The next day.
When Senichi woke up, the faint fragrance of roses filled his nostrils, and the warm sensation from the hand made him feel refreshed.
Opening his eyes drowsily, he saw Ayako's delicate sleeping face.
Recalling everything that happened last night, Senichi affectionately brushed the scattered hair on Ayako's face behind her ear and gently kissed her forehead.
However, it seemed that Ayako felt Senichi's movements, and in her drowsiness, she also opened her eyes.
Seeing Senichi in front of her, recalling the time they spent together after the banquet, Ayako's earlobes turned slightly red with shyness, and there was a hint of sweetness.
After the banquet, instead of going home directly, the two helped their parents deal with the post-banquet affairs before returning to the villa together.
From the moment they got off the car, Senichi surprised Ayako by asking her to help with the trunk. Although the method of hiding flowers in the trunk might become commonplace in the future, it was still quite impactful now.
What mattered most wasn't the method but the intention. Surely, even if Senichi directly handed her a bouquet of roses, Ayako would still be overjoyed.
After entering the meticulously decorated romantic room arranged by Senichi, he took out carefully prepared ingredients from the refrigerator to prepare a romantic candlelit dinner for Ayako.
Although initially, she wanted to help, under Senichi's strong insistence, she obediently sat there and waited.
After the carefully prepared candlelit dinner...
Thinking about this, even Ayako's fair neck turned pink, and her earlobes turned red.
Seeing Ayako's shy expression, Senichi couldn't help but feel a bit mischievous. However, at that moment, Ayako frowned, making Senichi realize something. He suppressed his playful thoughts and tightened his arm, pulling Ayako closer.
At first, feeling Senichi's movements, Ayako was a bit startled, fearing that her lover might not resist the temptation and continue with the intimacy from last night.
However, after feeling Senichi's actions, Ayako relaxed, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.
Senichi held Ayako like this, whispering secrets that outsiders couldn't know, silently cherishing the moment. After a while, the two lazily prepared to get up and freshen up.
Because Ayako was feeling a bit unwell, Senichi got up first and took a shower.
"I'm done, it's your turn," Senichi said with a smile as he dried his hair.
"Mm," Ayako responded and began dressing under the covers.
Seeing this, Senichi couldn't help but laugh and said, "You're too slow like this, it's not like I haven't seen..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Ayako's embarrassed gaze, prompting Senichi to raise his hands immediately.
"You go first..." Ayako's slightly shy words made Senichi burst into laughter. However, knowing that she hadn't fully adapted and was a bit shy, he smiled and walked straight out.
Seeing Senichi's actions, Ayako sat up, put on a bathrobe, and walked somewhat unsteadily towards the door.
But before she took two steps, she saw Senichi turn around and walk towards her. He directly lifted her gently with a princess carry.
"What are you doing..." Ayako asked somewhat dryly.
"Of course, it's to have a romantic bath together~" Senichi chuckled mischievously, heading towards the bathroom despite her surprised protest.
However, despite his playful words, Senichi was considerate. After helping Ayako to the bathroom, he didn't make any further moves.
Although he wanted to help, in the end, the shy Ayako shooed him out.
During Ayako's bath, Senichi went to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. The topic of what to have for breakfast the next day was a common discussion during dinner. They chatted about it yesterday and made preparations.
Taking out the prepped grilled salmon from the refrigerator and placing it in the oven, Senichi used a measuring cup to portion the rice into a plastic square container designed for rice. After washing, he put it into the rice cooker.
Adding water, he used his clean finger to horizontally dip into the water. The water level that just reached the fingertip was the standard.
Regardless of the amount of rice or the fixed amount of water, the water level meeting the fingertip was the perfect measure for steamed rice, unshakeable like the universal law of gravitation.
But because they were going to have tea-soaked rice, Senichi took out a bit more water to make the rice slightly drier, ensuring it wouldn't be too soft when soaked in tea.
After steaming the rice, all that was left was to patiently wait. Ayako's actions were quick; she walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe that seemed a bit awkward, even before the rice was ready.
Seeing this, Senichi approached, but Ayako rejected his attempt to carry her and urged him to quickly take his shower.
However, men are naturally efficient in the shower, especially with short hair, saving a significant amount of time.
Standing under the shower, letting warm water wet his hair, the shampoo appeared on his head. After the white foam evenly covered his hair, it was rinsed away with water.
Next came the conditioner, followed by applying shower gel all over the body with a shower sponge. Then, the shower continued until everything was clean, completing the bathing process.
When Senichi came out, Ayako had arranged the rice and placed items like pickled plums on the table for making tea-soaked rice. The tea had also been brewed.
"Just wait a little longer. The rice is a bit hot right after it's served," Ayako said, walking towards the bedroom. "I'll blow-dry my hair first."
"If you're not feeling well, don't wander around. Sit on the sofa, and I'll bring it over to you."
Without hesitation, Senichi carried her to the sofa, then took a hairdryer from the dressing table in the bedroom and began to gently blow-dry Ayako's hair.
Facing the care and protection of her loved one, Ayako no longer resisted, quietly enjoying the man's care. The warm feeling in her heart was like the sunlight in spring, almost enchanting.
Blowing her hair dry took some time, but it happened to bring the temperature of the rice to just the right level.
Senichi took out the salmon that had been in the oven all along, and Ayako poured tea over the rice from the teapot. A serving of tea-soaked rice was complete, accompanied by the crispy and tender salmon. A high-quality breakfast was ready.
With the cooking skills of the two, even if they couldn't match up to those two skilled chefs, the dishes they made were not far from it.
"I'll go wash the dishes."
After the meal, Senichi began cleaning up, washing the dishes. Ayako walked towards the bedroom, and her gaze fell on the somewhat conspicuous bedsheet. Her fair face instantly turned a bit red.
However, realizing she was alone in the room, Ayako's unnatural expression gradually returned to normal. She then walked slowly to the bed and neatly folded the bedsheet.