Non-Human Girls Are Fighting Over Me ~ Do I Get to Refuse? “Nope!” “No Way!” “Not a Chance!” “Absolutely Not!” - Chapter 22 & 23

Chapter 22: The Strongest Duo (2)

“Sorry… I made you feel bad. I’ll leave now. Excuse me.”

The moment I grabbed the doorknob with a click—

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… I won’t say it again, I’m sorry… ugh, ugh…”

From behind, heated arms wrapped around my back.

Her voice trembled with tears, yet the strength of her embrace was surprisingly fierce.

When I turned around—there was Mio-san, her cheeks wet with tears, desperately trying to smile.

She pulled me close, kissing me as if clinging to something precious.

Her lips carried a heat mixed with sorrow, jealousy, and love—capturing my heart in an instant.

Without pause, she grabbed my hand roughly and dragged me toward the bedroom.

“Hey, this…” I started to say,

“Shut up!!” she shouted, her voice cutting through.

Her tone quivered, sounding on the verge of tears yet stubbornly defiant.

“…You did it with her, didn’t you? Why isn’t it okay with me? You—you’re mine, aren’t you…!”

Her words were sharp, but her voice cracked. The next moment, she pushed me hard, and I was pinned down on the bed.

“Mio-san!! Please, calm down already!”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice.

Then—Mio-san’s shoulders flinched, and she collapsed to her knees.

Covering her face with both hands, she sobbed, her voice choked.

“Ugh… ugh… It’s just… I just… I don’t want you taken away. I don’t want to lose you…! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

She looked completely different from the forceful woman moments ago.

I let out a sigh and slowly sat up.

—Right, escaping now would be pointless. It would only hurt her more.

“…Alright,” I said quietly, resolute.

“Do whatever you want with me. You’ve done so much for me, senpai… If this makes you feel better, I’ll leave it to you. But—for now, I’m going to take a shower. Then we’ll figure things out. The bathroom’s this way, right?”

Trying to stay calm, I said this, and Mio-san, her face swollen from crying, merely nodded.

I stood up and headed to the bathroom.

—Honestly, I was starving. I really wanted to eat.

※

Eventually, we were lying side by side on the same bed.

“Mio-san, feeling a bit better now?”

I broke the silence.

“…Yeah, well… You’ve got some unexpectedly manly sides, huh. Sorry for the trouble.”

“That was really a hassle. But… it’s okay because it’s you, Mio-san.”

When I chuckled jokingly, Mio-san’s lips trembled slightly, and she gave a small smile.

“Hearing you say that… it helps. Look, I’m not usually this high-maintenance. Really. But even so… I want you to accept me. Not out of orders or duty, but…”

“No helping it, huh? I’m the film club’s equipment, after all. The club president’s personal—right?”

“…Heh. That’s right. My personal equipment. Totally forgot.”

Finally, she showed a slightly softer expression.

“Then… let’s watch a movie and sleep. Also, I’m hungry. Let’s eat while we watch.”

“Yeah…”

Her voice was so soft it was barely audible as she murmured,

“…Thank you.”

Taking her words deep into my heart, I smiled.

“So, for the movie… The Intouchables or Misery, which one?”

“You’re way too tactless! The Intouchables, obviously! I’m not Misery!”

“Haha, true.”

The girl who had been so emotional, crying and screaming, was now just pouting and teasing me like normal.

—That side of her was so dear. I wanted to hold her close.

And so, the night passed in gentle quiet.

Chapter 23: The Strongest Duo (3)

Taking her words deep into my heart, I smiled.

“So, for the movie… The Intouchables or Misery, which one?”

“You’re way too tactless! The Intouchables, obviously! I’m not Misery!”

“Haha, true.”

The girl who had been so emotional, crying and screaming, was now just pouting and teasing me like normal.

—That side of her was so dear. I wanted to hold her close.

And so, the night passed in gentle quiet.

※

“Hey… will you listen to my story?”

Mio-san murmured softly.

On the bed, the lights were off, and the faint glow of the city lights through the window dimly lit the room.

“…It’s an old story.”

Staring at the ceiling, she began speaking in a hushed voice, as if suppressing it.

“I… I was researching immortality. Of course, I succeeded. I’m a genius, after all.”

A self-deprecating laugh slipped out. But her voice carried a chilling emptiness.

“But… because of that, I lost the ability to forget. My memories don’t fade. They don’t get overwritten. …It’s been hell ever since. And I can’t even die.”

All I could say was, “Yeah.”

“Because I can’t forget, once I get angry, I stay angry forever. Once I get sad, I keep crying forever. I’m really emotionally unstable. And with my abilities so high… no one could handle me. Of course, people left. So I escaped to this world.”

Her words stabbed painfully into my chest.

“Everyone calls me a ‘quiet cool beauty.’ Funny, right? When really, I’m just… a messed-up girl.”

Saying this, her shoulders trembled slightly.

“That’s why… I’ve been a ‘third-year high schooler’ for decades. If I don’t repeat the same routine, my mind will break. I try to avoid chaotic, upsetting information. That’s why I only watch movies with predictable plots. TV… it’s no good.”

“…”

“The club room is where I feel most at peace. That cramped, dusty room. …Especially when I’m with you.”

“…Yeah. I feel calm with you too, Mio-san.”

At my quiet reply, her eyes widened slightly.

“That’s why… I don’t want to lose you. I don’t need anyone else. That vampire… she’s like me, so she scares me even more. I don’t want you taken… You must hate a girl like this.”

“No way.”

“…Huh?”

Mio-san looked at me, surprised. Her tear-streaked face was somehow as defenseless as a child’s.

“The Mio-san I know is always confident, puts herself first, and never hesitates. The Mio-san who shares her true feelings is amazing too, of course. But… I love the usual Mio-san. As a woman.”

“…”

“That’s my answer. It’d be rude not to answer honesty with honesty. …Look, we’re The Intouchables. I’m the caregiver, and you’re the millionaire. Definitely.”

A moment of silence.

Then, Mio-san let out a laugh, tears streaming down her face.

“…You really have no tact. But… you don’t hold back. That’s what I… love. I really love you.”

“Heh… You’re pretty tactless too, Mio-san.”

“…Heh.”

“…Heh.”

Our laughter melted into the quiet of the night.

It was a sound that confirmed we were undeniably closer than ever before.