Chapter 84 – A Bunny Girl's Deep Nighttime Consultation (Patreon)

"Kouma-kun, are you still awake?"

"No, I just heard voices inside."

From outside the hospital room door, the voices of Mrs. Sakurajima and Ai could be heard in conversation.

On the hospital bed, Kouma, whose treatment had only just reached the halfway point, froze for a moment. He hurriedly pulled the covers over himself.

The next instant, the door opened. Mrs. Sakurajima walked in carrying a thermal lunchbox.

"Kouma-kun! The chicken soup is here! Miyako-san and I put our hearts into stewing this. It didn't have long to simmer, but the nutrition's definitely there."

Mrs. Sakurajima spoke gently, unscrewing the lid of the thermal container. In her eyes, she seemed completely oblivious to the very obvious human-shaped bulge beneath the blanket.

"Adolescence Syndrome truly is something else..."

This complete severance from observation and recognition—the person was right there, and yet not a single trace of their existence could be detected. This property inexplicably stirred a certain excitement in Kouma. Especially with Mrs. Sakurajima standing right here in front of him now.

Under the covers, Mai had been beside herself with tension ever since she heard her mother's voice drift in through the door. She squeezed her eyes shut and hid there, burying her head in the sand. Listening to her mother's conversation with Kouma, Mai gradually recovered her wits.

"Right... Mom can't see me right now..."

Mai let out a bitter laugh. Her taut body relaxed a little. The situation just now had been much like that time at the library, except this time it was her own mother—so she had panicked momentarily. She hadn't expected that her Adolescence Syndrome, the very thing that had been tormenting her, would at this critical moment become the lucky ability keeping her from being exposed.

"Kouma-kun, let me feed you the chicken soup."

"Mhm, thank you, obasan!"

Hearing the little boy's exchange with her mother, Mai felt a rush of indignation. Here she was, hiding in fear and anxiety, and this little boy was perfectly content, drinking chicken soup that her own mother had personally stewed.

"Hmph... drinking chicken soup, are we..."

A gleam flickered through Mai's beautiful eyes. As a mature older sister, she was going to properly teach this little boy a lesson.

At this moment, Mrs. Sakurajima pursed her red lips slightly and gently blew on the spoonful of chicken soup to cool it, then brought it to Kouma's mouth.

"So, how is it? Does it taste alright?"

Mrs. Sakurajima looked at the little boy before her with a touch of nervousness. Come to think of it, she hadn't stewed chicken soup in quite a few years now. She had tasted it herself earlier and it seemed fine, but she worried it might not suit Kouma's palate.

"Mhm... it's really good!"

The little boy praised from the heart. Mrs. Sakurajima let out a slight sigh of relief. Still, seeing that expression of sheer bliss on Kouma's face, she couldn't help feeling a little puzzled. Was it really that delicious? But since Kouma liked it so much, she was naturally pleased and happy, so she didn't dwell on it.

"Then drink up!"

Mrs. Sakurajima continued feeding Kouma the chicken soup, spoonful after spoonful. Very soon, more than half the thermal container was gone. Kouma hurriedly stopped her.

"That's enough, Sakurajima-obasan. If I have any more... I might not be able to handle it."

Only then did Mrs. Sakurajima's feeding motion come to a halt. She glanced down at the remaining half-container of chicken soup and sealed the lid back on.

"Then we'll save the rest for later tonight," she said softly.

Just then, rapid footsteps suddenly sounded from the doorway. In the next moment, the hospital room door was flung open.

"Kouma-kun!"

A breathtaking black-haired, straight-haired girl stood panting, gazing at the little boy on the hospital bed. Her beautiful eyes were brimming with deep worry.

"Kouma-kun, are you okay?!"

Yukino rushed to Kouma's bedside and frantically looked him over, terrified that some part of him might be missing. In the car on the way here, she had been sick with worry.

"I'm fine, Yukino-nee... I told you on the phone earlier, didn't I? It was just a fall. The hospital tests came back, too. The doctor just recommended staying one night for observation, to be safe."

Kouma spoke softly, explaining to Yukino.

His gaze lifted slightly and he spotted Akemi standing at the door. Their eyes met and she nodded gently. Compared to Yukino, Akemi was far more aware of Kouma's capabilities. Now that she saw he was unharmed, she naturally set her heart at ease.

"Kouma-kun, I'll stay here with you tonight."

Yukino looked Kouma in the eye and spoke with firm resolve. Before Kouma could even respond, Ai beside her cut in.

"There's no need to trouble Yukinoshita-senpai. I'll be here tonight to look after Kouma-kun."

Yukino's fine brows instantly arched upward. She rose to her feet and walked over to face Ai. Her cool, clear eyes looked down at Ai, and she spoke in an even tone.

"Kouma-kun went out with you and ended up in the hospital. I think we can do without your care, don't you?"

Her words were laced with blatant sarcasm and reproach.

"Precisely because of that, I must make amends for my failure and take even better care of Kouma-kun!"

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise rose in Yukino's heart. She hadn't expected Ai to own up to her fault without a shred of hesitation, but on the matter of staying the night to care for Kouma, Ai would not yield an inch.

Watching these two girls stand off against each other, Mrs. Sakurajima and Miyako Saito exchanged glances, somewhat at a loss.

"Why don't you both just stay..."

Mrs. Sakurajima suggested.

At that moment, Miyako glanced at Kouma beside them and noticed his eyes were closed, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were enduring something.

"Let's go outside and talk. Let Kouma-kun rest first."

He was already injured as it was—and now he had to listen to two girls chattering at each other. No wonder he looked uncomfortable. Miyako hastily shooed both girls out of the room.

Seeing the women leave, Kouma finally let out a long, slow breath of relief. Mai was simply far too bold—abusing her Adolescence Syndrome to do whatever she pleased. If he'd lost control for even a second and accidentally triggered the Gospel Instruction effect, Mai's form might well have flickered into visibility. At that point, the fun would have truly begun.

But as for now...

...

Half an hour later.

Outside the hospital room, after a round of confrontation, both Yukino and Ai had decided to stay. As the older-sister figures, they each held an absolute, unwavering stubbornness when it came to matters concerning Kouma.

"Then I'll head back first. There are still things to handle with the other members. I'll come by first thing tomorrow morning."

Miyako glanced once at the tightly shut hospital room door before speaking to Ai. She would have liked to stay and take care of Kouma herself, but with Ai staying, even if she stayed too, there wouldn't be much opportunity... not to mention the presence of the Yukinoshita family's young lady.

"Saito-san, I'll give you a ride. I'll let Yoko-san know as well."

Mrs. Sakurajima offered and so, the two mature beauties swayed their hips and departed.

Ai and Yukino sat on opposite sides of the hallway outside the hospital door, neither acknowledging the other's existence. Until, at last, the hospital room door slid open and Kouma's little head poked out.

"Ai-nee, Yukino-nee... come inside and sit. It's warmer in here."

Ai and Yukino exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with undisguised hostility toward each other, before looking away again. The two girls had regarded each other as their greatest threat from the very first day they met, but this was the first time they'd truly clashed head-on—and worse yet, right in front of Kouma. Neither was willing to show weakness.

"I have to show Kouma-kun that I'm the one with the qualities better suited to being his older sister!"

Both girls silently thought the same thing.

"Kouma-kun, how could you come down barefoot? Let me carry you back to bed..."

"Kouma-kun, are you hungry? Let me reheat that chicken soup for you..."

As the two girls entered the hospital room, neither of them noticed a black-haired, straight-haired young beauty with a deeply flushed face and slightly unsteady steps brushing past them and out the door.

Mai walked through the hospital corridor. She had nearly circled the entire hospital, and the people around her still couldn't perceive her existence.

"That infuriating little boy... he tricked me..."

Mai gritted her teeth, a look of unsatisfied indignation still lingering on her flushed, lovely face. Though she had thoroughly enjoyed it, she still couldn't let this stand. She absolutely had to go back and properly teach that little boy a lesson. Mhm—and with even greater intensity, too.

Mai turned and strode off on her long legs, but accidentally bumped into a girl. Both of them stumbled back a step.

"Sorry!"

The words left both their mouths at the exact same time.

In that instant, Mai suddenly froze. She looked into the girl's eyes. In those eyes, she could clearly see her own reflection.

"Are... you okay?"

The girl looked at the beautiful girl standing before her, staring so intently, and asked hesitantly.

"N-no, I'm fine!"

"That's good, then."

The girl hurried off.

Mai lifted her gaze and looked around. Many people were glancing at her—only after seeing her did they shift their eyes away.

"Mai? What are you doing here?!"

Right then, a familiar voice rang out behind her. Mai's body trembled faintly. She turned her head to see her mother standing not far away, her face filled with confusion and shock.

"M-Mother..."

Emotion surged within Mai. She seemed to have... returned to this world's observation after all.

But in the very next moment, a strange sensation suddenly washed over Mai. Then she watched as her mother shook her head and pinched the bridge of her fair nose.

"What's wrong? Who were you just calling?"

Miyako Saito, standing beside her, asked.

"Did I just say something...? Maybe I'm just too tired. I must be seeing things."

Mrs. Sakurajima exhaled softly and lifted her eyes to gaze at the empty corridor ahead, somewhat puzzled herself. What had she been about to do again...?

"Then hurry home and get some rest."

Mrs. Sakurajima and Miyako Saito left the hospital.

Mai stood frozen, watching her mother's retreating figure, her heart brimming with confusion. "Just now... Mom actually said my name. So why did she..."

Mai was absolutely certain—it hadn't been an illusion. In that girl she'd bumped into, her reflection had truly existed in those eyes.

Mai walked another loop around the hospital and found that she seemed to have once again slipped outside the world's observation. Even after changing into her bunny-girl outfit, it was still the same—no one could see her.

"Why is this happening...?"

...

Night.

Mai, her heart full of unanswered questions, returned to Kouma's hospital room. Ai and Yukino were already asleep on the accompanying bed alongside. Mai sat down on Kouma's bed and recounted everything that had just happened in full detail.

Kouma listened, his expression also filled with surprise. According to what Mai had said, it seemed her Adolescence Syndrome had vanished when her emotions were intensely stirred—and then resurfaced the moment that strange sensation arose within her.

Kouma pondered this for a while. The fundamental reason Adolescence Syndrome was considered an "illness" was because it couldn't be controlled at will. Remove that single factor, and this was clearly a superpower. Combined with what Mai had just experienced, a possibility suddenly occurred to Kouma.

Adolescence Syndrome—could be controlled voluntarily.

"Then the reason I can't control it yet is..."

Mai's lovely face gradually flushed crimson as the realization dawned.

"That one treatment wasn't enough?"

"That's probably it... After all, for stubborn, complicated conditions, no one gets cured with just a single shot, right...?"

Kouma nodded.

Silver moonlight streamed through the window and spilled over the bunny girl, draping her breathtakingly beautiful face and alluring figure in a veil of hazy, seductive beauty.

...

The next morning.

Yukino and Ai were washing up in the hospital room's bathroom. Their beautiful eyes were narrowed slightly as they surreptitiously studied each other, each on the verge of speaking but unable to find the words.

Last night, they had both faintly heard... certain soft, breathy sounds and a hazy, indistinct silhouette that seemed to be with Kouma-kun, doing...

If they had been sleeping at home alone, they would have surely dismissed it as nothing but a dream, but here... who knew whether, last night, the other woman had secretly done something to Kouma-kun.

The two girls quietly sized up their most guarded rival, each speculating silently in her heart.

Prev    Chapters   Next