As Kei’s face got closer, Rishi tightly closed her eyes.

“Don’t close your eyes.”

Kei’s whisper sounded very close.

“Look over there.”

‘Look over there?’

Something seemed a bit odd.

Thinking that something different from her imagination might be happening, Rishi cautiously opened her eyes.

Kei’s face wasn’t directed towards Rishi. He was looking beyond the bushes as if pressing his cheek against Rishi’s.

Rishi slowly shifted her gaze in that direction.

Beyond the bushes was a wide open space, and in the center of that clearing—

“A deer…?”

A deer was leaping around as if dancing, with long and splendid antlers. The deer, with its thin and long legs, joyfully hopped around the clearing as if it had a very good day.

Rishi squinted her eyes and captured the scene.

“How is it?”

Kei asked.

“What is…?”

“Isn’t it cute?”

“It’s cute, but…”

The reason her face suddenly turned hot was because she felt embarrassed for indulging in strange fantasies on her own.

‘Why am I like this?’

It was a behavior she had wanted to avoid due to fear and dislike. So at first, she froze, even hearing the sound of a statue.

She thought she would continue like this forever. Even if she were to share a bed with Kei someday, it would be an obligatory act, not something she willingly chose to do.

‘But what is this? This man, without even thinking… alone, I…’

Thinking about it, it made no sense to go into the forest and do such things when there was a good bed available.

Yet, here she was, immersed in her own fantasies, blushing, feeling excited, tense, closing her eyes…

How stupid must she have looked?

‘It’s a relief that Kei couldn’t read my mind.’

It really was a relief. If he had heard, it would have been difficult to face Kei for a while.

“Rishi? Why is your face so red?”

Kei asked in a low voice. Rishi bit her lip tightly and just nodded. Kei’s eyes narrowed as if amused. Rishi’s heart sank.

“Did you think I knew something would happen here, Rishi?”

“Oh, no.”

She stammered.

Kei’s eyes widened and then narrowed again.

“I’ve never seen you stammer. It seems my guess might be right.”

“I told you, Kei.”

While trying to speak sternly and push his chest away, she exerted force on the hand that was holding her waist. Because of that, his fingers dug into her waist, tickling.

“Ah!”

Forgetting to stifle the ticklish sensation, a strange sound escaped her. The eerie sound echoed through the dark and quiet forest.

The deer, which had been prancing around, abruptly stopped and stared in their direction.

“Oh no, we’ve been caught.”

Kei muttered as he stood up.

The deer, which had been walking towards them as if it missed them, looked at Rishi, who was standing up beside Kei, with wide-open eyes.
The momentarily frozen deer swiftly turned around and fled through the trees.

“Oh no, it ran away.”

“Why did it run away?”

“Well, maybe it’s scared of you?”

“But Walas knows I wouldn’t harm him.”

Kei chuckled.

“Walas feels embarrassed about being a deer. He wants to hide the fact that such a cute deer is hiding behind that massive frame.”

“But it had impressive antlers.”

“True. Later, if you tell him that, he’ll probably like it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Kei transformed into a wolf.

“We get excited on nights when the full moon rises. So, twice a month, every time the full moon appears, we can’t resist transforming.”

It was a fact that Rishi didn’t know until now.

Until now, she couldn’t understand why, even if someone were a werewolf, they wouldn’t be caught unless they transformed into a beast for a lifetime. Now she understood the reason.

“Can’t you bear it? Like it feels as if you’re about to die?”

At Rishi’s question, Kei made a creaking sound.

It was laughter.

“No, it’s not like I’m about to die… How should I express this?”

Kei glanced briefly at Rishi and suddenly placed his two front paws on her shoulders.

With a solid weight, Rishi’s knees wobbled.

Staring at Rishi, who barely stood, Kei, now in wolf form, licked her cheek.

“It’s like having you in front of me but not being able to eat you, Rishi.”

“Appetite?”

Kei creaked again and laughed.

“No, Rishi. It’s what I filled your head with just now, turning your face all red. It’s similar to that.”

Rishi narrowed her eyes and glared at Kei.

“That’s not it.”

“What is it then?”

There was nothing to say when asked like that. If she said it was lust, it meant admitting that her head was filled with such thoughts.

Kei narrowed his eyes and chuckled. Even though he was in the form of a wolf, his expression teasingly mocking Rishi was evident and amusing.

Rishi beaned Kei’s large nose right in front of her face with her forehead.

“Don’t tease me, Kei. Ill-mannered puppies get their bottoms smacked.”

“Oh, scary.”

Kei put down his front paws and sat down, showing his back to Rishi.

“What, you want me to smack you?”

“If that’s your preference, well, I can endure a few hits.”

“That’s not my preference.”

“Then ride.”

“Huh?”

“Ride, Rishi.”

“On your back?”

“Yes, on my back.”

Kei lay down.