kurumi. She seemed to be a cat lover, just like Yukino.

"You seem to like cats a lot too. Do you have one at home?" he asked with interest.

"Ah... yes..."

She replied reflexively, then her mood suddenly dropped.

Yoru paused. Had he said something wrong?

"It passed away…"

She gave a bitter smile and gently shook her head.

In truth, she wasn't even sure if her little Pudding was still alive.

It ran off back then, and she'd searched with Ichinose... sigh...

After searching all over for more than half a month and posting countless missing cat flyers, there was still no sign...

Every pet supply store, clinic, and animal hospital nearby had been visited and asked.

No one had seen her cat, Pudding.

Because Pudding was very unique, very cute—a black cat with rare amber eyes, a large frame, round and plump. Even at a healthy weight, she looked like a ball.

Extremely round.

Anyone who saw her would definitely remember.

It had already been six months.

Kurumi had long given up hope of finding Pudding and had come to terms with it.

Pudding was a house cat, raised by her from a kitten. Her chances of surviving in the wild were slim—weak immunity, low resistance…

Forget food. A single bout of feline distemper or ringworm might've been enough to kill her.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

Yoru sighed inwardly.

Still, his question had resolved something he'd been wondering about.

When he saw Kurumi playing with the cat earlier, he'd been reminded of San-san.

Around San-san's neck was a damaged tag with a number on it—three.

Coincidentally, the same character as in Kurumi's name.

Yukino had said that cat name tags typically include the owner's name and phone number.

Yoru had a vague suspicion—could San-san be Kurumi's cat?

But that felt way too coincidental, and he didn't really believe it.

Now that he'd asked and learned her cat had passed away, he felt a bit of sympathy—but it also proved San-san wasn't her cat.

'I'm just being too suspicious. I shouldn't have even considered that idea,' Yoru thought.

"Haah... So what's your cat's name?" Kurumi forced a smile, signaling that he didn't need to feel guilty.

"Uh..."

Hearing that, Yoru looked at the cute girl in front of him, opened his mouth—

How was he supposed to say it?

My San-san… is your nickname?

Saying that out loud would be way too awkward.

"It's nothing. I just came up with it on a whim. Let's keep working."

Yoru dodged the question and shifted the topic.

No way he was going to tell San-san, "I named you after yourself."

They split up and continued pulling weeds and catching bugs in the garden.

Time passed, minute by minute.

The sun had shifted to the center of the sky.

11:00 a.m.

"That should about do it."

Yoru wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and muttered to himself.

He had covered almost half the garden, while three others were still working on the rest.

He clapped the dirt off his gloves and walked off to get a drink of water.

At the edge of the garden, he ran into Kawasaki and a pair—a boy and girl—picking vegetables for the kitchen.

"Oh, it's you?"

Kawasaki greeted him casually while tossing a mature string bean into her basket.

"You know where the cucumbers and cabbage are planted?"

"Yeah, they're over that way. The garden's big, but not hard to find if you look a bit."

Yoru pointed out the direction for her.

Beside them, the boy and girl picking vegetables were hesitating as they talked.

"Is this ripe? It looks kinda small."

"Not sure. Pick it and check if it's crunchy?"

The boy reached out to pull a light green bean pod—but ended up tearing down the whole vine.

A rich boy and girl from Shuchiin weren't exactly used to farm work. They couldn't even tell if a vegetable was ripe.

The noise caught Yoru and Kawasaki's attention, interrupting their conversation.

"What happened?"

Kawasaki walked over quickly to ask.

"Nothing. We just weren't sure if the bean was ripe..."

The boy awkwardly dropped the vine and the beans in his hand.

"Not ripe. When you harvest, just pinch the stem lightly with your nails and it should come off easily."

As she spoke, Kawasaki spotted a ripe bean and expertly snapped it off.

The boy and girl stared, stunned, only half understanding.

Kawasaki glanced at the basket they were using and sighed.

"You two go return the gloves and tools. I'll help pick for you."

Yoru stepped over and handed his own gloves and trowel to the boy.

"Huh? Are you sure?"

"Thanks, Kitakami."

The boy beamed and quickly took them.

The girl pretended to look away but was actually sneaking glances at Yoru.

"Here's the list," Kawasaki handed him a small note. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Yoru knew if they kept going like this, lunch would be delayed and everyone would go hungry.

They'd also be wasting the precious vegetables the nursing home elders had worked so hard to grow.

"Let's divide the work. Meet back here for a count later. I'll go grab..."

Kawasaki was quick and efficient. Yoru liked people like that.

After splitting up, Yoru went to pick vegetables based on what he remembered of the garden's layout.

About ten minutes later, he emerged with a full basket.

The nursing home, including the elders, full-time caregivers, and Shuchiin students, had over a hundred people total.

"Will this much be enough?"

Yoru regrouped with Kawasaki.

"That's for the kitchen to worry about. They probably have a stockpile anyway, ha~"

Around noon, Kawasaki yawned.

As Yoru counted the vegetables, he noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes.

"There's a here."

Kawasaki Saki picked up a head of cabbage and calmly scraped off the insect with the edge of the basket, then stepped on it—grinding it a little.

"Most girls would scream and call it gross."

Yoru noted that mentally.

"Haah~ Guess that's right..."

Kawasaki yawned again.

"You didn't sleep well?"

Yoru picked up his basket, and after asking, found himself yawning too.

"Nope. I'm not some rich girl. I'm exhausted."

Kawasaki casually lifted her basket.

"You're from the 'impure' category too?"

Yoru asked as they walked.

"Yeah, I got in as a faculty kid."

Kawasaki didn't find the load too heavy and kept pace steadily.

The nursing home's dining area and kitchen were part of the same one-story building.

Yoru first brought his vegetables to the kitchen, then returned to help the tired Kawasaki.

Inside the kitchen, several other students were helping out.

One of them was Hayasaka. She had her uniform jacket tied around her waist, her pale hands with painted nails working skillfully to wash vegetables—fast and practiced.

"What are you staring at?"

Hayasaka turned off the faucet, frowning slightly as she looked at Yoru.

"Ah—no, I wasn't looking!"

Yoru jumped in surprise, waving his hands frantically.

But Hayasaka still stared at him coldly, refusing to let it go.

Utaha knew Eriri was the culprit but hadn't officially cleared things up with the school.

In Hayasaka's eyes, Yoru was still that disgusting thief. Even if he looked handsome now, it made no difference.

"I was just... surprised by how good you are at this..."

Yoru pointed at her awkwardly.

A flashy gyaru, a rich girl from the Pure

Category... Why was she so good at washing vegetables?

"I... what is this...?"

This time, it was Hayasaka who panicked.

"I just like cooking!"

The next second, the excellent maid regained her calm, her mind spinning rapidly to come up with an excuse.

"Oh, oh."

Yoru went along with it and looked at Hayasaka a few more times. Something still felt off.

Others didn't have golden treasure chests above their heads, but Hayasaka did.

What was going on?

He took a sip of water and walked out to rest.

Under the shade of a tree outside, Yoru sat in a cool corner, watching two elderly men playing chess from a distance.

The other side was much livelier. Students on break sat around chatting and playing games.

Amid the crowd, Kaguya's expression remained calm—like a vivid red flower among green leaves.

She watched the elderly residents of the nursing home, her mind drifting to the Shinomiya Conglomerate, to her own family.

Being the daughter of a prestigious family wasn't easy.

Lunchtime.

Yoru and the others received disposable bowls and chopsticks, lining up for food. Whatever the residents ate, they did too.

The food wasn't as bad as expected. There was meat and vegetables, though most of it was soft and mushy to accommodate the elderly.

Yoru sat quietly in a corner, unbothered, eating heartily.

He snuck glances in one direction.

Kaguya and Hayasaka sat close together, their lips moving as if they were in quiet conversation.

"So strange..."

"Are Kaguya Shinomiya and Hayasaka really that close?"

Both of them had golden treasure chests floating above their heads, making it impossible for Yoru to look away.

In his impression, Hayasaka was a mixed-race gyaru from a well-off family—kind of bossy, upbeat and energetic.

Kaguya was the complete opposite—arrogant to the extreme, always aloof like an ice queen.

Was it all an act? Or was that really who she was?

"They shouldn't even be in the same world..."

Yoru watched them with doubt in his eyes.

After lunch, he rested a bit and wandered the nursing home.

Suddenly, a black-and-white cat bolted out from behind him like a blur.

"Hey, don't run off—"

Kurumi followed close behind, not even acknowledging Yoru as she chased after the cat.

"She's persistent, huh~"

Yoru sighed, hands in his pockets, watching her retreating figure.

Still, running around in decorative leather shoes and black tights under the noon sun—weren't her feet getting sweaty?

Break ended at 1:00 PM.

With Kaguya's help, one of the caretakers gathered the students from Shuchiin again to begin the afternoon volunteer work.

First, she gave a brief explanation of the tasks. No need to go out in the sun—just cleaning inside: sweeping floors, wiping windows, general tidying.

They'd work until 3:00 PM and rest after that. The bus would pick them up at 3:30.

Yoru was once again grouped with Kurumi

, and also...

Kaguya.

So-called enemies meeting face-to-face—tensions ran high.

Kaguya looked like she didn't even want to acknowledge Yoru and instead walked over to Kurumi, chatting with her.

Kurumi seemed conflicted, even troubled.

Yoru winked at her, indicating he didn't mind.

The nursing home was shaped like a "C", with connected buildings. The layout likely considered elderly residents' difficulty with stairs—each section had linked corridors.

The three of them—Yoru, Kurumi, and Kaguya—went to the supply room to get cleaning tools and made their way to the top floor.

Only half the rooms here were occupied, so it was relatively light work.

Yoru kept his distance from Kaguya while cleaning to avoid any tension.

After finishing the hallway, he took a short break before getting back to work.

Around 3:00 PM, only one room remained.

The three stood in front of the storage room. Kurumi gently pushed the door open.

"Does this one need cleaning too?" Yoru asked.

"I'm not sure. Let's just dust it quickly," she replied.

A wave of stale air and dust came out. Kurumi covered her nose and mouth, backing off.

"Let's finish it quickly."

Yoru glanced at Kaguya. Despite her status, she wasn't slacking or complaining while doing the dirty work.

Once the dust settled, Yoru entered first. It was dark inside.

The room was full of junk—wheelchairs, iron pots, oxygen tanks, all piled together in a mess.

Kurumi held a broom, and Kaguya came in last, frowning slightly. She seemed a little afraid of the dark.

She instinctively reached for the light switch.

Click—

The sound caught Yoru and Kurumi's attention, but the lights didn't come on.

"They're broken. Let's just get started."

Kaguya clearly wanted to finish fast and get out of the gloomy room.

"Just clean the dust and cobwebs," Yoru said calmly.

They got to work.

They'd thought it'd be quick, but the place was filthier than expected.

They just wanted to get this last room over with and leave.

They didn't realize the others had already finished and started regrouping.

When a caretaker noticed Yoru's group wasn't back, she asked around. After learning the situation—

Ai Hayasaka volunteered to go find them.

Around 3:10 PM.

Yoru and the others were still cleaning, having lost track of time—until Ai Hayasaka arrived.

"It's time, Shinomiya."

Her sudden voice interrupted the trio.

"It is?" Kaguya looked up, her face a bit dirty.

"Everyone's already resting. It's almost time to leave. I was sent to find you," Ai said, glancing at both Kaguya and Yoru to make sure Kaguya was okay.

She knew all about the recent friction between them. That's why she volunteered—out of concern.

"Hayasaka again, huh..."

Yoru was feeling more and more suspicious.

Back during the spring trip...

According to what he learned later, when there was screaming from inside the tent between Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kaguya Shinomiya, it was also Ai Hayasaka who rushed in first.

It was like—whenever something involved Kaguya, Ai would always show up right on time.

"Should I read her mind?"

Yoru swept a pile of trash into a dustpan and carried it out.

"Let's go, Yoru-kun," Kurumi prompted him.

"Alright."

Yoru nodded and followed quickly, locking onto Ai Hayasaka and activating his mind-reading ability.

He was usually against using it casually. To him, that was the same as hurting others without cause.

Yoru hated being harmed for no reason—so he didn't want to become a hypocrite.

But after what Ai had done before—mocking him with that fake confession—he convinced himself it was justified.

"Relaxed... but tired?"

Yoru sensed Ai's emotions. She relaxed after seeing Kaguya, but also seemed exhausted?

That only confirmed it for him—there was some secret relationship between Hayasaka and Kaguya.

Normal classmates, even good friends, wouldn't act like that.

"Rinri, Hayasaka and Kaguya Shinomiya are seriously troublesome..."

"Hearing someone's true thoughts isn't always a blessing..."

Yoru suppressed his curiosity.

After putting away the tools, they rested for a bit.

At exactly 3:30, everyone from Shuchiin Academy boarded the coach.

This time, Yoru chose the window seat, next to Kawasaki.

"Ha~"

She yawned again, glanced at Yoru, and asked, "Can you wake me up when we get near Ginza?"

"Sure?"

Yoru nodded, looking a bit curious.

"I work in Ginza," Kawasaki explained calmly.

"Come to think of it, I saw you in Akihabara before..." Yoru said casually. "Were you working then too?"

"Hmm? Yeah," she replied, slightly surprised.

"Got it. I'll wake you," Yoru nodded without asking more. They weren't that close anyway.

"My family isn't well-off. If I want something, I have to earn it myself... heh..."

Kawasaki chuckled quietly, gave Yoru a sideways glance, then dozed off.

"Just like Nanami?" Yoru kept quiet after that.

When they neared Ginza, he gently nudged her shoulder with his phone to wake her up.

She woke up, thanked him, and asked the driver to let her off.

"This area is full of bars..."

Yoru looked out the window. But he was thinking of those more elegant, quieter types of bars, not loud nightclubs.

They returned to Shuchiin Academy a bit later than the usual Service Club activity time.

It wasn't a convenient route home.

With Kawasaki getting off first, about half the bus had emptied along the way.

Yoru's eyes swept past Kaguya.

Everything would be decided tomorrow.

He was going to crush that woman's self-righteous pride.

It was laughable, really.

Eriri and Utaha both thought money could solve everything.

But in reality?

Absolutely not. Yoru didn't need it.

Part of why he was angry was that these girls clearly knew they had made mistakes, yet because of their pride and arrogance...

They refused to admit it. Refused to lower their heads and apologize sincerely.

Instead, they thought, "So what if we misunderstood you? If we give you some money, that's enough, right?"

That kind of attitude made his blood boil.

Without lingering outside, Yoru left Shuchiin and went home.

Near his apartment, Gabriel and Nanami caught up from behind.

"Good afternoon, Yoru. Did you just get back from volunteering?" Nanami asked, clearly happy to see him.

Just seeing Yoru filled her with energy. She couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah." Yoru smiled back, then gave a friendly smile to the sleep-deprived Gabriel.

"Mmh..."

Seeing Yoru's smile made Nanami's heart inexplicably race, and she became too shy to continue speaking.

She realized she might be falling for Yoru.

On the second floor of the apartment, the three of them parted ways.

"Can I come over for dinner?" Gabriel tugged softly on the hem of Yoru's shirt.

Food outside just couldn't compare to Yoru's cooking.

"Sure."

Yoru never refused Gabriel.

"By the way, Gabriel..."

"Have you noticed you've changed a lot lately?"

As they walked to the apartment door, Yoru took out his keys and asked.

"Huh? Have I?"

Gabriel scratched her head, clearly unaware.

"Cut back on the games a bit. I'm afraid you're getting too addicted."

Yoru opened the door and let her in.

"Meow meow..."

San-san rushed out of the living room to greet Yoru.

It was time for dinner.

Gabriel hugged San-san and lazily lounged on the small couch.

The aroma of Yoru's cooking wafted from the kitchen.

"Say, do all guys like that kind of thing?"

When she wasn't gaming, Gabriel was surprisingly normal.

Her tired eyes regained some vitality.

Nervously, she glanced from the kitchen to Yoru's bedroom.

"Just a peek should be fine, right?"

She swallowed hard, nervousness budding in her chest.

Ever since that day, after flipping through Eriri's luxury art book for hours...

Gabriel found herself curious. Addicted even...

Maybe not as intensely as her desire to play Genshin Impact, but the thought wouldn't go away.

She wanted to understand humans more.

"Shh."

Gabriel pressed her index finger to her lips, signaling San-san to stay quiet.

Then she gently set down the cat and tiptoed into Yoru's room.

Her eyes locked onto that high-end art book.

"No... I can't peek..."

"I'm not sneaking a look, just revisiting it. Heaven sent me down to learn about humans, right?"

The little devil in Gabriel's heart whispered.

Meanwhile, Yoru remained blissfully unaware in the kitchen.

By the time he finished cooking and called Gabriel over, she had already returned and sat down like nothing happened.

After dinner, Yoru didn't bother with Gabriel and went to take a hot bath.

Her little tummy stuffed, Gabriel hugged San-san, yawned, and dozed off before she knew it.

[End of Volume 2]