Chapter 178: Eat Your Underwear!

“It’s, it’s not like that! Where’s your mind going?! We just lived together when we were little, isn’t that completely normal?”

“Normal?”

“It was only when we were four or five!”

Though little Himekoji’s body had already housed an adult soul by then…

“Oh… okay.”

Hearing Himekoji’s explanation, Nanami nodded, half believing him.

“And now? Doesn’t your Imouto live with you anymore?”

“She goes to school in another city.”

“Why?”

Nanami asked an unexpectedly large number of questions.

“Doesn’t matter why. I’ll cook now, go keep Mashiro company.”

“I’ll help!”

Nanami hurried after Himekoji into the kitchen.

Working hard now would earn her meal later. She felt more confident like that.

Himekoji could pretty much guess Nanami’s thoughts. He helplessly shook his head and let her do as she wished.

…

The kitchen was small, and felt a bit cramped with two people inside.

Their arms, shoulders even bumped sometimes when reaching for things or turning around.

Strangely, veteran pervert Himekoji found his thoughts wandering because of touches that weren’t even scandalous.

“Akito.”

Then, Mashiro’s voice called him from outside the kitchen.

“What is it?”

Himekoji yelled back without turning.

“Come here.”

The voice sounded faint because of the distance, Himekoji could barely make it out.

“Ah, alright.”

This was a good chance to slip out for air. Honestly, being alone with Nanami in such a tight space made Himekoji uncomfortable all over.

“Shiina?”

Not sure what the girl wanted, Himekoji looked around the living room but didn’t see Mashiro.

“Akito.”

This time, Himekoji realized the voice came from the direction of the bathroom.

Frowning slightly in confusion, Himekoji walked towards the bathroom.

At the bathroom door, though, he suddenly stopped moving. He’d stepped on something soft.

This feeling…

Could it be?

He awkwardly looked down, nervously checking the floor before the bathroom.

There were clothes left there.

A girl’s school uniform, outer pants, lacy short shirt, and matching pure white underwear—all crumpled together and tossed carelessly on the floor.

“My goodness…”

Himekoji sighed softly.

He wasn’t flustered or shy. Just sighed at the sky wearily.

Truth was, he’d seen this way too often since Mashiro moved in. He was almost immune by now.

He knew exactly whose clothes these were. He’d picked out the underwear himself for Mashiro that morning, leaving a vivid memory.

Plus, Mashiro was the only person in his home this ‘remarkable’.

“Why strip like this and throw your things everywhere again?”

He couldn’t help muttering a complaint softly by the bathroom door.

He had to deal with this. He started gathering up the scattered clothes for Mashiro.

Honestly, was he some kind of nanny?

Was Mashiro his hopeless little daughter or something?

As he reached for the crumpled underwear, Himekoji felt something else—it was a bit warm…

Still carrying the girl’s body warmth.

“W-wai— hold on?!”

Freshly removed underwear!

His palm started sweating instantly.

This unexpected surprise instantly sped up Himekoji’s heartbeat.

Not excitement!

Fear!

Fear that the System might show a Choice, right now!

[Ding!]

[Please choose!]

See? Just as he thought…

His hand holding the underwear tightened slightly, thick black lines forming on his forehead.

Awful timing! He had guests at home today! Getting caught would be terrible!

Luckily, Nanami was still in the kitchen. Finishing this Choice fast shouldn’t be a big problem.

He calmed himself.

[Please choose!]

[A: Take the underwear to the kitchen as an ingredient. Cook a “boiled underwear slices” dish. Have everyone enjoy it together. (No leftovers allowed! Wasting food is forbidden!)]

[B: Chew the underwear raw. (Just pretend nicely. The System won’t judge harshly.)]

Won’t judge harshly?

Option A said not eating up meant death! Was that not harsh?

Man, he almost believed the System!

Did this Choice’s arrival mean a new era had begun?

Had he evolved from a “Novice Pervert” who occasionally sniffed underwear for joy, into a “Master Pervert” needing the taste of underwear for satisfaction?

Eating underwear? Was that something a normal person would even do?

[Please Choose!]

The System didn’t care about Himekoji’s complaints. It just kept urging him as usual.

“B!”

Himekoji squeezed the word out through clenched teeth.

If someone had to not be human, let it be him alone!

Better to choose B and let him bear the perversion by himself than choose A and make everyone a pervert together!

He thought tragically, lost in his own twisted “personal bravery”.

“Fast chewing, fast finish!”

Himekoji took a deep breath and raised Mashiro’s underwear to his mouth.

The option said he just needed to pretend, to make it look real. He didn’t actually have to chew it or put it in his mouth. Thank goodness.

Probably to spare the readers of this book, afraid they’d be blinded by such a perverted scene.

“1, 2, 3! Go!”

As soon as he said it, Himekoji launched into his convincing act!

He even used one of his permanent skills, “Voice Mimicry”.

To mimic the sound of eating underwear!

Amu~ amu~ amu…… Gulp!

Chewing sounds, swallowing drool sounds.

…

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry up and finish! As long as no one saw…!

“If someone saw me right now…”

His life would be completely over!

But, perhaps “jinxing things” was also one of Himekoji’s permanent skills.

At this critical moment, Himekoji heard the sound of footsteps behind him. Steps so despairing they froze his blood.

“What happens if you get seen?”

A crisp, sharp question rang out like a silver bell right beside his ear.

Himekoji instantly straightened his back, stiff as a board. His body seemed locked in place by magic. Only his head creaked slowly, kra-kra, turning around.

The person behind him was undoubtedly Aoyama Nanami, the Nanami who had just been helping him in the kitchen.

Seeing the underwear clenched tightly in Himekoji’s hand, Nanami’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

[Quest Completed!]

Damn! It finishes now? Too late!

“There’s something I want to say first… will you hear me out?”

Himekoji steeled himself and tried to explain.

“Shouldn’t that be your last words?”

“It’s not what you think! This is just part of the job… the job I need you to help with concerning Shiina! You can think of it as work!”

“Objectively… that doesn’t really look like work?”

Nanami was smiling.

Huh? She was smiling?

But it was that tight smile that doesn’t reach the eyes… which was somehow even scarier!

“S-so… objectively, what DOES it look like?”

“Pervert!”

Nanami answered without hesitation.

“Turning from a cocoon into a butterfly?”

“Turning from a human into a scumbag!”

…