Chapter 177: Made Me Wet

“Why are you asking that?”

Himekoji Akito’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. Nervous, he didn’t understand why.

“Isn’t it only natural for people to wonder when they see you like this?”

Mashiro stared straight at him.

“Like this” meant…

Himekoji glanced at the girl peacefully asleep beside him, then suddenly realized.

He flusteredly shook Mashiro awake, gave her his chair, and stood up.

But even so, Himekoji could still feel Mashiro’s warmth on him. Just that caused a fierce turmoil inside him.

“So,” Nanami pressed sharply, “are you two dating or not?”

“Absolutely not!”

“We are.”

“Shiina! You need to stop this already!”

Himekoji was fed up. What was she doing?

Could she stop making things worse?

Besides, did she even know what “dating” meant?

“I know.”

As if reading Himekoji’s thoughts, Mashiro nodded. Her face expressionless, she spoke softly.

“No, you don’t know at all!”

“Eating together, bathing together, sleeping together…like that?”

Mashiro tilted her head cutely.

“Bathing together?! Sleeping together?! You’ve already gotten that far?!”

Nanami covered her mouth, shocked.

“Shiina, enough! We only ate meals together! Nothing else, right?!”

“Akito took my clothes off during bath time.”

“Shut up!”

Himekoji yelled, furious.

“You shut up, you pervert!”

Nanami’s voice ended up drowning his out.

“What else did this pervert do to you?”

Nanami frowned, pressing Mashiro further.

“He made me wet. Made me tired and sleepy every day. Made me touch his little thing. Made me lick…”

“That’s not true!”

If she kept going, disaster would strike! Himekoji jumped in to stop Mashiro.

“Not true? Really? Then what’s your relationship?”

Nanami glared at Himekoji Akito, eyes narrowed, cheeks slightly puffed with anger.

“We just live in the same house.”

As he said this, Himekoji looked at Mashiro, silently begging her not to speak up and cause more trouble.

Mashiro nodded gently.

Good, just a nod. She understood that look.

Just as relief washed over Himekoji…

“Akito is my Owner.”

Mashiro told Nanami this with absolute seriousness.

His Owner…

In an instant, Himekoji felt like he’d been blown from a May classroom onto an Antarctic continent battered by blizzards!

The air froze solid…

Nanami’s expression vanished. She silently blinked, her lips trembling lightly.

“Shiina! Why do you always say the absolute worst thing at the worst possible moment?!”

“Ow…Owner…”

Nanami’s shoulders shook. Her fists, clenched tight, trembled violently.

Suddenly, she snapped her head up and glared right at Himekoji.

Her gaze felt like knives piercing him. Words of defense choked in his throat.

“Himekoji! This is wrong!”

Nanami stood, pointing at him angrily, her Kansai dialect slipping out.

“I-if it were boyfriend-girlfriend, I could maybe, sort of understand…b-but Ow…Owner… Wh-what are you doing?! Absolutely not! How could you do something like this?! Why does a high schooler like you even exist?!”

She yelled, her face flushed red with embarrassment, anger, and whatever wild thoughts “Owner” triggered in her mind.

Who knew what that word made her imagine, but she was clearly convinced Himekoji and Mashiro had done unspeakable things.

“Let me explain, Aoyama! You’ve got it all wrong! Horribly wrong!”

“I don’t want to hear excuses!”

Tears welled in Nanami’s eyes, but her threatening glare stayed locked on Himekoji.

“No, I’m telling you it’s just a misunderstanding!”

“You can say anything! I…I won’t believe it! Especially not when you say…Ow…Owner… Owner! Just what are you playing at?!”

“Well then,” Himekoji snapped, desperate, “what will make you believe me?!”

“Then…then…there’s only one way!”

A strange glint seemed to flash deep in Nanami’s eyes.

“W-what way?”

A wave of strong, terrible dread washed over Himekoji.

“What…?”

Nanami paused, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Calming down slightly, she opened her eyes again and stared straight at Himekoji, stating firmly:

“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not… I’ll know for sure when I move into your house!”

Move in?

Himekoji’s face went stiff. Mashiro, unconcerned, fell asleep.

True, Himekoji had suggested Nanami move in first.

It was because Nanami faced late rental payments, and he hoped she could help watch Mashiro.

But now, she was blatantly moving in to spy on him! What kind of situation was this?

“Don’t rush to conclusions, Aoyama! You should take better care of yourself.”

Spying? That just wasn’t normal, no matter how you looked at it.

Ignoring Himekoji’s confusion, Nanami had already calmed down. A composed smile appeared on her face.

“Looking forward to living together, Himekoji. I’ll be watching you closely!”

…

So Nanami moving into Himekoji’s house was settled.

Preparations would take time. Nanami decided to move in on the first of next month. After all, she’d already paid the dorm fees for this month…

Since the money was spent, she might as well use the dorm for the entire month. That seemed to be her logic.

Today, as planned, Nanami went home with Himekoji. She wanted to see the white cat, Hikari, and also scout out the place in advance.

…

“Hikari~”

Nanami eagerly looked for the kitten the moment she stepped inside.

“Meow.”

But Hikari probably didn’t remember her anymore. Lazing on the sofa, the cat just lazily glanced at Nanami, gave a soft meow, and stayed put.

“Uh… Hikari has changed.”

Nanami felt awkward.

This once frail, wandering kitten had transformed into a pampered, lazy, aloof cat. Changed? Absolutely.

“If it’s alright, Nanami, you can stay in the guest room next to Mashiro’s?”

Himekoji said this as he put down his bag, heading to the kitchen to start dinner.

“Eh? Eh? R-really live in your house? Now she starts hesitating?”

The usually decisive Nanami was acting strange in this situation.

“True, I invited you first, but you were the one who suggested moving in afterward, right? If you want to back out, do it now.”

Himekoji shook his head. Opening the fridge, he picked ingredients while casually saying.

“Ah…ah, well, that’s true…”

Nanami scanned the room.

“Wait, don’t you have a sister? Where does she stay?”

Only three bedrooms.

One for Himekoji. One for Mashiro. The last one for her…

“I share a room with my Imouto.”

“Sh-share a room?! I knew it! You are a pervert!”

…