Kuroba Akira's surprised "Huh?" startled Shiginomiya, and she immediately waved her hands in flustered panic.
"I-I mean, only if you're okay with it! It's totally fine if you don't want to—I know it's a lot to ask…"
Akira wasn't rejecting her—he was just confused.
If her feet really hurt, she could rub them herself. Why ask him to do it?
Was it because she was a proper ojou-sama, used to being waited on?
Or was this some kind of subtle test—to see how obedient he was?
If he agreed to the massage, would that raise or lower her affection level?
He couldn't quite figure it out. Women… truly unfathomable creatures…
In the end, he gave up trying to reason it out. He'd already acted like a pervert—might as well see it through.
You made the offer, so don't blame me if I take you up on it.
"Can you still walk?"
"Eh?"
"If it really hurts that much, I'll carry you."
"Ah—no, I can still walk! No need to carry me…"
She was kind of curious what it might feel like, but she knew perfectly well her feet weren't that bad. Pretending she couldn't walk would be too much.
"Alright then. I'll help you to the couch."
"Um… Akira, so that means…"
"You already asked. You think I'd say no now?"
"…Okay."
Shion gave a small nod and smile, warmth blooming in her chest.
No wonder Mom was always being cutesy. It really works… guys really will take care of you when you act spoiled.
Akira placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and led her to the first-floor sofa. Once she was seated, he knelt down in front of her and reached out to grab her ankle.
"Um… shouldn't I take off my socks?"
"No need. Actually, it's better if you leave them on."
"B-but… aren't they going to smell? I just finished running…"
Just being sniffed earlier had already made her feel mortified. Now he was going to handle her feet too?
This was way too stimulating for a girl who'd never even held hands with a guy.
"The smell's the point. For certain guys, that's what makes it a real reward."
Akira added with a devilish grin and a dramatic click of his tongue, clearly playing it up.
"Tsk, tsk. Shame you're only wearing short socks…"
"What's wrong with short socks?"
In summer, most JKs wore ankle-length socks. It was way too hot for knee-highs or tights—and those tended to trap heat and odor.
"Don't you know? Guys love pantyhose. The feel is unbeatable."
"I-I see… mm…!"
The moment Akira touched the sole of her foot, Shion flinched and let out a squeak.
"Don't make weird noises."
"But it tickles…"
"If it tickles, then why'd you ask me to do this?"
"…"
Cornered by the question, Shion fell silent.
She bit her lip, trying her best to hold still and suppress the ticklish sensations shooting up from her foot as Akira's hands continued their massage.
Akira wasn't shy about it either. He went in with both hands, thumbs kneading the arches, palms pressing into her heels. He even made sure to work between her toes—despite the socks—leaving no part untouched.
If circumstances had allowed, he half-joked to himself, he'd reenact that infamous scene from that teacher in that doujin: say "Thanks for the meal," then go full tongue assault.
But if he actually did that, no matter how high her affection level was, Shion would probably kick him square in the face.
Know when to stop, Akira reminded himself. Too creepy and the affection bar drops to zero.
Shion, meanwhile, was starting to lose track of where her feet even were. They no longer felt like her own—just soft little things being thoroughly toyed with by Akira's hands.
From heel to arch, to the ball of her foot, and every last toe—he didn't miss a spot. The sensation was strange, like electric tingles shooting up the back of her calves and thighs.
Eventually, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Soft, breathy whimpers escaped her lips.
"Mm… ah… ngh…"
Akira, of course, couldn't resist teasing her.
"Haha. Feels good, huh? I'm not half bad at this, right?"
Back in college, he'd played soccer, and often had to massage teammates' feet after cramps or minor injuries.
Those feet stank to high heaven—he'd often wanted to stomp on them out of spite.
But this? This was bliss.
No way some sweaty guy's foot could compare to a beautiful girl's delicate soles. Okay, maybe not fragrant exactly…
But still! Even if both had odors, the girl's feet were objectively better!
He kneaded harder, like trying to scrub away the gross memories of his past life's locker room trauma.
Shion couldn't hold back anymore. Her voice spilled out, each gasp a little higher than the last—her [Heavenly Voice S] echoing in the living room like a melody of shame.
Kobayashi-obaasan, long since awake, heard the incriminating sounds and finally came out of her room to investigate.
"Well, well… you two sure are energetic this morning," she drawled. "But let me just say this—if you're gonna fool around, take it back to your room. That sofa was hand-picked by me and the old man before we got married. Don't go messing it up."
"N-no… that's not…!"
Shion hunched her shoulders like a scolded child, face flushed so red she couldn't lift her head. She wanted nothing more than to vanish into a crack in the floor.
Akira just rolled his eyes.
He couldn't even be bothered to explain.
Obaasan, of course, could see their clothes were perfectly intact. She wasn't seriously accusing them—just having a bit of fun at their expense.
Back when Akira was the only tenant, he'd always gotten the last word in. But now that Shion was here, she finally had a chance to go on the offensive.
After teasing them to her satisfaction, she glanced at the clock on the wall and raised an eyebrow.
"By the way, brat—it's this late and you're still here? Planning to skip school today?"
"Huh? …SHIT!"
Akira glanced at the time and couldn't stop himself from cursing.
He'd gotten way too caught up playing with Shion's adorable feet—he'd completely lost track of time.
It was already 7:30!
Given the distance from the Kobayashi house to school, even public transport wouldn't get him there in time—and he didn't have the cash for a bus fare.
"Obaasan! If you've got nothing better to do, take her to the convenience store and buy what she needs! I gotta run!"
He gently set Shion's foot down, bolted upstairs for his bag, then raced back down to the front door, hopping into his shoes as fast as possible.
Just before heading out, he looked back and shouted, "I'll pick this up when I get back!"
And sprinted out the door.
What he meant was, we'll continue voice acting practice later.
But Shion misunderstood.
P-pick this up…?
She hugged her knees to her chest, curled her toes, and buried her face in her lap.
If he really continued where they left off…
Her perfectly fine feet…
Might develop some very strange problems.