Chapter 183 - Mizuki and Yuuki
We were back at the inn. Dinner was already over, and we were in our room. Claire had returned to the Mateo Trading Company for the night, leaving just the three of us: me, Fam, and Maira.
"It's jealousy. I also feel like I'm going to lose my mind every time you bring home a new woman, Master."
Fam said it so matter-of-factly. I don't remember when she got off my back. And I couldn't tell you what the dinner I'd eaten at the inn tasted like.
"Mash, you go after one woman after another, but you can't stand it when Mizuki is with another man?"
Maira chimed in.
"I hate it. And it's not just Mizuki. It's the same for you and Fam. Back at the tavern in Heilong, I hated just seeing Fam sitting next to that Chi-chi guy. It’s more than that. Just imagining Cecily or Aira with their former lovers is enough to drive me insane."
"Well, that's…"
Maira sat down next to me on the edge of the bed and took my hand.
"That's what happens when you keep adding more and more of us. For me, there's only you, Mash. If you had just stuck with me…"
"I was too bitter to say it, but I get jealous just watching you get along with the children."
For a moment, Maira's eyes seemed to widen. She looked surprised, but her expression quickly softened into a gentle smile. A faint blush colored her cheeks, and the corners of her eyes crinkled.
"Mash… you can touch my breasts all you want today, you know."
"Tch, this is exactly why I hated it."
I felt like she was making fun of me, but I was definitely going to take her up on that offer. As I reveled in the feel of her ample bosom, I sought her lips. Maira closed her eyes and responded. Just as I pulled her closer, wanting to feel more of her, the door to the room clicked open. It was Mizuki.
"You're back?"
"Huh? Of course I'm back. But I couldn't find the room…"
Claire entered from behind her.
"Excuse the intrusion."
Claire said.
"Are you staying the night?"
She nodded with a bashful smile. Mizuki cut in, approaching with a bouncing, cheerful smile of her own.
"So, about tomorrow, Yuuki said he'd show me around the city!"
A sharp pang of pain shot through my chest at her unusually giddy mood.
"No, tomorrow I'm taking Fam to the church. Since it's a good opportunity, why don't you go by yourself, Mizuki?"
Mizuki's smile vanished. Another sharp pang hit my chest. It hurt when she was excited, and it hurt again when I stopped her from being excited. I couldn't control my emotions, unable to suppress the rising agitation. I was completely losing control of myself.
"…Mash?" Mizuki stared at me. "Are you… angry?"
"I'm not angry."
I averted my gaze. Mizuki seemed to look at Fam and Maira. Then she sighed.
"Are you… jealous?"
"Is that a problem? I know, you know. That guy is the one you were talking about when you said, 'There's someone I think I might like,' isn't he? And you two dated back in our world, right? Getting all excited like that!"
The color drained from Mizuki's face at my words.
"N-No… Mash, listen—"
"Go on your date tomorrow, just the two of you."
I knew Mizuki hadn't come back here just to be told something like this. She was just happy to have met someone she was close to in our old world. In this world where not a single person knew her, she had found someone who could be an ally. And I was the only one she could share that joy with. I knew that. But I couldn't stop the words from coming out. Mizuki turned around and stormed out of the room.
"Mash, you really should go and bring her back…"
Maira said, her eyes fixed on the closed door.
"Why should I…? What good would it do?"
Her eyes widened when she heard my response.
"You don't understand? Are you being serious? That was just too cruel to Mizuki. Besides, what if her ex-boyfriend is the same Yuuki who's been killing otherworlders? We should stay with Mizuki."
"Ex-boyfriend…"
I tried to calm down, but my mind was a tangled mess of jealousy and guilt over the horrible things I'd said. The more I tried to think, the more chaotic my thoughts became. For now, should I go after her? I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't move.
"I can't think straight. If I talk to her now, I feel like I'll just say something even worse."
I sat back down on the bed.
"So, it really is my fault…"
At my words, Fam, Maira, and Claire all nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Seeing that made me want to bury my head in my hands.
"But where would she go at this hour? To her ex-boyfriend's place, perhaps…"
"If she does that, this will be a true breakup. Would she really go that far? Perhaps she just got another room."
Claire opened the door as if to check on Mizuki's departure, glanced down the hall, and came back. I noticed her expression was stiff.
"Did something happen?"
"N-No."
As she said that, she sent a pleading look toward Maira and Fam. She was undoubtedly fed up with me. Since she hadn't adventured with me, she didn't know about my pathetic side. She was probably disappointed.
"Come to think of it, Fam, you and Mash argue from time to time, don't you? How do you make up in those situations?"
Maira asked, trying to draw the silent Fam into the conversation.
"Hmph, my Master and I are always on good terms. We have never had a fight!"
"I-Is that so? Weren't you two having a duel just this afternoon…"
Claire replied, her face twitching.
"Master, you should take some time and cool your head. However, I am also a little concerned about this Yuuki. You should tell Mizuki to be cautious."
I couldn't ignore Fam's intuition. The thought that something might happen to Mizuki filled me with anxiety.
"…Was there something about Yuuki that seemed off to you? If I tell Mizuki, won't she just think I'm being jealous and start another fight?"
"Regardless of how she takes it, it's something you must tell her, Master. Otherwise, things will get much worse. If you want her to listen to you properly, then you must act accordingly. As for Yuuki, all I know is that you have a mess of feelings about him. Nothing else."
Was her warning a way to get me to make up with Mizuki? I waited for Fam to say more, but she remained silent.
"If possible, I'd like you to tell me how to make up with Mizuki, too…"
"Master, you must not bend. You have to tell her honestly what you're thinking. Don't try to patch things up, act cool, or say what you think she wants to hear. If it's your words, Mizuki will listen."
She really did see right through me. Her words were far too wise for a girl not even half my age.
The room was dark, with only a faint moonlight filtering through the window. We decided to just try and sleep for the night. It may have been my fault, but weren't they worried about Mizuki? Fam, Maira, and Claire were all breathing softly in their sleep. I, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep and just stared at the ceiling. Was the innkeeper still awake? Would he tell me Mizuki's room number if I asked? What if she wasn't in the inn at all, but had gone to Yuuki's place? Despite my earlier regret, that ugly feeling towards her started to well up again. I shook my head and sat up. It might be too late, but I had to go after Mizuki. I stood up and, without much thought, opened the door to the room. The moment I did, I sensed a presence. I looked up and saw a creepy black shadow standing in the unlit hallway, facing me.
"Gah!"
Startled, I slammed the door shut. What was that? A chill ran down my spine. Realizing I didn't have a lantern, I scrambled back to get one and lit it with fire magic. Was it a ghost or some kind of vengeful spirit? Someone who met a gruesome end in this inn, now come back to haunt it? Or was it some kind of monster? I'd have to lodge a complaint with the innkeeper for giving us a cursed room. Maira was the one for times like these. I tried to wake her, jiggling her large breasts.
"Maira, we have a problem. Help me."
"Mash… I thought we weren't… doing it anymore tonight… but if you want to… munya…"
She rolled over with a blissful look on her face, turning her back to me. I hesitated to drag Fam and Claire out in front of a ghost. If they weren't used to it and let out a scream, I was pretty sure I'd faint from the shock of their voices. But I couldn't just ignore it either. What if it came into our room while we were sleeping and cursed us? That would be unbearable.
"Dispel and purify, protect and bless."
I chanted twice in my mind to calm myself. Steeling my resolve, I opened the door again. The black shadow was still there. Suppressing the urge to scream, I shone the lantern on it.
"Mizuki…"
Her cheeks were wet, as if she had been crying.
"Have you been standing here this whole time?"
She nodded. I remembered that Claire had gone to check the hallway once. And she had sent a signal to Fam and Maira. That meant they knew Mizuki was here.
"Why…"
Her shoulders trembled as she spoke.
"Why didn't you come after me right away?!"
A few tears trickled down her cheeks and fell to the floor.
"Mizuki, I'll be honest. I'm exactly as jealous as you think. My head is a complete mess. I know you didn't do anything wrong. But I couldn't control my anger. Please forgive me."
She gave a small nod. I put my arm around her shoulder and led her back into the room. When we entered, Fam, Maira, and Claire were sitting up.
"He thought you were a ghost."
Fam and Claire were whispering to each other. So at least those two had been awake, pretending to be asleep.
"I'm so devoted to you, and yet… Isn't it unfair that Mizuki gets a pass? Is it okay for her to have another man?"
Maira pouted.
"I don't have another man!"
Mizuki retorted. Then she looked at me.
"It's a misunderstanding!"
She was still crying, but she seemed more like her usual self. It looked like she was willing to listen to me now. I felt a sense of relief.
"…I hate leaving things unsettled, so I'm just going to say it. You were dating Yuuki before we came to this world, weren't you? You tried to hide it, but I saw your texts the other day when we swapped bodies."
I expected her to get angry, but Mizuki just let out a small sigh. With my arm still around her, we sat down on the edge of the bed together.
"I'm in love with my father."
I had been trying to figure out how to make up with her, and then she suddenly murmured that.
"…Huh? What are you talking about?"
"That's why I was always so worried. I thought it was strange, but I couldn't help it."
"I thought your big worry was your masturbation problem…"
"…That's part of it, but it's not relevant right now, so can we not talk about it?!"
Her tone was sharp.
"Right."
I answered, but I had no idea why she was making this confession now.
"Liking your father might be a little strange for someone your age, but I'm sure others feel the same. It's not a big deal, is it? Or are you saying you like him… as a man?"
I meant the last part as a joke, but Mizuki nodded.
"I was really in love with him. But I knew it was weird. So, when I got to high school and started talking with my senpai, I thought maybe I could have a normal relationship. He asked me out on a date and I went, but… I just didn't develop those kinds of feelings."
"But you looked so happy in your text replies. I almost went insane when I saw those."
"I could hardly reply that I didn't have fun, could I?"
"But you were planning on going if he asked you out again, right?"
"W-Well, yeah. But I need you to believe me, I really didn't have any romantic feelings. It's not like he told me he liked me, either. It was just that, even though our club activities were separated by gender, we were in the same pool, we walked home in the same direction, and he just talked to me a lot."
So she and Yuuki got close because they spent a lot of time together in the swim club. And maybe they went on a test-run date before any real confession happened.
"But you looked so incredibly happy when you saw him today!"
"Of course I was! I met someone from our world!"
"So, it was natural for you to be happy. And you're telling me you have a father complex… Didn't you say you'd prefer to date someone around your own age?"
"I wanted to hide it, to deny it! I wanted to pretend I was normal!"
"Mizuki, you're cute. Not just cute. You're the cutest girl in the world. Be honest, you know it, don't you?"
"Well… I want you to think so, Mash. But that's not relevant right now, is it?"
She was evasive, but I'll take that as a yes.
"It is relevant. Listen up, Mizuki. There's no way a girl as cute as you can be a chronic masturbator with a father complex! Stop shattering my ideal image of you!"
"I'm your girlfriend now, aren't I?! Believe me!"
"…Okay, I get it. But what am I supposed to believe? Let me get this straight: your number one is your father, and you can't see anyone else romantically. Come to think of it, you did say you wanted to marry the person you gave your first time to. Is that why you're with me? Does that mean there are no romantic feelings there, either? I don't get it… Wait, are you trying to break up with me right now?"
I was getting completely confused about the point of this conversation. Just then, Mizuki threw her arms around me.
"Why would you think that? We've been together this whole time. I love you now, Mash. You have to understand. We're going to be together forever, right? Don't let me go."
She pressed her lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around her back, hugging her tight, and kissed her back. Her lips tasted a little salty, probably from her tears.
"I cried so much, my head hurts…"
she said.
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