Ch.84Midterm Exams (2)

After finishing the sparring, I continued with my usual training at the kendo dojo.

I wondered if Kana would leave now that the sparring was over, but she joined in with the other students for training.

And then one session ended.

“Phew……”

There really is something special about exercising. It gives you that satisfying feeling of properly completing your day.

After showering, I struck a pose in front of the full-length mirror. I’d definitely built more muscle compared to before.

When I first possessed this body, I was skinny as a rail, but people really do change.

“Pump it up!”

I can’t resist saying that line.

Feeling my strength to the fullest, I changed back into my casual clothes.

*Click!*

As I stepped out the door, Kana was waiting for me at the entrance.

“You’re late!”

Kana shouted.

“What? Were you waiting for me?”

Wait, why didn’t she leave? What’s she doing here?

“What are you, a girl? Why does your shower take so long?”

Kana said.

“I was just… feeling my strength, you know?”

“What nonsense. Go die.”

Kana immediately shut down my gibberish.

“So what now? Going home?”

Kana asked.

“Yeah. That’s the plan.”

I nodded. Midterms were just around the corner. I needed to make sure my girlfriends didn’t fail. After all… I wanted to enjoy my youth during summer vacation too.

“Surprisingly, you don’t do hard training. You just do one session?”

Kana said.

“Yeah. I’m a student too. I have other things to do.”

That’s what I told her. During vacation, I could do two or three sessions… but right now it was term time. Plus, I had to write my novel. I’m busy, seriously.

“And my girlfriends are waiting.”

Maybe I was too immersed in casual conversation with Kana, but a thoughtless comment slipped out of my mouth.

“Wait… ‘girlfriends’? What do you mean?”

Kana’s expression immediately hardened.

“Isn’t Kiryu Umi your girlfriend? Why are you using the plural?”

Kana’s face turned sour.

Ah. Shit. I’m screwed.

I desperately started looking for an excuse.

“Actually… Kiryu Umi has a dual form. She has multiple personalities, so…”

I desperately tried to push the Kiryu Umi multiple personality theory. Umi had three personalities, I claimed. One in her head, one in her left breast, and one in her right breast. I made up this setting on the spot. With breasts that enormous, it wouldn’t be strange for each to house a personality. Hmm. This makes perfect sense.

“What is this, Black Beard?!!! Stop talking nonsense!!”

Kana immediately cut me off with a sharp rebuke.

She actually got that reference. Kana must be familiar with popular manga.

“Tell me the truth.”

Kana said.

“But… this has nothing to do with you.”

I immediately put some distance between Kana and myself.

“Tell me. Or if you’re upset, we can have another sparring match.”

Kana calmly challenged me to a duel. I had no comeback for that. In the end, a swordsman’s strength is everything.

“Well… the truth is, there are others besides Umi.”

I finally confessed the truth.

I told her about Eri and Taiga.

How all three had confessed to me, but we agreed to put things on hold until we turned 20.

But none of them could wait that long and threw tantrums, so they became something like girlfriend candidates.

After that, we ended up in a semi-cohabitation situation where we were all over each other every day.

There was also the bombshell information that I hadn’t told Gonzaemon and Asuna yet, but I kept that to myself. Revealing that would only give her leverage.

“I’ve heard there are many womanizers among swordsmen… but I didn’t know it was this bad!!”

Kana said with a flushed face.

“Disgusting!!! Enemy of women!!”

Kana immediately condemned me.

“Well… I don’t have much to say in my defense. But everyone consented and everyone’s happy. No problem, right?”

I decided to brazenly push back.

“You have world-class talent!! You should be focusing solely on the sword… but instead you’re wasting your life nestled in women’s skirts!!”

Kana shouted.

“Ah… how pitiful you are, not knowing love.”

I immediately delivered that line.

“Don’t say that line!!!”

Kana’s trigger was pressed.

“Love can make humans stronger too, kid.”

I said that and tried to head back to my happy home.

“T-then you’ll never beat me in your lifetime?!!”

Kana said provocatively.

*Ring-ring!*

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Eri.

“Ah, Eri.”

I answered the phone, leaving Kana in her rabid fit.

“When are you coming home, hubby?”

Her aegyo dripped through the phone. Despite her tough-looking appearance with tanned skin and blonde hair, Eri was quite affectionate. That gap was incredibly cute.

“Ah, I’m on my way back now.”

“Hurry. I miss you.”

Her nasal voice through the speaker gave me goosebumps.

“Me too. Love you.”

“Mm. Me too.”

“Hey! Eri!! We agreed to call together! Give me that! I want to talk to Shota too…!”

Just then, Taiga’s angry voice could be heard.

*Click!*

The call ended abruptly. It was a sudden disconnection, but still a healing phone call.

“You heard that? I’m going home right now!!”

Right after, I bolted out of the dojo.

“Spring has come!!!”

I felt like I could run home at Mach 3 speed right now.

“Arrrgh!! Go die!! Idiot!! Sea anemone!!! Sea cucumber!!”

Kana seemed to be trying to get my attention by hurling insults, but her insults were too crude. Even an elementary schooler could do better.

——-

Anyway, I headed home.

Eri, Umi, and Taiga had already prepared dinner. You’d think at least one of them would be a terrible cook, but they were all decent.

“Tch… no burnt food or slime dishes…”

I clicked my tongue at the dining table.

“Hey. What’s that supposed to mean?”

Taiga glared at me.

“Just… I thought there’d be more distinctive traits. Shouldn’t at least one of you be a disaster in the kitchen?”

I said.

“Hey!! We worked hard to cook for you!! What are you saying, you otaku bastard… Want me to hit you?”

Taiga raised her fist.

“Ah… a violent heroine… that’s nice too, but so outdated.”

I sighed.

“Shota. Stop talking nonsense and just eat.”

Eri smiled sweetly as she pushed a spoonful of food into my mouth. That silenced me.

———-

Afterward, we all studied to prepare for midterms.

I studied too, but since I’d already mastered Japanese, math, and English, it didn’t take me long. After going through the memorization subjects once, I had nothing to do, so I worked on tomorrow’s web novel installment.

Writing web novels is really great. Just writing makes me feel peaceful, you know?

“I’m sleepy…”

“Ugh… I hate studying…”

Umi and Eri had already reached their limits. Their busy pens stopped moving.

Well… studying is a habit. When people who don’t usually study try to work hard during exam periods, they hit their limits quickly. Mental labor is ultimately about endurance. Eri and Umi lacked mental stamina.

To put it bluntly, they were airheads. It’s not nice to say about my girlfriends, but that’s the fact.

“Sigh… can’t be helped. Go take a nap.”

I told them.

“Mmm… okay.”

“Just an hour…”

Eri and Umi headed to the bedroom together.

Surprisingly, Taiga was studying for a long time. Among them, she had the most potential.

“Taiga. I’m impressed.”

I patted Taiga’s head.

“Well… I’ve lived a rough life. I can overcome this much with determination.”

Taiga laughed proudly.

“And… seeing you made me think I should try harder too.”

Taiga said, pressing close to me. I knew what Taiga wanted. I immediately started massaging her chest.

“Ahh… mmm. There. Yes, right there… rotate clockwise…”

Taiga completely surrendered her chest to my touch.

“Haaah… fuck… this feels so good…”

Profanity spilled from Taiga’s mouth, but that just meant she was feeling good. Taiga-ho~!

Anyway, while receiving her breast massage, Taiga continued talking.

“I… never thought about my future before.”

Taiga said.

“You roughly know I grew up in an orphanage when I was young, right?”

“Yeah…”

That Sobutaku guy or whatever his name was mentioned it before.

“Back then… I hated the world. I couldn’t appear weak to survive. A pretty girl like me would become a plaything if she seemed easy.”

Taiga said.

It was a bit cringe that she called herself pretty, but honestly, Taiga was extremely beautiful.

“I had talent for fighting. After beating down troublemakers, I eventually became a biker gang leader. In between… I was taken in by a distant relative grandmother, but she was also killed by monsters.”

Taiga continued.

I already knew this setting from the game, but hearing it from her directly gave the story a different weight.

Taiga… you’ve had a hard life. I stroked Taiga’s back affectionately.

“Anyway, until now, I never thought about the future. I was ready to die anytime. But… meeting you changed my thinking.”

Taiga looked straight at me.

“You’re chasing your dreams properly while also hunting monsters. I want to be by your side. Not in a parasitic relationship… but walking alongside you with my own dreams.”

Taiga looked directly at me.

“So… I’m at least studying. Whether I go to college or not, I think I need basic academic skills.”

After saying that, Taiga suddenly stole a kiss from my lips.

“………”

I could only stare blankly at Taiga. Honestly, her words were somewhat touching.

“I want to stay by your side forever, Shota. I want to work hard for that… that’s my goal right now.”

Then, Taiga smiled shyly. Honestly, Taiga saying such things was both admirable and adorable.

“Just don’t push yourself too hard.”

I said, caressing Taiga.

“Really… Shota is so kind.”

Taiga chuckled and pressed her lips against mine.

It felt like my relationship with Taiga had progressed significantly.

Anyway, time passed, and midterms were just around the corner.