Sui carried Erina in his arms, her familiar scent filling his senses as he made his way to her bedroom with practiced ease. He knew this path all too well; whenever the tsundere lost a cooking competition, he'd end up carrying her here, despite her half-hearted protests.
Even with the lights off, Sui moved effortlessly.
The effects of the alcohol were starting to take hold, and his head felt heavy. Wanting to rest as soon as possible, he didn't bother turning on the lights. He walked straight into the bedroom and gently laid Erina on the bed.
In the faint moonlight that spilled into the room, he could just make out her delicate features. It was indeed Erina.
Sui helped her remove her shoes, took off his own, then lay down beside her, planting a soft kiss on her lips.
But something felt off. Erina's response was awkward. Normally, even though she was shy, she would occasionally react, albeit reluctantly.
Sui dismissed it, assuming it was because she was already asleep. He then carefully helped her out of her clothes.
She let out a soft hum, as if resisting.
Sui didn't give it much thought and continued. Soon, he had undressed her completely, revealing her snow-white skin.
Even in the dimly lit room, her skin seemed almost dazzlingly white, which made Sui pause. Erina's skin seemed even fairer than usual tonight.
But his mind was growing foggier by the second, and exhaustion quickly overcame him. He vaguely recalled that when he entered, she seemed to have experienced some pain.
He had no idea how long he slept before he felt a gentle touch on his head.
Sui opened his eyes, still feeling the lingering effects of the alcohol.
"Rindō-senpai made me drink so much last night," he sighed helplessly, noticing it was Chansey stroking his head.
Chansey, known for its caring nature, probably came over because it saw how much he had drunk and was worried.
"Thanks, I'm fine now," Sui said with a smile, patting Chansey's head.
At that moment, Erina shifted on his chest.
Sui instinctively pushed her gently, "It's time to get up. We have classes today."
But when he finally looked down, his body went rigid.
The person sleeping in his arms wasn't Erina. It was a girl with silver hair, alabaster skin, and delicate features—Alice, Erina's cousin.
Sui was stunned. How could Alice be in his bed?
Wasn't it Erina he'd been holding last night?
Suddenly, he remembered. Last night, when he called out to Erina and received no response, he had called out "Erina Nakiri" a few more times. Alice must have heard and responded softly.
In his alcohol-induced haze, Sui had completely forgotten there were two people with the surname Nakiri in the hall. He had naturally assumed it was Erina.
Moreover, being cousins, Alice and Erina had similar features, and their scents were also somewhat alike. Under the faint moonlight, it had been impossible to distinguish them clearly.
The biggest difference was the color of their hair, but in the dark, that had been invisible.
Sui pressed his fingers to his temples, feeling a headache building. No wonder she had seemed so awkward when he kissed her last night.
He silently prayed that nothing serious had happened between them.
But then, he recalled that the other person had cried out in pain last night.
Sure enough, he soon noticed red stains on the bedsheets.
Sui's heart sank. What had he done? Had he unintentionally slept with his sister-in-law?
It had all been a series of unfortunate coincidences.
It just so happened that Rindō had brought an excessive amount of wine last night, and everyone had drunk too much. It just so happened that when he called out "Nakiri," Alice responded twice. It just so happened that the cousins looked similar enough that Sui couldn't distinguish between them in the dim light.
As Sui tried to think of a way to explain, Alice suddenly frowned in her sleep.
Sui tensed. If she woke up now, things would get even more complicated.
"Hmmm… my head hurts. I'm never drinking again," Alice muttered, half-awake and clutching her head.
"Where am I? Erina's room?" she murmured, glancing around drowsily.
Then she noticed Sui.
Alice blinked in confusion before her eyes widened in shock. She screamed, backing away in a panic. "Sui, why are you in bed with me?"
But as she moved, the sheet covering her slipped, exposing a large expanse of her snow-white skin.
Only then did Alice realize that she was completely naked.
Her face flushed with embarrassment as she hastily pulled the sheet back up to cover herself. Her pale skin was tinged pink, her cheeks blazing red with shame and fury. "Sui, you're such a pervert! How could you do this to your own sister-in-law?"
Sui: "…"
If he remembered correctly, she was the one who had been drinking the most enthusiastically last night. If she hadn't drunk so much, none of this would have happened.
But ultimately, it was his fault.
He sighed and said helplessly, "Listen to me."
He then briefly explained what had happened.
"That's how it is. I was confused last night and couldn't tell you apart from Erina. I'm really sorry."
Alice recalled someone calling her last night. She knew Sui was probably telling the truth and that he hadn't meant any harm.
She also remembered how Rindō had forced Sui to drink a lot and how she herself had eagerly joined in pouring more wine for him...
Was she actually one of the instigators?
Still, she couldn't accept what had happened between her and Sui.
"That shouldn't have happened to us, right?" she whispered, her face flushed as she lowered her head, her voice trembling.