Chapter 79 - The Idea Man
As expected, dinner was curry rice.
Setting Rio aside, it was unexpected that Angelica had also become a combatant in the kitchen.
I wonder when she learned how to cook the food of this world?
When I asked her casually,
"The recipe was written on the back of the box."
Angelica said, puffing out her chest with a roux package in one hand.
To be honest, because of her usual words and actions, I had held the rude suspicion that she wasn't very bright, so this was a moment of re-evaluation.
Given her status, where her daily routine involved memorizing scriptures by heart, perhaps she was the type who processed information through text rather than through her ears.
Come to think of it, while her handling of the microwave and washing machine—which I had taught her how to use verbally—was unsteady, she had learned the functions of the smartphone I gave her along with its manual at an astonishing speed.
I'm sorry, I misunderstood you... I felt apologetic.
"What is it, Father, that look in your eyes...? Ah. I get it. You're feeling all restless seeing me in an apron, aren't you?"
"That's not it at all, but thanks for the food."
With a feeling of gratitude, I patted her head.
As I ran my fingers through her hair and ruffled it, Angelica narrowed her eyes in delight.
"Phew... Father's fingers feel so good. They feel so good..."
"Hey, what about me?"
To Rio, who was directing longing eyes toward me, I thought for a moment before offering the optimal thanks.
"Shut up and line up the plates. I'm hungry."
[Rio Saito's Affection Level has increased by 200]
"Ah, ahhh...! Amazing, Nakamoto-san is amazing right now...! He's giving me the thing I wanted most...!"
Rio's cheeks flushed, and she trembled.
I didn't want to spit out such beastly words either.
It's painful.
But Rio is the type who is happier with this kind of thing.
"Father, um... how can you say such a thing to a girl who went to the trouble of preparing a meal...?"
"Yeah, you're right, it's pretty off-putting. I think so too. But given her fetishes, it can't be helped."
I desperately defended myself to Angelica, essentially saying, Please understand.
I was explaining the concept of a masochist to a somewhat innocent sixteen-year-old girl.
It was hell.
"Ehh...? Then, does that mean Rio-san... likes being bullied...?"
Angelica was bewildered. It was a natural reaction for a human being.
In contrast, Rio's reaction was:
"Hey, hey! Why are you desperately making excuses for a girl!? Don't give your opinion to me, you barbarian! This is the part where you're supposed to slap me, right!? Please, just stay true to your usual beastly Nakamoto-san self!?"
To Rio, who pressed me with "Why aren't you training Angelica!?", I had no words to offer.
I could only mutter weakly, "Let's just eat the curry."
"Looks delicious."
"Shall I give you an 'aaaahn'?"
"Don't do that in someone else's house, it's embarrassing."
"Father, you must be tired from fighting so much, right? It's appreciation time. Here, aaaahn."
Ignoring the noisy Rio behind me asking, "What about me!? Hey, what about me!?", I wolfed down my food while flirting with Angelica.
Incidentally, this neglect seemed to be her thing, as I could see Rio's Affection Level rising with overwhelming momentum.
She's actually the strongest, isn't she?
I don't even know what would make her Affection Level go down anymore.
After finishing the meal, an event occurred where Rio's older brother, King Leo, returned home.
However, as soon as he saw my face, he said, "I can't interfere with my sister's romance," and turned right around.
"I'm staying at a friend's place tonight. Seriously, no joke."
That was what he said.
As he was leaving, King Leo looked at my face and spoke.
"It's fine to get along with Rio, but please, just make sure to use contraception. Unlike me, she might actually have the brains to go to university. It'd be a waste if she got pregnant and had to drop out of high school, right?"
That was unnecessary concern.
I wanted to tell him to first get angry at the possibility that his sister might be in a romance with an old man.
However, since I could feel a sense of trust toward me and brotherly affection for Rio, I couldn't find anything to say back.
He's a boy with incredibly bad manners, but I watched him off with a solemn expression, thinking that at his core, he must care deeply for his sister.
Next would be how to make excuses when Rio's mother returned.
If her daughter suddenly brought a celebrity-wannabe into the house, she was bound to be terrified.
Moreover, there was a white girl with her, and the floor was full of holes; no matter how you looked at it, it was a situation for calling the police.
Just as I was clutching my head, wondering what on earth to do... Rio's smartphone rang.
Had a message of encouragement arrived from her brother already?
As I watched, Rio spoke quietly.
"It was Mother. She said I'm staying at my boyfriend's house tonight."
She laughed as if it were nothing, saying it was a regular occurrence.
For the time being, the concern regarding the parents' eyes was resolved... or rather, postponed, but that was that.
That meant tonight, the three of us—me, Rio, and Angelica—would be sleeping together.
Sleeping while surrounded by teenage girls who aren't related to me by blood. I felt disgusted with myself, wondering how far I would fall.
Besides, when I thought about it, that wasn't any different from usual. It was just that Ayako-chan had been swapped with Rio.
My daily life is so sleazy...
"Father is suffering again."
"Nakamoto-san gets like this sometimes, doesn't he?"
"I wonder why?" Rio wondered aloud as she headed toward the bathroom. She was likely going to take a bath.
Angelica began washing the dishes in the kitchen, leaving me completely at a loss for what to do.
"Ah... no, I still had things to do."
In fact, as a member of society, this might be the most important item.
I decided to contact the people involved with the program I was scheduled to appear in.
I've come down with the flu. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to work from tomorrow onwards for a while.
I sent emails and made phone calls while coughing... I felt like an actor.
I feel like modern society is more inconvenient than another world in these aspects.
Anyway, they are so noisy about things like time and absences.
Though it might be that modern society—or rather, Japanese society—is just strict.
Once Rio and Angelica had finished their baths, I conveyed our future policy.
By policy, I meant a warning to avoid acting alone, since we didn't know when the High Priest might show up.
"Um... does that mean even things like the toilet are together with Nakamoto-san?"
Rio asked hesitantly.
"I'm not going that far."
"What?"
She was visibly disappointed. What on earth were you expecting?
"Anyway, I'm getting sleepy, so where should I sleep?"
"Isn't my room fine?"
"I wonder about that..."
"It's better to stay bunched up in one place, right? It'd be bad if you were attacked while sleeping. Wouldn't it be better if Nakamoto-san protected us by our side?"
"In that case, would you mind if Angelica joins us?"
"...I'll compromise on that."
Negotiation complete.Tonight's sleeping quarters were decided as Rio's room.
"It's not very spacious, but if we pack things in, I think three people can barely fit."
"Come on," Rio said, standing up. It seemed she would guide me to the room.
"My room is on the second floor."
"Well, most kids' rooms are like that."
I followed the back of Rio, who was walking briskly.
Beneath her black hair that reached her waist, I could see her small buttocks moving.
Since she had changed into thin pajamas, the lines of her underwear were clearly visible.
It was a sight that made it difficult to know where to look.
Since it was wrong to look at things I shouldn't, I averted my eyes from Rio.
I climbed the stairs, turning into a weirdo who stared intently at the handrail, and arrived on the second floor.
There were two rooms, positioned on either side of the hallway.
Since they were sliding doors, they were likely Japanese-style rooms.
"It's messy, so I'm actually embarrassed to show people."
"Please, come in," Rio said, opening the door with her hand and guiding me into the room.
I entered while letting my imagination run wild with impolite thoughts, wondering if it was really that bad—like, if ropes or candles were scattered about carelessly.
"What, it's actually quite clean."
"Ehh! Not at all!"
"Don't look, don't look," Rio said while pushing things to the corner of the room, but from a man's perspective, it felt sufficiently organized.
There were just some magazines and a school bag lying on the tatami mats, with no noticeable dirt.
Even the desk was neatly arranged.
The vanity was the only thing overflowing with clutter, but I thought this was well within the acceptable range.
"Even so, this room... it feels somewhat familiar..."
I wondered what it was. I felt like I had seen it somewhere before, and I pondered with my arms crossed.
Between the size and the position of the closet, it didn't feel like I was seeing it for the first time at all.
As I was groaning to myself, Rio spoke while playing with her hair.
"It's that, right? You know. The room of the protagonist from that national sci-fi anime."
"A national sci-fi anime...?"
"The one with the cat-shaped robot that comes from the twenty-second century."
"Ah, ahhh! That's right!"
Nobita's room! I snapped my fingers.
"That's it! It's exactly like this! If you made that room more girly, it would look just like this!"
"...Everyone says that."
"That's why I don't really bring friends over," Rio said, her shoulders drooping.
"Even though you look modern. Your private life has a bit of a gap, which is interesting."
"Shut up—"
With a bashful face, Rio opened the closet.
It seemed she intended to pull out the futon.
Just as I was about to say I'd help...
"Father."
Angelica suddenly spoke to me.
Since her tone was serious, I felt a strange sense of panic, wondering if she had caught me staring at Rio's buttocks...
"I've been wondering about something."
"W-what is it? My eyes were fixed on the handrail the whole time, you know?"
"The handrail? ...No, what I'm wondering about is: why did you let the High Priest go? If it were the usual Father, you would have finished him off quickly."
"Ah... no, about that."
Relieved that it was that, I explained.
"That High Priest guy, he had a skill like time regression. It was an induction-type, with a nature where the effect would automatically activate if he was killed by someone."
"What kind of effect is it? ...Don't tell me it's something like resurrection?"
"It's a bit different, but subjectively it's similar. It's a broken ability where he jumps back to the world a few minutes before his death, along with the person who killed him."
"What is that...!?"
"Without you knowing, I've killed the High Priest twice. And since he went back to the past twice, this means this is the third week. A friendly time-travel trip together with the High Priest."
Angelica put her hand to her mouth and began to groan, "Uuuu..."
"...That means he's practically immortal, right? Is there any way to break through this?"
"There is. Or rather, there are too many. Actually, I've thought of about seven ways. ...They came to me so fast, even I'm a bit repulsed by them."
"Isn't that a lot?"
"Right?"
Furthermore, I confessed that every single one of them was a devilish method.
"Um... would it be okay if I tried asking them?"