Book 3: Chapter 5: Patch 1.0: The Latest Addition

Ryouta never wanted to have to ever get rough with any of his girlfriends for any reason. However, when it comes to this one important matter, not even Serra’s cuteness is able to stop him from stealing the mouse from her, dragging the folder that shall never be opened into the trash, and then emptying it.

Serra looks up at him with a frustrated pout and flicks him on the forehead. He knows that he deserves this, but he also knows that the contents of the folder are better off forever lost than ever being seen by mortal eyes again.

Wanting to keep them around for sentimental value is not anywhere near as important as them being seen by others’ eyes.

“What was it? I didn’t get to see,” Cassandra asks.

“Hmm. It looked like it might have been my husband’s—” Aiko’s voice gets cut off when Ryouta places his hand over it, muffling her words.

Aiko starts squirming around in his grasp and even licks his hand which causes him to quickly take it away from her.

“Unfortunately, I did not get to see it either,” Alice says.

“Don’t worry about it. It was just something stupid that I forgot to delete,” Ryouta explains. He’s technically not lying. He also needs to change the subject before either Aiko or Serra tell them what the folder was. “I’m hungry. Want to go out and grab some food?” he asks the group and then signs the question to Serra.

Bringing up food starts a chain reaction of the girls’ stomachs embarrassingly growling.

“Dinner it is,” Ryouta confirms. “Alice, anywhere you want to go? You’ve never been here before, so it’s your choice.”

“My hero, I appreciate the consideration, but I know nothing about this city nor what food it may have to offer. Do you have any recommendations?” Alice asks.

“Right. Uhh, there’s a really good ramen place that I go to with Spencer whenever he visits, but I think our group is a bit large for there. The staff always look kind of annoyed when more than three people go there in a group. There’s the place that Cass Cass works a—”

“No,” Cassandra interrupts.

“So yeah, not there either. Whole bunch of fast food places, but I don’t want to take a princess out for fast food.”

“Princess? Can I be your princess, too, Ry-ou-ta?” Aiko asks.

“Oh, I mean, she’s like a literal princess. Royal blood and all that,” Ryouta explains.

Aiko looks at Alice and blinks. “Woah. Seriously? Shouldn’t you be like, super rich then?”

“I am! Well, my family is,” Alice answers.

“Then why’re you in a wheelchair? Why not just get one of those fancy rich people surgeries?”

“A-ah, well—”

“You’re being rude, Aiko. Sorry, Alice,” Ryouta says, but Alice shakes her head and has everybody’s eyes on her already.

“It is most alright. I have simply accepted my condition and fear that this body would no longer feel like my own if I went through with such an operation. Whether it is using technology to force control over my legs or replacing them with prosthetics, neither of those sound appealing to me. Plus, I do love my tragedy, and being in a wheelchair is very tragic!” Alice explains, smiling and clapping her hands together.

“Sorry, Ryouta was right, I was rude,” Aiko whimpers. “But thanks for answering me anyways.”

“It is most alright, Aiko. It is not the first time I have been asked that and I am sure that it will not be the last. Now then! Let us return to our venue discussion. While I may love tragedy, being a starving heroine is not a theme that I particularly enjoy.”

“Alright! Then, uhh, let’s see…” Ryouta resumes thinking about where to eat, and Serra has got his back by opening up a search engine in his browser and pulling up all nearby restaurants. “That… probably would have been a smart thing to think of myself. I don’t exactly get out much, so I don’t even know what’s around here.”

“Worry not, my hero! I can be very needy at times, so I am sure that I will have you taking me out almost daily! We shall explore this city of yours together.”

“And my wallet will cry the entire time,” Ryouta thinks to himself.

Serra opens up a page for a food joint named “Roaring Marco’s New Charleston’s Favorite Burgers.” She then turns around, points at the screen with one hand, and looks at the group with a bit of drool coming from her mouth.

“Shall we head there? It seems as if Serra would very much enjoy it, and I am sure that I will as well!” Alice says, trying to ignore the picture of the very obese man shouting while holding burgers in his hands.

Ryouta figures the man in that picture must be Roaring Marco.

“I’ve been there. Their burgers really are probably the best in the city,” Cassandra says.

“Yeah, they’re great!” Aiko backs them up. “Serra always wants to go there for our lunch dates. N-not that they’re serious dates, Ryouta! You know what I mean, like, when two girls just go out and—”

“It’s alright, I know what you mean. Besides, even if they were real dates, who could say no to Serra?” Ryouta says, pinching one of Serra’s cheek before signing that they’ll go there.

“I forgot. How often do you see Olly – Spencer, again?” Cassandra asks.

“Twice a month,” Ryouta answers.

“Will we ever get to meet him?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. He’ll probably come drop me off here drunk like usual, so you can all meet him then.”

“Couldn’t we just go out with you two?”

“Cassandra, we must not get in the way of men’s time out! I am sure that we will find enjoyable things to do on our own while they spend time together discussing masculine things such as horse racing and fine scotches!” Alice explains.

“I don’t know about the horse racing part, but I do like a good bourbon. But yeah, sorry, Cass Cass. Those days are usually just for ourselves. Though, knowing him, he probably wouldn’t mind if you all tag along,” Ryouta says.

“Husband, you’re – you’re into men, too? You’ve become so promiscuous… I’m sorry, but I do not believe that I could cope with another man being involved in our relationship!” Aiko says, automatically jumping to crazy conclusions.

Ryouta could correct her. He could also play around with this. “Yeah, sorry. I just love his dick. Can’t get enough of it,” he teases.

Aiko stands as still as a statue for a few moments before erratically twitching. That dark aura comes back with some desperation mixed into it. “If – if, if my husband requires me to pl-pleasure another man to get closer to him th-then I shall—”

“It’s a joke! Just a joke. I don’t like dicks other than my own, and I like my own dick like a brother instead of a lover.”

All girls with functional hearing look at him.

“You took it too far and got weird,” Cassandra says.

Alice and Aiko nod while Serra salivates from scrolling through pictures of burgers on his computer.

“Oh! I keep on forgetting to say this, but I shall be paying for everything for the duration of my stay,” Alice says.

“Eh?” Ryouta looks at her.

Alice has a smug smile and a card in her hand. “Feel free to use this for any and all expenses for as long as I am staying with you!” she says, tossing it over to him.

“Are – are you sure?”

“I hope that this gesture does not feel emasculating to you, my hero, but my father was worried about you not being able to afford me. With so many others staying here with us as well, I would feel horrible knowing that I have caused such financial strain! Whether it be for rent or food, please make use of my family’s funds.”

Ryouta looks down at the card in his hand and feels like a mountain’s weight worth of responsibility has just been placed on his shoulders. If his guess about how rich Alice is ends up being correct, then he could probably buy a personal jet with this one card!

“My father did, however, want me to inform you that he would be monitoring all purchases just to be safe,” Alice says.

Alright, so maybe he won’t be buying a jet—not that he would have in the first place—but it’s still nice to have this. He may have more responsibility now, but the weight on his shoulders added from the responsibility attached to this card is not as heavy as the weight that has been lifted by not needing to stress about money.

“I’ll… have to call him and thank him. Can you give me his number? I feel like I should thank him before using it,” Ryouta says.

Alice, with a massive smile on her face, nods. “He’s going to love you for that! He may be silly at times, but he values respect above all else. He is going to be wondering when our wedding will be if you personally thank him!”

“Ah, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s just the right thing to do.”

“Exactly why he will love you! All the previous boys whom have attempted courting me only pretended to be respectful, and their acts were obvious to both my father and myself.”

“I wish I was as good as you two seeing through bullshit,” Cassandra says with a sigh. “I swear if this dog bastard ever screws me then I’m giving up on the whole dating thing.”

“But haven’t I already done that?” Ryouta asks, letting his finger obviously approach her side.

“Shut it! You know what I mean, you perverted dog bastard,” she says and swipes his hand away.

Her other side is left wide open for Serra’s finger to sneak in from behind and poke.

Aiko gets her first hearing of Cassandra’s signature squeak.