Ever since officially starting to date, Saeko Dosjima had realized that in their sparring sessions, she and Senya were not even on the same level.
The gap in physical stamina was particularly glaring.
More often than not, before he had even exerted himself fully, she would collapse, utterly unable to continue.
This wasn't a rare occurrence—it happened every single time without exception.
From Saeko's perspective, the man she liked seemed like a human machine with endless energy whenever they faced each other.
She was almost certain that if she could keep up the whole time, Senya could sustain this level of energy from night until dawn.
While this gave Saeko, head over heels in love, a thrill—knowing she could captivate Senya so completely—the predominant feeling was still guilt.
Every session left her physically exhausted, certain muscles twitching involuntarily from overexertion, her mind hazy—but spiritually, she felt deeply satisfied.
And once fatigue took over, she would drift into sleep, her favorite part being held in his arms, experiencing that sense of security, drifting off happily and comfortably until morning.
It was, by far, one of the most enthralling "activities" in her otherwise calm, kendo-centered life.
Even her occasional sadistic impulses had mostly faded since meeting Senya.
At most, when passion overwhelmed her, she might leave shallow claw marks on his arms or back, or a light bite near his collarbone.
From Senya's perspective, however, it was an entirely different story.
Even though he always behaved gently, repeatedly saying he enjoyed it and felt satisfied, the physical signs of male arousal were far more straightforward to read than female ones—visibly and tangibly.
Moreover, most of the time, before sleeping, Senya would deliberately take a cold shower to lower his body temperature and calm his unspent excitement.
Seeing this repeatedly, Saeko could pretend to go along with him on the surface.
Yet deep down, she was overwhelmed by guilt.
It was like being a clumsy homemaker who couldn't even prepare a proper meal for a husband returning from work.
Saeko felt that while Senya cared for her unconditionally, she hadn't fulfilled her own "duties."
She wanted to make him truly happy, to satisfy him as she herself had been satisfied—but instead, she kept enduring her own struggles, having to comfort herself in the process.
His gentleness was a blessing—but too much of it only made her introspection harsher.
And now, because her body couldn't endure the sparring's intensity, their "meals" of affection had been reduced to roughly twice a month.
If the "husband" could never truly enjoy his meals at home, she had to think not only about improving her own "cooking skills" but also about satisfying his everyday needs.
She couldn't just leave him to "cook for himself."
Shoving her responsibilities onto him would not merely be negligence—it would be willful inaction.
Saeko couldn't allow herself to do that.
After much contemplation, the only feasible solution she could think of was to let him eat out.
To be honest, Senya didn't fully understand what Saeko meant at first.
When she said, quite unexpectedly, "I've been encouraging Shiho to pursue you," she began explaining her reasoning.
And she used the peculiar analogy of a wife, a husband, and cooking.
That explanation made her intentions more accessible—he understood her meaning.
But her psychological and mental shifts still left him slightly puzzled.
Essentially, she was willingly "sharing" him.
Not in a bad way, not unwillingly.
On the contrary, Senya loved it, absolutely adored it.
If everyone he cared about were as generous and open-hearted as Saeko, he would probably sleep every night with a ridiculous grin, and in the afterlife, he'd feel his life fully complete.
The problem was… when he had confessed his feelings for others to Saeko, she hadn't reacted this way.
It had been the first time confirming a romantic relationship with a girl, so Senya remembered the conversation clearly.
She had said she didn't mind, that he could continue liking others. She would stay by his side and, through her efforts, eventually be the only one in his heart.
But now—just a little over a month later—her mindset had reached such a level of openness?
"Senya… do you think what I did was wrong?"
Saeko hesitated, having laid out her recent thoughts, including privately encouraging Shiho.
Senya was silent for a long while.
Her chest tightened with anxiety, wondering if her actions had been too rash.
"Sorry… I should have discussed this with you first instead of acting on my own. I didn't mean to trouble you…"
"No, no… I'm not troubled… I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about something else."
At that moment, seeing her gaze darken, Senya quickly reacted, grasping her hands.
Saeko looked down at his hands holding hers, then up into his expression, and smiled softly, cheeks still flushed from their earlier intimacy. She looked regal yet alluring.
Feeling reassured, she tilted her head in curiosity: "Something else?"
"Yeah… I still don't quite understand why you… willingly did that."
"My explanation just now wasn't very clear. I can explain again."
"That's not it… I mean…"
After carefully choosing his words, Senya finally said:
"…I'm glad you considered me, but Saeko… doesn't helping Shiho like this make you uncomfortable?"
"Uncomfortable…" Saeko thought for a moment, then nodded honestly. "…A little, yes. But if it makes you happy and satisfied, I feel that this level of discomfort is completely tolerable."
"…!"
At that moment, to Senya, Saeko seemed to glow, a halo appearing above her head.
What a fallen angel!
"Saeko… actually, my needs aren't as pressing as you think. Normally, it wouldn't require this at all."
"But if you had to choose between satisfying me or enduring… you'd still pick the former, right?"
"Ah… yes, I would."
"Then I'm willing to do it for you."
"But if Shiho ends up with me, Saeko, do you realize what that means?"
"I understand. It means our future will have Shiho involved, and if she's okay with it, the three of us may continue like this. I considered it carefully from the start."
Saeko's thinking was clear; she didn't force herself in discussing Shiho.
"When I first confessed to you, Senya, we didn't fully understand each other like we do now. But since I now know I can't fully satisfy you, and this isn't something effort alone can fix… it's better to be open-minded and explore other solutions rather than wait for conflicts to escalate. At least now, I still have options to help."
The main point: Saeko realized that making this decision would probably earn her even more of Senya's affection.
She admitted it was a gamble—but it paid off.
"Saeko…" Senya didn't know what to say.
Though he had resolved at the hot spring inn to treat her well forever, this moment elevated that determination to epic proportions.
Saeko smiled softly: "It's good to have everything out in the open. I feel much lighter."
"Saeko, you really are an amazing woman," Senya said seriously, a small shiver running through him.
That phrase alone satisfied Saeko.
Forget whether she was a good or bad woman—his affirmation and being by his side mattered most.
That night, Saeko's confession about encouraging Shiho hadn't been premeditated; circumstances had forced her hand.
"Senya, actually, today at lunch, Shiho openly told me she likes you and wants to date you. She also mentioned how, during the night at the beach, she approached you first to confess and felt very troubled and unsure. She asked me what I would do in her place."
Saeko had long noticed Shiho's feelings for Senya.
A kendo master with keen eyesight, she could track a 150 km/h baseball and slice it cleanly in half with her sword. She certainly wouldn't miss Shiho's lingering, longing glances at Senya.
In simpler terms, if Eriri could notice, so could she.
She hadn't reacted simply because Shiho hadn't openly mentioned it, maintaining a tacit understanding between them.
Now, with Shiho confessing, the situation had shifted slightly.
Shiho trusted Saeko as a close friend.
Having spent time together in the same high school, Saeko valued their friendship.
This deepening bond made it impossible to ignore the flaws in her initial plan.
Shiho's proactive confession solidified her decision to talk openly with Senya.
After all, as with their mutual confession, honesty mattered most.
"That night, Shiho told you herself…"
"Yes. So I thought to consult you first. If you feel it's not yet the right time to confess to Shiho, I'll try to calm her down so she won't worry.
And if you want to take things further with her, I don't mind you telling her about us.
If you feel awkward doing so, I can do it in your place.
And if Shiho feels deceived or left out, I'll explain clearly that it was entirely my idea, and it has nothing to do with you."
Saeko hesitated briefly, but then said it firmly.
"…."
Senya exhaled softly, quietly watching her.
At the table, Saeko suddenly looked puzzled as he let go of her hands and stood.
The next moment, with a small gasp, she was lifted off the ground.
One slipper slipped from her foot.
Senya carried her toward her bedroom.
"Sorry… forgive my whim this time. I've never wanted you this much before…"
At the same time, he leaned down to place a restrained kiss on her forehead.
Saeko giggled in his arms, heart fluttering at the prospect of more closeness.
The food might get cold, but reheating it was trivial.
Yet she had clearly underestimated how dangerous her composure and generosity could be to Senya at this moment.
Once placed gently on the bed, Senya's approach, clearly different from before, brought him to the brink of breaking through her defenses.
Ready, poised, and aggressive.
Then she realized—this wasn't just the "I want you" she had understood earlier.
"Se…Senya, we agreed to wait until after your entrance exams…"
"Yes, that's what we said, but today I want to break that promise. Is that okay?"
"…."
"…."
Hearing his labored breathing, in this dangerous, intimate closeness, Saeko grew excited.
"…Mhm~ okay."
From the moment they started dating, she had never had the option to refuse him.
At that moment, Senya's phone rang, halting their movements.
It was Rokka calling. Senya muttered, "Perfect timing."
He answered, noticing Saeko lowering herself, suppressing her mischief, and explained calmly that he had to go out of town for work tonight.
After hanging up and silencing the phone, he resumed his dominant position.
In that environment, the world faded, leaving only each other.