In Tokyo: They are heavily dependent on me

Chapter 4. Reluctantly Sleeping Together

"I...I understand."

After a brief hesitation, Mizukami Orina made up her mind.

If the police were called, the situation would become quite troublesome. The thought of the heavy, suffocating atmosphere when she returned home kept flooding her mind.

No... let her go back... absolutely not!

She had no other choice.

"Well then—let's reveal the answer."

Hoshino Kaoru raised her right hand, revealing the coin that had been pressed against the back of her hand, now displayed with the side depicting "rice ears and gears".

It's not the tree, but the other side.

This young lady lost—it was inevitable.

He put away the coins, a long-planned smile spreading across his face.

It seems that this naive young lady did not discover that he was cheating.

"It's a shame, but it's okay. Since you're an employee, you can eat all three meals here tomorrow without paying. As for where to sleep... just go to my room. My room is in the right corridor, so don't go to the wrong one. Rin is already asleep, and I don't want to wake her."

Upon hearing that she would be sleeping in his room, Mizukami Orina began to suspect that he harbored ill intentions towards her and planned to take advantage of her while she was asleep.

However, the next second Hoshino Kaoru seemed to sense her worry: "Don't worry, I won't do anything to you."

He looked sincere, with a smile on his face.

Hoshino, who said such a thing, doesn't seem like the kind of guy who likes to play with women's feelings and bodies.

Is that so? This must be to lower her guard; that's what that guy's goal is.

She wouldn't easily believe him, even if the guy in front of her wasn't lying.

She crossed her arms over her slightly heaving chest, glanced at him nonchalantly, and then asked in a casual yet somewhat concerned tone.

"I'm sleeping in Hoshino-kun's room, so where does Hoshino-kun sleep? Does he sleep with your sister?"

"Please don't think of me as an older brother with strange fetishes. I'm prepared not to sleep with you, or maybe you're not used to sleeping alone. In that case, I can reluctantly sleep with you and provide free sleeping companionship."

"So you've finally revealed your true colors, Hoshino-kun. You really are a complete scumbag. My judgment was right after all."

He wore an expression as if he were looking at a stinking cockroach, clenching his teeth and furrowing his brows.

She seemed like a mafia heiress who had reached her limit of patience, ready to throw this flippant guy into the sea to feed the sharks at any moment.

Staring at him like that, Hoshino Kaoru felt a chill run down her spine and began to use a smile to hide her inner turmoil.

"I was just joking... I would never do anything illegal!"

"Really? You're quite honest."

Leaving behind those words, Shui Shang turned around and went upstairs on the wooden stairs.

Soon, the sounds of doors opening and closing came from upstairs.

Hoshino Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief and focused her attention on the transparent window in front of her.

[Aid Progress: 0%]

Trust Level: Low

[Affection Level: Low]

[Mood Value: Poor]

Nothing has changed...

Just as he was about to close the transparent window, the image in front of him began to flicker like the screen of an old television.

When he refocused, he found that the original 0 had become 1.

The transparent window has changed.

[Announcement: Aid progress has now reached 1%]

[You have information to view]

"Check."

Hoshino Kaoru silently recited in his mind, watching the rows of words neatly arranged in front of him.

[The most poisonous things in the world must have a beautiful appearance, and she is no exception.]

Her flawless appearance once deceived you, but once you expose your weaknesses, she will not hesitate to inject deadly poison into your body.

But this is only the surface of her personality.

What is most terrifying is that she possesses a power more terrifying than poison: the ability to see through all lies, and no falsehood can hide from her.

She despises lies, and lying to her will have severe consequences. And you, right now, are only one step away from that forbidden line.

So, faced with a flower completely enveloped in poison, how many wounds would you inflict if you tried your utmost to pluck it from the thorns?

"Can you see through lies?"

Hoshino Kaoru frowned. He had always thought that this world was the same as his original world, and that there would be nothing that could not be explained by science.

But now, that conclusion has been completely overturned.

No wonder, when he said, "I will never do anything that violates the law," Minakami quickly felt relieved.

It wasn't because of his personal charm, but because she was able to detect lies...

That's truly terrifying.

While the ability to "detect lies" is not as convenient as mind reading and has considerable limitations, it doesn't seem like a significant threat to him at first glance.

However... the other party was, after all, a rich young lady worth over a trillion dollars, and she hated lies terribly. This feeling of having a detonator implanted in his heart... made him very uneasy.

Hoshino Kaoru is worried that she might be punished for stepping on a landmine.

Forget it, I'd better try not to lie to this young lady in the future.

He made a decision in his heart.

------------

When I woke up in bed, the sun was already high in the sky.

When Mizukami Orina opened her eyes, she was greeted by an unfamiliar light-colored ceiling.

The curtains were half-drawn, letting in some glaring sunlight. The bedroom, which looked to be only about five tatami mats in size, was filled with traces of a man's life. She could see stray hairs on the sheets, and the bedding had an unfamiliar male scent.

She couldn't believe she had slept so soundly last night in a place like this.

"Sleeping so soundly..."

She propped herself up, looked at the mess she had made of the bed, and began to tidy it up.

After spending a few minutes tidying up the room, she went to the door and looked at it, which was locked from the inside.

The right hand, which was about to reach for the doorknob, froze in mid-air.

Recalling her experience last night, she suddenly found her behavior ridiculous.

Even though they are capable of recognizing lies, they still worry about things that are impossible.

Moreover, she stayed at Hoshino's house last night, and not only did she not thank him, she also said hurtful things to him like "a complete scumbag".

"I should...apologize to him properly. Although Hoshino-kun seems like a frivolous guy, he doesn't lie to me like other guys do, and besides, his concern for me at the time...was genuine..."

"I should clearly state my position so that he doesn't think I'm the kind of girl who lacks manners."

After making up her mind, Mizukami Orina opened the door and met Hoshino Rin's eyes as she emerged from the room on the other side of the corridor.

The two stared at each other, and a brief silence fell over the air.

Then, in the next second.

"Brother! Get up here!"