Although he had just bragged about joining in on the fun, seeing Karuizawa appear before them clearly caused Kushida's expression to short-circuit.
She was sitting atop Kaoru, completely frozen, even tensing up from nervousness.
The intense pressure left Kaoru momentarily dazed as well.
The current situation was beyond awkward, and Kaoru found himself at a loss for words.
After a brief silence, Karuizawa spoke up, "Um… where's Ichinose?"
"She wasn't with me tonight." As he answered, Kaoru felt an inexplicable sense of strangeness.
"Hmm, so… you two have been at it until now?"
At Karuizawa's words, Kushida shuddered, as if finally snapping back to reality.
Her face flushed bright red, and with a muffled "Ahh—!" she grabbed the nearby blanket and pulled it over her head before burying herself into Kaoru's chest.
Kaoru nearly got the wind knocked out of him.
Holding her waist with one hand, all he could see was her curled up on top of him, her face hidden under the blanket, leaving her expression completely obscured.
"Hurry up and get off." Kaoru hadn't forgotten their current state—if this continued, things would only get more awkward.
"No… this is too embarrassing," Kushida mumbled from under the blanket, her voice barely audible.
"Why did she just barge in like that? There wasn't even any warning!"
Kaoru was momentarily speechless.
When you were getting cozy with Horikita Suzune, you were way more enthusiastic than this.
Now you're hiding under a blanket acting all shy? I really don't get what's going on in your head.
"Having fun?" Karuizawa picked up something from the floor nonchalantly. "Guess I worried for nothing. Well, it was my own fault for overthinking. After all, Kaoru has plenty of girls who like him—it's not like he needs me."
Since Kushida was clearly playing dead, Kaoru had no choice but to speak up.
"Actually, I was planning to spend today with you, Kei. And didn't I message you last night?"
Considering Karuizawa's feelings, Kaoru had thought about how to handle things.
Around 1 AM, he had specifically sent her a message proposing a secret date today.
So, Karuizawa should have seen his reply—that was why she had come over today.
He just hadn't expected Kushida to suddenly show up, making him completely forget about his earlier plans.
"So then… what's this supposed to be?" Karuizawa's face was icy. "Did you call me over just to watch you two get intimate? Are you messing with me?"
Since Kaoru had already told her about Kushida, she wasn't exactly shocked—just furious.
Anyone who walked into their boyfriend's room and saw another girl in his bed would naturally be angry.
"Can I say I didn't expect things to turn out like this? Would you believe me?"
"You expect me to believe the excuse of a shameless pervert?"
"Sorry… I'll make sure to keep my promises to you next time."
"That's not convincing at all. Can you two separate first?"
Her words only made Kaoru feel more awkward.
Just as he was about to lift Kushida up, she pressed down on his shoulders, refusing to budge.
"Wait, I've calmed down a bit now." Kushida slowly straightened her back, the blanket slipping from her head as her slightly flushed face turned toward Karuizawa, though her gaze carried a scrutinizing edge.
"Next time, could you also stop like this, Kei?"
"W-what?" Karuizawa was bewildered.
Perhaps Kushida's current demeanor—so different from her usual pure and gentle persona—made her feel strangely unfamiliar.
"Look here, he gave me a ring too. The design is different, but you have one as well, right?" Kushida waved her small hand, which indeed bore a glittering ring.
"That means, in his heart, I'm about the same as you."
Karuizawa was startled.
She had considered the possibility that the rings might have been given to multiple people, but seeing someone else wearing one for the first time inexplicably stirred tension in her chest.
"D-does this mean... you agreed to his idea too?"
"A harem? I suppose so."
"If that's the case, isn't this incredibly rude? Doing... doing such things right in front of me..."
"Ha, there'll be even more in the future, you know?"
"Huh?!"
"Haven't you thought about it? We're all his now. Eventually, we'll all end up in the same bed, letting him have his way with us!"
"..."
Karuizawa short-circuited for a moment, clearly because unspeakable images had flashed through her mind.
"People like Ichinose, Sakayanagi, Horikita, Sakura—even the senior girls—he probably won't let a single one go. Everyone together—that's his plan." Kushida let out a cold laugh.
"You were the first to rise in status. Did you really never consider this?"
"T-that's... shameless!" Karuizawa grew angry. "Even if everyone likes him, they wouldn't do something like this! Bad things... how could you do them right in front of—"
"Why not?" Kushida cut her off. "Or do you want to monopolize him for an entire night?"
Karuizawa's thoughts tangled into chaos
Logically, she held the advantage, so why did Kushida's words somehow make sense?
"If you don't believe me, ask him yourself." Kushida grinned at Kaoru.
"Do you want to keep going with me, or would you rather have both of us at once?"
Blushing but unable to look away, Karuizawa fixed her gaze on Kaoru.
Feeling the pressure, Kaoru gritted his teeth, gripped Kushida's slender waist, and pulled her into his lap, holding her close.
"Just consider this me forcing you two. No need for all this talk, Kikyo."
"Ah... I-I wasn't spouting nonsense... This is the truth... I was already prepared to play along with you to the end..."
"You've completely confused Kei. Bold one moment, shy the next—sometimes I really can't figure you out."
"I-it's just too sudden!"
Watching them, Karuizawa bit her lip.
This feeling was unbearable.
She was his girlfriend too—why did she have to stand by and watch?
They were the ones in the wrong here.
"Kei." Kaoru suddenly called her name.
"What? Hurry up and finish, or I'm leaving!" She averted her eyes so he wouldn't see her tears.
"I want to kiss my girlfriend."
"..." Karuizawa slightly turned her gaze to meet his eyes, her cheeks flushing warm again as she quickly averted her face.
Yet she felt unbearably embarrassed, as if his words alone had set her entire body aflame.
The more she burned, the angrier and more humiliated she became—standing here now made her feel like a complete joke.
"I want to kiss Kei," Kaoru repeated.
"Ugh, so annoying! Just die!" Karuizawa huffed, puffing up her cheeks.
Normally, she would have already leaned in by now, but given the situation, doing so would only prove Kushida right, wouldn't it?
"If Kei won't come to me, then I'll go to you."
He seemed fully capable of following through, so with flushed cheeks—reluctant yet expectant, torn between frustration and helplessness—Karuizawa obediently shuffled closer to Kaoru.
Without another word, Kaoru really did kiss her.
"Mmm… Hah…"
"I love you, Kei."
"D-Don't say such embarrassing things at a time like this!"
Kushida watched the two with an amused grin before shamelessly sidling up, demanding her own kiss.
Later, Kaoru seemed to remember something, but Kushida waved it off, telling him they could talk about it next time.
"So, how many times have you done it with him?" Kushida sat contentedly on the bed, her slightly parted legs exuding a slow, milky scent.
Kaoru was at a loss for words.
It was as if she had no sense of shame whatsoever, perhaps because she had taken off her usual mask and was a little too relaxed.
Karuizawa was blushing furiously while holding up her finger.
Only the first time had Kaoru done this to her.
"It seems I've had one more time," Kushida muttered. "Do you want to have a go? That way, we'll be even."
"Kikyo," Kaoru said, looking at her with a deadpan expression.
Kushida was all smiles.
She knew her words were a bit out of line; she was just saying it casually.
"I understand. But I can't have a baby yet." Karuizawa seemed to have made some sort of decision.
Kneeling on the floor, she helped Kaoru clean up the mess.
"Even though I can't do that kind of thing yet, I'll try to accept it."
"Kei, this is too much for you. I really just wanted to go on a date with you today." Kaoru had a bit of a headache.
He did covet their bodies, but not to the point of doing this every day.
"Isn't this a date too?" Kushida looked at him strangely. "Isn't there a term called a stay-at-home date?"
"Are you telling me you want to stay here all day?" Kaoru's expression was odd.
Shouldn't this kind of date be proposed by the guy?
"I-I'm fine with it here," Karuizawa said, lifting her eyes. "As long as I can be with you, Kaoru."
"Then it's decided!" Kushida hopped off the bed with great enthusiasm.
"To be honest, I've always been curious about what you do in your room."
Seeing this, Kaoru stroked Karuizawa's head and said softly, "Honestly, Kei, are you really okay with this?"
"There is one thing that bothers me a little," Karuizawa said, subtly averting her gaze and mumbling.
"But, what Kushida said is more or less right. I actually knew today would come."
"But forcing you two to get along just feels so contrived," Kaoru said, a little dejected.
"I guess it is a little. I'm not particularly good at dealing with people myself, even though I might seem assertive," Karuizawa said in a small voice.
"I was startled today, but I usually get along fine with Kushida."
Kaoru didn't say anything more, just stroking her head.
After a moment, Karuizawa hesitated, then asked very cautiously.
"Um, will you really put everyone in the same bed, Toru?"
"Don't listen to her nonsense. If you two don't agree, am I really going to forcibly tie you to the bed?" Kaoru said.
"What if you get upset and bite me?"
Imagining the scene, Karuizawa couldn't help but let out a laugh, then quickly went back to holding it in her mouth.
"I-I won't bite. Even if Toru is being too much, I won't bite."
"You idiot."
"..."
Thanks to Karuizawa's help, Kaoru lost some more of his stamina.
However, since they had agreed to have a stay-at-home date, Kaoru later forcefully suppressed Kushida's mischief.
Not only that, but Kaoru also gave yesterday's Christmas gift to Karuizawa and Karuizawa gave her Christmas gift to Kaoru as well.
Yes, it was the very thing that had just fallen on the floor.
A pair of silver-gray bracelets, clearly a couple design.
Karuizawa didn't dare to wear the "wedding ring" in front of others, but she did dare to secretly wear a couple design bracelet with Kaoru.
In a way, this was also her staking her claim.
Kushida was a little dissatisfied with this.
It seemed she didn't have any matching items with Kaoru.
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