“Come over here, you two.”

Mai mercilessly interrupted Yukieda and her daughter’s interaction, turning her laptop screen toward them.

“What I implanted isn’t just a simple camera. It can also remotely view other people’s files and information.”

“So, look. This guy’s actions weren’t aimed only at Shizuku. He’s anonymously harassed lots of people.”

Yukieda and Shizuku sat like elementary schoolers, watching Teacher Mai and waiting for him to continue.

“So, we can anonymously send his chat logs to the academy group chat. That would be giving him a taste of his own medicine. What do you two think?”

Yukieda nodded so hard that her waterfall of silver hair shook along with her.

Shizuku had no objections either. Suffering a little herself didn’t matter to her.

But she couldn’t tolerate anyone insulting her family, especially her father, whom she had once respected deeply.

“Then let’s do that.”

Mai struck the Enter key with force.

“Now all we have to do is wait for the fallout.”

Holding her terminal, Yukieda watched the academy group chat explode into heated discussion. She got so excited that she bumped the table hard.

“Are you all right?”

Shizuku asked with concern. Yukieda waved her fair, tender hand.

Yukieda was fine. The tea on the table, however, wasn’t.

The collision knocked over the teacup. Tea soaked Mai’s uniform and skirt.

Through his slightly transparent white shirt, the color of his skin could be seen.

If Yukieda hadn’t known Mai’s true form was male, she might have found the scene rather lovely.

Shizuku got up to look for a clean towel. Since Mai’s clothes were completely soaked, he clearly couldn’t keep wearing them.

“Anyway, thank you. You helped both me and Shizuku. If you hadn’t come, who knows how many more days Shizuku would’ve stayed shut in by herself.”

“It was nothing.”

Mai closed the laptop and packed it into his backpack.

Fortunately, none of the tea had splashed onto the machine. Otherwise, Yukieda had no idea how she could’ve paid for it.

She was broke. Even her food money for the next few days had been borrowed.

“But Mai, you’re really good with computers and stuff. It’s just like in a manga. You tap a few keys, and you can hack into someone else’s terminal.”

“Not exactly. A terminal’s firewall isn’t that easy to break through.”

“For other people, the difficulty comes from the fact that they’re acting illegally.”

“But I’m acting legally.”

Yukieda looked as though she understood.

In reality, she’d only been making conversation because she had nothing else to say.

Shizuku soon returned with a towel, but it barely helped dry Mai off.

So, Shizuku suggested that Mai take a shower at their house before going home.

As for his clothes, he could change into hers. Their builds were about the same, and both had the long-legged type of figure.

“Ahem.”

Yukieda covered her mouth.

“No.”

“Why not?”

Shizuku tilted her head, puzzled.

“Mai helped us so much today. I was even planning to keep her for dinner tonight.”

Yukieda’s pink lips trembled.

She didn’t know what to say. She truly had no reason to stop them.

After hesitating for a moment, she said nothing and could only turn a hopeful gaze toward Mai.

Mai acted as though he hadn’t noticed Yukieda’s eyes. He pinched the soaked skirt, which was wet enough to wring out.

Even the underwear was wet.

Wearing damp clothes was uncomfortable enough. Letting someone notice and misunderstand was another matter entirely.

Besides, Mai was a little obsessive about cleanliness.

So, he accepted Shizuku’s suggestion.

“Thank you.”

Don’t thank her, you bastard.

Yukieda decided to make one more attempt.

“At least, Shizuku, you don’t need to lend Mai your uniform. I remember there should be some of Father’s clothes in the wardrobe. Mai could make do with those.”

“Besides, you’ll need your uniform next week.”

“But I have two uniforms. And today’s Friday. Mai can return mine before the weekend ends, right?”

Shizuku gave Yukieda a strange look.

Yukieda seemed unusually stingy today.

“We’re family. And Mai is already pitiful enough. We’re only lending her some clothes.”

Yukieda opened the television gloomily.

Once Shizuku had set her mind on something, not even ten oxen could pull her back. Yukieda knew her daughter’s personality.

Since Shizuku had put it that way, saying more would be pointless.

A comedian on television was performing energetically, but Yukieda couldn’t laugh at all.

“I’ll prepare some clothes for Mai to change into.”

Yukieda pretended to watch television, then immediately rushed in front of Mai.

Her golden eyes nearly fired lasers, piercing straight through the man before her.

“What are you thinking? Aren’t you afraid of being exposed?”

Mai looked at Yukieda’s chest, rising and falling with anger. He thought seriously for a moment.

“Sorry.”

If you’re sorry, you shouldn’t have agreed in the first place!

Yukieda took several deep breaths. Her vision began to darken.

It was only her daughter lending someone an outer layer. It wasn’t a big deal.

That was what she told herself.

Then she turned her head and saw Shizuku carrying clean clothes.

Yukieda’s blood pressure shot up like a thermometer dropped into boiling water.

Shizuku had even prepared underwear!

There was no way she could allow her daughter’s panties to end up on a man’s backside!

“These are brand-new. I haven’t worn them yet.”

Shizuku placed the clean clothes in the bathroom and reminded Mai to change into them later.

Yukieda let out a breath of relief.

So they were unworn. That was fine.

She shot Mai an unfriendly glance, as if to say, You lucky bastard.

“Oh, right. Mai, put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket later. I’ll wash them for you. You can pick them up this weekend.”

“No!”

Yukieda shouted.

“What’s wrong?”

Shizuku tilted her head at Yukieda. She thought Yukieda had been jumpy all day.

“Shizuku, you’ve never even washed my clothes before. And now you’re going to wash clothes for someone you’ve only met once…”

Yukieda rubbed at her sleeve.

“Hehe.”

Shizuku ruffled Yukieda’s silver hair.

“But you don’t have a change of clothes. Everything at home is too big for you.”

“Why don’t we just toss them into the washing machine together?”

Right. The washing machine would be doing the washing.

What exactly had Yukieda been worried about?

Her mood immediately improved.

Shizuku thought Yukieda really was like a child. Her expression changed in an instant.

Then Shizuku seemed to remember something and continued.

“But underwear should still be washed by hand, of course.”

Yukieda suddenly felt something wrong in her head.

The next moment, her vision went black, and she collapsed onto the floor with a loud clang.

When she woke again, Shizuku was watching her anxiously from nearby.

Yukieda realized she was lying across Shizuku’s thighs.

She could smell the fragrance of Shizuku’s shampoo at the tip of her nose.

Her face reddened again, and she had no idea where to look.

Her daughter’s lap pillow.

So happy.

“Is it low blood sugar?”

No. High blood pressure.

“Yeah. Low blood sugar.”

“What about that guy?” Yukieda asked with a weak little groan.

“That guy?”

“Mai.”

“Yukieda, you shouldn’t call your little sister that.”

Shizuku pinched Yukieda’s cheek.

“Mai’s taking a shower. She just went in.”

Only then did Yukieda notice the faint sound of running water from the bathroom.

So I was only out for a little while.

“Then rest well, Yukieda.”

Shizuku stood and walked away.

Yukieda watched her go reluctantly. She could still feel the warmth of Shizuku’s body in her hair.

Should I skip washing my hair today?

Her mouth felt a little dry, so Yukieda got up to pour herself a glass of water.

Then she saw Shizuku, wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, heading toward the bathroom.

Forgetting all about the water, Yukieda spread her arms like a hen and blocked the bathroom door.

“Shizuku! What are you trying to do?”

A rare look of panic appeared on Yukieda’s face.

She looked at Shizuku as though she weren’t her daughter, but some perverted exhibitionist.

“Obviously, I’m going to scrub Mai’s back. Haven’t you heard?”

“Physical contact is the best way to bring hearts closer.”

Shizuku wore an extremely confident expression.

“For example, after you and I took a bath together last time, you stopped being shy!”

So that was why!?

“So move, Yukieda.”

“No!”

“Why not this time?”

Shizuku sounded helpless. Yukieda really was acting strange today.

It looked like Shizuku was determined to go in and scrub that damn guy’s back.

Yukieda clenched her pink fists. Then, gritting her teeth, she spoke.

“Actually, Shizuku, you can tell too, can’t you? Mai and I don’t get along very well.”

Yukieda lowered her head. Her silver hair hid her expression.

“And I think what you said makes a lot of sense.”

“So, could you give me this opportunity?”

“I see!”

Shizuku suddenly understood.

“You’re right. I didn’t think it through.”

“Compared to me, you need this opportunity more.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

Yukieda answered with a mournful expression.

Sigh.

Yukieda slowly undressed and untied the ribbon fastened around her shirt.

She looked back toward Shizuku every few steps. Shizuku was watching television.

Could Mai shower any faster?

Ideally, the moment Yukieda put down her skirt, he’d burst out of the bathroom fully dressed and say—

“Oh, I’m done showering. That was refreshing.”

“Yukieda, hurry up. If you don’t want to, I can go in and scrub Mai’s back instead.”

“Okay! N-No, not okay! I’ll be right there!”

“Make sure you scrub until his back is bright red! Let Mai scrub yours too.”

“Yukieda’s hair is so long. Let Mai wash it for you as well.”

It has to be scrubbed bright red, too?

Yukieda had been planning to half-heartedly go through the motions and call it good.

She slipped off the last piece of fabric, revealing skin as white and smooth as jade.

Yukieda shivered, though the temperature wasn’t particularly cold today.

She wrapped herself in the bath towel, then opened the bathroom door with the resolve of someone heading into battle.

Her fair, delicate feet were beautifully shaped. They slipped into oversized slippers with wet slapping sounds.

Her pearl-like toes curled nervously.

Yukieda felt utterly lost.

It was like attending a party for the first time, only to have nobody speak to her.

Mai was soaking in the bathtub with a towel over his head, looking completely relaxed.

Hearing the door open, he glanced at Yukieda standing there like an idiot.

He fell silent for a moment.

“Do you want to soak together?”

I’m going to kill you.

“No, I’ll just rinse off. Haha.”

Yukieda forced out an awkward laugh.

Bringing the bath towel in had been a mistake.

She needed to wash herself too, so she turned her back toward the bathtub and opened the hot water as far as it would go.

Hopefully, the steam would become thick enough to hide everything.

Ideally, it would become so dense that she couldn’t see her own hand.

“Splash.”

Water sounded behind her.

Yukieda pressed her legs together, covering herself, and asked nervously, “What are you trying to do?”

“I’m almost forty, you know. Besides, our interface versions aren’t compatible.”

Yukieda seemed to recall something and added, “I’m done. It must be awkward for you with me here, too, so I’m heading out.”

“Oh.”

Yukieda turned around, leaving Mai with only the slender, graceful view of her back.

Just as Mai was about to leave, Yukieda remembered Shizuku’s instructions.

Shizuku would probably check.

If Yukieda didn’t complete what she’d been told to do, Shizuku would definitely complain.

“Wait!”