Chapter Seven: The Secret of Toko Kurorai

"Because I've just transferred to Munan Middle School, I haven't planned to join any clubs for now."

An He Yusheng replied politely, but his gaze kept drifting toward the top of Tokiko Kurorai’s head.

Above her, a faint pink virtual screen, visible only to An He, was flickering with lines of text.

[Name: Tokiko Kurorai]

[Current Status: Shy Wife Whose Secret Has Been Discovered (Note: Secrets Discovered 1/17)]

[Current Favorability: 47 (Good Friend)]

[Current Achievable Endings:]

[1. Exclusive R*Q. Condition: Unearth all of her hidden secrets and become intimate when favorability is below 70. (Reward: Three random master-level vocal skills)]

[2. Mother-Daughter Shared Meal. Condition: Both Tokiko Kurorai and Sakuri Kurorai’s favorability reach above 90. (Reward: Three random master-level driving skills)]

[3. Fated Strangers. Condition: Favorability below 0. (Reward: 100,000 yen)]

[4. Forbidden Affair. Condition: Help her repay all debts, reach favorability above 70, and become intimate. (Reward: Physical fitness doubled)]

After reading through all the information, An He calmly withdrew his gaze.

Having already experienced something similar with Sawu Amamiya, he was not startled this time. Still, the four endings on the screen made him inwardly grimace.

Exclusive R*Q and Mother-Daughter Shared Meal... Was this screen hacked by some dog of a narrator?

He took a deep breath and set those thoughts aside for now, turning his attention back to Tokiko Kurorai.

She had regained her composure by then. Though her face was still flushed, at least she could meet An He's gaze.

It was at that moment that she noticed he was carrying someone on his back. Tilting her head for a closer look, she saw a drenched schoolgirl and gasped in surprise, covering her mouth.

"An He-kun, who is she?"

At her words, An He glanced back at Sawu Amamiya, who was resting her chin on his shoulder, her cheeks flushed and her eyes hazy. With a sigh, he explained helplessly, "This is my cousin. She accidentally fell into the water earlier and has a bit of a cold now, so I planned to get her some dry clothes, grab something to eat, then buy some medicine."

"I see." Tokiko Kurorai nodded in understanding, the blush fading from her face, replaced by a slight frown. "But An He-kun, this is a food street. There aren’t any clothing shops nearby."

After a brief pause, her gaze lingered on Sawu Amamiya’s blushing face. As if coming to a decision, she suddenly reached out, took An He's hand, and led them into the café.

"In that case, An He-kun, I have two outfits I changed out of this morning. If your cousin doesn't mind, she can wear them for now."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble, Mrs. Kurorai?" An He was a little surprised but did not refuse her kindness—after all, Sawu Amamiya, slumped on his back, was clearly in no condition to refuse help.

If they hadn’t run into Tokiko Kurorai, An He had even considered giving her his own clothes.

Inside the café, Tokiko asked them to wait a moment, then approached an older woman dressed as a maid and whispered a few words. The woman glanced over at An He and Sawu Amamiya, then nodded. Tokiko hurried back and led them toward the back of the café.

They crossed the main hall and soon reached a closed door. Tokiko knocked; when there was no response, she opened it and explained to An He, "Please come in. This is our changing room. My clothes are inside."

An He didn’t stand on ceremony. He carried Sawu Amamiya inside, with Tokiko following close behind, locking the door behind her.

The changing room was windowless and not very large, containing only a row of metal lockers and two wooden benches.

As soon as they entered, a mixture of women’s perfumes overwhelmed the air.

An He wrinkled his nose in discomfort, then, with Tokiko’s help, gently laid Sawu Amamiya down on a bench.

Sawu, her face flushed and eyes glassy from fever, seemed limp as a rag doll, yet even in this state, one of her hands clung tightly to the hem of An He's shirt.

Exchanging a glance with Tokiko, she spoke first, "Wait here a moment. I'll get the clothes."

She fished a key from her maid apron and went to the lockers.

An He tactfully looked away, but just then, the narrator’s voice echoed abruptly in his mind.

[Third locker from the top on the left, inside is a pack of ultra-thin condoms, a vibrator, and a small bottle of Viagra. Take them, and you can do whatever you want in this changing room.]

...

Raising an eyebrow, An He instinctively glanced at the locker the narrator mentioned.

Kids these days really are wild, he mused, quickly averting his gaze before Tokiko noticed.

Soon, Tokiko returned with a business suit—the one she’d worn that morning.

An He stood up and said, "Mrs. Kurorai, could I trouble you to help Sawu change?"

Tokiko smiled gently and touched Sawu Amamiya’s forehead with the back of her hand. "Of course."

"Thank you. I’ll wait outside," An He offered, moving to leave. But before he could, a slender hand grabbed his pant leg.

"Don’t go..."

Sawu Amamiya’s soft, hoarse voice filled the room, and silence descended.

"This..." An He was a little embarrassed. He bent down, trying to gently pry her hand away, but no matter how he tried, she wouldn’t let go.

Tokiko smiled, "You siblings are really close."

She glanced at the small hand gripping An He’s pant leg, then suggested, "Why don’t you turn your back for now, An He-kun?"

He hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."

With that, he turned his back to them.

Once he turned, Tokiko bent down and began carefully undressing Sawu Amamiya.

A second passed, then another. The soft rustle of clothing filled the air. With his back to them, An He could not enjoy the scene unfolding behind him and had to content himself with looking at the rows of lockers before him.

Soon, his attention was drawn to one locker door that was half-open.

That was the locker Mrs. Kurorai just opened, he thought, his eyes drifting to its contents.

Inside was a jumble of items: purple lace lingerie, the black tights he’d seen her wear that morning, various women’s cosmetics—and a strange remote control?

It looked like a car key, but with more buttons than usual. An He was certain Tokiko Kurorai didn’t own a car; otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken the train that morning.

While he pondered this, a sudden burst of vibration and a ringtone came from the locker. The odd remote, already perched near the edge, slid out from the shock.

An He’s reflexes were quick—he caught it before it hit the ground. But in doing so, his fingers pressed down on several buttons.

[Tokiko Kurorai’s new secret detected]

[Secrets discovered: 2/17]

What secret?

An He was stunned by the abrupt appearance of the virtual screen. But before he could figure it out, a soft, melting moan drifted from behind him.