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The other person was still sitting on the sofa, looking "still shaken". Could it be that this guy is too pathetic? He had planned everything perfectly before going back to Chiba, so why did he become "weak" after being asked a few questions by his relatives?

Sawayama Haruno wondered if the other person might have developed some kind of PDST (Positive Damage Stress) because they had been forced to go on blind dates by their relatives for a long time.

No wonder the other party didn't help her out of that predicament earlier; it turns out it was because of this. It really put Morikawa Riho in a difficult position.

"How could it be troublesome? Don't worry about the clothes either. I often buy clothes for that guy, but he only wears his own two or three pieces, so many of the clothes still have the tags on them."

After covering her mouth and chuckling, Morikawa's mother added, "They're all new, just a bit old-fashioned, but the fabric is soft enough to be used as temporary pajamas."

This was her true purpose: to force Sawayama Haruno to stay overnight in her house. Her earlier suggestion to take a bath was naturally part of the plan.

After all, if you're not staying here, there's no need to take a shower here; if you're taking a shower here, then you're going to stay here.

This situation was anticipated even before Sawayama Haruno came to visit. His and Morikawa Riho's initial plan was to stay at the "home" for one night to prove their relationship.

It was obvious that Morikawa Riho's family would definitely let the two of them live together. Therefore, in order to keep the "pretend boyfriend plan" from being exposed, Sawayama Haruno had already discussed it with Morikawa Riho. Tonight, he would sleep in the bed, and Morikawa Riho would sleep on the floor.

After reviewing the entire plan in his mind and confirming that nothing had been overlooked, Sawayama Haruno breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Morikawa's mother, saying, "Thank you so much, Auntie. I'll go take a shower and rest now."

After saying that, he looked at Riho Morikawa next to him again.

After a short rest, the mature female editor seemed to have gradually recovered her energy and realized that she was now in the task of having Sawayama Haruno play the role of a fake boyfriend. So she immediately forced herself to cheer up and pointed out the direction of the bathroom to Sawayama Haruno.

"What are you saying, Riho?"

Before her daughter could finish speaking, Morikawa's mother interrupted her, saying with a strange expression, "You're going to wash with us too. I've already put your clothes in the basin."

".ha?"

A very quiet question arose as Sawayama Haruno turned around, looking slightly dazed. Seeing Morikawa's mother's "taken-for-granted" expression, his mind went blank for a moment.

"Uh, we don't need to shower together, after all, it's my first time visiting. And Riho might feel embarrassed too, as I said before, our progress isn't that fast yet," Haruno Sawayama tried to explain.

Riho Morikawa, standing nearby, was also getting impatient: "Mother, how can you let someone take a bath together on their first visit to your home!"

What does it have to do with anything?

Morikawa's mother asked with some surprise, "You two have already slept together, haven't you? It's nothing to just take a bath."

Morikawa Riho had previously explained to her family that she had actually had a vague crush on Sawayama Haruno for a long time. Therefore, she drank a few too many drinks at the company's social gathering and didn't say anything more, but everyone was an adult and naturally understood what Morikawa Riho meant.

This is actually a "lie" prepared to further deceive family members, because people tend to form preconceived notions about another person based on their first impression.

When Riho Morikawa told her family that she had already had a relationship with Haruno Sawayama, it naturally gave them the illusion that Haruno Sawayama and Riho Morikawa were truly "mutually attracted".

Having sex is a serious matter, and since it has happened, there must be some explanation.

Riho Morikawa clearly hadn't expected that the lie she had fabricated to perfect her "plan" would backfire so badly. Faced with her mother's question, she fell silent.

"Let's forget it. Riho is probably still a little embarrassed because she introduced me to her uncles earlier."

Sawayama Haruno, who was standing nearby, spoke up at the right moment, and said with a smile, "It would be easier to take turns washing them."

He tried to subtly remind Morikawa Riho's mother that she was also his "first love" in order to dissuade the two from taking a bath together, but Morikawa's mother was clearly not so easily fooled.

Suddenly, she straightened her expression and said quite seriously, "Actually, bathing together is an unwritten rule in the Morikawa family."

"what?"

Sawayama Haruno looked at Morikawa Riho with a blank expression. What's going on? Your family has this rule?

"This"

Riho Morikawa wanted to continue arguing, but seeing her mother's serious expression and knowing that there was indeed an unspoken rule in the family that the two of them would bathe together, she immediately shut her mouth.

"This matter is actually a bit complicated, but it is also related to Riho." After a pause, Morikawa's mother slowly explained, "When Riho was little, she was very naughty. Once, she almost fainted while taking a bath."

"Because her father and I were both busy doing other things outside at the time, we didn't notice that she had taken too long in the bath. By the time we noticed, she was already so weak that her limbs were exhausted."

"From that time on, in order to prevent this silly child from having a similar situation again, I would take a bath with her."

"But later her cousins ​​came over and washed with her, while I washed with my husband. That's an unwritten rule in our family," Morikawa's mother added.

"."

Sawayama Haruno's eye twitched slightly.

He had been observing Morikawa Riho's expression and, after noticing that she was speechless for a long time, he knew that this was indeed the case.

However, at Morikawa Riho's age, she must have long been used to bathing alone, and it's impossible for her to faint from soaking in the bath again. So what's the point of bringing up this unwritten rule now?

Sawayama Haruno was quite troubled, not only because Morikawa's mother was using such an almost "overbearing" method to force him to show a close relationship with Morikawa Riho, but also because his "partner" Morikawa Riho had completely lost her usual calm and collected demeanor.

Is family a partner's Achilles' heel?

As expected of an older unmarried woman, when faced with unreasonable demands from her family, no matter how mature and composed Riho Morikawa is on a daily basis, she can no longer show the same side as she does at work.

The plan had taken a serious turn for the worse. Although it hadn't been exposed, the unexpected turn of events left Sawayama Haruno somewhat helpless. He could only think of a more appropriate and tactful way to refuse.

However, just as he was pondering his words, Riho Morikawa suddenly spoke up.

"I understand, let's shower together then."

Riho Morikawa turned her head away, avoiding Haruno Sawayama's utterly astonished gaze. She said in a low voice, "There is indeed such a rule in the family, so there's nothing we can do about it. Although it feels a little embarrassing, we're all family, right?"

"Okay then."

Seeing that she had said that, Sawayama Haruno had no better option. After hesitating for a moment, he could only agree to what she said.

However, Riho Morikawa's strange attitude made him even more confused. This was completely different from what they had agreed on. What exactly was Riho Morikawa up to?

Everyone has their own selfish desires, and Riho Morikawa certainly has her own as well.

As an adult, she was able to hide certain desires in her heart very well.

However, hiding is not the same as disappearing. On the contrary, it will quickly take root and sprout in some dark corner of the heart. When the person in question suddenly wakes up, they will find that they can no longer eradicate their selfishness.

—Her personal desire was Sawayama Haruno.

Watching the other person carrying clothes, walking helplessly ahead of her, preparing to go to the bathroom to shower together, Morikawa Riho's mind was a complete blank.

When exactly did she begin to regret her "pretend boyfriend plan"?

No. To be more precise, it's not that I regret the existence of this plan, but that I regret my decision to give up my feelings for Sawayama Haruno that I shouldn't have had.

Anyway, this guy is a scumbag. He has five beautiful and stunning girls at home, so what's wrong with supporting one more?

Riho Morikawa bit her lip, her thoughts a little complicated. She felt that the reason for her change in mindset was probably because her cousin's unintentional words had stirred up a ripple in her heart.

"I can tell that my cousin really likes that older brother."

These words struck Morikawa Riho like a bolt from the blue, sending chills down her spine and making her realize why she had done the thing of having Sawayama Haruno pretend to be her boyfriend.

That's absolutely absurd.

In truth, she had always longed for more contact with Sawayama Haruno. The so-called "pretending to be her boyfriend plan" wasn't really about fooling her family; it was simply because she hoped it could actually happen.

Riho Morikawa subconsciously deceived herself, making herself believe that this was to solve the problem of her family forcing her to go on blind dates, but the truth was not so.

"I"

Walking down the corridor leading to the bathroom, a distance of less than a few dozen steps, Riho Morikawa felt as if every second was an eternity.

The image of Sawayama Haruno lingered in her mind, and the way she would occasionally turn her head to observe the changes in her expression made her extremely concerned.

"I guess I can't let go of this feeling," Riho Morikawa thought to herself.

She had originally decided not to think about such things anymore, but reality was right there, making it impossible for her not to care or stop thinking about it.

But what about Haruno Sawayama? What was he thinking?

Feeling confused and uneasy, Riho Morikawa and Haruno Sawayama entered the bathroom.

She originally thought that the other party would take the opportunity to say something more to her, such as reconsidering their plans, or that he should wash first, and then turn around and let Morikawa Riho wash after he finished.

But Haruno Sawayama did not do that. He said nothing and simply took off his shirt.

"Eh?"

Riho Morikawa stood there, stunned.

"What's wrong?" Sawayama Haruno turned around and looked at her with some puzzlement. "Aren't you going to wash up?"

"Wait, are we really going to shower together?" Riho Morikawa suddenly snapped out of her daze, her face showing a mixture of panic and confusion.

Seeing the startled expression on this stunningly beautiful woman with her sophisticated style, Haruno Sawayama's mischievous side immediately kicked in.

But then I thought, Riho Morikawa is almost driven to PDST by her family, so I shouldn't tease her.

Besides, Riho Morikawa isn't an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl like Maki Miyazawa. It would be better for her to analyze the current situation calmly, like an adult.

"What are you talking about? Aren't the bathtub and shower separate? And your bathroom is surprisingly big."

Sawayama Haruno pointed behind her and patiently explained, "I'll go take a bath first, with my back to you, and then you can take a shower. After you're done, we'll switch sides."

"Will there be no problem then?"

Chapter 402 Extra: Continuing to Deceive Riho Morikawa

Inside the bathroom, water was constantly flowing.

Leaning against the bathtub, Haruno Sawayama squinted slightly, gazing at the milky-white ceramic tile wall. He wondered with interest how Morikawa's mother would "test" him and Riho Morikawa next.

If nothing unexpected happens, the only option left should be "sleep together".

Fortunately, this had been discussed in advance and was part of the plan, so Sawayama Haruno wasn't too worried about getting a rest tonight. However, the sight of an extremely mature and beautiful woman taking a bath behind him inevitably caused his thoughts to become a little chaotic.

No, no, I must strengthen my resolve at a time like this!

Sawayama Haruno gently shook his head, trying to clear his mind of some jumbled thoughts. He wondered if it was because he had been soaking in the bath for a little too long, but now he was more prone to overthinking.

Since that's the case, let's think about other things.

Sawayama Haruno recalled what had happened during this period, and it seemed that apart from Esaki Suguha and Ayano Yui's life at university, there was nothing else noteworthy.

Mana Miyazawa returned to the University of Tokyo as usual, while he was resting and preparing for a business trip at the end of March in preparation for the upcoming literary award competition in April. Therefore, the school had applied for a long leave well in advance.

As for Maki Miyazawa, she's still the same as always, spending all her time at home playing video games, her seemingly unfazed state making people wonder if she's really pregnant.

If it weren't for the increasingly obvious signs of pregnancy as the months went by, Sawayama Haruno would have even started to doubt herself. Counting the time, almost half a year had passed, and by the middle of the year, she might really become a father.

"It's done washing."

Just as Sawayama Haruno was lost in thought, Morikawa Riho's voice suddenly came from behind her.

Sawayama Haruno reflexively turned her head away, only to notice that the other person had wrapped a bath towel around their body at some point, thus avoiding an awkward moment of eye contact between them.

Nevertheless, the mature female editor's face still held an undeniable allure. Her slightly flushed cheeks and ears seemed to convey the emotions she was suppressing. During an unintentional exchange of glances, Morikawa Riho suddenly bit her lip.

"You come and wash up, it's my turn to take a bath now."

"Ah, um."

Sawayama Haruno immediately snapped out of his daze, coughed lightly, and took his own towel from the basin beside him. After Morikawa Riho turned around again, he quickly wrapped it around himself and then switched places with her.

"Even if I'm mentally prepared before coming in, I still feel a little awkward," Haruno Sawayama muttered to herself.

I don't know what's wrong with Riho Morikawa today. Her eyes are strange, and her attitude is much softer than before.

Logically speaking, after something like this happened, Riho Morikawa should have joked that he, who had taken advantage of her, should find a way to compensate her, and then he should have exchanged a few more banter with her, and finally, as an adult, subtly let the matter drop.

However, it seems that this is not the case. Where exactly did the problem occur?

Unbeknownst to him, after silently switching places with Riho Morikawa, he took off his towel and turned on the shower.

Warm water immediately slid down from above, but before he could relax and enjoy it, a woman's soft voice came from behind him.

"Misty Hill. Haruno, what do you think of my family?"

She unusually refrained from referring to Sawayama Haruno as "Kiyama-sensei," though the latter remained oblivious to this.

Upon hearing Riho Morikawa's question, he replied without hesitation, "That's pretty good. Your family must care a lot, otherwise they wouldn't keep urging you to go on blind dates."

"Besides, you and your cousin get along quite well. Apart from Ayano Yui, my relationships with my other cousins ​​are just so-so."

"You're that kind of person," Morikawa Riho muttered.

"It has nothing to do with who it is. I just wanted to say that your family treats you very well." Sawayama Haruno suppressed the urge to turn away and continued, "And then, what do you do next?"

"What do you mean, what to do?"

"I didn't want to say it, but since you asked me that question earlier, I'll just say it here. We can't keep it a secret forever, what if your family finds out one day?"

Sawayama Haruno paused, then added, "Even if you use the excuse 'we broke up' to explain, your family might not accept it, right?"

"That's true."