"As long as it's a gift from you, sensei, I'll love it."
Shuichi didn't care about these things. Ever since he had Fumika and the others for company, he had almost kicked his phone addiction. It had been relegated to a pure tool.
This proved a saying: if one's real life is fulfilling and interesting, most people won't get addicted to the virtual world.
"Alright then, you can look forward to it, Shuichi-kun. And now, it's almost... my bedtime."
"Yes, and I'm almost... done with my bath."
Perhaps because it was time to hang up, both of them were a little reluctant. For a moment, they fell into silence. Only the sound of their rapid breathing could be heard by each other.
Naomi hugged her blanket tightly, biting her lip. Her eyes were slightly red, as if she were very sad, as if she were sobbing. Her shoulders trembled lightly, and she arched her long neck, finally letting out a long breath.
"Shuichi-kun... I'm feeling much better now, sensei. All the accumulated negative emotions have been released. Thank you for staying up late to talk with me. You should go get some rest too, right?"
Shuichi also let out a breath as if deflating, no longer forcing himself to stay alert. He took two steps back and sat down, leaning against the edge of the bathtub.
"Yes, I am a bit tired. Good night, sensei."
"Mmm, good night. Sweet dreams."
After hanging up the phone, Shuichi sat there for a moment to catch his breath. He stood up, rinsed the foam off his body, and then helped Tsuki rinse the foam off hers.
Then, he held her and they sat down together in the narrow bathtub.
It was already past midnight. Tsuki was used to sleeping and waking early, so today was quite late for her. She was already drowsy and exhausted, leaning against his chest, uncharacteristically docile.
Shuichi gently caressed her thin, delicate shoulder and checked the system interface.
[October's monthly salary has been issued. Administrator, please check your account.]
Seeing this message, Shuichi's originally weary spirits were instantly revived. He immediately straightened his back.
"Mmm... Master, are you going to punish your little maid again? Are you going to do whatever you want to a little maid who has no strength left?" The listless Tsuki hummed softly, murmuring the question.
"Just go to sleep," Shuichi replied, not knowing whether to laugh or be angry. She was so tired she could barely function, yet she still didn't forget to tease him.
He picked up his phone and looked at the long string of zeros in his account, feeling that all of last month's hard work had been worth it. A sense of a joyful harvest and satisfaction welled up inside him.
At the same time, he felt a sense of relief. He had been a little worried that the system might learn from the practices of certain companies, happily paying a salary of 100,000 but defaulting on a salary of 3.6 million. That would have been a real pain.
Three point six million. Even though it was yen, it was definitely not a low monthly salary. How should he spend it?
How much money would it even take to go on a shopping spree at the supermarket with the little dummy? As for Tsuki, apart from a few special items, she stubbornly refused to accept anything else.
The Ogawa sisters' shop was doing well at the moment. What they lacked most was companionship and comfort, but he could also give them some small gifts, as a bit of fun.
Small gifts... fun... hmm...
An idea suddenly struck Shuichi. He squeezed the girl's thigh, eliciting two almost unconscious, delicate moans.
He could ask Haruka to custom-make a few outfits. Since he was going to spend the money somewhere, he might as well spend it in his own shopping district. It would also boost her sales. Two birds with one stone.
Everyone except Ichika could be given clothes.
Right, Haruka. Shuichi suddenly remembered again. Now that he had money, he should try to solve her problem.
He familiarly submitted the request, and as expected, the application was approved smoothly.
With the 100,000 yen fee deducted, Shuichi closed the system interface and began to relax and enjoy his bath.
After soaking for more than ten minutes, he got up, dried both of them with a bath towel, and then unhurriedly carried the naked Tsuki out of the bathroom.
And then... he came face to face with An, who was sitting on the toilet.
An, drowsy and half-asleep, tilted her little head to look at the two naked people, her face full of confusion. "Sh-Shuichi-kun? Sister?"
Shuichi looked at her tender little legs and the cute little panties hanging around her ankles, and said calmly, "You're dreaming."
"Oh... I'm dreaming. The sister in my dream is so bad too, secretly running off to get close to Shuichi-kun again..." An accepted the explanation that it was a dream without any problem.
"Alright, after you're done and have cleaned up, you should go back to your room and sleep. A warm bed is waiting for you," Shuichi guided An in a soft voice.
"Mmm... a warm bed..." A smile appeared on An's face. Then, as he said, after cleaning up, she got up and staggered back towards her room.
Shuichi, still holding the naked Tsuki, followed behind her all the way back to the room. He then tucked both sisters properly into bed and covered them with the quilt.
After that, he went back to the bathroom, changed into his own clothes, and returned to his residence the way he came.
A few minutes later, An suddenly woke up with a start and sat up. "Wait! Oh no! If you go to the toilet in a dream, you wet the bed!"
She quickly rolled over, stuck her little bottom in the air, turned on the bedside lamp, and threw back the covers. After completing this series of practiced movements and carefully checking everything, she finally let out a sigh of relief and went back to sleep with peace of mind.
"I didn't wet the bed like when I was little... Thank goodness..."
...
The next day, after Tsuki had dispelled his sleepiness, Shuichi completed his morning routine with her assistance.
Just as they were about to go downstairs for breakfast, he suddenly found the butler standing respectfully on the first floor of the management office, waiting for him.
The butler didn't say much upon seeing him. He bowed, presented an exquisite, antique wooden box along with a letter with both hands, and then left.
"Was that... a butler just now?" Tsuki asked curiously. This was the first time she had ever seen the butler.
"You already call me Master, so isn't it normal to have a butler? Didn't the class rep mention it to you?" Shuichi replied casually as he opened the envelope.
"No..." Tsuki was a bit speechless. That idiot sister, and that idiot mother. Neither of them had mentioned something so important to her.
She had thought Shuichi just owned a street, but she never expected him to have a butler too. Could he really be the Master of a major family?
But that didn't seem right either. His student file clearly stated his situation was ordinary. Or was the information of major families always kept confidential?
But if that was the case, he had been far too low-key before, hadn't he?
Tsuki felt that Shuichi, whom she thought she knew as well as she possibly could, had suddenly become mysterious and unfamiliar again.
At this moment, Shuichi had no time to notice her expression. Reading the contents of the letter, his face couldn't help but twitch.
What the hell was this?
He had clearly applied to solve Haruka's troubles, but why had he been provided with a nourishing tonic?
Oh, he had been eating Mrs. Akiyama's special diet all this time? Then it was fine.
Shuichi easily calmed down and accepted the fact. With his busy life, anyone would have trouble keeping up. There was nothing to be ashamed of.
As a pragmatist, he began to study the tonic arranged by the system with great interest. It should be something special, right?
"Consolidate the foundation and cultivate the origin... Nourish yin and supplement yang... Gentle and non-drying... No side effects... Once a day... Brew as a tea..."
Looking at these vaguely familiar descriptions in the letter, Shuichi suddenly felt that it didn't seem too different from those Chinese patent medicines. Did it have to be so down-to-earth?
They could have at least packaged it like some divine elixir.
Besides, wasn't this method of solving the problem inappropriate? Heal himself before healing others? It seemed to carry a bit of philosophical meaning.
But he had already decided not to get involved with her anymore...
"Is this... Chinese?" Tsuki leaned over to take a look and asked strangely, "Master, you understand Chinese?"
"Is that strange?" Shuichi put the letter away, then picked up the wooden box and turned to go upstairs. "You go next door first. I'll be there in a moment."
Leaving Tsuki behind, he returned to his bedroom and opened the box. Inside were seven small tea bags, just enough for a week's use, and it thoughtfully included a thermos.
The corner of Shuichi's mouth twitched. He felt like he was being targeted. A thermos for brewing goji berries, was it? He was still young, for crying out loud!
He casually picked up a tea bag. Through the translucent paper, he looked at the medicinal herbs inside and found that he didn't seem to recognize any of them.
"What on earth is this stuff?"
After muttering suspiciously, Shuichi didn't waste any more time. The only way to know if it was any good was to try it.
He casually tossed the tea bag into the thermos and went back downstairs, planning to ask Mrs. Akiyama to help him brew the tea in a little while.
A special tonic sent by the system's butler, combined with the buff effect of the ramen shop—that must be the right way to use it.
...
At the same time, in the ramen shop, An came bouncing down the stairs, took out a lollipop, popped it into her mouth, and began to eat it using the methods she had practiced.
While eating, she called out to Mrs. Akiyama, "Mom, look! Am I the same as my sister?"
An ate the candy earnestly, her pink tongue darting in and out, her little face full of pride.
The busy Mrs. Akiyama glanced at her casually and continued cooking without a care. "You're still far from it. You only have the form, not the spirit."
"Huh?" An was suddenly unhappy. "No, look again! Shu-... mmph, I definitely learned it correctly!"
"It's the same no matter how many times I look," Mrs. Akiyama said without even raising her head. "A dummy is a dummy."
"I'm not a dummy! I clearly look like I have a boyfriend!"
"No, you don't."
"You're lying, Mom! I don't believe you." An's words were stubborn, but her little face fell, her head full of confusion.
Shuichi-kun wouldn't lie to her, and she had learned very seriously, but why did her mom think she didn't look like she had a boyfriend?
Mrs. Akiyama sighed helplessly. This foolish daughter of hers was truly a lost cause.
...
"Shuichi-kun..."
As soon as he entered the ramen shop, An rushed over and threw herself into Shuichi's arms, nuzzling her little head under his hand, waiting for him to pat it.
Shuichi chuckled and rubbed her head, glanced at the dark-faced Tsuki, and then looked down to ask, "What's wrong this time?"
An wanted to ask about the lollipop, but her sister was right there, and they had agreed to keep it a secret. So she changed the subject. "I dreamed about you last night, Shuichi-kun! My bad sister snuck out!"
With that, An lifted her head from his chest and turned to huff indignantly at her sister.
"Hurry up and come back to your seat. What nonsense are you spouting over there?" Tsuki glanced at her mother, afraid her little sister would let slip what happened last night.
"What time can the class rep be back after school today? If it's early, I'll take you to the supermarket."
Shuichi was full of confidence now. He could finally stop shamelessly tricking the little dummy with lollipops.
Although she seemed quite happy eating them anyway.
"Four... hmm, we have to prepare for the school festival, so maybe I can be back by five?"
An was anxious, wishing the day would pass in the next second so she could go to the supermarket with Shuichi-kun.
"You can finish by five?" Tsuki said irritably. "Don't you dare slack off."
"I can! If not, I'll go to school and do more tomorrow..." An would rather be busier on Saturday.
"Let me get this straight first: you're not allowed to ask for things without restraint. Know when to stop," Tsuki instructed.
An pouted. That wasn't what they had agreed on before.
Seeing this, Shuichi pinched An's puffy cheeks. Since the look was so similar to her sister's, an evil thought flashed through his mind again.
Swallowing, he comforted her, "It's okay, we won't listen to her."
"Mmm, mmm, mmm..." An nodded happily, then skipped back to her seat to wait for breakfast.
Shuichi also sat down at the counter and handed over the thermos. "Could I trouble you to brew this tea for me in a bit, Akiyama-san? I'll take it to school to drink."
It was a big thermos, so it would clearly last a while.
"This is..."
Mrs. Akiyama took the thermos and looked at the tea bag inside. Although she didn't recognize it, she could probably guess what it was for.
As she helped him brew the tea, she said earnestly, "You must have been too tired lately, Shuichi-kun, right? You have to take care of your body. You're still so young, you can't wear yourself out."
"Thank you for your concern, Akiyama-san, but I'm actually doing okay. I just heard this stuff is pretty good, so I thought I'd give it a try."
After the previous incident with the goji berries, Shuichi felt no embarrassment discussing this kind of thing with her.
"What? Is it something delicious?" An asked greedily, her cheeks puffed out with food.
"It's something kids can't drink. Don't even think about it, dummy An-chan," Mrs. Akiyama said, rolling her eyes at her daughter as she handed the thermos back to Shuichi.
Shuichi took it and took a small sip, just in case the medicinal effect was too strong to handle. Besides, seven bags for 100,000 yen wasn't cheap. He had to cherish it.
The taste was nothing special, very bland. But it had an indescribable medicinal aroma that seemed to seep into his very soul.
The tea flowed down his throat and into his stomach, and then a warm sensation spread to his four limbs and a hundred meridians. His whole body felt like it was soaking in a hot spring.
As Shuichi put down the thermos and continued to eat, a few more minutes passed. An ineffable feeling of fullness and lightness spread from all over his body.
It was a sharp contrast to the feeling of emptiness from being chilled by the cold wind at night.
Shuichi felt his spirits soar. He felt particularly invigorated, to the point where he had the illusion that he could handle any situation.
This stuff... was really something else...
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