CHAPTER 158 - HORRIBLE COOKIES! YUI’S LITTLE BALLOON! [BONUS CHAPTER 1/4]

"Mom, Ren has always been first in his grade, and he's also the Student Council President," Yui proudly told her mother.

"Oh! That's really impressive." Mrs. Yuigahama's impression of Ren was already good, but she didn't expect there to be even more surprising aspects. She glanced at Yui and sighed softly. "Handsome, gentle, considerate, good grades, caring... I really don't know how many lifetimes of good fortune my Yui has accumulated to meet Ren."

Ren shook his head. "Not at all. Yui is a very lovely and excellent girl. It's my fortune to be liked by Yui."

"Ren-kun..." Yui's eyes were practically melting with emotion. This made Mrs. Yuigahama not know whether to laugh or cry. They chatted for a while longer. Mrs. Yuigahama's range of conversation was very wide, from comets to recent rainstorms and supernatural occurrences in Tokyo, even mentioning the multiple missing girls cases.

Ren glanced at the time; it was three in the afternoon. "It's getting late, and I've troubled you long enough. I should leave."

"Are you leaving so soon?" Yui held Ren's hand, a little reluctant.

Ren ruffled her hair and chuckled. "We'll see each other at school tomorrow."

"Oh... okay..."

But just as he stepped out the door, an extremely heavy rain poured down without any warning. It was like a large basin of water being directly dumped from above. Within a few seconds, the ground was completely soaked. Even in this downpour, the streetlight glow was blurry. With a clang, a metal sign from a nearby shop fell to the ground.

"Wow!" The sudden noise startled both Yui and Mrs. Yuigahama.

Mrs. Yuigahama was puzzled. "There was no weather forecast for any gloomy or rainy weather, so why is it suddenly raining so heavily?" She suddenly remembered: "Oh, right, many areas in Tokyo have experienced such sudden heavy rainstorms. Is it happening here too?"

Yui didn't care about any of that; she was extremely happy. She pulled Ren back inside, saying, "Ren-kun, the rain is really too heavy. I think even an umbrella would break. Why don't you stay at my house until the rain stops?"

"Yes, the downpour is too heavy. We have a spare room here, so it's fine if Ren-kun stays," Mrs. Yuigahama also said. It was her first time seeing such a heavy rainstorm as well.

Ren frowned and looked at the sky. He had already been pulled into the house by Yui. Yui then led him into her room. She was initially shy, as it was the first time she had allowed a boy into her room. However, she quickly adapted and began introducing him to her dolls and collections.

Suddenly, she thought of something. "Oh right, my cookies! Ren, wait for me!" She rushed out of the room in a hurry.

Ren shook his head and chuckled at her flustered appearance. He casually glanced around the room when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a hint of blue in a drawer Yui had inadvertently opened earlier. "Hmm?"

Ren curiously opened it and took out the blue item. He froze. A small, square packet with a circular ring in the middle... a balloon? Why would Yui's room have something like this?

While Ren was puzzled, Yui was rummaging through things on the living room table. "Huh? Where did it go?" she murmured. "I clearly remember the cookies I specifically made for Ren tonight were right here, why are they gone?"

Yui's rummaging startled Mrs. Yuigahama in her room. She opened the door and asked, "Yui, what are you looking for?"

Seeing her mother, Yui looked as if she had seen a savior. "Mom, have you seen the cookies I put here?"

"Cookies?" Mrs. Yuigahama paused, then after a moment of thought, suddenly remembered. "Are you talking about that bag of very unpalatable biscuits? They were spoiled, so I threw them away."

Yui was stunned. "Very unpalatable?"

Mrs. Yuigahama said with a wry smile, "That's right, very unpalatable. They tasted like burnt biscuits from who knows how many years ago, too hard to swallow. Why are you looking for those?"

"...They're delicious, sweet!" Yui had exclaimed. "These were made for me by my little Yui!" Ren had praised her cookies. He had stopped Marin from eating them. Scene after scene from the Supernatural Research Club replayed in her mind.

After a brief silence, Yui hesitantly said, "No... nothing, just throw them away then. Mom, you go about your business, I'm fine." Although Mrs. Yuigahama was curious, she still nodded. She returned to her room, not worrying about what might happen between the two of them; she was still at home, so how could Yui be so bold?

"..."

"Ren..."

Ren threw the balloon on the table and looked up at Yui, only to see her lowering her head after closing the door. "What happened?"

"..." Yui suddenly threw herself into Ren's arms, tears welling in her eyes. "Ren, why did you lie to me?"

Ren was startled. "What did I lie to you about?"

Yui clutched his clothes tightly, sobbing. "The cookies I made were clearly so unpalatable... but Ren said they were delicious..."

Ren understood; so it was about this. He gently embraced Yui, his voice like flowing water and a gentle breeze. "Because what I tasted in my mouth was Yui's heartfelt effort."

"To make cookies for me, Yui must have put in a lot of effort, right? That's what I tasted, and it was truly sweet."

"Ren..." Ren's words were like a heartwarming lamp, immersing Yui in a tenderness from which she couldn't extricate herself.

"Thank you... Ren." Yui smiled very happily. She stood up and sat beside Ren, but then she suddenly noticed the balloon on the table.

"This is..." Yui picked it up and looked. She knew what it was. Instantly, her face flushed like a fiery cloud, her rosy eyes wide with shock. "Eh! Ren! Is this... is this yours?"

Ren shrugged, denying it. "It's not mine. I found it here." As he spoke, Ren pulled open the drawer. Only then did Yui see that there were several balloons in the drawer!

"But... but I never bought any! Ren, I really don't know, and I've never used them!" Yui was so anxious she was almost crying; she was so afraid Ren would misunderstand something.

Ren didn't know whether to laugh or cry; he naturally believed Yui, patting her head to comfort her. "Don't get agitated, I believe you. Think carefully about who else has been in your room."

Receiving Ren's trust, Yui slowly calmed down. She carefully thought back, her eyes suddenly widened, and she said incredulously, "It's Mom!" Yui remembered. Before, after she confessed when she had a fever, her mother went to the supermarket alone on the way home. After returning, her mother had entered her room once!

"But... why... why?" Yui didn't quite understand why her mother would put something like this in her drawer.

Ren, however, had already figured it out. She probably noticed Yui's unusual behavior, guessed she had a boyfriend, and fearing she might get pregnant, specially prepared these. She really was a thoughtful mother.

Yui held the balloon, feeling even more shy, her head almost buried in her large chest.

"Give it to me, I'll put it back." Ren sighed and reached out to take it from her hand.

But Yui suddenly clenched her hand. She looked up, her apple-red cheeks, her vibrant red lips slightly moving, as if she had said something. If it were an ordinary person, they really wouldn't have heard what she said. But Ren was no ordinary person; he heard it clearly.

"Ren... let's use it..."

"!!!" Ren looked at Yui in shock. "Are you... sure?"

"Mm..." A faint hum like a mosquito. Yui leaned back slightly.

"Okay." Ren naturally couldn't disappoint a girl who had made up her mind. Yui looked at him shyly yet deeply. The moment she realized her cookies were unpalatable, Yui could no longer suppress her feelings. She understood that she was completely inseparable from Ren's care and tenderness, and she wanted to give her everything to him. Ren's lips slowly drew closer.

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[Apologies if this note is disruptive, but it will be present on every bonus Chapter. Feel free to skip it if you wish.]

Hey everyone, Inorin here!

I have some truly exciting news to share! These 4 bonus Chapters are a special thank you to our newest member of "The Lore Diver" membership tier! Your support means the world to me and is a huge help with my current situation.

I'm also happy to report some progress with the fanfics. Three fanfics on Patreon now have 50 advanced Chapters, and I will be working on five new fanfics for a mass release and advanced Chapters.

To all my amazing supporters, a new, limited-time special tier for our first 10 patrons is now available, offering all the benefits of "The Plot Uncoverer" at a discounted price!

Because of the support from three new members of 'The Founding Pillars' and a purchase of the Doomsday Chat Group: Conquering the Multiverse Heroines collection on Patreon, we have even more bonus Chapters to share.

Thank you so much to everyone who has joined and supported me! Your enthusiasm keeps me motivated.

For those interested in the rewards, here's a quick overview:

The Curious Reader: 2 Bonus Chapters

The Dedicated Fan: 3 Bonus Chapters

The Lore Diver: 4 Bonus Chapters

The Plot Uncoverer: 5 Bonus Chapters

Any Collection Purchase: 6 Bonus Chapters

Additionally, I'll be releasing 1 bonus Chapter for every 150 Power Stones reached each week.

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