by Takehaya
Managing to hold it back, Ruth smiled wryly as she tucked him in from the waist down.
“Zzzzz...”
Sanae’s blissfully sleeping face was sticking out of Koutarou’s chest. It was almost as if Koutarou’s pajamas had an image of Sanae in her nightcap printed on them, but it was indeed the real Sanae. She was just sleeping inside of Koutarou’s body. That was the startling sight that had almost made Ruth scream.
“ZZZzzz... ZZZzzz...”
“Zzzzz...”
Koutarou and Sanae’s snores rang out in a strange harmony. Lately, Sanae had been complaining about feeling cold, so her solution was to sleep inside of Koutarou. This was a new thing, but apparently it was quite comfortable. Ever since she first tried it, it had become her favorite place to sleep.
Although Sanae was fond of it, her new sleeping spot didn’t sit well with the others. The only thing sticking out from Koutarou’s body right now was her face, but her limbs would poke out every now and then. It was a disturbing thing to see, almost like Koutarou had suddenly grown an extra set of girlish arms or legs. Koutarou was also sometimes startled by the sight when he woke, and he made sure Sanae knew it. Of course, Sanae showed no sign of doing anything about it. Whenever she saw an opening, she would enter his body to sleep.
“This is a little better than normal, but this is still bad for my heart...”
After she put the quilt back over him, Ruth smiled again and headed into the kitchen.
Normally Kiriha would arrive shortly after Ruth did, and then the two of them would prepare breakfast together. However, for one reason or another, Kiriha hadn’t shown up yet, so Ruth was fixing it on her own.
“Hmm, so you made breakfast alone today? It looks delicious.”
“Thank you very much, Sanae-sama.”
Ruth smiled at the praise as she served the meal to the tea table. Rice, miso soup, broiled fish, and natto—all of Sanae and Koutarou’s favorites.
“Yeah, it looks great. So why don’t you get out of me so I can enjoy it too, Sanae?”
“Nuh-uh!”
Even though it was time to eat, Sanae refused to leave Koutarou’s body. She playfully giggled with her face sticking through his chest.
“Come on now...”
“If you hate it that much, then chase me out! Come on, I dare you!”
Sanae reached her arm out from Koutarou’s body and poked his face. She was only able to enter Koutarou’s body after the two of them had started getting along. She knew it wouldn’t be possible otherwise, especially if he really hated it, and she used that as ammunition to tease him.
Heeheehee, Koutarou loves me after all!
If Koutarou had truly accepted her, then going all out was only courtesy. Sanae’s actions were merely an expression of her love.
“I agree with Koutarou, Sanae. Can’t you at least cut it out during breakfast? Seeing you like that makes me lose my appetite.”
“Yeah, Sanae-chan, at least give us a break with the paranormal phenomena this early in the morning.”
However, Sanae’s affectionate gestures were unpopular with Theia and Yurika. Seeing a face sticking out of someone’s chest was rather unappetizing.
“That’s right, Sanae. Do you want me to get sick while eating?”
“Ew, that would be gross.”
While Koutarou wasn’t as intent to kick her out as the others were, his desire to eat was also in jeopardy. And since Sanae always shared Koutarou’s senses while he was eating, if he felt ill, it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for her either.
“So come on out.”
“Okaaay.”
Sanae reluctantly came out from Koutarou’s body and appeared behind his back.
“Sorry for making a fuss during breakfast.”
After apologizing, Sanae clung to Koutarou’s back like she usually did during meals.
When I’m not sleeping, I guess this is better anyway...
As she held on to him, Sanae couldn’t help thinking about it. It was comfortable inside Koutarou, but if she stayed there, she couldn’t have as much fun with him. In the end, she decided she would rather stick to him and mess around with him.
And with Sanae on Koutarou’s back, Yurika’s stomach began growling. Now that the paranormal phenomena had passed, her appetite had returned.
“You really are a pushover, Yurika...” Koutarou said, pointing at her and laughing.
“I-I can’t help it! It’s morning! I’m hungry!” Yurika blushed and frantically made excuses.
“You’re just a glutton,” Sanae interjected in a matter-of-fact tone.
“I guess it’s true you can’t help it, but... Bwahahaha!”
“S-Sorry for you keeping you waiting, Yurika-sama.”
Stifling her laughter, Ruth served Yurika breakfast. Yet even with food in front of her, she was pouting.
“You’re all terrible, treating me like some starved animal...”
“W-Well, you know... If you’re hungry, eat. You can have as many extra helpings as you’d like today.”
“Really?!”
But after what Koutarou said, Yurika’s eyes lit up. Her attitude did a complete one-eighty. “As many extra helpings as you’d like” were magical words to her.
“Bwahahahaha!”
“See? She’s just gluttonous.”
“Y-Yurika-sama, w-would you like a double portion?”
Koutarou was in stitches, Sanae was behind him grinning, and Ruth was nearly frozen trying to keep herself from bursting into laughter. The wooden spoon in her hand was trembling because she could barely contain herself.
“I-It’s not that funny! And I’m not gluttonous! I’m just a growing girl!”
With her pride and her stomach at odds, tears welled in Yurika’s eyes as she did her best to defend herself. It was just another noisy morning in room 106.
Watching the commotion out of the corner of her eye, Theia ate her breakfast in silence. In the eight months that had passed since she first came to Earth, she had gotten quite deft with chopsticks. She gracefully lifted tiny bites of food to her mouth.
“Th-Then there’s no need to hold back! Grow all you like! Wahahaha!”
“The way you’re laughing makes me not believe you!”
“Koutarou, I’m a growing girl too! Let’s eat!”
“R-Ruth-san, I’m also a growing boy, so please give me an extra large portion too.”
“Of course, heehee! Right away!”
However, Theia wasn’t even paying attention to what her breakfast tasted like. Ever since Sanae had gotten on Koutarou’s back, that was all she’d been able to focus on.
I wish...
Theia imagined herself clinging to Koutarou’s back. She fantasized about being the one smiling cheerfully and entrusting her defenseless body to Koutarou. And the more she thought about it, the more restless she began feeling.
J-Just what I am thinking...?
When she came to her senses, she looked down in a panic. She couldn’t believe she wanted to behave like Sanae.
He’s just a vassal! I only need him to swear loyalty to me for my trial! No more, and certainly no less!
Ever since the second princess, Clan, had attacked during the cultural festival, Theia’s feelings had begun changing. When she first arrived at room 106, she only thought of Koutarou as a Neanderthal on some backwater planet. She’d just wanted him to swear his loyalty to her so she could return to Forthorthe as quickly as possible. That was all.
Yet as time passed, she found herself truly wanting Koutarou as her vassal. She even smiled on him from time to time at the thought, but she was slowly growing to expect even more of him. Vassal or otherwise, he was always on her side when she needed him to be. It was the first time anyone had ever treated her that way, and that was cause for great confusion. She no longer knew exactly what she wanted from Koutarou.
Theia was lost in thought on the matter and only snapped out of it when one of the tatami mats in the direction she was staring su
ddenly began moving. It slowly rose up, and a person appeared from underneath it.
“Good morning.”
Coming out from under the tatami was none other than Kiriha.
“Good morning. That said, you’re awfully late today,” Theia said somewhat quietly as she packed her thoughts away for the time being.
“Actually, I had some work this morning.”
Kiriha flipped up the mat and entered room 106 with a light step. The two haniwas shortly appeared from behind her.
“Ho! Good morning, ho!”
“How is everyone doing? Ho!”
The haniwas cheerfully greeted everyone as they put the tatami mat back in place. They’d done it so many times, this was now part of their morning routine.
“Good morning, Kiriha-san.”
Koutarou welcomed her, and after everyone had said their greetings, Kiriha sat down at the open spot at the tea table.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, Ruth.”
“Not at all. It was a good opportunity for me to test my cooking skills.”
“But why are you late today?” Sanae asked. “You didn’t oversleep, did you?”
If Yurika had been the one late, she wouldn’t have even bothered asking. However, to Sanae’s knowledge, Kiriha had never once overslept. And Sanae wasn’t the only one interested in finding out what had kept her. In fact, everyone except Yurika had stopped eating and was expectantly looking at Kiriha.
“Actually, there’s been some trouble in my hometown, so I spent the morning dealing with that.”
Kiriha was late because she was formulating countermeasures to handle the radical faction after discussing the matter with her father. There was a lot for her to do, including contacting the People of the Earth’s surface branch and giving orders to her direct subordinates.
“By your hometown, you mean the Underground Empire, right?”
“Calling it an empire is a little misleading... but yes, that’s correct.” Kiriha nodded at Koutarou as she accepted a cup of tea from Ruth.
“So something bad happened?”
Koutarou knew that if he asked about the specifics, it would probably be mostly over his head if she answered him at all. So instead, he tried asking something more vague. Kiriha responded with a smile.
“Does it interest you?”
“Well, yeah. If there’s trouble with the Underground Empire, it’s not like it has nothing to do with me,” Koutarou replied with a shrug and a nod.
She seems a little down...
As they talked, Koutarou couldn’t help noticing the look on her face like she was somewhat tired.
“I’m afraid I don’t see how it has anything to do with you.”
“Kiriha-san, you’re not forgetting that you’re also an underground dweller, are you?”
“Ah, I see,” Kiriha said with a smile.
That’s right. I am trying to steal this room from Koutarou for the sake of the People of the Earth, aren’t I?
Kiriha had been so preoccupied with keeping the radical faction from getting out of line that she had nearly forgotten about her original objective. She was invader too, after all, and that’s how Koutarou knew her. Just as he said, trouble in the underground very well may affect him too.
“There’s no need to worry, Koutarou. Nothing will come of it.”
“Then that’s good.”
Kiriha smiled, but Koutarou felt it was different than usual. Her normal smile was much more sly.
I wonder what’s going on...
In truth, Koutarou wasn’t as concerned about what was going on underground as much as he was about how it was affecting Kiriha.
I just hope nothing bad is happening...
Although he found it a little strange to be worried about Kiriha like this, he just couldn’t ignore the way she was acting.
After that morning, Kiriha was busy for the next several days. She often missed breakfast and sometimes didn’t even show up for school. But because she wasn’t explaining what was going on, all Koutarou could do was watch on from the sidelines.
The Muffler and a Part-time Job
Thursday, December 10th
Koutarou awoke that morning to the familiar sound of a kitchen knife chopping and the wafting fragrance of miso soup.
If I’m not mistaken, this is...
When Koutarou opened his eyes, he was in front of the window in the inner room. It seemed he’d grabbed his pillow and rolled over there in his sleep, but like always, he still had a blanket over him.
“Kiriha-sama, it seems we’re about to run out of natto.”
“All right. I’ll buy some more on my way back tonight.”
Koutarou could hear Ruth and Kiriha’s voices coming from the kitchen. They were no doubt responsible for the chopping noises and pleasant smells.
I see. Kiriha-san’s here...
When he turned his head, Koutarou could see the two girls. The past few days, Ruth had been preparing breakfast on her own. Kiriha had only been absent a week, but Koutarou was happy to see her.
“By the way, I finished copying the notes you took while I was away. I’ll return them to you later. Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me, Kiriha-sama.”
I guess whatever was troubling her has passed...
All Kiriha was doing was standing in the kitchen, but Koutarou was still relieved at the sight for some reason. Things seemed back to normal, and that was enough for him.
“Koutarou... breakfast already...?”
The next thing Koutarou saw was Sanae’s face entering his field of vision. She was sleepily rubbing her eyes.
“No, not yet. You can sleep a bit more.”
“Mm...”
Sanae stretched and sunk back into Koutarou’s body. However, just before she completely disappeared into him, she whispered his name.
“Yeah?” he answered.
“Can you keep your feelings like that for a while? They’re so warm and comfortable...”
“Yeah, I’ll try.”
“Mm...”
And with that, Sanae sank into Koutarou’s body as if she was melting away.
Warm and comfortable, huh?
Thanks to what Sanae said, Koutarou realized he was just welcoming the normal Kiriha back.
Yurika was surprisingly sensitive and had a hard time getting to sleep these days. Allowing a cockroach to invade the wardrobe once had left her deeply traumatized. However, once she did fall asleep, she wasn’t easy to wake up. She and Koutarou had that in common. She could even sleep through everyone else having breakfast and getting ready for school. They often had to leave without her because of it. She had a hard time falling asleep and an equally hard time waking up, much to her roommates’ chagrin. While the former was her problem, the latter was quickly becoming theirs.
“Zzzzz... Zzzzz... Zzzzz...”
“What to do...?”
Koutarou stared resentfully at Yurika, who was currently dead asleep with her mouth wide open. He meant to get her up for breakfast, but no matter how much he shook or poked her, she showed no sign of waking up.
“Why don’t you just leave her be? She’s sleeping because she wants to.”
“No can do. She’s been late to school enough as it is. At this rate, she’ll be have to repeat a grade.”
Up until now, Koutarou had mostly ignored Yurika’s tardiness. It was only after hearing a teacher say she might be held back a year that Koutarou had made it a habit to wake her up in time for school.
“I guess you’re right... So how are you going to wake her up this time, Koutarou? Are you going to slap her again?”
“Hmm...” Koutarou crossed his arms and began thinking.
He’d literally had to slap her awake before, but Yurika had vehemently objected and forbid him from waking her up with violence after that. She’d cried and told him that he would have to marry her if he messed up her face that way, which was enough to give him pause before doing it again.
“If hitting
her is out the question, I don’t know what else we’re supposed to do.”
“Me either.”
“Zzzzz... Zzzzz... Zzzzz...”
Oblivious to Koutarou’s dilemma, Yurika was still huddled into a ball fast asleep. Theia, who was peeking into the wardrobe next to Koutarou, poked his face with a handheld fan.
“At least now you understand just how hard it is for us to wake you up in the morning, Koutarou.”
“Shut up, Theia! You have absolutely no problem stepping on me with those heels of yours!”
“Of course I don’t! Without that, you’d never wake up! Besides, a knight being woken up by his princess is unheard of! You should be thanking me!”
“Who said you’re my princess?!”
“You know, someone would normally wake up with this kind of argument going on practically in their ear...”
“Ha-aah... I-I can’t eat any more... Zzz... Zzz...”
But the sleeping Yurika was unfazed. She didn’t so much as twitch at Koutarou and Theia raising their voices. She was still out cold with a contented look on her face.
“So what are you going to do, Koutarou?”
“Zzzz... Zzzz... I-I’m so full it hurts...”
“It hurts, huh? Wait, that’s it!”
Suddenly struck with an idea, Koutarou reached out for Yurika.
“What are you going to do?”
“Just watch and learn.”
Sanae curiously looked on as Koutarou put his hands on Yurika’s face. Of course, that alone wasn’t enough to wake her.
“You’re on your own.”
“Ugh...”
Koutarou used his left hand to pinch her nose and his right to cover her mouth.
“Good plan! This might just work!”
“I don’t think this is that much different from being stepped on with high heels though...”
“Mhm, mmmh, mhhmmmmm!”
Unable to breathe, Yurika began struggling for air. Her expression twisted into a pained grimace and her face began turning blue, but even then, she still wasn’t coming around.
“She’s still not waking up...”
“Wake up, Yurika! You’re gonna be late!”
