Chapter 26: Ch 26. A New Storm Has Appeared
Looking at the sexy lady on the DVD cover and the two lines of bold red text, Aoyama Nanami felt like a boiled crayfish. Her pretty face flushed as if blood might drip from it, and her fair neck unavoidably took on a lingering blush. Not to mention her adorable ears, which were already steaming.
"...Hoo~ Hoo~"
As her body warmed up, Nanami Aoyama's breath quickened. Her trembling pupils were fixed firmly on the DVD in the drawer, unable to believe that Hoshimi-kun would actually watch something like this. And why was it about housekeepers?
Could it be that Hoshimi-kun...?
"N-No... No, definitely not..."
Nanami Aoyama hurriedly shook her head, crushing the budding thought. But upon careful consideration, Hoshimi-kun was a teenage boy after all. It was normal for him to be interested in such things. Furthermore, he knew Hoshimi-kun's situation well—his parents tragically died in an airplane crash, and he had refused to communicate with others, spending a whole year shut up at home.
During that year, the person Hoshimi-kun probably interacted with the most was her, the housekeeper who came regularly every week. So, it was understandable that Hoshimi-kun would be interested in housekeeping-themed material.
At the same time, this also indicated something else: Hoshimi-kun might have developed feelings for her...
"..."
As a certain thought rose again, Nanami Aoyama's breathing hitched, and her body temperature rose once more. Vaguely, she seemed to feel the blood vessels on her face throbbing.
"Hoo~ Hoo~"
"Calm down, calm down, Nanami Aoyama. Don't think too much. Just focus on your work, focus on your work..."
With her mind racing, Nanami Aoyama forcibly suppressed the continuously surging thoughts, closing her eyes and silently chanting to calm herself down.
After a while, Nanami Aoyama finally managed to calm down a little, but the blush on her face had not faded. Blushing, she closed the drawer and picked up the damp cloth to continue her work.
After wiping the outer wall of the drawer, Nanami Aoyama prepared to move on to the next task, but her restless heart seemed to urge her to do something else.
"No, I can't look in Hoshimi-kun's drawer..."
"But that's your job, Nanami Aoyama. Hoshimi-kun is paying you generously; you can't overlook any details."
"No, I absolutely can't. That's his privacy!"
"No, Hoshimi-kun's private things are in the locked drawer in the wardrobe! He's mentioned it before! The desk drawer is for cleaning! No slacking off!"
In a daze, intense thoughts seemed to transform into two little people arguing incessantly in Nanami Aoyama's ears.
"The work must be completed..." Nanami Aoyama murmured softly with her head lowered.
As she made her decision, the little people in her ears vanished like bubbles.
"Hoo~"
Nanami Aoyama took a deep breath, bent down, and knelt on the floor, hands trembling as she opened the second drawer of the desk again. She exerted all her strength to stay calm, but her hands couldn't help shaking.
Slowly reaching out, she first picked up the DVD she had seen on the top, then looked at the DVDs below.
"Young College Student Housekeeper, Fallen for Money."
Nanami Aoyama's body stiffened. Her already flushed face became even more vibrant. She struggled to maintain her composure, picking up the next box.
"Housekeeper Big Sister with Long Legs, Perfect Eight-Head Figure."
And another box...
"S-Class Amateur, Actually a Housekeeper by Profession."
"Pure Housekeeper, Tempted by Money, Forced Against Will."
Looking at the cover and titles of these DVDs, Nanami Aoyama's mind instantly exploded with countless thoughts.
No way! Hoshimi-kun wouldn't do such things, right?!
He must just be curious! How could he actually do such things?!
Hoshimi-kun, he...
Click
Just as Nanami Aoyama's thoughts raced, the sound of the door opening rang out. In an instant, she reacted like a startled rabbit, her body trembling violently, then turning around in panic to look back.
Seeing Hoshimi-kun standing at the door with a bottle of unidentified liquid in his right hand, smiling, Nanami Aoyama's mind went blank.
"Nanami, are you...?"
As soon as Hoshimi spoke, something inside Nanami Aoyama seemed to be activated. She slumped to the ground, leaning heavily against the desk, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hoshimi-kun, you can't commit a crime! If you really want, we can start from the basics, step by step, like holding hands, going on dates..."
"Huh? Nanami, what are you talking about?" Hoshimi shook the bottle in his hand in confusion. "I just wanted you to help me with sunscreen. Where did you go?"
"..." Nanami Aoyama was stunned and speechless.
Suddenly, she realized she might have been thinking too much. Even if Hoshimi-kun looked at that kind of thing, he couldn't possibly act like those in the movies. Her reaction just now was completely excessive.
Oh no! How was she going to explain this to Hoshimi-kun now?!
Um~
Nanami Aoyama curled up her legs, hands covering her burning face, her whole body leaning against the desk, as if trying to avoid a despairing reality.
Seeing Nanami Aoyama's reaction, a deeper smile crept onto Hoshimi's lips. Pretending not to know anything, he walked worriedly to Nanami Aoyama's side and squatted down.
"Nanami, what's wrong? Your face is so red, are you running a fever?" Hoshimi asked with concern. But the hint of a smile in his eyes seemed to reveal something.
"Um..." Speechless with embarrassment, Nanami Aoyama covered her face, unable to meet Hoshimi's gaze.
"Huh? What's this..." Hoshimi picked up the DVD box that had somehow fallen beside Nanami Aoyama.
"..." Nanami Aoyama noticed Hoshimi's action but had no courage to explain anything. She covered her face, waiting shamefully for Hoshimi's judgment.
"Hehe~ So, Nanami, you were thinking so much because of this?" Hoshimi smiled, taking out the DVDs inside. "Nanami, this isn't what you think it is. Want to watch them together? My classmate gave them to me."
"..." Through her fingers, Nanami Aoyama met Hoshimi's gaze. Her moist eyes were full of confusion, as if she didn't understand what Hoshimi was saying.
"Come on, you'll see when we watch them together." Hoshimi pulled out a chair from the desk and invited the curled-up Nanami Aoyama.
"..." Nanami Aoyama avoided eye contact, hesitant to look at Hoshimi. She was afraid that Hoshimi-kun was tricking her. If the DVDs were really like their covers, it would be disastrous once they watched them. Being alone in a room during adolescence, watching such things together... the probability of accidents was not small!
"Nanami, do you doubt my character?" Seeing Nanami Aoyama hesitating, Hoshimi maintained his smile and delivered the fatal blow.
Um~ Nanami Aoyama clenched her teeth. Hoshimi-kun had gone to such lengths, she had to watch them! She could risk it!
Making her decision, Nanami Aoyama lowered her hands covering her face and slowly looked up at Hoshimi.
"Hoshimi-kun, you..."
Nanami Aoyama wanted to say something more, but Hoshimi didn't give her the chance.
"Alright, let's watch and you'll see." Hoshimi bent down, grabbed Nanami Aoyama's shoulders, and forced her onto the chair. Then, he awakened the sleeping computer, inserted the DVD, and started playing it in full screen.
"..."
Watching the movie start playing, Nanami Aoyama, her face bright red, tightly closed her eyes. The next moment, a melodious and sunny tune entered her ears.
"Like sunshine through the night, dawn quietly crosses the sky, whose figure..."
===
Enjoying the novel? If you'd like to read additional chapters, visit my Patreon page at - patreon.com/cherryblooming.
There are already 30 extra chapters available.