SCIAW: Chapter 163/164

Chapter 163: Sleepless Slow Walk

Ren sighed silently and poured a cup of hot water for Yoko.

"Thank you."

After taking a sip, Yoko felt the warmth spread through her body.

"You can't sleep either?"

"I guess not."

His heightened state of excitement made it impossible for Ren to fall asleep anytime soon.

"I was planning to go out for a walk."

"Who would've thought you'd be awake this late too?"

"A walk outside?"

Hearing Ren mention this, Yoko's interest was immediately piqued.

In an instant, she sat up straight on the sofa.

"That's a great idea!"

"..."

Watching Yoko's sudden enthusiasm, Ren immediately regretted bringing it up.

But since he was the one who suggested it, there was no backing out now.

"So, you really want to go out now?"

"Hmm~"

"You'll have to change clothes first. Isn't that a hassle?"

"Why would I need to change? This works just fine."

To prove her point, Yoko stood up and spun around in front of him.

Her thick, fluffy pajamas were definitely warm enough—that much was clear.

"Are you sure?"

"If you go out in those, they'll probably be unwearable by the time we get back."

"It's fine."

Yoko smiled confidently.

"Since I mentioned liking this style of pajamas, one of my sponsors sent me a whole variety of them."

"I have at least seven or eight different sets, so I'm not worried about them getting dirty."

She had grown particularly fond of this style of pajamas.

Not only were they cute, but they were incredibly warm.

Even without a heater, wearing them in cold weather was enough to stay comfortable.

Recently, she had also discovered another unexpected advantage—if she wore these pajamas, pulled up the hood, and added a mask, almost no one could recognize her as the famous Okino Yoko.

There was no risk of attracting attention.

"Oh, right! I bought a matching set in your size, too. I was planning to give it to you as a gift!"

"Wait here, I'll go grab it!"

As Yoko dashed off, Ren felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

And sure enough, when she returned, she was holding a dark green dinosaur pajama set.

"Here! Put this on! Let's go for a walk together!"

Despite Ren's reluctance, he was pushed into the room and forced to change.

To his surprise, the pajamas were actually very comfortable.

Even without the heater on, they were incredibly warm, and the soft, fluffy fabric felt nice against his skin.

Now, he understood why Yoko liked them so much.

However…

This particular set of pajamas had a major problem.

Especially visually.

Standing before the full-length mirror, Ren took in his reflection—a cute green dinosaur stared back at him.

If he pulled up the hood, the little dinosaur face would bare its tiny fangs.

Suppressing his embarrassment, Ren turned around—only to see a short, stubby tail dangling from the back.

Before he could react, Yoko playfully grabbed the tail and held onto it.

"Can you not?"

"Sure."

She didn't let go.

"But only if you agree to go out with me tonight."

"..."

Ren was silent for a long time.

He pointed at his reflection in the mirror.

"Wearing pajamas?"

"Yes."

"You're a celebrity! Shouldn't you be more careful about how you dress in public?"

"I won't be recognized if I dress like this."

With that, Yoko cheerfully grabbed his dinosaur tail and led the way out.

"Alright, alright! Let's go!"

"Come on, let's go for a walk!"

Ren's opinion was completely ignored.

Having no other choice, he put on his cotton outdoor slippers and followed Yoko outside.

Luckily, there weren't many people in the area.

Even if they were seen wandering around in pajamas, it wouldn't attract too much attention.


---

"Hmm~~~"

As they walked side by side, Yoko stretched her arms out and let out a contented sigh.

"The cold air feels refreshing."

"You feel… relaxed?"

"Mhm~"

Yoko nodded.

Now that she was outside, the crisp night air helped clear her head.

Her earlier excitement had cooled down, leaving her feeling calm and refreshed.

"I wouldn't have been able to make this decision without you."

Yoko would never forget the reason she had the freedom to choose her own path, it was all thanks to Ren.

If not for his financial support, she wouldn't have even dared to consider starting her own studio.

If not for his connections, no one in the industry would have been willing to help her.

She had never forgotten that.

Even though he always claimed that he didn't like getting involved in other people's affairs, the reality was…

He still chose to help.

She turned her head and gazed at the young man walking quietly beside her.

Then, without a word, she gently tugged on his sleeve.

"Hmm?"

Ren looked over.

"There's something stuck on your hood."

"Eh?"

Caught off guard, Ren instinctively reached up to check.

The moment he turned his head, he suddenly felt something warm against his cheek.

From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her familiar, delicate face—closer than ever.

For a brief moment, his mind completely shut down.

By the time Yoko stepped back, Ren was still frozen in place.

He had never experienced something like this before.

He had never been in this kind of situation.

He had no idea how to respond.

"Pfft!"

Seeing Ren blush and struggle to react, Yoko couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Wow, you really have no resistance to girls, huh?"

"I thought you'd handle it better, but it turns out… you actually see me as a sister."

Then, without hesitation, she took his hand in hers.

"Oh, by the way, just so you know, that kiss on the cheek? It was my first time."

"After all, you know my public image. I'm still the pure idol~ Okino Yoko."

Seeing that Ren was still too flustered to speak, she simply smiled and gently pulled him along.

"Come on, just keep me company for a little longer."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 164: Promise

"Are you really that nervous?"

Yoko could feel the tension in Ren's hand.

"I'm just… not used to it."

That was all the confirmation Yoko needed.

This guy really didn't see her as a woman.

He had done so much for her, yet he still only regarded her as a friend or family member.

What could she even say about this?

Ren's thought process was definitely different from most people.

"You really just think of me as a sister, huh?"

"...A little bit."

"Do normal siblings kiss each other on the cheek?"

"I think so."

"Then technically, we're still within the boundaries of sibling affection, right?"

"I guess… so."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yeah… I suppose it's fine."

"But I'm not."

Seeing how seriously he was trying to rationalize it, Yoko rolled her eyes.

"I'm obviously older than you. Why am I the little sister in the end?"

"And besides, can you really just brush off what happened as a simple sibling gesture?"

"..."

True, their relationship wasn't quite the same as before.

Noticing Ren's brief look of disappointment, Yoko smiled and gently squeezed his hand.

"So, did you think our relationship was always that 'pure'?"

Her question caught Ren off guard.

"Wasn't it?"

He genuinely believed their relationship was just friendship.

Seeing his confused expression, Yoko sighed.

"Not at all."

"Think back—our first meeting was when I was nearly strangled to death."

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be here."

"Yeah."

Ren nodded slightly.

That night, he had just finished crafting the Eye Bracelet and was relaxing at home when he heard a commotion next door.

On a whim, he had decided to intervene—kicking that intruder in the face and saving Yoko from a near-death crisis.

"The second time we met was the very next night. I came over to thank you."

"Then, I found out you lived alone, so I started visiting more often. I wanted to be the 'big sister,' but somehow, you ended up treating me like a little sister instead."

Honestly, Yoko felt wronged by this.

She had fully intended to take on a protective role.

But Ren, despite being younger was far more capable and reliable.

And his tendency to listen rather than speak made it easy for people to confide in him.

Somehow, the roles had been reversed.

"Since then, I started coming over all the time."

"I cooked for you—potato stew, pork rib soup hoping to regain my 'big sister' status."

"But instead, you were the one comforting me about work."

"Recently, you've even been helping me with my career."

"Two to three hundred million yen—just like that, you didn't hesitate to support me."

"You even went out of your way to pull strings and stand as my backing in my contract termination."

"Siblings might help each other out, but let's be honest—real siblings don't do all that."

She had a point.

Looking back, Ren felt like he had been investing too much effort into Yoko.

Why had he gone so far for her?

"But I never had that kind of intention."

"I know."

And judging by his reaction tonight, if he did have those thoughts, he would've shown some kind of response earlier.

"Your reaction makes it pretty clear—you really do see me as a little sister."

That… actually frustrated Yoko.

She had always wanted to be the older sister in their dynamic.

Yet, somehow, she had ended up on the other side of that equation.

Still, there was one thing she was certain of.

"But we can't always be siblings."

"I don't want to be your sister forever."

Yoko had long since come to terms with her own feelings.

She never reacted this way with any other man.

She and Ren could talk for hours, joke around, and just be themselves.

She liked the way she felt when she was with him.

But before the conversation could continue, she abruptly changed the subject.

"By the way, the person I contacted last time, the one who helped me get through to you."

"They have a special relationship with you, don't they?"

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed to help so easily."

Ren hesitated.

"It's… complicated."

"There are things I can't explain to you yet."

"It's a secret."

Hearing this, Yoko relaxed slightly.

"Yeah… I had a feeling."

"I always thought you had some kind of secret, but I never asked."

"And now, I get the sense that this secret involves other people too."

She wasn't wrong.

There were things connecting Ren to other individuals, and those things couldn't be shared so easily.

Yoko didn't pry any further.

Instead, she asked something else.

"Then… can I know your secret someday?"

Ren was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'm not sure."

"Only three people know about it right now. I don't know if more will learn about it later."

"Some things can only be understood after you experience them yourself."

"I see."

Yoko wasn't disappointed at all.

In fact, just from his response, she gained insight into the nature of his secret.

"So, it has something to do with a special power?"

Ren hesitated before nodding slightly.

That confirmed it.

Now, she understood why the person she contacted had been willing to help so easily.

This was indeed a complicated connection.

"In that case, until I gain whatever it is you're talking about, let's just keep things the way they are."

"But you're not allowed to start avoiding me, alright?"

Ren nodded.

"Alright."

(To be continued.)