Aso Miyuri was the landlady of the apartment Rai Hikaru had rented after moving out of the Tsubakihara house.
She was in her mid-twenties but barely scraped 150 cm tall—a full-grown legal loli.
Rai Hikaru picked up the video call.
Sure enough, the screen filled with the image of a cute girl rocking curly twin-tails.
The twin-tail loli waved at him, her voice high and girlishly adorable as she grinned.
"Hiya, Rai-kun～"
"Good evening, Miss Aso," Rai Hikaru replied.
Aso Miyuri pointed at her own mouth with a smile.
"Rai-kun, did you just finish eating? You've got a grain of rice right there on your lip."
Rai Hikaru grabbed a napkin, wiped his mouth, and chuckled.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Miss Aso. So, what's up? Why the sudden call?"
Aso Miyuri pouted cutely.
"Aww, I was gonna chat a little first before getting to business. But since Rai-kun brought it up… fine, straight to the point."
"It's just… this month's rent. Isn't it about time to pay up, Rai～kun～?"
Watching this legal loli collect rent with such an innocent, adorable expression, Rai Hikaru was about to say he'd transfer it right away.
But then he remembered: most of his savings had gone toward fronting rent for Miss Yukino Fuyu, and with her financial situation, who knew when she'd pay him back.
The cash he had on hand right now… wasn't nearly enough for rent.
Damn. Helping someone else cover their rent, only to end up short on his own. What a trip.
Seeming to read his hesitation, Aso Miyuri giggled.
"Something wrong, Rai-kun? Running low on funds lately? Auntie told you ages ago—if you just spend a little 'quality time' with me, I'd give you a discount. Might even waive the rent entirely～"
Rai Hikaru gave a wry smile at her words.
"No can do, Miss Aso. Let's not go there."
He had no idea why, but maybe it was his looks.
He'd always been popular with older women.
Close ones like Miss Mira and Mrs. Kasumi, or farther-flung ones like Auntie Kaizuki and Sayako back in the countryside.
And Aso Miyuri—despite her loli build—had eyed him hungrily from the first time they met.
She'd even tried tempting him with free rent in exchange for sleeping with her. Luckily, Rai Hikaru had held firm to his principles.
He couldn't just eat this kind of undignified free meal!
Well, mainly, his tastes ran toward older types—like Miss Mira, mature and voluptuous beauties. A petite loli like Aso Miyuri, even a legal one, just felt off to him.
But above all… before the system activated, Rai Hikaru had already been naturally gifted, packing serious heat.
Now, with his physique skyrocketing post-system, it was on another level entirely.
He was genuinely afraid that one slip-up might straight-up wreck this legal loli.
So even though Aso Miyuri was cute and it'd save on rent, a real man didn't take handouts like that—and knocking her up would be a nightmare to deal with.
No thanks.
Not the soft rice of Miss Mira's brand? Pass.
Hearing his refusal, Aso Miyuri puffed out her cheeks in that adorable way, then sighed.
"Fiiine. If you don't want to, Auntie won't force you. I'm not hurting for cash anyway. You can pay a few days late if you need—just try to get it to me within three days, okay～?"
"Got it. Three days for sure," Rai Hikaru promised, then ended the call.
"No clue when Miss Yuki-onna will pay me back. Those savings were from holiday jobs I saved up specifically for rent. Now I'm pretty much broke."
"I could just ask Miss Mira for money—she'd hand it over no questions asked."
"But how could I keep eating soft rice? Miss Mira's is delicious, sure, but a man's gotta stand on his own two feet."
"A real man born under heaven—how could he linger in anyone's shadow forever?"
"She's not my foster dad, she's my foster mom, but I still can't mooch off her forever!"
"With my physique and stamina way beyond normal now, grabbing a part-time gig should be easy. Time to make some cash."
Rai Hikaru mulled it over and decided to ask the ever-reliable, do-it-all Miss Mira to hook him up with a part-time job.
Otherwise, all this overflowing energy had nowhere to go.
He glanced up toward her room—lights off.
Then toward the bathroom. Sure enough, Miss Mira was in there bathing. She had a habit of taking hours sometimes.
"Miss Mira," he called casually. "Could you wrap up a little quicker tonight? I've got something to talk about."
A voice floated back from the bathroom almost immediately.
"Come in."
Hearing her reply so fast—and invite him inside—Rai Hikaru figured she probably hadn't started washing yet. Better get in, say his piece, and get out quick.
He pushed open the bathroom door and stepped in.
But the moment he did, he froze.
Clothes, skirts, underwear, and panties lay scattered haphazardly across the floor.
A graceful, alluring naked body reclined in the full bathtub.
Bubbles covered the water completely, hiding everything except a faint, misty outline.
But even that outline alone made Rai Hikaru suck in a sharp breath.
"Sorry, Miss Mira. I'll head out," he said quickly.
At his words, a splash echoed from the tub.
The Mira who had been lounging in the water suddenly sat up.
Most of her stayed shrouded in foam, but the northern hemisphere of her chest burst free.
She brushed her wet hair back with one hand and turned to him.
"What did you need to tell me, Hikaru-chan?"
Rai Hikaru swallowed hard despite himself, forcing his eyes to the ceiling.
"You're bathing, Miss Mira. I'll wait till you're done."
But Mira sounded almost panicked at that.
"Hey, now! You're already here—why go back out?"
"Hurry over here and scrub my back for me. It's so itchy, and I can't reach. It's driving me crazy."
With that, she leaned back against the edge of the tub, turning to present her back to him.
That smooth, flawless expanse of jade—like the finest cream—shone under the light.
Rai Hikaru hesitated.
"Hikaru-chan, what are you dawdling for?" Mira urged. "When you were little, you used to beg to bathe with me every day. You'd scrub Auntie's back all the time, and I'd scrub yours. You forget all that?"
"Quit stalling and come on. Auntie's back itches like hell!"
After her repeated prodding, Rai Hikaru had no choice. He walked over and slowly crouched by the tub.
The warm steam rising in the bathroom made his face heat up—and other things swell against his will.