The Witch and Her Companion: I'm Just a Normal High School Student, but I Became the Familiar of the Highest-Ranked Witch. Also, It Seems I'm the Only Guy in the Witch Organization I Joined - Chapter 72: A Date with Bubblegum - Part 1

Chapter 72: A Date with Bubblegum – Part 1

[Tatsumori Haruto]

––When I close my eyes, Fuu’s face always comes to mind.

No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I inevitably find myself thinking about her.

When I see the evening sky dyed in crimson hues, before I even think how beautiful, the first thought that crosses my mind is, I wish she could see this too.

Loving someone must be exactly that.

However, this time, when I closed my eyes, it wasn’t just one face that appeared.

––Fuu and Scarlet.

Both of them surfaced in my mind.

By the time I started to think she wasn’t coming today, the thick iron door of the underground cell rattled violently.

…Had no one ever taught her how to knock properly?

“Mufuaa~! Mornin’, Tattsun! Did ya wait long?”

“Good morning. Yeah, I waited quite a while—about two hours, to be exact.”

Following my date with Scarlet yesterday, today’s partner was Bubblegum, one of the witches of the Ravens.

She was essentially the reason I had been kidnapped and locked up in this cell, so the idea of going on a date with her was… not exactly appealing. And to top it off, she was late.

That said, there was something I had wanted to ask Bubblegum for a while now. In that sense, this date wasn’t a total waste.

“Mufufu! If ya sweat the small stuff, girls ain’t gonna like ya! And it’s not like I just overslept!”

“Oh? Then what were you doing?”

“Muffuffu~! I was puttin’ together a super special date plan, duh!”

“I see. Mind sharing it?”

“Mufaha! Fine, listen up! First, we grab a special breakfast at 8 a.m., then take a little stroll around the island till 9. After that, it’s movie time in my room till noon! That’s our morning plan!”

…So she had put some thought into it, at least. Yesterday, Scarlet had no plan at all. Then again, that had worked out in its own way.

“By the way, it’s already past 10. How do you plan to adjust the schedule?”

“Mufaa! We just skip whatever’s already passed! Sooo, let’s go watch a movie in my room!”

“So much for the ‘special’ date plan.”

In other words, whether you plan something or not, what matters most is the person you’re with.

“Mufu~! Quit being so fussy! Look, I unlocked the door, so hurry up and get out!”

“…Oh? I see how it is.”

As I stepped out of the cell, Bubblegum stood there in a casual yet stylish outfit—her school shirt topped with a loose, gray cardigan.

Oh yeah, we were supposed to be wearing school uniforms for these dates. I’d completely forgotten.

The oversized cardigan gave her a laid-back look that suited her perfectly.

“Mufu~ What’s that ‘I see’ supposed to mean? You got nothin’ else to say?”

“My apologies. Against my will, I must admit it looks good on you.”

“Muffaha~! Right? But no touchin’! Until I say it’s okay, you keep those hands to yourself!”

“Even if you said it was okay, I wouldn’t touch you.”

The “against my will” part went completely ignored. Clearly, she was the type to only hear what she wanted to.

As we walked along the forested path leading back to the castle, a question came to mind.

“So, Bubblegum… Are you on the ‘kill Haruto’ side, or the ‘don’t kill Haruto’ side?”

During our negotiations, she had spouted a lot of nonsense, but I doubted that was how she truly felt.

“Mufaa~! I’m on the ‘keep you as my pet’ side!”

“I’m being serious here.”

“So am I!”

…Yeah, this wasn’t going to be easy. If I wanted real answers from her, I’d have to find a way to keep her in a good mood.

“Is there anything you’d like me to do for you today? Since it’s a date, if there’s something within my power, I wouldn’t mind helping.”

“Muffaa! Now that’s the spirit! Alright, then—bend down a little for me?”

“…Like this?”

I crouched down as instructed. What was she planning?

“Mufufu~! Take this!”

“…Guh!?”

Just as I thought Bubblegum had moved behind me, she suddenly clung onto my back.

No—”clung” wasn’t the right word. She latched on, completely and utterly, like some kind of limpet.

Her arms wrapped around my neck, and her legs coiled around my waist.

“Muhaaa~! Nice and comfy! Feels juuust right!”

“W-What do you think you’re doing all of a sudden!?”

“Mufuu~! Y’see, I actually love getting piggyback rides, but I figured I was too old for ‘em, so I held back. But then—! Turns out, people already knew! No point hidin’ it now!”

“…So?”

“Muhaa~! So I decided to just embrace it and get carried around all I want!”

…Why did this sound vaguely similar to Scarlet deciding to drop her polite façade?

Except, unlike Scarlet, this revelation was completely and utterly useless.

And, frankly, incredibly inconvenient.

…But if playing along would keep her in a good mood, I suppose I had no choice.

Still, I couldn’t ignore the presence pressing against my back. She was small, but somehow… big? Did she just wear looser clothing that hid it well?

“How far am I supposed to carry you?”

“Mufaa~! All the way to my room!”

The Bubblegum attached to my back kicked her legs playfully.

Since I was holding her by the thighs to keep her steady, each little movement sent the smooth sensation of her tights directly into my hands.

…Wait.

Since when were piggyback rides supposed to feel this dangerous?

Thirty minutes later, we finally arrived at her room.

Between carrying Bubblegum and getting interrupted by Bumblebee and Latte along the way, the whole trip had taken much longer than expected.

“Muhaa~! Here we are! You may put me down now!”

Bubblegum’s room was on the fourth floor, just like Scarlet and Ys’, but it was located at the farthest western end—completely opposite to theirs.

“Hah… Finally made it. Damn, you were heavy.”

“…What did you just say?”

“…I said nothing?”

Her sudden shift to a dangerously low voice made me instinctively lie.

…Wait, was she actually scary when she got mad?

“Muhaa~! Well, there won’t be a next time, so I’ll let it slide. Anyway—shower time!”

“…I thought we were watching a movie?”

As she spoke, she had already started unbuttoning her cardigan.

“Muhaa~! We’re both sweaty after all that! How’re we supposed to watch a movie like this? You can’t relax if you’re all gross and sticky!”

She had a point. Carrying her for half an hour had left me drenched in sweat.

But that still didn’t explain why she had to start undressing too.

“I can shower on my own, thanks.”

“Muhaa~! But showering your pet is one of the best parts of having one!”

“WHEN did I become your pet!? Also, STOP TAKING OFF YOUR CLOTHES!”

Bubblegum had already shrugged off her cardigan and was now reaching for her skirt.

“Mufuu~! If I don’t, my clothes will get all wet! Hurry up and toss yours in the washer too—it’ll take time to dry, y’know!”

“…Wait. You mean we’re showering while our clothes dry!?”

“Mufuu~! It’s just the speed cycle, so it won’t take long! Aaaand if you keep whining about it…”

Her voice suddenly dropped into an icy whisper.

“…I’ll kill you.”

…There was actual murderous intent in that last part.

How the hell was someone this short-tempered planning to keep a pet!?

“…At the very least, let me wrap a towel around my waist. And—I’ll wash my front myself.”

“Muhaa~! Fine, fine, I’ll allow it!”

Bubblegum reluctantly agreed.

Considering that even getting my back washed was already causing me massive mental strain, this was as much of a compromise as I was willing to make.

Still, this place—her room, and even the underground cell—had its own private bath. It almost felt like a hotel.

Scarlet and Ys’ rooms didn’t seem to have anything like this… Maybe corner rooms came with special perks?

“Tattsun, hurry up and strip. You’ll catch a cold.”

While I was busy eyeing the bathtub, Bubblegum had already tossed her tights into the washing machine and was now reaching for the belt of my pants.

“I-I can undress myself! Just go in first and wait for me!”

Panicking, I shoved Bubblegum into the bathroom.

A moment later, I heard the sound of running water.

I quickly stripped down and wrapped a towel around my waist.

The atmosphere was starting to feel suspiciously inappropriate, but in reality, this was just… a pet’s bath.

I needed to stay calm.

“Muhaa~! Into the tub you go~! First, we’ll start with a nice shampoo!”

Inside the bathroom stood a breathtaking Bubblegum.

She was about the same height as Ryuuna, yet somehow… significantly curvier.

And with her pale skin contrasting starkly against her black underwear…

To put it bluntly—this was far too suggestive.

Following her lead, I obediently sat in the dry bathtub.

“Muhaa~! Why are you sitting in seiza?”

“…Any other position would lower my guard too much.”

Even with a towel, its defensive capabilities were questionable at best.

“Muhaa~! I see, I see! Well then, time to rinse you down!”

She gently placed a hand on my head, making sure to shield my face from the water as she carefully poured it over me.

…It was hard to believe that this was the same Bubblegum who had yanked my hair without hesitation when I first woke up in this place.

“Mufufu~! For you, Tattsun, I’ll use my special shampoo! It’s super expensive, so I can’t expense it—I buy this with my own money, y’know?”

With a smug look, she lathered up the shampoo and began working it into my hair.

For all her chaos, the fact that she had a personal favorite shampoo reminded me that, at the end of the day, Bubblegum was still a girl.

…That being said, this scent…

I knew this scent.

More specifically, I remembered using this exact shampoo just yesterday.

…Back in the underground cell.

That damn Ys… She totally stole this from Bubblegum, didn’t she?