Shishio, whose face was still calm as if he was studying mathematics, said, "Sorry for coming too late. Is there a room?"
"Ah, yes." The woman awoke and nodded with a gentle smile. "A room for one person, right? Please follow me."
Shishio looked at Mai and saw that she didn't react so much. He could only sigh inwardly then thanked the woman. "Thank you."
"Still, it is quite rare for a young man like you to suddenly come to this place at this time. What are you doing?" The woman asked curiously.
The question that was thrown by the woman was quite normal. After all, she was curious why Shishio would come to this small city out of nowhere.
"I'm on pilgrimage," Shishio said without changing his face.
Mai was dumbfounded, and the woman was quite surprised.
"Pilgrimage? Why?"
"Well, my family owns a small shrine in Kyoto, so I'm on a trip to see various shrines around the country," Shishio said calmly.
"Really? Then should I bring you to visit the Oarai Isosaki Shrine tomorrow?" The woman seemed to be excited and told Shishio that she would help him.
Shishio, who had an "Enhanced Sense of Smell," somehow noticed the smell that came from this woman and also the gaze that she gave to him was... Still, Mai kept staring at him, so there was nothing that he could do. "I'm sorry. I want to talk with you more, but I'm quite tired from the trip."
"Ah, sorry! I'll guide you to the room. Please follow me," the woman quickly said, then looked at Shishio with a smile and asked, "Oh, right, if you're tired, we have a massage service, do you want to try it?"
"....."
The eyes of the woman and Shishio met at each other for a moment. They suddenly felt the time between them seem to have stopped.
"Maybe next time since I'm still on my pilgrimage," Shishio said with regret, but he didn't show it on his face.
"I see." The woman smiled, but she was pretty disappointed inwardly. Still, she was pretty persistent and didn't give up, thinking that it might be because Shishio was on the pilgrimage that he tried to avoid that kind of thing. She then guided Shishio to the room and told him to call her if he needed something while also telling him that she was lonely since her husband was on the ocean, sailing to fish a fish.
'Why do you need to tell me that?' Shishio thought inwardly since those words awoke his demon. But, luckily, his will was strong, or else...
Shishio shook his head then looked at Mai, who was sulking. "What are you sulking for? I have rejected her, right?"
"Well..." Mai couldn't say anything since Shishio was right, and he had rejected the inn owner woman's advance before. Still, she felt annoyed, and at the same time, she wondered whether Shishio had often gotten this kind of temptation.
Still, Mai was also surprised that Shishio could reject the charm of the housewife that received them.
Those massive boobs, her soft body, her maternal aura, and the excitement from the forbidden relationship caused MILF to be popular.
Still, Mai was quite proud that Shishio rejected the woman's offer calmly, but she was also an actress and knew that this guy was crying inside. 'Should I help him with that kind of thing?' She then shook her head with a blush on her face.
Shishio looked at Mai, who showed various kinds of emotions weirdly. However, he didn't overthink and observed the room curiously. He saw that this room was quite similar to the room he had stayed at Iwafune with Shiina in the past. He then walked to the paper window and opened it gently, and he was amazed when he saw the scenery before him.
The clear full moon was reflected in the night ocean.
Shishio felt as if two moons appeared in this world, giving breathtaking scenery, and he didn't hesitate to take his camera to take this picture.
"It's beautiful..."
Mai also walked beside Shishio when she saw this scenery. "It's a bit cold."
Shishio then closed the window and looked at Mai. "Will you take a bath first for me?"
"I'll take a bath first," Mai said without hesitation, then looked at Shishio and said, "Don't peek!"
"Then should we go together, that way, I won't peek at you," Shishio said with an innocent expression.
"...."
Mai realized how shameless this guy was, so she only smiled and said, "Hmph! In your dream!"
Shishio sighed, showing disappointment, but he didn't say much afterward.
"Okay, don't peek, alright?" Mai reminded Shishio once again.
"I know. You should go now." Waving his hand, Shishio continued to watch the ocean.
Looking at his flat reaction, who didn't show much interest in her naked body, Mai snorted and thought she would prank him later. 'Hmph, let's see how you can stay calm later.'
Compared to Mai's temptation, the temptation that the inn owner gave was several times more dangerous. It was also why Shishio could stay calm even if Mai was taking a bath. Still, if they took a bath together, it might give him a different reaction.
Hearing the sound of the shower from the bathroom, Shishio decided to avert his mind by watching the ocean absentmindedly, and somehow he felt a bit sleepy before he closed his eyes and slept on the chair.
Mai, who took a bath, was quite nervous, wondering whether Shishio might come and peek at her, but at the same time, she recalled that this wasn't the first time that she took a bath when Shishio was right beside her.
Mai somehow pursed her lips and wondered whether she wasn't attractive. She looked at her body, and even though her breasts might not be as big as the inn owner, the size was quite alright, and she also had confidence in her body.
However...
Mai thought about Shishio's girlfriends, then thought about his decision to confess to her during the exam. When she heard his words at that time, her heart was beating so fast, and she was flushed with happiness, but even if she was happy, there was one thing that she had been worried about.
'What is his feeling toward me?'
Mai knew that she was an attractive girl, but she also knew that she was troublesome, and she also didn't think she could match Shishio's four girlfriends. She could see his eyes when he talked about how his four girlfriends were different when he talked to her. It was so gentle that it made her heart tighten, feeling so jealous when she thought the person who could make Shishio show such an expression wasn't her.
If his confession wasn't because of love and it was because of pity, then Mai wouldn't want such a thing. She wanted something genuine, the feeling from his heart, and not something fake that was born from a pity. She wanted to hear his real feelings and what kind of relationship he wanted to be with her, no matter how selfish and scummy it might be.
Mai took a deep breath and knew what she wanted now, so after taking a bath, she dried her body and hair before she walked out from the bathroom, but when she was about to call Shishio...
"He's sleeping..."
Mai was speechless, but then she sighed and somehow also understood that Shishio might be tired. She approached him slowly so as not to wake him up. As she stood next to him, she poked his cheek with her finger. "Wake up. Don't sleep here, or you might catch a cold." She kept poking his cheek until her finger was caught.
"What are you doing?" Shishio, who was awoken, felt speechless by Mai's childish act.
"I'm done with the bathroom." Mai didn't feel embarrassed even if she was caught doing a little prank, and even if he caught her finger, she also didn't blush since she had been holding her hand, but once again, she realized that his hand was big, and it reassured her somehow.
"Then I'll take a bath." Shishio yawned and closed the window as he walked to the bathroom.
Mai didn't say much and sat on the chair where Shishio was seated before. She opened the window again as she stared at the ocean. Unlike Shishio, who could appreciate the beauty of the ocean, she felt scared as if she was drowning just as she was staring at the ocean before she slowly disappeared from this world. Her voice couldn't come out until she heard his voice.
"Mai, can you help me pick up my clothes from my bag? I forgot to bring them."
Hearing Shishio's voice, Mai sighed in relief, and at the same time, she knew that he still remembered her. She took a deep breath then said, "Okay, wait a minute." She closed the window, then walked to his bag and opened it before she looked at the clothes that he had brought. She then took his boxer that had a "Man" kanji written on the back, which somehow made her laugh.
"Why are you laughing, Mai?"
"Wait a minute." Mai smiled, then took a t-shirt and shorts on his bag while wondering whether Shishio had prepared his clothes so he could accompany her. Somehow it brought her a smile, and after she took his clothes, she walked to the bathroom, knocked on the door, and said, "Shishio, here are your clothes."
"Thanks, Mai." Shishio opened the door slightly and took the clothes from Mai before he closed the door again.
Still, Mai felt that the time stopped when she saw Shishio's body through the door's gap, and somehow she understood why her mother wanted to invite Shishio to her agency no matter what. She felt that if this guy became an actor or a singer, without a doubt, his popularity would be even bigger than her, which somehow made her quite curious whether it was possible.
Even though Mai thought about returning to showbiz, she felt a bit reluctant to leave so early, considering she started to have fun at school, especially after she met this cheeky junior of hers. Moreover, if she returned to the showbiz, their chance to meet each other would be shorter, and she was afraid that he might forget her, especially when he didn't lack girls around him.
Mai knew that Shishio was charming since even a lonely housewife would try to seduce him even though it was their first meeting.
Mai didn't want to be forgotten, which was why she thought she should start the showdown tonight.
Shishio, who had dried his body and wore his clothes, walked out from the bathroom and looked at Mai, who was right outside of the door. He looked weirdly at Mai then asked, "Are you here to peek at me?"
"......."
Mai somehow wanted to smack this guy's head.
Shishio yawned and said, "I'm a bit sleepy. Why don't we sleep?"
"Okay." Mai nodded.
Shishio then walked to the wardrobe where the inn owner woman told him where she kept the futon, but his lips twitched since...
"There's only one futon?" Mai asked.
"Yes." Shishio nodded, then said, "You should sleep here. I'll sleep on the chair." After all, he was a man, so it was impossible to let Mai sleep on a chair. It was only a night, and if he really couldn't sleep, then he might try to come to the inn owner's room.
Oh, please don't misunderstand him, he was just asking for another futon, and he didn't intend to ask for a late massage.
Well, enough of a joke, Shishio took out the futon and gave it to Mai. "Sleep first." He was about to walk to the chair to continue his sleep, but then his wrist was caught.
"Wait!"
"What?" Shishio looked at Mai curiously, but somehow, he had a feeling of what she was about to say.
Mai looked at Shishio shyly, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, "How about we sleep together?"
"..........."
When those words fell, Shishio somehow felt relief that he didn't accept the inn owner's offer.