From the kitchen, Makoto's cheerful, clueless voice called out, "Sukiyaki is almost ready, girls!" He was completely oblivious to the major shift that had just occurred in his living room.
A moment later, he set the stove in the center of the table and smiled at them fondly. "Come on, you always say that apron was too childish for you, Yuna, so I gave it to Mika."
His eyes sparkled as he looked between the two girls. "Come and sit. We're having both sukiyaki and tomato broth tonight."
Yuna spluttered, her face turning bright red. "That's not the point, you fat idiot!" she shrieked. Then she noticed the dark marks on Mika's neck. Her eyes went wide, shock mixing with jealousy on her face. "And what the hell is that?! Did you try to eat her?!"
"Oh, this?" Mika touched the hickeys delicately, her voice a little too sweet. "It's just a little... seasoning." She placed the platters on the table gracefully, then took the seat right beside him.
She turned slightly so her bruised neck was directly in Yuna's line of sight. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Ayane laughed low in her throat. She sauntered over to the table and pulled up a chair, eyeing the spread. "Sukiyaki and tomato broth? That's an interesting combo."
She leaned forward on her hands, staring at Mika's neck. "It looks like someone has been busy marking their territory. Very primal, I approve."
Mika beamed. She picked up the ladle and began filling Makoto's bowl with broth and the best pieces of meat, her movements precise. "You can let me serve you," she purred softly. "You've worked so hard."
Yuna just stared, gripping her chopsticks until her knuckles went white. She looked from Mika's blissful state to him, murder written all over her face. "I'm taking all the beef," she announced. Without waiting for a response, she dumped half the platter into her side of the pot.
Makoto scolded her gently, still smiling. "Come on, have some manners, Yuna." Then he pulled her up and set her on his lap, a triumphant glint in his eye. "Here, you can get the main wife's seat."
Yuna let out a high-pitched squawk as he pulled her onto his lap. "H-Hey! What are you doing?! You can put me down, you pervert!" she protested.
But she made absolutely no effort to get away. Instead, she squirmed around until she'd settled her ass firmly on his thighs. "This is exactly where I belong," she thought smugly, though she'd never admit it out loud.
"The main wife's seat?" she repeated in a low, grumpy voice. "Damn right it is." She glared across the table at Mika and Ayane with a triumphant smirk. "See? He knows who's in charge."
"Happy now? Or do you need some markings, too?" He whispered into her ear.
A deep blush spread across Yuna's cheeks. She turned her head away and pouted stubbornly. "...No," she muttered quietly. "I don't need that. It's... it's undignified."
She fidgeted, twisting the hem of her shirt between her fingers. Her next words were so quiet he could barely hear them. "...And it's not fair that Mika got hers first."
Mika smiled serenely as she placed a perfectly cooked piece of tofu in Yuna's bowl. "There, there, Yuna-chan," she soothed. "He'll get to you. He always does."
Ayane raised her glass of water lazily. "To the main wife," she drawled with amusement.
Makoto used his chopsticks to add some beef to Mika's bowl. "You'll need more meat, Mika."
Mika's eyes widened slightly at the beef offering. A small, pleased smile appeared on her lips. "Oh, thank you," she murmured appreciatively. She met Yuna's glare with unshakable calm.
He then turned to Yuna with sparkling eyes. "And more veggies for you." He selected some vegetables and mushrooms for Yuna's bowl.
Yuna made a sound of pure outrage. "Veggies?! You're giving me veggies?!" She pointed her chopstick at the innocent mushrooms and the tofu Mika just placed in her bowl. "I'm a carnivore! An apex predator! And I don't eat fungus!"
She squirmed on his lap furiously. "How dare he give her all the good stuff?" she thought, her indignation rising. "And you gave her the good beef! The marbled A5 Wagyu that I picked out!"
Ayane leaned back in her chair, looking bemused. She fished a piece of beef from the pot and popped it into her mouth. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "for a girl who doesn't want to be marked, you're certainly acting very territorial."
Yuna glared at her, a low growl rumbling in her chest. She looked exactly like a small, angry, and incredibly possessive cat. Makoto fished out a piece of Wagyu, dipped it in sauce, and blew on it to cool it down.
He held it up to Yuna's mouth with a fond smile. "Fine, here. You can open your mouth." Yuna's tirade sputtered to a halt. She stared at the Wagyu held so close to her mouth. Her eyes darted between the meat and his face.
Her tsundere pride battled with her gluttony. Gluttony won by a landslide, of course.
With a small huff of surrender, she opened her mouth. "Ahhh," she said grudgingly. She took the bite and her eyes fluttered shut in bliss. The simple, intimate moment seemed to defuse the tension in the room completely.
He glanced at Mika. "So, compared to you, has anyone tried to approach my Yuna in school, Mika?"
Mika took her time answering, delicately sipping her water first as she watched the scene with a knowing smile. "Popular?" she repeated curiously. "Yes, I would say so. In a very specific way."
She set her glass down. "The boys in our class think she's mysterious and cool. The girls are mostly terrified of her." She paused thoughtfully. "She has a reputation. A lot of the upperclassmen have tried to ask her out, but she shoots them all down."
Mika's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Last week, the captain of the kendo team confessed to her behind the gym. She told him his swordsmanship was sloppy, and his haircut made him look like a cheap hentai protagonist. He hasn't been seen since."
"Hmm, I see. If she's that popular, it seems like I'll need to mark her too." Makoto said, then leaned in and gently bit Yuna's neck, keeping his teeth in place for a while.
She let out a sharp yelp that was half pain, half shocked pleasure. Her entire body went rigid on his lap as sensation shot through her. "Ow! What the hell, you damn dog?!" she squeaked.
When he pulled back, the teeth marks remained clear on her skin. Her hands flew to her neck, fingers probing the fresh bite mark. She looked shocked and flustered. "You can't just bite people! That's... that's unsanitary!"
A deep blush spread across her face so intensely that it looked painful. She glared at Mika's neck, then touched her own again. Her next words came out as a grumpy, jealous whisper. "...Mika's marks are better. It's more purple."
"Why does she get the better mark?" Yuna thought. "I'm the main wife, aren't I?"
Makoto ignored her plea and grinned at her with wicked eyes. "I think I also need to sign my name next to this, then we should be good." He giggled and offered her a beef ball on his spoon.
Yuna's protests died in her throat. She glared at the spoon, then at him. Her pride warred with her hunger. Hunger won again. With a frustrated huff, she leaned forward and took the beef ball, chewing angrily but thoroughly. It was a complete surrender, and everyone at the table knew it.
Mika watched the chaotic exchange with her head tilted to one side. She smiled knowingly as she took a ladylike sip of water. "Now we have a matching set," she purred musically. "How lovely. You'll have to be careful it doesn't get infected, Yuna-chan."