To be honest, before openly confessing his true thoughts to Busujima Saeko, Minamoto Senya's heart was restless, weighed down with unease.
He was well aware of his situation — painfully clear on just how it clashed with the values modern society held up as the standard.
What he was about to admit wasn't enough to break the law or be considered heinous, but it was the kind of thing that could be branded as frivolous, even indecent.
So, in Senya's mind, once he confessed, Saeko was bound to be shocked, maybe even bitterly disappointed.
He had already braced himself for the look on her face in that first moment of disillusionment.
He had even gone so far as to prepare himself for the possibility of Saeko losing control, unleashing that other, "unhinged" side of hers — denouncing him as a shameless, two-timing scumbag, and maybe even lashing out physically to vent her anger. If that happened, he had resolved to take it all head-on.
But, to his surprise, reality didn't play out anything like he imagined.
In fact, it veered in the exact opposite direction — into something so surreal it bordered on magical.
Now, halfway up the mountain, in a quiet little pavilion surrounded by dense greenery, Senya sat on the bench.
Saeko was perched sideways on his lap, her head resting gently against his chest, arms loosely looped around his neck like a tame little bird clinging to its perch.
After cutting him off earlier and blurting out the words he'd been struggling to confess, and after receiving his confirmation, she had simply nodded to show she understood — then tugged him to sit beside her and nestled into his arms.
And so they stayed. Minutes slipped by as she remained pressed close against him.
Her fragrance lingered faintly in the air — the delicate scent of a maiden. Her figure was supple, soft, and undeniably alluring. With her body pressed to his and one of her full, shapely curves pushing into his chest, the sensation was… far from unpleasant.
But despite the comfort, Senya found himself baffled by what she was really thinking.
That level of intimacy made sense last night, but right now? It felt strangely out of place.
She had asked him directly earlier, hadn't she? And he had answered honestly, hadn't he?
Now, even he wasn't sure anymore.
"Saeko…" he finally murmured, hesitant, realizing he couldn't let this drift on any longer.
"Mm?" Her soft, gentle reply carried a note of puzzlement, but also an undertone of warmth. The tone alone made Senya's mind flash back to last night.
Back then, after their passion had ebbed, Saeko had taken tissues in hand — wiping him down with quiet care, then tending to herself, with that same tender, soothing voice…
"Saeko, I don't think you really understood what I meant."
"I do understand. Senya, you don't just like me. You also like other girls."
"…" Senya fell silent.
Saeko half-closed her eyes, looking every bit like a lazy cat basking in sunlight, exuding a sense of detachment from the outside world. "For example… Yukino. And Utaha. What you did with me last night… you probably want to do with them too, don't you?"
Her bluntness was disarming. But he couldn't deny it.
"…That's true. But it's not just them."
That admission, Senya forced out with a resolve like facing a death sentence.
To expose every piece of his true heart, laying it bare for judgment — it was torture. Yet, since he had already begun, he decided it was better to say it all without holding anything back.
At that, Saeko's face finally showed a flicker of emotion. Still, it wasn't much.
"I see… So Eriri as well." Her expression softened into one of recollection. "No wonder you seemed so tense last night. I thought you were only afraid she might tell Yukino and the others. But now I realize… you were worried about her specifically."
What kind of twisted logic was that?
Senya could agree with most of her deductions, but that last leap… no way.
Sure, Eriri was cute. But imagining her as the object of such thoughts, actually doing things with her…
Well—
Twin tails, sharp little canine tooth, adorable chest, soft round hips…
Senya's mind conjured a scene. To his own shock, he realized it wasn't entirely impossible.
He shook his head violently. No! That wasn't the issue right now!
"Saeko, I think you still don't quite understand—"
"Senya, I do understand. Just hear me out."
Once again, she cut across him.
"You don't need to torment yourself like this."
"No. This isn't about torment—"
"If we just lay the facts out, we'll see you haven't really done anything wrong. You don't need to feel so guilty toward me."
Her gaze met his directly. Her cheeks were tinged with pink, but her words were clear.
"Last night, I was the one who came to you. Most of what happened after that… I was the one who initiated."
"That's not true. From the second time onward, it was me—"
"Mmn…"
In his arms, Saeko suddenly ducked her head, a shy hum escaping her lips as her legs pressed tightly together — just like last night, when her feet had curled toward the ceiling—
"…Sorry." Senya realized he'd gone off track.
This conversation was turning into a mess. Why did the whole exchange feel off-kilter, threaded with such bizarre undercurrents?
But Saeko only shook her head. "Senya, you don't need to apologize. Everything I did was because I wanted to."
Just as he had once glimpsed her darker side and brushed it off without judgment, accepting her wholly with a smile, she too had no issue accepting Senya for what he was.
To her, Senya having feelings for multiple girls wasn't some catastrophic flaw.
Looking from his perspective, she could understand. And accept.
Why? Of course, because she liked him far too much. But also because she had already seen it coming, and had prepared herself long ago.
That was why she had sought him out in the middle of the night. She had sensed the spark between him and the other girls, and fear of being left behind had driven her into action.
Thankfully, her fears hadn't come true.
Recalling how, in the middle of everything, she had practically surrendered herself — and how even then Senya had held back from going all the way — made her heart ache with warmth.
That restraint, that choice, spoke volumes of how much he cherished her.
She couldn't help it. Her love for him swelled even more.
Love that grew so strong it felt like it could overflow.
Love that told her he was the only one for her, in this lifetime and the next.
"Senya, let's go out."
She whispered the words with quiet determination. "We don't have to tell Yukino or the others. We'll just keep it between us."
Senya's throat tightened. Her sudden declaration nearly left him breathless.
After a long pause, he lifted his hand to her cheek. "Saeko… do you know what you're saying?"
She nuzzled into his palm with affectionate warmth. "I've never been more clearheaded."
"I told you… I like others too." He stressed the words.
"I know." She nodded softly.
"And I'll betray you in the future." His tone was firm.
"But not yet." Saeko's face remained calm.
"It's only a matter of time."
"Then tell me this — will you ever abandon me for someone else?"
"Never." Senya pulled her close, arms tightening around her. "Even if you wanted to leave, I wouldn't let you. I'll never let go of your hand."
The heat of his embrace, the answer she had longed to hear — Saeko melted into it. "Then that's enough for me. And I won't leave either."
She cupped his face in both hands, pressing his cheeks together until his mouth puckered in an 'O.' Her laughter bubbled out. "Just remember, everything I've done was what I wanted. You don't have to think I've sacrificed anything. And if you really feel uneasy… well, you can always make it up to me in other ways."
Senya drew in a deep breath.
Busujima Saeko… what an incredible woman.
"…I understand."
"So now… does that mean Senya is officially my boyfriend-kun?"
Senya dipped his head quickly, pressing a light kiss to her lips. "From today on… please take care of me, girlfriend-san."
But that fleeting kiss wasn't nearly enough for Saeko.
Now that they had solidified their bond, her movements grew far more assertive.
"Senya…"
"Hm?"
"I want to count your teeth."
"…Uh—"
And in the next instant, she easily slipped past his lips, plunging into the warmth of his mouth.
Saeko could understand Senya's situation. That didn't mean she was entirely unbothered.
But after thinking it through carefully, she realized she could accept it.
Senya might have a wandering heart, but he had his boundaries.
He wasn't the kind of man to resort to deceit or underhanded tricks in love.
And Yukino, Utaha, Eriri — they were all good girls.
Just as he had bared his soul to her, he would likely do the same with them in the future.
But from what Saeko knew of their personalities…
Yukino was cold yet fiercely just, intolerant of even the smallest betrayal.
Utaha was easygoing on the surface but proud, with firm principles of her own.
Eriri harbored the starry-eyed fantasies of a girl deeply in love.
None of them, she thought, would be as openhearted as she was — none of them could accept Senya's nature the way she did.
And love was, ultimately, a two-sided matter.
If they couldn't accept it, even Senya's feelings wouldn't be enough to smooth the way.
And even if, by some chance, they did accept him… Saeko wasn't worried.
They were good girls.
But she already had the head start. She was the one who had acted first, the one who had secured her place by his side.
Even if he grew closer with them, her position as the one at his side — the first one — would not be shaken.
If all went as she imagined, in the end, it would be her who married him.
And once that marriage was public, with vows and rings binding them…
Even if Senya still spent time privately with the others, she wouldn't mind too much.
Yes, she felt sorry for Yukino, Utaha, and Eriri.
But love was war.
And since she had already made her move, there was no pulling back now.
Morning light filtered in around eight o'clock.
The curtains drawn aside, sunlight spilled across the room.
Eriri squirmed under its brightness, letting out a muffled groan before rolling over, clutching her blanket tightly between her legs.
Then she giggled in her sleep, mumbling, "Senya, slow down… it's all yours, no one's gonna steal it from you…"
"Pffft—"
"Eriri… Eriri…"
Huh?
Even in her drowsy state, Eriri thought she heard someone laughing softly, and someone calling her name.
Her eyes fluttered open. Sure enough — standing nearby, Kasumigaoka Utaha was watching her, hand covering her mouth, clearly amused.
Beside her, Yukinoshita Yukino knelt on the tatami, cheeks faintly pink, her right hand resting on Eriri's shoulder with a mix of concern and exasperation.
Seeing Eriri finally awake, Yukino let out a sigh of relief. Who knew what else her friend might have blurted out in her sleep?
"Eriri, it's already past eight. You should get up, wash, and have breakfast. We're supposed to check out the hot spring shopping street today, remember?"
"Ah… it's that late already?"
Eriri rubbed her eyes. No wonder she was still groggy. Last night, Rokka had kicked her awake mid-sleep. Then Senya had invited her to chat, and by the time she finally returned to her futon, she had been too excited to sleep for nearly an hour.
So yes — her sleep quality had suffered.
At that moment, on the other side of the room, Utaha was shaking Rokka awake as well.
Task done, she strolled out casually.
"…Why was she laughing like that? She kept looking at me and smiling," Eriri whispered to Yukino.
Yukino hesitated, then shook her head. "It's nothing. Hurry and change clothes. I'll go ask about breakfast."
For the sake of Eriri's mood, she figured it was better not to mention what her friend had just mumbled in her dreams.
Still… Yukino couldn't help but be curious about what exactly Senya had been "eating" in that dream.
Soon enough, both Eriri and Rokka were up, dressed, and ready. By eight-thirty, breakfast had been brought in by the staff.
At the same time, Senya and Saeko returned from their run.
"You two are late," Utaha remarked casually, noting their dry foreheads and the healthy flush in their faces. "Didn't you say you'd be back in half an hour after ten kilometers?"
Senya admitted without hesitation, "We altered the plan. Found a mountain path on the way. There was a pavilion with a nice view, so we spent a little time there."
Saeko nodded in agreement, calm as ever. "If you're interested, we can take you all there later."
They each sat down at their tables, appearing no different from the night before.
But what the others didn't realize… was that something subtle, yet significant, had already shifted.