"Oh? Really?" Hoshimi suddenly became interested. He turned to look at Kotoko with a peculiar expression and asked, "Kotoko, if it were about Siesta, could you ensure to 'snap' her out?"
"Hmm~" Kotoko puffed her cheeks.
Well, Siesta was a worthy competitor. Without a hundred or so rounds, it was hard to say who would win.
"Haha~" Hoshimi smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Hoshimi seemed to remember something. He turned back at a 45-degree angle, looked at Kotoko, and asked, "Kotoko, I forgot to ask earlier—do you have any secret manuals, meditation methods, visualization techniques, or cultivation methods?"
"Hmm? I don't need those things. Hoshimi, do you want to practice cultivation?"
"Yes, I'm planning to learn some techniques to strengthen my body."
Self-training was too slow. He wanted to see if there were any shortcuts.
Also, now that he was immortal, he needed ways to protect himself to avoid being captured and studied in a small black room someday.
Besides, he was interested in the mysterious aspects of the world. If he could become stronger through such methods, why not?
And since he was immortal, it would be a shame not to cultivate.
"Really?" Kotoko thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have any specific requirements for the cultivation methods?"
Hoshimi answered straightforwardly, "Primarily to nourish the body. Ideally, it should include dual cultivation methods for both Yin and Yang. If it also includes life and death dual cultivation, that would be perfect!"
Understanding Hoshimi's intentions, Kotoko rolled her eyes, "There's no such comprehensive cultivation method! Don't even think about it! I'll try to find a suitable method for you."
"Okay..." Hoshimi asked, "How long will it take? Is it troublesome for you?"
"It's not too troublesome. As for the time..." Kotoko thought for a moment, "It could be as short as three to five weeks, or as long as one to two months. I need to ask around and compare to find the right cultivation method for you."
"Got it. Kotoko, thank you for your trouble."
"No problem, it's a small matter. By the way..." Kotoko looked at Hoshimi, "Hoshimi, I need to remind you that the effectiveness of cultivation methods might not be as great as you imagine."
"Hmm?" Hoshimi tilted his head slightly.
Kotoko explained, "In modern society, the mysterious aspects are not prominent. Traditional cultivation methods are difficult to practice now. They require time and financial resources to slowly accumulate. It's truly a painstaking process. It might take a decade just to get started, and even longer to achieve results."
"I see... That's fine. I'm patient enough. I can take it slowly."
Since he was immortal, he wasn't concerned about time.
"Mm, if you can think like that, then it's no problem."
"Alright, then I'll leave first."
Kotoko, who was pondering what cultivation method might suit Hoshimi, waved her hand, "You can go."
Hoshimi turned to leave but suddenly seemed to remember something. He hurriedly turned back, leaned down, and teasingly whispered in Kotoko's ear:
"Kotoko, almost a year, and you still haven't developed at all."
Kotoko froze for a moment before realizing what he meant. Her face darkened, and she reached out to grab Hoshimi, wanting an explanation for what he meant by "not developing"!
However, her hands met with air as Hoshimi had already vanished in a puff of smoke the moment he finished speaking.
Watching the drifting smoke, Kotoko clenched her fists, veins appearing on her temples.
"Hoshimi! You cheeky bastard who's taking advantage and pretending to be innocent! You better wait for me tomorrow morning!"
On the vast, boundless beach, Kotoko's angry scolding voice carried far away...
...
In the dream, at the library, Hoshimi returned to Yukino's side, feeling refreshed.
He sat next to Yukino, propping his chin on his hand, and gazed at her profile.
Yukino glanced at Hoshimi and said coolly, "Hoshimi, you're late..."
"Yukino..." Hoshimi interrupted her, smiling, "Let's get up half an hour later tonight."
"..." Yukino was silent for a while before nodding without saying anything.
Hoshimi's smile deepened. He wrapped his arms around Yukino's waist and softly said, "The chair is too hard. Let's sit on the sofa instead."
As soon as he spoke, the chair beneath Yukino turned into a soft sofa, and Hoshimi promptly pulled Yukino into his embrace.
Yukino glanced at Hoshimi but said nothing. She picked up her textbook and continued studying Chinese.
Hoshimi didn't disturb her, simply resting his chin on Yukino's shoulder and enjoying the rare moment of peace.
"Tick-tock--tick-tock--tick-tock--"
The clock's hands moved steadily forward.
The two of them, now quiet, didn't bring up Hoshimi's late arrival.
As time passed, the atmosphere between them grew increasingly ambiguous. The unspoken emotions made the air around them thicker and more charged.
Thud--
At some point, Yukino's book fell to the ground. She tilted her head up and resumed the kiss they hadn't finished during the day.
With romantic feelings, solitude of a man and a woman together, and youthful passion...
Under these factors, even the usually rational Yukino couldn't avoid being influenced by the intimate atmosphere.
With their close contact, Yukino's beautiful eyes turned into a pool of spring water, unable to be refrozen.
"Yukino, I want to..." Hoshimi murmured in Yukino's ear, his breath hot and sticky.
"No!" Yukino, still retaining a sliver of rationality, firmly rejected him.
Hoshimi persisted, continuing to whisper, "It's just a dream. It's okay..."
"Even in a dream, it's not okay."
A dam a thousand miles long can be destroyed by an ant hole. Knowing that the first hole should not be easily broken, Yukino firmly refused.
"Alright..." Hoshimi reluctantly rubbed Yukino's little face.
It seemed that without external factors, reaching second base would take a long time.
Sister-in-law, come on, give me a hand.
How about another assist? I promise I'll reward you well.
"Hoshimi, who are you thinking about?"
"Thinking about... um, nothing."
Big?
Yukino instinctively glanced at her flat chest.
In the next moment, her expression turned cold as she grabbed Hoshimi's thigh and pinched it hard.
Hoshimi's mouth twitched, and he quickly suppressed the pain, feigning distress, "Ouch~ Ouch~ Ouch~"
"Hmph!" Yukino snorted lightly, picked up the book from the ground, and prepared to continue studying.
Not long after...
Thud--
The book fell to the ground again...
===
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