Chapter 45 – Where's the Healer? Heal Me! (Patreon)

"Kouma, would you like some grapes?"

The beautiful woman approached Kouma's side, only to find that he was playing a game on the computer—apparently an online game Miko used to play often.

"Mrs. Yotsuya..." Kouma sat up a bit straighter, looking slightly flustered. He was about to pull his hands away from the keyboard, but a pair of warm, soft hands pressed down on his.

"It's fine, Kouma. Keep playing!" Mrs. Yotsuya gently held his right hand, a tingling sensation instantly rippling through her body. She narrowed her long eyes and let out a soft breath.

"Mrs. Yotsuya, is something wrong?"

At the sho[ta]'s voice, Mrs. Yotsuya reluctantly let go of his hand.

"Since your hands are busy... let me feed you the grapes!"

With that, she settled her hips down beside him. Her slender fingers carefully peeled the thin skin off each grape.

"Kouma."

Kouma obediently opened his mouth. A skinless grape was brought to his lips. As he sucked the grape into his mouth, he couldn't help but touch Mrs. Yotsuya's jade-like fingers. She gave a slight shudder, pulling her fingers back to see them glistening. The thought of putting them into her own mouth crossed her mind.

She quickly suppressed the urge and continued peeling grapes for Kouma, feeding him one by one.

At first, she occasionally glanced at the screen to see what Kouma was playing. But as time passed, her gaze grew more and more unfocused. Every time her fingers met the sho[ta]'s lips, she found herself craving more.

The plate of grapes dwindled. The longer she fed him, the longer her fingers lingered at his mouth.

Kouma had gotten absorbed in a dungeon run with his team, and he had developed a conditioned reflex from Mrs. Yotsuya's continuous feeding. Whenever something touched his lips, he instinctively sucked it in—until he bit down gently and realized it wasn't a grape. He snapped back to reality.

"Mrs. Yotsuya, I'm so sorry! Let me blow on it for you!" Kouma apologized softly. He pursed his lips and blew a gentle breath over the finger with the faint bite mark.

The warm air hit her fingertip, and Mrs. Yotsuya's eyes narrowed in bliss at the sho[ta]'s adorable puckered expression. She was more motivated than ever—quickly peeling another grape and resuming her feeding, secretly hoping Kouma would bite her again.

Noticing the plate was nearly empty, Kouma said sheepishly, "Mrs. Yotsuya, you should have some too!" He picked up a grape from her fingers and held it up to her lips.

But the peeled grape was too slippery. Kouma couldn't hold it properly, and it slipped from his fingers, rolling down her collarbone playfully before disappearing into the endless valley below.

Kouma instinctively reached out.

"Mmm..."

He froze mid-motion. Before he could pull his hand back, Mrs. Yotsuya had caught it. Looking up, he met her dazed, hazy eyes.

Just then, a young girl's voice came from the computer behind him.

"Where's the healer? Why aren't you moving? Heal me!"

The girl's voice grew increasingly frustrated, even declaring that if the healer didn't act soon, she would destroy the world. But from that point on, the healer in the dungeon party never moved again.

...

At the supermarket entrance.

Miko had finished purchasing all the ingredients on the list as fast as she could and paid in record time.

"Little miss, can you carry all of this by yourself?" The cashier looked at the two massive bags, each nearly half her height, then at the petite girl before her.

"No problem!" With that, Miko effortlessly lifted both bags—much to the cashier's amazement—and strode out of the store at a brisk pace. She didn't want to waste a single moment of the time she could spend with Kouma at home.

"Good thing my body's been strengthened—otherwise I wouldn't be able to carry all this..." Miko thought as she weaved through the crowd, drawing stares from passersby as she practically jogged with the two giant bags.

She reached home in no time. "I don't know what's gotten into Mom today, forgetting so many ingredients..." she muttered as she pushed open the door and stepped inside, setting the groceries down in the kitchen without seeing any sign of Mrs. Yotsuya.

"Mom, I'm back with the groceries!" Miko called out loudly throughout the house. Then, tilting her head curiously, she walked toward her own room.

Just then, lying on Miko's bed and enjoying Kouma's massage, Mrs. Yotsuya heard her daughter's voice and snapped back to alertness.

"It's only been ten-something minutes... How did Miko get back so fast?" Shock mixed with frustration as she realized her miscalculation. She should have sent Miko out with no ingredients at all, making her buy everything.

But there was no time to regret. Miko's footsteps were getting closer—she was already at the door.

If her daughter were to see her like this...

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