I'm in Tokyo, and I'm a professional boyfriend.

"Plop plop—"

Bubbles rose one after another on the surface of the lush green water. Even though the bath soap she used today was a newly bought trendy lemon scent, it couldn't ease the landlady's complicated mood. She simply buried half of her face in the water, silently watching the bubbles rise and burst, creating ripples.

Before today, she had always harbored some resentment towards Iori.

Because she was the first one to appear beside Iori.

Because she was the first person to fall for that idiot Iori.

Because she was the first to confess her feelings to him on the Ferris wheel.

Also because... she was the only one who was rejected by this guy.

Miyahara Nagisa never really understood or knew how to properly handle matters of the heart.

Just as studying hard is a good thing, while loitering on the street is a bad thing, one should exercise and not fight or cause trouble, etc.

She could always read Iori's mind, so she always wanted to determine right and wrong in matters of love.

However, as Iori pressed herself against that thin wall that could even transmit sound, a question suddenly arose in her mind.

Could it be... that Iori could see the obsession still lingering in his heart, which is why he hasn't brought up anything further?

"Boom."

Bubbles burst open on the water's surface.

The landlady looked a little dazed.

"Splash—"

As if she had just thought of something, she suddenly stood up from the bathtub, not even waiting to dry her hair.

He quickly wiped himself down, wrapped himself in a bathrobe, and dashed outside.

In the living room.

After washing the dishes, the little fox senior went inside to continue his self-study of nutrition courses. Terashima Yuki left at some point, and Yui stayed in her room, teasing Inutaro.

Only Shiina Iori was nestled in the balcony lounge chair where Shino usually lay, swaying back and forth with a cup of lemon fruit tea in her hand.

The teacup was filled with the aroma of lemon, clear and refreshing, giving one a sense of invigoration upon smelling it.

Shiina Iori leisurely squinted her eyes.

This was a rare moment of enjoyment for him.

He seemed to hear footsteps, and opened his eyes to scan the area warily.

Upon seeing Nagisa-chan running towards him, he immediately placed the fruit tea on the coffee table and crossed his arms protectively in front of his chest.

"What are you doing! Didn't we already have a fight just now?"

"If you make another move, I'll lie down!"

However, upon closer inspection of the landlady's expression, it was discovered that her face was flushed, and her lips were puffed out in a soft, sweet way, as if she was trying hard to say something.

Shiina Iori looked slightly puzzled and lowered her hands:

"what happened?"

"I don't think I did anything particularly outrageous, did I?"

"If you want to cry, I can lend you my shoulder."

"...University."

After holding it in for a long time, Nagisa suddenly blurted out a word.

Shiina Iori looked completely bewildered.

"?"

"Once I get into university, Iori should acknowledge that I'm an adult, right?"

"..."

What are you talking about? You're over eighteen now, aren't you?

"Anyway! Just wash your ass clean and wait!"

Steam rose faintly from her forehead, and a pinkish hue spread upwards along her neck. The JK girl strained her face and uttered a harsh remark.

Shiina Iori almost burst out laughing after hearing that.

Yes~ Yes~

"Don't look at me like I'm easy to handle! I... I'll definitely be amazing in the future!"

"What's so amazing? I didn't quite understand."

"That's...that's it!!"

Seemingly realizing that Iori was deliberately teasing her, the easy-going JK girl from Bunkyo Ward blushed, mumbled a couple of nonsensical words, and strode back to her room.

The door slammed shut.

"You idiot Iori—!!!"

---Aside---

A broken bowl!

[507] Autumn and Practice

Springtime drowsiness, autumn fatigue, summer naps, and even winter sleepiness.

Since autumn arrived, the pace of life in Tokyo seems to have slowed down considerably, and the dazzling, vibrant white scenery of summer has completely disappeared.

Looking around, one sees people everywhere dressed in long sleeves and robes. The dense thickets resemble the depths of Norway's Black Forest. When one breathes out, a mist of water wafts onto one's hands, the warm sensation instantly turning into a damp coolness.

The temperature has dropped significantly.

Even though it was the weekend, the Shiina family had no intention of going out together during this season.

I forget who bought the kotatsu first, but soon a small table appeared in the living room, and then pads were laid around it. After that, the four family members and a cat naturally appeared around the small table with the kotatsu.

"It's so warm~"

Yui tucked both her hands and feet into the blanket, the warm heat from the stove beneath her outstretched hands warming them—of the whole family, Yui was the most afraid of the cold. Despite having a very thick armor of fat on her body, she was always the first to collapse when faced with an attack of low temperatures.

Ever since the cold wave swept through Tokyo a while ago, she's been like a real little seal, curled up in bed every day, even tucking the game controller under the covers when she plays games.

"Hey Yui, shouldn't you get some exercise?"

Miyahara Nagisa sat on the east side, leaning against Iori. Her long, bare legs were stretched out straight under the table, and her hands were outside. On the table were the practice exercises Iori had left over from the weekend.

"Your health is so weak; you even caught a cold a few days ago."

"Who said that!" Little Seal, who often felt inferior because he couldn't see his toes when he looked down, slumped over the table and retorted loudly, "I do engage in high-intensity physical exercise occasionally too!"

"when?'

Miss JK looked incredulous and casually reached down to pinch Yui's plump buttocks.

A handful of soft, fluffy meat.

"It hurts!"

Despite saying this, Ms. Yui, with all four limbs tucked into the kotatsu, stubbornly refused to extend her hands in protest, muttering, "It's just...it's just that I exercise occasionally at night."

"Iori can prove it!"

The little seal, who had been sprawled on the table, turned its head and looked at Iori. Nagisa's gaze followed.

Shiina Iori, who was peeling oranges for the group, froze. Under the gazes of Nagisa and Yui, she stammered, "...Yes! A few days ago, I was exercising too intensely and sweating a lot, so I accidentally got sick."

"Right?"

Yui whimpered and turned her head back.

His upper body remained pressed against the table without moving.

It was precisely because the front armor provided her with enough room to move that she would have twisted her neck.

Hearing them say that, Miss JK immediately understood what sport Yui was talking about. Her face stiffened, and she kicked her leg, which was stretched out under the table, towards Iori.

"snort!'

Bare little feet stepped directly onto Iori's calves; it was less of a punishment and more of a foot massage.

My legs, which had been crossed under the table, were also a little numb.

Shiina Iori continued peeling the orange without saying a word.

The tangerines were sent by Maki from her home. Tangerines aren't grown in Shizuoka, but they're cheaper there because sea freight is convenient. However, with shipping costs, they're probably more expensive than in Tokyo. I don't know what Maki was thinking.

He peeled the orange with meticulous care, not violently tearing it open from both sides, but rather tearing it into segments along both ends, separating the flesh like flower petals, and then peeling off the white pith from each segment.

Because Iori peeled the oranges more nicely, everyone assigned the task of peeling oranges to her.

The whole family was like useless people, waiting for him to feed them.

However, Iori herself wasn't annoyed. She just diligently peeled the oranges and fed them one by one.

He and Maki used to do this at home in the winter, so they were used to everyone's reactions.

The reason for peeling off the white pith along with the orange is both because it's Nagisa's habit and because he heard that the white pith of the orange is highly poisonous to youkai.

"Poetry is..."

"Ah~"

slurp

Shino, who was also sitting next to Iori, stretched her long legs straight into the kotatsu, just passing Nagisa without causing a traffic accident on their path.

The main reason for this achievement was that the little fox senior slightly turned his toes towards Iori.

At that moment, a small foot was dangling in the crook of his leg, hooking back and forth.

I don't know what it's trying to hook.

"Hey! That's filthy." Seeing the little fox casually nibble on Iori's finger while eating an orange, Nagisa, who had just been pretending to be reading, couldn't help but exclaim, "It's my turn next segment!"

"slightly"