Sett Chapter 18: Massage (Patreon)

After an intense bout, Tadashi and Hiratsuka moved to the bedroom.

"Shizuka, you’ve been fidgeting a lot today!" Tadashi teased. "Worried I’m after Yukino?"

“Hmph, you’re absolutely right. I’ve had my eye on her from the start! But can you stop me?”

Tadashi chuckled.

Frustrated but exhausted, Hiratsuka finally gave in and begged for a break, "I won’t stop you anymore... I won’t interfere... I promise..."

‘Finally’, Tadashi thought, relieved as he let her rest.

Late at night, Tadashi held Hiratsuka in his arms as she slept peacefully, her face resting against his chest.

'Shizuka may seem strong, but deep down she’s soft,' Tadashi mused. ‘In the original story, she even went on multiple marriage meetings... She just needs someone to keep pushing, and she’ll give in.’

A sly smile crept across Tadashi’s face. He pulled out his phone and replied to Yukino’s messages before drifting off to sleep with Hiratsuka.

[Yukinoshita Yukino: Do you like sweets?]

[Yukinoshita Yukino: Even though Hiratsuka-sensei paid you, I’d like to prepare a thank-you gift.]

...

The next morning, around 5 a.m., Yukino woke up early as usual, having gone to bed early the night before. She checked her phone and saw that Tadashi had responded to her messages from the night before.

[Tadashi: I do like them.]

[Tadashi: How about some cookies?]

"Cookies, huh?" Yukino tapped her chin thoughtfully with a pale finger. "I’ll need to buy some ingredients."

She quickly typed a response before getting out of bed to start her day.

[Yukinoshita Yukino: Sure, leave it to me!]

After washing up, Yukino casually glanced at her phone again. She hadn’t expected much, but to her surprise, Tadashi had already replied.

[Tadashi: Looking forward to it.]

"Up so early?" Yukino muttered in surprise. "He replied to my message after 1 a.m., though."

What she didn’t know was that, with Tadashi's current physical condition, he could go three days and nights without sleep.

Curious, Yukino sent another message.

[Yukinoshita Yukino: Good morning, Tadashi-kun. You’re up quite early.]

[Tadashi: I don’t need much sleep. I’m out for a morning run right now.]

[Yukinoshita Yukino: That’s impressive.]

[Tadashi: By the way, I’m downstairs at your building.]

"!?!" Yukino was startled and hurried to her balcony. Peering down, she saw a familiar figure sitting by the flower bed near the entrance, looking at the water below.

Sensing her gaze, the boy looked up and waved.

It was Tadashi!

Without thinking, Yukino waved back, then immediately blushed and felt flustered. She quickly typed out a message.

[Yukinoshita Yukino: Tadashi-kun, do you need something?]

[Tadashi: Yes, are you interested in stepping into the world of the extraordinary?]

[Yukinoshita Yukino: ?]

[Tadashi: Shizuka doesn’t want you involved because it’s dangerous, but I thought I’d ask your opinion directly.]

Yukino’s heart began to race. She had always been curious about supernatural powers, and now that Tadashi had offered, she could hardly contain her excitement.

She typed back immediately:

[Yukinoshita Yukino: I want to!]

]Yukinoshita Yukino: Please, lead me into that world!]

[Yukinoshita Yukino: I’m begging you!!]

Moments later, Tadashi’s reply appeared.

[Tadashi: Alright, then open the door and let me up.]

[Yukinoshita Yukino: Right away!]

...

Not long after, Tadashi entered Yukino’s apartment.

He immediately handed her the same training manual he had given to Hiratsuka before.

"This is a guide for honing your body and developing a sense called 'Qi,' a form of supernatural power."

Yukino took the manual, astonished. "This…"

She hadn’t expected something so valuable to be given to her so easily.

"How much does this cost, Tadashi-kun?" she asked seriously.

"No need to pay," Tadashi waved off her concern. "Consider it a gift because I think you have potential."

"A gift?" Yukino was even more surprised.

"That’s right." Tadashi nodded. The world was too dangerous, and without some power, he worried she might not survive one day.

"Thank you, Tadashi!" Yukino was filled with gratitude and bowed deeply.

After the incident with the nekomata, she had felt an intense desire for power—power to protect herself.

"Let’s start now. If you have any questions, I’ll explain everything," Tadashi said with a smile.

"Yes!" Yukino nodded vigorously.

For the next hour, Tadashi patiently taught her, answering her questions while she took diligent notes. Once she had understood the fundamentals, she eagerly began practicing.

However, her progress was slow. Yukino wasn’t as naturally talented as Hiratsuka, and her movements were stiff. She hadn’t yet grasped the breathing techniques.

But that didn’t matter. The Yukinoshita family could afford rare medicinal ingredients to aid in her training, and Tadashi would be there to guide her.

"I’ll give you a massage to help loosen up," Tadashi offered with a smile. "Otherwise, you’ll be sore all day."

"A massage?" Yukino hesitated but eventually gave in to the soreness spreading throughout her body. Without it, she feared she’d barely be able to move by noon.

"Alright… I’ll leave it to you, Tadashi-kun."

Blushing, Yukino went to her room to change into something more comfortable. Soon after, she lay face-down on the sofa, her slender figure exposed to Tadashi’s hands.

*Sss... Ahh... Mhm...*

As Tadashi’s hands worked over her muscles, Yukino couldn’t help but let out soft, embarrassed sounds. Her face flushed crimson as she suddenly realized how intimate the situation was.

‘What are you thinking, Yukino?!’ she scolded herself inwardly, embarrassed that she had allowed a boy to give her such a close and personal massage.

She buried her face deeper into the sofa, feeling her entire body heat up as Tadashi’s strong hands worked their way along her waist, thighs, calves, and ankles.

~~~

Damn!