"Can you return the spare key?"
"Eh......?"
Her body stiffens sharply along with the leaked voice, and her large eyes sway like waves.
"A-ah, the spare key...?"
"Yeah."
"Re-return it..."
"That's right."
Hiyori repeats in a trembling voice, dumbfounded and breaking into a cold sweat, while taking a step back to steady herself, as if about to reel from the shock. Watching Hiyori overreacting to sothing as trivial as a spare key, she finally regains her composure and frantically raises her voice.
"Wh-why!? D-did I do sothing to upset you...!?"
"Huh? No."
"If y-you're tired of my cooking, I can learn more recipes! I'll clean your room more thoroughly too...!!"
"It's not that––––––"
"O-or... do you not want to be with anymore...? Did you hate hugging all this ti...? Do you... do you hate now...?"
"Let's calm down first."
I pat her head to soothe her, as she looks on the verge of tears, her voice trembling. Normally, this would calm her down, but given the nature of the conversation, Hiyori's anxiety doesn't fade at all."
"B-but..."
"I have no complaints about you. Being able to spend ti with a beautiful girl like you and eat your homade als makes the happiest guy in this academy. Complaining would just be ungrateful."
Even after stating the facts, the unease in Hiyori's eyes doesn't disappear. But it's understandable—asking her to return the spare key out of the blue would naturally upset her.
"Then why...?"
"It's nothing complicated. I just started wondering if this is morally okay."
"...Morally?"
Confusion seems to outweigh her anxiety as she tilts her head in puzzlent.
"Right now, my room... can be accessed by three girls, including you, with spare keys, right?"
"Y-yes. Though I deeply resent the fact that others besides have spare keys."
I feel like she just voiced a different kind of complaint, but I'll let it slide for now.
"Thinking about it again, this situation doesn't sit right with . A high school guy living in a pseudo-cohabitation with three girls is... a bit unconventional, don't you think?"
"Eh? You're saying that now, after already being involved with all three of them?"
"...You've got a point."
I can only hang my head at her blunt, matter-of-fact retort. Well, she's not wrong.
"Sorry for making this selfish request. If you don't want to return the key, you can keep it."
I've said what I needed to say, so whatever happens next is fine.
"I'm glad... When I first heard it, I thought you were getting tired of ."
"There's no way I'd ever dislike you, Hiyori."
"Fufu~. Hachiman-kun always knows just what to say. I'll always, always love you too."
With a relieved sigh, Hiyori smiles softly and returns a loving remark.
"I'd still like to keep the spare key. I love welcoming you ho."
"Welcoming ?"
"Being the first to say 'welco back' when you return. I love that."
It's true—whenever I co back, Hiyori always makes a point of greeting at the door with a smile, no matter if she's cooking or reading. Her smile always warms my heart.
"I was surprised you'd suddenly start worrying about morals, Hachiman-kun."
"Well, I just had a mont of self-reflection and got confused. Sorry for the weird request."
"If you narrowed it down to just , the problem would be solved. You should take back the other two's keys."
"You're pretty harsh on Arisu and Amasawa."
Lately, her possessiveness seems to be getting noticeably stronger. Or is it just my imagination?
.....
Arriving in front of my dorm room after several days away, I take a mont to stretch. Since Takuya and Amasawa volunteered to clean while I was on the school trip, I left it to them. The faint light seeping under the door ans they're already inside.
Alright, ti for so warm-up exercises. I roll my shoulders, take a deep breath, and brace myself. With a final crack of my neck, I unlock the door and push it open.
"I'm h––––––"
"Senpaiiiiiii!"
"Onii-sannnnn!!"
Two human missiles crash into . Thankfully, I anticipated this and manage to catch them without issue. Still, these two really need to learn so restraint—any normal person would've been sent to the hospital.
"Four days without Senpai... ♡ I feel like I'm finally getting my nutrients back~"
Amasawa, her red hair swaying, clings to while nuzzling her cheek against my chest. Since when did I beco a nutritional supplent?
"Onii-sannnnn!! You're back!! You're really back!! Alive!!"
It was just a school trip, you know? Even when I was leaving, he said sothing similar. What kind of image does Takuya have of school trips? A warzone?
"Senpaaai~ I worked so hard, y'know? Going to school without you... these four days felt like death~"
"I worked harder, Onii-san! Handling student council work and Ichika all by myself! And also...!"
"You both did great. Good job holding out without ."
My response is practically child-rearing at this point, but with Takuya and Amasawa, this is the right approach. Though Amasawa gets mad if I treat her like a kid when we're alone.
"Let's move to the living room. We can't just stand in the doorway."
After a brief hug and so head pats, they reluctantly let pass. The living room is spotless—cleaner than when I left. The bedsheets are neatly arranged, not a speck of dust in sight, and the table is laden with an extravagant spread of food.
"I cleaned the room! Wanted it to look brand-new when you got back. How is it?"
"It's so clean I'm actually shocked. Thanks, Takuya."
No joke, the place is immaculate. As a token of gratitude, I ruffle his hair, and he grins bashfully.
"Hey heyyy~ ♡ I made all the food! Went all out 'cause Senpai was coming back~ ♡"
"Amasawa too..."
I reach out to pat her head, but she swats my hand away and leans in close.
"Pats are nice, but I prefer this~"
She points at her lips, tilts forward, and closes her eyes. Feeling a little guilty for making her wait, I oblige.
"♡"
Her eyes flutter dreamily as she cups my cheeks, refusing to let go. Maybe because it's been a while, the kiss lingers, and I start worrying she'll never release . I forcibly pull away.
"I'm starving. Mind if I eat?"
"...Senpai ran away."
"I needed to breathe."
"Boo. Fine. But I'm not letting you sleep tonight."
"I'm tired. Let rest."
After hours on the bus, my body aches. All I want is a good night's sleep.
"Ichika. Just so you know, as Onii-san's brother, I also have the right to spend ti with him. I've let a lot slide since Onii-san allows it, but don't push your luck."
"Ugh, I'm still savoring the afterglow of kissing Senpai, so can you not interrupt? No matter what Takuya says, Senpai is mine."
"Don't start fighting, you two."
If they keep this up, I'll withhold their souvenirs. The way they imdiately deflate and apologize is almost cute.
=================================
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