The next day, Shichen still woke up in his own bed, and beside him lay the still-sleeping Kanna, curled on her side.
With her chubby cheeks, soft pinkish skin, and adorable sleeping face, waking up to such a sight put Shichen in a good mood.
Even though he didn't sleep very long, being able to see something this cute first thing in the morning made him feel content.
He hadn't slept enough, not because Tohru and the others made a fuss late into the night, but rather because, after a month away, his bed seemed to have a mixed fragrance from three different people, and it took some getting used to.
At least Tohru and the others were quite sensible: once he threatened that from now on he'd only sleep with Kanna, they immediately gave in.
The only downside was that Kasumigaoka Utaha had misunderstood him even more.
Since Kanna was both a dragon and a little girl, plus Chisato's teasing, Utaha had concluded that Shichen must have some special fetish—in other words, that he was a lolicon.
What a joke—how could he possibly be a lolicon!
He only let Kanna sleep with him because she was new here and wanted his company so she could feel safe. That's all.
But explaining would only make it look like he was covering up, so he couldn't be bothered. Anyway, they were all on the same side; even if there was a misunderstanding, it wasn't as though it'd get out.
Shichen watched Kanna's adorably sleeping face for a moment. He helped neaten the stray hairs on her forehead, then quietly got out of bed.
A young body doesn't need too much sleep.
Last night, Kanna had fallen asleep quite early; she drifted off as soon as she lay in bed, so Shichen never even got to say "good night."
Even though she had lived for more than ten thousand years, she was still a child—sleeping early was normal. Besides, she was just exiled from her homeland, ended up in this world, and found a new "home."
A dragon's life can have dramatic ups and downs. Finally finding security, it was natural she'd become sleepy.
"Ugh..."
Perhaps Shichen's movement startled her, because Kanna flipped over without waking, now lying on her back, continuing to sleep.
Seeing her wearing his loose T-shirt, making her look especially tiny, Shichen couldn't help chuckling.
Is this what it's like if he actually had a child?
He once fantasized, influenced by anime, about picking up a stray child and living a life of raising them.
Although that wasn't realistic, at least the scenario had now come true in the form of Kanna.
Shichen changed his clothes, couldn't resist secretly taking a few photos of Kanna, then slipped out of the room quietly to go wash up.
Halfway through washing, Tohru suddenly appeared in the bathroom to find him.
"Chen-dono, so you're here. Why're you up so early?"
"Mm..."
Shichen rinsed his mouth before replying, "I slept a bit early, so I woke up early."
"Oh, I see. I thought maybe Kanna kept you up."
"How could that be? Don't take it out on Kanna." Shichen smiled, shaking his head. "Besides, the only people who disturb my sleep are you and Chisato."
"That's not true!"
"You know exactly whether it's true or not."
"You've changed, Chen-dono. It must be Kanna's arrival making you love the new and loathe the old!"
"Where did you learn that phrase?" Shichen flicked her forehead in mild annoyance.
"Isn't it obvious? Or are you telling me you're not ignoring me for a new one?" Tohru pouted.
"Just a second." He turned aside, leaning in close and giving her soft lips a quick kiss.
Tohru froze, blinking. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to be this forward.
"Stunned?" he teased.
"Hehe~ I want more!" Tohru promptly lunged into his arms, lifting her face for another kiss.
Shichen, however, tilted his head away. "That's enough for now."
"Huh? Why?"
"You haven't brushed your teeth."
"No need—I can use cleansing magic that's way more thorough."
"That doesn't matter; brushing is an important ritual."
"Fine, wait for me then!"
And so Tohru hurriedly brushed her teeth, glancing at him the whole time to ensure he didn't leave.
"No need to worry, I'm not going anywhere," Shichen said with amusement.
"Mm!"
She finished up quickly, not even washing her face, then pounced into Shichen's arms again, tilting her chin up expectantly.
"Chen-dono, I can't wait anymore!"
"You...all right." He lowered his head and met her lips.
"Mm!" Tohru looped her arms behind his neck and responded enthusiastically.
They lingered in the bathroom for quite a while, until Shichen had had enough.
Satisfied, Tohru hopped off to prepare breakfast, her dissatisfaction from the previous day completely gone.
Shichen watched Tohru's cheerful figure recede. He chuckled and then went to look for Chisato, heading straight for her room without knocking.
Chisato's room was fairly sparse—a bed and a closet. That was understandable, considering how she'd been sleeping in his room all this time, and even in the last month she only slept half the time here, so maybe she was too lazy to decorate.
He couldn't let this stand—why keep thinking about his room? This was supposed to be a family.
He decided he would try a different approach. Instead of letting them sleep with him in his own room, he would occasionally sleep in their rooms—maybe that would motivate them to arrange their rooms better.
But for the time being, that might not be feasible.
Shichen walked up to Chisato's bed. She was still asleep, lying on her back, with the covers pulled up around her neck. Her short platinum hair fanned out across the pillow, and her complexion was fair—like something out of a dream.
He quietly leaned in, noticing she was probably only faking sleep, and said, "Don't pretend to be asleep."
"Heehee~ I knew I couldn't fool you, Chen-nii." Chisato burst into a giggle, opening her eyes and sitting up.
"How'd I know? Well, I've shared a bed with you for quite a while now," Shichen teased.
"Yeah, I just wanted to see what you were going to do." Chisato rubbed her eyes.
"What do you want me to do?"
She retorted, "What good is wanting something? Would you grant my wish?" She gave him a sidelong glance, uncertain.
Shichen nodded. "If you tell me, we'll see."
"I should just come out with it... Chen-nii, can't you be a bit more proactive? You basically barged in, right?"
"Barged in? You think I came here to do something?"
"What else? Are you here to attack me?" Chisato teased wryly.
"...Maybe not. Actually, I came to tell you to get up."
"Figures." Chisato's shoulders slumped. "I knew it."
"All right, time to get up."
Chisato tossed aside the blanket, revealing a softly curved figure in pinkish-white pajamas. She was about to hop out of bed.
Tohru or not, she still looked quite appealing.
"Is Tohru...?"
"She's already downstairs making breakfast."
"So early?"
"It's not early—Utaha's gotta head to school soon."
"Right, guess I should hurry, or Tohru'll start griping at me again."
Chisato slid her legs off the bed, but just as she was about to stand, Shichen grabbed her wrist.
"Chen-nii, what—?"
He smiled at her. "Don't worry about Tohru."
"I... Then why'd you come so early?"
"Chisato, remember how I turned up in your room just now?"
"...Huh?"
Before she had time to react, he gave a sudden yank, pulling her into his arms.
Caught off guard, Chisato ended up seated on his lap, her hands pressed to his chest. She glanced up at him, her heartbeat rising.
"Chen-nii...?"
"You guessed it. I came to 'attack' you." Shichen smirked, drawing close to her.
Chisato paused, eyes wide, heart pounding, but her lips parted slightly in eager anticipation.
Hence, Shichen lowered his head and kissed her.
She had left her eyes open, her fingers gripping the front of his shirt, crumpling it as her face burned. For a second, she seemed paralyzed with surprise.
~~~
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