It’s easier to seek forgiveness than to ask for permission. A bit cowardly, but I think it’s true.
However, if there are several people from whom you need to ask for forgiveness, that simple task becomes anything but easy. In fact, it might be easier to just ask for permission instead.
With my mistakes compounded by the chaos caused by the Black Suit, it’s not just one or two, but all my girlfriends once again gathered in one place.
As a result, everyone except Hina and Nagisa ended up with various injuries, which is also true.
Well, it’s not like I was entirely in the clear here. Even if I explained the detailed circumstances, suddenly falling into a state of unconsciousness is not something you can just brush off easily.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it would have been better if I had brought Wakamo along as well; in that case, the Black Suit might not have caused such an accident.
Anyway. Essentially, I have often shifted responsibility onto others, but it’s also true that I dislike that. Even so, the Black Suit… honestly, I want to hit them a few times.
This isn’t my fault, right?
Still, I did make mistakes. The various injuries my girlfriends suffered seemed to suggest they were hoping for reflection and a promise not to repeat the same mistakes rather than an apology.
“M-Mika-sama. If this keeps up, I really won’t be able to get married…!”
“Wakamo-chan worries about the weirdest stuff. Didn’t I mention before? Once you cross that line, you can’t go back even if you want to. So, I’ll take responsibility, so don’t worry and just rest☆”
“…What you said.”
Wakamo, who seemed to be spinning in worry, asked again as I tried to take off her outerwear to check the extent of her injuries. And the answer I had prepared was already decided. Just with some differences in approach.
Of course, directly mentioning the word was a no-go. If I did, I might just die of embarrassment. So, I thought of a roundabout way to respond.
“Can I take that as a promise that no matter what happens, you will love the girl and be with her for a lifetime by tying the bond of marriage…?”
Wakamo crossed the line first.
“U-Um. That’s true, but…”
“Fufu, then this is Wakamo. I will burn my whole body for your love. Until the moment I crumble, I will devote everything about the girl to you! So, please…!”
“Uh, Wakamo-chan, that sounds a bit scary, you know? Yeah, just a little scared…”
“I would like you to grant a comforting kiss to the girl who admires you… Please wash away the pain of this flesh with your warm embrace. Right now, my whole body feels a bit sore…”
“You really got hurt a lot, huh.”
Wakamo, holding my hand and rubbing her cheek against it, was truly, heart-stoppingly cute. Separately from that sentiment, her condition was terribly wrecked.
“Ne~… But still, I endured everything for you.”
“Yeah, you worked hard. I’m sorry…”
“Huff… Ha… Mika-niin…”
As I held Wakamo in my arms and began to pet her, everyone was looking at us with somewhat jealous eyes… It felt like my future was already clearly drawn out.
One comes, one goes, someone might cling on; at times, I might be surrounded by multiple people… There’s no such thing as alone time.
…Honestly, I liked it.
“Hey, as much as I’d like to have a lovey-dovey time with everyone… Today, the students from Gehenna are also scheduled to visit. Plus, I still need to meet with the teacher again… So, yeah. You know what I mean?”
“By the way, according to Mika-senpai’s schedule, we have about an hour and a half of leeway from now. It’s a bit of time, although that’s assuming being late, right? It doesn’t seem like it would be lacking to enjoy some time together?”
“…L-late as a premise? No matter what, isn’t that a serious problem? As the student council president, I can’t be swayed by personal desires and be late!”
“Well, I think Hina-chan, who needs to go back to Gehenna, and Nagisa-senpai, who doesn’t want to be late, should go first♡”
“W-Wait a minute. What do you mean by use, Hanako-chan…? That choice of words is overly blatant, right? Yeah, that’s a problem.”
“Oh dear, senpai. What on earth are you imagining? I was simply proposing a wholesome time to whisper love to each other, that’s all.”
Having a being who’s essentially adult content claim it’s wholesome, it seems like our Hanako has completely lost her conscience.
Not to mention, these guys had faces that looked so eager to pounce on me right away. Is it really okay for me to go along with this?
Just as I was thinking that,
“I also welcome an unwholesome time, big sister.”
“…”
At that confident declaration from Atsuko, I couldn’t help but close my eyes tightly. When I opened them again, I subtly directed my gaze towards Nagisa.
Is Atsuko also giving her permission? So basically the Arius Squad comes with a side of 1+3? Where in the world other than Arius would have such a ridiculous promotional event?
Saori would probably end up reluctantly dragged by Atsuko, and Azusa would certainly come straight for me. Hiyori would invoke sympathy to lure me into making the first move.
“Mika-san. The Arius Squad has been waiting for you to reach out for a long time, you know…”
“Well, that’s true.”
“I might not feel too opposed to it when it comes to them. They offhandedly promised not to be overly greedy, to begin with. I honestly didn’t expect this many people to gather; I thought it would be just a few… but the atmosphere seems filled with love, with everyone getting along so well… So, I guess I don’t mind it that much.”
Above all, what’s most important is that I want our Squad to be happy. If what they need for their happiness is me, to be honest, I have no desire to refuse. At this point, I thought, sure, why not see how far this can go.
Thinking back to when I visited Abydos last time with Shiroko and Hoshino…
“…Nagisa-nee is saying the same. So big sister, let’s all get messy together, okay? They say flowers bloom even in the mud. Let’s bloom flowers together—”
“Ah, Atsuko. W-What are you touching…?! We can do that later! Really, not today!”
How did our pure Atsuko end up like this? As I shot a glare at our scandalous secretary, I could see a smile that seemed to say, ‘Did I do well?’ in return.
“You’re finally opening your heart. I’m so happy.”
“Ahaha. Ten people… Well, I guess one a day isn’t enough anymore…”
“One a day, you say? None of us has ever thought of being satisfied with that♪”
“Dining tastes best when shared among many. Though sometimes, I do yearn for quiet solitude to savor it. I believe you will manage well enough, Mika-san…?”
“Ahaha. I really don’t know anymore.”
As I watched Wakamo silently switch spots with Hina, who was starting to take pictures of the situation, and Nagisa, leisurely bringing a cup of tea she must have brewed earlier to her lips… goodness, it was all so hectic yet everyone looked so lovely. It felt like this was happiness, and in the end, I couldn’t help but smile.
To spend time with our husbands and wives, I might need more than 48 hours in a day…
Honestly, it felt a bit overwhelming. Yet, if I were to be asked if I disliked this situation, I couldn’t bring myself to lie about it.
I was happy to be receiving so much love and felt a bit proud. Back then, Haruna at Hakgwiyaeng said there was no need to overthink things.
Seeing this many people gathered without any disputes, Haruna from back then might have had some sort of conviction.
“…Mika, I had a tough time yesterday too.”
And it was impossible not to send a slightly incredulous glance at our student council president, who showed no signs of injury whatsoever. With Hina who had just taken Wakamo’s previous spot, I could almost guess what she was going to ask for.
“Since you worked hard… how about a comforting kiss…?”
If marriage is the grave of life, the relationship I’m tied up in now is probably something like the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, right?
A luxurious and massive grave has its own charm, after all. Hmm.
