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Staring at the lit phone screen and the cute face behind it, Takumi stayed quiet for a few seconds, then said, "You're not asleep yet."
"Are you kidding? The night life's just getting started!" Yuki declared righteously, then blinked in confusion. "So what did you come here for?"
She froze for a second, then suddenly looked like she'd realized something. "Don't tell me you—"
Before she could finish, Takumi smoothly kicked his heel back and shut the door.
"Maria, go. Hold her down for me."
"On it, Takumi-nii!"
Camera in hand, Maria flipped lightly onto the bed and pinned Yuki in one motion.
"Hey! Is that really necessary? I wasn't gonna resist anyway!!"
Yuki thrashed, trying to push herself up, but the moment Takumi's fingers brushed her, a pink heart-shaped collar flickered into view. Her entire body trembled, and she went limp.
"If I don't put a little pressure on you, there's no flavor to it. Yuki, it's dessert time."
Takumi set his weapon over her face; the sudden weight almost made her forget how to breathe.
With her soft spot seized completely, Yuki no longer had the energy to flail around. She let out a small whimper and lowered her head obediently.
"By the way, Yuki, you've still got this many games in your room, huh."
"And a bunch I've never played. Why don't you keep me company?"
Takumi scooped her up in his arms, settled her onto his lap, and sat down at the PC.
"Play… games?"
Yuki echoed blankly. The spirit she'd had just moments before was nowhere to be seen.
She tried to straighten up, but he firmly guided her back down.
"Calm down. Don't get flustered. You like taking the initiative, don't you? Then this time I'll let you take point. Here's the controller. If you lose, I'll take over."
The suffocating sense of pressure had Yuki on the verge of fainting, but she still managed to boot up her PC, sit herself properly, and start the game. [T/N: Double-entendre narration suggesting ongoing intercourse]
Blaring music poured from the speakers as the battle phase kicked in immediately.
"Oh no… my last save… I was in the middle of hunting a dragon." Yuki forced herself to focus, biting her lip.
"Monster Hunter, huh. You use the longsword? I'm more of a greatsword guy."
"Watch my mount—my, my, my soaring slash!" Yuki launched herself into the air with her longsword and came crashing down… completely whiffing the monster and immediately eating a tail swipe that shaved off three-quarters of her HP bar.
"I'm gonna die!!! Half-time break—I need a potion, I need a potion!!"
"No potions. Either die in battle or give me a clean dragon kill."
Takumi refused to let her retreat even in a game; he pressed her gently but firmly in place.
Fake-dragon-lover Yuki was now thoroughly regretting her choices.
She absolutely should not have saved the game here. With her gear and her skills,
there was no way she could handle this fight!
While she was wailing internally, Mio and Asia both poked their heads out of their rooms at the noise.
"What's going on?"
They peered through the crack of the door, just in time to see Yuki's aerial attack whiff yet again.
Right after, Yuki got flattened on the spot. Maria immediately stepped in to take the second life.
"Umm~~ Takumi-san… what game are you playing?"
"Uh… Asia…"
Mio's cheeks were bright red. She wanted to stop Asia, but something restless inside her pushed her to open the door instead.
She wanted a turn too. She didn't want to just stand outside watching. Clueless Asia, swept along by Mio's momentum, followed her into the room.
What had felt like a spacious bedroom suddenly turned crowded.
"Asia?!"
Seeing her come in too, Takumi hesitated for half a second, then reached out and pulled her gently into his arms.
"Um~ Takumi-san, is this… that 'Fall of the Nun' game Yuki-san told me about?"
Asia fidgeted with the hem of her pajama top, looking innocent—but there was a faint shimmer in her eyes she couldn't hide.
Images from when Yuki had dragged her to play before flashed through her mind,
and now the scenes in front of her lined up suspiciously well with those memories.
"Asia, do you want to play with me too?" Takumi stroked her cheek and held the controller out in front of her. [T/N: Still in double-entendre narration]
Asia's gaze trembled. She whispered, "If it's with Takumi-san… Asia… Asia is willing~"
She took the controller with both hands, her expression turning a little serious—even though her clumsy handling couldn't compare to Maria or Mio in the slightest.
The two of them were more than happy to guide their junior, teaching her how to mash the buttons and string together combos.
Looking down at the scene in front of him, Takumi couldn't help but sigh.
"Late-night co-op, all-nighter party… it really brings back memories. The methods are different, that's all." [T/N: Redo of healer world's orgy]
As long as they were having fun, he was more than willing to keep them company.
The problem was just that Yuki's game library was way too big—one title after another kept coming. At this rate, he really could end up pulling an all-nighter…
While Takumi settled in with the girls for a long, "heart-to-heart" gaming session,
Kayoko was having a heart-to-heart of a very different kind with Marina.
Things were going smoothly on his end. On theirs, not so much.
Even after Kayoko openly admitted she could accept Takumi, Marina just dug her heels in and insisted it wasn't right, that she had to stop this.
Airi had been eavesdropping right outside. When she realized the two of them still couldn't reach an understanding, she finally stormed in.
"Airi?"
Both Marina and Kayoko stared at her for a few seconds in surprise, but Airi's face was full of frustration as she pointed straight at Marina.
"Big Sis, that's so unfair. You're the one who's wanted this the whole time. Don't pretend it was all for us!"
"Airi! You can't say that!!"
Hearing her little sister's accusation made Marina feel like the sky was collapsing. She was doing this for their sake—why couldn't they see that!?
"Back then… back then you were obviously smiling so happily!"
Airi shot back, completely unrelenting as she called out her sister's ahegao grin from that time.
Marina's face went pale. She turned away. Clenching her fists so tightly they shook, she managed to force out, "It wasn't… anyway, that was… that was unavoidable."
"All right, that's enough. You two shouldn't be fighting over something like this."
Kayoko stepped between them, genuinely worried sick.
"Auntie, Airi… I understand why you both feel this way, but once I've decided to take something on, I will see it through."
Marina rose decisively to her feet, brushed past Airi, and walked out of the bedroom.
Left behind, Airi stood there with a dazed look. "Mom… why did Sis call you Auntie?"
"Sigh~ I wasn't planning to tell you, but I might as well. You were still little back then, but Marina was older and remembers some of it."
Kayoko didn't hide it. She told Airi the truth: that she'd taken them in, that they were actually her nieces.
Finding out she was Kayoko's niece left Airi's mind in a muddled fog, but Kayoko just opened her arms and pulled her into a hug.
"It's all right, Airi. Whether it's as your aunt or as your mom, I'm still your family."
"Mom…" Airi grasped her hand tightly as the tears started to fall.
On their side, sobs and quiet sniffles filled the room. On the other side, the cries were loud and high-pitched.
One low, one high—and time slipped quietly by.
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