Chapter 283: Unable to Speak
Chapter 283: Unable to Speak
“I super love.”
“Huh?”
“I super love Akito.”
Her voice, though plain and colorless, devoid of emotion, seemed to hold a strange kind of magic.
Like roaring wind and crashing waves, it rushed at him.
“I super love Akito.”
Boom.
In that moment, he felt an illusion of lightning and thunder, his ears nearly deafened.
He felt suffocated for 0.0001 seconds.
So…
What nonsense was this idiot babbling about?!
She definitely has no idea what “love” even means!
Right, she absolutely doesn’t know!
Even though he told himself that, Himekoji felt his throat go dry.
The air in the Hospital Room suddenly became unnaturally humid and heavy, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe.
Maybe… maybe he could pretend he hadn’t heard?
After all, responding was impossible.
No—not impossible. He couldn’t allow it.
Well then—
He had to pretend he hadn’t heard.
“Ahaha… what did you say? The wind is really noisy today, isn’t it?”
Soooo noisy.
Even inside the room.
Himekoji forced out a laugh; his smile felt stiff.
Noisy?
Mashiro tilted her head and looked out the window.
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she jumped off the bed and positioned herself beside Himekoji.
Himekoji, who saw nothing but darkness, couldn’t see Mashiro spreading her arms, seriously trying to block the wind for him.
A patient shouldn’t be exposed to the wind.
Rita had told her so.
“Akito, didn’t you hear? What I said.”
“Mhm, nope. Didn’t hear a thing.”
Saying this, Himekoji breathed a small sigh of relief inside.
At the very least, the plan was successful.
Whether Mashiro thought he really hadn’t heard or was pretending, she probably wouldn’t keep talking about this now, right?
“I super love.”
“Huh?”
“I super love Akito.”
“Hah?”
Again?!
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! They should just smoothly skip past this topic!
“Didn’t I say I didn’t hear?”
Himekoji couldn’t help but emphasize again.
So, maybe Mashiro just didn’t understand what he meant?
…
He still hadn’t heard?
“I super love you, Akito.”
Mashiro repeated it a third time.
If there was something you wanted to say, you had to repeat it until the other person heard it. That’s what Mashiro believed.
“I can’t hear! Can’t hear you!”
Himekoji started to panic.
Huh? Was the wind really that loud?
Mashiro blinked in confusion. Hesitating for a moment, she decided to get even closer.
“I super love, super love, super love you, Akito.”
This time, Mashiro leaned right next to Himekoji’s ear.
Every word, crystal clear.
“I won’t listen! I won’t hear you! Won’t listen!”
In the end, Himekoji acted totally shameless.
He tightly closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously.
If both his hands weren’t firmly handcuffed and unable to move, Himekoji would have absolutely clamped his hands over his ears.
Because Mashiro was just poison!
You couldn’t just say things like that recklessly!
Every extra time he heard it, his heart wavered a bit more.
Mashiro could break the rules, but he couldn’t.
Because he was Himekoji!
A Pervert with professional pride!
On the path of being a Pervert, there was no turning back!
At least, Himekoji hadn’t found the exit yet.
He was looking for it.
…
“Ten minutes are up!”
“Good work, Mashiro!”
“Time to switch! You guys can switch now!”
The other girls, long anxious after waiting outside, burst into the room without waiting. They took Mashiro’s hand, ready for the next person on duty.
Only now could Himekoji finally truly relax.
Mashiro’s turn had ended.
The supposedly undemanding first level had nearly killed him.
So yeah, you must never let your guard down, ever.
Mashiro was just terrifying!
After facing that onslaught once more, Himekoji doubted he could endure it.
He wondered who the second challenger was.
Wait, had the second round even started?
Blindfolded, Himekoji strained to listen for clues.
After Mashiro was led out, the hospital room fell quiet.
Had it begun or not?
Was it an intermission?
He wasn’t sure.
Still, the peace was welcome now.
He closed his eyes, pretending to rest.
This was his chance to ponder recent troublesome tasks cluttering his list.
A glance confirmed it: piled-up old missions mixed with new ones stared back.
Himekoji groaned inwardly.
But groaning solved nothing—tasks demanded action.
He decided to tackle the most urgent one.
The tightest deadline, naturally—
[“Collect Nanami’s wet underwear in seven different colors.”]
[“Time limit: One week.”]
[“Remaining: Five days.”]
[“Progress: 1/7! Underwear obtained.”]
No doubt—Nanami’s quest was the top emergency.
Just five days to gather six different-colored sets…
It seemed downright impossible.
Just as despair settled in, the System piped up unusually, offering “advice.”
[“No underwear is beyond collection!”]
[“You simply lack good collection methods!”]
Himekoji had hoped for wisdom, but it totally let him down.
Methods weren’t the problem!
The mission was impossibly strict!
Six wet pairs from Nanami in five days?
How?!
[“Of course it’s possible!”]
Possible? Then enlighten me!
Himekoji mentally rolled his eyes at the System.
[“Buy them!”]
He wanted him dead, didn’t it?
Just picturing Nanami murdering him…
[“Money can’t buy happiness, but used underwear? Absolutely.”]
Wait… technically true for some panties…
But definitely not Nanami’s!
Himekoji mentally snarled. Unfazed, the System mused—
[“Yet, used underwear does bring happiness to some. So what truly is happiness?”]
Who cared?! Why ask him?!
Now Himekoji saw: the System was mocking him. Zero help.
He’d brainstorm solutions himself.
…
Akito was resting, eyes closed.
Eriri longed to speak, even knowing he slept.
Talking to silence herself soothed her.
She opened her mouth—then froze, remembering Yuigahama’s final rule:
No one could talk and disturb Himekoji’s rest.
She clapped a hand over her lips.
No matter how strong the words burned within her.
…
“Time’s up!”
Akiko burst in eagerly to take over, startling Eriri.
“Huh? Already?”
She’d said nothing! Done nothing!
Akiko practically shoved Eriri out the hospital room door.
One thing Eriri would never guess:
She alone had followed every rule that day.