"So... Nino, do you want to take a look?"
Hakuto put down the test paper in his hand, pointed at his own back, and spoke in a calm tone.
However, when this calm tone reached Nino's ears, it felt like an irresistibly seductive invitation.
Looking at the dripping-wet Hakuto in front of her, feeling the warmth of his gentle smile, Nino subconsciously swallowed, though she herself wasn't even aware of it.
"That kind of thing... Who... Who would want to look?!"
Blushing, Nino turned her head to the side, refusing to look at Hakuto sitting next to her.
Seeing her flushed face, Hakuto, who was just about to take off his shirt, paused, smiled, and pretended to be regretful as he picked up the test paper on the coffee table again.
"Not interested? My mistake then."
"Huh?!"
Hearing Hakuto's words, Nino, who had just turned away, was instantly dumbfounded!
She was just being polite!
Really, just being polite!
It wasn't the truth at all!
As she turned back to look at him, Hakuto waved the test paper in his hand and flashed her a bright smile.
"Then, Nino, you should go to bed early. I still have to make a study plan for you all."
"You..." Nino stared at the serious look on Hakuto's face, wanting to say something but unable to get the words out.
She hesitated for a long time but still couldn't bring herself to speak.
Even though she really wanted to just leave and go back to her room to sleep, she couldn't accept it!
She wanted to see it!
She wanted to see it!
It wasn't just curiosity about Hakuto's tattoo—her curiosity had been completely ignited.
Taking a deep breath, Nino puffed up her cheeks and glared at Hakuto in frustration. After struggling for a long time, she finally forced out two words.
"I want..."
"Hm? What?"
"I said I want to see!!"
Hakuto hadn't expected Nino to have the courage to say it outright. After all, in his impression, she wasn't the type to do something like this.
But just because you say you want to see, doesn't mean I'll let you?
Too late!
"You should've said so earlier!"
Hearing Hakuto agree, Nino let out a sigh of relief.
After going so far as to set aside her pride and say something so embarrassing, if she got rejected, she might as well jump off a building.
Just as Nino thought Hakuto was about to take off his shirt, he instead pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his photo album in front of her.
"Let me find it..."
⚆⚆?
Nino's eyes widened as she watched Hakuto search through his album.
She had just seen him about to take off his shirt! Why was he looking for a picture now?
But she couldn't exactly tell him to just take his clothes off, so she decided to wait.
However, after a while, when she saw that Hakuto had practically scrolled through his entire phone without finding a picture, she started getting impatient.
Without hesitation, she snatched the phone from his hand.
"What are you doing? I was about to find it."
"Did you erase the tattoo?"
"No..."
"Then why are you looking for a picture? Just take off your shirt!"
"...That's a different price."
Hakuto blurted it out instinctively.
But the moment he said it, he realized that Nino's expression seemed a little off...
"Hah? Money? Do you have a side job like this?"
Normally, when Hakuto made a joke like this, most people would just laugh it off.
For example, if he said it to Nao or Shizuka-sensei, the next second, he'd probably get punched in the head.
But now, he realized there were people who didn't take it as a joke. Though, in some sense, it wasn't entirely a joke either...
Looking at Nino, Hakuto figured she wouldn't take it seriously, so he decided to keep messing around.
"Yeah, what about it? Are you going to pay me, Nino?"
Nino gave Hakuto a strange look.
The next second, she pulled open the drawer of the coffee table beside her, took out a stack of cash, and slammed it onto Hakuto's head.
"Here's 50,000! Take it off!"
Hakuto was momentarily stunned, either because he had just been smacked in the head with 50,000 yen in cash or because of what Nino had just said.
Fifty thousand?
What kind of concept was that?
Even when Utaha paid him to go ghost-hunting, she only offered 30,000.
And after that, seeing the tattoo was a free service... No, an additional service.
But now Nino was willing to pay 50,000 just to see the tattoo?
Just to look at it?
He was even going to let her see for free, considering she had brought a blanket, turned off the AC, and woken him up.
But now... things are getting interesting.
"Wait, Nino, you're serious?"
"What do you mean serious? What, 50,000 isn't enough?"
Saying that, Nino pulled out another 30,000 yen from somewhere and slammed it onto Hakuto's face again.
With another 30,000 now piled onto him, Hakuto's mind went completely blank.
He swore to never joke around like this again. But first, he had to deal with the situation at hand.
If it were the old him, he would've just pocketed the 80,000 yen. But now... he still took the money!!
He just had to maintain his dignity a little.
"Ah, come on! No need for this formality!"
"I just hope your hands are as honest as your words..." Nino muttered as she watched him pick up the cash from the floor.
"It's just a tattoo, right? Look, look!"
Without hesitation, Hakuto took off his shirt, turned his back to her, and lifted his hair from his shoulders, revealing the tattoo on his back.
His tattoo wasn't particularly complicated. At first glance, it was just a simple string of characters, but on closer inspection, no one could understand what they meant.
Nino gently placed her hand on the tattoo, and the moment she touched it, she felt his body heat flow from her fingertips through her entire body.
"What does this tattoo mean?"
"'Let the mind arise without dwelling upon anything.'"
Hakuto explained while allowing Nino to continue touching it—after all, she was the big spender here.
He never expected that joking around could have such perks. Maybe this really was humanity's greatest productivity tool.
"Can I take a picture?"
"Of course! Do you need me to pose or something?"
"Who wants you to do that? Just stay still."
Saying that, Nino took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of the tattoo.
Then, after glancing at Hakuto and seeing that he wasn't reacting much, she subtly pulled the camera back and took a full-body shot.
"Heh heh~"
In the photo, Hakuto had taken off his shirt, lifted his hair, and struck a pose that practically exuded male allure.
Nino was quite satisfied with her photography skills—and very satisfied with how cooperative Hakuto was.
She didn't even think about the fact that she had just spent 80,000 yen.
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Alright, where can I find my Nino?
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