Da-da-da, da-

Naruse tapped on the keyboard and replied to the in-game messages.

After communicating with his former friend for a while, the other party went offline to rest, and he also took his hands off the keyboard and leaned back.

The casual gaze unconsciously fell on the white and tender feet on the side.

I didn't wear socks, and my pajama pants were just a little above my ankles.

With their feet on top of each other, they stepped on the edge of the chair and rubbed against each other from time to time due to the cold of the night, generating heat.

"There's news." Starfish said suddenly.

“……”

Naruse looked at the game again, clicked on the newly received message, and replied casually, rejecting the other party's invitation to form a team.

"Aren't you going?" She also saw what he replied.

"Hmm."

"Why?"

"Because it's more difficult for them to get a copy, even if the whole process goes well, it will take at least more than an hour."

"More than an hour? It's all this time......"

"It's early for them."

"What is a copy?"

"Hmm...... It's the place to challenge monsters and get rewards. ”

"Oh." The starfish folded her legs, leaned back in her chair, and continued to watch.

"Aren't you sleepy?"

"Hmm."

Naruse didn't say anything and continued to do the task.

This is probably the only part that Starfish can read, just to take care of her reading speed a little.

"If it's so urgent, why can't he send things over himself?"

"Because as I said earlier, he must stay and guard the city gates, and he cannot leave his post without permission."

"Did you say that?"

"Hmm."

He had almost mastered how quickly she could accept text messages, clicked the mouse every few seconds to keep the conversation going, and finally clicked confirm, accepting the most common errand task.

Control your character as he runs across the land of another world, from one place to another and the next, repeating that one mission ends with another.

Before you know it, the time has passed midnight, and the speed of flow seems to have become faster in the uninterrupted sound of the keyboard.

The night is getting deeper and deeper, and the starfish are talking less and less.

At one point, Naruse turned her head to take a look, only to realize that she was leaning back in a chair with her legs folded, and her eyes were closed.

“……”

He sighed.

"Starfish."

She opened her eyes suddenly.

"I'm going to sleep."

"Huh? …… Oh...... Isn't the mission still unfinished? She said, looking at the screen.

"It's going to be done in a moment."

"Then I'll wait until you're done...... I want to see what the end result is. ”

"You didn't even see the beginning, it's not the same mission as before."

"See! I was still awake at that time......"

"It's just an ordinary commission."

Naruse controls the character to speed up and run forward, trying to complete the last two ring tasks as soon as possible.

"Many missions are like this, although the plot is long, it has no connotation, and it is just a means to maintain online time......"

The starfish was silent again.

He turned her head, and she shook her head and closed her eyes again.

“…… Starfish. ”

"Ahh She woke up suddenly, and her body fell uncontrollably to the other side.

"Hey ......"

Naruse hurriedly reached out and grabbed her arm, but she was already out of balance with a chair, and she couldn't pull people, but suffered from it.

Bang Dang!

The chair fell to the ground, and neither of them was spared.

“……”

The starfish closed its eyes tightly and shrunk into a ball.

She was more frightened than the pain of falling to the ground.

When she opened her eyes again, Naruse crouched in her chair, clutching the position between her chest and abdomen and humming.

“……”

The chair hit the bone.

No amount of sleepiness disappeared at this time, and the starfish hurriedly got up, a little at a loss.

"I'm sorry ......"

She crawled over, not knowing what to do.

Arise endured the pain, looked up and waved at her, telling her to hurry back to sleep.

"I'm sorry, I ......"

"-If you don't go back, I'll let you knock too."

She looked at him and nodded slowly.

"If it makes you feel better......"

Naruse was dumbfounded.

“…… バカ。 ”（ba ka）

The pain was unbearable, and he fell back into his chair.

"How can there be a fool like you...... Hiss ......"

Starfish didn't speak, moved his knees a little closer.

The strong guilt makes her now beat and scold, and she will never talk back, although he will not do anything to her.

She looked out of the room again, and wondered if the loud movement of the chair falling had woken up the others.

She was suddenly a little scared of either Naoko and Matsu Chiaki.

Fortunately, none of them were woken up.

After lying on the chair for a while, the sharp pain in his chest and abdomen finally eased, and Naruse slowly raised his body again.

Starfish knelt next to him, biting her lip and looking at him.

“…… Wouldn't it be okay if you went to bed earlier? ”

"I'm sorry ......"

Seeing that his face was still a little painful, Starfish tentatively stretched out his little hand again and touched his chest.

“……”

Although she didn't want to admit it, as her attention shifted, the pain seemed to lessen a lot, and Naruse acquiesced to her actions.

His silence was no different from encouragement to her, and Starfish moved her legs again, leaning closer, her palms caressing down.

"Is this the ......?"

"That is, the place where the ribs on both sides hit is more painful......"

Naruse looked down at her slowly moving little hand, "You better go back, I'll be fine after a rest." ”

Starfish lowered his head as if he didn't hear it, and continued to caress between his chest and abdomen with his palms through his pajamas.

"Is this the ......?"

“……”

"Here?"

“…… Well. ”

She was cautious, while the palms were soft and warm, covered, caressed.

He looked down at her hand, the pain hadn't gone away, it had just lost its warning meaning of self-preservation.

"Is it the same over here?"

"Hmm."

She gently stroked the ribs on either side of his chest and abdomen, repeating the movements that she didn't know how much she actually meant.

In the silence, she leaned closer.

"Somewhere else...... It doesn't matter. ”

Noticing that his pain seemed to subside, she looked elsewhere.

With his hands up, each on one side, he caressed his strong chest, then his collarbone, and his shoulders.

“……”

Seeing the inexplicable smile on the corner of her mouth, Naruse still couldn't hold back.

"What are you doing?"

“…… Yes. ”

The starfish came to his senses in an instant, his face flushed, and his hands returned to their original positions.

"I'm fine."

Naruse looked to the side, her transgression came from his acquiescence, but it was more than just comfort.

"Hmmm......"

The starfish let go of his hands with some reluctance.

"Is it really okay?"

"It's not like you'll be fine with a few touches."

Naruse pressed on the most obvious pain, and although it still hurt a little, it was not as obvious as it was just now.

“…… I'm sorry. The starfish lowered her head again.

"Go back to sleep."

"Hmmm......"

After kneeling for a long time, her legs were already numb, and as soon as she got up, her legs were weak again, and she fell directly on his body.

Naruse was caught off guard and was directly pushed to the ground, his head smashing on the floor with a muffled sound.

“……”

He opened his mouth and looked at the ceiling.

The starfish was ashamed, and they wanted to die.

"I'm sorry ......"

Feeling the coldness in his back, the pain in the back of his head, and the hand she was slowly reaching under his head, Naruse's eyes closed.

"That's enough...... Hurry up and get out of my room. ”

“……”

The starfish didn't dare to stay any longer, stumbled to his feet, and fled back to his room.

Looking at the open door, Naruse lay on the cold floor for a few more moments before sitting up.

After touching the back of his head, he subconsciously looked at his palm again.

Fortunately, there was no such situation of blood in one hand......

"It hurts......"

He got up, sat at the end of the bed for a while, picked up the chair that had fallen to the ground, and sat down.

Pain is a warning from the body.

It may also be a warning to something other than the body, even if it is something unseen.

For example, the distance of re-narrowing, as well as connivance and acquiescence.

“…… Deserve. ”

Taking a deep breath, Naruse stood up and moved his limbs slightly.

"It hurts, it hurts...... It's really not good to get too close to her. ”

Moving the chair back to the dining room, he returned to his room, turned off his computer, and fell asleep.

(End of chapter)