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"Oh~~"
"Mmm~~hmm~~~"
Under intense exercise, every muscle in Ran's body began contracting rhythmically.
She was soaring!
If the first time in the CLOVER convenience store's storage room had opened a new chapter in her life, then today, in this luxurious villa, she had undoubtedly reached an entirely new height.
Because… this was a team game!
Akira had tossed her onto the massive bed in the villa's top-floor bedroom. Her body was so drained she couldn't even muster the strength to roll over.
She turned her head to look at Fuyutsuki Shiori beside her…
This woman wasn't in much better shape.
The only difference was that, after taking off, she had already been resting for ten minutes.
"Are you satisfied now?" Ran shot a resentful side glance.
She had known for a while that Akira had this idea in mind.
Back at the CLOVER convenience store, he had frequently—intentionally or not—tried to bring her and Shiori together.
Well, now he had gotten exactly what he wanted.
"Damn?"
"You want more?"
Shiori was absolutely spent.
After going three rounds with her, Akira still had energy left?
The Next Morning
"What time is it?"
Ran opened her blurry eyes and realized the sun was already high in the sky.
She shifted slightly…
Only to find that Shiori's limbs were wrapped around her like ropes, binding her tightly.
"No idea…"
Dead tired!
Shiori had used up every ounce of her strength just to hold onto Ran's warm, enticing body.
"Wait, does this mean we're late for school?"
It certainly looked that way!
But in their current state, neither of them could muster the energy to panic about being late.
"You idiot."
"It's Saturday, remember?"
At those words…
Ran's tense heart instantly relaxed.
Back to sleep!
She rolled over, wrapping her smooth, ivory-white arms around Shiori's back.
Their limbs intertwined as they held each other tightly!
After a night of battle, their bond had deepened even further.
Whatever barrier had once existed between them, Akira had completely shattered it the night before.
CLOVER Convenience Store
Early in the morning, just as Akira rolled up the shutters to start the day, the postman arrived with some breaking news.
The front page of the Tokyo Daily featured a bold, eye-catching headline:
Famous Director Yamato Keiko Shot Dead!
Last night, in the early hours, Yamato Keiko's home was invaded in a burglary. After successfully robbing her, the intruders shot her dead.
The report was short, but every word hit hard.
"Yamato Keiko is dead?"
Maybe others wouldn't understand why she was targeted, but Akira knew exactly what had happened.
This was definitely the work of Yamamoto Ichiro.
After all…
He had specifically instructed Yamamoto to steal all the scripts related to Blue Ocean from Keiko's hands.
But at this point, it didn't matter anymore…
Keiko's death meant Blue Ocean was dead before it even began.
Just then—
Ding-dong—
"Welcome to CLOVER Convenience Store."
The first customer of the day walked in.
A woman, wrapped up like a mummy.
Although her features were completely covered, Akira recognized her instantly.
"Miss Yoko."
"Welcome to CLOVER Convenience Store."
At those words—
Konno Yoko quickly stepped forward and made a silencing gesture.
Even though they were the only two in the store, she remained on edge, worried about revealing her identity.
She alone understood the pressure she was under!
If someone recognized her, she wouldn't just be swarmed by fans asking for autographs and pictures—she would also become the subject of relentless media speculation.
"Did you…"
"Did you see the news this morning?"
"Yamato Keiko is dead!"
The moment she heard about it, she was stunned.
Her first instinct was—could this have anything to do with her?
After all, just a few days ago, she had asked Akira to help her with this very issue.
And now…
Keiko had mysteriously turned up dead in her own home.
She knew it was wrong to suspect Akira, who had helped her more than once.
After much deliberation…
She decided to come and talk to him about it.
"Yeah… I just saw the news."
"Shouldn't this be good news for you?"
"With Yamato Keiko dead, you don't have to star in that nightmare of a show, Blue Ocean anymore."
Yoko hesitated…
Maybe she was overthinking things!
Akira—a young, wealthy convenience store owner—wouldn't kill someone just for her sake, right?
"Mmm…"
In the end, all the words she had bottled up were reduced to a single sound.
Keiko's death was undeniably good news for her.
But only in front of Akira could she reveal even the slightest relief.
She knew that if the entertainment industry caught wind of her reaction, it would ignite a scandal.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me. The villa you recommended is amazing."
"Well…"
"I won't bother you any longer."
As Yoko turned to leave, her face scrunched up in anxiety.
She shouldn't have come!
Akira must have already figured out that she had doubted him at first.
"....."