--Saturday, July 18, 2172
"Momo, I know I've said this many times, but I want you to be honest. Are you sure you're okay with my relationship with Kai? Your discomfort is obvious, and the last thing I want is to hurt you." In a more private room of the mansion, Keiko asked, looking at Momo, who let out a small sigh before shaking her head and speaking in a sad voice.
"I'm really okay, Mom. I truly feel so happy seeing how cheerful and radiant you are, but when I compare myself to Nejire, I feel insecure and ashamed of myself… I don't know if I could ever do what Nejire does… I'd die of embarrassment just thinking about it… I love you, and I love Kai, but I don't see myself being able to share that kind of intimacy with you…
"Even though I said I'd do anything for this relationship, when push comes to shove, I can't… I lack the courage… Even though I feel safe with Kai, if someone else is there, I get a little scared… Especially if it's you… I don't know why, but that's just how I am… The relationship could be ruined because of me… Because of me, you won't be able to be happy… I feel so guilty and ashamed…"
Hearing Momo, Keiko couldn't help but show a warm smile and tightly embrace her. Then, Keiko wiped the tears gathering in the corners of Momo's eyes before speaking in a soft, maternal voice.
"So that's what it was… Tell me, Momo, has Kai ever asked you to do something that makes you uncomfortable?"
"Never…" Momo whispered as she buried her face in her mother's chest. Keiko smiled and stroked Momo's hair while speaking.
"Exactly. Neither Kai, nor I, nor any of the other girls expect you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You don't have to force yourself to be like Nejire. She sees life one way, and you see it another. Neither is right or wrong; you're just different, and that's okay. Even if being in this relationship is too much for you, you just have to say so. You're not obligated to do anything, and no one will hate you or push you aside, no matter what decision you make."
"No… I love Kai… I want to be with everyone… I like things as they are… It's just that I feel insecure about being intimate in front of others besides my Kai…" Momo whispered sadly, hugging Keiko tightly. Keiko brushed a strand of hair from Momo's face and commented with a smile.
"Then don't do it."
"But all the other girls do… Even Nejire…" Momo whispered in a dull voice, looking into Keiko's eyes, who asked with a smile.
"Do you think that just because the others do it, you have to? Or do you think Kai will love you less if you don't?"
Seeing Momo's expression tighten slightly at the second question, Keiko smiled warmly and asked calmly.
"Fufu, you're such a cutie. Let me ask you, aside from being a bit more intimate, has anything changed in your relationship with Kai since you became his official girlfriend?"
Momo couldn't help but reflect for a few seconds on the question, reminiscing about everything she had experienced with Kai before and after, soon coming to a conclusion she shared with Keiko. She looked into Keiko's eyes with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"No… Apart from the intimacy… Everything is more or less the same…"
"Do you want anything to change?" Keiko asked, looking into Momo's eyes, who shook her head.
"No…"
Keiko's smile widened upon hearing Momo's response, and she soon commented in a soft voice.
"Then think about it. Kai doesn't even need you to give him your body to love and care for you with all his heart. So, do you think wanting to be with only him will make him love you less? If you think about it, it might even make him love you more. You know how possessive he is, and your mindset will tug at his heartstrings."
Hearing Keiko, Momo couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise before getting lost in her thoughts. But as she pondered, a beautiful smile couldn't help but form on Momo's face, and soon after, she whispered in a tender, happy voice.
"You're right… Maybe I'm Kai's destined partner…"
"See? You don't have to compare yourself to anyone." Keiko commented in a soft, loving voice, then added in a more serious tone as she saw Momo's eyes begin to shine with happiness.
"You're Kai's official wife not just because you proposed it, but because everyone, including Kai himself, thinks you're more than worthy of being his wife. You and Kai complement each other naturally, so much so that, if we weren't here, I'm sure you'd still be his ideal partner. And even so, you allow us to be in his life. You're intelligent, beautiful, and generous. No one else but you can be his wife."
"Thank you, Mom…" Momo buried her head completely in Keiko's chest and commented in a soft but clearly happy voice. Keiko gently stroked Momo's hair and spoke softly.
"Don't overthink things. Let's take it step by step and see what life has in store for us."
"Mm."
…
…
…
--Friday, July 24, 2172
"Hurry up and get ready! At this rate, we'll arrive after the guys from class!" In the middle of the main hall, dressed in her hero costume, she shouted toward the back in a strict voice.
"We're coming! We're coming!"
Tomoko rushed in while finishing buttoning up her hero costume over her chest. Ryuko, a bit further behind, adjusted the skirt of her hero costume and commented with a smile.
"We're ready!"
"Wanted to enjoy every last second, huh?"
Sitting with Yumiko and Nejire, Keiko couldn't help but comment with a teasing smile as she looked at the pro heroes. Nejire pouted a little and commented while resting her head on her mother's lap.
"I should've taken advantage of the time too…"
"Hmph! Don't steal our moment. We have to go back to Japan tomorrow, and you all get to spend the whole weekend with my darling. At least let us have this."
Ryuko spoke out, crossing her arms in annoyance, which provoked a small laugh among those present. At that moment, Chatora, who was drinking tea with Keiko and the others, commented with a calm and visibly relaxed smile, looking a bit more tanned.
"I already told you I can handle the preparations for the summer camp. Almost everything is ready anyway."
"We Pussycats are a team, and we always do everything together! Don't try to hog the work, Tiger!" Tomoko quickly replied with energy, which caused Chatora to chuckle. At that moment, Momo looked at her phone again and called out with a furrowed brow.
"Kai, Nemuri, Shino, we're running late!"
"We're ready. We're just helping Kai with his hair."
At that moment, Shino's calm voice resonated, prompting everyone to look. Entering the hall were Shino and Nemuri in their hero costumes, holding onto Kai's arms. Kai wore an outfit that sharply contrasted with the women beside him.
Kai was dressed in light pants, low sneakers, a long-sleeved white shirt rolled up to his forearms with several buttons undone at the collar, sunglasses, an elegant black watch, and a pair of white and black cats on his shoulders.
"You're not leaving any doubt that you're on vacation, are you?" Chatora couldn't help but comment in a playful tone while the girls looked at Kai, who seemed relaxed and devilishly handsome, with "fiery" gazes.
"Well, I don't have a hero costume, so Shino and Nemuri picked this out."
Kai commented in a casual tone as everyone who had been drinking tea stood up. Keiko couldn't help but comment while looking at her own outfit of white pants and an orange shirt, and Yumiko's long, low-cut dress.
"Fufu, it matches with us. Perfect choice. Now we won't look out of place among so many heroes."
"We're going to be late; let's go!" Momo took Kai's hand, who had been released by Shino and Nemuri, and quickly hurried to the port, knowing that if she had Kai, the rest would follow like little chicks.
…
…
…
"This place is really impressive…" Hugging Kai's right arm, Momo couldn't help but comment as she looked around at the I-Island airport. Tomoko quickly added with a huge smile.
"It's even more impressive now! It feels like the future!"
"You've been here before?!" Nejire soon asked with shining eyes, to which Shino nodded with a smile.
"Yes, a long time ago."
"Let's go on an excursion, darling! There's all kinds of support gear and tech here that I know you'll love!" Ryuko commented with a huge smile, looking at Kai, who quickly nodded with curiosity.
"Sounds interesting. Let's take a quick look before heading to the hotel."
"Let's go! Let's buy ice cream and check out weird machines!" Nejire soon announced, raising her hands in the air, closely followed by Tomoko.
"I want mint!"
Amid cheerful laughter, the group entered the futuristic moving artificial island, where they saw all kinds of heroes and cutting-edge technology that strongly caught Kai and Keiko's attention. After a while, on various screens, the group could see a small contest to destroy robots as quickly as possible, which made Nejire's eyes shine.
"Momo! Let's try it!" Hugging one of Momo's arms, Nejire pleaded with shining eyes. Momo couldn't help but smile amusedly and soon nodded happily.
"Then let's give it a shot. We still have some time before heading to the hotel and meeting up with the guys."
As Momo and Nejire headed to the contest area, Kai approached Nemuri and Keiko, since they had subtly signaled for him to talk. Watching her daughter prepare to start attacking the robots on rocky, uneven terrain, Keiko leaned into Kai's ear and whispered in a serious tone.
"Just as we expected, nothing happened. Have you noticed anything strange?"
"For now, nothing. I don't detect anything particularly odd within the range of my perception. The house, the Pussycats' agency, and everything else are pretty quiet. Sage has been on alert. Even the sniper I marked hasn't left the federation, though they've traveled quite a bit between different cities, spending time in clubs and offices." Kai explained in a calm tone, at which point Nemuri replied thoughtfully.
"So they really decided to wait and observe…"
"Well, they're pretty cautious. The plan they had against Mrs. Yoshiko failed, and they probably have no idea what happened. Since they don't seem to know about Accompany either, I'd bet they're doing internal investigations now to rule out infiltrators." Kai spoke in a calm voice, at which point Keiko was about to speak. But before she could, the melodious voice of Shino resonated in their heads.
[You've been acting suspicious for a while now. What's going on?]
[Nothing, we were just asking Kai if there had been any new attacks.] Keiko soon commented in a calm tone, which led Shino to send another message, narrowing her eyes slightly.
[Then why are you acting so secretive? Are you sure that's all it is? Though it's subtle, I've noticed lately that you seem quite close… And honestly, I don't like it. We're all part of this relationship, and things like this make us feel excluded.]
At Shino's words, Keiko and Nemuri couldn't help but exchange complicated looks, thinking about how to handle the situation. But before they could say anything, Kai's calm voice resonated in their minds.
[You're right, there's something you don't know. But I'm not telling you because I want to exclude you. I just don't think you'd want to know. Ignorance is bliss…]
Kai's words caused Nemuri and Keiko to turn and look at him in surprise, and even Shino stopped and turned to look at him seriously. But soon, Shino turned her gaze back to Momo destroying robots at high speed and sent a telepathic message in a firm, solemn tone.
[Knowing you, I can guess what's going on. I don't know how serious it is, but I want you to be very clear about something, Kai. Don't let my uniform blind you. Before I'm Mandalay, I'm Shino, and I'm your woman. So I don't want you to leave me out of important matters just because you assume it's what I want or what will make me happy. I'd rather face a hell by your side than live in ignorant happiness.]
Hearing Shino's message, Kai couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. From the moment Nemuri found out, he was already prepared for this day to come, just not so soon. But he knew it was inevitable, as he could hide things and tell half-truths, but he didn't like lying straight to the faces of the people he loved. So once Nemuri found out, it was only a matter of time before the others became suspicious.
[…Let's talk more calmly later. There's a lot to discuss.]
[Though we can avoid telling Momo and Nejire for now, Tomoko and Ryuko also have the right to know, as does Yumiko. We're all your women, and we have the right to make informed decisions.] Shino added seriously, which led Kai to nod silently while Nemuri and Keiko's expressions visibly hardened.
[You're right. Let's do it that way.]
***
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