Chapter 167: Hold On!

“No, actually, I am a pervert.”

[Ding!]

[Please choose!]

Seriously? Now’s the worst time for an option to pop up and prove it for me!

I appreciate the thought, really!

[Please choose!]

[A: Ecstatically kiss Shiina Mashiro’s fingertip, every single bit, using a fierce and passionate kissing style while leaving your perverted saliva behind.]

[B: Ecstatically kiss Shiina Mashiro’s toes, every single bit, using a fierce and passionate kissing style while leaving your perverted saliva behind.]

Urgh, fine. The System never accepts “appreciating the thought.”

This perverted thing absolutely won’t quit until it hands you the “benefits” in person.

“AAAAAA!”

Option B is way too gentlemanly—our readers would never accept it.

Plus, Option A feels more… pure love-ish? Probably. Yeah… if you ignore the saliva part at the end.

“Sorry, Shiina!”

Himekoji clapped his hands together with a smack.

Then, while the other girl stared blankly… no, Shiina Mashiro remained totally expressionless. Even as Himekoji wordlessly snatched up her delicate, white hand and kissed it carefully—no, fiercely and passionately—she stayed blank.

The “Kuudere” girl stuck rigidly to her character traits: unemotional, expressionless, and unreactive.

Perverted behavior: proceeding smoothly!

The only hiccup? The “perverted saliva” phase was a bit tricky for Himekoji. He’d been brewing too much kuchikamizake lately; his saliva output seemed slightly insufficient! Total failure!

What kind of nonsense is this?!

He strained hard to produce a tiny bit, finally managing to stretch two clear strings of saliva on Mashiro’s fingertip. Barely passed!

[Ding!]

[Quest Completed!]

Damn, that was way too easy!

Probably because the System noticed too, so Shiina-triggered quests gave almost no rewards.

Whatever, it’s finished.

Himekoji frantically grabbed the warm towel he’d used earlier to smooth Mashiro’s hair and wiped the girl’s hand.

Well, he’d just brushed his teeth, and the “crime scene” was towel-cleaned, so Mashiro probably wouldn’t complain… right?

“More?”

Sure enough, not only wasn’t Mashiro upset, she offered her other hand to Himekoji.

“N-no, not anymore…”

Hang on!

She clearly wasn’t bothered at ALL, so why did guilt suddenly surge up inside him even stronger?!

Holy crap!

Looking at Mashiro — who never minded his pervy antics — and then looking at himself… DAMN, he felt so guilty he could almost cry…

He’d actually performed such creepy, over-the-line acts on a girl as pure as blank paper? He… he-he-he— really WAS a pervert!

“It’s unbelievable,” he sputtered. “Someone like you actually survived this long safely? If you ever met a wolf, you’d get completely devoured!”

“Because no wolves,” Mashiro replied flatly.

“I meant ’wolf’ metaphorically! Like, guys… boys… males!”

“None of those either.”

“Did you go to an all-girls school before? Is this your first co-ed one?”

“Akito is first.”

“Huh?”

“My first boy.”

“At least phrase that differently! You make it sound like I did something! I didn’t do anything! Actually, I feel massively ripped off!”

Wait, he kind of did do quite a bit…

Like seeing her naked… sniffing her underwear… kissing her hand…

Maybe not ripped off?

“Glad it’s Akito.”

“Wh-what are you saying…”

“Because you did lots of things to me.”

Why did every sentence sound like a confession?!

Game over! Was he getting charmed here? Ridiculous! That stupid, fluttering heartbeat—just calm down already!

He’s just a pervert! He shouldn’t go around ruining people’s lives!

“S-stop spacing out! Hurry up and change clothes!”

“I am awake.”

Himekoji handed a uniform and clean underwear to Mashiro as she stood up. For some reason, he instinctively averted his gaze, unable to look straight at her pure, quiet face.

Once she accepted the clothes, Mashiro immediately started taking off her pajamas.

“Hey, hey, hey! W-wait! Wait until I LEAVE! Keep this up, and I WILL violate you!”

Yesterday, today, this happens every single day! He was struggling desperately to control himself!

He spun around instantly and stomped away.

SLAM! He closed the door rudely behind him.

Himekoji Akito shook his head hard, slamming his back against the wall.

Already exhausted before the day even began.

“What’s going to become of me…”

No answer came.

No one knew.

“Why… did I have to become a pervert?”

…

Two minutes later.

“Ai…” Himekoji sighed.

Just then, now fully dressed in her uniform, Mashiro walked out.

Yesterday, Himekoji Tadashi had just transferred to Toyosaki School. To be honest, he wasn’t used to seeing Mashiro wearing the same Toyosaki uniform as him yet.

“Um…”

Mashiro called out to Himekoji in a soft, whisper-like voice as he walked ahead without a word.

“Hmm?”

“Is it boring?”

“Huh?”

“My manga.”

Eh?

He’d been spotted peeking at her drawings earlier?

Not knowing how to respond, Himekoji just gave a bitter smile.

At least he understood now. That incredibly empty manga manuscript was definitely Mashiro’s work. No mistake about it.

“You were awake at that time?”

Unable to answer directly, Himekoji changed the subject.

“So it really is boring.”

Her voice held no emotion, her expression blank.

Himekoji couldn’t tell what Mashiro was thinking.

“Akito’s manga is getting very heated online.”

After a brief silence, Mashiro suddenly said this.

“Eh?”

“It’s currently ranked number one for new manga on WEB Comic.”

Was that so? Even Himekoji Akito didn’t know himself.

He’d tossed the first chapter online that day and never checked again.

No, being exhausted daily by Mashiro, he hadn’t found the time to even think about it…

“Akito, besides drawing skills… I want to know.”

I want to know too, damn it!

But before that, you need to learn basic life skills first…

Himekoji was about to brush it off casually when—

[Ding!]

—the System’s annoying chime sounded again at the worst possible moment!

[Please choose!]

[A: Grab Mashiro’s hand and shove it into your crotch. Tell her solemnly: “As long as you hold this, you’ll find out someday.”]

[B: Cut off Mashiro’s hands with a knife. Give her the gentlest answer: “This way, you’ll never need to know again.”]

Eh?

What the heck was that?! That bloody Option B?!

Could this be a fake System?!

Seriously—

Are you kidding me?! An option about chopping hands now?!

This is supposed to be a romantic comedy, not a horror show!

…