Chapter 170: Truth

Or rather, what on earth had he lived through these past few days?

It was simply beyond reason, beyond imagination, beyond all norms…

He’d foolishly thought the hardship would only last at the beginning, and Mashiro would gradually grow accustomed to life and new rules in Japan.

Himekoji had started off holding such naive, unrealistic hopes and delusions.

Thinking back on the days since they began living together… it felt like pure disaster.

If Mashiro used the washing machine, taking his eyes off her for just one second meant she’d dump an entire box of detergent inside, leaving the whole area messy with bubbles. Cleaning up became such a chore. He wished there was a detergent to remove… detergent.

If he asked her to clean the bathroom, she ended up soaking wet. Hard to tell if she washed the bathroom or got washed by the bathroom.

Sending her out shopping alone meant she’d inevitably get lost. Every time, Himekoji had to struggle to track her down and bring her back.

And there were countless other headaches like this.

The biggest problem of all was—

Mashiro had zero awareness!

She saw herself as completely normal.

Because of that, getting her to remember things or form habits turned into mission impossible.

New discoveries piled up daily, problems multiplying endlessly.

【Ding!】

【Please choose!】

Fine, while lost in thought, the choice prompt popped up again.

But Himekoji stayed perfectly calm.

After all, any choice triggered by Mashiro didn’t require panic.

He’d learned from experience that the girl had practically a 100% cooperation rate with choices…

This made him feel both relieved and speechless.

And the most annoying part? He felt swamped by ridiculous guilt.

If things went on like this, he’d soon fail at being a pervert—might even be pressured into going straight!

Why couldn’t she act like those other annoying people and just yell “pervert”? At least that would feel fair…

Huh? Did that mean he had mild M tendencies?

No way! Impossible!

Himekoji frantically shook his head, trying to shake off those weird thoughts.

【Please choose!】

“Got it, got it.”

Himekoji mentally agreed, staying perfectly unfazed.

With Mashiro around, these system choices no longer gave him any nerves.

……

Himekoji reached over, took away Mashiro’s baumkuchen.

“Eh?”

Mashiro tilted her head slightly in confusion, smacked her lips twice. Crumbs of orange-yellow cake stuck to her lips, hinting she still wanted more.

“I haven’t finished it.”

She blinked, looking confused at Himekoji.

“Have… have it like this…”

When actually doing it, Himekoji still felt slightly embarrassed.

He unwrapped the cake, laid it flat on his open palm, and held it before Mashiro.

“Hmm?”

Mashiro made an unclear sound, instinctively reaching to take it.

“Can’t use hands.”

Himekoji suddenly stopped her.

Why?

He worried she might ask that.

Luckily, Mashiro had zero urge to question why.

“Oh.”

The girl just softly acknowledged, changing position from sitting to crawling onto the bench.

“Like this?”

She asked Himekoji.

“Uh-huh… uh-huh.”

Pretty sharp understanding.

This pose matched what the system demanded—feeding her like feeding a pet girl…

Seriously, what kind of messed-up ♂training was this? Way too evil!

Watching this clueless girl slowly being tricked by him… man, that feeling was intense!

Guilty… sinful… excited… anticipating…

Wait, excited and anticipating? What was that?! Even if he felt that way, better hide it! Not say it aloud!

“Can you lick it to eat? Please!”

Himekoji requested seriously.

“Akito? This is weird.”

Mashiro murmured this softly… then actually did it.

She actually did it!

So see, I’m not the weird one—you’re way, way weirder for being this obedient! Totally willing to do anything!

Hold on… if he asked Mashiro to be his girlfriend right now, would this airhead agree without a thought?

Gulp!

Himekoji swallowed nervously, his own sudden idea terrifying himself.

He was a pervert, but Mashiro didn’t care—no, rather Shiina Mashiro never even realized “Himekoji is a pervert.”

So… she couldn’t get hurt, right?

Shiina Mashiro was unlike Kasumigaoka Utaha.

……

Kasumigaoka Utaha once said she didn’t mind.

But could answers said aloud ever truly be real?

Even if she was utterly sincere in that moment, totally sure back then…

What about later? When watching Himekoji trigger pervy choices with other girls right before her eyes? Still not mind at all?

Mind none today, mind none tomorrow… mind none forever?

It’d be like—

Moments ago holding hands, blissfully together… next moment him suddenly letting go, rushing to another girl, groping her while yelling disgusting things in public—open cheating…

Could claims of “I don’t mind” truly stay unchanged?

Yeah… that “Evil God” tangled in lies and deception? She didn’t lie that time—real lies are known to be false when spoken. But Kasumigaoka Utaha wasn’t lying.

Even if she said “I don’t mind,” then later broke that statement… one couldn’t call that deception.

If deception existed here, the deceived one… was Kasumigaoka Utaha herself.

She deceived herself, fooled by how natural speaking those words felt.

Because… how could she actually not mind?

The more she liked, the more she would mind.

……

Himekoji didn’t get deceived—a relief, but also a regret.

Those prone to lies trust no one easily, even words uttered with utterly genuine feeling.

……

So… what if it was clueless Shiina Mashiro?

“Mashiro.”

“Hmm?”

The girl paused her kitten-like licking slightly, lifting her head to look at Himekoji. Her dazed expression and pose looked exceptionally cute.

“I… am a pervert.”

“Hmm?”

Seeing her utterly puzzled face, Himekoji explained softly:

“It’s nothing. Just wanted to tell you… and remind myself.”

……

How despicable… that thought he just had.

Himekoji shifted his gaze off Mashiro. His eyes turned unfocused, staring into the distance.

Even if Mashiro didn’t realize his perversion now… someday, she surely would.

Was it loneliness or exhaustion from being a pervert? That he’d even considered trying this with Mashiro?

But he always said… being alone was fine.

Alone was best.

【Ding!】

【Quest completed!】

Alone……

Hurray!

……