Chapter 507: Pleasing His Wife

The soup probably had an appetite-stimulating effect too. After drinking a whole bowl, it actually sparked quite an appetite.

Yukinoshita glanced at the Bento she’d earlier pushed aside, untouched, and instinctively reached for it.

But her hand stopped mid-air, frozen—

Because Yuigahama and Himekoji were both staring intently at her suddenly visible “little belly pooch”!

They’d been looking for ages!

“What… are you two looking at?”

She complained like this, then took a deep breath and sucked in her stomach.

At the same time, she puzzled over it in her mind. These past few days, she’d barely eaten a thing and had no appetite, so why hadn’t she gotten thinner? How did a belly pooch appear instead?

“Ah!”

The appetite Yukinoshita had just rediscovered vanished almost immediately.

Watching Yukinoshita sigh, Himekoji suddenly remembered the notes he’d made earlier in class—

During early pregnancy, it’s especially important to keep the expectant mother happy and relaxed!

Himekoji had seen this on a forum. The appended suggestions and solutions were—

“The husband needs to proactively take time to be with his wife. Comfort her, don’t make her angry. Do things she likes, show concern. Try to ensure she has a good mood every day”.

Even though Yukinoshita wasn’t his wife… not yet, Himekoji felt these things were his duty, his undeniable responsibility!

Determined now, he ignored his shyness and leaned forward eagerly.

“Yukinoshita, have some tea, have some tea.”

After pouring the Black tea for Yukinoshita, Himekoji respectfully held out the mug with both hands.

Yukinoshita looked up at Himekoji in surprise, as if seeing him for the first time.

They’d gotten off on the wrong foot from the very start. Though her opinion of him had gradually changed after some events, partly because she couldn’t lose face and partly because of her nature, she treated Himekoji now exactly as she had initially, hardly ever giving him a friendly look.

And Himekoji wasn’t the type to warm up to cold shoulders either. They might have mutual feelings underneath, but outwardly, they remained distant and cold.

Seeing Himekoji now, trotting over eagerly offering tea—it was truly unprecedented! As rare as the sun rising in the west.

Yukinoshita’s first reaction was suspicion!

Can’t blame her for thinking that though—Himekoji had left everyone with such a bad impression before, having done plenty of perverted things.

However, seeing Himekoji’s clear, transparent eyes, she wavered.

Help me…

That phrase Himekoji had said to her echoed in her mind.

That was something you could only say to a trusted friend. Yukinoshita believed she understood Himekoji.

Not trying to do it all alone anymore…

Had the guy in front of her… changed quite a bit?

Unbidden, this thought surfaced. Then, her hand instinctively reached out. The light in Yukinoshita’s eyes softening as she tried to take the mug full of Black tea from Himekoji’s hand.

“Wait!”

At the moment their fingertips touched, Himekoji suddenly yelped, startling both Yukinoshita and Yuigahama.

Himekoji seemed to remember something. He whacked his own head hard with his free hand, utterly annoyed.

Damn it! He’d almost forgotten!

Another critical point to remember—

During pregnancy, try to avoid drinks with caffeine, like Cola and tea…

And Black tea and Oolong tea? Among all teas, they had higher caffeine levels!

Himekoji made an instant decision—Yukinoshita could NOT drink this Black tea!

Before Yukinoshita could take the mug, Himekoji had a bright idea. He lifted the mug suddenly, tipped his head back, and gulped the whole thing down, swigging all the caffeine into his own belly first.

Yukinoshita stared, dumbfounded.

She’d let herself think he’d turned a new leaf! A dog really can’t stop eating dog…

No!

If Black tea was “dog…”, well… Yukinoshita herself was actually the one most passionate about the tea ceremony in the Service Club usually…

Pfft! Whatever!

Already in a bad mood, Yukinoshita was even more annoyed after being “teased” by Himekoji; her displeasure showed clearly in her eyes.

Seeing this, Himekoji’s heart dropped. Oh no, he thought. He’d messed things up again perfectly! He scrambled to fix it.

But before he could speak, Yukinoshita confronted him first.

“That was my cup.”

She spoke carefully, word by word—not quite gritting her teeth, but it was very close.

Of course! This was Yukinoshita-sama’s treasured mug! Himekoji instinctively glanced down at it. He could almost see countless delicate, lingering lip marks—no wonder the Black tea tasted so sweet! The fragrant aftertaste remained on his lips even now.

Himekoji licked his lips—a purely unconscious action. Only afterwards did he realize how bad it looked. He quickly glanced at her, guiltily.

These little movements didn’t escape Yukinoshita’s notice. She thought him even more brazen, shameless, and lewd! She cursed him inwardly as a pervert, while outwardly, her face flushed red hot.

Strangely, she wasn’t disgusted.

Realizing this only made her more flustered and angry. She snorted coldly and snatched her mug right out of Himekoji’s hand.

Oh dear, oh dear, Himekoji thought gloomily. Looking at Yukinoshita’s face, she was clearly feeling worse than before. Please don’t let it stir up the baby!

Seeing the mug was utterly empty, Yukinoshita had no choice but to pick up the teapot and refill the cup herself.

She truly had a deep affection for Black tea.

Just as she raised the cup to her lips, about to touch the rim, she noticed Yuigahama and Himekoji both staring at her with strange expressions.

Yuigahama looked amazed. Himekoji was purely frantic.

He knew drinking just one cup of Black tea probably wouldn’t hurt anything, but it’s his first time being a dad! He couldn’t help being overly excited and nervous, careful about everything. Being slightly overdramatic under these circumstances was understandable.

“Yuki-chan! Akito just drank from that!”

But Yuigahama’s concern was entirely different.

Heeding the reminder, Yukinoshita froze, then hurriedly pulled the cup away.

Too late though; she had already touched it…

Yukinoshita glared at Yuigahama with reproach, wondering why she didn’t speak up sooner. Then, as her embarrassment simmered, anger bubbled up. She turned her face sideways, glaring at Himekoji, her teeth gritting in silent frustration.

She cursed herself inwardly for being so scatterbrained, forgetting the bit about an indirect kiss entirely.

Himekoji, under Yukinoshita’s stare, felt secretly pleased.

Thanks to his quick thinking! he thought. Now that the mug was “contaminated”, Yukinoshita would absolutely refuse to drink the Black tea until a new one appeared!

What a genius he was!

“Yuki-chan, how about… using my cup instead?”

Seeing Yukinoshita stuck, unable to drink or not, Yuigahama generously offered her own mug. For some reason, her face became shy and flushed red.

Himekoji silently grumbled about Yuigahama causing trouble.

Still, he didn’t think she stood a chance; knowing Yukinoshita’s nature, she’d surely refuse.

Why?

Why would Yukinoshita refuse his used cup but accept Yuigahama’s?

Indirect kiss or indirect kiss—was Yuigahama’s cup somehow more valuable?

Putting himself in the other’s shoes: If he had to choose between same-sex or opposite-sex indirect kissing? Definitely opposite-sex!

Himekoji finished this thought just in time to see Yukinoshita calmly take the cup from Yuigahama.

Heck! That slapped him in the face hard!

Yuigahama had already drunk from it twice. Yukinoshita held it near her lips without a fuss.

But Himekoji was concerned!

Very concerned!

She couldn’t drink this tea!

Without a word, he snatched the cup away. Hmph!

Himekoji threw his head back once more and drained the mug dry.

Hmph!

Himekoji wiped his mouth smugly.

Now! Neither cup was drinkable!

For the sake of the child, Himekoji was certainly going through great pains!

Only, right now, this heartfelt effort still remained impossible for Yukinoshita and Yuigahama to understand.

He could tell from the looks the two girls were shooting him—they absolutely thought he was having another perverted fit!

Sigh! They just didn’t understand!

Right now, how could he be a pervert?

He was merely a caring father!

……