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Tsuki Tsuki (Light Novel) - Volume 9, Chapter 02: Selfish Wish
Volume 9, Chapter 02: Selfish Wish
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
…I believed that conflicts essential won’t yield anything.
Of course one couldn’t avoid verbal disputes or brawls. But depending on the situation, one had to fight no matter what. Yeah, just like right now. This time alone I was prepared to resort to violence.
That said, shamefully enough, my opponent was myself… Just how long would my reasoning last? In front of my eyes were Luna and Hijiri, both wearing maid clothes.
Luna was wearing a cat-ear hairband on her head, whereas Hijiri was wearing a dog-ear one.
…After the ruckus in the living room, everyone left the room for preparations and when they came back after a while, it turned into this.
While Machina, Elni and Kaorun watched over us, the maid-clad Luna and Hijiri each flushed their cheeks and slowly drew closer to me.
In view of this situation, the two of them were going to make some kind of appeal without doubt. And then I would have to choose which of them was better, which meant going to the aquarium together with the winner.
…Looks like this would become a fierce showdown.
It might be that my reasoning would scream for it’s life during it.
Hiding the layer of unrest I felt in my heart, I faced the two of them while cladding myself with composure, whereupon Hijiri made her move first, lightly hesitant.
While shaking the dog-ears on her hand, she kneeled in front of me and softly put her own cheek against my thigh for no apparent reason.
Upon that, Hijiri’s glamorous, black hair touched my thighs and her soft body warmth threw my heart into turmoil.
“H- Hijiri? What are you doing? What’s up?”
“…Woof, woof.”
Hijiri replied with a small bark to my questions.
A- Apparently Hijiri had become a dog. I didn’t know who gave her the idea, but her upturned gaze and bashful behaviour was foul play.
But I should deal with it composed. For now, I should try to pet her head. I got the feeling that I already had lost my composure, but unable to resists, I reached out my hand for Hijiri’s head.
In that moment, Luna made her move now.
As soon as she sat down besides me, she tightly clung to my arm spoiled, whereupon her sweet fragrance and breasts with a full-score on volume got a tight hold on my heart.
“Ehm, you too, Luna, what’s up so suddenly?”
“M- Meow…”
I, I see. Judging by the cat-ears on her head, Luna most likely turned into a cat.
She looked really adorable how she happily smiled while somewhat showing embarrassment.
Inadvertently I shifted my hand that was heading for Hijiri towards Luna. Following, I petted Luna’s head for a while, whereupon Hijiri suddenly pulled on the sleeve of my clothes sadly.
“Ah, sorry. I haven’t forgotten about you, Hijiri.”
When I rested my hand on her head with an apology, Hijiri showed a bright smile and once more put her cheek against my thigh.
If Hijiri were a real dog, she might happily wag her tail now.
Somehow, while watching Hijiri’s smile, even I came to enjoy it.
I faintly smiled and petted Hijiri’s head, whereupon Luna looked at me envious, as she wanted attention.
“…One at a time, okay? So please wait a bit.”
On my words, Luna nodded and as she then grew tired of waiting, she clung to me even stronger and brought her blushed face closer.
“Mm… *kiss*… *kiss*…”
Pressing her glamorous lips against my ear, she lightly kissed it twice.
Moreover, she then extended her pink tongue and traced my ear, sometimes gently poking it and then licking it softly.
Luna might just be playing around, but I directly felt her bewitching hot breath, which already cracked my reasoning.
On the other hand, Hijiri clung to my arm too in protest to Luna and brought her bright red face closer, albeit a bit hesitant. Then she stretched the light red tip of her tongue
“Mm…”
and licked my cheek reserved along with a faint moan.
Her smooth tongue tickled my cheek and while showing embarrassment, she looked somewhat happy. So close I noticed her charming expression again and of all things, Luna even started to play-bite my ear.
…I was already done for. At this rate, I didn’t know what I would do.
While my own reasoning creaked without me being able to move carelessly, Elni, Kaorun and Machina, who all watched over me, rushed over to me right away, as they noticed my predicament.
“Time out! Time out!”
Like that, Elni swiftly snatched away Luna and Hijiri from me, whereas Kaorun held out an invisible microphone to me with a jerk.
“Shinobu-sama, your decision please. Which one do you want to make your pet, the dog-eared maid or the cat-eared maid?”
…What a horrible question.
But the more pressing problem was about who to choose.
Both Luna and Hijiri were really cute, which made it difficult to decide. I crossed my arms and pondered for a while, then I shifted my gaze to Elni as an escape from Luna and Hijiri’s hopeful looks. With flickering eyes, I answered.
“Mhm, for a pet, Mad Dog alone is enough.”
“…Eh? Instead of Luna or Hijiri, you want me, Shinobu? S- Somehow I’m getting embarrassed…”
No, no. I think you should get angry about that, Elni.
Regardless of my rude remark, Elni faintly flushed her cheeks.
In regards, Luna and Hijiri puffed up her cheeks lightly. And seeing that, Machina quickly took the dog-ear hairband from Hijiri’s head and put it onto Elni’s head.
“Uwa, this suits you surprisingly well…”
“Fufu, I know right. Gwaar!”
She herself might have wanted to be a Mad Dog, but equipped with the dog-ears, Elni was extremely cute.
“…Nothing we can do against Elni-chan.”
“Right. It’s regretful, but it doesn’t seem like I could win.”
Even while lightly dropping their shoulders, both Luna and Hijiri consented.
By the way, as for Kaorun, she casually took the cat-ears from Luna’s head and put them on herself while blurting out “Shinobu-sama, in regards to maids, I am the best, right?”, but I ignored it with a smile…
Afterwards the showdown still continued, whereat Luna and Hijiri wore sailor uniforms or shrine maiden outfits, became bus guides or policewomen and in the end clad in white gowns or military uniforms all the while changing her appeals along with their costumes, which fiercely agitated my reasoning from beginning to end.
However, while I was aware of my indecisiveness, I just couldn’t decide on a winner and the showdown entered it’s ninth round. Together with Machina and Elni, who both made a somewhat tired face, Luna came back into the living room after changing into the outfit of a race queen.
A tube top that boldly exposed her waist. Short hot pants. Reflected in both my eyes were her slender hips, long, beautiful legs and firm angles, which were all so erotic.
…It was the most revealing outfit so far. While I inadvertently gulped, Luna doubtful face the door of the living room.
“Uhm, Hijiri-san? What are you doing over there? Hurry up and let us continue the showdown.”
Even though my reasoning was at a state where it would break upon contact, Luna firmly grabbed both my hands full of energy. In regards, Hijiri peeked in only her head between the gap of the door and turned around her head in a flustered state while still hiding her body.
“Wh- What’s this, Kaoru-san? That wasn’t agreed on. I thought I would wear the same one as Luna-san, so I— wait, stop it, Kaoru-san!”
The flustered Hijiri raised a voice to stop her, but it was already too late and she showed up in the living room by being pushed on the back by Kaorun.
But, Hijiri’s outfit turned all my expectations upside down.
I had thought for sure she would wear the same race queen outfit as Luna, but right now Hijiri was wearing just sexy lingerie and socks.
A transparent, sexy pink negligee. Beneath it I could see her voluminous breasts covered by a white brassiere, her slender waist and nicely tense thighs. Moreover, on Hijiri’s every little movement, her big swellings bounced around, which ensnared my heart gravely.
Th- That was against the rules. I hadn’t heard anything of this. But I couldn’t avert my eyes. I lost all confidence to keep my composure and the last bit of my remaining reasoning was about to be blown away too, whereupon Kaorun smiled daring and opened her mouth.
“Judging by Shinobu-sama’s reaction, it seems the victory goes to Hijiri-chan.”
“Wh- What are you saying, Kaoru!”
On Kaorun’s words, Machina immediately attacked with complain.
“I won’t accept this! After all this is all just your ploy! Fight fair and square like my sister!”
“…So you say, but at this rate we will never reach a conclusion, you know? I take you are getting tired as well, Machina, Elni-san? It is already the ninth round after all. Why not accept now that it is Hijiri-chan’s victory?”
Kaorun made a faint sigh with a somewhat exhausted look, but Luna raised a desperate voice with “Please wait!”, as she couldn’t accept it either.
“This will be the finale! Please let it continue for a bit longer! Besides, it is not settled yet! I will try my best as well!”
“Well, I do not mind, but Luna-san, how do you intend to try even harder…”
Widening her eyes midway in her sentence, Kaorun then stopped her words just like that.
Yeah, I could understand why.
After all, as soon as Luna reached out her hands for her hot pants, she pulled them down and exposed her black panties, as she didn’t want to lose to Hijiri. Moreover, she grabbed the hem of her tube top and slowly rolled it up.
…I should have stopped Luna at this point.
If she were to strip off her top like this, her ripe breasts would get exposed. Luna tightly bit her lips and turned bright red up to her ears.
However, her appearance of taking off her clothes while fighting against the shame was extremely charming, so I didn’t say anything in the end, whereupon Luna temporarily stopped her hands once, then
“…I will win and go to the aquarium with Shinobu-san!”
she grabbed the hem of the tube top again while saying so to encourage herself and hesitated for only a moment. With a jerk, she stripped off her top.
Instantly, her round breasts showed up with a bounce as they were released from the constraining top. The breasts clad in a black brassiere bounced right and left for a moment, then the white, soft flesh of her cleavage bumped into each other on the backlash, swaying around lewdly.
…What an amazing force. Two swellings that closely resembled oversized melons. Unable to get my eyes off the charming bouncing, I was thunderstruck, whereupon I saw Machina timidly grabbing Elni’s shoulders at the edge of my vision.
“T- Troubles, Elni. Sister is too bold. I’m sure a weird switch was flipped for her. I guess we better stop her?”
“No, we should let her be! This is a change for Luna! Listen, Luna! For the sake of winning, take off more clothes!”
“Hey, Elni! Stop saying ridiculous stuff! Besides, even Sister wouldn’t go as far as—”
“I understand, Elni-chan! I will do it!”
“Ehh!? She agreed!?”
“Impossible!”
“I can’t believe it— wait, why are you surprised the most, Elni!”
“I mean! I never thought she would take me serious!”
The surprised Machina and Elni coloured their eyes with innocence and guilt respectively.
The wordless Hijiri and Kaorun were dumbfounded.
Giving these girls a sidelong glance, Luna unhooked her brassiere at her back with still red cheeks.
However, as she indeed was embarrassed, her movements were hesitant and she stopped her hands for a while, but
“The aquarium with Shinobu-san. The aquarium with Shinobu-san. The aquarium with Shinobu-san….”
It must have been to muster her courage. Luna repeated so thrice like a charm, then hesitantly removed the shoulder straps of her bra, slowly lowering the black brassiere… Finally her voluminous breasts were fully exposed.
Regardless of their big size, her breasts had not a shred of slackness and undoubtedly had a pleasant tension and magnificent elasticity.
Beautiful white breasts that truly made you believe it were pieces of art.
The tips of these breasts were coloured in a pale pink and had a stimulating charm that couldn’t be written off as mere pieces of art.
“Beautiful…”
It was my first time seeing Luna’s breasts so close and this clearly. Losing my senses and leaking my true feelings from my mouth, I swallowed my saliva with a gulp.
On the other hand, accepting my impolite gaze, Luna turned even redder and tried to cover her breasts with both her hands, but she tightly closed her eyes and did her best to endure the shame.
To be honest, I wanted to touch them. I was dying to. Actually, wouldn’t it be rude not to touch them?
Before I noticed it, my reasoning was collapsing with crumbling sounds, bringing me into a quite dangerous situation, whereupon Machina interjected hastily.
“J- Judging by Shinobu’s drool, Sister wins this showdown.”
“N- Not yet, Machina-san!”
On Machina’s words, Hijiri, who had been dumbfounded so far, immediately raised her voice.
“The showdown— starts now! I won’t lose!”
“Yes, you’re right, Hijiri. It starts— wait, no. It stars now!? Just why!? Accept already that my sister won!”
“No way! I don’t want to lose at all!”
Shouting back at Machina and putting her hand on her clothes,
“Date with Shinobu-kun. Date with Shinobu-kun. Date with Shinobu-kun…”
Hijiri chanted these words like a charm just as Luna had done it, then she took off her negligee while turning bright red.
Instantly, Machina made a grim look and now shook Kaorun’s shoulders with attitude.
“A- At this rate, both Hijiri and Sister will end up naked! You’re responsibly for this! Do something about it, Kaoru!”
“Y- You are right. I understand. Please leave it to me.”
Kaorun nodded numerous times in a flustered state and shifted her gaze with “Hijiri-chan!”.
“Please stop at once! No matter what— just do not take off your socks!”
“What’s with that advice!? Why are even you flipping out, Kaoru? Even though you’re the last we can rely on! Please come back to your senses!”
“I, I am keeping my senses at all times! Besides, please take a look. S- See, Shinobu-sama’s appearance of being approached by girls is as pretty as a painting.”
While breaking out a cold sweat on her forehead, Kaorun faced me and gave a thumps-up.
“Shinobu-sama! So wonderful! Your female fans are already gathering behind the sports hall!”
“Haha, you’re as funny as ever. Even in this situation you make me inadvertently laugh. But I’ll smack you afterwards.”
“If so, then please onto my bottom— wait, no! It is embarrassing, so please stop it— wait, not that either! I, I wonder what I should have said at a time like this!?”
“…You’re unexpected useless. Just how agitated are you?”
Machina gave a plausible impression with a weary behaviour, whereas Hijiri with still red cheeks tried to unhook her bra and seeing that, Elni immediately put her hand on the strap.
“Stop it, Hijiri! Let’s end the showdown here! Why not call it a draw! You put on some clothes too, Luna! To begin with, if Nazucat were to see—”
“Mh? What about me?”
Midway in Elni’s sentence, of all things the person in question made an entrance.
Nazuna suddenly showed up in the living room. Me included, everyone froze up all alike, whereas Nazuna had frizz-like bed hair, as she had been enjoying an afternoon nap so far.
“What’s the ruckus about? Today’s my study session. It’s about time we— wait, Uwaah! Why did Luna-oneechan and Hijiri-oneechan take off her clothes!? Just what’s going on!?”
As soon as her gaze fell on Luna and Hijiri, Nazuna widened her eyes in surprise.
In regards, Luna and Hijiri seemed to have finally come back to their senses due to Nazuna’s reaction.
Each of them turned so bright red that it wasn’t gradable anymore and curled themselves up like that to hide their bodies. And amidst that, Kaorun made a follow up while still showing agitation.
“N- Nazuna-chan, we are studying health and physical education. Before looking after your studies, Nazuna-chan, I gave a lesson to prepare myself.”
“But, Kaoru-san, the proficiency test doesn’t cover health and physical education.”
“I, did not know that. I- I made a mistake. But well, that aside, Nazuna-chan, let us hurry up with the studies. We are short on time. I will now turn you into a perfect honour students with my abilities.”
“Yeah! Okay! I’ll become a honour student until the test is over! Because mom got angry at me with ‘Don’t sleep, but study’ earlier!”
Apparently accepting Kaorun’s lie, Nazuna replied with a big nod.
On the other hand, Kaorun made a sigh of relief and then tried to quickly leave the living room by pulling Nazuna on her hand, but
“Oh, right.”
Nazuna stopped as she remembered something and pulled out something that looked like a ticket out of her pocket.
“Brother, it’s a present from mom. A ticket for the aquarium. She said you should go together with Luna-oneechan and Hijiri-oneechan, since she had one more. Good for you, right?”
“T- Truly a godsend, Shinobu-sama. Now we can end the showdown and you three can go to the aquarium together. The world knows some plays for only threesomes as well. Are you not glad?”
“…Well yeah. So glad that I’m crying. But well, Nazuna saved the day. I feel like giving her a hug. Hahaha…”
When I replied to Kaorun with a dry laugh, Nazuna spread her arms as to say it was okay to hug her, but I brushed it off with “It’s only a feeling.” and made a small sigh.
What was my mother thinking? If she had one more ticket, she should have said so from the beginning. Was she poking fun at us? Or did she just forget that she had three tickets?
The truth was uncertain, but… nevertheless, it was impressive that my reasoning withstood.
If it hadn’t been the sexy and cool me that ranked right after sexy, I might have committed a mistake. Feeling relief and fatigue, I leaned my back into the sofa, whereas
“Well then, Hijiri-san, let us go to the aquarium with the three of us.”
“Yeah. Sounds fun. On which day do we go, Luna-san?”
“Ehm, I have a shift today and tomorrow, so how about Sunday next week?”
“I’m fine with that. How about you, Shinobu-kun?”
Luna and Hijiri nodded to each other and looked at me with sparkles in their eyes.
…I had no reason to turn them down. I faintly smiled and shook my head front-to-back. Like that the date with the three of us was decided upon next week Sunday.
* * *
After the turmoil, Hijiri and Kaorun left the living room together with Nazuna. They surely looked after her studies in her room.
As Nazuna was taking it seriously, I couldn’t hear any voices of her fooling around and with time passing like that, Luna then went to her part-time job. Now it was evening.
After training my body in the garden, I went into the living room, whereupon Kaorun suddenly entered the room. She stopped once she noticed me, so I called out to her with a casual tone.
“Yo, how’s Nazuna doing?”
“Yes, she is working harder than expected, so I would like to teach her some more after dinner and a break. I also spoke with Tomoe-san just now, which resulted in me preparing dinner for today.”
“Ohh, thanks.”
As she technically was a maid, Kaorun’s cooking skills were superb.
Luna was out for her job tonight anyway, so it was a great help. When I smiled, Kaorun smiled roguish.
“Shinobu-sama, I will use the best of my abilities to prepare tonight’s dinner. However, I demand a kiss from you as payment. Depending on your technique, I will pay back your change with a kiss too.”
“Instead of a kiss, I’ll pet your head. Sorry, but comply with that.”
“…It is a promise, you hear?”
To my surprise a pet on the head alone was enough too. Accepting my reply, Kaorun asked in a good mood.
“Incidentally, Shinobu-sama, do you have any wishes for dinner?”
“Mhm~ Not really, anything is fine.”
“Shinobu-sama, that answer is the most troubling for a cook. You must have one or two things you would like to eat.”
“Well, but even then I can’t ask you to make it for me…”
“You do not need to show any reservations. We have a close relationship, have we not? If there is something you would like to eat, then please say it outright.”
“Then a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.”
“…Shinobu-sama, even close relationships have manners. If you keep fooling around, then you will get a dog chew bone for dinner. Now please voice out your thoughts of ‘Gehehe, I want to eat sushi from Hijiri’s naked body’ while drooling.”
“Hey, aren’t you fooling around? As if I could eat sushi of her naked body with my family around.”
“Well, you are right, but a Manchu Han Imperial Feast, huh…”
Kaorun placed her index finger onto her cheek in thought.
“I believe I can fulfil your expectations as much as possible with hard work, but would it really be all right to make it? I would charge all the necessary food expenses to the Nanjou Household, you know?”
“S- Spare me. If that happened, mom would without doubt beat the hell out of me without wasting her breath. My body would be unable to take in any food. Right now I want to eat the dish called Mother and Child Reunion. If possible, please make that.”
“Mother and Child Reunion? Just to make sure, it does not mean anything perverted, does it?”
“Like hell it does!”
While cracking such jokes, we both headed into the dining kitchen together. After confirming the contents of the fridge, Kaorun nodded small with “Looks like I can make it with these” and smiled at me.
“Shinobu-sama, I will start to prepare dinner now. You are in the way, so please leave at once.”
“…Watch your language a bit. Even I can help out at least.”
“Then can you pray for the food to turn out delicious while watching some anime? No males in the kitchen. Incidentally, if you fool around with ‘Then Shinomun will be a girl for only now’, then I will make you cross-dress at once… What will it be?”
“I’ll watch anime docile.”
I was sick of cross-dressing.
I gave up on helping out and returned to the living room, where I kept watching TV absent-minded while the dinner was completed at some point.
After that, Hijiri, Nazuna, Machina, Elni and my mother gathered in the dining kitchen and while it was regrettable that Luna was absent, we all savoured the food Kaorun made.
A colourful salad was displayed on the table. Furthermore there was steaming Miso soup. When I picked the main dish, chicken and eggs on rice, with my chopsticks, the fluffy food texture of eggs spread in my mouth and the deliciousness of the well flavour chicken meat made me smile broadly.
This was good…
While everyone ate Kaorun’s dishes with relish, my mother suddenly faced Hijiri and leaked a voice of admiration.
“You sure have good manners, Hijiri-chan. Even when eating, you look so refined.”
“Th- Thank you…”
When Hijiri flushed her cheeks faintly in embarrassment, my mother peeked at Nazuna with a smile. There Nazuna was enjoying her meal with a bright smile, whereas my mother shifted her gaze back to Hijiri and softly opened her mouth like that.
“Thank you for looking after Nazuna’s studies today.”
“No problem. I gladly helped and it was fun.”
While replying so, Hijiri gently petted her head, whereupon Nazuna’s smile broadened even more.
“Hijiri-oneechan and Kaoru-san are really good at teaching. So I’ll work a bit more on my studies after dinner.”
Ohh, it was quite rare for Nazucat to be this serious about studying.
When I was slightly surprised, Hijiri shifted her gaze towards me and called out with a soft voice.
“Ehm, Shinobu-kun, you have rice on your cheek.”
“…It, It’s in fashion now. Don’t worry about it.”
Even while making an excuse out of desperation, it didn’t change the fact that it was embarrassing. I reached out my hand for my cheek right away, but even faster
“Fufu, you’re so cute, Shinobu-kun.”
Hijiri extended her hand to my cheek with a giggle and softly removed the rice grain. Then she fixedly looked at her fingertips that held the rice grain and coloured her cheeks red for some reason.
Seeing that, Elni gave the rice grain a passionate look.
“…Hijiri, if you aren’t going to eat it, can I have it?”
“N- No! I’ll eat it…!”
Along with her words, Hijiri opened her well-formed lips and put her slender fingers into her mouth with a small sucking sound while showing a slight hesitation.
This casual behaviour was somewhat erotic.
While I averted my eyes, Kaorun smiled roguish again.
“I am sure Hijiri-chan thought ‘Ahh… The rice grain from Shinobu-kun’s cheek. Actually I wanted to remove it with my mouth…’ just now.”
“K- Kaoru-san! Please don’t say anything weird! I only thought about that for a bit.”
“…For a bit?”
The instant Machina interjected doubtful, Hijiri turned bright red immediately with “Auh…” and my mother blurted out a “So cute”, whereupon Kaorun threw out her chest with pride.
“As you can see, Hijiri-chan is a really cute girl. On top, she is beautiful, has a good figure and personality with even outstanding cooking skills.”
“Hee, then I would like Hijiri-chan to cook something for us next time.”
While giving an agreeable response, my mother smiled, whereupon Machina once again interjected in protest.
“Tomoe-san, even I can cook.”
“Eh? Really? Then I guess I can ask you to make dinner when Luna has work.”
“…I did not know. So Machina can cook too.”
My mother and Kaorun showed a surprised expression.
In regards, the ones that knew Machina’s cooking skills, Hijiri, Elni and I turned pale all alike and called a stop. By the way, Nazuna was engrossed in her meal even now while still smiling…
After dinner, I got out of the bath and made myself comfortable on the sofa in the living room, whereupon Machina showed up in the room. When she noticed me, she sat down besides me and smiled somewhat gently.
“Hey Shinobu, Nazuna seems to work really hard. Just now I went to bring her snacks, but she was studying enthusiastic and Hijiri and Kaoru said they would keep her company for a bit longer.”
“…I just hope she doesn’t get a fever from suddenly working so hard.”
“Nazuna is different from Elni, so I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
“Hey, hey, isn’t that a bit rude to Elni?”
When I showed a wry smile, Machina replied with a serious face.
“I mean, I never saw Elni study seriously. She’s always just playing around and if she were to suddenly start studying, I would think it snows the next day. I don’t even have seen her reading a book.”
“Well, it certainly doesn’t suit her… Speaking of, where’s Elni?”
Speak of the devil and she shows up. This time Elni showed up in the living room with an unusual serious look.
But, on an extremely rare occasion, Elni was holding books against her chest.
It weren’t manga books. What was going on? Could it be Elni started to read a proper book?
When I inadvertently sparkled my eyes, Elni put the books on the table and sat down on the sofa. Seeing that, Machina opened her mouth perplexed.
“E- Elni? What’s with these books? What are you going to do with them?”
“Mh? I borrowed them from the library and I was going to enjoy some smart reading now. Anything wrong with that?”
“…Who are you? What did you do to Elni? So far I have never seen Elni reading a book except manga.”
“Machina, I certainly was hooked on manga until now. But it ends today. Reading broadens one’s horizon. I discovered reading. And now I feel really intellectual.”
Machina showed a playful expression ,whereas Elni pushed up her invisible glasses with a jerk and replied composed.
“—Can a human live on knowledge alone? I want to find out.”
“I- I want to find out what’s going on in your head. Actually, it’s empty, right?”
While once again making her bewilderment obvious, Machina displayed her usual trick of playing along with the mood. In regards, Elni surprisingly ignored Machina. She made an unblinking face, dropped her gaze and quietly opened the book.
Instantly, Machina opened her eyes widely with “Ehh!?”.
“E- Elni, you aren’t getting angry like usually? The usual Elni would get sulky with ‘Calling me stupid is really mean’. If you keep quiet like that, it’s somewhat out of character for you.”
“…Sorry, Machina, but you’re disturbing my reading. Could you keep it quiet?”
“Seriously, what’s up with you, Elni…”
Elni showed an obvious unusual reaction.
Receiving it, Machina shifted her gaze to me worried and shook my shoulder fiercely.
“What do we do, Shinobu? Elni became weird.”
“…She’s always been weird, you know?”
“Not like that! I’m saying she’s weirder than normal!”
“You’re quite rude…”
Standing up half-wearily, I peeked down at Elni’s hands as I was a bit interested.
“…It’s books about magic tricks. Oh, are you going to beautifully change your class from our personal house guard to magician? I’m really pleased about your efforts.”
“Mhm~ No matter how much I try, I can’t become a verbal alchemist like you, Shinobu, so I’m aiming to be a jester sage. I don’t plan to become a magician. Besides, I only borrowed these books because I want to teach Nazucat some magic tricks.”
“Verbal alchemists and jesters asides, teaching Nazuna magic tricks? Why that?”
“Actually, her school is holding the student council election soon.”
“Yeah, speaking of, our school too.”
While making a short agreeable response, I listened to Elni’s story.
“Nazucat’s friend seems to be running for the position of the student council president and Nazuna was entrusted with her election campaign.”
“…She’s as popular as ever. But how are magic tricks and the election campaign related?”
“Ehm, well, when she told me about it, she asked for my advice with ‘What should I do for the campaign?’ and she took me serious when I just blurted out ‘To leave behind an impression, how about you do something with an impact, like magic tricks?’ which I came up with on the spot…”
“I see. That’s why you’re studying magic tricks now.”
Most likely her earlier attitude was just to change her mood, so that she could concentrate on studying. Nodding understanding, I fleeting shifted my gaze to Machina.
Elni’s reaction had confused Machina. She might get angry with “Don’t do something so misleading!”.
Was what I thought, but against my expectation, Machina made a big sigh of relief.
“I’m glad. It was the usual stupid Elni…”
“Muh, that’s rude, Machina.”
“Actually, you were seriously worried, weren’t you? To be honest, you quite like Elni, right?”
When Elni puffed up her cheeks a bit and I asked half-teasingly, Machina didn’t deny my question in particular and mumbled “G- Guess I should go take a bath” while averting her eyes. She left the living room in an escape with red cheeks.
On the other hand, I stayed with a wry smile and looked through the books of magic tricks together with Elni. But after a while I shifted my gaze towards the clock on the wall of the room concerned.
…Luna was late today. Usually she would be home at this time.
Getting worried, I took out my cell phone. Then I gave calling her a try, whereupon after a few call signs, I could hear Luna’s strangely enchanted voice.
“Hello~”
“Y- Yo, hello. It’s me, the always cool Shinobu-san… You’re Luna, right? What’s up today? You’re not coming home yet?”
“…Shinobu-san’s voice, so wonderful.”
“Huh? Eh? Somehow, you sound a bit strange?”
“That is not true. I am normal. Please let me hear your voice some more.”
Luna leaked a somewhat erotic voice. She obviously behaved weird. Bewildered, I gently got to the main topic.
“So, ehm, are you still working?”
“No, my shift is already over.”
“Mh? Then what are you doing? Hurry up and come home.”
“Yes, okay. I want to come home quickly to touch your ear, pet your head, hug you and kiss you.”
“…Wh- What are you blabbering?”
Indifferent to my growing bewilderment, Luna’s voice through the phone became somewhat distant, as she removed the cell phone from her ear.
“Everyone, Shinobu-san is waiting for me, so I am going— Kyaa!”
“Luna? Hey, what’s up? What happened?”
A noise and a small scream at the same time.
While my worry grew stronger than my confusion, the voices of a couple of girls, maybe from the restaurant?, including Luna’s faintly reached my ear.
“I guess it’s better if someone sends Luna-chan home.” “I wanted to do so from the beginning. Leave it me.” “…Manager, please stop licking over your lips so erotically. Also, are you okay, Luna-san? Did you hurt yourself on your fall…?” “I am fine. No problem. Shinobu-san is waiting, so I am going home now.” “Y- You said that earlier too, but who is that Shinobu-san?” “My beloved.”
Such a conversation unfolded and Luna readily talked about good and embarrassing things like “Shinobu-san is really gentle, cool and tells funny jokes…”, but suddenly the call was cut midway.
“…What was that.”
Inadvertently becoming slack-jawed, I watched my cell phone with my head titled for a while, then
“Guess I’ll go pick her up.”
I somehow got even more worried than before. I stood up from the sofa and called out to Elni, who was hiding her face behind the book for some reason.
“Elni, I’ll go pick up Luna.”
“Huh!? I’m not sleeping! Not at all!”
“…Sorry for interrupting you. Don’t mind me and go back to sleep.”
Only for now I refrained from retorting. With a touch of worry, I headed for the front door.
There I ran into Hijiri, who just came down the stairs. As soon as she saw me, she asked me doubtful.
“What’s up, Shinobu-kun? You seem to be in a hurry…”
“Yeah, I just called Luna, since she was late, but she was behaving a bit weird. I’m going to pick her up now. Thanks for helping Nazuna with her studies.”
Quickly telling her, I turned around right away and left the house.
However, before I turned around, I could see it for a moment… Hijiri’s somewhat sad expression. For some reason I couldn’t get it out of my head and I hurried towards Luna like that.
“Ah, Shinobu-san.”
Suddenly from the front came Luna’s somewhat glossy voice.
When I immediately turned to her, there was Luna being supported by an unknown woman’s shoulder.
…Luna aside, who was that woman?
The unknown female had extremely finely chiselled features and was likely in her late 20s. Emitting a somewhat composed aura, she looked at me while still supporting Luna.
On the other hand, Luna brightened her face and got away from the woman, rushing over to me.
“You came to pick me up, Shinobu-san. Thank you. I am so happy.”
Hugging tightly onto me along with an erotic tone of voice, her oversized breasts pressed onto me. Following, she sweetly kissed both my cheeks as a greeting with no time for me to stop her. Moreover, she even tried to kiss my ear, so I hastily stopped her.
“…I did not get to touch Shinobu-san’s ear.”
Luna become dejected for some reason.
I certainly got excited from the elasticity of her breasts and the softness of her lips. But right now I was more concerned about Luna’s behaviour. Seriously, what was up with her?
I was gravely bewildered, whereupon the unknown woman got close to me and tilted her head doubtful.
“Are you the rumoured Shinobu-san? The Shinobu-san that Luna-chan described as always composed, cool, gently, moreover sometimes cute and sexy while telling funny jokes…?”
“Yes. I’m the rumoured Shinobu-san. Were you surprised how I was not less than the rumour?”
“In a way, yes.”
…Probably in a bad way. There was no doubt, judging by her expression. I slightly shrugged my shoulders, whereupon Luna pulled on the sleeve of my clothes jerkily.
“Shinobu-san, this pretty lady is the manager of my workplace. She is really kind. Everyone calls her ‘perverted Manager’ and adores her.”
“…So she was a pervert, huh. Somehow her appearance doesn’t give that off at all.”
Actually, why was she adored, even though she was a pervert?
I considered it a bit dubious, but ignored it for now.
She might know why Luna was behaving so strangely. I send my gaze to the woman— the manager.
“I would like to ask how Luna turned out like this. Please tell me if you know anything. For a while now, she’s behaving a bit weird, right?”
“Well, Luna-chan is cute, even when weird, but actually a girl from the restaurant brought souvenirs from her trip overseas today. So after work, we all ate these souvenir chocolates. Up to this point everything was still fine, but…”
Averting her gaze slightly awkwardly, the manager scratched her cheek lightly.
“It seems the chocolate was filled with alcohol. So Luna-chan got completely drunk and made a fuss about you with red cheeks the whole time, which was just too cute that I wanted to take her home with me like that to get her on my bed and spent— *cough*. That was just a verbal slip. Forget about it.”
“Hey, there’s no way I can do that. Just try to do anything funny to Luna. Even the composed me won’t stay quiet about it!”
“Ufufu, sorry, Boy. I already touched Luna-chan’s bottom numerous times. I’ll let you touch my bottom as an apology, so cheer up— wait, I was partly joking, so don’t make such a frightening face. I’m really surprised. Your eyes look like you have killed three people…”
Mhm, she was a rather rude pervert.
I myself had completely forgotten to use respectful speech too, but how could she say that with a straight face. I frowned and was a bit hurt at heart, whereupon Luna quietly shifted her gaze to the manager and brightened her usual gentle eyes with a glaring flare.
“How can you say that…. Manager. Shinobu-san is not frightening. Why would you say something so hurtful to him? I will be angry, you hear?”
“S- Sorry, Luna-chan. I won’t say it again. The Boy is cool.”
“Yes, I am happy that you understand his good parts.”
A complete turn around from her sadistic glowing eyes. Luna showed her usual gentle smile. In regards, the manager was seriously frightened, different from the time with me.
In that moment, I suddenly remembered the words my mother once uttered.
She had said, “Luna-chan is surprisingly suited for a Queen” “The boss of the house is obviously Luna-sama” and “At night she becomes a gently sadist”.
…S- Somehow my hands got a bit sweaty.
While I was a bit unsettled, the manager sent her gaze towards me with a still pale face.
“Well then, Boy, Luna-chan is all yours. Don’t you dare to do anything improper to a drunk girl, you hear? But if you plan to, don’t forget to invite me too. I’ll join you. Or rather, I’ll intrude. Drop by my place for a bit.”
“Like hell we will. Go home already. Disappear this instant.”
“…Somehow, this cold glare and words gave me the chills. Give me more.”
In spite of the harsh joke I carelessly cracked like I would do with Asada,
the manager surprisingly was in a rapture.
Showing a somewhat bewitching expression, the manager writhed. It was a bit sexy, but scary. I quickly took Luna’s hand and turned my back to the manager without hesitation.
“Let’s hurry home, Luna. It’s dangerous to stay here. I’m worried that her perversion is contagious.”
“…That’s rude, Boy. But that’s okay. Scold me some more. You alone will be fine, Boy, stay over at my place tonight.”
Ah, a female version of Asada.
Her nickname perverted Manager wasn’t just for show. We should quickly escape. I easily attracted weird people like her— I remembered that my mother said that before.
Therefore, I took my distance from the manager while still holding Luna’s hand and we quickly reached our home road, but… instead of the perverted manager, the more pressing matter might haven been the natural erotic big sister.
It must have been because she was drunk.
Luna clung to my arm again and used every chance to kiss my cheek, ear or even neck. Even without a mirror, I knew that my face was red.
“Fufu, Shinobu-san, you are bright red.”
“Apparently the cool me has become perfectly hot.”
“My body feels somewhat hot too.”
Replying with these bewitching words, Luna strongly clung to me along with an innocent smile.
…Her usual physical contact grew more intense, but once in a while this side of her might not be all too bad. While getting excited from her conveyed heat, I showed a wry smile.
“It’s nice that you’re in a good mood, but you didn’t cause the other girls troubles, did you? I hope you didn’t kiss them in your trance.”
“Of course not. I only kiss people I love.”
As soon as she declared surprisingly clearly, Luna placed another sweet kiss on my cheek.
“…You sure love kisses.”
“Yes, very much. I do not get tired of it even after numerous times.”
Showing a fascinating bright smile, Luna changed her tone into a gentle one.
“I get happy on every kiss. Knowing that there are people, who accept my kisses without getting angry, makes me really happy, so I want to do it countless times. Because I always envied it… as a child…”
With still a gentle tone, Luna quietly lowered her face.
“In my childhood, everyone responded to their mothers, who gave them kisses with either ‘Have a safe trip’, ‘Welcome back’ or ‘I love you’…I was envious. I always wondering why only I could not do that, why I did not have a mother. But now…”
Slowly breaking off her words, but not breaking the gentle tone,
“Now I have people I love around me. One dream of mine was granted. Therefore I am no longer lonely.”
Luna’s smiling face blossomed like a flower when she raised her head.
She might have been able to talk about that now precisely because she was drunk. But I strongly felt that I was glad to get to hear it.
The stained daughter that was left behind by a whore. A gentle devil that was unwanted and unloved. Luna… who never could act spoiled with anyone.
She was opening her heart to me. She was acting spoiled towards me. Most likely I was included in the mentioned people she loved.
That fact, brought a heat to my chest.
However, on the other hand, suddenly the somewhat sad expression from Hijiri floated in the back of my head. And her words about loving me.
I couldn’t get her expression or words out of my head. Indecision spread in my hot chest. But, I quietly reached out my hand… and petted Luna’s head.
Upon that, Luna smiled happily and I felt her soft body warmth on my palm. That warmth slightly eased the burden on my chest, but the pain didn’t disappear.
But somehow hiding my feelings, I endeavoured to act as normal as possible.
Then we quietly advanced for a while, whereupon Luna suddenly stopped and pointed straight at the park in her vision— Midorikawa Park.
“Shinobu-san, can we drop by there for a bit?”
“I’m afraid it’s too late now, so some other time.”
“…I will kiss you on the lips when you do not agree.”
“Interesting. Bring it on— Ah, no wait, just kidding. Let’s take the detour.”
I nearly had my lips stolen.
Luna was pushy on a rare occasion.
Dragged on my hand by her, I moved to the park with a wry smile. Walking to the back of the park while side-glancing the various playground equipments, my vision fell on a small river, whose surface reflected the moon. Benches stood in it’s vicinity. In the empty park, Luna and I sat down on the nearby bench.
Actually it would have been better to go home, but it was quite rare that Luna was being selfish. Tonight I would accompany Luna until she was satisfied. Imitating Luna, I raised my hand and watched the beautiful moon floating in the night sky, whereupon
“Shinobu-san, do you remember?”
Luna calmly started to talk with a soft tone.
“Do you still remember the first time we went out together after our reunion?”
“…To be honest, I’m sorry about back then.”
“Fufu, Shinobu-san, even when I asked you to just call me just Luna before we went out, you said things like ‘I’ll call you like that at least in my mind’ or ‘If you keep being so selfish I’ll add another ‘san’ and call you ‘Luna-san-san’.’, which was a bit cold.”
“I’m really sorry. I’m reflecting on my actions. It was my youthful indiscretion.”
“You are still young, Shinobu-san.”
Lightly poking my cheeks, Luna carefully chose her words.
“But on that day, you petted my head at the park saying ‘It’s okay to cry’ and told me ‘Welcome home’ once we got back to the house. Despite that, I started crying and couldn’t tell you. At this point it may be too late, but…”
Temporarily stopping her words, Luna flushed her cheeks and smiled.
“Shinobu-san, thank you very much for back then.”
“…You don’t really need to thank me. Besides, I should be thanking you. It has become more fun than before, because you came to our house.”
“I am enjoying every day too.”
Happily making an agreeable response, Luna narrowed her eyes pleased.
“Speaking of, it has nearly been half a year since we met again.”
“Time sure flies by…”
“Indeed. But in this half a year, you changed a bit, Shinobu-san. Your tone has become somewhat softer, you are kinder than before and you have become really strong.”
“…I can’t really tell myself.”
But if I had changed, it surely was thanks to Luna.
When I thought back on it now, I might have been in a constant hurry during the long period after Luna’s stepfather Bram erased my memories.
Irritated by my weak self with only envy in my chest, I always demanding what I lacked.
I wished there was something only I could do, but in the end I couldn’t find anything. I had no talent for martial arts like my sister and just hated my weak self.
But it was different now.
Because I made a promise with Luna, I could become stronger than before. I could return to my grandfather’s dojo from which I had fled once. I didn’t go bad from my weakness… and could come to like myself.
Reuniting with Luna on that day and living together with her made my feelings from my childhood gradually grow stronger with every contact with her in my every day life.
I could no longer lie about it.
As I thought, I— love Luna.
This feeling was stronger than in my childhood. I wanted Luna to always stay by my side. But I didn’t want to tell Luna this feeling, my answer at this place.
…I believed that the one I was supposed to tell the first about this feeling was Hijiri.
But, what kind of face would Hijiri made when I told her my answer?
“…How burdensome.”
Mumbling with both my fists clenched, I looked up to the night sky, whereupon Luna softly leaned her body against mine with quiet sleeping sounds, as she had fallen asleep while I was in thoughts…
* * *
The time passed quickly after the day Luna got drunk, getting to the night before the date.
Enjoying the meal with everyone, I returned to my room after my bath. In front of my closet I pondered for a while.
Tomorrow was the date, so if possible I wanted to outgrow myself a bit and dress up.
But I had no real confidence in my fashion sense, so I was looking through my closet lost, whereupon my window opened without previous notice and Kaorun showed up with a smile.
“Good evening. I came by to play again.”
“Farewell. Please leave again.”
“So cruelly cold!?”
“…Nah, sorry. I was just joking.”
I actually wanted to urge her to use the front door, but Kaorun received a light shock. I leaked a wry smile and beckoned her.
Then Kaorun entered my room and frowned a bit.
“Good grief! Why the indifferent reaction, even though an angelic maid like myself is coming by? You are as cool as ever, Shinobu-sama.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Uhm, please do not lie so boldly.”
“It’s not a lie. Look at me without any dogmatism or prejudice. I’m obviously cool. What’s left if you take the coolness away from me?”
“…Nothing is left at all.”
“Hey, don’t be so rude. Give it some more thought. There should be something else.”
“Like what for example?”
“Let’s see, for example, well, you know… My evil look?”
…I said it myself, but it was quite saddening.
“Shinobu-sama, do not become so self-tormenting. Certainly your look is not one of the best. I am also aware that people call you the ‘Harem King’ behind your back at school. But please cheer up. You are even allowed to touch my bottom.”
“Hell yeah… As if. Encouraging or fooling around, choose only one. Actually, why do you know my nickname?”
“It just happened to reach my ears. Please do not concern yourself about it. At any rate, rumours sure are untrustworthy…”
Stopping her words with a sigh, Kaorun then raised a discontent voice.
“What is the meaning of ‘Harem King’! What a horrible distortion! Even though I worked so hard to bring attention to ’natural Gigolo’! I am so disappointed!”
“I’m disappointed in you! What’s going on in your head! So it was you, who spread the weird rumour!”
“No, no, Shinobu-sama! I was merely joking just now. It was not me! Please calm down a bit! If possible, please stop being angry too! I will even hold you tightly!”
“…I guess I’ll strangle your neck with a tight hold as well then?”
So I said, but there was no way I would do something like that, so for now I just left it at grinding my fingertip into Kaorun’s cheek.
However to my surprised, Kaorun seemed to somehow enjoy it. Moreover, upon noticing my scattered clothes in the room, she made a fantastic suggestion with a smile.
“Shinobu-sama, if you like, should I choose your clothes for you? It is for tomorrow’s date, correct? You appear to be troubled, so please leave it to me.”
“…I appreciate the offer, but I hope you don’t plan to make me wear something weird?”
“Fufu, rest assured. The usual charming Shinobu-sama would naturally look good in any clothes. How about you wear a sailor uniform to try it out?”
“Hey, hey, you’re really skilled at leading people into something… Is not what I’m going to say. What choice of clothes is that. I would make the acquaintance of the police before my date.”
“That is not true. When you wear the same outfit like before, you will be fine. Besides I think it will make Hijiri-chan and Luna-san happy.”
…I didn’t want to admit it, but I couldn’t fully deny it. I got the feeling that my cross-dressing was greatly popular with the girls. But a date in cross-dress, huh…
While I shuddered on the unintentional imagination, Kaorun stood in front of the closet and I thought she would fool around again, but against my expectations, she had a serious expression.
“Shinobu-sama, this T-shirt is better. Please change your trousers as well. Take this belt along with it. As for accessories…”
Like this she seriously selected my clothes and after I changed into them with her urging, I looked at myself in the mirror and inadvertently leaked an admiring voice.
“Ohh, this is going to get me popular with the girls.”
“Excuse me, Shinobu-sama. You would do better to stop your delusion and take a proper look at reality in the mirror…”
“Hey, hey, don’t be so cruel. Reality is harsh. At times you’ll want to look away from it. I can’t do anything about my evil look.”
“I wonder if that is really true? You seem to have resigned already, Shinobu-sama, but I have a good idea. It will soften your evil look in no time.”
“Oh, you’re going to call Doraem*n or what?”
Excessive hopes gave birth to deep despair. When I followed Kaorun’s behaviour with attentive eyes, she pulled out nothing unusual, but mere glasses.
“…Truth be told, unknown guys whispered ‘When Nanjou-kun puts on glasses and combs back his hair, he’ll be a perfect Yakuza’ behind me back…”
“Muh, how mean. If I had been there at that time, I would have shortened the lifespan of these guys a little bit. But well, that aside.”
She got angry, even though it wasn’t about her, then she exceptionally readily brushed it off and held out the glasses to me with a jerk.
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating, Shinobu-sama. Please believe in me instead of some strangers. You will be fine as long as you wear these fake glasses. Please put them on gallantly and let me hear a heart-skipping remark.”
“…Leave it to me.”
Trust was important. As soon as I took the glasses from Kaorun, I put them on without hesitation. After fleetingly shifting my gaze to the mirror, I pushed up the bridge of the glasses with my middle finger and gave an intellectual posing remark just like that.
“Lately I’m attracted to a certain colour. Yes, the brilliance of intelligence— Marvelous Orange. Whoops, guess that was a bit hard to understand for you?”
“…For some reason I am strangely irritated now. Can I smash these glasses in front of you, Shinobu-sama?”
“S- Stop it. The glasses are innocent.”
I hastily stopped Kaorun.
When I faced the mirror again, the expression of my eyes had softened more than I thought as a result of the glasses and to say the unvarnished truth, I was kind of moved.
“These glasses are quite good. With them, I might no longer be scared and get depressed after looking into the mirror first thing in the morning. I apologize, so please don’t break them.”
“Uh…! To think you had such a bitter experience! I deeply apologize for teasing you about your evil look until now! I just had no idea!”
For some reason Kaorun suddenly was moved to tears while pressing her hand onto her mouth.
Apparently she got sad, even though it wasn’t about her, but it was troubling how she brushed it off so readily again. For now I ignored Kaorun. I wanted to hear the other’s impressions. Still wearing the glasses, I left my room with high spirits and walked down the hallway.
There I ran into Luna right away with great timing.
But for some reason, Luna brightened her face upon seeing me and then dyed her cheeks rose-coloured.
“What is the matter with these glasses, Shinobu-san?”
“Yeah, Kaorun recommended them to me just now. So I tried them on. Now I feel really smarter.”
Pushing up my glasses with my middle finger again midway in my sentence, I composed cracked a usual joke.
“Can a human live on intelligence alone? I want to find out.”
“…Wonderful…”
Leaking an erotic sigh, Luna enchanted her eyes with ecstasy. An reaction beyond my expectation. Completely different from the reaction that Kaorun showed earlier. It seemed like various heart marks were dancing around Luna.
“Uhm, Luna? It was just a joke, you know? It troubles me when you praise me like that. Feel free to laugh with ‘Disgusting’.”
“I cannot do that! You are not disgusting, Shinobu-san! Even just breathing, you are cool!”
“I- I certainly find that hard to believe…”
Once more bewildered by Luna’s reaction, I showed a wry smile and continued.
“But could it be, you have a thing for glasses?”
“No! That is not the case! I like them because you are wearing them!”
Tightly clenching her fists, Luna stressed out lightly excited.
Strange. I was still bewildered, but to be honest quite happy.
“W- Well then, I guess I’ll wear them for tomorrow’s date.”
“Ehm, that is…”
Even though she was that delighted, on my words, Luna put her index finger against her cheek for some reason and started to ponder. After showing a moment of inner conflict, she reserved grabbed the sleeve of my clothes.
“Shinobu-san, if possible, could you leave off the glasses tomorrow? You certainly look wonderful with glasses. But I love the usual Shinobu-san better after all. Besides, tomorrow’s date is…”
Midway Luna’s words didn’t enter my ears anymore.
…She loved my usual self better.
That sentence deeply engraved into my heart.
Affection straightaway aimed at me.
Was it the same as Hijiri’s?
Hijiri said that she loved me. I heard the same words from Luna now. Of course Luna’s love might be in the meaning of a family. But my heartbeat accelerated in the hope of “What if?”.
“Shinobu-san? Are you listening?”
Luna suddenly peeked in her head, so I inadvertently backed off one step in surprise.
“What is the matter? You were kind of absent-minded. And your face is a bit red.”
“I- It’s nothing. I was just a bit charmed by you. Don’t pay it any attention.”
“…Eh? Uhm, if you say something so wonderful, it really attracts my attention…”
For some reason Luna blushed and fidgeted her index finger against each other, but I dared to ignore it with “Well, that’s it”. I swiftly returned to my room in an escape.
There was Kaorun, as she waited for my return.
She was sitting on the bed and lovely hugging my pillow against her chest, but as soon as she noticed me, she turned bright red and raised a complaining voice.
“Wh- Why so suddenly! That is rude! Please knock at least!”
“Ah, sorry. I just— Not! Why do I specially have to knock to enter my own room. You’re the rude one here. Who do you think you are!”
“…I might be Cha*lie’s angel.”
“As if!”
Well, she certainly was a beauty though…
I added so in my heart, whereupon Kaorun put the pillow she was hugging to the side and quickly changed the topic with still red cheeks.
“Anyhow, where did you go, Shinobu-sama?”
“I talked a bit with Luna in the hallway.”
“Did the glasses bear any effect?”
“Yeah, quite so. But that Luna—”
“I understand. Do not say anything more. You want to make a gigolo-like remark with ’That Luna was just too smitten by my glasses that I thought that I better embrace her’, correct?”
“Exactly.”
When I told a complete lie on the spur of the moment, Kaorun shrugged her shoulders disappointed and leaked a small sigh.
“…Shinobu-sama, I know that I brought up it myself, but please do not overdo it with the jokes. Knowing you, you ran away with some kind of excuse after you turned embarrassed from being unexpectedly praised to the skies by Luna-san, correct?”
“Correct. I’m impressed you could tell. Just laugh if you want.”
“Then I will gladly take you up on your words, but what kind of laughter do you prefer? A despising one? A mocking one? Or maybe a scorning one?”
“…Each of them would hurt me all alike, so don’t do it after all.”
Replying so with a wry smile, I quietly took off the glasses.
“Sorry, but I’ll return these glasses to you, Kaorun. After talking with Luna, I changed my mind. I won’t wear them for the date.”
“…Did Luna-san tell you anything?”
“Well, you know, Luna said she liked the glasses, but my usual self was even better. So I’m fine the way I am. I hate being feared due to my evil look, but there are people like Luna, who understand me well. That’s enough for me.”
“I see…”
Making a gentle agreeable response, Kaorun smiled lightly.
“Fufu, you do not seem to notice yourself, Shinobu-sama, but right now you are making a really happy face. Good grief, Luna-san is impressive as ever for making you have that kind of expression. I am a bit envious.”
A faint sadness was mixed in her calm tone and Kaorun clouded the smile she was showing.
“Luna-san feels for you and you feel for Luna-san, but Hijiri-chan is also looking at you, Shinobu-sama, so this situation might be hard on you. Recently you look a bit anxious. However, I…”
Most likely she must heard the story from Hijiri. Kaorun lightly clenched her fists and squeezed out her words hesitant.
“I would like you to put off your answer.”
These words came as a big surprise to me. I thought for sure that Kaorun would support Hijiri. But apparently I was wrong.
“I like our current relationships. You included, there are a couple of people here that I hold dear. I get the feeling that our current relationships will end when you speak out your answer, Shinobu-sama. I am… scared of that.”
Quietly casting her eyes down, Kaorun leaked a faint sigh.
“I believe that Hijiri-chan holds a familiar feeling to mine. The reason she turned a bit reckless on the recent showdown most likely was her worry. Both Hijiri-chan and I hold you very dear, Shinobu-sama. But different from my ambitions as a maid, Hijiri-chan wants to be with you some more. She keeps trying her best to make you look at her.”
Kaorun’s soft tone. It became quieter with every word and she continued with “However” in a fragile tone.
“Even without dating you, she can stay by your side. You would accept that, right Shinobu-sama? Is wishing for us all to stay together like we have so far… Just my selfishness?”
“…I’m sure you know without me telling you.”
Kaorun’s wish was her and my selfishness.
“I feel the same as you. I really like our current relationships. So I was also scared of breaking it and couldn’t come up with an answer.”
…I once again abstracted it with an ambiguous attitude.
“But I can’t avoid it forever. If I keep running away by putting off the answer, someday I’ll run into a dead-end, which surely will end up breaking our current relationships. I plan to tell Hijiri my feelings in the near future.”
Stopping my words by breathing out a bit, I looked straight into Kaorun’s eyes.
“Our relationships might change a bit from now on. But it doesn’t mean that our bonds will be erased completely. I properly want to keep these bonds, but just by myself I’m a bit unconfident. If possible, will you lend me a hand?”
“…I have a condition.”
Smoothly opening her mouth, Kaorun wrapped up my hand with hers.
“Please let me stay by your side, regardless of the answer you come up with. Please pet my head occasionally. And if you allow me to come over again to play around like this, then I will promise to help you out, Shinobu-sama.”
Rather than a condition, it was closer to a request. I nodded firmly and softly reached out my free hand for Kaorun’s head.
“Come by whenever you like. I’m happy too to have you by my side. That said, I want to you to come in through the front door at these times…”
Ending my words with a little joke, I gently petted her head, whereupon
“…Are you sure?”
Kaorun softened her expression in reaction to my joke.
“I will not be held responsible if you regret this immediate answer later on. I am a perverted maid, as you call it. There is even the possibility that I follow you around like a stalker, you know?”
“Hey, hey. You don’t lie so boldly either. You actually have no intentions to stalk me, right? Well, though I wouldn’t mind if it’s you.”
“…You natural Gigolo.”
It was a somewhat sulking tone, but Kaorun’s cheeks were quite red. When I continued to pet her head, she was meek for a while, but as she grew embarrassed, she got away from me with still red cheeks and changed the topic to distract.
“R- Reminds me, Shinobu-sama, you were quite concerned about the clothes for the date, but I hope that you do not have forgotten to give the important date plan some thoughts?”
“It’s okay. No worries. I’m the kind of guy that hears twice, thrice and even four times before speaking once, but doesn’t say anything in the end. I made a thorough and detailed plan—That’s at least my public statement.”
“Uhm, one question for this kind of troublesome person: Why do you not just state your real intentions?”
“My real intention is to entrust it to my passion. I plan to deal with it cool like always with a bit of wildness at times. Just going to the aquarium will leave us some time, so after consulting with the others, we decided to go skating as well.”
“Skating, it is? Your delusions in the first part aside, going skating in this season is a good idea. You usually fall flat, so you must be experienced in skating.”
“Hey, certainly my jokes sometimes fall flat, get ruined or ignored, but I actually have the ability to move the audience.”
“…Without doubt you have the ability to move the audience to the exit.”
“Do you want to make me cry?”
While cracking such jokes together, we chit-chatted for a little while, whereupon Kaorun suddenly searched her pocket with “Ah, right”, as she remembered something midway in our conversation, and took out an alarm clock with a drawn maid picture.
“A present for you, Shinobu-sama. Please feel free to use it tomorrow already. It would be too dreadful to behold when you oversleep and are late for the date. I remodelled it a bit, so it should surely satisfy you.”
“Okay, I’ll put it to use right away tomorrow. Thanks.”
Technically I already had one alarm clock.
But I should honestly accept her good-will. When I said my thanks, Kaorun showed a roguish smile with “You are welcome” for some reason, then headed towards the door of my room.
“Well then, it is about time I excuse myself…”
Stopping exactly in front of the door, Kaorun turned around and made a beautiful curtsy.
“Good night, Shinobu-sama. Sweet maid dreams.”
“Yeah, good night. I pray that no perverted maid will appear in my dream.”
“Fufu, no matter how many prayers you offer, in the end once on shore, you pray no more. Since we are talking about me, I believe that I will show up in your dream undoubtedly. Moreover, I will quietly sleep next to you when you wake up. The unexpected appearance of the girl in question. Both in dream and reality I will please Shinobu-sama to the—”
“Nah, enough of the jokes. Get going already. Hijiri will worry.”
Cutting into her words with a soft retort, I watched over Kaorun leaving the room, then I set the alarm clock that I got from her. I decided to go to bed early in preparation for tomorrow…
