Jinsei ni Tsukare Tadoritsuita Mura de, Bijo-tachi ga Ore o Hanashite Kurenai [Volume 2] [Chapter 1] (Patreon)

Living my days at the Anzai house, I had never once felt lonely.

In the first place, ever since I entered the workforce, being alone had become the norm. I always figured that even if there was no one by my side, I'd never feel lonely... And yet.

"...I'm not just lonely, I feel kind of helpless."

I never expected to actually utter those words... Honestly, it caught me off guard.

Today was a day when not only Mina had left for work, but Reina-san would also be away from the house until around evening.

They told me to make myself at home and do whatever I wanted without holding back, but like I just said, being all alone until evening felt lonely and insecure... But wait, that's weird. I tilted my head in confusion.

"This isn't the first time Mina and Reina-san haven't been around... so why am I feeling so lonely today?"

Seriously, why? But surprisingly, the answer came to me almost instantly.

It was probably because spending time with Mina and the others had made my feelings for them grow so much deeper.

They accepted me, and they even confessed their feelings... I still have a lot on my mind and haven't fully processed everything yet, but the desire to stay by their side has definitely grown. That's probably what's causing this loneliness right now.

"...Guess I'll head outside for a bit."

For now, I should move my body to take my mind off things.

After getting ready quickly, I stepped out of the house and immediately spotted the person I was looking for.

"Good morning, Shiraishi-san."

"Oh, Takuya-kun. Good morning to you."

It was our neighbor, Shiraishi-san, diligently working in her field.

Every time we meet, she tells me that farming is what keeps her going, so whenever I step outside, I can always find her out here.

"What brings you out on such a hot day?"

"I should be asking you that. You're sweating buckets, Shiraishi-san. You're not overdoing it, are you?"

"Of course not. It's hot, sure, but nothing beats working the field... Don't worry, I have no intention of pushing myself too hard."

Despite her words, Shiraishi-san was sweating profusely.

With this heat, sweating was perfectly natural, but given her age, I couldn't help but worry about her health.

As if sensing my concern, Shiraishi-san pulled a plastic bottle out of her bag nearby.

"See? I'm staying hydrated, so I'm perfectly fine."

"Well... that's good to hear."

"You really are a sweet boy, Takuya-kun."

Anyone would do this much... or so I thought, but maybe it was just a big deal that I finally had the emotional leeway to worry about someone else.

"So, what's the real story? Did you get lonely because Mina-chan and Reina-chan aren't around?"

"Ugh..."

"Ahaha! Hit the nail right on the head, didn't I!"

D-Did she really have to laugh that hard...?

Embarrassed by her boisterous laughter, I turned my face away, which only seemed to amuse her more.

"Come on, you don't have to laugh that much, do you?"

"Sorry, sorry, it's just that you're too cute."

"..."

Reina-san had said something similar, but am I really that cute...?

Setting aside whether I was cute or not, now that she knew I was lonely, I might as well just own up to it.

"Yeah, you're right. I was lonely, so I came outside. Plus, I knew I'd run into you out here, Shiraishi-san."

"Oh my, look at you... Are you trying to flirt with an old lady?"

"Who knows? Let me help you with the field."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well then, I'll take you up on that."

And so, I ended up helping her out in the field.

Since I didn't know the first thing about farming, my tasks mostly consisted of carrying heavy bags of fertilizer and pulling weeds around the plot.

"Make sure you drink plenty of water too, Takuya-kun."

"Will do!"

For a while after that, I lost track of time, completely losing myself in the work.

"...Whew, man, it's scorching."

About twenty minutes into it, I was completely drenched in sweat.

No matter how much I wiped myself down with a towel, it just kept pouring out. My shirt was plastered to my back, feeling utterly gross.

"Shiraishi-san is incredible..."

She was just as sweaty as I was, yet her movements showed absolutely no signs of fatigue. It was honestly impressive.

Not wanting to be outdone by her, I pumped myself up and threw even more energy into the work.

"Wow, Takuya-kun, you're a lifesaver."

"Am I really helping that much?"

"Of course you are. If I were doing this alone, I wouldn't have gotten nearly this far."

"...Ahaha, well, I'm glad I could be of use."

Seeing Shiraishi-san smile like that reminded me of how rewarding it felt to be helpful to someone.

"Besides... it's fun because it feels like having my grandson around."

"Oh... do you mind if I ask about him?"

"Not at all. He moved out to Osaka... and now I'm lucky if I see him twice a year."

"That must be lonely..."

Twice a year, huh... But in a way, that felt somewhat normal.

Personally, if my grandmother were still alive, I probably would've visited her fairly often... Well, everyone's situation is different.

"It's not that I don't care about him, but spending time like this with you, Takuya-kun, makes the loneliness fade right away."

"..."

Shiraishi-san said that as she wiped her brow.

Her radiant smile brought a sudden warmth to my chest. It wasn't because she was treating me like a replacement for her grandson, but because her words showed genuine trust in me as an individual.

"In that case, at least for now, I'll work hard for you, Grandma Shiraishi."

"...Fufu, thank you, dear."

For a while longer, I immersed myself in the work beside Shiraishi-san.

Our conversation never hit a lull; we talked more than ever before, allowing me to learn so much about her, while she filled me in on the details of the village.

"Whew... my back is killing me."

However, I couldn't just ignore the toll it was taking on my body.

I hadn't hit my limit yet, but staying hunched over in the same position for so long was putting a serious strain on my lower back.

Maybe I should take a quick break... Right as that thought crossed my mind—

"Yoo-hoo, Taku-kun! ♪"

"...Huh?"

It happened out of nowhere.

A familiar voice reached my ears, and before I knew it, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around.

"...Yua?"

"Yep! ♪ Long time no see, right?"

Standing behind me was Yua.

She was wearing her usual skimpy gyaru fashion, but on a scorching day like today, it actually looked quite breezy.

"..."

Like she said, the last time I saw Yua in person was the day I told everyone I was staying here.

We had chatted on the phone for a bit at night, but seeing her face-to-face like this felt like it had been a while.

"...Hehe ♪"

"..."

She flashed me a bright smile, causing my already overheated body temperature to spike further.

Yua was another girl who had confessed her feelings to me, and she had been a huge help when I finally cut ties with my awful bosses.

Matching her flashy gyaru look, she was incredibly energetic and strong-willed.

Yet, contrary to her appearance—though that might just be my own prejudice speaking—she was deeply considerate and remarkably kind.

If we had met back in high school, she easily would have earned the legendary title of "The Gyaru Who's Nice to Otaku."

"Well, if it isn't Yua-chan. What brings you here?"

"Hello, Shiraishi-san! I have the day off from work today, and I really wanted to see Taku-kun, so I decided to take a stroll over this way."

"Oh, is that so?"

"I'm super happy to see you too, Shiraishi-san, but honestly, getting to see Taku-kun looking all cool while working up a sweat totally made my day! ♪"

Looking cool, huh... Hearing that didn't feel bad at all.

In fact, I felt a mix of joy and sheer embarrassment, causing me to quickly avert my eyes.

"Ahahaha! Is that right! Just like Mina-chan and Reina-chan, you certainly have an eye for men, Yua-chan. I've been sneaking glances at Takuya-kun myself, and he really does look quite handsome out here."

"Right?! Taku-kun is incredibly cool, and he's just such a great guy!"

"..."

This is bad... Listening to them talk about me is making my face burn even more!

Unable to take it anymore, I went back to pulling weeds, but Yua and Shiraishi-san were talking so loudly that pretending not to hear was an uphill battle.

"I can't hear anything... I hear absolutely nothing," I hypnotized myself, burying myself in the weeds, but then Yua knelt down right beside me.

"I'll help too!"

"Huh?"

"Oh, really?"

"I'd love to help! ...Though, honestly, my main reason is just that I want to do the same thing as Taku-kun! ♪"

"Ahahaha! Look at you, Takuya-kun, popular as always!"

"..."

A beaming Yua and an amused Shiraishi-san.

To be honest, I wished they'd stop teasing me, but I didn't want to ruin the warm atmosphere they shared.

...No, that wasn't it.

The truth was, no matter what they said to tease me, I secretly felt happy. Or rather, I was just glad that a nobody like me had become a part of the daily conversations of the kind people I met in this village.

"Taku-kun... hehe ♪"

"...What is it?"

"Nothing! Alright, let's give this farming thing our all!"

"Yeah... but wait, you're going to work in that outfit?"

"Yep! It'd be a total pain to go all the way back home just to change now."

"I guess so..."

With Yua joining in, we spent the next thirty minutes completely focused on the tasks.

Now, as I've mentioned multiple times, today was brutally hot... Even though we kept drinking water, by the time we finished, we were a complete mess.

Our clothes were a bit muddy, but that was nothing compared to how absolutely drenched in sweat we were.

"Whoa... hey, look, Taku-kun."

"...Wow, that's intense."

"Right? ~"

Just like me, Yua was soaked.

Her clothes were plastered so tightly to her skin that the color of her underwear showed right through. Yet Yua didn't seem the least bit embarrassed; if anything, she leaned in close as if practically begging me to take a look.

Her chest was larger than Mina's but didn't quite match Reina-san's volume... I knew it was rude to stare, but after all the dirty things I'd been doing with Mina and the others lately, my eyes instinctively locked onto Yua's breasts.

"Staring so hard... you pervert."

"Ah... sorry."

"You don't need to apologize! I'm actually happy if it's you looking, Taku-kun."

With that, Yua thrust her chest out proudly to show them off.

My eyes wanted to gravitate even more toward the alluring, jiggling fruit right in front of me, but we weren't the only ones here.

"Oh my... I had a feeling, but you two sure have gotten close, Takuya-kun, Yua-chan."

"A-Ahaha..."

"You bet! After all, I'm totally in love with Taku-kun!"

"Oh ho!"

Shiraishi-san nodded with a knowing smile at Yua's bold declaration, then turned to me.

"Why don't you just marry all of them? Mina-chan, Reina-chan, and Yua-chan too."

"You're... joking, right?"

"I think it sounds like a grand idea! Ahahaha!"

"..."

I figured she had to be joking, but she sounded surprisingly serious...

But now that I knew how Mina, Reina-san, and the Yua right in front of me felt, I honestly hadn't come to a conclusion on what choice I should make.

However... there was one thing I knew for sure: I wanted to stay here.

They didn't just accept me; they explicitly told me they wanted me around. I wanted to stay by their side... That much was certain. Besides, whatever confusion I initially felt had mostly been washed away by our recent intimate encounters anyway.

"Alright you two, thanks for today. You were a huge help."

Packing up her things, Shiraishi-san started heading home.

Thinking she must be tired, I offered to carry her bags, but she firmly turned me down, insisting it wasn't necessary.

"We worked up quite a sweat, huh?"

"Yeah... honestly, feels like I just finished a solid workout."

It had been a while since I sweated this much... I had that satisfying post-exercise feeling, but right now, I just wanted to hop into the shower and clean off.

"Is Reina-san at home?"

"No, she apparently won't be back until evening."

"Hmm... really?"

"What are your plans now, Yua?"

"I want to change, so I was going to head back, but... oh, I know, Taku-kun!"

As if a lightbulb had gone off, Yua clapped her hands together.

"Why don't you come over to my place? Mina and Reina-san aren't around anyway, so you should have lunch with me."

"Uh, well..."

"And you can take a shower there too! Actually, let's shower together!"

"Wait, what?!"

"Do you have plans or anything?"

"No... but..."

"Then it's settled! Let's get going!"

Without even waiting for my answer, Yua grabbed my hand and started dragging me along.

The reason I didn't tell her to hold on was probably that deep down, I was happy she invited me.

Before long, we arrived at the Yatsume household.

It turned out Yatsume-san—Yua's grandmother—was out running errands until after noon. Yua flashed me a meaningful smirk, hinting that we could do whatever we wanted.

"Alright, here's the bathroom!"

"...Are we seriously showering together?"

"You're still doubting me after coming all this way? Of course we are! I mean, I want to get up close and personal with you in the buff, Taku-kun! ♪"

Yua reached for her clothes and stripped them off in one swift motion.

In the blink of an eye, she was down to her underwear, and even that final line of defense was tossed aside without hesitation.

Standing stark naked right in front of me, Yua made no effort to cover her private parts, though her flushed cheeks betrayed a hint of embarrassment.

"Hey... take your clothes off too, Taku-kun."

"..."

A completely naked girl looking up at me, begging me to strip... What kind of situation is this?

"It's totally unfair if I'm the only naked one here, don't you think?"

"S-Sorry..."

Wait... is this really something I should be apologizing for?!

Losing the battle against Yua's intense, unblinking gaze, I finally gave in and stripped down to my birthday suit just like her.

"...This is a little embarrassing."

"Well, obviously!"

Yua scratched her cheek with a nervous laugh at my retort.

"..."

Even so, I couldn't help but take in the sight of Yua's bare body.

Normally, staring like this would earn me a look of pure disgust, but right now, it was completely allowed... Or rather, given that she invited me to shower with her in the first place, complaining about it made no sense.

"Anyway, standing around like this won't get us anywhere. Let's hop in the shower and clean off!"

"Y-Yeah!"

Just like when we arrived at her house, she pulled me by the hand into the bathroom.

The bathroom felt a bit older compared to the one at the Anzai residence, but it was still meticulously cleaned and spotless.

Going with the flow, I sat down on a bath stool, expecting warm water from the showerhead to wash over me... Wait, what?!

"It's freezing?!"

"Ahaha! You look so cute when you're surprised, Taku-kun! ♪"

Her cheerful laughter echoed through the bathroom. Ordinarily, that might have made me smile, but I was too busy freezing—not that I felt like complaining, though.

What she sprayed onto my back wasn't warm water, but ice-cold water.

Even in the summer, cold water is cold, so I had half a mind to say something. But when I turned around, my eyes met her two bountiful mounds... Staring at them from point-blank range, I felt like complaining would literally incur divine punishment.

"Alright, I'll switch to warm water for real this time~"

"...Please do."

"Got it! ♪"

Finally, a stream of soothingly warm water began tracing down my back.

The feeling of the sticky sweat being washed away by the hot water was incredible, eliciting an involuntary groan of satisfaction from my lips.

"Feels good, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll wash your body for you too."

"Uh... are you sure?"

"Of course! ♪ I mean, what's the point of showering with you if we just rinse off? That'd be a total waste!"

"...Alright, go ahead then."

"Leave it to me!"

Nodding, Yua squirted some body wash onto her hands and lathered it up.

"...? You're not using a washcloth or anything?"

"Huh? Why would I need one?"

"??"

To wash my body...?

The moment that question crossed my mind, a squishy, bouncy sensation pressed hard against my back.

"?!"

"Hehe, I'm gonna use my whole body to wash you down... ♡"

I couldn't see what was happening behind me, but I understood instantly.

Yua hadn't put the soap on a towel; she had slathered it all over her body—specifically her breasts—and pressed herself tightly against me.

It was exactly the kind of service you'd see in an adult manga.

"How does it feel...? Good?"

"...Yeah."

I nodded honestly.

The sensation of her plush, full curves against my back was amazing on its own, but the slippery glide of the body wash turned the pleasure up to eleven.

As Yua slid up and down against me, she let out soft, seductive gasps in sync with her movements... To put it bluntly, my body was getting incredibly turned on.

"I've always wanted to try this at least once. Doing it for a guy I truly trust from the bottom of my heart... I wanted to know how fulfilling it would feel for me."

"..."

"Honestly, it surpassed my expectations... because right now, I'm just so incredibly happy. Getting to share this heart-pounding experience with you, Taku-kun."

Yua wrapped her arms around my stomach.

Holding me in a tight embrace, she kept moving her body, sending waves of pure bliss crashing directly into my back.

"What about you, Taku-kun? Do you hate this?"

"...There's no way I could hate it."

"That's right! ♡"

If I said I hated it here, I’d be a total buzzkill.

"I told you that day, remember? I’m going to make sure you're satisfied with every single part of me... and I’ll never let you regret your choice to stay in this village."

"Yeah... you did."

"You already know why I go this far without me having to spell it out, right? I love you, Taku-kun... and I honestly believe my feelings for you are just as strong as Mina's or Reina-san's."

Hearing her say she loved me made my heart skip a beat.

The exact same joy I felt when Mina confessed flooded my heart, alongside the sheer happiness of feeling wanted.

"Don't worry—you can just lose yourself in us. You mentioned before that you planned to leave eventually, but human resolve is a pretty fragile thing. So go ahead and keep that intention all you want. I'm just going to smash that resolve into tiny little pieces! ♡"

"...Normally, a fragile resolve is a bad thing."

"True, but in this case, it’s a total plus, right? I mean, you’re absolutely loving this situation right now, Taku-kun."

She spoke with complete certainty, as if reading my innermost thoughts.

Even while having this conversation, Yua kept rubbing her body against mine, ensuring my excitement didn't cool down for a single second.

"Wow, though... this is a surprise. This feels amazing for me too... Just doing this... just feeling you makes me feel like I'm gonna push past my limit."

Whispering that in my ear, Yua smoothly moved around to the front.

Kneeling before me as I sat on the stool, her cheeks flushed bright red at the sight of my lower half, but she refused to look away.

Naturally, I was embarrassed too, but thanks to Yua's teasing, trying to cover myself up at this point was physically impossible.

"This looks kind of painful, doesn't it? Let me help you take care of that."

As she gently stroked me while saying that, I couldn't help but ask,

"Not to sound like a killjoy, but... do you actually know what this means?"

"Duh, of course I do. I'm doing this because I want to do it with you, Taku-kun... and because I want to make you feel good."

Then, Yua added,

"By the way, I already know you've been doing stuff like this with Mina and Reina-san, okay? Mina told me all about it."

"Are you serious...?"

"Dead serious."

As Yua nodded, I could swear a bright spark ignited in her eyes.

With a somewhat playful, competitive look on her face, Yua kept her gaze locked onto my lap... And since she wasn't just staring but continuously stroking me, the stimulation was non-stop.

"It honestly made me pretty jealous knowing those two were satisfying you while I was left out, you know?"

"Is that... why you dragged me to the bathroom today?"

"Bingo! ♪ I wanted to get to the starting line too... Well, I guess calling this the starting line is a bit weird, but we're adults, so why not?"

"Feels a bit scandalous for a start, though."

"I guess so... but honestly, who cares?"

Yua was so breezy about it that it made me feel stupid for overthinking things.

Looking up at me with a grin while moving her hand up and down, her eyes seemed to be asking me what I wanted her to do next.

"Yua... would you mind?"

"You got it. Told you to leave it to me, didn't I? ♪"

Averting her eyes from my face, she focused entirely on what was down below.

Without showing much hesitation, she flicked her tongue lightly over the tip a few times before opening her mouth wide and taking me in.

The inside of Yua's mouth was incredibly warm.

It wasn't hot enough to burn, obviously, but having such a sensitive part licked made it feel burning hot. But as Mina and Reina-san had thoroughly drilled into my body, this sensation was incredibly addictive.

"Ah... ♡ slurp... gulp!"

It was an explicit sound... yet I had grown to love hearing it.

In moments like this, Mina would always narrow her eyes happily if I patted her head... Wondering if Yua would be the same, I placed my hand on her head.

"...♪♪"

"...You're so cute."

Yua showed the exact same reaction as Mina.

This seemed to flip her motivation switch even further. The suction grew so intense it felt like she was trying to drain everything out of me... and before long, I hit my limit.

"Ugh... it tastes bitter."

"Ahaha... yeah, I figured it would."

I know it's weird to call it 'stuff,' but I always assumed it would taste bitter.

It made me realize how wild it was that Mina and Reina-san could smile and call it delicious... No, calling them wild is probably rude of me.

"How was it...? Did it feel good?"

"Yeah... it was honestly amazing."

When I told her that, Yua happily lunged forward to hug me.

To be honest, I was falling back into that familiar sensation—questioning if the time I just spent with a beautiful girl like Yua was actually real.

Following Mina and Reina-san, I had now crossed a line with Yua too.

Ever since I arrived in this Misato Village, everything had moved like a whirlwind, delivering a series of incredibly convenient, blissful moments into my lap... It felt like all the experiences I had missed out on in life were being cut up like a pie and hand-fed straight to me.

"...Hey, Yua."

"What's up? You have this look on your face like you're agonizing over whether it's okay to just go with the flow."

"...Are you a psychic?"

How on earth did she pinpoint exactly what I was stressing over?!

"Aha, I knew it. I mean, getting intimate like this isn't exactly a normal casual thing, so it makes sense you'd feel that way, Taku-kun."

"...Right."

"We're basically doing everything we can to make sure you can't run away, and you haven't fully made up your mind yet... So it's totally natural to wonder if this is really okay."

"..."

"But overthinking it won't change anything. No matter what happens, we're just gonna keep throwing ourselves at you! So... just give up and let it happen! ♡"

"Ugh..."

The plush sensation pressing against my chest paired with such a sweet, seductive temptation.

And to top it all off, that gorgeous smile as she looked up at me dealt a critical blow to my composure in more ways than one.

After that, we thoroughly rinsed off with the shower and stepped out of the bathroom.

"I feel like a brand-new person."

"Seriously... that felt incredibly good."

"Awesome, awesome. By the way, did my mouth feel good too?"

"...Yeah."

"Hehe! ♪"

"Still, I really didn't expect you to have clothes ready for me."

"Well, I figured there'd be times like today where you'd need a change of clothes. So I actually bought them ahead of time just in case."

"I see."

Having a spare outfit was definitely a lifesaver after an afternoon like this.

But providing a shirt, pants, and even underwear... I couldn't help but think she was a little too prepared.

Yua's outfit was similar to what she wore outside, but since she had no plans to head back out today, she was rocking a highly revealing single-shirt style, just like Reina-san.

"Wear those home today. I'll wash your sweaty clothes here and give them back to you later."

"Got it. Thanks for taking care of everything."

"Don't mention it, it's all for you, Taku-kun! ♪"

Looking thoroughly satisfied, Yua wrapped her arms around mine.

The soft sensation I had been enjoying so much earlier returned, and try as I might to keep a straight face, a smile gradually crept onto my lips... Seeing me like that, Yua spoke up.

"You're smiling a lot more lately, Taku-kun."

"Huh?"

I blinked in surprise at the unexpected comment.

"When we first met, and even the few times after that, you always had this dark expression hanging over you... but now you look so much lighter."

"...Lighter, huh."

"Yeah. Cutting ties with that awful boss of yours helped, but spending time with Mina and the others must have really healed your heart. Honestly, this expressive version of you is probably who you really are."

Hearing her say that made me realize she was right.

When I first arrived in the village, my spirits were constantly in the gutter, but those dark feelings had largely faded by now.

Of course, I still had nightmares occasionally, so the trauma was definitely lingering, but I knew I was laughing a lot more compared to before. Being able to give big reactions to their antics was proof enough that my mindset was looking up.

"That's definitely thanks to you guys."

"I'm glad to hear it. But you know, the more energized you get, the more it's only a matter of time before you can't tear yourself away from us, right?"

"Well..."

"It's fine, it's fine—rather than putting up a pointless stubborn front, I'm just gonna drill it into your body that letting us spoil you is a much better use of your time."

Her voice took on a slightly heavier, commanding edge toward the end as she playfully stroked my cheek with her index and middle fingers.

It was a total gyaru move... Not that I had any real experience being pursued by a gyaru, but her aggressive approach felt distinctly different from Mina's or Reina-san's.

"You know... I've honestly never fallen for someone this hard before. That's why I'm throwing absolute fastballs and giving it my all to win you over."

"..."

"Besides, there's literally no reason not to fall for you. It's fun being together, and you make me want to do absolutely everything for you, even the naughty stuff... Our physical chemistry being amazing is a perfectly valid reason too, right?"

"Yeah..."

Holding up a single finger like a teacher explaining a lesson to a young child, Yua continued slowly.

"Anyone can talk about vibes or the time spent together. But it's everything else... No, it's because Mina, Reina-san, and I learned who you really are that we ended up like this."

"Because you learned... a lot about me?"

"Exactly. Like how even when you were hurting from your job, you never forgot to care about others. Or the way you talk about your late grandmother whom you loved so much, or how you just helped Shiraishi-san earlier... and even when you rescued me. All of it. We got to know the real Takuya, and that's why we want you from the bottom of our hearts."

Yua's words felt like a total validation of my entire existence.

It was something Mina and Reina-san were constantly telling me too, but hearing it from Yua as well hammered it home.

It gave a massive boost to my self-esteem... which was undoubtedly another reason why my mood had improved so much. My chest tightened with warmth realizing just how much these girls cared about me.

"...Thank you, Yua."

"You're very welcome! ♪"

Just as joy bubbled up inside me, Yua looked equally thrilled.

...It might be arrogant of me to assume she was happy just from seeing my reaction, but that's exactly how it looked to me.

She had been locking arms with me and staring into my eyes this whole time.

Unable to break away from her gaze at such an incredibly close distance, we locked eyes as if time had completely stood still—until a cheerful voice shattered the silence.

"Oh my goodness! Well, didn't I just walk in on a lovely moment!"

"Yikes?!"

"Whoa?!"

Startled by the sudden third voice, Yua and I whipped our heads around at the exact same time.

The voice was instantly recognizable; it belonged to Yatsume-san, who had clearly just returned home.

Wait, wasn't she supposed to be back after noon...?

Dropping her heavy bags with a thud, Yatsume-san let out a long sigh, looking at Yua and me with a deeply amused nod.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Takuya-kun, but I never expected to witness a moment like this. Look at you go, Yua."

"Sorry for the intrusion..."

"G-Grandma..."

"I know you were just gushing about how close you two had gotten... Ahaha! I can rest easy knowing it's Takuya-kun."

Chuckling heartily to herself, Yatsume-san disappeared into the kitchen.

Yua and I stared at her retreating back in utter stun, then turned to look at each other... and both let out a small, sheepish chuckle.

"Uh... ahaha."

"...Well, that was a little embarrassing."

Yua hid her face, and I nodded in agreement.

Though honestly, compared to what we were doing in the bathroom, this shouldn't even register... I almost said it out loud but bit my tongue just in time.

"Wait, I thought you said Grandma wasn't coming back until after noon...?"

"Maybe her errands finished early?"

"...Sigh, whatever, what's seen is seen. She's probably gonna see us like this plenty of times from here on out anyway, so stressing over it is a waste of energy."

"Plenty of times...?"

"Duh, obviously. She's gonna catch us every single time you come over to switch into lovey-dovey mode with me, right?"

She talked about it like it was already a done deal...

Afterward, lunchtime rolled around, and while enjoying a delicious plate of curry, I explained to Yatsume-san how I ended up over here.

Regardless of what our exact relationship status was, Yatsume-san knew that Yua and I had started on the absolute worst foot imaginable, so seeing us getting along so well genuinely made her day.

"Takuya-kun, you're welcome here anytime, okay? Feel free to drop by even if Yua isn't home."

"Oh, thank you."

"Hey! No way, that's totally off-limits if I'm not here!"

"What are you talking about? I want to chat with Takuya-kun too."

"...Hmph!"

While I was happy to hear Yatsume-san say that, Yua puffed her cheeks out in an adorable pout.

"...Haha."

Of course, this wasn't a real fight, just the typical banter of a close-knit family.

Watching Yatsume-san and Yua interact reminded me so much of my younger self and my grandmother.

A wave of nostalgia washed over me, causing me to smile, but as Yatsume-san looked away from Yua, she caught the expression on my face.

"You've started making such wonderful expressions when you smile, Takuya-kun."

"Huh?"

"It's a much better smile than when I saw you before. It's so bright and refreshing, like a heavy weight has finally been lifted off your shoulders."

"..."

Ahaha... Yatsume-san had just told me the exact same thing Yua did.

Part of it was definitely because they were family, but it also meant I had recovered enough that anyone who knew me could notice it at a single glance.

"I think it's entirely thanks to coming to this village... Honestly, it scares me a little to think about it. Leaving Tokyo was a given, but if I hadn't happened to stop by here... I don't even know."

But that didn't happen.

I was guided to this village, met Mina and the others... and now I was spending my days in complete peace... Setting aside all the explicit stuff, I couldn't even bear to imagine a timeline where I hadn't come here.

"I'm truly glad I came to Misato Village."

"Taku-kun!"

"Ahahaha! Is that so, is that so!"

Yua lunged in for a hug while Yatsume-san gently patted my head.

This feeling... No offense to Yua, but having Yatsume-san pat my head brought back a rush of pure nostalgia.

A memory from long ago... I vividly recalled the moments I shared with my own grandmother.

(I...)

On the day I decided to stay in this village, I had claimed that I intended to leave eventually.

But now, I could say it clearly—those words had just come from a standard, stiff sense of pride telling me I shouldn't just rely on their kindness. But rather than putting up a tough front, why shouldn't I just give in to what I actually wanted?

"..."

That said, the more I thought about it, the more another idea took root.

If Mina, Reina-san... and Yua were going to throw themselves at me this aggressively, maybe I could lose my reservations just like Yua said and take the initiative myself... Maybe it was okay to act on those instincts.

"Taku-kun? Your face is totally red."

"Ah... it's nothing."

I shook my head to brush it off, but a suspicious Yua only pressed her body even closer against mine.

...With these girls pursuing me so fiercely... these girls who were practically my saviors... maybe it was okay for me to follow my instincts and do what I wanted to do to them too... I couldn't help but think that way.

Just being with them was enough... but I wanted more. I wanted to form an even deeper connection with Mina and the others—and that desire took a powerful, undeniable hold of me.