Chapter 31: CH 31

The morning was too sweet to be true… It was so sweet that I thought I might get sick.

After chatting with Shirayuki all night, I drifted off and the next time I woke up… it was the kind of morning that only happens when you share a bed with someone like them.

“It’s morning.”

“Good morning, Touma-kun.”

For a moment, I wondered if I had died in my sleep last night and reincarnated into another world where a gorgeous succubus mother and daughter found me.

But that was just a silly fantasy, and the truth was that they gave me a delightful wake-up call.

“…”

Hisui went to work after breakfast, leaving me alone with Shirayuki in the spacious living room. She clung to me as if she wanted me all to herself.

They both acted like that, always staying close to me unless they had to use the bathroom… I felt their love was too intense, but I couldn’t tell them to back off, especially after what they had been through together.

(Not that I really wanted to tell them that.)

As I thought about it and chuckled bitterly, Shirayuki noticed it and looked up at me.

She didn’t do anything else but cuddle with me, but she seemed happy just to see my face.

Seeing her smile up close like this, which I had only seen through a screen until now, and that our feelings were conveyed to each other like this, I couldn’t help but smile creepily.

“Touma-kun. You skipped the gym this week, but you’ll work hard next week, right?”

I nodded in response to her question.

“Thank you. I’ve had this body for a while now, and I’ve been exercising regularly to improve my stamina and lose weight. I’ve made some progress, but I’m not going to stop here. I’ll keep working hard.”

“That’s great. Mom and I are proud of you and we’ll support you all the way, alright?”

“…I appreciate it.”

“No, it’s our pleasure to help you.”

She gazed at me with her dull eyes.

I felt a chill in my spine as I met her stare. Her smile was eerie and did not match her eyes at all.

But I loved her anyway.

“Shirayukiii!!”

“Kyan♪”

I embraced her tightly, and she squealed with joy.

Sometimes her eyes looked cloudy, but when we touched like this, they cleared up and she looked at me with pure love.

(I can’t help but love this contradiction… I know yandere are supposed to be scary, but she’s not frightening at all.)

Even if I had forgotten her, I would have fallen for her again if a beautiful girl like this loved me so much. But I had no regrets.

Then, while chatting with Shirayuki leisurely, she said something like this.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“I want to know more about your world.”

“My world?”

“Yes. I only know about you, Touma-kun. This is a rare chance, so please tell me.”

“Alright then… Let me see.”

I shared many things with Shirayuki.

I skipped my family background and focused on my college life and what was popular and famous in my world. Shirayuki listened with curiosity.

“I see. So the two worlds are not that different in structure, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty much. There are some differences in trends and some things that don’t exist here.”

“…Don’t you miss them?”

“No, I don’t.”

Shirayuki’s eyes widened as I told her about my past without much hesitation.

While stroking her silver hair, I continued speaking,

“I didn’t mention my family, but they didn’t love me and it affected me. I was never a cheerful person. I would escape into anime or games at home after school or university.”

My family was ruined by infidelity.

I don’t know what happened to my mother, and I barely spoke to my father who took me in. By the time I went to university, we had no bond left.

“…Aren’t you sad?”

“I’m not really sad, to be honest. I’m lucky that they paid for my tuition…but once, I bought a tie for my father’s birthday. He threw it in the trash the next day, so that stung a bit,” I said with a bitter smile.

After a few seconds of staring blankly, I laughed instead.

“So, what do you think? I’m pretty strong, right?”

I thought I sounded confident, having lived a normal life without being loved by my family.

But Shirayuki didn’t nod in agreement.

“If that’s the case, then why did you sound so lonely?”

“I…”

“Strength… I see, that’s one way to see it. But Touma-kun, you don’t know the warmth of a family. The value of having someone with you.”

“…That’s true.”

That’s right…when she said that, I realized it was true..

But I do know the value of having someone with me… because I have them now, my girlfriend is here.

“That may be true, but I already know the value of having someone with me— because Shirayuki and Hisui are here. Even if I looked lonely, that would be gone if it were true… I can’t feel lonely with you two here.”

“Touma-kun…”

“That’s right. No matter what, I won’t say I’m lonely anymore.”

As I gazed at Shirayuki, I felt a sudden hug from behind and a hand on my head.

A soft touch on my cheek made me instantly recognize who it was.

“Hisui?”

“Yes. The teleconference was over, so I came here for a break. But I felt a bit jealous when I saw you having a deep conversation without me.”

“…Ah”

Hisui’s voice had a hint of jealousy, but it faded quickly.

She ignored Shirayuki’s sulky look and sat across from her, trapping me between them.

“I won’t let you feel lonely anymore, Touma-kun. Never again. Shirayuki and I will love you with all our hearts and make sure you never feel lonely again.”

“Me too!”

My ears were ringing… The sweet atmosphere got even sweeter.

I whispered softly as they promised to never let me feel lonely again.

“I’m fine without my family. But… I might feel lonely when I can’t be with you two, so isn’t that impossible?”

I didn’t mean to be picky, but Shirayuki and Hisui squinted their eyes and moved closer to me.

“Do you think that will happen?”

“Do you think that will happen?”

“…”

I might have stepped on a landmine just now.

The mood turned awkward, and Hisui said it was time to go back to work. Shirayuki stayed with me, looking like she needed some rest after working hard last night.

“… Huh?”

“Is that a phone call?”

Her phone on the table buzzed.

It was from Yosuke, but she didn’t pick up. She sighed softly and turned off her phone.

“He’s so oblivious to other people’s feelings, but he’s so alert in situations like this. It’s creepy.”

“Do you have to put it so bluntly?”

“I’m saying it because I hate it.”

She said that and chuckled before snuggling into my arms.

By the way, I learned that night that she got several calls from Yosuke after turning on her phone. It gave me the creeps too.