I'm a Kept Man for the Three Most Beautiful Girls in School - Chapter 27: At the Beach 3

Chapter 27: At the Beach 3

“Welcome back, Kei-kun.”

“You both look so red~”

When we returned to the beach, Sakura and Tsu-chan greeted us. Both had taken off their T-shirts and seemed fully prepared.

“Kei rejected me. Comfort me.”

Hold on. I object.

“No, I didn’t reject her.”

“Knowing Chikage, she probably said something like, ‘Why don’t we go somewhere far away, just the two of us?’ right?”

Tsu-chan made an unusually calm analysis. 

It was so accurate that I was surprised, wondering if she had suddenly developed the ability to read others’ minds in such a short time.

“Well, yeah… but I was serious. Right now, it’s fine to spend time with Kei one-on-one, but in the future, I can’t help but think about it.”

I didn’t know how to respond to Chikage’s honest feelings, so I stayed silent.

“It’s only been a few months since we got to know Kei-kun. Chikage, you’re rushing things.”

“Yeah, just take it easy. We’re together all the time anyway.”

The two of them calmed Chikage down in sync.

Chikage puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction, but she seemed to accept it.

“Next, it’s my turn. For one hour, Kei-kun is mine. Let’s go.”

Sakura took my hand and started walking.

The sea surface sparkled as it reflected the sunlight. Sakura, basking in that divine light, looked as delicate as a fairy from a fairy tale.

※

“Chikage thinks too much. It’s better not to take her too seriously.”

“But I can tell she’s serious. I want to be with everyone too.”

“Kei-kun, you’re having fun playing with us.”

“N-no, I’m not.”

“Just kidding, I know. We’re happiest when we’re with you. It’s natural for Chikage to be anxious. But it’s okay. I have a plan. It’ll probably happen soon.”

“A plan?”

“Kei-kun, you can make everyone happy. I guarantee it.”

After having this conversation while sitting in a comfortable spot, Sakura rested her head on my lap.

Her silky hair tickled. As I petted Sakura’s head in her spoiled mode, I listened to the sound of the waves.

“You can touch me whenever you like. Right now, I’m yours, Kei-kun.”

“I’m already touching you.”

“In my swimsuit.”

“Yeah.”

“There are many places to touch. It doesn’t have to be just my hair.”

“…Sakura, you’ve become more assertive.”

“You made me like this, Kei-kun. Take responsibility.”

Sakura rolled over on my thigh. Her eyes sparkled like marbles, piercing deep into my soul.

“I can’t say no when you look at me like that…”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Was what you said earlier true?”

“Yes, probably… but I need a bit more time. At least until we graduate high school and Kei-kun starts his business, it’ll be difficult.”

“Me, starting a business…? Can I do it?”

“You can. If you prepare from now, definitely. Kei-kun, you can do it.”

Sakura spoke with such certainty that I wondered where her confidence came from. It seemed she believed in my potential more than I did.

As I savored the warmth spreading in my chest, I placed my hand over Sakura’s and intertwined our fingers.

“An average annual income of 26 million yen per household. We’ve to achieve that. If Kei-kun wants, Tsukasa, Chikage, and I will support you.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“About Dubai. Even an average man can have up to four wives and raise children in a good environment. It’s much more livable than Japan, like a paradise. But it costs money. Since our work can be done online, it doesn’t matter where we are. To support us all, Kei-kun would need to earn around 26 million yen annually.”

It sounded like a dream.

“…I see. Thank you, Sakura.”

“Don’t overthink it. As long as there’s a platform to publish our work, Mellow’s sales won’t drop. If a doujin circle is successful, it can sustain us. That’s what I mean by us supporting you, Kei-kun. But I think you have a reason for not being satisfied with just that.”

The ‘reason’ I couldn’t be satisfied.

It’s because I felt that relying on everyone without giving back would never allow me to repay them. Yes, it’s personal. Even so, as long as I had a strong desire to achieve this, I would never give up. However, I didn’t know the method or the challenges ahead of me.

“Compared to Sakura and the others, I still feel like a child… I get anxious about the future and what I should do. I think there are more important things than just making money. But when I decided to earn my sister’s tuition, I realized that reality isn’t that simple, and money is necessary. But once I decide what to do, it becomes simple. I feel like I can see the path now.”

“…Simple?”

“Ah, no… I mean, I feel like I can do anything for everyone’s sake. I have more time now… and thanks to my part-time job, I’ve been able to get what I need for studying. So, yeah. I’ll give it a try.”

As I expressed my firm determination, Sakura tightened her grip on my hand.

“Kei-kun. That caught me off guard. It made me feel strange.”

“Huh… Haha, I can’t believe Sakura said something like Chikage would.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That was cool. Not cute, but cool. Want to do it?”

“R-Right here…?”

“That reaction means you didn’t with Chikage. Even though she’s in a swimsuit, Chikage is too soft. Kei-kun, I’m the one who will bring you good luck.”

“Bring me good luck…?” That unique expression had a naughty implication, but coming from Sakura, it was more endearing than suggestive.

If I started laughing, I wouldn’t stop for a while, so I decided to respond to Sakura before that happened.

I wrapped my hand around Sakura’s waist and lifted her halfway up. Without words, our lips met.

A light kiss, just our lips touching… but this pounding in my chest was like a racehorse speeding up at the final corner, making my heart race faster.

For a few seconds, or maybe ten, our lips pressed together before we slowly pulled away.

“Is the sand hot? Should I lie down instead?”

“No, I like it like this.”

“I see.”

“Yeah.”

I buried my face in Sakura’s neck. The scent of the sea mixed with Sakura’s sweet fragrance… it was a very comforting smell.