When they finished dinner, it was already 8:30 PM.
To Otome, the relationship among the three of them was clear, but unless Sasaki took the initiative, she wouldn't openly go to his room in front of Rinka.
Although she was quite open with him at night, complying with all his shameless requests with a flushed face, it didn't mean she would do so in front of Rinka.
After all, she considered her a younger sister, and as the older sister, she needed to maintain her dignity.
Rinka, on the other hand was still feeling guilty, so she didn't dare to act too boldly in front of Sister Otome.
Thus, after dinner and taking turns to wash up, the three went to their respective rooms.
Back in his room, Sasaki, expecting Rinka to come over only after Otome fell asleep, sat at his computer desk; browsing through things he had previously overlooked.
As he had guessed, this world was very similar to his previous one in many ways, but there were still subtle differences.
For instance, some well-known anime or novels from his past life didn't exist here.
Moreover, light novels were just starting to gain popularity, with manga being more prevalent, which explained why literary girls like Serizawa didn't pay much attention to them.
They weren't written very well, like bland water...
Even the historical biographies Sasaki casually read in the afternoon were more interesting than the light novels.
No wonder he had no memory of light novels from his past life.
He scrolled through the major light novel websites in the country.
Sasaki found several popular light novels Serizawa had mentioned that afternoon.
Time passed by slowly.
He didn't know how long he had been reading light novels or when he switched to reading manga on his phone.
But when the doorknob turned slightly, Sasaki glanced up and saw the chapter title on the computer screen: "Chapter 2: The Cycle of Fate."
Honestly, it didn't match his expectations of a light novel at all.
It was bland and uninteresting.
Compared to these dull light novels, it was no wonder his past self was obsessed with manga.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the slightly turned doorknob was pressed all the way down.
Soon, a pair of amber eyes, glistening under the light, appeared in the crack of the door.
Ignoring Sasaki's surprised gaze, Rinka Okino, dressed in pink pajamas and wearing slippers, quietly slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.
Click—
Seeing her familiar actions, Sasaki glanced at the time on the computer.
9:15 PM.
"You're early tonight. Aren't you worried Otome will hear?"
Leaning back in his chair to make room for the girl, who clearly wanted to sit on his lap, Sasaki pulled the little girl in her pajamas into his embrace and asked softly.
Sitting on his lap with her feet not touching the ground, Rinka Okino dangled her legs, hooking her slippers with her snow-white feet that gleamed under the light, and replied in a sweet voice:
"It's because it's still early that I'm not worried. Even if we're caught, I can just say I came to play with you."
"It's boring to go back to my room right after dinner."
Holding her slender, soft waist and inhaling the mix of her fresh, soapy scent and milky fragrance, Sasaki tightened his grip, letting her head rest against his chest, and nuzzled her fragrant chestnut hair:
"Rinka~"
Hearing his husky, affectionate murmur, Rinka, knowing how much Brother Fuyumi liked her, didn't shy away.
Instead, she kicked off her slippers, turned around to straddle his lap, and hugged his waist:
"Let's wait a little while. I just got here, and Otome-nee might have heard me leave my room."
Even if Otome knew, she wouldn't come over...
Knowing her nature, Sasaki was sure Otome wouldn't intervene.
But to maintain the current situation, he didn't rush to take advantage of the girl in his arms; and just took some small liberties.
Afterall, a person's behavior before and after is equally crucial.
The way you act beforehand determines whether you can do as you please with her.
The way you act afterward determines whether you can do it again in the future.
To guys, the process is often the most important part.
Sasaki agreed with this sentiment.
But preparing properly ensures a better experience.
Being overly eager doesn't make you seem more affectionate.
Whether you're buying a car, taking the bus, or driving someone else's car, patience is key.
The amount of patience you show determines how much you ultimately gain.
Of course, if you don't intend to buy the car or just want a one-time bus ride, then it doesn't matter as much.
However... there's a big difference between a one-time indulgence and being satisfied all the time.
Unaware of the thoughts, Rinka Okino felt his eagerness but didn't sense any roughness from it.
It was still the gentle caresses like a spring breeze and light rain.
Feeling his affection, the girl's tenderness deepened as her arms, wrapped in pink pajamas and soft as a white snake, encircled his neck.
Her slightly pouted lips, not yet red, brushed against the boy's neck like raindrops.
They exchanged a few affectionate touches for a while until Rinka's hazy eyes caught sight of the items she had placed on the bed earlier.
Knowing that continuing like this might lead to more than she intended, the girl took a breath and slightly arched her body, bending her waist to an almost impossible degree, and brought up a casual topic:
"Brother Fuyumi, why do you have such things in your room? You weren't like this before~"
Understanding what she was referring to, Sasaki adjusted their position to make them both comfortable and explained:
"I didn't buy those on purpose. You know I liked reading manga before; those came as part of a set."
The girl didn't expose his childish lie.
Her intention was just to divert the attention, so when she heard his excuse, she pretended to be easily fooled like Otome, playfully hitting him lightly:
"It must be from some inappropriate manga. Serious manga wouldn't come with those things."
Even inappropriate manga wouldn't come with such items.
Those accessories were part of bunny girl costumes, purchased as extras with some additional money.
When Sasaki's parents were still alive, he, being the only child, never lacked money.
Because he loved manga back then, he bought the bunny girl merchandise without hesitation when it was released.
The accessories came as part of the deal, and hr bought them without a second thought.
They stayed in his wardrobe gathering dust until last night when Sasaki decided to try something different and suddenly remembered he had those items.
Speaking of which... when he was still in junior high school, although Sasaki had a high emotional intelligence at that time, he was not too interested in anything other than comics or two-dimensional things.
Including girls.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have only pursued Otome after awakening.
Since he was handsome from a young age, many girls confessed to him during middle school.
But he refused them all without any hesitation.
The most memorable rejection was the third confession that day.
Since it was their first meeting, Sasaki couldn't remember the girl's appearance clearly, only that she had brown hair.
He never got to know her name.
Being called out of the classroom for the third time made him very annoyed.
He couldn't remember what he said to the girl exactly, but one sentence stuck with him.
He told her he didn't like three-dimensional people.
The girl ran away with her mouth covered, probably due to such a lame excuse.
Sasaki had been quite proud of himself then, thinking he was cool.
Thinking back now, it really was so embarrassing it made his toes curl.
That girl must have been very hurt at that time..
Talking about manga suddenly made Sasaki remember this incident and he couldn't help but stiffen for a moment before quickly shaking his head to cast out this old, embarrassing memory from his mind.
Not getting a response from Fuyumi-nii, Rinka saw the boy holding her, stiffen and shake his head,
Causing the girl to instinctively think that her imitation of Otome's mannerisms made him feel like she was being overly dramatic.
Feeling a sudden pang of sadness, she suppressed the grievance in her and forced a smile, asking,
"What's wrong? Is it me..."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Sasaki looked down at the girl's pitiful, abandoned-puppy-like expression.
And since he did not have the time and thought to think too hard about the reason, he chose to explain with actions.
Suddenly lowered his head and capturing her soft, cool lips.