Chapter 65 – Having Something Good Under the Covers (Patreon)

After Ai's performance ended, Kouma and Miyako took the opportunity to head backstage. When Yukiko, Sayuri, Touko, and the other women learned that Ai was Kouma's big sister, they all froze for a moment.

"That girl just now was also Kouma's big sister?"

Yukiko fell silent for a beat, then inwardly grumbled about Eri. "That woman—she doesn't keep a proper watch on her own child at all..."

There were gorgeous big sisters and beautiful aunties literally everywhere! Yukiko felt that if Eri stayed this careless, some scheming woman would snatch Kouma away before anyone knew it.

So, she resolved to properly guard her best friend's child. "I should move back to the country and stay here for a while..."

"Eriri, you haven't thrown away those little toys you brought home before, have you...?"

Sayuri suddenly looked down and asked Eriri. The latter's face instantly turned half-red, and her little head swiveled left and right, wary and flustered.

"Mom, why are you asking that here...? Those things—well, I suppose I haven't thrown them away yet," she answered bashfully.

Sayuri nodded thoughtfully, then asked her daughter, a bit nervously, "Last time, we didn't manage to have Kouma over for dinner like we planned. So I was thinking of inviting him over specifically for a meal in a couple of days..."

As she spoke, she quietly observed her daughter's expression. Eriri paused at her words, then slowly lowered her head.

Combined with her mother asking about the little toys earlier, she could naturally guess why her mother wanted to invite Kouma over. But Eriri hadn't expected her mother to stop hiding it altogether...

Still, looking up at the stunning young matron and girl before her, Eriri could understand her mother's state of mind. With so many women eyeing Kouma hungrily, if they let their guard down, he really might get snatched away.

"Mom... sure. I, I actually wanted to ask Kouma for advice on my new doujin anyway..." Eriri bit her canine tooth lightly, her face bright red.

When Sayuri saw that expression, she instantly understood the decision Eriri had made. A swell of emotion rose in her heart, and at the same time, Sayuri felt a surge of total confidence. Mother and daughter, united in purpose, could swallow... could cleave through gold together!

"I made it—barely!"

Backstage at the performance hall, the late-arriving Chika glanced at the stage where the Light Music Club was currently performing, and the rock hanging over her heart finally settled.

Standing to the side, receiving a scolding from Sawako Yamanaka, Chika stole a glance into the distance at Haruno and Toyomi, who were strolling leisurely her way. Her eyes burned with resentment.

"It's all their fault—they don't act like older sisters at all, and they spent all morning teaming up with Kouma to torment me... No way I would've overslept otherwise!" She muttered under her breath, a few fragments reaching Sawako's ears.

"What's this about Kouma? Hurry up and get ready to go on stage!" Sawako paused briefly at the name, then rapped Chika lightly on the head. Chika stuck out her tongue and walked with relaxed, easy steps toward her piano.

At that moment, Shizuka Hiratsuka, who'd been helping out backstage the whole time, vaguely caught the name "Kouma" from Sawako and immediately strode over with a faintly aggrieved air.

"Sawako-sensei, I still haven't even seen Kouma, and I've already been working for almost half an hour!"

"Can't help it—we're short-handed! But about that 'big sister' you mentioned Kouma talking about..."

"There—Ai Hoshino!"

Shizuka followed Sawako's line of sight and saw an exquisitely beautiful, dazzling girl come into view. But...

"She's supposed to be part of an idol group, isn't she? Looks like she's being isolated."

The other three girls who made up B-Komachi sat off to one side—the dynamic was easy to spot. Sawako sighed as well. "You know, almost all the cheering from the audience just now was for Ai's name. For the other members of the same group, their presence barely registered above backup dancers. It's only natural some resentment would brew."

Shizuka turned to Sawako. "I heard Ai Hoshino transferred into Shuchi'in's middle school division?"

Sawako nodded. "Yeah, I saw her file. Seems like she's an orphan—she must've worked incredibly hard to get this far."

Hearing this, Shizuka's eyes flickered. An orphan, huh. So she must be one of Kouma's big sisters from his orphanage days. Shizuka pictured Kouma's little face in her mind, and faintly, it seemed like she actually caught a glimpse of him...

"It really is him!"

Shizuka blinked. She clearly saw a capable, cool beauty leading the figure she'd been yearning for day and night, heading toward Ai. A look of delight surfaced on Shizuka's face, and she was just about to head over when a hand suddenly patted her shoulder.

"Shizuka, long time no see!"

A familiar voice reached her ears, and Shizuka's expression instantly stiffened. Turning around, she found herself facing her former student—Haruno.

In the past, Shizuka would've responded with a teasing, slightly exasperated greeting. But now, with her thoughts full of this girl's little brother day and night, the moment she saw Haruno, three parts of her courage fled.

"Ha-Haruno, what are you doing here?"

…

"Ai-nee, your singing and dancing are getting more and more stable!"

"Hehe, I've been working super hard lately!"

Miyako watched the two siblings getting along so warmly, and a satisfied smile bloomed on her face. It was all worth it—the way she'd fought tooth and nail among that pack of women for Kouma earlier, at one point keeping him in her arms without letting go for a solid ten minutes. She'd finally managed to find an opening and bring him back here, backstage.

"There shouldn't be any women here..."

The thought had barely formed in Miyako's mind when several voices rang out at once.

"Kouma?"

"What are you doing here?"

That familiar line struck Miyako's ears and nearly gave her PTSD. "How are they here too...?"

She turned to look and saw three girls whose figures rivaled even the most voluptuous young matrons staring at Kouma in surprise. One of them—tall, with short hair—walked straight up to him. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as her gaze fell on Ai Hoshino, who was holding Kouma in her arms.

"What a stunningly pretty girl..." Haruno thought to herself, but her bell-like voice came out cool and detached. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kouma's big sister—Ai Hoshino!" Ai stood up, not backing down in the slightest, looking Haruno straight in the eye.

"Ai Hoshino?" A gleam of recognition flashed in Haruno's beautiful eyes. She seemed to recall Yukino mentioning that name—something about one of Kouma's big sisters from the orphanage.

She'd assumed it was just some ordinary person. She hadn't expected someone so devastatingly beautiful.

"Ai-nee, this is Haruno-nee! Haruno-nee, this is Ai-nee!"

The little boy stood up and grabbed both girls' hands, making introductions. Even for two young women who'd been ready to lock horns, the moment they held Kouma's hands, their expressions instantly softened.

"Kouma, I thought you'd gone back to the Service Club."

"Ai-nee transferred to Shuchi'in—I came to watch her perform!"

"Hmph. Is your family's need for control always this strong?"

"Hey, I'm just worried about Kouma!"

"What danger could he possibly be in with me...?"

Kouma sat off to the side, watching the two go back and forth. He wasn't the least bit worried they'd start fighting. For all the gunpowder in their words, the way their hands gently caressed him in secret was growing ever more tender by the second.

As Kouma's backstage stay grew longer and longer, the women in the audience grew restless. They were starting to suspect Miyako had spirited him away and run off.

They made their way backstage too. In an instant, the average attractiveness level backstage shot up to a terrifying degree.

The other students watched this cluster of impossibly beautiful matrons and young women swarming around a single little boy, envy driving them half-insane.

Even Haruno was shocked. One Ai was nothing in her eyes. But when several wives and girls all appeared at once, alarm bells instantly went off in her head.

Earlier, she'd felt a tiny pang of jealousy when the Fujiwara sisters joined their group at noon. Now, exchanging a glance with Toyomi, they formed an alliance in a split second.

There was absolutely no way they'd let these women get what they wanted so easily. Haruno made up her mind—she'd have to properly invite Toyomi for another foursome. So long as Kouma spent enough time with them, the others would have no chance to make a move on him.

"Should I tell Mother about this...?" Haruno wondered inwardly. She quickly dismissed the thought.

Her own daughter and her adopted son... never mind that even more open-minded mothers might not be able to accept it; in Haruno's eyes, Mrs. Yukinoshita was an utterly traditional, stern woman.

If Mrs. Yukinoshita found out about her current relationship with Kouma, it would be the absolute end.

The whole afternoon, Kouma's ears were surrounded by a chorus of melodious feminine voices.

Shizuka Hiratsuka stood on the outermost ring, lingering like a complete outsider. Watching those sneaky little hands constantly stealing touches at Kouma, she was practically green with envy.

All the students and teachers passing through backstage practically knew her. So Shizuka didn't dare join in at all. She could only stand to the side, silently fuming and keeping a mental tally.

Next time she got him alone in her office, she'd make up for everything she'd lost today—with interest.

In the minivan, Miyako helped Ai remove her stage makeup while voicing some concern. "Ai-chan, you saw it yourself—all those women around Kouma..."

"As expected of my little brother—he's always been this popular!" Before Miyako could even finish, Ai was already speaking with nothing but pride.

"But those women have so many ploys. What if they trick Kouma away?" Miyako still sounded worried.

Ai paused briefly, then declared with confidence, "No matter what, Kouma will always be my most beloved little brother! And he said he's coming back to my apartment tonight and sleeping over with me!"

With her makeup off, the girl's stunning face lost a bit of its glamor but gained an extra measure of pure, innocent charm. Yet those starry eyes still sparkled with the same captivating, joyful light.

After the school festival ended, Kouma returned to the Service Club.

Yukino, left alone there all day, thought she'd finally get to enjoy some one-on-one time with him—only to learn that Kouma wouldn't be coming home tonight. He was staying over at Ai Hoshino's place.

It hit Yukino like a bolt of lightning straight to the heart. Even the light in her eyes dimmed a few shades.

"Back at the orphanage, a bunch of us kids would all sleep in the same room. The walls were thin, and when it got cold, there was no heater—and whenever the wind howled or the thunder crashed, it got so loud... Ai-nee would always cover my ears and hold me while I fell asleep. She's worked so hard performing and earning money so she could get us a better place to live. Now that she can afford an apartment... I can't always be there with her anymore..."

Listening to the little boy's young yet resilient words, Yukino pictured a little girl holding a little boy close in the orphanage, making wishes and dreaming about the future. Ai Hoshino... she'd had it hard too.

"Yukino-nee, it's not like I'm moving out. When I come home, I'll still sleep with you, right? You won't say no, will you...?"

Seeing the hopeful, slightly timid look in Kouma's eyes, Yukino's gaze instantly softened. "How could I ever say no? As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

She was the picture of magnanimity. Ai might get Kouma for a night or two at most—could she compare to Yukino, his real big sister? No way! And seeing how deeply he valued emotional bonds, Yukino only looked forward even more to the day when Kouma wouldn't be able to bear being apart from her.

…

Night. Fresh from the bath, Ai lay in bed holding the little boy close. Breathing in that familiar scent from him, she felt utterly at peace.

It felt like the old days—when it was just the two of them, holding each other as they slept. She believed that once she grew up and earned more money, days like this would only multiply.

Click.

The apartment door opened. Miyako, returning after negotiating a business contract with another company, had come back to Ai's rented apartment to retrieve a document she'd left behind.

"Miyako-nee, it's so late and it's not that safe outside. Just stay here with us tonight!" Ai, wearing her pajamas with her hair down and holding the little boy in her arms, made the suggestion.

"This bed is huge—there's more than enough room for one more." She patted the empty space on the big bed, her smile sincere.

Miyako treated her like flesh and blood and had been tirelessly working for her future all this time, so Ai's feelings for her ran deep.

Miyako parted her red lips, wanting to say something but hesitating. It wasn't like she'd never shared a bed with Ai before. But with Kouma here... Miyako glanced at the little boy, who looked even more exquisitely handsome and irresistibly delicious after his bath. Her heart traitorously sped up.

In an instant, her mind flooded with the memory of this afternoon—how she'd been caught red-handed pleasuring herself by him, how she'd tripped, tumbled onto him, and climbed straight to the peak again... She awkwardly averted her eyes.

"I'll just take the sofa!"

Miyako suppressed the stirring inside her, gritting her teeth and declining. Lying in the same bed as Kouma—she was afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself.

"The sofa's so small—you'll be uncomfortable sleeping there. Besides, you're the one who rented this apartment for me—of course you should sleep here!" Ai said earnestly.

Unable to resist Ai's enthusiasm, Miyako relented and agreed.

After her bath, Miyako climbed into bed. The bed was two meters wide—more than spacious for two, and not the least bit cramped even for three slender girls. But while it wasn't cramped, their bodies would still accidentally brush against each other.

Waves of tingling sensation rippled through Miyako's heart all night long. She didn't sleep a wink.

In the early morning, her shimmering, restless eyes fluttered slightly. Miyako glanced back at the soundly sleeping Ai and Kouma, bit her lip, and slipped under the covers...

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