"Hey, darling."
"Didn't we agree to stop that and calm down?"
"This isn't just a silly joke between lovers, some playful banter or affectionate teasing. Don't get so angry, darling."
"Alright, honey."
"Ugh... Sigh... Haaah... I was wrong. I'm sorry, please forgive me."
We were walking home from school side by side.
After I teasingly retorted, Shino's cheeks twitched. She took a deep breath, feigned calmness, and apologized. What a magnificent about-face! Is it really that embarrassing? Even just saying it makes me blush.
Some time had passed since Tsurugi Shino and I became lovers. Verbally and consciously, the change from casual girlfriend to official lover was significant, but in reality, there hadn't been any major changes in our interactions.
Shino cracks a joke, and I handle it casually. As usual, she helps me with the housework in my one-person apartment, and then at night, I write erotic novels... or rather, that's the pretext I use to sleep with her. No major changes.
The only real change is that Shino, a high-level masochist who loves being brutally tormented and humiliated, has occasionally started craving what I suppose you could call "normal"—though, to be honest, since I have no idea what other people's sex lives are like, I'm only comparing it to our usual routine—more affectionate sex. We were even going on dates before, after all.
"Want me to guess what you're thinking right now? 'This bitch has a good face and body, I'll fuck her hard later,' right?"
"Not exactly. Though I can't deny your comment about my face."
Her skin is as translucent as fine porcelain, her hair the glossy black of a crow's feathers. Her tall, slender frame, typical of a woman, would be considered model-perfect if not for her breasts—large enough to make passersby do a double take. Her face features elongated eyes with thick, long lashes, a straight nose bridge, and full, alluring lips.
She's a woman universally acknowledged as beautiful, capable of handling any task with effortless grace. That's the true nature of my... girlfriend... Tsurugi Shino. I try not to feel inferior, but even now, I sometimes wonder why she agreed to be my girlfriend. That's how flawless and admirable she is.
"When you say 'not entirely,' does that mean it's mostly true?"
"Uh, yeah, I just thought you were cute."
"Huh? Oh, really? Well, thank you... That's very sweet of you. I'm delighted. Hmm, is that all?"
Though she maintained a composed expression, her cheeks flushed instantly, and she averted her gaze. Her fragility, the way she could be so easily flustered, was part of what made Shino so endearing.
"Ah, you're the most beautiful girl in the world. You're practically an angel."
"You're just messing with me, aren't you? How impudent of you, Gouji-kun."
Caught.
Her lips pursed, she stood ramrod straight, her fingers pointed as she poked me in the side.
Her usual intimidating aura, like a mask worn for public appearances, had softened somewhat into something more approachable. Yet seeing Shino acting so childishly playful, anyone unfamiliar with her would probably do a double take.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. But I meant it when I said you're cute."
"...No, you're not forgiven. Even though I'm probably smiling so widely right now that you think I'm delighted, inside I'm furious. I won't forgive you until you promise to grant me one request."
Well, true to her word, Shino couldn't suppress her beaming smile.
She doesn't look angry at all, but if she says she's mad, there's nothing I can do about it. Normally, Shino only asks for crepes or sex, so I figure I should at least grant this small favor.
"If there's anything I can do..."
...I should grant her wish, but Tsurugi Shino's requests are so unpredictable and bottomless that I have to gently warn her off.
Unlike Shino, I'm not a perfect superhuman. I'll do anything within my power, even if it means standing on my head, but there's nothing I can do about what's simply impossible.
"You don't need to be so formal. I just want you to come to my place."
"Your condo? I've been there a million times."
Unlike my home, where my parents are often absent due to work, Shino truly lives alone. She resides in a supposedly soundproof condo with exorbitantly high rent, which she claims she can afford by trading land or stocks or something. I don't know how serious she is, but even if it's all true, I wouldn't be surprised.
Shino comes over quite often, and she even keeps a change of clothes, toothbrush set, skincare kit, and cosmetics in my place. We spend most nights together, usually ending up in bed together—so much so that our relationship is practically cohabitation. Lately, I get the feeling Shino spends more time at my place, getting dragged out for a change of pace to avoid routine, than she does alone in her own apartment.
"No, not there. My parents' home."
"...For real?"
"Absolutely! When I told my mother I was seeing someone, she insisted I bring you over. Well, this is a good opportunity, isn't it? We can't just get married without introducing you properly, can we?"
...Occasionally, Shino would drop a bombshell into the conversation. She'd said something like this before, but it really made me realize she's serious about marrying me.
"It's not like I expect you to do it right away, so don't get so tense. I might seem impatient, but I'm actually quite patient. I could wait until you're about thirty. Or... do you plan to just dump me after we've had our fun, Gouji-kun? I won't let you get away with a hit-and-run. I won't let you escape."
"Of course not, I have no such intentions."
Swish, swish, swish. The pressure from Shino, slowly advancing on me, was intense.
I have no intention of being irresponsible either. But since I'm still a student, the idea of getting married or registered just doesn't feel real. It's like something from a distant world.
But... yeah, that's right. I can't be irresponsible—I'm willing to take responsibility. Which means... eventually, that's where this will lead.
...Even though I understand, it still doesn't feel real.
"Heh heh... Rest assured, I love you so much that it's like a weightlifting champion crying because the bar is too heavy, but I'm just as indulgent with my family. I won't say a word as long as you keep Kotoha."
"...Huh? You're giving me permission to cheat?"
"As long as you eventually come back to me. Besides, we've already done a three-way, haven't we?"
To begin with, this woman approached me after reading the erotic novel I wrote, so I should have known better. But Shino—her younger sister Kotoha too—has a unique sense of ethics. The fact that she dared to throw her real younger sister at me, her casual boyfriend at the time, can only be described as utterly insane.
Even with my Tsurugi Shino First-Class Certification personally bestowed by Shino herself, I still can't fully comprehend any of it.
"Alright, I'll go. But let me ask you one thing..."
"Of course, what would you like to know?"
"...Is there a dress code or anything?"
"No, it's just a normal house."
Is that true? I mean, she has no reason to lie, so I believe her, but the real question is whether my idea of "normal" matches Shino's.
...I wonder if it's really normal. After all, this is the home where a beauty with five or six screws loose and a younger sister with four or five screws loose grew up.