Chapter 136: Kayama-sensei

A couple of days later, just before the first rays of sunlight peeked through the sky, in the middle of the main room of the safe house, Nemuri began to open her eyes little by little. She was also rubbing her head like a cat against the firm arm that held her. Until, after a while, she finally managed to wake up and look at the sea of her life, who was gazing at her with warm eyes.

"Good morning."

Nemuri greeted in a soft voice, not wanting to wake Ryuko, who was onto Kai's chest, sleeping peacefully like a cat, or Shino, who was hugging the other arm of her beloved. Kai replied with a gentle kiss, before speaking in a similarly soft tone.

"Good morning."

"What time is it?" Nemuri asked quietly as she adjusted her head on her beloved's arm, who replied in a low voice.

"4:30 AM."

"Mmm, let's rest a little longer." Nemuri murmured, almost purring, as she settled under the sheets and closed her eyes, at which point Ryuko's sleepy voice echoed.

"That's not a good idea, we'll end up oversleeping, and we have things to do…"

"Ryuko's right, we have a lot to do today, and since we decided to wait until Yumiko's problem is resolved to talk about our own, it's better not to raise suspicions for now." Shino spoke after a loud yawn, to which Nemuri nodded and replied with a hint of reluctance.

"That's true… so let's go take a shower and head back early. I also have my book signing session for the new release today."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Kai asked while looking at Nemuri, who shook her head and replied as she sat up in bed, causing the blanket covering her to fall, revealing her spectacular naked body.

"It's not necessary, it's better if you continue with your apprenticeship. It's only a couple of hours, and after that, I'll stop by the agency."

"Alright, then let's get ready." Shino said as she stretched lazily, equally revealing her sculpted naked body, at which point Ryuko clung to Kai and spoke in a spoiled voice.

"Kai, carry me."

"Hahaha, let's go." Kai said with a smile as he stood up with a naked Ryuko in his arms, and then they all walked together toward the large bathroom in the room.

………

In her room, one she had barely used in recent times, Nemuri changed into a casual outfit consisting of wide-legged black pants and a simple white tank top with thick straps. She then sat in front of an elegant vanity, where she applied light makeup and fixed her hair.

Once ready, Nemuri checked her appearance one last time in the mirror, then nodded in satisfaction. She truly looked stunning. Not only was her skin flawless, but her body had also become more voluptuous and toned. She had even grown a couple of centimeters taller, which inevitably brought to mind the image of the one responsible for it, bringing a warm and loving smile to her face.

It really seemed like Kai never tired of showing the infinite love he had for them, always worrying about her, her well-being, and her health. Her beauty was just a side effect of his tireless efforts, which included regularly checking their physical conditions, adjusting their training and diet routines, giving them his magical massages. And even developing creams, tonics, and gadgets to keep them as healthy as possible.

All that care and dedication had resulted in not only everyone in the family being incredibly healthy, but their strength, speed, reflexes, and more had also developed to superhuman levels. Ultimately leading to their almost supernatural beauty that was recognized worldwide.

After twirling in front of the mirror, Nemuri left her room and went downstairs, where she found Keiko and Yumiko lying on comfortable recliners with pale green masks on their faces. A group of four young women expertly performed their manicures and pedicures, as the pair of high-class mothers watched a drama on the giant screen.

"I see you're having fun." Nemuri commented with a smile as she approached the two retired women, causing them to turn and look at her, at which point Keiko chuckled.

"Fufufu, a little. Today, we decided to pamper ourselves a bit so we can enjoy our massage tonight."

"Yeah, retired life is great… but are you sure you don't want us to come with you to your signing session?" Yumiko asked in a calm and relaxed tone, with no trace of the past sadness and bitterness, at which Nemuri shook her head and replied with a smile.

"Don't worry, it'll only be a couple of hours, and then I'll stop by the agency, so it's not necessary. Just enjoy yourselves."

"Alright, then we'll see you tonight. By the way, you look gorgeous. Maybe you'll come back with a date today, fufu." Keiko said with a playful smile, to which Yumiko quickly joined in amusement.

"Yeah, you look spectacular, and it's about time you found someone to love and keep you company. You've been single for too long."

"And you're saying that to me? Especially you, Keiko? How long have you been single? Besides, the last thing I need right now is a date, fufu." Nemuri retorted with a teasing tone, which seemed to strike a nerve with Yumiko and Keiko, who could only look at each other speechlessly before turning back to Nemuri.

"Just go already, and take the sports car. Kai modified it a few days ago and added better defense systems." Keiko said with pursed lips of annoyance, to which Yumiko quickly added in a similar tone.

"Yeah, go on, you're going to be late."

"Fufufu, see you tonight." Nemuri said amused as she walked toward the garage, to which the two retired women responded with annoyed huffs.

Entering the garage, where at least a dozen different cars were parked, Nemuri walked to a discreet shelf in the corner where all the car keys were kept. She picked up a specific one that looked more like a digital remote than a key, pressed it gently, and turned it on, causing one of the vehicles in the garage to start, its powerful engine roaring.

The car turned out to be a sleek black sports car, which Nemuri entered before driving out of the garage and onto a paved road until she reached a large gate, where two retired heroes working as guards opened it for her. After a casual farewell, she accelerated, quickly leaving the house behind.

As she drove, Nemuri couldn't help but get lost in her thoughts, slowly advancing along the lonely road, feeling somewhat insecure about the new step she was about to take. This led her to take several detours to delay her arrival a bit longer, wanting to calm her feelings, until she finally reached her destination.

Nemuri arrived at an imposing, beautifully designed building, where she was greeted by a large entourage of at least a dozen people, who bowed respectfully to her as she stepped out of her car. Among them was an elegant woman dressed in a black business suit, with light blue hair and greenish eyes, who was her editor.

"Kayama-sensei, it's a pleasure to have you with us."

"Hello everyone, sorry I'm a bit late."

Nemuri responded with a small smile, handing her car keys to a man in a suit, who quickly drove it to the garage, at which point the blue-haired woman straightened up and spoke respectfully.

"You're right on time, Kayama-sensei. Please, accompany us to the stage."

"That's good, let's go." Nemuri replied with a smile, then walked alongside the blue-haired woman into the building, followed closely by the entourage.

"...how's the attendance, Wada-san?" Nemuri asked halfway, looking around, to which the blue-haired woman responded respectfully.

"We're completely full, Kayama-sensei."

"That's good. I hope the new book does well…" Nemuri murmured softly as she entered the building, to which the editor responded with a confident smile.

"Don't worry, Kayama-sensei. The new saga you're embarking on is incredibly interesting and solid, a mature and intriguing twist on your style of fantasy stories. I'm sure it will be very well received."

"I hope so. Kai gave me some great ideas and the general structure of the plot, so I hope I did a good job weaving it all together to make it interesting…"

Nemuri commented, feeling somewhat insecure. After all, her first work had been her baby, born from Kai's ideas woven together with her narrative skills, creating a colossal success and almost a cultural phenomenon, translated into over 50 languages, selling hundreds of millions of copies, and spawning six blockbuster movies. But after almost a decade of writing, the story had ended, and now she was embarking on a new one.

Her first series of novels was not only a source of pride for her, but also held a deep and special meaning. For years, she secretly saw them as the fruit of her unconditional love for Kai, in which she did her best to weave her beloved's ideas into something interesting, and it bore fruit. Her work was loved by the public, but now that she was starting anew, she was filled with doubts and felt insecure.

Although, as always, Kai had been able to give her ideas for characters, plots, world-building, and the general outline, she no longer had her repressed emotions. She no longer had to keep her love and desire for the man she loved a secret, and every day she lived in infinite happiness sleeping by his side. So she was afraid that without that internal desperation, she wouldn't be able to create a story good enough and would end up ruining Kai's incredible ideas.

Moreover, the new story, while still following the fantasy style of her first work, now had a much more mature and serious focus, with complex plots and a host of characters scheming and killing each other to claim a seemingly cursed throne of swords, bringing suffering and misfortune to anyone who dared to sit on it. This made her feel unsure if she could create a new baby and once again consecrate the fruit of her love.

For this reason, she had downplayed the importance of the book launch event to Kai and the family, calling it a simple, casual signing session. She was afraid the event might be a flop and wanted to face it alone, returning with her head held high if she succeeded or quietly burying the failure without bothering them.

"You really don't need to worry, Kayama-sensei. I'm completely sure this will be a great success." Wada responded with full confidence, to which Nemuri could only nod with a neutral expression, though filled with inner insecurity.

Shortly after, Nemuri arrived at the back of a stage, where she could hear a presenter talking about her work and other things. Finally, her moment to enter arrived, which inevitably caused her heart to race and her doubts to grow. But, biting her lip, she mustered her courage and stepped out.

[Everyone, let's give a big round of applause to Kayama-sensei, the most important author in all of Japan, who now embarks on a new adventure with all of you.]

As she entered the stage, where there was a long table with various important figures from the Japanese literary world, Nemuri heard the presenter's introduction, followed by a warm round of applause from the audience. As she reached the center of the stage, she bowed respectfully, but at that moment, she was completely stunned.

In the front row of the giant cultural center, filled with stands, books, and neatly arranged rows of chairs where hundreds of people sat, Nemuri could see her entire family applauding and looking at her with playful smiles. The heroes in their respective suits and Kai with Yumiko and Keiko in semiformal elegant attire.

[Surprise, fufufu]

At the same time, Nemuri received a telepathic message with Shino's playful voice, which brought her to the brink of tears, deeply moved. But clenching her teeth with all her might, she managed to hold back and walked to the center of the table, where she sat down as the applause continued.

***

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