What is happiness?
Happiness is when you're hungry, and I happen to have a piece of bread—then I'm happier than you. Or when you desperately need the restroom, but I'm occupying the last stall—then I'm happier than you. If you've never seen a woman in your life and even a pig looks beautiful to you, but I've got a stunning wife taking a bath in the next room—then I'm definitely happier than you.
It's now 8:03 pm.
As Kirito returned to his residence, he heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. Someone was showering. Using his keen observation abilities, he sensed it was Mikoto, his wife, in the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Konan and the young girl, Izumi, were in the other room, whispering secrets and forming a quick friendship. Their bond had grown while Kirito was away.
Kirito, who had once indulged in pleasures on that Street with Tsunade , was faced with two choices now.
It's up to you—watch or not.
But don't get the wrong idea—this wasn't a task set by some system, but a genuine thought that crossed Kirito's mind.
If you choose to watch, you're a beast. But if you don't, you're worse than a beast.
Kirito, being a man of integrity, decided to leave it to chance—a coin toss.
Heads: take a look. Tails: take a peek. If it lands on its edge… well, if I could toss a coin that impressively, I'd deserve to watch as long as I wanted!
With that, Kirito ran outside, took a coin from his system storage, and expertly embedded it in a crack in the ground with a shuriken toss.
Now, the real question—how was he going to watch?
Magic or illusions? No, that would be outdated. Hypnosis or illusion techniques would feel cheap. Better to go the direct route, but breaking in might alert Mikoto.
The bathroom was tightly sealed, leaving no gaps. Opening the door would definitely alert Mikoto. Observation techniques could detect movement but couldn't see details. If only he had obtained the Byakugan from the Hyuga clan!
Just as Kirito was wrestling with his dilemma, the sound of the door opening must have caught Mikoto's attention. From inside the bathroom, she called out tentatively, "Is someone there? Izumi, is that you?"
Kirito froze—had he been discovered already? He hadn't even started spying yet!
Next time, he told himself, always check with observation techniques first and make no noise.
Alas, the situation had already escalated, and Kirito had no choice but to respond with a hint of regret, "It's me, Kirito."
"Oh, Kirito," Mikoto's voice faltered in surprise. She clearly hadn't expected him to return so soon, especially while she was in the bath.
A sudden thud echoed from the bathroom, followed by Mikoto's sharp cry, "Ah!"
Through his keen senses, Kirito could tell that Mikoto had fallen and was struggling to get back up. He listened as she tried and failed several times, letting out little gasps of pain.
She wasn't getting up on her own anytime soon.
Kirito thought about calling Konan, but with the perception barrier Konan had set around her room, knocking would likely result in him being greeted by a barrage of explosive paper shurikens. Even though he could easily avoid them, disturbing someone's rest was never a good idea.
Should he help? Or not? That was the question.
An elder once said, "If you die under the peony flower, you'll be a happy ghost." Another said, "Don't hesitate to do evil, no matter how small." A third mentioned, "No matter how beautiful a woman is, lying on the ground too long will give her a cold."
Well, this was Kirito's doing. If he didn't help, he'd be worse than a beast.
After a brief hesitation, Kirito knocked on the bathroom door. "Mikoto, did you fall? Are you okay?"
"Kirito, don't… don't come in. I haven't put my clothes on yet. Can you call Izumi for me? She's in Konan's room," Mikoto's voice was flustered.
"Konan's room is a no-go for men. She's the leader's sister, and if I approach recklessly, the leader won't take it lightly," Kirito responded, employing a strategy of playing hard to get.
"What should we do then?" Mikoto sounded embarrassed. She couldn't let Kirito come in, but she also couldn't get up on her own.
"Don't worry. I'll come in and help you, but I'll keep my eyes closed and won't peek," Kirito assured her, closing his eyes, leaving only a small crack to see through. He grabbed the bathroom door and twisted the handle.
Locked.
Kirito mentally slapped himself for forgetting about the lock, but no worries—he'd learned lock-picking during his time in Anbu. With a Senbon needle, he quickly unlocked the door.
"Ah!"
Kirito's eyes flew wide open. He had intended to help Mikoto, but seeing her sitting there in pain, dressed in a set of black gauze pajamas, threw him off. "Wait, you're dressed? Where are you hurt?"
Kirito had heard the fall and running water, but Mikoto was wearing pajamas. Was she taking a shower fully clothed? That was definitely a strange habit.
"I slipped on the soap and hurt my knee," Mikoto murmured, blushing from embarrassment. Her face was bright red, and even her neck was flushed pink.
"Does it hurt a lot? Let me see." Since she was dressed, Kirito didn't need to close his eyes. He squatted down and gently lifted her leg. Her knee was bruised with a deep purple mark. "That looks painful."
"It's a little painful, but I don't think it's serious," Mikoto replied, though her injury prevented her from standing on her own.
"Can you move at all?" Kirito asked.
(End of Chapter).
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