Chapter 86 – Holding the Wall to Walk Out (Patreon)

Ichinichi Hotel.

Listening to the dial tone coming from her phone, a flicker of bewilderment crossed Vermouth's exquisite, alluring face.

If she hadn't misheard...

"Did she just mention... Kouma?"

"St. Juliana Hospital..."

A burst of delighted surprise bloomed in Vermouth's beautiful eyes. She had only intended to call Yukiko and catch up. She'd never imagined she'd directly obtain the target's location! And her judgment had been correct—judging from the anxious tone in Yukiko's voice just now, her relationship with this little boy Kouma was anything but shallow. This was a golden opportunity!

"St. Juliana Hospital... from here, that's only about half an hour away."

Vermouth made a decisive call on the spot. She quickly packed some essential equipment and rode her Harley out of the hotel, heading straight for St. Juliana Hospital.

...

Noon.

Having wrapped up her tasks for the day, Miyako drove to St. Juliana Hospital.

"Ai-chan and the others should already be at school by now..."

Miyako recalled the message she'd received before setting out. Barring any surprises, this afternoon it would be just her looking after Kouma. A private space, just her and Kouma... Miyako blinked her beautiful eyes, and certain thoughts suddenly surfaced in her heart. Thoughts that often came to her in her dreams, in the deep hours of the night.

Sitting in the car, Miyako's breathing grew slightly heavier. An alluring, seductive flush unconsciously surfaced on her lovely face.

"No, I can't let my thoughts run wild... Kouma-kun is hospitalized right now!"

Miyako forced down the impulse rising within her.

"My foremost duty right now is to take good care of Kouma-kun!"

Though this was what Miyako told herself, before getting out of the car, she still spent a full half hour carefully applying a natural, no-makeup look. She also changed out of her ordinary business attire into a form-fitting long dress she had specially prepared beforehand, and slipped on a pair of patent-leather pointed high heels.

"Mhm. Can't be too casual, either."

After styling her wavy curls, Miyako finally stepped into the hospital.

As a former idol, Miyako's looks were absolutely top-tier. Paired with the graceful, lithe figure she'd sculpted through years of dance practice, now accentuated by the body-hugging dress, she was an absolute head-turner.

Walking through the hospital, a number of people even wondered if she was some celebrity, casting looks of admiration and curiosity her way. However, once she reached the VIP ward area, there were almost no random passersby at all.

The rhythmic click-clack of Miyako's heels carried her to the door of Kouma's room.

"I wonder if Kouma-kun has eaten yet..."

Knock, knock.

Miyako rapped on the door. "Kouma-kun?"

No response came from inside.

"Could he be asleep...?"

Miyako paused, and just as she was about to knock again, Kouma's youthful voice came from inside.

"Miyako-obasan, I'm here."

Only then did Miyako step into the room. Immediately, she spotted a nurse standing by the bedside tidying something up.

"Nurse, is everything alright with Kouma-kun's body?"

Miyako glanced at the little boy reclining against the headboard and asked with concern.

"No issues at all. His body is very healthy..."

The nurse's voice reached her ears. Miyako cast a slightly curious glance at her. Why did the nurse's voice sound... vaguely unsteady, trembling just a little? And come to think of it, were the nurses' uniforms at St. Juliana Hospital really this short and figure-hugging?

At that moment, the nurse finished tidying up the items on the table and picked up a medical tray. On it sat a cup of clear, transparent... medicine?

Watching the nurse's careful, mincing footsteps, Miyako asked out of curiosity, "What kind of medicine is that?"

The nurse paused. Her long, shapely legs pressed tightly together.

"This is a newly developed testing reagent. It's very precious. If it were to accidentally leak out and drip onto the floor, that would be... problematic."

"This is my first time seeing something like that."

Watching the nurse take small, careful steps out of the room, a look of admiration crossed Miyako's face. "Medical technology really is advancing more and more these days..."

Still, her nose twitched slightly. She vaguely detected a certain oddly... familiar scent lingering in the room.

...

Kouma leaned against the headboard and quietly watched Yukiko's performance. He had to hand it to this woman—one moment utterly lost in wild abandon, the next, the instant she heard someone approaching, she could swiftly calm herself and seamlessly slip into the role of a nurse.

As for that so-called testing reagent—it was nothing more than a bottle of medical lubricant she'd prepared in advance. As for her fear of leakage, Kouma suspected that part was genuine, though what she was afraid of leaking certainly wasn't what she was holding in her hands. His eyes drifted downward ever so slightly, a subtle gleam flickering within them.

LV1 X-Ray Vision: You can see through all superficial disguises.

A simple, straightforward skill. One he had just acquired from his daily sign-in. Additionally, unlocking a new sign-in location had also netted him a duplicate of an existing skill—Touch of Ecstasy. Kouma checked it and realized that with the scattered duplicate pulls of Touch of Ecstasy from before, he had now gathered enough to upgrade it to LV4.

At LV3, Touch of Ecstasy's power was already irresistible. Upgrading it one level further—Kouma didn't even dare imagine how terrifyingly potent it would become. A moment ago, considering that Yukiko still needed to walk out standing, he had refrained from upgrading, but now...

"Touch of Ecstasy—upgrade to LV4."

LV4 Touch of Ecstasy: When touching a target with your right hand, has a chance to bring them intense physical and mental pleasure. [Note: Direct skin contact triggers critical hit effect. Sensitive areas will trigger exponential critical hits!]

This was Kouma's very first LV4 skill!

"The note changed..."

Before, the effect only triggered upon making contact with skin. Now, it triggered on contact regardless—even through clothing! And the critical hit effect had become even more terrifying.

After scanning the note description, Kouma stared blankly at his own right hand. With this, he'd truly become the kind of person where whoever he touched... would end up like that.

...

Vermouth raced like the wind and arrived at St. Juliana Hospital. Once inside, she wasted no time locating the hospital's server room and breaking into their systems.

"Let's see which room Kouma is in..."

"There. VIP Room 6."

Vermouth swiftly left the server room. She then infiltrated the hospital's logistics warehouse.

"First, I'll disguise myself as a nurse and scope out the situation."

She quickly formulated her plan, changing into a nurse's uniform. To avoid running into Yukiko and being recognized, she also applied some facial disguise. Once ready, she immediately headed for the VIP ward where Kouma was staying.

"Room 6. That's the one."

Dressed in her nurse's uniform, Vermouth was just about to approach when the door to the room opened. A nurse with a strikingly beautiful face stepped out in small, delicate steps. Vermouth's eyes instantly contracted. She angled her body aside and used the corner of her vision to covertly observe the nurse emerging from the room.

"Her face... she's wearing a disguise."

As an expert who had studied the art of disguise under Toichi Kuroba, Vermouth could tell at a single glance that the nurse's face was disguised.

The execution wasn't highly polished, but the technique was subtle and skillful—it looked as though it had been done in a hurry.

"Her uniform is shorter and tighter than the standard nurse's outfit..."

Taking note of these details, Vermouth found herself even more curious about this little boy called Kouma. A nurse emerging from his room—and one who was herself a master of disguise.

Once the nurse's figure disappeared from sight, Vermouth knocked on the door and, after hearing a response, pushed it open.

"Hello..."

As she spoke, Vermouth rapidly swept her gaze across the room. A gorgeous little boy lying in bed—and a wavy-haired beauty standing there!

"Miyako and Kouma... Perfect, both of them together. Yukiko isn't here—has she already left?"

Vermouth's mind raced.

At that moment, Miyako looked at the nurse who had appeared at the door and said, somewhat puzzled, "Didn't a nurse already come by for the routine checkup just now? Is there something else?"

Vermouth glanced at the room number, then replied with an apologetic expression, "I'm so sorry. I've got the wrong room."

Exiting the room, Vermouth's expression abruptly shifted. A gleam of sharp light flashed through her beautiful eyes.

"Yukiko isn't here. That couldn't be better."

Vermouth returned to the logistics warehouse. When she emerged once again, she had transformed into the woman who had once taken the entire nation by storm—the superstar, Yukiko.

Before coming to the hospital, Vermouth had already considered this approach and had long since prepared the wig and clothing. She tossed her slightly curled brown hair and struck a self-admiring expression on that devastatingly beautiful face.

Disguising herself as Yukiko was, for her, simplicity itself. When it came to impersonating this woman, Vermouth was confident she could perfectly replicate not only the appearance and voice—even her personality, she could reproduce seamlessly.

Back when they had both studied under Toichi Kuroba, the two of them had frequently disguised themselves as each other. It was second nature by now.

No matter how close the relationship between Kouma and Yukiko, Vermouth was confident she could avoid letting him sense any discrepancy. This should be the fastest way to probe the depths of that boy.

"Yukiko should have already visited him just now. I'll just pretend I stepped out to buy snacks..."

"He's nothing more than a little boy, after all."

A confident smile curved Vermouth's lips as she strode toward Kouma's room.

This time, she didn't bother knocking. She pushed the door open directly.

"Kouma-kun, your big sister's back~!"

Then, under the dumbfounded gazes of both Kouma and Miyako, she walked straight to Kouma's bedside and sat down, pulling bag after bag of snacks from her purse.

"I went out especially to buy you some little treats!"

Vermouth spoke with perfect natural ease, an easygoing smile on her face. She had fully immersed herself in the role of Yukiko, as if she truly had just stepped out to buy snacks.

"Fujimine-san?! When did you get here?!"

Miyako stared at this former megastar, completely dumbstruck. From the sound of it... she had already been here earlier?

Vermouth swiftly recalled the details from her earlier phone conversation with Yukiko. In an instant, she constructed a seamless verbal cover.

"Oh, a relative's kid happens to be Kouma-kun's classmate. He's hospitalized here too. Just now, his classmates mentioned that Kouma-kun was also in this hospital, so I came right over."

Vermouth spoke in a perfect rendition of Yukiko's tone and voice. At the same time, she continuously observed Miyako's expressions and eyes from the corner of her gaze.

She noticed that when Miyako looked at her, there was an unmistakable wariness in the depths of her eyes—and even a faint hint of... hostility?

Is she on bad terms with Yukiko?

Vermouth mused silently.

At this moment, Miyako's heart was practically clawing at the walls. This was a hard-won moment alone with Kouma—how could Yukiko of all people show up?! She had witnessed this woman's attitude toward Kouma at the school festival with her own eyes. There was absolutely no doubt—she harbored intentions toward Kouma that were far from ordinary. For Ai-chan's sake, she had to protect Kouma!

Miyako was just steeling herself to speak when Kouma's voice reached her ears.

"Miyako-obasan... I still haven't had lunch yet..."

"Huh?! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I'll go get you something!"

"But I want chicken soup. The kind Miyako-obasan made herself—like yesterday's!"

The little boy fixed Miyako with those expectant eyes. Miyako's heart trembled.

"But..."

She glanced hesitantly and reluctantly at the woman beside her—Yukiko. Stewing chicken soup would take time. If she left now... wouldn't she be leaving Kouma completely in this woman's hands?!

"Miyako-obasan... you can't?"

The little boy's small, soft voice, laced with a trace of childish pleading, drifted into her ears. Turning to meet those pure, innocent eyes now tinged with a hint of disappointment, Miyako felt a quiver run through her body and soul.

"Of course I can! Your auntie will go stew chicken soup for you right away! If anything happens, you call me immediately!"

Miyako cast a veiled glance at the Yukiko beside her before directing these parting words at Kouma. Then she promptly exited the room.

Through it all, Vermouth remained silent. She offered no objection whatsoever. With Miyako gone, only the little boy remained. For her, wasn't that an effortless catch?

Just then, Kouma threw back his covers and hopped off the bed.

Under Vermouth's startled gaze, the little boy walked barefoot to the door and locked it.

"Kouma-kun, what are you..."

Kouma listened to the voice—exactly, perfectly identical to Yukiko's—and turned around to face this stunning, gorgeous woman. In his eyes, glowing with a faint shimmer, he could clearly see the true face beneath the elaborate disguise. A great beauty, just as peerless as Yukiko—but in an entirely different style.

Kouma smiled gently and walked to her side.

"Yukiko-nee-san... let's keep playing that game from earlier."

Vermouth froze. What game?

The little boy's hand reached out toward her. To avoid blowing her cover, she very naturally took hold of it.

In the very next instant, a strange, surging, overwhelming wave of pleasure exploded through her. Vermouth's beautiful eyes snapped wide. Her red lips parted. Her entire body instantly went limp and boneless. Then, as her consciousness gradually hazed over into a misty blur, she heard the little boy's voice.

"The game where we see who can walk the farthest while holding the wall."

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