Chapter 21: Securing a Safe Zone

“You’re an impressive guy, you know that?”

Before I even realized it, Dad had come home, sipping on his beer and speaking to me in a reflective tone.

I was just savoring the joy of finally being able to take a bath alone for the first time in a while.

But, considering I’ve got three guests staying over, I can’t just ignore him. Not that I was planning to, to begin with.

“What are you talking about?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Bringing three girls home at the same time. That’s something I could never manage.”

Well, of course you couldn’t. You’ve been with Mom since elementary school.

When I first heard that, I thought it was amazing, but compared to my situation now, it’s just a typical story.

“Sorry to put you through this when you’re already tired from working on your day off.”

It’s not my fault, but I apologized anyway.

“I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t bother me, but I can’t blame you for it.”

“Why not?”

“Your mom told me to endure it. Even if it’s a bit noisy or I lose some sleep, I’m not allowed to complain.”

That almost brought me to tears. Why does this man have such a weak position in the house?

He’s the breadwinner, isn’t he? It’s not like they’re both working. He’s the head of a four-person household.

It’s not like we’re living in an era without modern appliances that make housework easier, and there’s no baby to care for.

Don’t get me wrong—being a housewife is hard work, but it shouldn’t be enough to make a husband this submissive.

“Why not stand up for yourself a little?”

“…Your mom is… okyan.”

Huh? Mom is okan?

“It means she’s a tomboy.”

“Hooh…”

Is that a dialect? An outdated term? I don’t know, but I learned something new today.

“Your mom used to love picking fights back in the day.”

“…I see.”

To be honest, I’m not interested, but it’d be cruel not to hear him out until the end.

No, wait. Feeling pity for him might be even crueler.

“Even in middle school, when guys started getting bigger than her, she’d provoke them just for a fight.”

“…”

“I was brought to tears so many times as a kid.”

“…”

What am I even listening to?

I really don’t want to think of Dad as even more pitiful than he already seems.

“She’d aim for the weak spots without hesitation.”

“…Well, isn’t that just how kids are?”

I didn’t need to know that about my mom.

Couldn’t he have shared a sweeter, more romantic story? Actually, never mind, that would be just as bad.

“She kept doing it in middle school, too. But by then, I’d already surrendered in elementary school, so I was safe.”

“…I see.”

“Anyway, I’ve decided I’m not having any more kids.”

“…Three is too much, huh?”

I accidentally switched to formal speech. I have no idea what he’s trying to say.

Seriously, how does just one or two beers get him like this?

“Since we’re not having a third child… your mom said we don’t need to hold back anymore…”

“…”

I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just returned to my room in silence.

At the very least, I’ll try to keep things quiet. That’s about all I can do for him.

“You’re late, Sakamoto. A guy has no business taking such a long bath.”

Kumanokyo greeted me with her usual harsh words, looking like she’d been waiting for ages.

And I brought her juice and snacks, too.

“I was talking to my dad.”

Or more like, being talked at.

It was such a waste of time. All it left me with was a strange, heavy feeling.

“Anyway, Dad’s tired, so let’s go to bed early tonight.”

“Eh? But it’s a sleepover!”

I get Kaede’s point, but can’t she spare a little consideration for my dad?

The other day, he literally said, “I feel more comfortable working overtime than being at home.”

He’s already breaking down. Most normal people can’t wait to get home, even a minute earlier.

“Hey, Kogoro-chan, can we at least watch a little more anime?”

“Well… maybe two or three episodes…”

Dad’s been drinking, so he’ll probably be fine for another hour or so. Maybe even an hour and a half if you factor in his shower.

Anyway, the anime’s flaws are starting to show, as bad ones always do, so the class rep will likely lose interest soon.

With that faint hope, I pressed the play button.

Yep, the characters are multiplying, and the story’s starting to get messy.

The smartphone gimmick is fading out, and the whole thing feels like it’s losing focus. Probably just going to turn into a harem show now.

Look, Kumanokyo and Kaede are already yawning. Honestly, I am too.

“Oh, this character has a human form?”

The class rep still seems into it.

I get it. I remember how exciting my first online game was.

In hindsight, it was a crappy game, but that first-time feeling makes a huge difference. No comparisons, just raw excitement with a mental bonus multiplier.

“This protagonist is surprisingly smart.”

No, no, class rep.

It’s not that the protagonist is smart; it’s that everyone around him is an idiot.

It’s like showing off basic arithmetic in a world with no concept of math.

“Kogoro-chan, who’s your favorite?”

“Eh? Oh… probably the tanned girl…”

I had no idea about the characters’ names, so I just threw out a random distinctive one.

“What a coincidence. Me too.”

“Kumanokyo too?”

“Yeah, it’s cute how she acts so innocent despite wearing such daring outfits. You don’t find girls like her.”

They do exist.

It’s you!

“I think I like the main heroine the most. I was the first to meet the protagonist, after all,” Kaede added.

Wait… Kaede, surely not…

You’re not projecting yourself onto the main heroine, are you? Like some sort of unofficial childhood friend figure?

Does that mean the class rep likes the motherly, nurturing character in this anime?

“I also like the main heroine. But I don’t like that Maria girl,” the class rep said.

Huh? Maria… wasn’t she the motherly, nurturing type? Like the class rep?

Could this be some kind of self-hatred?

“Why don’t you like her? I actually like her a lot.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to criticize your taste, Kumanokyo-san…”

“No, no, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Ah, this is so typical. When talking about anime with friends, criticizing a character someone likes always makes things awkward.

“So, why don’t you like her?”

“Because… the protagonist is supposed to be a high schooler, right? Treating him like a kid is insulting.”

What? Of all people, you’re saying that?

Maria’s character only pats his head and gives him a lap pillow at most. It’s not like she’s breastfeeding him or making him wear diapers.

“If I were the protagonist, I’d be furious.”

Is this a deliberate setup for me to comment? Does she realize she’s not in a position to complain if I decide to scold her?

“You’re strict, Sumire-chan. But Hiroto-kun… or was it Akira-kun? The protagonist seems pretty happy, you know?”

“Akira, was it? Eh, well, whatever. Guys will fall for it if they’re spoiled even a little. At the end of the day, they’re all just starving for affection.”

I can’t help but laugh at how vague everyone except the class rep is with the character names.

If this anime isn’t entertaining, why not just admit it? Let’s switch to a different one.

Why don’t we find something we can all enjoy? Time is limited, after all.

“Kogoro-chan, what do you think?” Kaede asked.

“…About what?”

“Girls who spoil guys around their age.”

Of course I like them, but is it okay to admit that?

Wouldn’t this just encourage the class rep to spoil me even more?

And if I deny it, wouldn’t she lecture me?

“Well, as long as it’s done in moderation, I think it’s fine.”

I decided to give a neutral response.

Hopefully, this will subtly push her to keep her pampering within reasonable bounds.

“Like this?” 

She pressed her cheek against mine as if trying to define “moderate pampering.”

Yes, yes, this is the line. Or rather, the limit. If you’re going to do this in the classroom, this is as far as you can go. I’m already compromising here.

“Wait, Momiji-chan, something like this is no big deal. Anyone would do it,” Kaede said.

Really? I don’t think so.

Your sense of personal boundaries is just fundamentally skewed.

“I guess we’ll just have to watch a variety of anime to gather data,” the class rep declared.

You just want to watch more anime, don’t you?

Aren’t you using anime as a pretext to try different approaches with me? I don’t think that’s a very respectable use of anime.

It feels like when someone cosplays just for attention, without knowing the source material—like they’re just using it to show off their body. This has the same vibe.

“Why don’t we call it a night? It’s getting late.”

There’s still technically some time left, but I want to wrap this up early.

Partly because the anime is boring, but also because I don’t want to gain any more strange insights.

“Just a little longer… just for tonight, let me stay up late,” the class rep pleaded, clinging to me.

I mean, tomorrow’s a holiday, so staying up late isn’t an issue, but…

What should I do?

“I’m asking as a classmate, not as a ‘mama.’ Please, Sakamoto-kun.”

Now that’s a low blow.

I don’t know much about the class rep’s private life, but she doesn’t strike me as the type to have sleepovers often. I kind of want to indulge her just this once.

“…As long as you promise to keep treating me as just a classmate…”

I mustered up the courage to negotiate.

I doubt this negotiation will succeed, but I feel like letting her freely switch between “mama” and “classmate” would be a mistake. I’d definitely regret it in the future.

“I’ll hold back at school… in the classroom, at least…”

Why limit it to just the classroom? School should’ve been enough!

But this is probably the best compromise I can get. Not being babied in the classroom is already a big improvement.

Those unaffected by the curse won’t hesitate to give me cold stares.

“Promise me, okay? Class rep.”

“Ma—… I mean, yes, I promise.”

If I tie negotiations to anime, I might be able to keep bargaining with the class rep in the future.

This is a big step forward… or maybe I’m just being manipulated?

Oh well, I’ll take the win. The classroom just got a little safer.

“Okay, I’ll press play.”

In the end, the anime-watching session continued until everyone fell asleep.

I realized at some point that we’d all ended up sleeping on the floor.

This, too, is a kind of youth, isn’t it?

Good thing it’s spring. If it were winter, we’d all have caught colds.