Steam swirled thickly through the Tsubahara family bathroom.
About half an hour later.
Rai Hikaru stepped out of the bathroom, his expression tinged with uncharacteristic weariness.
With Miss Mira's enthusiastic assistance.
Finally, he'd vented all that built-up pressure.
His dizzy, feverish symptoms had cleared up too.
His head wasn't throbbing as massively as before.
But right now, Rai Hikaru's face carried a rare hint of exhaustion, a flicker of incredulous shock, and an indescribable mix of emotions.
At first, Rai Hikaru had thought Miss Mira was just teasing him like usual. That's why he'd blurted out, Damn, what a pit!
But he never imagined Miss Mira was dead serious—damn, it really was one hell of a pit!
Miss Mira had actually gotten hands-on to solve his massive headache problem!
And after helping him finish up, she'd even hinted that if it happened again, he could come to her for more!
This was just... way too unbelievable.
Sure, while she was helping him out, Miss Mira kept insisting it was purely to relieve his stress, and he shouldn't overthink it.
But Rai Hikaru's mind had still raced wildly anyway, spawning thoughts he knew he shouldn't have.
Like, did Miss Mira maybe have some feelings for him too?
But when he'd glanced over, her stunning face showed not a trace of anything wicked.
Just a faint smile, so pure it really seemed like she was only trying to help him de-stress, nothing more.
That left Rai Hikaru—who was already burning with restless heat and teetering on some dark impulses—wracked with guilt, unable to taint her.
Still, Miss Mira's actions were straight-up mind-boggling.
Even now, thinking back, Rai Hikaru could hardly believe it.
He rarely even fantasized about stuff like this in his head on a normal day.
After all, he'd always seen Miss Mira as his closest family.
Having something like this happen left his heart a tangled mess of emotions.
To say it didn't feel good would be a lie—his massive, throbbing headaches were a real pain in the ass.
And they hit extra hard around Miss Mira.
When she stepped in to help, though, it solved the problem way better than even time with Yukino Miyuki.
Even if Yukino Miyuki used her snow woman powers to cool his head with ice, delivering that insane ice-and-fire double bliss, it still didn't hit as satisfying as today's release.
Yukino Miyuki was already perfect as a snow woman, but Miss Mira's help left him lingering in utter bliss.
Still, it stirred a twinge of guilt in Rai Hikaru's chest.
With all the favors Miss Mira had done for him, she was basically half-family even without blood ties.
What made him feel even guiltier was that Miss Mira had already bailed him out of way more troubles than today's combined efforts from Kisaragi and Baga Kurenika.
Yet here he was, still getting headaches!
Just thinking about Miss Mira made his head swell and ache uncontrollably!
She'd said it was purely to relieve his stress.
But he'd gone and gotten greedy, letting his mind wander into filthy territory!
I'm such a damn bastard!
I don't wanna be some unfilial degenerate son!
Miss Mira's taken care of me for years, even sacrificing this much to help me—I absolutely can't let myself sink into even dirtier thoughts!
How could I ever face her kindness if I did?
If she knew how filthy my mind was, it'd break her heart!
Calm down! Calm the hell down! I need to stay calm!!!
Rai Hikaru crushed the roaring flames surging in his chest with sheer willpower.
He thought it over and decided he'd head to Yukino Miyuki and Shino Miyako Natsuka later that night to vent it all out.
No choice—he couldn't betray Miss Mira, so Yukino Miyuki and Shino Miyako Natsuka would have to endure a bit more...
He glanced at the bathroom still billowing steam and didn't dare dwell, hurrying to scarf down his meal.
...
...
Meanwhile.
After Rai Hikaru left the bathroom.
Miss Mira stood at the sink, pumping out a dollop of milky-white hand soap and scrubbing her snow-white, tender little hands with gentle vigor.
Recalling Rai Hikaru's hasty exit, the corner of her mouth—marked by that beauty mark—curled up slightly, revealing an utterly captivating smile.
"Hehe, little Hikaru-kun's all grown up now."
"Not bad after all my careful nurturing—a super impressive man, so entertaining..."
She rinsed her pale, soft palms and the backs of her hands clean, then lifted one arm to meticulously wash her smooth, hairless underarm.
"He actually got that excited from that. What a pervert, little Hikaru-kun."
Tsubahara Mira shook her head with a laugh, seeming a touch exasperated.
But more than that, it was an irrepressible thrill and joy, like she'd finally earned validation from the one she craved most—her lips kept twitching upward in uncontainable delight.
"Phew... finally all clean. Little Hikaru-kun still loves to act spoiled. Once he starts, he doesn't stop—went on for a solid half hour. Such a headache, time for my bath~"
With that, Tsubahara Mira headed for the tub.
But spotting the tub half-filled with water and half-floating with pristine white fresh milk, her face froze for a second.
Tsubahara Mira smacked her forehead. "Oh duh, why'd I wash up so early? I totally forgot—little Hikaru-kun brought me milk for a bath, and I haven't enjoyed it yet!"
"All his fault for bringing so much top-shelf fresh milk. I figured it'd just be enough for my hands and a few spots, but it's plenty for a full milk bath."
"Little Hikaru-kun's full of surprises..."
A smile bloomed on her face as Tsubahara Mira lifted one slender jade leg and stepped into the milk-filled tub.
Without hesitation, she sank right in.
"Haaah..."
"Little Hikaru-kun's scent—I don't find it gross at all. I love it..."
Soaking in the milky tub, Mira looked utterly blissful.
She scooped up a handful of bathwater laced with milk and sighed. "Worthy of all the years I raised him—such a filial boy, getting all this fresh milk by himself so I can luxuriate in a milk bath."
"Sigh, this fresh milk is so fresh, still carrying that raw, calf-like milky tang. Little Hikaru-kun, you really turned out great after Auntie raised you all these years."
Miss Mira couldn't resist taking a tiny sip, then licking her lips and red mouth with the tip of her tongue.
Her cheeks flushed pink now, her flawless beauty radiating an indescribable allure and seduction.
Any man who saw her like this would lose all control and go feral.
...
...
Meanwhile.
While Miss Mira bathed, Rai Hikaru sat at the dinner table, wolfing down his food fast.
He figured he needed to get out of the Tsubahara house ASAP.
He seriously couldn't stick around any longer, or he might do something unforgivably twisted.
Sharing space with Miss Mira was way too head-swelling.
Even with just a bathroom door between them now, his heart raced like mad.
And when Miss Mira came out later, he had no clue how to face her.
Just picturing her made Rai Hikaru's head swell mid-bite.
Sure, thanks to Miss Mira's long help session earlier, he'd vented ages' worth of stress, and his head wasn't as huge or painful anymore.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have had enough milk for her bath.
But Rai Hikaru's physique was straight-up monstrous.
So the symptoms flared back up easy.
Barely minutes had passed, but one thought of Miss Mira, and his head ballooned again.
Right then.
His phone on the table buzzed.
Rai Hikaru checked—it was Yukino Miyuki. He hit accept.
The second it connected, Yukino Miyuki's eager voice poured out.
"Hikaru-kun, you still at school? When are you coming back? I miss you~"
Maybe because they'd already blended bodies and souls, Yukino Miyuki's tone dripped with sultry softness—gentle yet packed with temptation.
That mature widow's charm hit max instantly.
Rai Hikaru, whose head was already massive, felt it swell even bigger at her words.
He shot back quick: "Hang tight—I'm heading over right now!"
"Yay!" Her voice alone screamed pure joy and bouncing excitement.
Rai Hikaru hung up and shoveled rice faster.
He finished in two bites instead of three.
Tidied up quick, then bolted out the door.
Leaving the Tsubahara house, he headed for the Heian Apartments where Yukino Miyuki and Shino Miyako Natsuka lived.
Rai Hikaru felt like his gut was full of fire right now, but he couldn't unleash it on Miss Mira.
She was the woman he respected and thanked most.
So he mulled it over—time to hit Heian Apartments and give his two obedient tutoring students extra homework, more lessons, and deeper knowledge dumps. He'd cram them full.
Even if he couldn't spill every last secret, he'd make sure they graduated loaded with skills and wisdom.
Walking along.
Rai Hikaru had been fiddling with his phone.
But suddenly, he sensed something faint, snapping his head up.
That vague feeling sharpened fast.
He was still a good distance from Heian Apartments, with a thick protective grove in between.
Yet Rai Hikaru stared straight ahead, eyes locked on the apartments' direction.
His gaze pierced the dense foliage like it wasn't there, zeroing in on some scene inside.
He frowned slightly at first, then his lips curved up. He murmured two words softly: "Interesting."
...
...
Heian Apartments was a standalone building near the Neon city center—not ultra-luxurious, but solid enough.
Super convenient living drew plenty of residents; the entrance buzzed with people coming and going, lively as ever.
But down in the dimly lit, pitch-black basement—barely anyone ever went there.
A figure paced back and forth nonstop.
None other than the former apartment manager, Takahashi.
The old Takahashi never would've slummed it in the basement.
As manager, he'd secretly hogged the biggest empty unit for himself.
But after Kurenika fired him and Rai Hikaru took over, he couldn't pull that anymore.
So he'd slunk back to the dingy basement his dad had lived in.
But now, even that bottom-level hellhole was off-limits for Takahashi.
Just like he'd pocketed that prime room.
As manager, he'd taken plenty of dirty bribes on the side.
Not a fortune, but enough to land him in prison.
With Rai Hikaru now running things, it'd come out quick.
If his embezzling got exposed, he'd rot in jail.
To dodge prison—and cowed by Rai Hikaru's intimidation—Takahashi planned to pack his old man's stuff and bail from Heian Apartments, find some hole to crawl into elsewhere.
Revenge on Rai Hikaru? He wouldn't even dream it.
Sure, getting his ass kicked repeatedly by Rai Hikaru pissed him off to no end.
But now, in raw fighting power, he couldn't match one hand from Rai Hikaru.
Background and connections? Rai Hikaru, backed by Kurenika, blew him out of the water.
So Takahashi resolved to ditch it all and run.
But before splitting, he had loose ends, so he'd risked coming back today.
Truth was, Takahashi had inherited the manager gig from his dad.
On his own merits, he couldn't have scored it.
And in this basement his dad had crashed in, besides his own junk, there were piles of his old man's random crap.
Miscellany stacked like a mini-mountain.
Back when Takahashi was living the high life as manager, he'd been too lazy to dig through it.
But now that he was bolting, he rummaged like it was a treasure hunt—hoping for cash or valuables to snag.
It pissed Takahashi off: after all his flipping, just old clothes and worn-out shoes.
"You useless dad and useless grandpa! Pair of worthless shits!"
"All those years grinding, and you saved jack shit?!"
"Goddamn it! Couldn't you cut corners, pocket a little extra?!"
"I've stashed over two million yen, you two wastes! Pissing me off!"
By the end, Takahashi couldn't hold back—he booted the junk pile hard.
It shattered his dad and grandpa's photo frames; black-and-white pics fluttered in the air as half the pile toppled.
After venting, Takahashi grabbed his backpack to leave.
But then—whoa—a weird golden glint flashed from the kicked-over mess!
He dropped the bag, didn't care if he stepped on dad or grandpa's photos, and rushed over.
He shoved aside some old man clothes and dug out a gleaming golden box following the light!
But after eyeing it close, Takahashi's face twisted in rage and letdown.
"You moron! What the fuck! Thought it was solid gold—turns out it's just gold-plated crap!"
Takahashi grumbled as he pried open the box.
Inside disappointed him more: just a ring and a yellowed old leather sheet.
"Fuck your mom!" Takahashi snarled—didn't matter if it was at dad or grandpa.
To him, the shitty ring and paper were trash. He wanted cash.
But some impulse made him snatch the ring anyway, plus the faded paper. He forced himself to check it out despite the irritation.
As he made out the writing on the paper, his pissed-off scowl eased. First a slight stun, then a hint of joy, building to big joy, then ecstatic glee!
Clutching the bizarre ring—topped with a gem like a red eyeball—Takahashi burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha!!!"
His unhinged cackles echoed through the dark basement.
Takahashi gripped the red-eyeball ring tight, his face twisted in near-mad delight.
He muttered, "If everything on this paper's legit..."
"Then this ring's a goddamn treasure!"
"The paper says: slip on this ring, get your target in the red eyeball's line of sight, and you can mesmerize or suggest—manipulate their mind or perception."
"Isn't this the legendary hypnosis tool?!"
"Perfect! Fucking perfect!!!"
He clutched the ring like a holy grail, thrilled to insanity.
He could already see his future shining bright.
"With this ring, I hypnotize rich bastards, make 'em hand over their cash—I won't be broke again!"
"With this ring, any hot babe I want, I hypnotize and fuck on demand!"
"With this ring, I'm the world's most noble, most powerful guy!"
"No... I'm beyond human. I'm a god!"
"I'm the great Kamisama!!!"
"Hahaha!"
"Takahashi is this world's god!!!"
Takahashi cradled the ring, laughing maniacally for ages—until overdoing it stabbed pain into his gut from Rai Hikaru's brutal kick earlier. Only then did he barely calm down.
Clutching his belly, Takahashi suddenly recalled the humiliation Rai Hikaru had dished out.
"Rai Hikaru... Rai Hikaru..."
"That damn high school brat! Thinking of him boils my blood aaaah!"
"Before, yeah, I didn't dare mess with him."
"But now I've got the hypnosis ring!"
"Hahaha! Time for payback! You shitty little punk, Rai Hikaru—wait till I hypnotize and humiliate the hell outta you!"
"And that bitch Yukino Miyuki!"
Yukino Miyuki's peerless beauty and killer curves flashed in his mind; Takahashi licked his lips.
He'd never gotten over Yukino Miyuki.
She was hands-down the hottest woman he'd ever seen since birth.
"You ignored me before, Yukino bitch—now watch me use this hypnosis ring to fuck you senseless!"
"Hiss... Just imagining it has me rock hard already!"
"Miss Yukino, wait for me! You'll kneel at Takahashi's feet!"
"And that high school chick Shino Miyako Natsuka—Rai Hikaru's girlfriend, right?"
"Prime beauty too! I'll claim her! Then really rub it in that cocky punk Rai Hikaru's face—the one who flexed his strength and strutted around me!"
"Hahahahaha!!!"
Clutching the ring, Takahashi laughed like a lunatic, fantasizing his sweet revenge spree.
...
...
The sun dipped low, orange afterglow bathing the earth in its final warmth of the day.
Heian Apartments' entrance saw steady foot traffic.
Rai Hikaru had arrived from the Tsubahara house.
Residents passing by spotted him and swarmed with warm greetings.
After all, he was the acting manager now—schmoozing him couldn't hurt.
And the old Takahashi had been such a prick; by contrast, they loved Rai Hikaru.
Rai Hikaru politely replied to a few.
Then he hustled upstairs.
Yukino Miyuki's urgent call earlier was 'cause she couldn't wait to see him.
But it wasn't just her missing him.
Rai Hikaru missed Yukino Miyuki plenty too.
With his physique, even Natsuka's gifted talents fell short for now.
She'd need Pure Love Imprints to boost her constitution, plus more of his guidance, hands-on training, and study to make real gains.
Yukino Miyuki, the subhuman snow woman, had zero experience before either.
But her snow woman build was elite—decades of pent-up essence meant every round was a mind-melting rush.
A normal guy would've buckled, drained to death. For Rai Hikaru? Just right.
Plus, as a snow woman, Yukino Miyuki outclassed human Natsuka in tons of ways.
Like Natsuka's prized slickness—Yukino topped it.
And Yukino's snow woman powers delivered legit ice-fire double heaven, no faking.
The sensation alone made Rai Hikaru's head swell just thinking about it.
"Snow woman's flavor... damn good."
Rai Hikaru licked his lips, picking up his pace up the stairs.
Before heading up, though, he cast a loaded glance at the basement below.
...
He hustled to the third floor.
Rai Hikaru reached Yukino Miyuki's door.
He raised a hand to knock.
But grinned and lowered it.
Right—he wasn't just the manager with master keys anymore.
Yukino Miyuki had already given him her spare ages ago.
Clearly, stepping into this snow woman widow's lair meant intimate access, no questions asked.
Rai Hikaru pulled the key, unlocked, and entered.
He started to call out "Miss Yukino."
But as the door clicked shut, he spotted a lithe silhouette half-seated on the floor at the entryway, her beautiful eyes locked on him—like she'd been waiting ages.
"Hika~ru~kun~!"
There sat Yukino Miyuki at the genkan, voluptuous body half-leaning against the wall. One hand rested on her thick thigh wrapped in black stockings, the other on her full, proud bosom, a seductive smile playing on her lips as she gazed at him.
"Miss Yukino, good afternoon."
Under Yukino Miyuki's silky, come-hither stare, Rai Hikaru felt a spark of heat stir in his chest.
No man could face such a tempting mature snow woman without reacting.
But they'd just had that ultra-intimate clash recently, and now he was here—both knew what was coming. No need to rush.
So under her blazing gaze, Rai Hikaru calmly slipped off his shoes.
As he did, he flashed a grin and asked, "Miss Yukino, how'd you time it so perfectly? Did you foresee me coming?"
Yukino Miyuki shook her head, her gorgeous, bewitching face blooming with a charming smile. She said softly, "I'm a snow woman, not a fortune-teller—no precog here."
"But after you said on the phone you were coming, I've been sitting right by the door waiting for you~"
Hearing that, Rai Hikaru couldn't help smiling.
This socially awkward widow snow woman turned incredibly tender and attentive once she latched onto someone—heart-melting stuff.
She'd been parked here since he hung up.
That gentleness? Rare even compared to his past life's annoying fangirls, or Neon culture's vaunted Yamato Nadeshiko ideal.
Seeing Yukino Miyuki's soft, watery smile, Rai Hikaru eased his shoe-removal to avoid startling her.
He smiled back at her warmly as he finished, his handsome face radiating nice-guy vibes.
He didn't give in to the urge to pounce, scoop her up, and ravage her mouth.
What Rai Hikaru didn't know was that Yukino Miyuki—still holding that gentle smile—was suppressing her own urges, fighting the impulse to lunge, grab him, and devour his lips.