Hayasaka Ai claimed she was taking Shin to a suitable place for a conversation. Shin initially thought it would be a café or a bubble tea shop.
After all, those places matched Hayasaka Ai's gyaru image—an image she maintained deliberately for convenience in her daily activities.
But when Hayasaka Ai brought Shin into a hotel room, he couldn't help but feel he had underestimated the situation:
"This is what you call a suitable place to talk?"
And it wasn't just any hotel—it was one of those places specifically tailored for couples.
From head to toe, this type of love hotel, originating in Japan, exuded a peculiar atmosphere. It was hardly a place suited for normal conversations.
"What's wrong? Isn't this a good place to talk? It's absolutely quiet, and no one will disturb us."
Hayasaka Ai blinked innocently at Shin, as if the pink-tinted room she led him into was no different from an ordinary office.
Technically speaking, both Shin and Hayasaka Ai, as high school students, wouldn't be able to provide the identification necessary to book a room here. Hotels like these were wary of trouble caused by underage guests.
However, Hayasaka Ai, as the maid of the Shinomiya family, had her ways of bypassing this restriction—especially since she was here on the Shinomiya family's orders.
"Bold-faced lies."
Shin shook his head helplessly. Hayasaka Ai was right that the place was quiet and undisturbed, but calling it suitable for a conversation was absurd.
The setting didn't resemble anything conducive to serious discussion. Moreover, Shin detected a hint of anticipation in Hayasaka Ai's gaze.
As for what exactly she was anticipating, Shin could make a pretty good guess.
He walked over to Hayasaka Ai, placed a hand on her shoulder, and then firmly pushed her onto the bed, causing her to sink into the soft bedding.
Surprisingly, Hayasaka Ai didn't resist. Instead, she slightly opened her arms, her expression one of eager anticipation.
"You... don't tell me you have some strange fetish."
Shin seemed to sense something as he applied slight pressure to her shoulders—not full force, but enough for an average person to feel pain.
Hayasaka Ai certainly felt the pain. Without her signature maid uniform, which acted as a stand-in protector, her physical resilience wasn't much different from that of an ordinary person.
Yet even so, her face didn't show any signs of discomfort. Instead, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
Seeing this, Shin would have to be blind not to realize that his actions had somehow triggered an odd reaction in Hayasaka Ai.
"...This is all your fault."
Blushing deeply, Hayasaka Ai stared directly at Shin, her tone wavering between complaint and coyness.
Before meeting Shin that fateful night, she had no idea she could find excitement in experiencing pain.
Though she had tried to recreate the sensation herself since then, nothing compared to the feelings evoked by Shin.
"Is that so?"
Shin chuckled lightly. Hayasaka Ai's reaction only made things more intriguing for him.
While Hayasaka Ai didn't elaborate further, Shin had a general idea of what was expected of him next.
He wasn't exactly clueless anymore.
...
Two hours later, Shin emerged from the room's bathroom, having cleaned himself up and dressed.
"Oh? You're awake?"
Shin glanced at Hayasaka Ai, noticing that she had regained consciousness and was now staring blankly at the ceiling.
Her reaction was understandable. Due to the peculiar habit she had developed because of Shin, she exhibited rather exaggerated responses to pain.
Still, her aura seemed healthy, so Shin knew she was fine.
"...Are you even human?"
Hayasaka Ai's voice was hoarse, and she still hadn't fully recovered.
While she had seen Shin's superhuman feats at the Shinomiya residence, experiencing them firsthand was a completely different matter.
"I held back, you know."
Shin shrugged. With his physical strength at a level equivalent to over 3,000 battle power, going all out would be far beyond what an ordinary person could endure.
Especially since Hayasaka Ai had provocatively donned her maid uniform mid-activity, assuming her stand-in ability would protect her. It seemed she thought the augmentation would render her invulnerable to Shin's strength.
Naturally, Shin had to teach her a lesson, reminding her of the kind of force she was provoking.
In the end, though, the punishment seemed to excite her even more, leaving her nearly unconscious.
"Here, water."
Shin poured a glass from the room's dispenser and handed it to Hayasaka Ai.
She took it without protest, sitting up and drinking it. Her pale complexion improved noticeably.
"So, the Shinomiya family sent you to me for this? That's a bit much, isn't it?"
Shin sat on the chair by the bed, looking at Hayasaka Ai, who was still recovering, and chuckled.
"I thought the Shinomiya family needed my help with something serious."
"...At this stage, the Shinomiya family is still in the process of earning your trust. They wouldn't dare trouble you with requests just yet."
Hayasaka Ai sipped her water, her voice steadier now.
"Perhaps once they're confident you've fully accepted their allegiance, they'll start asking for your assistance."
"That makes sense. The Shinomiya family isn't that foolish."
Shin thought for a moment and agreed with her analysis.
If the Shinomiya family immediately demanded favors after pledging loyalty, it would blur the lines of who was serving whom. Outsiders might even think Shin was working for the Shinomiya family.
For now, their strategy was likely to focus on proving their loyalty to Shin, ensuring he considered them true allies.
Hayasaka Ai had probably been sent for this reason. As a beautiful girl, she would naturally appeal to Shin, a high school boy brimming with youthful energy.
This plan reflected the personal inclinations of Shinomiya Gan'an and Shinomiya Oko, shaped by their own youthful exploits.
Hayasaka Ai herself, having discovered her unusual tendencies thanks to Shin, seemed to have no objections to the arrangement.
To be continued…
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