Chapter 39 – Still Too Early

“Yuuto, why are you staying silent? You’re going to turn her down, right?”

Mana asked that with her expression gone blank.

“…I’m not turning her down.”

Honestly, having a cute girl pressure me with a blank expression like that made me almost want to nod out of fear, but I said that anyway.

Why is it that an expressionless face on a usually expressive beautiful girl is so terrifying?

“Huh? Why not?”

“…B-because she’s a friend, I guess.”

The truth is she’s a girl I like, just like Mana, but I can’t say that honestly yet, so I said that to Mana, who was clearly angry.

“If she’s just a friend, there’s no need to call her. You have me.”

“W-well, maybe, but friends are important too, right?”

“As long as I have you, Yuuto, that’s all I need. I don’t need friends.”

…This is bad.

I don’t think I can persuade Mana.

“…That might be true for you, Mana, but I want to have friends too.”

The moment I said that, trying somehow to convince Mana while thinking that, my phone vibrated again.

I have a really bad feeling about this, but maybe it’s just my imagination.

“M-Mana, can you give me back my phone now?”

My words were mercilessly ignored, and Mana checked my phone.

…Please. Please let it be a message from Mom.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes, wh-what is it?”

I ended up using formal speech without thinking as I asked that.

“What is this?”

Then, saying that, Mana showed me the phone screen.

【I’d like to talk about our date when we call too, if that’s okay】

There was a message from Yui saying that.

…Honestly, I don’t think there’s any way to make an excuse for this.

“Hey, Yuuto, what does this mean? You don’t normally go on dates with just friends, right? What is this?”

“…I want to say upfront that it’s true I like you, Mana.”

“I know that. More importantly, tell me what this is.”

“…It’s, exactly what it says.”

I said that, thinking I couldn’t dodge anymore.

I hadn’t planned to say it yet, but I’d intended to tell her eventually anyway, I told myself.

“So you mean you were trying to go on a date? With someone other than me? With a girl who isn’t me?”

“…Yes. …B-but, you know? It’s true that I like you, Mana.”

I said that just to make sure there was no misunderstanding.

“Then why are you trying to go on a date with someone other than me?”

“…Because I like Yui just as much as I like you, Mana.”

“Huh?”

It’s still too early.

Even though I knew that, I said it.

Then, as expected, Mana’s already blank expression seemed to blank out even further.

And just like that, Mana pushed me down.

Skillfully, so it wouldn’t hurt.

Chapter 40 – If I Were a Normal Guy

“…Because I like Yui just as much as I like you, Mana.”

“Huh?”

It’s still too early.

Even though I knew that, I said it.

Then, as expected, Mana’s already blank expression seemed to blank out even further.

And just like that, Mana pushed me down.

Skillfully, so it wouldn’t hurt.

“M-Mana?”

The lack of pain somehow made it feel even scarier, and I reflexively called Mana’s name.

“What are you saying?”

“N-no, I mean… exactly what I said, that’s what I mean.”

I’m definitely scared, but if I backed down here, I wouldn’t be able to have that kind of relationship with Yui, so I said that.

I know it’s a pretty scumbag thing to say, but I’ve definitely already made Yui fall for me, and there’s no way I can tell her now that I can’t date her.

So I have to somehow persuade Mana here.

…Well, of course I won’t deny that I have the ambition to create a harem.

“No. You have me, Yuuto, so you should be satisfied with that. You don’t need anyone else.”

“O-of course I’m happy to have you, Mana, but like I said before, I want to get along with Yui too.”

…Actually, I recently found another beautiful girl who’s my type.

Obviously, I really can’t mention that right now.

When just Yui alone is causing this situation, there’s no way I can say there’s yet another person like that.

While thinking that, I was suddenly kissed while still pushed down, my mouth sealed.

“You’re mine, Yuuto. I’m yours too. Is something wrong with that? We don’t need anything else, right?”

“…………”

Normally, I’d need people other than Mana just to survive, but that’s not what she means, and besides, if I denied it in this situation when she’s already angry, it would just be adding fuel to the fire.

…Even knowing that, except for the fact that this is that kind of world, when I consider my responsibility for making Yui fall for me in this kind of world, I couldn’t nod, and I fell silent.

“…I see. …Then I’ll teach your body. That you don’t need anyone but me.”

If I were a normal guy in this world, I might have thought something slightly negative even about someone I love, but I have memories of my past life and I’m not normal in this world, so if Mana does that to me while saying things like that, it’s just going to be a reward, isn’t it?

“…U-um, be gentle, okay?”

While thinking that, I stubbornly tried to continue pretending to be oblivious and said that.

I don’t even know if this counts as pretending to be oblivious anymore, but it’s better than saying nothing.

“Don’t forget this is punishment.”

And so, I was attacked by Mana again.