Feeling the warmth emanating from beside her, Yukinoshita Haruno was very close to him, their arms almost touching. That subtle, intermittent contact felt like they were back in their ambiguous phase.
At that time, they wanted intimate contact but had no legitimate reason, so they could only rely on physical proximity, brushing past each other with hand movements, to feel each other's warmth.
"I know. Although hearing you say that makes me a little annoyed. If only I had been more resolute back then, maybe you would have belonged only to me."
Yukinoshita Haruno was a bit emotional. It was impossible to say she had no regrets. Logically, she had regained everything now, and even Hoshino Sora once again, so she should feel fortunate.
But women, once they have one thing, they crave more.
"Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, over a year has passed, and you've grown from an unknown kid to this point.
But compared to now, to be honest, I still miss those days more, when we walked hand in hand in the snow, carefree, imagining our future, laughing and playing."
"Miss it…"
Hearing Yukinoshita Haruno's words, Hoshino Sora softly repeated those three words. They had been together for a long time, and many things in a boy's growth journey were taught to him by her.
At that time, although they hadn't reached the final step, they had already explored each other thoroughly.
It could be said that Yukinoshita Haruno was his enlightenment teacher.
"Yes, I miss it. But how things are now is also quite good. This isn't just polite talk, but my heartfelt thoughts after spending this much time together."
Nodding, Yukinoshita Haruno continued, her eyes showing anticipation. It was an anticipation for the future. She was very curious about what their future would be like.
Gourmet Manor, Dimensional Restaurant, almost infinite life.
These were all very special things, things that human society did not have. This also meant that the path they would take next was one that others could not replicate.
"But your taste is really good. Among all the girls you've been with, not one of them makes me dislike them. I like every one of them, and their character is also without major issues."
Girls' ability to identify green tea is unknown how many times that of boys. Many girls, with just a little contact, can feel their compatibility. Generally, those with high compatibility will have very similar personalities.
And she was a well-behaved, good girl. Those she felt close to would naturally be of the same type. That's why Yukinoshita Haruno felt Hoshino Sora had good taste.
"Of course, putting other things aside, I'm quite skilled at reading people. If I don't like someone's face at first glance, nine times out of ten, they're no good."
Hoshino Sora said with a laugh, his words tinged with a bit of mystique. He wasn't quite sure how it worked, but sometimes he just had this feeling—judging a person's character by their face was almost always spot-on.
"Sora, what are you two talking about?"
Amidst the laughter, Asaka and Rika finished their chat with Alice Nakiri and jogged over to the pair, then asked with curious expressions.
They had overheard some of the discussion earlier but hadn't caught the specifics, only vaguely hearing words like 'good eye' and 'reading people.' Out of curiosity, they had come over.
"Asaka-nee, Rika-nee, it's a bit troublesome to explain from the beginning. It's just some random chatting, whatever comes to mind."
Looking at the two sisters who had appeared behind him, Hoshino Sora greeted them with a smile. They were the first to follow him, and he had given his first time to them—a natural progression when emotions ran deep.
For the sisters Asaka and Rika, he had always harbored a special feeling. They weren't siblings, yet they were closer than siblings, having even crossed that boundary. Thinking of this, the image of their first time together in the bathroom surfaced in Hoshino Sora's mind.
Compared to their awkwardness back then, they had all grown a lot.
"Is that so? But it's been almost a week since we last saw you—we really missed you to death!"
"Still the same familiar scent."
As they spoke, they hugged Hoshino Sora's arms from both sides, pressing their bodies as close as possible to his while eagerly sniffing his scent. Their bodies underwent a slight change as a result.
"Asaka-nee, Rika-nee, you two actually..."
Hoshino Sora naturally sensed the change as well. While inwardly marveling at their boldness, his mouth was covered. Rika's face flushed bright red as she whispered, "Shh, just knowing is enough. Don't say it out loud."
Glancing at the girls walking in twos and threes around them, it seemed no one had noticed their conversation. Rika breathed a sigh of relief, then gave Hoshino Sora a suggestive look.
"Do you understand our feelings now?"
"I understand. I'll make sure to satisfy you both properly later!"
His heart stirred with excitement. Hoshino Sora's eyes were full of suggestion, and his mood was exceptionally good. At the same time, he scanned the girls around him, thinking to himself, "Tonight is going to be another big battle."
"We'll head over first, then."
"We're looking forward to your performance tonight～"
After saying this, Asaka and Rika gave Hoshino Sora another flirtatious glance before jogging ahead to interact with the other members of the harem. No sooner had they left than Yui Yuigahama and Kitagawa Marin came running over.
As members of the harem outside Totsuki Academy, they hadn't seen Hoshino Sora for almost a week. Feeling lonely, they had accepted Asaka and Rika's invitation to come to the BLUE competition venue together.
"Hoshino-kun."
Now, they finally saw the culprit behind their loneliness. Though they had many things they wanted to say before meeting him, when they finally saw him, the words seemed stuck in their throats. In the end, all they could do was call his name.
"What's with this? It's only been five days, yet you look like it's been five years. All of you, you're only in your teens—why so sentimental?"
Seeing Kitagawa Marin's melancholy expression, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but flick her forehead with his finger, telling her not to overthink things. It had only been five days!
"You're right, hehehe."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, Kitagawa Marin suddenly realized it. Thinking about it carefully, it really had only been five days. How had she become like this in just five days? Her heart was in turmoil without him by her side—probably because she had grown used to Hoshino Sora.
Moreover, there wasn't much to do during summer vacation. At some point, she had stopped enjoying going to conventions alone. Only when Hoshino Sora was by her side did she like dragging him along.
And Hoshino Sora had never refused her.
"Don't worry. Once this competition is over, I'll have time for the rest of the summer vacation—over a month. I can stay with you all at Gourmet Manor, or we can go on trips."
Seeing Kitagawa Marin's expression, Hoshino Sora naturally knew what she was thinking. He spoke softly, reaching out to ruffle her hair, his eyes gentle.
"Just being by your side is enough. For competitions like this in the future, you can bring us along. Even if we can't help much, we can still cheer you on from the sidelines."
Yui Yuigahama, who had been silent until now, spoke up, tightening her grip on Hoshino Sora's arm as she did. She had no other wish—she just wanted to spend more time by his side.
"I understand. From now on, I'll call you along for any competitions I participate in during holidays."
Hearing Yui Yuigahama's words, Hoshino Sora nodded seriously. When it came to cooking competitions, he could invite his Totsuki Academy wives, but Kitagawa and the others had no such means.
If it weren't for Akanegakubo Momo this time, they probably wouldn't have even known where the BLUE competition venue was, let alone found their way here. They owed it all to her.
Looking at the petite loli walking alone ahead of him, less than five meters away—though she appeared small and cute, she was actually two years older than him.
"Peach～"
On a whim, Hoshino Sora strode forward, reached out, and scooped the girl up into his arms. He then proceeded to shower her with kisses, hugs, and lifts, spinning her tiny body in the air before pressing their cheeks together.
Her soft little face and petite, adorable body made her look like a cute little doll.
"Mmm, okay, put me down now."
Suddenly being picked up, a flicker of panic crossed Akanegakubo Momo's face, but she didn't protest. She just instinctively avoided meeting Hoshino Sora's gaze, her cheeks flushed with shyness.
"No. We're almost at the dorm. Until then, let me hold you, Peach—just like you hold little Buchi."
Hearing Akanegakubo Momo's somewhat shy words, the image of their first time alone together surfaced in Hoshino Sora's mind. Back then, Peach had been quite proactive.
"That's different. Buchi doesn't like moving around."
"True, but sometimes Buchi really enjoys moving around. You told me that yourself that day."
Because of her petite stature, Hoshino Sora settled Akanegakubo Momo comfortably in the crook of his arm, then whispered into her ear. After speaking, he gently blew a puff of air against it.
Hearing his words, Akanegakubo Momo's face turned bright red almost instantly. A soft, mosquito-like whimper escaped her lips, but she made no further request to be put down, clearly resigned to her fate.
Soon, the group arrived at Hoshino Sora's room. It had to be said that with the increased number of people, the originally spacious room felt incredibly cramped. After all, bringing over a dozen girls back to a single room was an absurd idea in itself!
Looking at the girls around him, Hoshino Sora's face broke into a wide smile. His mood couldn't be better. Now, all his wives in this world had gathered.
"So, Hoshino-kun, who will you start with today?～"
Quietly closing and locking the door behind them, though the single room was somewhat crowded with over a dozen people, no one seemed to mind. Everyone gazed greedily and longingly at Hoshino Sora—after all, he was the only man present.
"Today, I'll just lie here. Do whatever you want with me—I won't resist, no matter what you do."
Seeing the girls' greedy eyes, Hoshino Sora's heart trembled. Though he had infinite stamina, honestly, he wasn't entirely confident about handling so many people at once.
In this situation, rather than actively expending energy, it was better to passively accept, letting his wives experience the novel sensation of an opponent who wouldn't fight back.
"Let us have free rein?"
"Trying to slack off! But fine—with so many of us sisters, we don't believe you'll be laughing by the end this time!"
"Exactly! Losing to one person with over a dozen of us would be pretty embarrassing. So, who goes first?"
"Let me. Let me be the vanguard for this assault!"
Her eyes filled with determination, Erina Nakiri bravely stepped forward, looking at the sisters around her. She was ready to set an example for them, and besides, she had thought of a few things earlier that needed practice.
But before that.
"Pop～"
With great 'difficulty,' she removed the leather boots she had put on that morning. A faint scent wafted through the room. Feeling everyone's eyes on her, Erina Nakiri's cheeks flushed red.
Being intimate with Hoshino Sora in front of so many people required no small amount of courage!
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