After stopping and walking along the way, the two finally returned home.
In the distance, they saw a figure.
Under the orange light, Sayuri Sawamura was waiting quietly at the door.
Seeing the two of them, the woman couldn't help but lower her eyes softly, her eyes were very gentle.
"Welcome back~ you two."
"Mother--?"
Yinglili exclaimed: "Why are you here??"
"I want to say that it's almost time for you to come back, so I'll greet you at the door, but Yinglili..."
Sayuri Sawamura said reproachfully: "You are such a kid, how can you ask Kato-kun to carry you? You can't bully others like this?"
"Well, that's what he has to carry on his own, and I didn't force him..." Ying Lili muttered in a low voice with a slightly red face, refusing to look directly at her mother's face.
"Ah, is that so? Kato-kun."
After hearing her words, Sayuri Sawamura tilted her head and looked aside with questioning eyes.
"Aunt Sayuri..."
Kato Yusuke nodded slightly in greeting, and when he was about to explain Eiri's foot injury, the other party spoke before him.
"Mom, where are Shinjo-san and the others?"
"The two children went to take a bath."
"That's it, then I'll go find them."
As he spoke, the person involved jumped off Kato Yusuke's back and hurriedly walked toward the house. After taking two steps, he suddenly froze in place.
Two or three seconds passed.
She dragged her left foot that seemed to be inconvenient, limped inside, and quickly slipped into the house.
"..."
When Kato Yusuke saw this scene, he curled his lips in anger and amusement, and finally lowered his shoulders feebly.
Obviously, he was completely deceived by the other party.
Not to mention that the flying look was completely different from before. Even the owner seemed to have forgotten that it was his right foot that was supposed to be twisted.
As for whether this series of events was a temporary act or deliberate... he couldn't say yet.
Suddenly, the smell of elegant perfume entered his nose.
"Sorry, Kato-kun."
Sayuri Sawamura stood up on her tiptoes slightly and reached out to help him sweep away some fallen snow on his head and shoulders.
"Thank you for your hard work. I will talk to that child carefully later and ask her not to cause trouble to you like this."
Faced with the other party's remarks and intimate actions, Kato Yusuke felt very uncomfortable, so he stepped back half a step without leaving a trace to avoid it.
"...You are serious, I don't think Yinglili has caused any trouble to me."
"Eh~ She obviously asked you to carry her?"
"That was an unexpected situation..."
"Is that so? My daughter is very young, right?"
"What?"
"Speaking of which, it seems that this is not the first time you have carried Yinglili on your back. In addition, you also hugged her princess before..."
Sayuri Sawamura pretended to be distressed and held her chin with one hand.
"Ah, this is a bit troublesome. Will you take your responsibility~~?"
"...Are you kidding me?"
Kato Yusuke asked uncertainly, trying to determine how true her words were, but the other party just laughed and said nothing.
"..."
He pursed his lips unconsciously, preparing to say something, but...
"So, Kato-kun."
The person in front of me suddenly asked again: "What happened to the child? Her condition seems to be different from before you went out~"
"...?"
Although he didn't understand why the other party suddenly changed the topic, Kato Yusuke still answered truthfully.
"If I have to say... we just went to the elementary school below, I think it has something to do with it."
"The elementary school below...eh——?"
Sayuri Sawamura was startled at first, and then immediately asked: "Are you talking about Shimamura Elementary School??"
"Um."
"Yinglili took you there??"
"Um."
"Is that so...that child took you there..."
Sayuri Sawamura blinked in surprise, lowered her face and whispered.
Before Kato Yusuke could think carefully about the meaning behind this abnormal reaction...
"I said, Kato-kun."
Without any warning, the other party suddenly stepped forward and walked in front of him, looking up at him with a pair of radiant purple eyes.
"Sure enough, you can call me mom from today on, just think of it as a practice in advance~~~"
"——What exercises are you talking about?!?!"
Kato Yusuke couldn't help but feel a little crazy. He wanted to step back, but the other party grabbed his clothes tightly and wouldn't let go.
Mother and daughter are exactly the same in their habit of liking clothes that grab people's attention.
"Be good, be good, you don't have to be embarrassed. I will also say hello to Sister Mina. Anyway, just leave everything to mom~~~!"
“If this is a joke, can you please stop it——??”
"Oh, oh, what does it matter~~~"
Sayuri Sawamura said with a smile: "Mom also wants to get closer to Kato-kun. Like cooking you delicious food, preparing lunches, helping you rub your back...all kinds of things~"
"I'm really sorry! But I really don't understand what you are talking about——!!"
Just as the two of them were tugging at each other...
"Mom, what are you doing-?"
Yinglili came back again for unknown reasons and looked at them blankly.
The air suddenly became quiet.
Sayuri Sawamura first looked back at her daughter behind her, then at the boy in front of her, and then tilted her head slightly as if to be cute.
"Hey~ Kato-kun, something bad has happened. It seems that we were caught by Eiriri."
"..."
The corners of Kato Yusuke's mouth twitched and he didn't want to say even half a word.
Sayuri Sawamura frowned and thought hard for a while, and finally seemed to have made some kind of determination, and said resolutely:
"Okay~ Before Leonard comes here, Kato-kun, please run away and leave the rest to mom..."
"——What on earth are you talking about!"
Ying Lili walked up quickly and stood between them.
"Mom, what strange words did you say to Yusuke again?"
"Hey, I just asked him if he wanted to stop chasing his daughter and chase me instead~"
"Oh my god! Not only is this not funny, but it's also hard to react to. Please stop making trouble!!"
"Too much!? Do you have to say it so seriously!" Sayuri Sawamura showed a hurt expression.
"It's so embarrassing. Who is causing trouble for me now? Come in quickly~"
"Why is this? Kato-kun and I obviously still have a lot to talk about."
"Can't!"
Yingli refused categorically and angrily picked up someone's left arm.
"And Yusuke, you too, if you don't want to be pestered, just refuse! Why do you force yourself to accompany others?"
Kato Yusuke looked forward and answered the question in a slightly soft voice: "You are talking about..."
Hearing his answer, Sawamura Sayuri frowned slightly unhappily, and hugged his right arm in the same manner, almost leaning her whole body towards him.
"It's too much. You were having such a happy chat with her just now, but now you've changed your mind?"
Through the kimono, the warm body temperature on the chest vaguely spread.
Kato Yusuke's body shook slightly, and his whole body suddenly became stiff.
"Mom, don't get so close to Yusuke——!"
Yinglili shouted and hugged his left arm hard.
"Look! Yusuke is having a hard time. He is very gentle and doesn't know how to refuse you. Don't make too many demands on him."
"Ah! We obviously had a good atmosphere just now, but you were the one who came to disturb us, right?"
Sayuri Sawamura teased: "Besides, even if Kato-kun is troublesome, is it still a trouble for happiness~?"
Kato Yusuke was squeezed between the mother and daughter, feeling mixed emotions.
As for the so-called "troubles of happiness", they are pure fiction.
After all, the two are not only very similar in appearance, but also almost identical in body shape.
Question: What do you think about being squeezed between a pair of washboards?
Answer: There was no fluctuation in his heart, and he was even a little panicked.
Apart from complaining about "I'm sorry for A", Kato Yusuke couldn't think of any other description.
"Brother Yu, what are you doing?"
Just when Kato Yusuke was trapped between a pair of people and couldn't move, the voice to save him came from inside the house.
——Serizawa Yusei looked at them in astonishment.
It looked like she had just taken a shower, with a natural blush on the client's face, and a cream-yellow towel hanging around her neck. The slightly tight home clothes had a round and straight chest, revealing a sexiness that was different from her personality.
Serizawa Yuu happily walked over in slippers, and her beautiful bowl-shaped D cup swayed slightly, attracting attention.
"So are Mr. Sawamura and Auntie Sawamura. Thank you for lending us your bathroom and clothes. I feel so comfortable when washing~~~!"
""Well……""
Kato Yusuke heard a faint muffled sound coming from both sides, but had no way of knowing what it meant.
And with the arrival of Serizawa Yu, another soft and waxy voice also sounded slowly.
"Wow, it's so cold here! Why did you open the door? Xiao Xi."
Shinjoka was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt, holding her arms tightly with both hands as if she was afraid of the cold, and walked over pattering.
Every time she takes a step, a certain part of her body will make a beautiful "puff~" sound, which is full of weight.
"Ah, Xiaoxiang, you've finished washing too. Why did you come out wearing only short sleeves? Be careful of catching a cold."
"...I can't help it, that outfit is a bit forced for me, so I can only do this - Huh? President, Sawamura-san, and Aunt Sawamura...?"
""Uh-huh...""
To the extent that only Kato Yusuke could hear it, a certain mother and daughter were shaken even more strongly.
The arrival of Shinjoka made Eiri suddenly come back to her senses. She quickly let go of someone and responded to him.
"Sorry, Shinjou-san, the three of us are actually talking about something, so we will close the door now."
Sawamura Sayuri also let go of her hand, her eyes quietly passed over Shinjoka's chest, and said:
"I'm sorry, Shinjou-san, please wait a moment and I'll find a suitable outfit for you."
After finishing speaking, she turned her head again.
"The same goes for Kato-kun. Don't stand here blowing the wind. Go take a hot bath to warm yourself up."
It looked like Kato Yusuke was out blowing the wind out of his own free will.
"Well, what you said is...I will go now."
Kato Yusuke didn't want to say anything more and hurriedly escaped from this place of right and wrong.
As he left, the four women also moved their positions one after another.
Sayuri Sawamura took Shinjoka to look for clothes.
Eiri took Serizawa Yu to the living room.
The latter was like walking into the Grand View Garden, looking around curiously and asking various questions from time to time.
Yinglili also took the trouble to answer her one by one.
The two chatted here for a while, and Shintiao Xiang, who had changed into a brand new home clothes, ran over to join them.
The three girls were watching TV programs and eating snacks bought from the convenience store. The atmosphere was very warm.
Suddenly, Shintiaoxiang received a New Year congratulations message on her mobile phone.
Her expression changed slightly as a result. After apologizing to the two of them, she sat alone on the single sofa nearby and concentrated on replying to the message.
Eiri and Serizawa saw that she was busy with something, so they didn't hesitate to ask for more details.
But soon, even Yinglili had to pick up her phone and start replying to the blessing messages from her friends.
Serizawa Yu looked left and right, her shoulders drooping in frustration, and finally couldn't help but run to Shinjoka.
"Xiaoxiang, who are you messaging?"
As she spoke, she secretly glanced at the screen, and then the other party pinched her cheek with two fingers.
"it hurts……!"
"Tell me, why are you peeking at my phone?"
Shinjoka pinched her face with a smile, and there was a faint threat in her tone that only she could hear.
"...Because, Xiaoxiang, you rarely send messages to people, and at this time, people will inevitably be a little curious...I know I'm wrong, please stop pinching me..."
"I'm just chatting with my friends. Most of it is private and you don't need to know."
"Yes...I understand."
Serizawa Yuu agreed dejectedly, holding her cheek and massaging it gently, while whispering a lie in her heart.
Although Shinjoka moved quickly to hide her phone, she still caught a glimpse of a name on the chat interface.
"Miss S"
As a roommate who lived with him day and night, this was the first time she saw this name, and she had never heard the person mentioned anything related to it before, which really made her extremely curious.
At this moment, Kato Yusuke just came back from taking a shower.
Not only that, he also brought three thick red envelopes and gave them to them in the name of lucky money.
The girls were a little confused at first, but in the end they were persuaded by him using customary reasons to accept him.
Yinglili hesitated for a while while holding the red envelope, then called him to her room alone and gave him a bag.
"Well... although it's a bit late, this is a gift for you for Christmas and for winning the competition. Now it's probably a New Year's gift. Just take it...!"
"..."
Kato Yusuke glanced at her and did not refuse. He silently untied the golden bow and looked inside the bag.
"This is...a yukata?"
Placed inside is a black yukata with hexagonal snowflakes printed on it.
Yingli nodded and said calmly:
"I accidentally discovered this when my mother and I were shopping. I think it suits you very well, so you can wear it during spring and summer festivals..."
"Spring Festival and Summer Festival..."
Kato Yusuke repeated her words and asked: "So, are you inviting me to go with you?"
"Say it first!"
Yinglili raised the index finger of her right hand vigorously, and emphasized in a thoughtful manner:
"...Even if you want to go with someone else, you must first let me see you wearing this yukata! Absolutely!"
"...If I let you see it but don't invite you, wouldn't you cry...Pfft-"
The girl gave him a straight punch in the stomach.
"Now that you know, don't leave me! I also want to go to the festival with you..."
Ying Lili lowered her head and said weakly:
"Although we visited a mock-up shop at the cultural festival last time, it was still too crude. I want to watch the fireworks with you this year...can't you...?"
Hearing these words, Kato Yusuke suddenly recalled the previous summer, and said with nostalgia and a little bitterness: "I understand, I promise you, thank you for your gift."
"It doesn't matter……"
The girl slowly raised her head and looked at him with a pair of moist eyes, "Besides... I shouldn't be the only girl who gave you a gift, right?"
Kato Yusuke smiled wryly, touched his nose and nodded, "...Thanks to everyone's consideration, everyone in the studio gave me gifts."
"I know... you're a nuisance."
"Don't you ask me what I received?"
"I'm not interested in knowing that kind of thing!"
Eirili said, putting her head on his chest, and added: "Anyway, I just need to do my best to face Yusuke. It has nothing to do with other girls."
There was no confusion in her voice.
It was like declaring war on him, but also like swearing to myself.
"..."
Kato Yusuke was silent for a while, and then took out a packaging bag from his pocket that he had prepared before but never handed over.
"...So, as a return gift for Christmas and New Year, would you like to accept this?"
"--Eh?"
Yinglili looked up blankly at the paper bag in his hand, and then grabbed it after being stunned for a second.
He didn't even need to open his mouth, he could just get down and unpack the package and pour out the contents.
"This is... a hair accessory?"
It was a pair of black bow headdresses, with a Chanel classic camellia hanging in the middle, and a small double C pendant hanging below.
"Oh, yes."
Kato Yusuke pretended to be relaxed and explained: "Because you always tie your hair, I thought this might be more practical for you, so I bought it."
Yinglili stared at the hair accessory in her hand without saying a word, then muttered a curse under her breath.
"Scumbag...!"
…
When they returned to the living room again, Serizawa Yui had fallen asleep leaning on Shinjo incense.
Looking at the time, it was already one o'clock in the morning.
Normally, the girl would have fallen asleep by now, and it is rare that she could persist until now.
Without waking the other party up, Kato Yusuke gently carried Xiao Xi back to the arranged guest room.
After that, Shinjoka and Eiri also went back to their rooms to rest.
On this uneventful snowy night.
The boys and girls listened to the sound of snow falling and fell asleep with their own thoughts in mind.