Ch.191191. After the Storm Passes

For dinner, we decided to order something simple.

I was going to cook, but everyone seemed to be against it.

Besides… Blanc was holding me tight, so I couldn’t go back.

I wonder if it’s just my imagination that becoming lovers doesn’t feel that different.

Was it simply a redefinition of our relationship?

It doesn’t seem like much has changed in our daily lives.

…No, something has changed.

Somehow, our physical contact has become more intense and frequent.

The difference in intensity and quantity—both have increased, and that’s what’s changed.

When Blanc does it once, Arin does it once.

When Arin does it once, Blanc does it once.

They’re competing to have physical contact with me.

“…Aren’t you both going a bit too far?”

“But…!”

“When I see Arin doing it, I feel compelled to do it too, and before I know it…”

“What do you mean ‘before you know it’… At this rate, I might swell up. We’ve only kissed once, but even my lips might swell up at this rate…”

“Sorry…”

“I’m sorry, unni…”

“Sigh… It’s not like I dislike either of you… or that I’m rejecting you… I don’t have the capacity to do that, nor the right… There’s no reason to… Anyway.”

“What do you mean you don’t have the right? You don’t have the right to refuse?”

“W-what are you saying…? Don’t tell me you accepted our confession out of a sense of obligation…?”

I misspoke slightly, and now they’re pouring out their concerns.

“No, that’s not it… That’s not what I meant. That was sincere. It wasn’t out of a sense of debt or any such emotion toward y-you… I mean, all of you… I’m just talking about the physical contact… We’re lovers, so we might end up doing a lot of bad things. Even though I’m this kind of woman… woman? Anyway, I just can’t refuse…”

“What are you saying, unni!”

“That’s right! What are you saying! We’re not doing this because we want that kind of reaction…! We’re not doing it because we want that. If you don’t like it, just say so. I won’t do anything you don’t like, Bine.”

“No, that’s… that’s not it. It’s not that I don’t like it… just a little restraint…”

“So you don’t dislike it…?”

“Yes… I don’t… dislike it…”

The question about whether I dislike it created such embarrassment.

I had no choice but to trail off at the end…

Suddenly…

It’s basically like asking if I enjoy physical contact…

If I say I like that kind of thing…

If I say it, something… something.

It’s embarrassing…

I can’t help it…

“Unni?”

“Bine?”

“T-that…! Anyway! I-I don’t dislike it…! I won’t disappear anywhere… Oh. You don’t have to worry about me disappearing on my own anymore… Eden is gone, and there’s no need to be so competitive about it… So, so…”

When I look into their eyes…

For some reason, I feel embarrassed.

Incredibly embarrassed.

But I feel like I need to say it…

“I-I won’t go anywhere…! You can do as you please anytime… okay?”

“W-wait… do as we please?”

“Y-yes…?”

“…Bine. You’re not hungry, are you? Just a moment.”

“W-where are you going…?”

“You said we can do whatever we want.”

“N-no…! What are you trying to do…!”

“Today, let’s go all the way.”

“What?! What are you saying! Arin is listening!”

“Arin is your lover too. She’ll have to know eventually. We might postpone doing it, but wouldn’t it be okay to show her to some extent? At least for educational purposes.”

“I-I don’t want to just watch…! I also, I also…!”

“No…! Blanc, why are you suddenly going to such a strange topic…! I meant! I was talking about physical contact! Why are you suddenly like a dog in heat…!”

“…Maybe it’s a bit similar.”

“What?!”

Blanc’s sudden bombshell declaration.

I couldn’t miss the hidden meaning in those words.

…

To think about such things already.

We’ve only been dating for one day!

Even though they say young people these days move a bit faster when it comes to those things.

B-but… how can we do that kind of thing after dating for just one day!

“N-no…! That, I’m not mentally prepared for that yet… That’s for later, later… okay?”

“Pfft… Hehe… Haa… When you react like this, I really can’t help but want to take you right away… Haa. How did I hold back all this time?”

“What…?”

“Yes, I should have just gone for it like today. I should have gone for it a bit earlier. Then maybe we could have done it right away today?”

“W-what are you saying…! Arin is listening…”

“Arin already knows everything, so it’s fine. But Arin is still too young.”

“No…! Still, watch what you say…! Even if it’s not Arin, other people are listening!”

“Well… the kids also with you… mmph?!”

“R-really! T-this mouth…!”

I had no choice but to physically stop Blanc’s mouth.

As I held her lips with my fingers.

Blanc grabbed my hand, pulled it back slightly.

And put my fingers in her mouth…

“Eek?!”

She started licking them wildly…!

T-this… a different kind of shiver than kissing ran through my entire body…!

“W-wait! B-Blanc! Blanc!”

…

Blanc only let go of my hand after the kids started complaining.

Most of it was about stopping the lovey-dovey stuff and eating, or Arin saying she wanted to do it too.

She even showed signs of intense internal conflict while looking at my hand.

Eli was too busy looking at Yuri.

For about five minutes, I was completely devoured.

While Blanc was eating my hand…

No, I’m not sure how to describe it.

Each finger, like eating ice cream?

As if marking what belongs to her on something precious.

Acts that might seem obscene to others…

Seeing Hyewon and Seohyun, who haven’t confessed yet, with red ears, looking at each other awkwardly without saying anything…

Yes, it must have looked obscene.

I’m 100% certain.

It was only when lunchtime approached.

That I was finally released.

Maybe that’s why they tried to stop me.

My hand… is covered in saliva.

I can’t wash it.

Right in front of everyone.

But…

Ugh…

* * *

“I could make this myself…”

“That’s right. Bine used to make it for us a lot in Eden.”

Aglio e olio pasta.

A simple pasta that can be made with just peperoncino, noodles, and olive oil.

Is it a sign of how the world has improved that we can order such things?

Or is it a human desire to avoid making even this?

Well.

There are other things like omurice too.

I guess they ordered enough to eat…

But, Blanc, how could you stop me from even preparing the table?

What’s with the “I don’t want my woman doing such things” attitude?

“Bine, just sit there and rest. We’ll take care of all the troublesome stuff.”

These magical girls who would turn the house into a mess without me.

What do you mean “rest”?

I was the one cleaning this room until just before the confession.

And…

Sneaking away quietly.

Doesn’t Hyewon still have some scolding coming her way?

It seems like she’s trying to escape through confession.

“Hyewon.”

“Y-yes?”

“You still have some scolding coming, don’t you?”

“W-what are you talking about? Ahaha…”

Yes.

She definitely knows.

She’s pretending not to know while knowing.

“Sigh… Even if I’m Blanc’s lover, and Arin’s lover… even if I’m dating all of you… the fact that I’m employed as a ‘housekeeper’ in this house doesn’t change.”

Then, Blanc said.

“Housekeeper… maid… maid outfit?”

“What are you talking about?”

“…I’ll make a note of that. For now. Please continue.”

“Haa… Anyway. I’m a housekeeper. Employed to work in this house. That’s my duty. At the very least, my job is to keep this house running smoothly.”

“We don’t really ask you to do that much…”

“Just think about the state of things this morning.”

“That’s…”

“Never mind. Sigh… I was planning to do it anyway. There’s nothing else for me to do now. I thought I should at least do this. Please don’t take away my job. I need… to be useful somehow. That’s the only way I can stand beside people like you… even if not proudly, I need to be able to stand there…”

“You can stand proudly beside us without having to do that.”

“No. I’d become completely unemployed… like Yuri over there.”

“E-eh…? M-me…? I’m a freelancer, okay…? I work…!”

“Well… Yuri has two people to support, but you all… one. So I have to support six people. That’s why it makes sense for me to do what I can now.”

“You don’t have to work…”

“Blanc. People… inevitably have to do some kind of work. Even if they’re a strange person. Having lost Eden, I… don’t know what to do now. But it would be too much to live as a truly unemployed person with no plans.”

“…I understand. If that’s what you want.”

“I’m glad you understand so quickly.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it that way.”

“…I understand. I also want all of you to be comfortable while you’re in this house. Well… if before I was doing it out of obligation, this time it’s a bit more voluntary and sincere. Haa. At this rate, I’ll fail as a villain and lose the bet.”

“It’s okay to lose a bet, isn’t it?”

“I can’t lose anything in my fight with you, Blanc.”

“Ha…”

Blanc looked at me with a faint smile.

I’m confident.

Well.

You said you’d understand this part of me even as my lover.

I’ll believe that you’ll understand my feelings.

Back then, it was Magical Girl Blanc.

Not Blanc the lover.