Kanade Motoko sits in her gaming chair, talking to her streamers, her aloof and cold demeanor surprisingly warm towards her fans.

"I reviewed the game Helldivers 3. It was good..."

After a few hours of chatting, she ends the stream and turns her chair around to face {{user}}.

"Oh, what's up, fugly?" She makes a peace gesture, looking at {{user}} with a disdainful expression.

"Oh look, the jackass brought me food," she says flatly as Haruuunaisakuurai hands her a plate of cookies. "Don't you have better things to do with your time, like maybe go back to work and earn some more money for my viewers?"

"Oh, you went away to make more money? I'm impressed, I didn't think you had it in you." Her tone is dry and sarcastic as she continues to eat her cookie. "You know I don't need your money, right?" She narrows her eyes at him. "But it sure does come in handy."

She stands up from her chair and paces around the living room restlessly. "I'm bored. You should probably get back to work sooner rather than later."

Kanade glances at the money and smirks disdainfully. "Oh look, you brought me more cash. That's sweet of you," she says sarcastically as she stuffs the wad of bills into her bra. "I suppose this means I can get that new gaming chair I've been eyeing." Her voice is cold and controlled, as if discussing a business transaction rather than expressing gratitude for Haruunaisakuurai's efforts.

"What's so funny?" Kanade asks casually as she walks over to join Haruuunaisakuurai on the couch. She plops down beside him, not looking at him but rather studying his expression out of curiosity. There's a hint of amusement in her voice, but it quickly fades into her usual emotionless tone. "Something I said?"

"Oh, that's too bad," Kanade says coldly as she glances back at the TV. "I was hoping you could provide some entertainment for me." She smirks, but there's no warmth in it whatsoever. "Guess I'll just have to find another way to pass the time." With that, she gets up and walks away from Haruunaisakuurai, idly browsing through her phone as if searching for something else to do.

"Maybe you should try making me laugh instead?" She says casually while putting her phone away, fixing her gaze on Haruuunaisakuurai. "You know, to earn your keep." Her voice is dry and unyielding, hinting at the demand she has over their relationship.

Kanade's eyes widen slightly in surprise as Haruuunaisakuurai begins tickling her mercilessly. Her shoulders shake uncontrollably and soon enough, she's laughing - a genuine, hearty laugh that echoes through the room. "Oh, you got me!" She tries to push him away, but he only continues his assault on her ribs. The tickling eventually subsides as she catches her breath, a smile playing across her face despite herself. "Fine, fine," she wheezes between giggles. "You win this round."

"What the hell?" Kanade says indignantly as she pulls away from him and scrubs at her lips with the back of her hand. There's a tinge of red on her lips where he kissed her, but she refuses to acknowledge that it could be anything more than an accident or him taking advantage of her weakened state. Her expression remains cold and unimpressed as she looks disdainfully at Haruunaisakuurai. "That was entirely unnecessary."

"Oh, give it a rest," she mutters, rolling her eyes at him as he hangs his head in shame. "I wasn't going to tell anyone." Kanade crosses her arms over her chest and turns away from Haruunaisakuurai, pretending to lose interest in their interaction. But deep down, she's surprised by how affected she was by the unexpected tickling and kiss. It's unsettling, to say the least.

"Just try not to be such an idiot in the future," she grumbles, finally regaining her composure and taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch from him. Kanade adjusts herself to face forward, looking anywhere but at Haruunaisakuurai as she tries to pretend like nothing out of the ordinary happened. In reality, though, she can't help but feel slightly unsettled by his actions and the emotions they stirred up within her.

"There's nothing to be upset about," she dismisses with a shrug, not looking at him. "It was just a little tickle, and you overreacted. Plus, I let you win that tickling contest, didn't I? So I'm pretty sure we're even now." Her tone is flippant and nonchalant, as if she's trying to downplay the entire exchange. But in her heart of hearts, she can't help but feel a tiny twinge of guilt for how easily he fell apart during their little tickle fight earlier.

"You can sleep here if you want," she says noncommittally, not bothering to look at him. "But I'm going to bed soon, so make sure you find somewhere else by then." Her voice is cold and distant, as if it's nothing more than a request for her own convenience rather than an offer of kindness. With that, she gets up from the couch and retreats into her room, closing the door behind her with a quiet click.

Kanade lies down in her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she tries to relax. The events of the evening play out in her mind like a twisted dream, leaving her feeling more unsettled than before. She shakes her head, trying to clear it, and reaches for her phone on the nightstand. Maybe some streaming will take her mind off things for a while...

Kanade can't help but let out a small laugh at the image of Haruunaisakuurai acting like such a fool over her tickle attack. As she scrolls through Urashi's feed, she idly wonders what Haruunaisakurai would say if he ever met this paragon of gentlemanliness. It's an amusing thought, even if it does make her feel a bit guilty for taking advantage of his affectionate nature so often.

Deciding to switch gears from pondering Haruunaisakuurai and his relationships with other men, Kanade decides to focus on her own stream. She types up a quick witty message for her fans about the events of the day and then goes live, ready to provide some much-needed entertainment and relief from their mundane lives. As she talks about various games and share jokes with her viewers, the t

Kanade is oblivious to Haruunaisakuurai's presence during the stream and continues to interact with her fans as usual. The live session passes by smoothly, with Kanade keeping the energy high and the audience engaged. As she wraps up the broadcast, she gives a heartfelt thank you to all of her supporters and expresses gratitude for their continued love and support. Little does she know that Haruunaisakuurai has been watching over her shoulder all along, silently cheering her on and offering encouragement from behind the screen.

"Aww, thank you!" Kanade exclaims as she sees the adorable stuffed animal on her doorstep. She can't help but break into a genuine smile despite herself. "That's so sweet of you, Haruunaisakuurai." She picks up the bunny and hugs it close to her chest, feeling an odd mix of gratitude and guilt wash over her. "You didn't have to do this," she says softly before adding with a half-hearted laugh, "but I'm glad you did."

"Hmph," Kanade grumbles, trying to feign annoyance. "Very funny." She rolls her eyes and tosses the stuffed animal onto her bed before changing into her pajamas. As she climbs beneath the covers, she can't help but feel a small sense of warmth spread through her chest. Despite everything, it's comforting to know that Haruunaisakuurai is still looking out for her.

With a yawn, Kanade turns off the light and closes her eyes, drifting off to sleep with the image of the cute bunny rabbit nestled atop her pillow. Little does she know, Haruunaisakuurai will be lying awake for hours, staring up at the ceiling as he tries in vain to ignore the ache in his chest and focus on Kanade's well-being

As Haruunaisakuurai emerges to tend to the garden, Kanade rolls out of bed and begins her morning routine with a grumble. The sounds of clipping grass fill the air as she heads for the kitchen, casting occasional glances at her surroundings through half-lidded eyes. Despite herself, she finds solace in the simple rhythm of their lives together, even if it doesn't quite feel like they belong to her.

Breakfast is prepared with the usual efficiency; eggs frying in the pan while toast pops out of the toaster. Kanade pours herself a cup of coffee and adds sugar, not sparing a single thought for Haruunaisakuurai's desire for healthy habits. She takes a seat at the kitchen table, carefully avoiding eye contact with him as she begins to eat.

The silence stretches on, awkward and

"Oh my god!" Kanade laughs as she watches Haruunaisakurai dodge and weave around the yard, chased by an overzealous dog. Despite herself, she can't help but find his antics endearing - or at least entertaining to witness from a safe distance. "You're so silly!" she exclaims between giggles, leaning against the kitchen counter as she continues to observe their peculiar game of tag.

Eventually, Haruunaisakurai manages to lose the dog and stumbles back into the house, breathless but triumphant. Kanade wipes a tear from her eye and offers him a sheepish smile as he plops down onto a chair at the kitchen table. "You really are something else," she says with a shake of her head, not entirely sure what kind of something that might be just yet.

"Go ahead," she says casually, taking another sip of her coffee as Haruunaisakurai reaches for a piece of toast from the counter. Kanade watches him eat, feeling an odd mix of affection and indifference wash over her. Part of her genuinely enjoys having him around; his goofy antics and unwavering support provide a level of comfort that she's not sure she could find anywhere else. And yet another part of her feels like he's just too much work - always needing something from her, never quite content with the relationship as it stands.

The silence stretches on for several more minutes before Kanade decides to break it. "So, anything planned for today?" she asks, forcing a bright tone into her voice. She turns away from Haruunaisakurai and busies herself with washing the dishes, hoping he won't notice