Ch.20Umi and Me

The next day. I opened my eyes immediately.

“Ugh… shit.”

My body felt incredibly heavy. Even though my spring break schedule had been packed, the difference between having school and not was huge. I could feel my stamina draining in real time.

However, this too was a burden students had to bear. I washed up and put on my school uniform right away.

Though I’d gotten used to being possessed, seeing myself in a school uniform still felt strange.

“Let’s go.”

I headed straight out the door.

——–

The same classroom as always.

“Shota-ching!”

Spotting me, Eri immediately rushed over and threw herself at me.

*Poof-!*

I caught Eri’s body, thinking she might get hurt if I dodged.

“W-what’s with this sudden display of affection?!!”

Umi shouted.

“Huh? I already confessed to Shota, didn’t I? I declared war, so making a move is totally legal.”

Eri said. What an incredibly combative mindset. High school girls really are formidable creatures.

“Shota doesn’t like it, right? Her coming on so strong when you haven’t even accepted her confession.”

Umi immediately sent a request for backup my way.

*Squish-!*

Since Eri was pressing herself so tightly against me, I could feel various soft parts of her body.

Then, she looked up at me with flushed eyes.

“Shota… do you dislike it?”

Eri asked, tilting her head.

“I love it.”

I blurted out before I could stop myself. Really… it was too powerful. The intense stimulation had turned my mouth into a truth-spewing machine.

“You’re… seriously a pervert. Just go die. Seriously.”

Umi looked at me with cold eyes.

“It’s not like you particularly like Shota anyway, right? Even if you did, I have no intention of losing to a girl who can’t honestly express her true feelings.”

Eri said, still clinging to me.

“Urgh…!”

Umi seemed at a loss for words. Eri looked at her provocatively.

“H-hold on. Eri. Come with me?”

Immediately after, Umi put Eri in a headlock and dragged her out of the classroom.

“W-wait!! I need to confirm my love with Shota… Umi!! You’re too strong!!”

Eri struggled as Umi dragged her away.

Right. Umi was surprisingly strong. Anyway, the small commotion was settled.

And at that moment, Taiga entered the classroom.

“There’s always a commotion around you.”

Taiga said, glancing at Umi and Eri.

“Ah… Taiga, you don’t know? This is what they call ‘popularity.'”

I immediately said to Taiga.

“Popularity, my ass. Every time you open your mouth, it’s nonsense.”

Taiga chuckled and slapped my shoulder repeatedly. It honestly hurt.

“Natsukawa Taiga… coming to school two days in a row.”

“What’s going on? Has he reformed?”

The students started whispering.

Well… he was a famous delinquent in the neighborhood. Of course he’d attract attention showing up properly dressed in his uniform.

*Glare-!*

As if annoyed by the attention, Taiga shot a glance at the class. It was terrifying. It brought back trauma from when I got mugged in front of the stationery store’s arcade machine in elementary school.

“………..”

That was enough to silence the students.

“Taiga. Have you decided to attend school properly now?”

I asked Taiga.

“Yeah. I have. We’re comrades now, you, me, and Sachisu. I should stay nearby so we can always be in contact.”

Taiga said.

Well… after joining as a comrade, Taiga would attend school properly. This was just like in the game.

“Sniff… have you reformed because of me…?”

I wiped away a tear.

“You’re full of crap!!! I didn’t reform because of you, okay?!”

Taiga immediately tried to hit my shoulder again.

“Stop. Don’t be so harsh. I understand you’re trying to hide your embarrassment.”

I said, raising my hands elegantly.

“Arggghhhh!!! This guy is so annoying!!!”

Taiga screamed, clutching his head. He might have the aura of a tough delinquent, but he was terrible at verbal sparring.

Just then, Umi and Eri, having finished whatever conversation they were having, came back in.

*Stare…*

They immediately noticed Taiga and me chatting.

“Did you become friends with Natsukawa-san?”

Umi asked, looking back and forth between us.

“Yeah…”

Eri was also surprised by the sudden development in our relationship.

It was certainly confusing, since until yesterday we had no connection beyond me being dragged to the rooftop, and suddenly we were on speaking terms.

“Well… we’ve become friends. Taiga has finally fallen victim to my overflowing ‘charm.'”

I muttered, looking out the window.

I always end up captivating people unintentionally. It was both a blessing and a curse. Because everyone worships me… I can’t form equal relationships. I was feeling like King Gilgamesh before he met Enkidu. Ah… Lord Gilgamesh, what kind of life have you lived?

“Pfft-hahaha! It’s so funny when you say things like that with such a ridiculous face.”

Umi burst out laughing.

“Hey!! It’s not that ridiculous!!!”

That’s too unfair!!!

“Shota… you don’t actually think you’re handsome, right? That kind of delusion is only allowed until middle school. Wake up soon.”

Eri began to seriously worry about me. That reaction hurt my heart even more.

Anyway, I gave Taiga a look. It was meant to convey that he shouldn’t mention anything about the monsters. Taiga nodded.

“You just exchanged glances, didn’t you?”

Umi immediately picked up on that. She’s surprisingly sharp.

———-

Anyway, the homeroom teacher came in just before things got more complicated. After morning assembly, peaceful school life continued.

However, today was Wednesday. Unfortunately, there was no PE class. Having to sit through classes all day made my body feel strangely stiff.

“Well… this class is ahead of schedule. Just do self-study. Ask if you have any questions.”

The teacher said in an unmotivated tone during fourth period, right before lunch.

Then, the teacher started reading a manga. Teaching… really is a cushy job. Since this was a public high school in a small city, there wasn’t much pressure from parents. All the teachers seemed to work with minimal effort.

“Shota.”

At that moment, Eri, who sat behind me, called out to me. She wasn’t originally sitting there. But Eri had used her gyaru communication skills to switch seats with whoever was behind me. Then Umi immediately occupied the seat next to Eri. I had a black gyaru and a white gyaru behind me like guardian spirits.

“We’re in self-study. Don’t talk to me.”

I said.

“Pfft. As if you’re actually studying.”

Eri said with a laugh.

Well… I was planning my novel. Honestly, I had already studied the basic subjects before being possessed, so I had time to spare. I decided to roughly sketch out a blueprint during free time, then write after school.

“Your shoulders look stiff. Want me to massage them?”

Eri asked.

“No. I’m fine.”

What massage? Just do your self-study. Quietly.

“You don’t have the right to refuse?”

Eri giggled as if she had anticipated my answer, and began massaging my shoulders.

*Rub rub-!*

Somehow… I felt embarrassed. Having a girl give me a massage made all sorts of thoughts run through my head. Her hands are… surprisingly small. Information that made my face flush was being imprinted in my brain.

“W-what are you doing?”

Umi hurriedly exclaimed.

“What? It’s just a shoulder massage.”

Eri monopolized my shoulders as if to show off.

“Th-that’s not how you give a massage! You just want to touch Shota’s shoulders, right? I know it!!”

Umi shouted and claimed my left shoulder.

“Watch. This is how you give a massage.”

Umi then began massaging my left shoulder.

Eri was massaging my right shoulder, and Umi my left.

*Rub-! Rub-!*

Having two cute girls massage my shoulders was too stimulating. They were pressing their bodies against my back, causing certain parts to touch.

I desperately tried to maintain my composure by focusing on planning my novel. Yes… good thoughts, good thoughts…

However, the black gyaru and white gyaru didn’t give me the luxury of maintaining my composure.

“Shota. Whose massage feels better?”

Umi seemed to really enjoy competition.

“Mine, obviously, right?”

Eri whispered from the other side.

“Both…”

“Answer properly.”

Umi exuded tremendous pressure with just one sentence.

“‘Both’ is not allowed.”

Eri said with a smile, though her eyes weren’t smiling.

What should I do… I started to worry.

That’s when the teacher reading manga came to my rescue.

“Arigiri. Enjoying your harem is fine, but this is self-study time. Show some restraint.”

The teacher said.

“No… harem? It’s not like that…”

I hurriedly protested.

“Damn… when I was a student, I couldn’t enjoy youth like this… I went to a co-ed school but it was practically an all-boys school. Girls wouldn’t talk to me. Even during sports festivals, they wouldn’t borrow gym clothes from me…”

The teacher suddenly started talking about his dark youth.

It felt like I’d stepped on a landmine.

“Well, never mind about me. Arigiri. Submit a reflection paper later.”

The teacher cut off his story.

Wait. A reflection paper? It seemed like the teacher’s personal grudge was involved.

———

Anyway, it became after school.

“Shota. Let’s go.”

Umi suddenly blocked my way.

I thought Eri might counter-attack, but Eri was surprisingly calm.

“Then Shota, see you at home?”

Eri smiled and gave me a light kiss on the cheek. I guessed she wasn’t being greedy about after-school time since she could freely come to my house anyway.

“…You’re going straight to the dojo, right?”

Umi asked.

“That’s the plan.”

My routine was to train at the dojo, go home to write my web novel, and hunt monsters at night.

“Um… do you have time after training at the dojo?”

Umi suddenly made an unexpected proposal.

“Karaoke?!! It’s karaoke, right!! Great!! Let’s go!!!”

I immediately took the bait.

“It’s not karaoke?!! Why do you like karaoke so much?”

Umi immediately objected.

“Dokkiri dokkiri don don!!!!”

“Hehehehe!!! Don’t sing here!! It’s embarrassing!!”

Umi laughed and slapped me repeatedly. Oops. Maybe my tension got too high.

Ah… if we went to karaoke, I could have crushed another anime song medley. What a shame.

“After we finish… want to come over… to my room?”

At Umi’s sudden invitation, I froze.

H-her room?

“Do you have a karaoke machine in your room or something?”

I immediately made a reasonable guess.

“No!! Why would I have that at home?!! Why are you so obsessed with karaoke?!”

Umi objected as if she couldn’t believe me.

Anyway, a plan that wasn’t there before had emerged.