Chapter 88: 88: Xu Song Wasn't Lying, Purple Really Has Charm
Nino and the others returned to their rooms after taking a cold shower.
Cold showers only work in the beginning—their effectiveness gradually wears off.
More importantly, Ichika was still busy.
This persistent and overwhelming feeling made Nino sit right back up as soon as she lay down.
"What the heck is going on? This sensation is even stronger than when I occasionally dream... it really feels like I'm being massaged by Makoto."
Frustrated, Nino rubbed her face. The sobering effect of the cold shower had already worn off, and now she was feeling a little lightheaded again.
What she couldn't bear most was that this lightheadedness didn't come with the soothing pleasure like the time Makoto massaged her.
It was that awkward, unbearable in-between.
Nino blushed as she stared at her slender fingers, suddenly growing embarrassed and annoyed.
"I don't even know how to do that kind of thing... So why am I staring at my fingers?"
The girl stewed in her room for a while, then decided to walk around the house. Maybe getting active would help her take her mind off things.
She used to practice yoga every day, but right now, she couldn't even calm her mind, let alone do yoga.
If she ended up feeling "something" during yoga, she'd have to wash another set of yoga clothes.
Just as she opened the door, she happened to hear a sound from Ichika's room, which made her inexplicably nervous.
She quickly closed the door, leaving only a small crack.
Then, she saw Ichika carrying clothes to the bathroom.
"So Ichika is also... No wait, isn't Makoto still in her room? They couldn't have gotten all flustered just by talking about tutoring, right?"
Nino was still too pure. Even though she had her suspicions about Ichika's talk about tutoring, her mind didn't wander any further.
Besides, when Ichika came out just now, her back was facing Nino.
From that angle, Nino couldn't see that Ichika had one hand holding clothes, and the other hand covering her mouth.
Clearly, Ichika wasn't just going to shower—she was also going to freshen up.
After all, her clothes were completely drenched in sweat.
Nino hid behind the door for a moment. When she saw Makoto step out, her eyes immediately lit up.
Ichika was gone, so this must be her moment to shine.
"You're the one who kept provoking me earlier."
Thinking back to Ichika's taunts from before, Nino's already flustered state only intensified.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Itsuki was also restless. She wanted to take a walk too.
Just as she opened her door, she saw Makoto.
Makoto saw her as well.
The two were just about to greet each other when suddenly, a fair hand stretched out from Nino's room and grabbed Makoto's collar with precision.
What the—!?
Even Makoto was shocked.
With his physical strength and reaction speed, he could have easily dodged.
But at that moment, he thought that if Nino was launching a "sneak attack" from the shadows, it was probably something she didn't want others to hear.
So he didn't dodge.
In just three seconds, that smooth arm dragged him inside.
The next moment, the door quickly shut with a soft click.
Itsuki, who had been standing there, was completely dumbfounded.
She mechanically turned her head toward Ichika's room.
The door was wide open, not the slightest attempt at hiding anything—that meant no one was inside.
Then she looked at the lit bathroom.
"So… Nino waited for Ichika to take a bath and then ambushed Makoto?"
Itsuki felt like her brain was about to overheat.
By the time she managed to recover, a surge of anger welled up in her chest.
Why Nino?
Whether it was meeting Makoto or becoming friends with him—it was me who came first.
Even Ichika only learned about the Paranormal Research Club after me.
Itsuki clenched her little fists, grinding her teeth.
Meanwhile, inside Nino's room—
Makoto looked at the blushing girl, her eyes shimmering with moisture, and he was a little surprised.
Is Nino's quest reward really this potent?
And on top of that, the one affected—and acting on it—was Nino herself?
What a coincidence.
"Makoto, did you finish talking with Ichika?"
Nino's voice was completely different from usual.
It trembled slightly, mixed with the unique shyness of a girl and a restless excitement that couldn't be concealed.
"Yeah, we finished talking. That's why she went to shower."
Makoto looked down at the small hand still grabbing his collar and asked on purpose, "So what's the meaning of this?"
Nino quickly let go, eyes darting away. "N-nothing, I just wanted to talk to you."
Makoto tried not to laugh. "So just to talk, you yanked me into your room like a kidnapper in a drama?"
"I know I got a little impulsive just now, stop rubbing it in..."
Nino was clearly embarrassed.
Honestly, she regretted it the moment she pulled Makoto in.
She could've just invited him inside—there was no need to be so rough.
What if her image got ruined?
"All right, let's not talk about that," Makoto nodded. "So what did you want to talk about?"
Nino still avoided his gaze, a little bashful. "Um... you're free now, right?"
"Looks like it."
"Then... Can you give me a massage?"
"Oh, you mean like an actual massage?"
"Yeah, my neck and legs have been feeling sore lately. Probably from all the cooking and cleaning I've been doing for everyone."
"Sure."
Makoto could easily tell she was lying.
But in this situation, he had no intention of calling her out.
No doubt Ichika's teasing had gotten to her.
Plus, the effect of her quest reward was kicking in, pushing her to act on impulse.
Nino had just showered, and her body smelled wonderfully fragrant. Her room was filled with that same pleasant aroma.
At home, she didn't dress up like she did outside. Instead, she wore very casual pajamas.
They were extremely loose-fitting, and even with her great figure, the clothes hid everything.
"Oh right."
Just as Nino was about to turn around, she suddenly remembered something. She quickly stepped forward, went around Makoto, and locked the door.
Makoto couldn't help but laugh. "So now I have to ask—this is just a massage to relieve fatigue, right? Why are you being all secretive?"
"You said it's just a normal massage, so stop making it sound weird."
Nino didn't dare answer directly.
Once the door was locked, she felt more at ease.
Even if someone came knocking, she'd have time to react.
This was her personal little sanctuary.
Now... It is Nino time!
She skipped lightly to the bed and lay down.
Then she flipped over and got into a prone position, elbows propped up, looking at Makoto with a flushed face. "Come on."
Her tone really did sound like a "duo queue invite."
Makoto walked over calmly. "So you want your neck and legs massaged?"
"I'll let you decide. You're the expert here," Nino said, feeling great.
"Then I'll start with your neck and waist, and do your legs after?"
"Mm."
Nino obediently laid back down.
Her blushing, quiet posture was something Makoto had never seen before.
It only confirmed how much she needed this.
When his hand landed on her snowy-white neck, her body tensed for a moment.
But she quickly relaxed, eyes closed. Her rosy lips parted slightly like a fish surfacing for air, revealing white teeth—and occasionally, the tip of a pink tongue.
Master Makoto began his massage.
Well—maybe not entirely professional.
Because he knew Nino had been affected.
The girl clearly needed a way to release her emotions.
So his technique was a bit more refined than last time.
Especially when he moved to her waist and said, "It might not be as effective through the clothes."
Nino replied without hesitation, "Do what you think is best."
Urgent! Urgent! Urgent!
Those three words perfectly captured Nino's mood.
Makoto lifted Nino's pajama top, revealing her slim, well-maintained waist.
But not just that.
Because of how she had rushed onto the bed, her pajama pants had also tugged downward a little.
So Makoto saw it very clearly.
Purple.
The purple fabric against her fair skin, under the bright overhead light, looked absolutely mesmerizing.
Makoto thought to himself: Xu Song really wasn't lying. Purple really does have charm.
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