[MHCISQD] Chapter 340: A Bit Too Fast?

After tidying up the mess on the dining table with Yuriko, Renault carried the now babbling Mikoto upstairs.

Mikumo was a bit fuzzy but still okay, with Yuriko supporting her, she managed to walk.

Though they had only drunk fruit wine, it still had a bit of an aftereffect. It was Mikumo's first time drinking, so reaching this level was already impressive. At least Mikoto had a good alcohol tolerance; she could talk without slurring and taking care of her wasn't too hard.

Bringing Mikoto back to her room and placing her on the bed, Renault fetched a basin of warm water and gently wiped her face before covering her with a blanket.

Standing by the windowsill, Renault gazed at the night view outside and let out a slow sigh.

"Another year has passed; time flies so fast."

If the past ten years were relatively peaceful, then this year, Renault had experienced a lot—very much so.

"Hahh, the first day of the new year, and yet no fireworks to celebrate. We'll have to wait for the summer fireworks festival."

Shaking his head, Renault quietly grabbed fresh clothes and went downstairs to take a shower.

However, just a few minutes into the shower, the bathroom door swung open.

Rubbing off the shampoo foam, Renault turned to look at the door.

"Mikumo?"

Renault had expected it to be Mikoto waking up, but to his surprise, it was Mikumo who showed up.

Mikumo was wrapped in just a towel, her smooth skin slightly flushed, possibly from the alcohol or something else.

"Yuriko's in the shower upstairs, so I came down to wash," blushing, Mikumo approached Renault and crouched down slowly.

"Let me help you wash your back."

With the girl going this far, how could Renault not understand what she intended to do?

"Isn't this a bit too fast?"

Mikumo didn't answer and started rinsing off the foam from Renault's hair. Then she took a towel and gently wiped his back.

After a couple of wipes, Mikumo finally spoke, "Renault, I'm really grateful for the life you've given me. After I escaped and you saved me, I felt like I was reborn. And now, with the new year, it's a fresh start. Renault, will you continue to stay by my side in the days to come?"

"...Do I even need to say it? We're family, aren't we?"

Turning around, Renault looked at Mikumo, her forehead and hair tips wet with water, and smiled.

"Yeah!" Mikumo nodded firmly and blushed, asking Renault to turn around again, so she could continue washing his back.

Though Renault wouldn't use Vector Manipulation to keep dust away forever, he was still relatively clean. After Mikumo's simple wipe, he went to take a bath.

The bathtub in the house was large, and Renault leaned back, watching Mikumo rinsing herself.

Her short towel couldn't cover much at this point.

And after that, the next course of action was obvious and quite straightforward.

However, it was Renault's first time experiencing sex activity in the bathroom, and he found it quite enjoyable. Besides, he could always wash up again afterward.

By the time everything was done, it was already past one o'clock.

Renault held Mikumo, who was now wearing a nightgown, and they returned to her room, where the two of them embraced each other as they fell asleep.

Early the next morning, despite feeling tired, Renault got up because they were going to participate in the new year's first shrine visit.

"How are you feeling?" Renault sat by the bedside, watching Mikumo slowly getting dressed, and asked.

"My body is okay. Normal walking is no problem, and besides, we're taking a taxi, so it won't be too tiring." Mikumo replied, putting on some clothes quickly, eager not to miss today's activities.

As they left the room, Yuriko was already awake.

When the siblings saw each other, Yuriko glanced at Renault coming out of Mikumo's room and then back at him. She didn't tease him, saying, "It's not that early. Let's see if Mikoto is up."

Inside the room, Mikoto was already awake, but due to drinking too much last night, she was struggling in bed.

"I feel terrible..." Mikoto groaned.

"I told you not to drink so much, but you never listen," Renault said, looking at Mikoto rolling around in bed helplessly.

"I didn't want to, but that fruit wine was just too delicious!" Mikoto defended herself as she finally got up.

Seeing Renault, who was already dressed neatly, Mikoto thought for a moment and asked, "Where did you sleep last night?"

"...I was in Mikumo's room."

Renault didn't hide the truth.

Mikoto nodded and then snorted, driving Renault out of the room.

"I'll go freshen up, you go prepare breakfast!"

Was she letting him off the hook?

Renault stood at the room's doorway, shrugged, and coincidentally saw Mikumo, who had finished washing up.

Meeting Mikumo's puzzled gaze, Renault walked over and confidently took her hand, leading her downstairs.

After breakfast, the three of them went upstairs to change into the new kimonos they had bought, and they also carefully styled their long hair.

Just as they finished, Tabigake and Misuzu, the two couples, arrived. They weren't going out with Renault's group, but they came to give new year's money.

"Here you go, everyone. Happy New Year!" Misuzu smiled as she handed each person a red envelope.

After the two couples finished handing out their envelopes, Renault also took out three red envelopes and gave them to Mikoto, Yuriko, and Mikumo. As the head of the family, he felt obligated to do so.

So, apart from Renault, the three girls each received double the amount in their red envelopes.

The Misaka couple decided not to join the shrine visit; they planned to relax and wander around during the holiday, avoiding crowded places like the shrine. They entrusted Renault's group to make safe decisions.

They got into a pre-arranged taxi and headed straight to their destination—the shrine.

Although the best time would have been in the early hours of the morning, they had no plans to come out so late at night, especially after having drinks.

However, this morning, many people, not just Renault's family, would be visiting the shrine, including many of their classmates who had agreed on a time and place in the class chat group to go for the new year's first shrine visit together.