The next day, Ichinose Honami brought over more of her belongings.
Kaoru's room soon housed her personal items—her slippers, a little frog for the bath.
Their logic was hard to follow.
It seemed they always needed a toy or two while bathing.
The two didn't stay cooped up in the room.
Taking advantage of the pleasant afternoon weather, they strolled outside together.
Though nothing eventful happened, the slow, easy companionship was nice.
She shared many things about herself with Kaoru.
Perhaps out of shyness, she couldn't bring herself to bathe with him afterward.
In the end, Kaoru "accidentally" opened the bathroom door, leading to their first fully unguarded encounter.
Truthfully, Kaoru wanted to push past the final barrier in one go.
But Ichinose was far too embarrassed.
Even as she insisted she was fine, her body stiffened, frozen in place—clear signs of nervousness.
Kaoru had no choice but to abandon the idea.
He wasn't in a hurry.
If Ichinose wasn't ready yet, they could take it slow.
Once she grew accustomed, they could cross that line when the time was right.
Afterward, the two indulged in a bit more mischief before finally falling asleep in bed.
When Kaoru woke up, the first thing he saw was a pair of large, red-eyed rabbits—no, it was Ichinose Honami beside him, already awake, her cheeks tinged with a tipsy flush as she gazed at him intently.
"Good morning."
At the sound of the girl's voice, Kaoru realized she was holding him in her arms.
The delicate, pleasant fragrance of her body filled his senses, and faint traces of pink lingered on her fair neck.
Her eyes shimmered with a misty haze, like the surface of a river at dawn, where faint traces of damp fog flickered with the girl's lingering emotions.
"Good morning, Mommy Honami."
The moment Kaoru spoke, his lips accidentally brushed against her skin, making her shoulders twitch slightly.
"D-Don't call me that… it's so embarrassing!"
Ichinose Honami's face burned crimson.
She didn't resist what Kaoru had done to her, but that didn't mean she wasn't flustered.
Especially when she recalled how shamelessly he had called her "Mom," and how she, bewitched, had actually agreed to it.
The memory sent all the blood in her body rushing to her face, turning it unbearably red.
"But you seemed really happy at the time?"
Kaoru shifted his position, pulling the girl tightly into his embrace.
"Mmm… that's not the point. Being called 'Mom' is just… weird…"
Ichinose couldn't quite explain it.
Being called "Mom" was strange in itself, but when it came from someone she loved, it stirred something inexplicable inside her—as if some strange desire had awakened, making her unbearably shy.
Kaoru chuckled and pinched her little nose.
Ichinose let out a few muffled whimpers, as if protesting, then nuzzled against his chest a few times, as though trying to press even closer.
Listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat gave her a sense of security.
Though Kaoru had no particular intentions, the girl's softness pressed against him in an overwhelmingly pleasant way.
Just holding her like this, her graceful curves evoked an indescribable sensation—like the warmth of melting snow in early spring, so comforting it made it hard to suppress the restlessness in his heart.
And most importantly… it was still early morning.
Just as Kaoru tried to rein in his impulses, the girl in his arms suddenly froze.
Her face flushed as she lifted her head slightly and whispered.
"Hey… do you want me to pretend to be asleep again, and then you can…"
The restraint he had been struggling to maintain nearly shattered.
Kaoru took a deep breath and flicked her nose.
"Seems like Honami's getting more and more shameless, huh?"
"I'm not shameless," Ichinose pouted, her voice small. "Not at all. You're the shameless one. As your girlfriend, I'm just… trying to keep up with my shameless boyfriend."
Faced with her self-deceiving response, Kaoru wore a half-smile, wondering who had been the proactive one last night.
"Alright, fine, I'm the shameless one. We've already done plenty last night—any more and I'll turn into an idiot."
Kaoru gently patted her head.
Constantly indulging in mischief was no small burden for her either.
Ichinose's face burned as if on fire, yet she still whispered, "Kaoru… do you think I performed poorly?"
"Not at all."
"But… even Karuizawa-san could manage it."
"Honami, we can take our time. It doesn't have to be these few days. Besides, I'm already satisfied."
"I still feel a little frustrated…"
"..."
Kaoru pressed a kiss to the girl's lips.
It was only natural to feel fear and nervousness the first time.
After a brief moment, Ichinose found herself growing dazed, only to snap back with a start.
Her expression shifted several times before she gritted her teeth and muttered.
"Maybe… you should just do it while I'm asleep, and then—"
Kaoru expressionlessly rapped his knuckles against her forehead.
What was she even thinking? What could he possibly do while she was asleep?
"This is all your fault! You're the one to blame!"
Ichinose grew increasingly agitated, her temper flaring until she directed it all at Kaoru, shoving and kicking before burying her head under the blankets like an ostrich.
Lying on the bed, Kaoru couldn't shake the feeling that he was doomed to fall into their hands sooner or later.
And the Wish Machine wouldn't care about his feelings—as long as the wish was fulfilled, she wouldn't spare a thought for whether he lived or died.
Just then, the door to the room suddenly swung open.
Kaoru looked up to see Kushida and Horikita standing at the entrance.
Their gazes locked onto his face in unison before shifting to Ichinose Honami.
"Well, well, perfect timing!"
Kushida immediately broke into a radiant smile. "Good morning, Master~ And Ichinose-san!"
Horikita Suzune awkwardly averted her delicate face, fighting the urge to leave.
For some reason, Kushida had grown increasingly unpredictable lately.
"Ah—ah-ah-ah-ah!"
Ichinose scrambled out from under the covers, her face beet red. In her haste, she nearly choked.
"Y-you two… Wh-what are you—I-I-I—waaah—"
Her brain seemed to short-circuit, steam practically rising from her head as she panicked and hid behind Kaoru, pressing her face into a pillow as if playing dead.
"What are you two doing here?" Kaoru couldn't help but sound exasperated.
Hadn't he told them to announce their visits beforehand?
"Huh? Didn't you and Ichinose invite us?"
Kushida kicked off her shoes and strode confidently toward Kaoru, her white-stockinged feet padding against the floor.
Horikita, meanwhile, wore a long half-skirt paired with a vest and blouse.
Her exposed calves were clad in sleek black knee-high socks, perfectly complementing her poised, intellectual demeanor.
Yet, with the two of them standing there, Kaoru couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place—as if he'd been caught in some compromising situation.
Especially with Horikita remaining silent, her cool expression unreadable, refusing to even meet his gaze.
"But at least knock first?" Kaoru still hadn't put his clothes back on.
"Who knew you were already awake? I was planning to sneak in quietly, squeeze into your bed, and give you a little surprise."
Kushida climbed onto Kaoru's bed, sitting on his lap, then kissed him right in front of Ichinose Honami.
"Don't be mad. Horikita and I came to join you."
Kaoru froze for a moment, instinctively turning to look at Horikita Suzune, who had turned away, only the tips of her ears tinged with a faint blush.