In the countryside, the star-studded sky was exceptionally bright, with sacred glimmers dotting the black canvas.
Chiba Shimizu sat by the bed, gazing through the window at the distant starscape.
Inside the room, an electric fan whirled, blowing over a pair of pure white, beautiful legs on which a large orange cat nestled snugly.
The chubby-cheeked face radiated contentment, eyes closed as if sunk into sleep.
Every now and then, it would flick out its tongue to lick its face, and the gentle mewling relaxed the mind.
In the ten-square-meter room lived four people, and though slightly cramped, they slept in peace.
Reiko Onodera, Mariko Akiyama, and Rika Onodera, three generations, lived in another bedroom. Content orıginally comes from novᴇlfire.net
And Misaki Saki, Arisugawa Hoshina, Chiba Shimizu, and Haruka Yuzan shared this one.
Misaki Saki had clamored to stay with little Rika, but had been flatly rejected by Haruka Yuzan.
That had upset the little one for quite a while.
"Shimizu, you can go take a shower now."
At that moment, the door opened and Arisugawa Hoshina walked in.
The tomboy was wrapped in a bath towel, still wiping her half-dried hair.
Having just come out of the bathroom, her coffee-colored skin looked especially soft and supple, her whole being misty as if an ethereal elf of the night.
"Haruka is currently fighting with Misaki over the bathroom, so I think if you go now, you should be able to claim it."
"No thanks, I'll wait until they're done and then go."
Chiba Shimizu shook her head, her serene elegance striking even Arisugawa Hoshina, a beauty in her own right.
Such a girl, just standing there, could hardly be refused, one wonders who will eventually pluck this pristine lily.
"Okay then, Shimizu, you really are without desires, I wonder when I'll ever be like you."
Arisugawa Hoshina plopped down nonchalantly, her languid posture a stark contrast to the dignified girl across from her.
Chiba Shimizu was puzzled.
Arisugawa Hoshina sat cross-legged and began to count off the girl's virtues on her fingers.
"You're smart, composed, beautiful, with a great figure and outstanding poise, and especially your emotions – they're almost always stable, you hardly ever get angry... you're the perfect archetype!"
The tomboy chattered away, while Chiba Shimizu fell into thought; were these really considered virtues?
"If I could ever be as outstanding as you, Haruka Yuzan would definitely not get distracted by other things!"
At the mention of Haruka Yuzan, Arisugawa Hoshina seemed somewhat angry, remembering the special relationship between the girl and Otome Mizuko. The Spice Girl thought for a moment and then asked again:
"Hey, Shimizu, do you think I'm kind of cheap, chasing after someone I know is fickle, despite there being many good men in the world..."
As she spoke, Arisugawa Hoshina's head drooped a little in despondency, but as if suddenly remembering something, she quickly perked up:
"But I think it doesn't matter! Haruka Yuzan has never made it clear he doesn't want me! We're still young, there's plenty of time ahead! Happiness must be seized with our own hands!!"
The blond beauty rambled on endlessly while Chiba Shimizu sat across from her, quietly listening to her speech.
After a good while, Arisugawa Hoshina finally came back to reality, ending with a rueful smile:
"Shimizu, do you think I'm very XXX? Sometimes I feel it too, but... I really can't help it; some feelings just run deep."
Her voice grew quieter and more resigned, and in the end, her smile carried a hint of acceptance.
The room fell silent, faint sounds of an argument between a boy and a little girl coming from the bathroom.
Outside the window, cicadas chirped, adding a touch of liveliness to the quiet night.
"That's not true." Chiba Shimizu shook her head, her delicate face taking on a serious expression:
"I'm not as good as you say, I also learned a lot since living in the villa. On the contrary, you're really brave, Hoshina."
Her cool voice echoed in the bedroom, her eyes reflecting a glimmer of uncertainty for the future.
Truly, if the tomboy had been that kind of person, they likely would never have crossed paths in this life at all.
Despite her fiery personality and temper, she was indeed a very innocent and kind-hearted girl.
These emotions can be sensed over time, in the subtleties of life shared together.
"Really?" Arisugawa Hoshina looked up, with a wistful gleam in her eyes.
Chiba Shimizu sighed quietly; next to the bold and passionate tomboy, she felt utterly unqualified to judge.
"So, Shimizu, are Haruka and Yumeko really at the stage of getting engaged?"
Arisugawa Hoshina asked softly.
After glancing at her, Chiba Shimizu finally shook her head slowly.
"Not yet, they're not engaged so far."
At these words, a spark of hope clearly flickered in Arisugawa Hoshina's eyes.
"But Yumeko really loves Haruka Yuzan."