Time resumed.
Pretending to be slightly out of breath, Hoshimi looked down at Kasumigaoka in his arms and said, "Utaha, let's go back to reality and rest. Staying conscious the whole time has been a bit uncomfortable..."
"Mhm, whatever you say…" Kasumigaoka replied in a soft, alluring voice, her entire body radiating a lazy vibe.
She was content; whether she continued being close with Hoshimi in the dream or returned to reality to rest didn't matter to her.
Still... something felt slightly off, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what...
She yawned lazily and leaned against Hoshimi's chest, not bothering to think further.
Oh well, as long as Hoshimi was by her side, the rest was fleeting. If she couldn't remember, it didn't matter.
"Let's go then."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hoshimi simulated a dream-breaking effect within Kasumigaoka's line of sight to mimic leaving the dream.
Mhm, if he was going to act, he'd do the whole show without any flaws!
...
In Hoshimi's bedroom, Kasumigaoka awoke slowly. After being in a daze for three or five seconds, a blush immediately spread across her cheeks.
She grabbed the collar of Hoshimi's pajamas and murmured in a voice as soft as a mosquito, "Hoshimi... let's go to the next room to sleep..."
"..."
Hoshimi, with a subtle expression, said nothing and quietly carried her to the guest room to rest.
On any other day, he'd probably have teased her for a while and had some fun with her embarrassment.
But today, he was short on time. He had to meet Kotoko soon.
Kotoko was different from Yukino; that girl had freakishly high levels of intuition and inspiration, easily picking up on subtle clues that most would miss.
To put it bluntly, Kotoko was pretty "mystical," fully living up to her titles of "Goddess of Wisdom" and "Youkai Priestess."
So, the moves he could pull off in front of Yukino wouldn't work on Kotoko. If Kotoko noticed something off, she'd be sure to stir up some trouble!
In the guest room, after lying down on the bed, Kasumigaoka spoke in a small voice, "Hoshimi… sorry…"
"Heh~" Hoshimi chuckled lightly, holding her hand with a smile. "It's alright. I don't know what you're apologizing for, but everything's fine."
"Mhm~" Kasumigaoka bit her lip, her face flushing with embarrassment, unable to bring herself to say anything else.
She snuggled closer to him, leaning on his shoulder, and whispered softly in his ear, "Hoshimi… thank you…"
Hoshimi said nothing, wrapping his arms around her gently as they drifted off to sleep.
Feeling his warmth, her body softened, like a pool of spring water, as she curled up in his arms, her wine-red eyes glowing softly in the dim room.
Today, Hoshimi was really wonderful, in every way — he was kind, thoughtful, and mature. It only reinforced her belief in him as the ideal husband!
This trip was worth it! She solidified her determination once again.
The man before her was hers. No one could take him. No one was allowed to even try!
"Ehehe~" Feeling an intense surge of possessiveness, Kasumigaoka nestled into Hoshimi's embrace, wearing an unusually childlike smile as she drifted off to sleep.
In her sleep, Kasumigaoka began to dream — her own dream, one filled with past memories, neither good nor bad.
In the dream, a struggling, obscure female author met a talented, somewhat wicked man who took pleasure in life's amusements...
"Huu~ huu~"
Listening to her steady, soft breathing, Hoshimi stopped stroking her hair.
He closed his eyes and entered his own dream.
...
"Hoshimi, you're late."
In the dream, Kotoko Iwanaga, sitting on a dark red bench, opened her eyes and looked at Hoshimi standing two meters in front of her, smiling.
"Sorry, I lost track of time today..." Hoshimi looked into Kotoko's eyes and apologized.
Kotoko didn't ask for an explanation. She patted the spot beside her, motioning for him to sit.
Hoshimi complied, sitting beside her and naturally taking her soft hand.
He looked down at Kotoko, a slight, barely noticeable shift in his crimson eyes.
Despite not seeing her for days, she was as cute as ever. Her small, slightly round face had a hint of baby fat, her skin was as soft as if you could pinch water from it, and her white dress made her look like a life-sized doll.
As he looked at her, a strange look filled his eyes.
Kotoko turned to meet his gaze and knew exactly what he was thinking.
Her mouth curved into a smirk, and without a word, she climbed onto his lap.
Looking up at him, she grinned, "Well? Compared to other women, isn't it me who really understands you?"
Without a second thought, Hoshimi assumed the "other woman" she mentioned was Yukino.
He chuckled, gently pinching her nose.
What Kotoko said was true. Compared to Yukino, who was 90% pride and 10% gentleness, Kotoko's directness definitely made her seem more understanding.
But even if it were true, he couldn't answer that question. If he did, it'd be handing Kotoko a "knife" to stab Yukino with.
This girl didn't believe in harmony or humility. Give her a "knife," and she'd go straight to Yukino with it to bring her down a peg.
"Hoshimi, we haven't seen each other for days. Do you have anything to say to me?" Kotoko looked up at him, her mysterious violet eyes gleaming with an unreadable light.
"Hm?" Hoshimi tilted his head, thinking carefully about what she might want to hear.
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[30 Bonus Chapters: https://www.patreon.com/cherryblooming]