My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Revealing a look that is almost never seen by others—at most, only by family or boyfriends/girlfriends.

It must take considerable courage for someone to openly and confidently show me this side of themselves. In that case, I should respond with both courage and reason.

Do you wear a bra when you wear pajamas?

These questions, which reflexively surface in my mind, will be sealed away for now, much like how one deals with pests.

"...Don't give me that."

"Hmph! I thought so too. You didn't even dare to do anything back in junior high."

"Why are you being so long-winded..."

I knelt on one knee on the bed and lifted the quilt.

"Go in."

"...Should I sleep against the wall?"

"Is it not possible?"

"No, that's true, it's okay."

After the girl twisted her body and crawled into the quilt, I was a beat slow to realize—if something happened while I was sleeping by the wall, wouldn't I be unable to escape?

...Well, anyway, there won't be any "what ifs", so it doesn't matter.

I also crawled into bed and turned off the lights with the remote.

After my vision went completely dark, the sound of breathing that seemed to be right next to my ear and the warmth of my body behind me became everything.

I naturally distanced myself, but almost fell off the bed.

So I stepped back a little, but when my butt touched something soft and elastic, it jumped up in fright and ran away.

The range of motion our legs could move was extremely limited. Even a slight movement backward would cause us to bump into something resembling a smooth calf. Each time, we would quickly dodge, only to bump into it again and dodge again—after several repetitions, we all gave up.

We touched each other's ankles.

I ignored her, so she moved aside and put her own foot on top of mine.

I didn't want to put up with it, so I moved the distance between us even further. But she continued to go against me, stretching her legs over and clamping my feet between them.

Seeking liberation, I poked the back of her foot with my big toe, and she retaliated with her big toe as well. First, she slowly slid it along the back of my foot, then forced it between my big and second toes. It hurt. I tightened my grip with my toes, holding her big toe firmly.

Finally, she reached out her hand.

Perhaps still considering what to do, that hand kept pushing against my back, and I grabbed it with my left hand and pushed it back.

Slender fingers push, pinch, and glide against each other—finally, they stop at the point where their finger grooves interlock.

—The sound of strong winds howling came from afar.

Today, Dad and Aunt Youren are unable to return due to physical obstacles.

So──

At this moment.

No matter what we do...

—Unlike usual, there's no chance that Dad and the others will find out.

What am I thinking?

What can we do right now? Just sleep, nothing else.

Because, that's right, for us, a bed is a piece of furniture with only one purpose.

What other uses...?

No matter how hard you search, you can't find it.

So now, with just the two of us in the house, and for several hours all night long, there's absolutely no need to consider the assumption that no one will come to disturb us.

A pair of arms hugged my body tightly from behind.

"...!"

I was astonished to confirm the sensation.

The hand reached under my armpit from behind and grabbed my chest.

The soft touch pressed against my shoulder blade through the thin fabric.

Then, a damp breath fell on the back of my neck.

No...it can't be right?

You warned me not to do that, didn't you?

You provoked me so much, yet you—

Thump thump thump, the annoying sound of my heartbeat drilled into my ears.

That might be my heartbeat—or it might be the sound coming from her chest pressed against my back.

Ah, that's not right.

No.

I must restrain myself.

I tried to reach out and press my hand against my left breast, but her hand was already there.

Therefore, I have no other options.

I turned around—

"—Hey, I'm telling you…"

Just then, I heard a trembling, frightened voice coming from near the back of my neck.

……Uh-huh?

"Just now...did you hear anything...?"

"...Huh?"

I quieted down and listened attentively.

—Shh.

"!"

The brain temperature dropped rapidly to zero degrees Celsius.

My heart beats faster for various reasons.

Could it be that... the seal wasn't complete enough?

"Turn on the lights! Turn on the lights!"

"I know……!"

I turned on the light using the remote control that was next to my pillow.

Then, his gaze quickly swept across the entire room and he was shocked to find a dark figure standing among the piles of books on the floor!

“Wow!”

"Ah ah!"

We yanked the quilt off.

What a despicable thing! It actually broke through the seal and came here!

"Insecticide! Insecticide!"

The girl clung to my back, yelling. "Ouch, this makes it so hard for me to move! Don't you have any fighting spirit at all? Fight!"

Fortunately, I had prepared for any eventuality and brought a spray insecticide with me. There are a lot of things in this room—once you lose it, it'll be hard to find again.

"...We have no choice but to do it...we'll start right here...!"

I gripped the spray can and got out of bed.

To avoid provoking it, I approached it cautiously and stealthily...

Unexpectedly.

Could this thing have a killer instinct sensor? The instant my finger touched the button, it shot out with terrifying burst force!

"Where do you think you're going!"

This is the highest level of reflection speed I have ever experienced in my life.

I immediately aimed my crosshair at the guy's path and sprayed insecticide. My flick-sniping skills, comparable to those of a professional player, accurately caught sight of his dark body, instantly immobilizing him.

After it stopped moving, I continued to spray it vigorously with the sprayer.

"How disgusting...it's not dead yet..."

This is awful. I really can't handle it.

Driven by an overwhelming sense of physical aversion, I became somewhat like a high school girl, while simultaneously killing it until it was completely still and utterly dead.

The villains probably feel the same way when facing a protagonist who gets back up no matter how many times they're slaughtered. No wonder they can't help but utter a few trash words.

After the spraying lasted for several tens of seconds, Jie asked me timidly from behind:

"...Is he/she dead?"

"He's probably dead..."

I'm afraid if I say too much, it will come back to life. What kind of creature is this? Is it a shape-shifting leader?

It's good that he was killed, but you can't just leave the body there.

I covered it with toilet paper to hide its appearance, just like I would a human corpse, then swept it up with a broom and sealed it in layers of plastic bags.

This time it's truly foolproof.

"……well……"

Seeing that I had tied the plastic bag tightly, Jie Nu let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Hey you, aren't you going to help me out even a little bit...?"

"...It won't really happen. I guess this is the only time I'll ask you for a favor."

"You think I'm a cockroach exterminator?"

After I let out a deep sigh, Jie Nu looked embarrassed and murmured softly:

"……Thanks."

"You're speaking too slowly."

"People are thanking you and you're being picky! Who acts like that?!"

Ha! I scoff at that.

Jie pouted defiantly and got off my bed, which she had used as a fortress.

"Now that he's gone, I have no reason to stay in this room. I just need to air out my room—"

"...Is there a typhoon?"

"........."

The wind and rain lashed against the windows.

Once the windows are opened, a large amount of rainwater will flood the room instead of the pervasive insecticide. And that's the room with so many books.

"Besides, they say if you see one, there are thirty more—I want to thoroughly clean that room."

"...Then..."

The woman turned her head away and said:

"There's no other way...so today..."

"What about 'thank you'?"

"You're so annoying! You should feel honored!"

The rain and wind stopped.