Chapter 72 – Yukiko Likes Drinking Milk (Patreon)

Yukiko had been staying at the Ichinichi Hotel for several days now.

Yet this was the first time she discovered just how slippery the hotel bathroom could be.

In that steam-filled space, consciousness itself seemed to grow hazy along with her blurred vision.

At first, Yukiko could still restrain herself.

She kept telling herself in her heart that this was her best friend's son.

She absolutely could not cross that line!

Otherwise, how could she and Eri still be best friends?!

But as the Rito Falls activated again and again, the woman who was once the dream girl of countless men gradually found herself intoxicated, her rationality swept away by sensation.

Her mind wanted restraint, but her heart threw itself forward like a moth to flame.

Amidst that dreamlike haze, a thought rose within her unbidden.

Maybe... this best-friend thing wasn't worth holding onto after all!

Kouma called her "big sister" anyway!

She was already a generation below Eri.

Why cling so stubbornly to that best-friend status?

A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship was way closer than best friends!

A person's bottom line is like a dam.

Once a crack forms, it all comes flooding out in a rushing torrent.

...

At that moment.

The Kisaki residence.

"That woman Yukiko, completely inconsiderate of a working woman's schedule like mine... I finally get off work and she forces me into a movie date..."

Eri muttered complaints as she walked in after just getting home.

Back in her room, she let down her tied-up hair, slipped out of her office-lady skirt suit, and browsed through her wardrobe.

Her beautiful eyes wandered, and when they reached the very corner, a sheer black gauze dress caught her gaze. A faint blush rose on her lovely face.

She had secretly bought that outfit alone at the mall just two days ago.

During the previous Shuchiin Academy festival, under all kinds of influences, she hadn't managed to do much of anything.

Naturally, she was unsatisfied with that result.

So these past few days, she had been preparing steadily, just waiting for the right moment to invite Kouma over to her place...

Eri stared at that outfit, her mind filling with images of Kouma. She could feel herself about to slip into those thoughts again.

She shook her head and took a deep breath.

"Better get Yukiko out of the way these next couple of days, so she doesn't end up interrupting."

Eri selected an outfit and changed into a skirt that wasn't so business-like, concealing her fine figure.

She was the type who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. She had no interest in showing off her figure or flaunting herself in front of strangers.

On the other hand, when it came to the person she liked, she was willing to go all out.

Once dressed, Eri sat down on the living room sofa and checked the time.

Yukiko had previously said she'd arrive by seven-thirty. About ten more minutes.

So Eri simply made herself a cup of instant coffee and waited.

Yet, nearly ten extra minutes had passed. The coffee in her cup had long since bottomed out, and still not even a message from Yukiko.

"That woman dares to be late? Does she have any idea how valuable my time is?!"

Eri snatched up her phone indignantly and called her directly.

"Mmn, hello?"

"What time do you think it is?! Why aren't you here yet?"

"I-I'm in the bath... never mind, the water's coming out so slow at this hotel, gotta go!"

Eri held the phone, listening to the dial tone, a baffled look flashing through her beautiful eyes.

Bath or not, why was that woman talking with a thick tongue, all mumbling and stumbling?!

Wait...

A sudden sense of déjà vu washed over Eri.

Except this time, she had switched from the one answering the call to the one making it.

With a mix of shock and suspicion, Eri sat at home for another half hour before the doorbell finally rang.

"Taking a bath takes that long?"

After opening the door, Eri complained toward Yukiko standing outside.

The moment the words left her mouth, Eri's gaze toward Yukiko flashed with a hint of stunned admiration.

Even though she had grown up seeing Yukiko's peerlessly beautiful face and was long used to it, today still managed to strike her speechless.

Skin that lost nothing to a teenage girl's, lips glossy and full of color, light eyeliner making those gorgeous eyes look exceptionally radiant, her brown hair silky-smooth and lustrous.

Eri could clearly tell that Yukiko was only wearing light makeup, yet her whole presence radiated the freshness of a young maiden and the alluring charm of a mature beauty... glowing with moisture!

This look—it was exactly like her own reflection in the mirror after Kouma had left her place that time!

Eri stared at Yukiko and suddenly spoke, her tone cold and direct.

"Did you get a boyfriend?"

Yukiko, who was already feeling somewhat guilty to begin with, felt her heart jolt violently at those words.

As expected of a lawyer—is her observation really this sharp?!

Even with all her seasoned acting skills, Yukiko couldn't bring herself to meet Eri's eyes right now.

"You're overthinking this. It's only been a few days. Where would I even find a boyfriend..."

Yukiko laughed it off breezily.

"But you look exactly like someone who's been thoroughly nourished by love!"

Eri said with a cold smile.

"Really? Maybe it's because I've been consistently drinking milk lately. Very beautifying and nourishing. Actually, I just had a glass of milk before heading out..."

Yukiko declared with righteous confidence.

Come to think of it, she really had only drunk some milk. In essence, she hadn't done anything to betray Eri!

At the very least, at the final moment, she had held the line through sheer, formidable willpower!

Thinking this way, Yukiko found herself bolstered with a bit more self-deceiving confidence in facing Eri.

Before Eri could even open her mouth, Yukiko seized the initiative.

"Oh? But Eri, how come you're so familiar with what a love-nourished look is like? Could it be that recently you..."

Seeing Yukiko sidle up to her with that smiling face, a wave of inexplicable panic washed over Eri.

She couldn't exactly admit she was judging based on her own post-nourishment reflection, now could she...

"Alright, alright, enough of this. Let's just head out already!"

...

Ichinichi Hotel.

Inspector Megure and his team, after finally getting the hotel manager to show up, had to go through another long round of negotiation before finally obtaining search permission—and even then, only with hotel staff accompaniment.

"Rich people's territory really is a pain to deal with!"

Miwako Sato wiped the fine sweat off her fair forehead with a tissue. Her mouth had gone completely dry from all that talking with hotel management.

"Sigh, what can you do? That's just the world we live in now..."

Inspector Megure didn't spell it out, but everyone present understood exactly what he meant.

This world was no longer a stage for ordinary people. The rich and powerful had formed organizations like the Hero Association to maintain social order. Ordinary folks like them were already lucky just to survive in this world.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time!"

...

Underground parking garage.

Akemi placed the one billion yen in cash on the back seat. Under the female manager's guidance, she drove the car out.

Akemi glanced over at Kouma in the passenger seat, her beautiful eyes somewhat restless, and asked, "Kouma-kun, did that woman give you trouble? Why did it take so long to come out?"

Kouma shook his head.

This was not the kind of thing you wanted to be fast at! If he hadn't cut things short because he was in a hurry, with the way that woman Yukiko was going, he probably wouldn't have gotten out until well into the night.

Seeing that Kouma wasn't offering an explanation, Akemi forcefully held back her curiosity and didn't press further.

But that... distinctive sound kept lingering in her mind. While carrying the one billion yen in cash earlier, she had faintly caught, through her earpiece, that distinctive sound coming from Kouma's end while he was bathing. She could tell—that was the voice of the woman Kouma called Yukiko-nee-san. Now that she thought about it, the name Yukiko sounded familiar somehow, like she had heard it somewhere before.

"Akemi-nee, I think there's a car following us..."

At that moment, Kouma's youthful voice suddenly reached her ears, snapping Akemi out of her wandering thoughts.

Startled, her beautiful eyes darted to the rearview mirror. After making several consecutive turns, a black car was indeed tailing them the entire way.

"It's the Black Organization!"

"They caught up that fast?!"

Akemi instantly panicked—especially with Kouma in the car.

"Akemi-nee, head to the outskirts!"

"The outskirts? Wouldn't that just give them the perfect opportunity?"

Akemi said incredulously. In the city, maybe they'd hold back out of fear of crowds. But out in the outskirts, they would be completely at the enemy's mercy.

"Akemi-nee, don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to us!"

The little boy's voice was youthful, but in Akemi's ears, it gave her an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

Akemi recalled that encounter with Gin and Vodka, that situation where escape seemed impossible, yet they had come out unscathed... She glanced down and met Kouma's eyes. That relaxed, untroubled look in his gaze held not a trace of tension.

That confirmed it for Akemi: Kouma saving her from Gin's gun before had been no fluke.

And Vodka firing at Gin... there was probably more to that story too.

"Kouma-kun, I trust you!"

Akemi bit her lip, steeled herself, and accelerated toward the outskirts.

As their speed increased, the black car behind also sped up, clinging relentlessly!

At these speeds, it only took about ten-plus minutes to leave the city limits.

Because of monsters, demons, ghouls, and all the rest, most ordinary people lived inside the city. The city had better security measures, higher-spec shelters, and faster hero response times.

Even if disaster struck, the odds of survival were far higher than in the outskirts or the countryside.

So once you left the city, population density dropped off sharply. Off the main arterial roads, you'd barely see another car.

Akemi watched the surrounding architecture gradually give way to open plains, her grip on the steering wheel growing tighter and tighter.

Bang!

A gunshot rang out. The bullet struck the car body with a loud clang.

"Good thing the car's bulletproof..."

Akemi suppressed a scream and let out a breath of relief at the sight of the thick car shell.

"Akemi-nee, I remember you have a handgun on you too, right..."

"Yeah, strapped to my inner thigh..."

Mid-sentence, Akemi's expression shifted, a flush of embarrassment creeping onto her face. That spot—it was hard to get to while driving.

And besides...

"Kouma-kun, you've never used a gun, have you..."

"Don't worry, Akemi-nee. I'll figure it out as I go!"

Kouma said eagerly. It wasn't just Yukiko who loved playing with guns. He'd been wanting to try one himself for a while now. With the Berserk Rapid Fire skill, just how far could an ordinary gun go?

"Akemi-nee, keep your driving steady, okay..."

Kouma glanced at those full, shapely thighs, paused for a moment, then added with earnest seriousness.

Vaguely realizing what was coming, Akemi gripped the steering wheel tightly, her lovely face glowing crimson.

Meanwhile, in the pursuing car behind...

Wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, Calvados leaned his upper body out the window. He fired several shots with his handgun, but left only a few dents on the car ahead.

"A bulletproof car, huh..."

Calvados sneered, then switched targets to the tires.

"Tires aren't bulletproof!"

He aimed, about to pull the trigger, but then noticed the car ahead was swerving irregularly left and right—with quite violent amplitude. If that car's chassis were any higher, it would've rolled over long ago.

"Is this... they're panicking?"

Calvados paused briefly, then burst into raucous laughter.

The vehicle's swerving was completely erratic. He could tell at a glance it wasn't intentional dodging—it looked more like the driver was so terrified she was shaking uncontrollably, unable to keep the wheel steady.

"I didn't think it'd be some greenhorn!"

Calvados laughed loudly, in no rush to shoot the tires now. He had his driver keep close, savoring the sight of his prey's terror.

But soon, he noticed the car seemed to stabilize—though at the same time, its speed dropped sharply.

Just as he was wondering what was going on, a small figure leaned out from the front passenger window. A little hand raised a compact pistol and fired without hesitation.

Bang!

The car frame shuddered violently. The bullet struck the bulletproof windshield, leaving a deep white mark.

"Keep your damn hands on the wheel! Ours is bulletproof too!"

Calvados smacked his own driver across the head.

"A dinky little pistol like that—weaker than a water gun! Can't even punch through a slightly thick pane of glass! Not that it matters when you can't even aim!"

"Rookies are always so timid!"

He grumbled irritably.

But as he eyed that white mark on his bulletproof glass, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. That didn't look like the kind of damage a pistol should be able to do... Well, whatever. This car's bulletproofing was made of special custom material. Unless they pulled out a rocket launcher and blasted him with it, they weren't getting through this glass.

Meanwhile...

Akemi lay limp in the driver's seat, so drained she could barely even press the accelerator.

"It was just..."

Suppressing the strange sensations coursing through her body and mind, she turned to Kouma and said worriedly, "It's tricky to hit them while moving. And their car seems to be bulletproof too..."

Kouma smiled easily. With his current physical capabilities, achieving hand-eye coordination like this was simple. Not to mention at this ten-meter distance!

Sure, a moving target might be a bit harder to hit. In that case, just hit a stationary target instead.

As for bulletproof? That meant nothing in the face of Berserk Rapid Fire.

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