Sui felt a slight sense of disappointment when Erina refused to wear the same naked apron she'd worn the last time. Coming home every day to a cute wife cooking in a naked apron was undeniably something he looked forward to.
"You're thinking of something weird again, aren't you?" Erina's golden eyebrows furrowed slightly as she placed her hands on her hips, leaning forward with a spatula in hand. She pouted and glared at him, looking unintentionally adorable.
"No," Sui responded casually. "I was just thinking, Erina, you should learn from Isshiki-senpai from now on."
"I won't wear something as embarrassing as that! Don't even think about it!" Erina puffed up her cheeks, wrinkling her nose cutely before sticking out her tongue at him.
"Well, if you don't want to wear it now, fine. But... I'm sure I'll see it again tonight," Sui remarked with a smirk, casting a sideways glance at her.
Erina's face turned a deep shade of red, her hands instinctively covering her peach-like hips, feeling a surge of embarrassment.
"Hey, Erina, the food in the pot is burning," Sui said suddenly.
"Ah!" Erina exclaimed, rushing back to the kitchen. She had completely forgotten she was cooking. Tonight's dinner was a delicate spread of butter-glazed duck legs with potatoes, caramel almond shortbreads, and a shrimp-avocado salad. It was a small and refined meal, typical of her style.
"Sui, do you want to join me for dinner?" Erina asked from the dining table when she saw him lounging on the sofa.
"Sure," Sui agreed, joining her and sampling from her plate.
Erina fed him a few bites with her own utensils and asked eagerly, "How does it taste?"
"Not bad," Sui nodded, admitting that her cooking skills had improved significantly. Compared to when they first met, she was now almost on par with Eishi Tsukasa, though there was still a bit of a gap.
"But with all the butter and caramel, no wonder you've been gaining a little weight lately," Sui muttered, casting a quick glance at her noticeably fuller upper body.
Blushing, Erina huffed, "I like sweet things. What's wrong with that?" She rolled her eyes at him and defiantly stuffed another piece of duck into his mouth.
They finished their small meal together, and as usual, Blissey and Chansey arrived to help clean the dishes. The two then headed upstairs.
"The bath is ready. Do you want to go first, or should I?" Erina asked.
"Obviously, we'll take it together," Sui replied with an amused look. "We always do."
Erina blushed, but she followed him into the bathroom nonetheless. She tied up her golden hair and slipped into a bathrobe.
"I still don't get why you're so shy after all this time," Sui remarked, shaking his head.
With a flushed face, Erina reluctantly took off her bathrobe, revealing her snow-white, voluptuous figure. She slipped into the tub, sighing with relief as the warm water enveloped her. Her cheeks were flushed, and a little yellow rubber duck floated lazily by her.
Sui watched as she tried to hide under the water, leaving only her eyes and nose visible. Her head was topped with a towel, adding to the comical sight.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Sui remarked, "I've seen it all. There's no reason to be so shy."
Embarrassed, Erina sank even lower, leaving just the towel visible above the water.
As Erina huddled in a corner of the tub, bathing in silence, Sui eventually decided to ignore her and closed his eyes to relax.
After a while, Sui stood up and walked over to a small bench to rinse off with a shower.
In traditional Japanese style, people usually shower before soaking in a bath to keep the shared bathwater clean. But since Sui was the only one using it, he didn't care about the water bill or cleanliness.
Erina also got out of the bath, covering her upper body as she shyly approached.
"Are you done soaking?" Sui asked.
"Yes," she replied softly, eyes darting away. After a brief pause, she added shyly, "Let me... rub your back for you."
"Sure," Sui agreed, turning around to let her.
Erina sat on a small stool, poured some body wash onto a towel, and gently began rubbing his back.
"How is it?" she asked.
"It's nice, but you could use a little more strength," Sui replied. Her touch was too soft.
"Alright," Erina said, applying more pressure as she continued.
Sui relaxed, feeling comfortable as she massaged his back. After a while, Erina stood up to fetch the shampoo. But as she moved, she slipped and fell onto him with a surprised yelp.
Sui suddenly felt something soft and plush press against his back.
"Uh... is this your idea of rubbing my back?" he asked, astonished at the sudden boldness from the usually shy Erina.
"N-no... it's not like that at all!" Erina stammered, her face flushing deeply.