C8 The Early Morning of the Weekend

Lin Mu, having settled into his new life in the other world, realized that fundamentally, the pace wasn't much different from his old life in the Celestial Empire—both were equally brisk.

Lately, his routine involved accompanying Shido to school each morning, attending classes until noon, and enjoying a convenience store lunchbox during the break. After two afternoon classes, he'd work at a coffee shop, and then head over to Shido's place for dinner. Often, Lin Mu would contribute ingredients or bring some cakes from the coffee shop as gifts for Shido and Itsuka.

This daily rhythm, still fresh and exciting for Lin Mu, was something he relished.

Before he knew it, the weekend had arrived—the first since his arrival in this alternate world! Keeping up with the good habits from the Great Celestial Empire, Lin Mu had partied hard the night before, staying up until the wee hours, which is why he was still fast asleep past eight in the morning.

Meanwhile, at Shido's house, Shido was bustling about in the kitchen when he called out to Itsuka, who was engrossed in the video game Lin Mu had given her. "Itsuka, could you go next door and wake Mu up for breakfast?"

Upon hearing Shido's request, Itsuka set down her controller, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Oh! Got it!"

With a confident gleam in her eye and her fighting spirit palpable, Itsuka boasted, "Humph! I've been perfecting this combo all morning. This time, I'm sure to beat him!"

It's worth noting that Lin Mu and Itsuka's friendship had grown significantly over the past few days, largely thanks to the game console—and more specifically, the mysterious game USB within it—that Itsuka was so fond of.

With a spring in her step, Itsuka dashed up the stairs and into Shido's room on the second floor.

Pushing the window open, she was greeted by the sight of the morning's golden sunlight bathing Lin Mu. His white hair and serene expression in sleep made him look like an intricately crafted doll, just a couple of meters away through the adjacent open window.

If any other girl had witnessed such a scene, she'd surely have been swooning by now. But Itsuka was no ordinary girl...

Perched on the windowsill, Itsuka leapt with all her might, her slight figure deftly slipping through the window into Lin Mu's room. Her small feet, clad only in black thigh-high stockings, landed squarely on Lin Mu's stomach.

Later, while Shido was ladling out miso soup in his kitchen, he heard Lin Mu's distant screams.

"Puff! Ah!"

A bead of cold sweat involuntarily formed on Shido's forehead. The sound of Lin Mu's cries brought back some less than pleasant memories concerning their sibling relationship.

"It was my idea to send Itsuka to wake Mu... My mistake, but it wasn't intentional! I never meant for us to get into trouble together..." Shido silently chastised himself as he set the breakfast table, deliberately placing the largest fried egg on Lin Mu's plate. What could Shido possibly have up his sleeve? He simply wanted his dear friend to enjoy an extra-large egg...

In Lin Mu's room.

Lin Mu was a mix of despair and excitement.

Itsuka was sprawled across his chest, her face flushed, her beautiful red eyes misty with unshed tears.

Lin Mu winced in pain, his mouth twitching involuntarily due to the bizarre situation, giving him an odd expression.

Rewind thirty seconds.

Itsuka executed the plan perfectly, landing on Lin Mu's stomach. But she hadn't anticipated his arm being there. She slipped, collapsing onto Lin Mu. In that instant, their lips were mere centimeters apart! Luckily, Lin Mu reacted with lightning speed, one hand securing Itsuka's waist to keep her from tumbling off the bed, the other hand placed between their lips.

Otherwise, Lin Mu's first kiss would have been history...

"Uh... this is awkward. Before we get into why you're suddenly in my bed, Itsuka, could you... let me get up?" Lin Mu, despite the sharp pain in his stomach from the impact, tried to alleviate the awkwardness by breaking the silence.

"Um... twisted... twisted my ankle..."

Itsuka's voice was barely a whisper, but in their close proximity, Lin Mu heard her clearly and couldn't help but facepalm and sigh.

Lin Mu wrapped his arms around Itsuka, prompting her to struggle fiercely and cry out, "Pervert! Let go of me!"

With a look of inner turmoil, Lin Mu didn't release Itsuka. Instead, he flipped her over, gently laying her on his bed.

Only after that did Lin Mu let go and yawned as he sat up.

Itsuka, still on the bed, was visibly taken aback by Lin Mu's actions. She had just mentioned her sprained ankle when he embraced her, and she had thought it was because he saw an opportunity to take advantage of her vulnerability.

Lin Mu swung his legs off the bed, slipped into his slippers, and looked over at Itsuka, who was huddled up, her cheeks flushed. He shook his head with a resigned sigh.

"Ah, which foot is it that you sprained?"

"This one..." Itsuka instinctively pointed to her right foot in response to Lin Mu's inquiry.

Lin Mu then placed his hands on Itsuka's thighs and peeled off the stocking from her right leg, revealing her pale, smooth skin, delicate calves, and dainty feet, as exquisite as carved jade.

This prompted Itsuka to gasp in alarm, "Ah! What... what are you doing?"

Lin Mu rolled his eyes, "Relax, I have zero interest in a junior high schooler who's yet to show any signs of development."

Lin Mu's comment brought Itsuka a measure of relief, but it also irked her. She pouted and protested, her face turning even redder, "I am developing, you know!"

Lin Mu remained silent, glancing at Itsuka's flat chest and giving a teasing click of his tongue...

Understanding Lin Mu's implication, Itsuka grew upset. She crossed her arms over her chest, huffed, and turned her head away, deciding to ignore Lin Mu. She had a hunch about why he had removed her stocking.

Amused, Lin Mu shook his head and turned to retrieve a bottle of liniment from the nearby bookshelf. He poured some into his hand and warmed it between his palms before approaching the bed and placing his hands on Itsuka's ankle. Despite being braced for it, the cool sensation made her shiver slightly.

"Is it here?"

"Mhm..." Itsuka murmured, her cheeks aflame. Then, it dawned on her that she had just resolved to disregard this infuriating guy, yet she had caved in under thirty seconds. Now, Itsuka was even less pleased.

Lin Mu's deft touch quickly dispelled Itsuka's gloom. After a short massage, Itsuka found her ankle pain had all but vanished.

Lin Mu withdrew his hands and inquired, "How's it feeling now?"

Blinking her large eyes, Itsuka sat up and flexed her right ankle. Her face lit up with joy as she exclaimed, "Eh!? It's really not hurting anymore!"

With a smug grin, Lin Mu boasted, "Naturally. Who do you think you're dealing with?"

Itsuka pouted, reluctant to inflate the ego of the smug figure before her, yet she couldn't deny his skill. Her curiosity piqued, she asked, "So how come you're so good at this?"

The question wiped the smile off Lin Mu's face, and a touch of melancholy crept into his grin. "Ah, well, with enough practice, you eventually pick up the tricks of the trade."