Catch Feelings, Not Just Pokemon

Strictly speaking, this was already Liko's usual bedtime. Her schedule couldn't be more different from some people's—it was extremely disciplined.

But right now? There was absolutely no way she could fall asleep.

The moment she shut her eyes, her mind was filled with the image of Haru giving Lusamine a "facial" with a water gun—and that final shot of Lusamine's thoroughly disfigured face.

What made it worse was that Lusamine had clearly been enjoying it. She even took the time to clean off the facial mask herself, bit by bit, looking as if she wished it could've lasted longer.

It was... abstract. Far too abstract.

The entire scene had dealt a devastating psychological blow to young Liko. The damage... unmeasurable!

Still, asking her to obediently return to her room and try to sleep? Yeah, that wasn't happening tonight.

She might not be at the point of moaning in her sleep, but the odds of dreaming about something absolutely scandalous were looking pretty high.

Everything she had just witnessed left too deep an impression. Better to wait for her brain to cool down a bit before even trying to rest.

And yet... she also knew perfectly well that if she followed Haru and saw something even more outrageous, then she'd be up all night for sure.

Might even end up spiraling worse.

But she really couldn't help herself... Honestly, being able to suppress one's curiosity—that's something only a true saint could manage.

That blonde bombshell Haru had just "battled" looked way too much like Lillie. It was practically impossible for Liko not to start making some dangerous associations.

Anyway... she was just going to sneak a peek. Just a quick look to figure out what exactly was going on, and then she'd go back to bed. She wouldn't linger. Swear.

Tiptoeing behind Haru, Liko repeated this lie to herself.

Meanwhile...

Compared to the nerves he'd felt while "transporting" Lusamine, Haru's steps were noticeably lighter now.

He still wasn't sure how he was going to deal with Lusamine long-term, but at least he'd cleared tonight's hurdle.

Sure, he was getting back late, but talking his way past Lillie wouldn't be that hard.

That girl was still a little too pure.

And besides—it wasn't like he'd had a real "battle" with Lusamine. He'd just used a water gun to apply a beauty mask evenly across her face. Not even a single metaphorical "ball in the pocket."

That couldn't count as cheating on Lillie... right?!

Haru felt that he'd shown considerable restraint in taming Lusamine. Surely this didn't qualify as "betraying Lillie."

As for how he'd clean this mess up tomorrow... well, he'd cross that bridge when he got there.

Honestly, thank goodness he was cautious. If he'd actually brought Lusamine back to his room and unwrapped her in front of Lillie...

Haru didn't even want to imagine what kind of hellscape that would've unleashed.

With Lusamine dressed up like a gift-wrapped present, Lillie might've tried to fight her on the spot.

Haru opened his room door with a key, these thoughts still swirling in his mind.

The moment he stepped inside, a familiar scent hit his nose. A thin white mist rose faintly from the kitchenette area.

No need for guesses—this had to be the porridge Lillie had made for him.

Haru closed the door, took off his shoes, and confirmed that Sabrina and Iono were still fast asleep. Then he called softly into the room:

"I'm back, Lillie."

But there was no answer.

The room was eerily silent, save for the whirring of the kitchen fan and the bubbling of boiling water.

Haru glanced at the kitchenette again and called out once more:

"Lillie?"

Still no response. Only the sound of the fan being switched off.

Then came footsteps—light, deliberate, rhythmic.

Whoever it was wasn't walking fast, but somehow... with each step, Haru's heart beat faster.

As the sound drew closer, sweat began to bead on the back of his neck.

And just as his heart reached a crescendo, the one who had been cooking porridge appeared.

"..."

When Haru saw the face of the person who emerged, even he—who had kept calm in front of second-tier deities—completely panicked.

Because this wasn't Lillie. It was Lusamine!

And not just any Lusamine—this was Lusamine in nothing but a naked apron! She was carrying a small pot, presumably with the porridge inside.

Haru was sweating bullets now—literally drenched.

If Lusamine was here... did that mean Lillie had already discovered her existence? Had they already met?

If they had crossed paths, there was no way that didn't lead to a battle—potentially even a full-on Pokémon showdown.

But Lillie was nowhere to be seen...

Could it be that Lusamine had already "dealt with" her?

And yet—he'd only just left Lusamine not long ago. How the hell did she move so fast?!

Even though his mind was racing with questions, Haru forced himself to remain calm in this moment of life and death:

"Lusamine... what are you doing here? And where's Lillie?"

"I thought I just—"

He wanted to say, I thought I just satisfied you, but the moment he noticed the high heels on this Lusamine's feet... he bit his tongue.

Oh no.

He'd dug himself a hole. Hopefully Lillie hadn't picked up on it...

But even though his reflexes were quick, the sharp-eyed girl standing before him had caught the key point in his half-finished sentence.

"'Just now'? Mr. Haru, what exactly did you do 'just now'?"

Though she looked like Lusamine, this girl's inner "data field" clearly said "Lillie." She tilted her head innocently.

Yes. She wasn't Lusamine at all. The real Lusamine had already been subdued by Haru. This "Lusamine" standing in front of him was just Lillie... in cosplay.

The two of them already looked quite similar. Their biggest differences were hairstyle and height.

But now, with Lillie adopting Lusamine's hairstyle and wearing that scandalous apron, she'd even put on heels to match Lusamine's stature.

So naturally, Haru had mistaken her for Lusamine at first glance. Only after noticing the shoes had he realized something was off.

Still—could you really blame him?

Who would've guessed Lillie would suddenly decide to dress up like Lusamine?!

This wasn't her style at all—it screamed Lusamine or Lana's influence.

Now, all he could do was hope the real Lusamine stayed quiet. If she showed up again now... it'd be the end.

Thoughts flew through Haru's mind like a whirlwind, anxiety growing with each passing second.

Finally, he swallowed hard and cautiously asked:

"Lillie, why are you dressed like that? This... this isn't really appropriate, is it?"

Lillie placed the pot of porridge on the table and answered softly:

"I heard about what happened between you and that woman from Miss Lana."

"Even though what she did was really over the line... the more I thought about it, the more I realized—maybe I could use some of her tactics too."

"She pretended to be me back then, so now me pretending to be her seems only fair, doesn't it?"

As she spoke, Lillie stepped closer and gently placed her slender hand on Haru's chest.

"Mr. Haru, I can feel it—ever since you saw me like this, your heart's been racing faster."

"Does that mean... that woman really is that much more attractive than me?"

Even Lillie herself didn't realize that her voice carried a trace of jealousy.

"No! Of course not. Right now, I'm only thinking about you."

Haru didn't hesitate—he declared his "loyalty" on the spot.

"Really? So Mr. Haru values me that much, huh... Even though I know you're probably lying, it still makes me kind of happy to hear it."

"So... can you tell me exactly what you did 'just now'? You still haven't answered that question."

She wasn't about to let him off that easily. As soon as she answered his question, she doubled down with another interrogation of her own.

She had to. Her Mr. Haru was perfect in every way—except he was just too good at attracting women. Strange, troublesome ones, at that.

If she didn't keep him in check, she feared he'd soon have enough flirty cats to field an entire football team.

She wasn't a jack to hold up that many hats.

And the worst part? Haru had been gone way too long just now. No way he was only out to pick up a package.

If she hadn't known he wasn't in danger, and hadn't been tied up herself, she'd have gone looking for him.

At the time, she thought he'd just been delayed. How long could a package take?

But now... things didn't seem that simple anymore.

Haru was acting too suspiciously. Suspicious enough that Lillie began to wonder if Lusamine had somehow made it to Kitakami.

Given what she knew of Lusamine, that woman absolutely would pull a stunt like this.

After all, Kitakami wasn't part of Paldea—so the agreement they made before didn't apply here.

If Lusamine claimed she was just here on "business," Lillie would be powerless to stop her. She'd just have to trust in Lusamine's questionable morals.

But... something still didn't feel right. If Lusamine had come and met Haru, then there's no way Lillie would've seen Haru return home tonight.

That woman would've glued herself to him all night. She knew her too well.

So, at that moment, Lillie started to question her own suspicions.

Could it be... that she was overthinking this? That Haru really had just taught some prankster a lesson?

And she was the one imagining all kinds of betrayal?

With that in mind, her gaze toward Haru softened considerably.

Haru, of course, had no idea she'd just forgiven him—and even mentally redeemed him in a hundred ways.

He was still drenched in sweat, worrying how to survive Lillie's tribunal.

"I already told you what I did... I gave that prankster a proper lesson."

"I'm sure she's reflecting on her mistakes right now."

Then a thought struck Haru.

If words weren't enough... why not distract her with action?

If he could make sure Lillie couldn't even think straight, then she couldn't interrogate him anymore!

With that idea in mind, he pulled the girl gently by the waist.

"You really want to keep talking about such mood-killing topics... at a time like this?"

With Lillie's current attire, what his hand touched was her bare, porcelain skin. And thanks to the apron's revealing design, it was far too easy to "help with the poverty."

Aprons... such dangerously functional clothing.

"It's getting late. Once we finish the porridge, we should head to bed."

He whispered softly into Lillie's ear, which only made her cheeks flush a deeper red.

No words needed—this was a sign that Lillie's fighting spirit had been ignited.

Truthfully, Haru wasn't someone constantly burning with lust. He wasn't always thinking about battles.

But this timing—in every possible way—was just too perfect.

Lusamine above him. Lusamine in his arms. And in the background, Sabrina and Iono still peacefully asleep.

Even the Lusamine in his arms was wearing "battle attire."

If anyone could resist this, they weren't human. And Haru hadn't yet tired of FPS-style combat.

And so... Haru picked up the bowl of porridge, and Lillie leaned forward, ready to share the meal with him.

A quiet, cozy midnight snack had just begun.

Except... Haru was eating lean meat porridge, while Lillie, somehow, had entered God of War mode.

She pulled off her signature move, "Careless Porridge-Sipping Mishap."

Had Haru not been a seasoned veteran, he might've been captured the moment he stepped onto the battlefield.

Even so, he was far from at full strength after the earlier skirmish.

But in the end, he endured the pressure—holding on until reinforcements arrived, turning the tide with elite troops.

Unfortunately, even those troops were eventually swallowed by Lillie. The skirmish ended in a draw.

The blonde girl opened her mouth, showing off the "spoils of war" she'd captured from Haru—then swallowed them without hesitation.

And that... was only the beginning.

Haru had only survived one sword fight. Now it was time for the pistol round.

Lusamines. Lusamines everywhere. Whichever one felt good—must be the real one!

He'd only experienced two Lusamines so far, but each had delivered entirely different sensations.

He could probably even rank them on comfort and uniqueness.

But in the end...

Lillie was his official girlfriend for a reason. She'd outshone Lusamine in every metric. And with that Lusamine cosplay...

Haru was in full auto-mode now—desperately multitasking while whispering, "Lillie, you're totally waifu material!"

The battle blazed into a frenzy. Ammunition flew everywhere. Even the sleeping Iono and Sabrina weren't spared from the stray shots.

Hair, cheeks... all stained with traces that would need cleaning once they woke up.

Haru and Lillie had clearly lost their minds. The... residue would have to be cleaned up later.

Meanwhile, up high near the window frame, a small, trembling head peeked out—

Her pupils shook violently.

Liko, who had only just witnessed Haru's water-gun duel with Lusamine, instantly recognized who Lillie was pretending to be.

But she hadn't expected this...

Why would anyone dress as another woman just to roleplay getting ravished by their boyfriend?! Was this some kind of... cuckold cosplay kink?!

Also... so it was true. Her teacher really was a playboy!

Terrifying. What if he came after her next?

She was still a kid—not even tasty!

Still, even as she thought this, she could feel something ominous creeping toward her...

At that same moment, the real Lusamine, lying on the rooftop above Haru, also pressed her ear to the floor, trying to eavesdrop.

She couldn't make out what was happening below, but the thought of Haru being down there alone with Lillie made her hum softly with frustration.

The chaotic three-way frenzy dragged on for quite a while. It wasn't until Lillie finally couldn't endure Haru's "attacks" that he gradually eased off.

When it was all over, Liko—feeling like she'd just been fished out of a lake—limped back to her room, took a shower, changed clothes...

It was really late. But no matter what she did, she just couldn't fall asleep.

It was obvious—tomorrow, she'd be dragging herself through the whole day with dark circles under her eyes.

---

Meanwhile... Haru, now fast asleep, was about to encounter a most unexpected "visitor."

"Haru—"

In a blur of half-consciousness, Haru thought he heard someone calling to him.

"Help me, Haru."

"Please... help me."

"Who are you?"

Drifting in utter darkness, Haru couldn't recognize the voice. It sounded unfamiliar, so he instinctively asked for an identity.

But the voice refused to answer.

It just kept repeating:

"Help me... only you can..."

***************************

Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.

P@treon/GodDragcell