The Wraith stared at the other, a smile spreading across his face. As if finding amusement in the situation, he waited until he was certain the young man hadn't woken up before boldly yet carefully poking him several times.
The sleeping human seemed to feel the disturbance, lightly frowning before rolling over and burying herself deep within the warm covers, leaving only the back of her head visible to the Hazama.
Chiyo-chan really has no sense of vigilance." Hara Kenji stared at that half-hidden back of the head and chuckled softly. His dark purple eyes curved slightly as he said in a light and pleasant tone, "But it doesn't matter, since I'll be the one watching over you.
"Oh.. I should say protect, rather." Hara tilted his head, a beautiful smile appearing on his face.
*
The perfect poached egg was transferred from the frying pan to the plate, its edges perfectly golden-brown while the yolk remained runny, looking just like an orange-yellow sun, carrying a warm aroma;
Golden, fluffy pancakes were drizzled with amber maple syrup, paired with a square piece of salted butter to balance the flavors; then, cherry tomatoes, boiled broccoli, blueberries, oranges, a cup of hot latte were added to the plate.
Ta-da! A perfect heart-filled breakfast is ready!
Hara Kenji kept track of the time; just as he was setting the breakfast on the table, Kisaragi Chiyo also finished washing up and came downstairs.
Lately, the weather had begun to turn autumnal. Kisaragi Chiyo wore a light brown crewneck sweater with sleeves that seemed a bit long; when her hands hung at her sides, the edges just barely covered most of her palms, leaving only a section of her pale fingertips exposed.
The young man had dark circles under his eyes, his misty gray eyes, like glass beads, slowly rolled to look at the smiling Long-haired Wraith.
"Good morning, Kisaragi." While manipulating his tentacles to tidy up his teething toys and place them into a storage box, Hara Kenji trotted over with a light, fluffy step to the side of the still-yawning Kisaragi Chiyo.
"Why are you coming down so late today?" Hara Kenji restrained himself, merely nuzzling against the other's head with light, moderate pressure, stepping right on the line of what was acceptable and inching bit by bit into the safety zone Kisaragi Chiyo had drawn for herself.
From the initial rejection of his physical closeness to the current state where almost anything can be tolerated as long as it isn't too excessive, Hara Kenji had seriously spent a significant amount of time working toward this.
But fortunately, he had enough patience and time to wait for a delicious feast to be completed.
"I just remembered, I forgot to send the manuscript I finished writing last night to the editor." Kisaragi Chiyo glanced at Hara Kenji out of the corner of her eye. He looked as if he wanted to lean in close, yet was also trying his best to restrain himself; if he weren't secretly using a tentacle to scratch her palm, that expression of self-restraint would have been much more convincing.
I see." Hara Kenji nodded understandingly, then he looked at Kisaragi Chiyo with squinted eyes, pointed a finger at the object in her hands, asked nonchalantly, "What is this?
"No biting the caretaker." Hara Kenji frowned slightly, reading the words written on the small blackboard. He stared at the neat, familiar handwriting for several seconds before casting a puzzled look at Kisaragi Chiyo's face.
“It means exactly what you think it means.” Kisaragi Chiyo reached out, placing her hand against his shoulder, creating a half-arm's distance between them while offering a smile. “I should have done this sooner.”
"Oh?" Hara Kenji blinked, the corners of his drooping eyes conveying a hint of bewildered innocence. He stared intently at Kisaragi Chiyo, his handsome features paired with a pitiful expression that made it difficult not to feel a sense of compassion for him.
But unfortunately, Kisaragi Chiyo's determination this time was as hard as iron.
Therefore, he was not deceived by Hara Kenji's usual tricks at all.
You know exactly what you're thinking," Kisaragi Chiyo gave a cold smile. "First the neck, then the ears, then the fingers.. how many more times are you going to use the excuse of being in a teething phase?
“I can let Chiyo-chan bite me back.” Hara Kenji said, reaching out to point at his own neck with a smile, offering a generous invitation. “You can do it right now, as many times as you want.”
"Even other places.." Hara Kenji playfully winked at Kisaragi Chiyo, his long eyelashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly, carrying a sense of deep affection. His tone was ambiguous and intimate, the suggestion in his words almost overflowing.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
"So, do you want to give it a try?" Hara Kenji pulled open his collar and leaned close to Kisaragi Chiyo; the Wraith's pale neck was like cold white jade, with almost no other color to be found.
I don't mind if you leave a mark on top.
Kisaragi Chiyo was blinded by the sudden flash of cold white held before her eyes; with a hint of bewilderment, she frowned and averted her gaze.
"Breakfast is going to get cold." Kisaragi Chiyo wasn't used to the way the other person spoke, a mix of flirtatious and serious, so he could only awkwardly change the subject, avoiding Hara Kenji's half-smiling gaze.
"Alright." Hara Kenji ultimately chose to let Kisaragi Chiyo off, knowing that one cannot make a man out of a boy in a single sitting, he had no intention of pushing her too hard all at once.
However, since things rarely happen three times in a row, it would be a real shame if he couldn't find an excuse to leave another bite mark on Kisaragi Chiyo anytime soon.
*
After finishing breakfast, it was time to head out.
Under the clear autumn sky, the heavens were a vast, cloudless blue. A slight breeze carried a hint of chill, stirring the hair at his temples, while his black haori jacket grew hot under the sun. Moving even slightly made it impossible to avoid a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. Much like dough fermenting at the perfect temperature, his entire being felt heavy, fluffy, warm.
On this weekend with such beautiful weather, it was the perfect time to come out and play.
The puppy walked with its head held high and a brisk pace. Although it was only about three months old, given the growth rate of a Bernese Mountain Dog, it wouldn't be long before it could no longer be called a puppy.
"Wait, slow down, Hara Kenji." Kisaragi Chiyo pulled hard on the leash, stopping the Bernese Mountain Dog from running wild through the crowd.
"Kisaragi, you're so slow." The Bernese Mountain Dog circled around the panting human, its wet nose twitching slightly as it sniffed. The puppy stopped in its tracks, tilting its head up to look at Kisaragi Chiyo with its round, purple eyes.
"You should exercise more." The Bernese Mountain Dog saw the beads of sweat on the human's forehead, sparkling like flowers dampened by morning dew. The human looked very tired, but to the Bernese Mountain Dog, this amount of exercise was merely the warm-up.
"My body has always been in great shape." Panting heavily, Kisaragi Chiyo maintained his usual stubbornness. He crouched down and pressed the Bernese Mountain Dog's head into his chest, giving it a vigorous rub.
“You can't expect a human who walks on two legs to be as fast as a canine on four limbs.”
"So, Kisaragi, are you making excuses?" The Bernese Mountain Dog blinked, its tail wagging from side to side behind it, its fluffy head tilted in an incredibly cute gesture.
It would be even better if he could ignore the magnetic male voice coming from the other's mouth.
Kisaragi Chiyo covered her ears with both hands and began to self-deceive with an expressionless face.
"It's no use, it's no use.." Hara Kenji's muttering voice kept squeezing through her fingers, reaching her brain word for word.
Running away is useless, Chiyo-chan.
So, the best choice is still to get used to and accept me as quickly as possible~
Light and airy, her voice laced with laughter, Kisaragi Chiyo could almost imagine the expression on Hara Kenji's face as he spoke. Those dark purple eyes, deep and inscrutable, must have been filled with a sense of nonchalance and an air of certainty.
In a way, Hara Kenji never seemed to give her any other choice.
Habit, acceptance—he was using a way that was both forceful and gentle to gradually permeate Kisaragi Chiyo's daily life.
What are you thinking about, Kisaragi?
A tugging sensation came from the other end of the leash in his hand. Looking down, the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy bared its teeth, stuck out its pink tongue, looked at him with a silly grin.
"It's nothing." Kisaragi Chiyo pulled her thoughts back and met those clear, glass-bead-like purple eyes. After staring for a few seconds, she calmly averted her gaze.
"Do you want a balloon?" Without any prior context, Hara Kenji let out an "Ah?" and followed Kisaragi Chiyo's gaze.
Not far from the entrance of the park, staff members dressed as clowns were handing out balloons to tourists for free. Red, yellow, blue.. balloons of all colors were crowded together, the other ends of their strings held firmly in the clowns' hands, looking like a massive bouquet floating in the air.
Kisaragi Chiyo asked the other for a purple balloon, wrapping the white string around the Bernese Mountain Dog's waist and tying a quick but firm knot.
"You seem to be in a good mood right now." After playing a game of chasing his tail with the balloon for a while, Hara Kenji lost interest; after all, he wasn't a real Bernese Mountain Dog, so it was naturally impossible for him to make silly movements like a real puppy.
"I have no reason to be in a bad mood." Kisaragi Chiyo narrowed her eyes slightly, watching the queue ahead grow shorter and shorter. At this rate, it would soon be their turn to enter.
"I just hope I can be a bit lucky this time." Kisaragi Chiyo still remembered the kitty friend Nekomata had mentioned, the one who gave it the amusement park tickets.
Even if it doesn't want to be held in my arms, at least it could agree to let me touch its paw pads.. Mmm, its tail would be fine too.
Kisaragi Chiyo clutched the amusement park ticket in her hands, praying devoutly.
After all, compared to the previous situation where she couldn't even touch a single strand of cat hair, being able to touch a paw pad was a godsend of a massive improvement.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thanks to all the little angels for your support. Kisses to everyone! 03330
Chapter 40
While returning from Chawashi, Kisaragi Chiyo had already begun planning the trip to the amusement park. However, because she was constantly being held back by other matters, she finally managed to finish her next manuscript just in the nick of time, right on the verge of missing her deadline.
It wasn't until this moment, finally free from his previous burdens, that he managed to find some leisure time, bringing Hara Kenji to the amusement park just one day before the tickets were set to expire.
Even though it's not as popular as Dorobiga Park, it still has plenty of attractive attractions..
Groups of students out for fun walked past, along with couples and parents with children; Kisaragi Chiyo, who was alone and walking a dog, seemed somewhat out of place amidst the crowd.
But Kisaragi Chiyo didn't pay any mind to that. She sat down on a bench by a small fountain, holding an amusement park map she had just obtained from a staff member in charge of distributing brochures.
"Ferris wheel, roller coaster, merry-go-round.." Kisaragi Chiyo lowered her eyes, carefully reading the descriptions in the brochure. Her gaze swept over the various attractions one by one before finally coming to rest on a small section occupying the corner of the page.
The words "Pass to win a mysterious grand prize," specially highlighted in bold with an overwhelming sense of presence, were just as alluring as discounted eggs or buy-one-get-one-free bento boxes in a supermarket.
"Mirror Maze.." Kisaragi Chiyo looked at the maze, which was marked with five black stars indicating a high danger level, her eyebrows rose slightly, a look of great interest appearing on her face.
"Does Kisaragi want to go to the maze first?" Hara Kenji used his paws to tug at Kisaragi Chiyo's pant leg, his tail wagging furiously.
"A mysterious grand prize or something.. it looks quite interesting." Despite saying this, Hara Kenji's gaze was drawn to an activity suitable for all ages not far away.
Purple eyes gazed sparklingly at Kisaragi Chiyo, rarely showing the lively and energetic nature of a puppy, as Hara Kenji used a furry large paw to point toward the bumper cars ahead.
Even without saying it directly, the whining and pleading sounds coming from its mouth had completely betrayed its desire to go play.
".. Bumper cars?" Kisaragi Chiyo was a bit hesitant. To be honest, he had never considered this attraction; it certainly wasn't an activity he excelled at. If he were to go play, he would likely spend the entire time getting bumped into.
"Don't worry, Chiyo-chan." The Bernese Mountain Dog's tail was wagging so fast it was almost a propeller. He looked incredibly excited, like a dog seeing a meat bone, except this time the bone was likely a bumper car.
"Leave everything to me, werwer." Hara Kenji promised impatiently, his tail, tipped with a tuft of white fur, wagging from side to side, looking as though he couldn't wait to show off.
The puppy.. is driving?
Kisaragi Chiyo fell silent and doubted for a second, but ultimately gave in under the puppy's expectant gaze.
Anyway, it wasn't a dangerous activity. With that thought in mind, Kisaragi Chiyo paid for two tickets and, guided by the staff, the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy quickly darted out, choosing a brightly painted, fluorescent pink chariot first.
Kisaragi Chiyo: ".."
Can't we just switch to another one?" Kisaragi Chiyo tried to negotiate with the puppy, asking him earnestly, "Don't you think this one is a bit too conspicuous? It'll be an easy target for collisions, won't it?
Wouldn't that be even better?" Hara Kenji's voice rose excitedly, "Let them witness the almighty Hazama's driving skills today!
Chiyo-chan, let's just pick it, let's just pick it.
Kisaragi Chiyo continued to try and change the puppy's mind, but Kisaragi Chiyo's negotiations failed, as Kisaragi Chiyo was defeated by the puppy's fluffy nuzzling skill.
“..”
Kisaragi Chiyo sat down in the passenger seat without saying a word, under the staff's hesitant gazes and suppressed laughter. Just as he had finished fastening his seatbelt, before I could even get a few words out, the little puppy with its paws resting on the steering wheel suddenly had a sharp, piercing look in its eyes.
It was as if a cute, smiling puppy had suddenly evolved into a ferocious, hungry wolf.
That fluorescent pink bumper car, which should have been utterly unremarkable and had long been ignored by tourists because of its color, was currently crashing through the arena at an incredible speed. Much like a seal plunging into a calm school of happy fish, its tires screeched against the ground, making a terrifying, heart-stopping sound during its rapid turns.
Staff Member A: "I'm not seeing things, am I? I just saw a Bernese Mountain Dog playing in the bumper cars?"
Staff Member B: "Clearly, both you and I are hallucinating, we are in desperate need of sick leave."
Staff Member A: "That's not a hallucination, is it? Are we really in bumper cars instead of racing cars?"
Staff Member B: "Then, if I accidentally get hit by the other one, can I take paid sick leave?"
Staff Member A: ".. I'm telling you, you should be a bit kinder to yourself. Do you have some kind of obsession with taking sick leave?"