"Mr. Hoshimi! You really are evil-minded!"
"Ah ha~" Hoshimi put away his phone, laughing shortly.
He stood up, walked to the bedside, and looked down at Aoyama Nanami who was sitting on the bed. With a cheerful smile, he said, "Hasn't this always been clear? Why are you making a fuss? My dear maid, Nanami-chan~"
"Ugh~ I'm not a maid, I'm a housekeeper..." Aoyama Nanami began to retort but suddenly fell silent.
Her face flushed red, her eyes evasive, unable to say the remaining word.
"Hmm? What are you then, Nanami?" Hoshimi leaned down, bringing his face close to Nanami's, knowingly asking.
"Ugh~" With her cheeks burning, Aoyama Nanami looked at Hoshimi with a mixture of resentment and embarrassment before stiffly changing the subject.
"Hoshimi-kun, what time is it now?"
"It's half past seven, you have half an hour left before your work ends." Hoshimi didn't continue teasing, instead, he straightened up and answered Nanami's question with a smile.
"Half past seven..." Aoyama Nanami's expression froze.
Counting on her fingers, she muttered to herself, "I came to your bedroom at 2 PM, after cleaning for a bit, you came back, then you left, and I fell asleep on the chair..."
"So that means, I've been sleeping for over five hours!"
"Oh no! I only wanted to take a quick nap, how did I sleep for so long!"
"Hoshimi-kun! I'm sorry, I haven't finished my work yet. I'll get up and continue cleaning right away, I promise I'll finish on time."
Saying this, Aoyama Nanami hurriedly lifted the blanket, ready to complete her remaining tasks.
"Alright, Nanami, just sit down for now."
Accustomed to Nanami's diligence, Hoshimi gently pressed her shoulders, making her sit back on the bed.
"Hoshimi-kun, I..."
Nanami wanted to say something more, but Hoshimi cut her off directly.
"My room is quite clean, it doesn't need cleaning that badly. Or do you think I'm the kind of untidy man whose room can't be lived in if it isn't cleaned weekly?"
"No, no, Hoshimi-kun, I didn't mean that, I just want to finish my work." Nanami explained frantically.
"Finish your work? That's fine too. Do you remember what you promised me at noon?" Hoshimi retracted his hands, letting them fall naturally by his sides.
"Noon?" Nanami recalled for a moment and softly murmured, "Ear cleaning..."
"That's right, ear cleaning." Hoshimi sat beside Nanami, looking at her profile with a smile. "There's half an hour left, just enough time for you to clean my ears."
"...Alright..." Nanami seemed to recall something, her face turning red as she nodded slightly.
"Let's start then, here are the tools."
Hoshimi handed Nanami the ear cleaning tools he had prepared, then took off his shoes, got on the bed, and rested his head on Nanami's tightly closed thighs, finding a comfortable position to lie in.
"..."
Looking at Hoshimi's head on her lap, Nanami felt an inexplicable dryness in her mouth.
She licked her lips to moisten them, then picked up the ear cleaning tools to start the process.
To clean his ears, she had to lean down, carefully examining Hoshimi's auricle and ear canal.
But for some reason, her gaze kept drifting towards Hoshimi's profile.
At this close distance, she could clearly see the fine hairs on Hoshimi's face. Under the bright light, these tiny hairs added a touch of boyishness to his appearance.
Come to think of it, the last time she cleaned Hoshimi's ears was also at night, and the scene was exactly the same.
She was slightly curious about how Hoshimi would look up close in the sunlight.
Unfortunately, she probably wouldn't get that chance...
"Hmm~~~"
Suddenly, Hoshimi's long, soft moan interrupted Nanami's thoughts.
She stopped her actions, carefully asking, "Hoshimi-kun, did I hurt you?"
"No, it's very comfortable. Please continue, a bit more force is fine."
Hoshimi closed his eyes, enjoying the strange pleasure that ear cleaning brought. It was very relaxing, very comfortable, and it lifted his spirits.
But unfortunately, for safety reasons, ear cleaning should be done only once a month.
"Alright, Hoshimi-kun, I'll apply more force. If you feel uncomfortable, please tell me immediately."
Listening to Hoshimi's lazy voice, Nanami felt a subtle joy in her heart.
She used the feather stick to clean his ears, applying a bit more pressure as he wished.
"Hmm~~~"
"Hmm~~~"
Listening to Hoshimi's occasional comfortable moans, Nanami's body unconsciously started to heat up.
After a long time, feeling uncomfortably hot, she secretly unbuttoned her collar, letting the accumulated heat in her clothes escape.
"Hoshimi-kun, please turn over, it's time for the other ear." Feeling a bit cooler, Nanami softly reminded him.
"Hmm~" Hoshimi, feeling comfortable, turned over, his face now facing Nanami's abdomen.
"..."
Knowing there was no avoiding this, Nanami's cheeks started to glow with a rosy hue again.
She suppressed the shyness rising within her, meticulously and carefully continuing to clean Hoshimi's ears.
But every time Hoshimi's breath touched her abdomen, it sent a tingling sensation through her body.
As time passed, her strength seemed to ebb away like unraveling silk, leaving her whole body, except for the hand holding the ear cleaning tool, feeling limp and weak.
After a long while, Nanami finally finished cleaning his ears. She let out a long breath, her voice soft and gentle.
"Hoshimi-kun, it's done."
"Thanks, Nanami, your skills are really good." Hoshimi sat up, stretching lazily.
"..." Nanami didn't respond, her face red as she silently packed up the tools.
After tidying up, she handed the tool kit back to Hoshimi, "Hoshimi-kun, here are your tools."
"Okay~" Hoshimi took the tools, got up, and put them back in the wardrobe.
During this time, Nanami smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt and quietly slipped to the bedroom door. When Hoshimi turned back to look at her, she lowered her head and said,
"Hoshimi-kun, it's late, I should go..."
"Alright, you can go."
"Okay..." Nanami nodded slightly, feeling a bit empty inside as she opened the bedroom door and left.
Walking through the stairs, the living room, and the hallway, Nanami still couldn't figure out the source of the emptiness in her heart.
She shook her head, pushing the troubling thoughts away, and silently bent down to take her shoes from the closet and put them on.
After everything was tidied up, Nanami looked back at the long hallway.
Come to think of it, she forgot to ask how she ended up in Hoshimi's bed from the chair...
But there's no need to ask, the answer is obvious. Other than Hoshimi carrying her to the bed, what other possibilities were there?
"Click—"
She turned back, pushing the door open to leave.
"Nanami, wait."
Suddenly, Hoshimi's voice came from behind.
A hint of joy flashed across Nanami's face as she turned to see Hoshimi walking towards her.
"I almost forgot, here are some snacks for you."
Hoshimi handed her a bag of snacks.
"Hmm?" Nanami didn't take it, instead looking at Hoshimi in confusion.
"They're too sweet for my taste, and I don't want to waste them. Giving them to you is the best choice since you're the only one who comes to my place."
"..." Nanami looked at Hoshimi, her clear eyes gradually filling with a misty sheen.
She knew exactly what Hoshimi meant...
But precisely because she understood, she felt... unwilling...
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