Chapter 47 Color Illustration: Mengyue – Snatching a Warm-Winter Moment
At that moment the chestnut-haired girl was lying on her side under the kotatsu, letting out soft, slow breaths.
“Hey Mengyue, wake up. The sun’s almost set, and you’re on dinner duty tonight, remember?”
Squatting beside her, Shidou gave her shoulder a gentle shake and called into her ear.
“Mmm…”
Reacting to his voice, Mengyue furrowed her brow slightly, rolled onto her back, a strand of hair caught between her lips, and mumbled a few sleepy words.
“Shidou… I want… soba…”
“No, I wasn’t asking what you want to eat. If you want it, get up and make it yourself.”
Shidou sighed in exasperation, half-laughing, half-weeping at the reply.
“Honestly, you look so peacefully asleep I almost feel bad waking you.”
He brushed a fingertip across Mengyue’s cheek—soft as silk—carefully tucking a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear.
“……”
As if basking in his touch, the sleeping girl smiled, serene and content. The sight reminded Shidou of a cat curled up under a quilt, purring in its dreams.
Evening was drawing near; the sun sank bit by bit behind the hills, and gentle crimson light slipped between the houses, streamed through the clear glass door, and draped itself over Mengyue like a gossamer veil.
It could have been a masterpiece, Shidou thought. Had he been a painter, he would have been tempted to seize a brush and trap this moment on canvas.
“Hey, Mengyue, you’ve spent the whole day under this kotatsu. Stay any longer and you’ll turn into a proper slug. I’ll help with dinner, so come on—up you get.”
“Huu…”
He urged her again, but the kotatsu’s spell held fast; Mengyue merely breathed slowly, still lost in blissful sleep.
The setting sun painted a faint blush on her fair cheeks, and her glistening lips, caught in the red glow, sparkled like a jewel.
Shidou felt his own face grow warm—surely only the sunset—and the drum of his heartbeat pounded loud in his ears.
“…Get up soon, Mengyue… or else…”
Leaning closer, he delivered a soft warning to the sleeping girl.
(I’m going to… play a little prank on your face…)
woah woah dont shinji hospital her man