Chapter 182 - A Yankee's Pride
I left the bedroom with Angelica, heading toward the living room wearing an expression that said, "We have nothing to be ashamed of, okay? Baby-urge? I-I don't know anything about that!"Breakfast was already laid out on the table, and the fragrant smell of miso soup drifted through the air.
"Looks delicious."
I watched Angelica take her seat with a light, pitter-pattering rhythm, then sat down myself.After confirming that Ayako-chan, Rio, and Philia were seated, I placed some cat food on a plate and set it before Erin.
"Thank you for the meal."
＊ ＊ ＊
"Take care, Father."
"Yeah."
With Angelica, who had come to see me off at the entrance, I performed our usual ritual.The "I'm off" kiss.
"...Father, hurry, hurry."
Angelica is small, so she has to stretch on her tiptoes to reach my lips.Desperately standing on her toes, trembling slightly, she brings her face close to mine.That sight is so endearing, so precious.To lessen Angelica's burden, I bend down and lean my face forward.
"Nn."
With a soft chu, our lips met. Angelica wrapped her arms around my neck, clinging to me as if refusing to let go.A passionate gesture, intensely seeking the other.Personality really shows in how someone kisses, I mused, indulging in playboy-like thoughts as I stroked Angelica's head.
"...Phew..."
When the long kiss ended, Angelica murmured, "Please come home soon," with a reluctant look on her face, and quietly stepped back.As Angelica withdrew completely, this time Ayako-chan came before me. Her gaze, however, was fixed on my crotch. That was terrifying, so I tried to ignore the matter entirely.
"...Take care. ...I'll do my very best making dinner. So please, come straight home without any detours."
"I know. I love your cooking, Ayako-chan. I'll turn down any drinking parties."
"...Honestly..."
In succession, I performed the "I'm off" kiss with the second girl.I fell into self-loathing, thinking what an immoral thing I was doing, but if I didn't treat everyone equally and with affection, it would cause trouble. So it couldn't be helped.
"...Nn..."
Ayako-chan's height is slightly above the average for a Japanese woman.So when kissing, I don't need to bend down that much. Just lowering my head a little allows our lips to meet.
That's fine.
The problem is, since she doesn't need to stretch like Angelica, she can kiss with her feet planted firmly on the ground.Which means she can put force into the action.
"...Nn... ngh... ngh...!"
Ayako-chan grabbed both my shoulders with an eagle grip, locking me down with truly tremendous strength.It was a manifestation of her determination not to let me escape, no matter what.
It was terrifying.
It was predation.
I wanted to cry for help from Mama Angelica.
Eventually, a long tongue slithered its way inside me.The powerful writhing was like a doped-up leech.
My back teeth. My gums. The inside of my cheeks.Every conceivable spot was licked and lapped at.It was almost suffocating.
Naturally, when Ayako-chan's mouth finally left mine, a bridge of saliva connected us.
"...You missed a spot brushing."
"M-My bad."
"...It's fine. I've cleaned it up for you."
"..."
After that, Ayako-chan stared intently at my crotch and chanted "Muscle Atrophy" under her breath.This is an absolutely necessary task for me to lead a human-like life.
"...It's done. I believe it's down to about three times that of an average adult male."
"Thanks. Three times is still pretty strong, though."
"...With Nakamoto-san's build, it's not unnatural. You're toned like an athlete... truly, a wonderful body..."
She was supposed to be complimenting my muscles, but her eyes were still directed at my crotch.There probably isn't another girl who makes what she's after this obvious.
"Look... I'm not really one to talk, since I find myself unconsciously following girls' chests with my eyes too, but having you stare at my privates like this makes me restless."
Ayako-chan looked a little sad and bowed her head.
"...I'm sorry. I've been a bit homesick lately."
Homesick.It's true that Ayako-chan can't return to her family home because her other self has monopolized her identity.But how does that connect to staring at my crotch?Don't tell me, back when she was in the Otsuki household, she was constantly looking at her father's... that?
As I was expanding on various dangerous imaginings, Ayako-chan spoke with a distant look in her eyes.
"Looking at Nakamoto-san's... there... reminds me of my hometown."
"Hometown... hometown? Not your family home?"
"...Yes. It reminds me of the peaceful land I lived in before I was born into this defiled world."
"Explain it so I can understand."
"...To put it simply, it's a desire to return to the testicles. Before I became a fertilized egg, wasn't I packed inside my father's testicles as a single sperm? I feel like that was the happiest time. Because my address was Papa's testicles. Could there be a more peaceful bed than that? A daughter's greatest happiness lies before she is born. ...And yet, my father... he mated with Mother... and made half of my body from cells derived from my mother... It's too cruel... It's too much..."
As Ayako-chan began to weep bitterly, Angelica nodded along in agreement. "I know that feeling," she encouraged her friend with a tearful voice.But I didn't quite understand. I thought that if I did, I'd be finished as a human being.
"Gazing at Nakamoto-san's crotch like this makes me feel as if I've returned to the old days... May I look, from time to time?"
"O-Oh. Do as you like."
"...I'm happy."
Trembling with fear, I watched Ayako-chan retreat deeper into the hallway.
"..."
She's a girl who's horrifying in every sense, but even so, she looks like a delicate literary girl, a bona fide beauty.I used the word "leech," but the kiss wasn't bad.When we're close, her soft, fluffy black hair tickles my skin pleasantly, I could enjoy her flower-like body scent, and her large chest pressing mwah mwah against me the whole time was deeply satisfying. Above all, Ayako-chan's saliva has a refined taste, so honestly, it was the best.
It had the flavor of the upper class, something only a girl raised by high-income parents could produce.Ayako-chan's father is a university professor, and her mother also completed graduate school. Because they are such a highly educated couple, their financial situation is excellent.She's a bit of a young lady.
That meltingly sweet saliva, which spreads the flavor of a young girl perfectly in the mouth, is a miraculous droplet born from a good upbringing.The act of me, raised in a slightly lower-middle-class household, sipping it, carried an unbearable sense of immorality.It was overthrowing the superior with spit.
As I was expanding on such dangerous thoughts from the morning, Philia quietly stepped forward.It's this one's turn next, huh... I thought, peering into her blue eyes.
Hmm.Her eyes are properly focused.It seems she's in her sane mode.
I stood beside Philia, bent her neck, and sucked on her lips.The reason for this posture is our body types.Philia is tall, and on top of that, her chest is tremendously large. And I also have well-developed pectoral muscles.Because of this, if we kiss normally from directly in front, our chests collide and get in the way.
It's fine if we embrace tightly and kiss so that our chests are crushed together, but that's tiring in the morning.So, we press our lips together in a way that our chests don't touch.
"...Nn..."
Philia closed her eyes and savored the kiss peacefully.She has a cute side, huh, I thought, patting her head. She turned bright red and bit my tongue.
...She's way too flustered.This is why old virgins are...Exasperated, I pulled away from Philia, crouched down, and waited for Erin to come.
"Meow. Meow."
Erin approached me with a literal catwalk, swinging her long tail.
"Myaa."
A rough tongue, characteristic of cats, licked my finger.I picked Erin up and gave her two kisses, chu, chu.
"Alright, that's everyone."
When you have a lot of women who are in love with you, even the welcome-home kiss is hard labor, I thought, wiping my mouth.Then Rio, in her uniform, raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"
"You're going to the station with me, so you're not staying home. You don't need an 'I'm off' kiss, do you?"
"What's that supposed to mean!?"
"That's not fair!" pouted Rio, and I pulled her along as we stepped outside the entrance.Angelica and the others would lock the door from the inside, so there was no need for me to bother taking out my key.This is one of the perks of having housemates, I nodded to myself, then started walking toward the elevator.
Rio chased after me from behind at a light jog.
"Hey, what about the kiss? My kiss?"
"You get me all to yourself today. Endure not having a kiss. That's what equality is."
"That makes no sense..."
When we arrived at the elevator, I pressed the button and turned to face Rio.A beautiful girl with long black hair.She pouted her lips in dissatisfaction, twirling the ends of her hair around her finger.
...It has a magnificent luster.Since we started living here, she should be using the exact same shampoo as the rest of us, yet for some reason, she alone has an incredible amount of cuticle.Her lightly made-up lips are plump and moist, looking as if they'd bounce a finger back if pressed.
When Rio noticed my gaze, she spoke with a face that looked ready to cry.
"...Are you actually mad at me after all? Is me freeloading here a bother? Is that why you won't kiss me?"
...When she makes that expression, she looks a lot like Elsa. The more vulnerable Rio is, the more she resembles Elsa. That might be why I end up bullying her.
"It's open. Get in."
With a ding, the elevator doors opened.There were no other passengers.Rio and I boarded silently.I pressed the "Close" button, creating a sealed room.
—That was the signal.
"...Nakamoto-san?"
"This is what you wanted, right?"
"Wha, what? Nakamoto-san, you're kind of scary. ...Pinning me against the wall, what are you planning?"
"I'm seducing you. Your eyes are. I'll teach you what happens when you send a guy looks like that."
"No, wait... that hurts, I said!"
"Stick out your tongue. I'll suck it."
"Stop it! I don't want a kiss like this! ...Not this kind, more gently..."
"Shut up—quiet for a bit."
"...Nn... fuu... ah. ...Ah... don't... touching my chest... no..."
—The terrifying thing was.The truly terrifying thing was that Rio was murmuring this intense monologue, playing both roles all by herself."...Nakamoto-san?" and "Shut up—quiet for a bit" were all spoken by Rio.
From what I could see, she was putting on a one-girl show based on a scenario where I forcibly kissed her, like something out of a shoujo manga.It was clearly a dig at me for obviously not kissing her.
"...No... this is... it's no different from r*pe anymore... ngh..."
"Alright, I get it! Just once! I'll kiss you just once, so stop that vulgar performance!"
"Yay."
I pressed my lips against Rio's as she stuck out her tongue and laughed with a "te-he."What a high-maintenance girl.
Why do I have to get worn out just commuting to work...?
While I was holding my head, the elevator arrived at the first floor.I pressed the "Open" button, and the doors opened.Clinging to Rio, who was beaming, I staggered out.
In the apartment entrance, a group of refined madams were gathered.The rent here is fairly high, so everyone is well-dressed. They are heavily paying married women.
I cast envious glances at these women who match my true preferences, but their reactions were cold.
Engaged to a sixteen-year-old girl, they say...Isn't that a crime...?I used to be a fan...
Such hushed voices reached my ears.
"You old ladies are so noisy!"
"Stop it!"
Rio bared her Yankee spirit and flipped the middle finger at the wives.Perhaps because both her brother and friends are han-gure types, when Rio seriously glares, she has considerable intensity.The group of wives quickly averted their eyes and slunk away.
"What the hell are you doing... I make a living selling my image, you know!?"
"Nakamoto-san's image is already 'the crazy old man who moved a nation to marry a high school girl,' isn't it?"
"...Ugh..."
"And your fanbase has switched over to young girls, right? So there's no need to suck up to housewives. What are you so scared of?"
"No, well... still..."
"Jeez. You're so timid about weird things."
You should just be confident, Rio said, puffing out her chest.
"My guardian is okay with my relationship with Nakamoto-san, and it's legal, you know? Isn't there nothing to be afraid of?"
"...But still."
"If anyone comes complaining, I'll chase them off again, so it's fine, fine."
"You really are incredibly strong-willed with anyone but me, huh."
"I just want to be bullied by the guy I like. I don't act all meek in front of people I'm not interested in."
I can't tell who's protecting who here, I thought, finding it amusing.
I really think Rio's inner self isn't like Elsa's.
"The only one allowed to bully me is Nakamoto-san."
But their devotion is very similar.I stroked the head of Rio, who grinned "ni-hi-hi" and made a peace sign, and stepped outside the apartment building.
The sky was clear and blue, without a single cloud in sight. No birds flew, just an expanse of empty space.It's completely different from the ground, which is full of things. ...How is it full of things? The parking lot is packed with cars before the commute, several balls abandoned by children lie scattered in the sandbox, and a massive piece of oversized garbage sits enthroned at the garbage disposal area, left there because someone didn't follow the sorting rules.
"Ahh... The sky is nice. I wanna be a bird."
"So the story about old men's future dreams becoming 'a bird' was true. Nakamoto-san, aren't you starting to show signs of aging?"
"Shut up."
I just want to be free from the constraints of the earth. Exchanging light jabs, I moved my feet.Rio chased after me and naturally linked her arm with mine.
Her chest, not that large but nicely shaped, pressed against my elbow.
"Nakamoto-san, you've looked tired for a while now. Are you okay?"
"...Whose fault do you think that is?"
"Eh. Is it my fault?"
"The food expenses are piling up..."
"When I get my pay, I'll contribute to living expenses, so hang in there a little longer."
"I mean, in your case, the biggest burden is at night."
"...Don't say embarrassing things."
Rio's clinginess is incredible at night.It drains both my reason and my stamina.Last night, too, she tempted me to the very limit, so my sleep deprivation is serious. When a sports bra is used like that, there's no way I can sleep.
We passed through the main gate at a more leisurely pace than usual.
"...Sleepy."
"Jeez. Wanna rest somewhere?"
"...Maybe I really should... I still have time to spare."
How about over there? Rio pointed to a park.That park we'd frequented many times since my apartment-living days.Where I had lovers' quarrels with Angelica, and fought Wraiths.
...Taking a break with Rio at a place full of memories with other girls.
Just how far will I fall? I thought, my sense of guilt swelling as I headed deeper into the park.The moment I sat on the bench next to the jungle gym, a yawn escaped me.
"Fwah..."
"Nakamoto-saaan, over here, over here."
"?"
When I turned toward the voice, Rio, seated a little distance away from me, was patting her white thighs.
"I'll give you a lap pillow."
"...That's supposed to be Ange's role, though."
"You don't want it?"
"Of course I do."
It's true that Rio isn't the maternal type, but that's a separate matter. Even if there's no mommy-vibe, a lap pillow offered should be accepted. Just as the saying goes, "A man's shame is to refuse a meal set before him," refusing a lap pillow set before you is a baby's shame.
Trembling at the sensation of violating numerous ordinances, I rested my head on Rio's lap.Compared to Angelica or Ayako-chan, it lacks plumpness, but it wins in leg length. So it has a sense of stability, and this isn't bad in its own way. Also, considering I've already sneakily experienced Ayako-chan's lap pillow, I might already be beyond saving.
"If you want to sleep, you can sleep. I'll wake you when it's time."
Rio gently stroked my hair, trying to lure me to sleep.Incidentally, my face was turned toward Rio's body, giving me a clear view inside her skirt.Today was pink with lots of lace. Unusual for her, since she prefers cool colors.
"Pink, huh. This kind of feminine color isn't your taste, is it?"
"Pervert. Where are you looking?"
"...If it's visible, it can't be helped."
"Well, if it's Nakamoto-san, it's okay."
...If I keep looking at this, it's the opposite of sleep. I'll be restless and unable to sleep.Reluctantly, I turned over, facing toward the park.Then I spotted a lively group gathered near the entrance.
"Oh, look at that."
"What's up?"