Chapter 26

"Damn, I can't concentrate on the online game..."

It was a day off. I was playing in the black plain, but my hands stopped as I thought about Rinka at school. I couldn't get into the game, so I logged out and leaned back in my chair.

I wonder what's up with Rinka. She suddenly came to school wearing a blonde wig...

While I was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought, a message came to my phone. It was from Rinka. She said, "Can I come to Wato-kun's house now? I have some free time until noon."

I replied, "Sure, I'll wait for you." Soon, the doorbell rang.

I went to the entrance and invited Rinka, who was waiting outside, inside.

As expected, her hair was still blonde. She was still wearing the wig...!

We naturally moved to my room and faced each other.

"Rinka, my dear wife seems to be lonely."

"O, oh...?"

What's she suddenly saying? Rinka maintained a serious expression, staring up at me.

"You're not reacting well... Yes, yes, I am a lady."

"Hey, Rinka, what's really going on—"

"Massage my shoulders."

"Huh?"

"Massage my shoulders. As a lady, you must feel bliss when ordered to do so, right?"

No, that's not true at all. I just wonder what's up with Rinka because it's her. If someone I'm not that close to said that, I'd probably think, "Should I slap this guy?"

"Okay, Wato-kun."

Rinka sat in a chair, turned around, and showed me her back. ...So, Rinka must be tired. She might be acting like a lady to get me to massage her and relieve her fatigue. Thinking about it, it makes some sense. It's also like Rinka to not be able to be honest and rely on someone... I guess. I'm not sure, though.

I placed my hands on Rinka's shoulders and gently massaged them. They were soft. When I pressed harder, my fingers sank in.

"A—n, h... n!"

"..."

"I... h, stop... n!"

The more I massaged, the more Rinka let out strangely seductive sounds. It made me feel weird.

I continued to massage her shoulders, paying attention to the strength of my hands based on Rinka's voice. After about ten minutes,

"My throat is dry. Bring me a drink."

"..."

"Okay."

I couldn't resist Rinka, who flicked her hair in a ladylike manner. I went to the living room, poured orange juice into a glass, and returned to Rinka. I remember that orange juice was one of Rinka's favorite drinks, according to the official website of Star☆Mains.

"Rinka, I brought it."

"Hmph, thank you. You must be happy to work for me. Say thank you."

"Hey, you don't have to be so arrogant just because you're a lady, you know?"

"......Huh? Isn't a lady supposed to be that kind of character?"

"Um... well, it depends on the lady, but at least Asakawa isn't like that."

"That's true. I, I'm not trying to emulate Ayane, but it was helpful to know."

Rinka flicked her hair more dramatically than before. Even that gesture felt staged and off. After finishing the orange juice, Rinka made another request.

"Next... Ah, pat my head."

"Is this okay?"

I patted Rinka's head as she asked. I didn't feel nervous; it felt more like I was playing along with a child's game.

"......It's a bit awkward through the wig."

Rinka, who was being patted on the head by me, muttered with a slightly dissatisfied look. I see.

Rinka stood up from the chair, opened her mouth to say something, closed it, and then opened it again. She was opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish. She seemed quite hesitant. She must be about to make a strange request.

"Anything is fine. Just tell me."

If I can do it, I want to help Rinka. I said it gently, thinking that way.

"E, eh... Well, then... Can you give me a hug?"

"A hug, huh?"

"We are husband and wife, so a hug isn't strange... But... Just do it!"

Rinka, with a bright red face, pushed her request through with a ladylike tone.

I was also feeling quite embarrassed, but I felt I shouldn't refuse.

As I felt my heartbeat quicken, I slowly approached Rinka. Rinka, apparently sensing the moment, closed her eyes tightly. ...It's not a kiss, though.

I wrapped my arms around Rinka's slender back, hugging her gently. A mysterious, cute cry of "hgyu" came from her.

"O, oh, being hugged by my husband... Ah, this is happiness...! I have no regrets now."

"That's a bit exaggerated..."

"I felt good for the first time being a lady character..."

"...If you had asked me, I would have done it even if you were your usual self."

"......Really?"

"Of course."

"......"

Rinka fell silent and leaned into me. I wondered what she was anxious and worried about. One possible guess was that she might have misunderstood that Asakawa and I were getting close. It was absolutely impossible, but...

That evening, I suddenly received a message from Rinka.

"Help me, Wato-kun"——

☆

I was startled when I saw the message from Rinka. Asking for help was a serious emergency. I was worried and decided to ask for more details.

It turned out she had a fever. Since it was Saturday, she didn't need to go to school, and miraculously, she had no idol-related activities the next day. She planned to rest today and tomorrow. The reason she sent me a message asking for help was that, in her dazed state, she wanted to cling to her husband.

"Should I visit tomorrow..."

It was already late at night, so it was better not to go today. I decided to visit Rinka's house in the morning.

☆

"Hey, Wato-senpai. Are you visiting Rinka-senpai?"

As I walked through the building where Rinka lived, I encountered Asakawa near the stairs. We climbed the stairs together, and she explained that she had also come to visit Rinka. The other members of Star☆Mains couldn't come due to work, and Asakawa had plans after noon.

"Rinka-senpai has been acting strange recently... I was worried something might happen."

"She came to school wearing a blonde wig."

"That's not all. She yawned several times during lessons. That's not like Rinka-senpai. She's always the most serious...!"

"Sorry, it might be my fault. Rinka has been staying up late playing online games recently... I tried to stop her, but she wanted to play, so I've been staying up with her every day."

"Hmm... That's why. Even with a busy schedule, staying up late playing online games will make you sick."

Asakawa pressed her eyebrows together in exasperation and sighed loudly. I felt awkward and guilty. I should have tried to stop Rinka's behavior.

We talked as we walked and arrived at Rinka's house. Asakawa pressed the doorbell, and Kaho's voice came through. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Kaho appeared with a troubled look.

"Ah, thank you for coming, both of you. Rinka will be happy."

"No, no, it's only natural to visit a respected senpai who is unwell. Nana-senpai and the others are also worried."

"Her fever has gone down to a low-grade fever, so I think she'll be fine. Come in, come in. Wato-Boy too."

We were invited in by Kaho and stepped into the house. I naturally took the lead and walked to Rinka's room. I opened the door and peeked inside. Rinka was lying in bed, and Nana-chan was sitting beside her, looking worried. Rinka's hair wasn't blonde; she wasn't wearing the wig.

"Rinka, are you okay?"

"A—Wato-kun."

"Kazuto-nii-chan is here—"

Nana-chan quickly stood up and trotted over to me. She's so cute... I thought, but the concern for Rinka, who was lying in bed with a cold pack on her forehead, quickly filled my heart.

"I heard her fever has gone down to a low-grade fever... but your face is still red."

"That's true... Seeing my husband makes me happy and excited."

She seemed to have the energy to make a joke. I gently patted Nana-chan's head and then walked over to Rinka, sitting on the floor beside her. When Rinka tried to sit up, I told her to stay as she was.

"Maybe I've been pushing myself too hard... I've been cutting down on my sleep..."

"I should have stopped you. I'm sorry."

"No, Wato-kun isn't to blame. But... can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you hold my hand...?"

Her voice was weak, and her breath, mixed with fever, confirmed her condition. I had no intention of refusing. I gently took Rinka's right hand, which had been slipped out from under the blanket. It felt warm, perhaps due to her fever.

"Thank you, Wato-kun... It makes me feel much better."

Rinka smiled softly, but the next moment, her smile turned into a look of anxiety.

"A, Ayane—!"

"Rinka-senpai...?"

Rinka, who had noticed Asakawa standing at the door, suddenly sat up with incredible speed, despite her illness.

"My husband... brought his mistress to visit... Ah...!"

"Mistress? Mistress!? What are you saying, Rinka-senpai!?"

"You've been secretly meeting recently. In the old school building... I saw it."

"“What—”"

It seemed Asakawa and I had been seen talking in secret. While there was nothing to be ashamed of, the pieces fell into place, and I understood why Rinka had been acting strangely.

"Could it be that you thought Asakawa was my mistress... and were trying to compete with her?"

"......Yes, that's right. Ayane is cute, so it's understandable... But I couldn't accept it. She's an important junior, so I didn't want to confront her... So, I decided to monopolize Wato-kun's attention."

"That's a huge misunderstanding... Asakawa and I haven't done anything."

"Lies. You two... talked about all sorts of things."

"Rinka-senpai, Asakawa and I haven't done anything. I was trying to test Wato-senpai's character."

"Test my character? What do you mean?"

"Rinka-senpai is afraid of men. Yet, you call Wato-senpai your husband and act like a wife... I thought it was either because he had a hold over you or had brainwashed you."

"So you approached Wato-kun to