Chapter 33: Tickets to Another Encounter
“She’s truly more pure than Lily from my original world.”
“Without the succubus,”
“…Lily from this world is even more pure.”
“…Lily that’s a cute onee-san.”
“After that, even the last bit of her shy demeanor disappeared, and she became a girl who completely fell for me.”
“Comforting Lily is something I’m already experienced with. So a little bit of meddling is already very skillful. I can’t use too gentle a tone. Otherwise, she’ll only feel more reluctant.”
“‘Geez, I really can’t do anything about you,’ is the kind of feeling that, conversely, can stimulate her self-control more.”
“Alright, stop crying. Wipe your tears. It’s my fault, I’ll admit it, okay?”
“You’re already an adult, why are you still crying?”
His hand reached out to wipe the tears from her cheek. At first, she resisted, turning her head away.
After I said, “Don’t move around, be careful not to poke your eye,” she stopped struggling and even closed her eyes cooperatively.
After helping her wipe away her tears, I also used a wet wipe to clean her cheeks and the area around her eyes.
“Alright, you can open your eyes now.”
When she opened her eyes again, her tears had stopped, but her eyes were red, making herlook like a little white bunny.
Lily sniffled, pursed her lips into a straight line, and said with a dejected expression.
“It’s… it’s all your fault… It’s always because of you,” she said somewhat unjustly.
“Hmm? Always?”
I shouldn’t have done anything extreme to this world’s Lily before. Is it because she dislikes me, not just because I live at Nabo’s house?
“Ugh? I-it’s your fault anyway!”
“Yes, yes, yes…”
It seems she herself doesn’t know why she said “always.”
After Keling, she’s the second person to say the frequency word “always.”
Has she been influenced by me?
Bit by bit, I’m retrieving memories that I ‘never experienced.’
“Hey! What are you spacing out about?”
“Is something happening in this world? Something’s changing?”
Lily’s tone became stronger.
“Don’t shout.”
Her words, with a volume that vibrated my eardrums, were probably because she felt a commanding tone was necessary to avoid being suppressed by me.
“Ugh, wait a moment.”
“I’m listening. So why did you come to find me this time?”
“I have something I need your help with! This time I came to ask you to play the role of my boyfriend.”
“Hmm? Why? I’d be happy to help you though.”
“Just play the role… Wait, play the boyfriend?”
“Uh? So you came to ask me for something like this?”
“Eh? Strange, why would you ask me for something like this? Shouldn’t she hate me?”
“Could it be that there’s no one else to ask? The original Lily basically had no one.”
“That’s because she actively hid her succubus identity. Among the people she knows, I’m probably the closest. But she should have many suitors.”
“Huh? Could it be that because there are too many flies buzzing around her, she’s come to ask me to be a shield?”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“If I ask a scoundrel like you, aren’t you afraid it’ll turn into realActing?”
“—I mean, that was just habitually…”
“I don’t want to be bullied by you!”
“Habitually?! You’re still a guy who’s bad to the bone!”
“Where did that come from— I mean, I…”
“This time it was indeed my fault. It was my instinct that made me act that way. But I’m not shirking responsibility.”
“Seriously,” he said that profoundly. “Whether it’s buying something or being a porter, just order me around as much as you want.”
I thought Lily would coo at me then. Instead, she picked up her coffee cup and drank it all in one gulp.
She wasn’t looking at me, but her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, and her face turned red again.
“What’s wrong?”
She looked at the coffee cup on the table.
“N-nothing.”
“She’s probably thinking about indirect kissing, I guess. Honestly, you’re too pure. Even my teasing…”
“It’s not indirect kissing.”
“I noticed. You were drinking with your right hand earlier, so I deliberately used my left hand. Our lips didn’t touch…”
However, the blush on Lily’s face didn’t subside. She said in a very small voice,
“… I don’t believe you.”
“What?”
She must have felt something, so she spat out the coffee she had drunk.
“And I drank all of that just now…”
Ah, this is not just indirect kissing, I might have directly drunk her…
When I thought of this, even my cheeks started to feel hot. Closely…
It’s not that I’m feigning purity.
It’s because even I am being overly sensitive.
I pressed my face against it to cool down.
In my original world, I was almost half-giving up and half-numb.
“Drunkard’s dream” probably describes that state. Engaged in all sorts of deep interactions with the so-called dream girls… ah, drunkard’s dream.
But since coming to this world, it’s been a long time since…
The scene that happened after going to bed, and what just happened, are replaying in my mind. Keling pushed me…
Damn it, there’s a lingering soft touch…
Closing my eyes, I can now freely appreciate the mental state. I’m not using it yet.
Opening my eyes again, the person in front of me was trying to suppress a smile. Under my dazed gaze, she finally couldn’t help but cover her mouth and burst into laughter.
“So you get shy too…”
“What’s with the…”
Lily wiped away the tears from laughing and said, adjusting her breathing.
“Can you do it? Please, I’m asking you again.”
“Among the men who have been bothering me lately, there are really too many. I hope you can help me get rid of them.”
“Of course I’d be happy to help… However, I find it a bit strange. Why are you asking me?”
Although I’m a little resistant, if Mom just wanted to play around with a man, she definitely wouldn’t bring him home. The fact that she allowed you to live at home and gave you so much help is enough to explain everything.
It seems the so-called mother-daughter conflict doesn’t exist.
Nabo cares about Lily, and as a daughter, Lily also cares about Naruo. So it’s not that they don’t interact often because of a bad relationship, but because they are familiar enough and have a deep trust in each other.
“Then why refuse those men? Those who are pursuing you…”
“I have no feelings for them,” Lily answered without hesitation.
“Such a level isn’t enough, what kind of man could catch your eye?”
Lily blinked and looked at me, her expression becoming very subtle.
“… Could it be me?”
“Don’t be silly!” Lily said, pointing at herself with her index finger. “Of course not.”
“I can’t accept that.”
“Cough, cough. It’s just… rather than those men being unsuitable, it’s me…”
“Hmm? And why is that?”
Lily tilted her head, closed her eyes, and after a long period of contemplation, slowly opened them, looking at the chandelier.
“What do you mean?”
“Perhaps because I feel uneasy.”
“… I’m so worried.”
After graduating from university, I was recommended by my mentor and smoothly stayed at the school as a teacher.
Mom doesn’t have many demands on me, so I’m relatively relaxed and free. At home, I’m quite casual… Mom also doesn’t have much…
“Although it might disillusion you, my room…”
“I’ve known that for a long time. And your belongings are mostly things I chose for you.”
“Anyway, I’m living a very loose life, without much of a goal.”
“Of course, I’m not dissatisfied with this.”
“Being able to live freely without caring about what others think, isn’t that Lily’s wish?”
“It’s not that something is wrong… but I always have a sense of unreality…”
“Feels… like I’m dreaming.”
The word ‘dream’ coming from Lily’s mouth filled me with a deep dread.
If I have to say why, Lily is an Incubus…
A deep sense of dread.
If even she feels that this reality is like a dream…
Could it be that this world is just MK’s dreamscape? Am I not transmigrating, but dreaming? My eyes… what are you talking about?
“But dreams shouldn’t be this realistic, right?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve had a dream. This world is also so clear…”
“It’s a sign of good sleep quality.”
“Haven’t I been in a dream?”
… The doctor said so. But sometimes I can’t help but wonder, isn’t it because I no longer dream…
“I’m completely asleep.”
Saying that, Lily shook her head with a smile and muttered to herself.
“… What am I saying? Sorry, I said something boring.”
“… Why did you tell me this?”
Lily looked at me and smiled. Her smile was charming, with a lot of sincerity.
“Because… perhaps because I think you are “real”.”
“I’m real?”
“Mhmm, you might think I’m shameless. But every time you call me teacher, and just now when you touched me, I felt a kind of impulse in my body. You, you! What am I saying! Forget it! Forget it right now!”
“I want to feel this feeling more— Ugh!”
Lily excitedly stood up, grabbed my clothes, and panicked.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ve already forgotten. Don’t get excited.”
“Really?”
“It’s fake.”
“Waaahhhhh! You, you guy!”
“Sorry, bullying you is too much fun. It’s a light and pleasant…”
After repeating the comforting action, Lily withdrew.
“A ‘real’ feeling… comes from me?”
Lily finally let go of me. I adjusted my collar, recalling Lily’s words.
But I came from another world…
This world’s Lily feels ‘real’ from me.
Doesn’t this mean it’s a parallel world?
If she feels ‘real’ in this world, then what is this world…
“Phew, anyway, this week is blank. I’ll find you then. I’ll dress you up, and then you’ll accompany me to a party.”
“Then those people will know I have a boyfriend.”
“Of course, I won’t let you work for free. As for the reward…”
As she said that, Lily reached into her bag and rummaged for something.
Just then, Lily took out two card-like things.
“This is something a girl would want, right? You really don’t want it?”
“An invitation to the opening dance party!”
“With this, I can see Lianbing!”
“No, I desperately need it!”
“… You’re… I can’t figure out if you’re lecherous or righteous.”
“You… Why are you so… you…”
I clasped her hands and said excitedly.
“Thank you so much, Lily! You’ve been a great help!”
“N-It’s nothing…”
I took the invitation from Lily’s hand, thinking of Lianbing again.
I didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. It seems fate is on my side.
“Juncheng, hmm, I can call you that, right?”
“Ah. Then I’ll call you…”
“Just call me by my name!”
“I understand… Lily.”
I stood before Lily, and Lily immediately understood, stood up, and raised her hand.
The two clapped hands in the air.
