SCIAW: Chapter 482/483

Chapter 482: Staying Tonight

After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The sudden knock on the door made Ren, who was about to write in his diary, pause. He got up to open the door.

"Sonoko?"

Standing outside was Sonoko in a nightgown.

Perhaps because it was already bedtime, Sonoko had taken off her hairband, and her bangs hung over her forehead, making her look a little like Miyano Shiho.

But that was not what Ren paid attention to. What concerned him was the anxiety and worry on Sonoko's face.

He immediately understood the situation.

He stepped forward and held her hand.

"Still worried?"

Sonoko seemed to come back to herself only then. She lifted her head, her cute face still clouded with gloom, showing that her emotions were quite heavy.

She murmured,

"Who knew we'd actually run into him today."

Before this, Sonoko wasn't interested in that so-called hero-saving-the-beauty guy, nor did she want to know anything about him, because she was sure she wouldn't meet him again.

Yet today, during their trip to Izu, she ran into him the moment she stepped outside.

"Indeed, such things can make anyone feel uncomfortable."

Ren understood Sonoko's feelings perfectly.

But her response was to headbutt his chest.

"Who said I was uncomfortable?"

Sonoko felt as though all her earlier worries had been tossed into a puddle. Why was she so worried? Wasn't it only because she was afraid Ren would overthink things?

But it turned out that after asking, she realized he wasn't worried at all.

"I'm talking about you, you are."

"Me?"

Ren was stunned for a moment before realizing that he had thought Sonoko was having emotional problems, but the truth was she had been worried about him instead.

"Hmm... Personally, I'm not very worried. After all, I'm Sonoko's boyfriend."

That one line, "I'm Sonoko's boyfriend," instantly swept away all of Sonoko's emotions, leaving behind only a strange shyness.

"You... this..."

Now Sonoko understood why Ren wasn't worried. It was because he thought this way.

And if that was the case, she also felt it was true.

Ren was her boyfriend now.

Hero-saving-the-beauty stories only exist in fiction. In reality, she and Ren were already dating, so what did it matter what happened with anyone else?

She wasn't the type of woman who would date Ren while looking elsewhere.

She knew that, and Ren knew it even more clearly.

So, was there really a problem?

When Sonoko thought about it like that, it no longer felt like much of a problem at all.

Her conflict and struggle throughout the day suddenly lost all strength.

All her mental preparation had been undone by Ren's simple perspective.

But then Sonoko noticed something.

Propping herself on Ren's chest, she looked up. From that angle, peering past his thick glasses, she suddenly froze. He looked a little different than usual, and she instinctively spoke:

"Ren, have you changed a bit too?"

Ren didn't deny it. Compared to when he first met Sonoko and Ran, he had definitely changed.

He nodded slightly.

"I've definitely changed a bit. I've become more greedy than before, and I've also learned to trust others more. Of course, I've long known Sonoko wouldn't fall for someone else. Our real relationship only makes me even more certain of that."

If it had been the old him, Ren would have avoided this situation immediately.

But now, even faced with something like this, he didn't feel like shrinking back, because Sonoko really was his girlfriend. That was no joke.

At that moment, Sonoko's gaze locked on Ren.

Noticing something unusual, Ren lowered his head. He saw Sonoko staring at him blankly, as though she had discovered something important.

Instinctively, he touched his face.

"Is there something on my face?"

Sonoko didn't answer. Instead, she reached out and removed his glasses.

"You've changed a bit, compared to the last time I saw you."

...You mean my face.

"Yes. Your skin looks much fairer, and your eyes look different."

His deep black pupils seemed even more profound than before, and there was a faint light flickering within them.

"My skin and eyes, huh."

Ren silently praised her sharp observation.

Sonoko really did have strong observational skills. His eyes had changed because of the Uniqueness of the Door pathway, and his skin had changed due to the Brood Hive's authority over life, which had enhanced his body.

But the surface differences weren't actually that obvious.

Yet Sonoko still noticed them.

"Your eyes really are sharp, you even noticed such a small change."

Sonoko proudly puffed out her chest.

"Of course."

"Ren is my boyfriend. As his girlfriend, I should naturally notice any changes in him."

Looking at the proud Sonoko, Ren decided it was best not to mention that Hayasaka hadn't noticed anything at all.

He reached out and pinched Sonoko's cheek, feeling the soft, yielding sensation. At moments like this, he truly felt she was his girlfriend.

"Do you have your answer now?"

"Mm."

Sonoko, who didn't resist his cheek pinching, nodded with a smile. After agreeing, her eyes drifted around the room, and other thoughts quietly surfaced in her mind.

She realized that all her earlier unease and conflicted emotions had stemmed from a single issue.

Seeing that Sonoko's mood had improved, Ren felt relieved.

"In that case, the time now..."

Just as he was about to send her out like usual, he suddenly felt a tug on his clothes.

He lowered his head and saw Sonoko's ears turning red. Her voice had also dropped significantly.

"Ren, today... can I stay?"

Hearing this, even Ren, who usually controlled his expression well, froze for a moment.

It took him some time to process her words, but when he did, he understood their meaning.

There was no turning back now.

"...Okay."

Ren felt his voice tremble slightly as he answered.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 483: Do You Need Cover?

The nighttime noises were noises that belonged only to Ren's room.

Considering there were still three genuine minors in the villa, Ren kept everything confined to his own room. He also did not want the entire villa to know about Sonoko's important night.

Perhaps due to the blessing of the authority of life, his basic vitality had been strengthened somewhat, which made Ren overly excited throughout the night.

This resulted in Sonoko enduring a difficult night.

As a first experience in life, girls are at a disadvantage in this regard, mainly because their bodies truly cannot handle it.

Unlike Ren, who had been empowered by the authority of life, Sonoko truly could not withstand a night of exertion.

So she was still fast asleep at 7 AM.

...

Looking at the sleeping Sonoko beside him, Ren unconsciously smiled.

He had originally hoped to enter the adult world with Sonoko in a more formal and pleasant atmosphere.

However, thinking about the entire process of last night, aside from a bit of lingering pleasure, it was also a bit of a headache.

I thought the authority of life only strengthened my physique, but I did not expect it to boost my energy even more...

Ren slapped his forehead. From this perspective, it was indeed inevitable that the authority of life would be connected to reproduction.

The good news was that this energy could be controlled.

The reason he could not control it well yesterday was that he was ultimately a novice, and his self-control was still lacking.

In the future, he needed to rein it in.

Ren carefully propped himself up, quietly got out of bed, picked up his pajamas from the floor, and went into the bathroom for a quick wash.

After freshening up, Ren then unlocked the door.

???

Ren's face showed a hint of surprise. He went to the entrance and gently opened it, and Hayasaka, already dressed in loungewear, was standing there.

"Good morning."

It was a customary morning greeting, but Ren noticed a subtle smile on Hayasaka's face.

He immediately understood.

"Hayasaka, you know?"

"I knew when I could not enter the room."

Overly cautious... I forgot that Hayasaka's Door-Door Fruit has that ability. Ren covered his face with one hand.

Hayasaka's gaze did not waver. She knew something had happened in the room, and the other person inside with Ren was most likely Sonoko.

Hmm, Kaguya does not have that kind of courage.

First, exclude the useless young lady.

Based on her understanding of Kaguya, that person absolutely would not have the courage to directly enter Ren's room.

Conversely, Miss Suzuki, who had been proactive from the start, was the most likely person to do this.

"Do you need cover?"

???

"Miss Kaguya actually does not know much about gender-related matters. Well, I am the same. However, compared to her, I received relevant education from my mother. It is just that Miss Kaguya's understanding of such things is quite different."

"Some things are not suitable for Miss Kaguya to know. Of course, another reason is that there are three genuine minor girls on this trip, and it is not good for them to know certain things."

That was true.

Reminded by Hayasaka, Ren also remembered that there were three 13-year-old girls on this trip.

It was indeed inappropriate for children to be exposed to such matters.

...Hayasaka, thank you.

"You are welcome."

Hayasaka smiled gently, her eyes glancing into the room.

"Well, let us take Miss Suzuki back to her room first. It is already quite late, and Maria has woken up early to prepare breakfast."

"Miss Katsura and Nagi have also gone out for their morning exercise, but their intensity should not be too high today, and they are almost done anyway."

"However, everyone else is still resting in their rooms and has not woken up so early. Miss Kaguya and Miss Mouri are the same."

As a professional maid, she constantly kept track of her surroundings and remembered everyone's daily routines.

It proved that a professional maid's skills could be useful in many situations.

"May I come in?"

"Yes, it is inside..."

"Please rest assured, as a maid, I am professional."

Saying that, Hayasaka made a zipping motion over her mouth.

As a professional maid, she naturally knew all kinds of situations and could face any situation at any time, without showing surprise.

Ren sighed and still allowed Hayasaka to enter first.

After entering, Hayasaka carefully closed the door, then re-confirmed the situation inside the room.

Hmm, a scattered nightgown on the floor, and Sonoko's underwear.

They were not torn, just scattered on the floor.

The bed, however, was a bit messy, with rumpled sheets.

And, of course, Sonoko with her bare shoulders exposed.

The situation in the room was better than expected, but this should have been Sonoko's initiative.

Well, Ren himself, like Kaguya, lacked initiative.

Ren and Kaguya were similar in this regard.

After confirming the situation, Hayasaka took a slight breath and could smell a peculiar scent, which made her pause for a moment before she walked to the bedside and placed her hand above Sonoko.

A door in the air opened accordingly.

Hayasaka pressed down casually, and the spatial door moved downward, encompassing Sonoko completely and sending her to the other side of the air door.

She glanced at the messy bed, and when she lifted the covers, she could see a touch of red on the sheets.

Hayasaka pursed her lips, then quickly gathered the sheets. No matter what, these sheets definitely needed to be changed.

She then placed the sheets into the alternate dimension.

After she was done, she bowed slightly to Ren.

"I will go take care of Miss Suzuki first."

"I will be back later."

"Uh... sorry to trouble you..."

Ren responded somewhat stiffly.

(To be continued.)