Makoto shrugged, his left hand grabbing Yuna's thigh under the table, while his right hand grabbed Mika's hand on the table. "Come on, it isn't like we have a chance to enjoy ourselves like this every day," he forced a dry smile.
Yuna let out a barely audible gasp as Makoto's hand clamped onto her thigh. For a second, he thought she was going to stab him with her fork. But then she relaxed slightly, and another crimson blush crept up her neck.
She didn't push his hand away. Instead, she subtly shifted in her seat, pressing her leg more firmly against his palm. "P-Pervert," she muttered under her breath, a whisper meant only for him, but the word had no heat.
Mika's reaction was the polar opposite. Her hand, cool and delicate, accepted him. Her fingers gently intertwined with his. But her smile became a work of terrifying art. Her pink eyes, fixed on his, seemed to darken, and he could almost see the calculations whirring behind them.
"You're right, darling, we should all try to get along." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, a gesture that felt more like a threat than a comfort.
Ayane, who was watching this entire exchange with undisguised glee, just snorted into her water glass. "You seem busy, Makoto. You're going to need to grow a third arm at this rate."
Mafuyu, bless her gentle soul, tried to salvage the situation. "The scallops look wonderful. Shall we get an order to share?"
"Yeah, scallops are fine. Let's get some oysters, too. Is there anything you want, my Yuna?" His words gave Yuna, who had been basking in the silent smug victory of having his hand on her thigh, a second dose of validation.
"I… uh…" she stammered, completely losing her composure. She stared blindly at the menu, the words blurring in front of her. "I want the lobster bisque," she finally blurted out, picking the first thing she saw. "And the foie gras." She was ordering the most expensive items on the menu as a power move befitting her self-appointed title of Main Wife.
"Oysters? That was a good choice, darling. " She gave his hand another possessive squeeze, her thumb tracing slow, deliberate circles on his skin. The message was clear: "You can give the tsundere table scraps of affection, but the real power, the real understanding of your desires, belongs to me."
"Pathetic," Ayane muttered. "You can't even get her wet without a shellfish."
Yuna whipped her head around, her gray eyes blazing. "What was that, you big-chested, pierced-up hussy?!"
"You heard me, you short-stack, tsundere tyrant!" Ayane shot back, leaning forward aggressively.
"Girls, please," Mafuyu whispered, her voice a fragile plea. "Not in front of the waiter."
They somehow managed to order all the food for sharing, along with the wine pairing. A fragile truce arrived at the table when the waiter placed the appetizers down. The sight and smell of the exquisitely prepared food seemed to momentarily distract the angry, jealous woman.
Makoto quickly pulled his hand back and raised his glass. "Cheers, for our… fourth year of living together."
"Fourth year," Yuna looked around the table, at the faces of the women who had become her rivals, her tormentors, and, against all odds, her family. A flicker of genuine affection appeared on her face.
Then it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual scowl. "Cheers," she muttered, clinking her glass against his. "To four years of putting up with your snoring, you fat pig."
"To family," Mika said and raised her glass, her pink eyes sweeping over each of them in turn. Her gaze lingered on Makoto for a second like a silent possessive claim. "And to our future together." The way she said it, with a glance down at her own flat stomach, sent a jolt of terror through him.
"To chaos," Ayane's voice was a loud, triumphant cheer. She raised her glass high with a wide grin on her face. "And to the poor, brave bastard who has to put up with all of us."
"To love," Mafuyu whispered softly. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears of happiness. She placed a hand on her stomach with a gentle smile. "And to our new beginnings."
They all clinked their glasses together, a weird and completely dysfunctional family. For a single moment, there was peace.
And then Yuna and Ayane both reached for the last oyster at the exact same time.
"Ahem, you can have mine, Yuna. Just says, aah," Makoto used his fork to get his oyster and offered it to the slower Yuna.
Yuna was completely poleaxed. She had been offered a direct favoritism. The tsundere in her demanded that she slap the fork away and call him an idiot. But the "main wife" part of her was screaming in triumph.
"Wh-What are you doing, you pervert?! We're in public! I don't need your pity oyster! But fine, since you're begging…" Her body betrayed her, already leaning forward, her lips parting almost involuntarily. "Hmph," she muttered, her gaze darting around to make sure the others were watching, then she reluctantly closed her eyes and opened her mouth.
Makoto gently slid the oyster from his fork into her mouth. Yuna chewed once and swallowed. A look of smug, entirely unearned victory appeared on her face as she shot Ayane a look.
Ayane's fork, which had been poised to stab the contested oyster with the speed of a striking cobra, froze mid-air. Her eyes widened when she looked from his fork to Yuna's flustered face and then back to him.
She just raised her eyebrow. "Wow, hand-feeding the baby of the family. How sweet of you, boss." She took another ladylike sip of her wine. "You're going to spoil her dinner, you know."
Mika just watched the entire exchange with a serene smile. "You're such a good husband, darling. Always making sure that everyone gets what they need."
Things seemed to calm down a bit as they enjoyed the appetizer. "You don't like the wine, Mika?" he realized that she hadn't touched her glass, so he swapped it with his sparkling water.
Mika's smile faltered when she looked from her untouched wine glass to the sparkling water he had placed in front of her. Something he couldn't quite read flashed in her eyes. It was gone just as fast, replaced by her usual unreadable calm.
"Oh, how thoughtful of you, darling. I was just feeling a little dehydrated." She took a sip of the water, her eyes never leaving his.
Yuna, who had been in the middle of a monologue about her recent gacha pull, stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes narrowed with a dawning suspicion on her face. "Are you not drinking today, Mika? But you love this vintage. And you were the one who picked it."
Ayane's head tilted. Her gaze dropped from Mika's face to her stomach. She didn't say a word, but the wicked grin on her face said everything.
Mika took another delicate sip of the sparkling water, her gaze never leaving Makoto. "I just thought…" she began, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, yet loud enough for the entire table to hear.
"That it would be best to be careful. Just in case." She let the sentence hang in the air for a moment. "Last night we were very... productive."