Chapter 115: Takatsuki and Sakaki Aya

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◇Sasaki Aya reminisces◇

3rd year of middle school.

"Takatsuki-kun~."

"Hm?"

When I called Takatsuki-kun, he separated his gaze from his reference book and looked at me.

If left be, he has the concentration to keep it up for several hours.

(I am surprised he can keep that up.) (Aya)

We were studying for our exams in a certain hamburger place.

"Is something the matter, Sa-san?" (Makoto)

"Let's have a short break~." (Aya)

My concentration broke a long time ago.

But I felt bad about interrupting him, so I was tagging along with him, but...

(2 hours with no conversation...) (Aya)

If this were among girls, it would have turned into chatter in less than 10 minutes.

It seems like Takatsuki wanted something sweet, he went to buy a mcshake.

I want some too.

"Hey, I can have one sip?" (Aya)

"Eh?" (Makoto)

I steal the shake of Takatsuki-kun and put my mouth on the straw.

Aah, sweet. Tasty.

Takatsuki-kun got a bit red.

Ah, an indirect kiss, huh...

That's fine.

We always do this anyways.

Maybe I should buy something salty later to give him in return.

I was bored from all the studying, so I began talking to Takatsuki-kun.

We talked about things with no set topic for a while.

"Hey, Takatsuki-kun, why do you want to go to that high school?" (Aya)

I wondered about that and tried asking.

"Cause you are going to that same high school, right?" (Makoto)

"Eh?" (Aya)

Is he saying he wants to go to the same high school as me?

"...Isn't it nice to be in the same school with your friends?" (Makoto)

Takatsuki-kun looks the other way and says this as if embarrassed.

"Aah...yeah." (Aya)

I-I see.

H-Heeh, he prefers being together with me, huh...

It makes me happy to hear that.

I don't remember when exactly I began to fall in love with him, but I feel like it was at this time when we were studying for our exams that I began to grow a deeper romantic interest for him.

"Studying really is boring', is what I would say resting my hand on my chin as I watched him reading the reference books -I liked to watch that face of his.

Takatsuki-kun and I safely got admitted to the same high school.

We got to be in the same class.

From then on, Takatsuki-kun began to get along with Fujiwara-kun, and I got a bit jealous...but I also felt it was great that he managed to make another friend other than me.

The three of us began to hang out together pretty regularly.

Of course, we also played just the two of us as we did in the past.

At the time when I thought 'it is almost christmas, I should confess'...

I died and reincarnated as a Lamia in a parallel world.

I was born in a dark and damp dungeon.

There were creepy insects skittering around on the cold ground.

That's where I slept.

I had nothing to wear.

I didn't have much food, and I had to eat anything in order to survive.

For a person like me that was raised in a peaceful household of Japan, this was way too harsh of an environment.

Painful, lonely, miserable...

At first, I cried, I couldn't stop my tears.

(Aah, God, did I do something bad...?) (Aya)

No matter where I went, I only saw monsters.

I also saw humans every now and then.

They are called adventurers in this world.

Humans are the enemies of monsters, and their food.

I am a Lamia.

A monster that eats humans.

A target for hunting.

The only saving I had was that I wasn't alone.

I had a lot of sisters, and my mother-sama.

I slowly began to get used to the hunting that I was scared of at first.

I began to love my family.

...But they all died.

Aah, it is the worst, the worst, the worst, the worst, the worst, the worst!

Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?! Why do I have to suffer so?!

At the very least, take away my memories of my previous life.

I don't need my memories of the time when I was a human!

Let me live my life as a monster from the very beginning!

I thought of this countless times.

It hurts!

I remember my past.

Those days when I had fun.

And because of it, I end up comparing them to my pitiful life in this dungeon.

I delude myself into thinking this is a nightmare, and that by the time I wake up, I will be back in Japan.

Every time I woke up and saw myself still here, despair pushed right into my heart.

At that time, the only reason that kept me going without killing myself was my seething rage to take revenge for my family.

That's all it was.

If I had remained in Laberintos in that state, I wouldn't have been able to remain sane.

I am sure I would have fallen into madness.

If I had gotten my revenge, I wouldn't have had the willpower to continue living on alone.

I would have died silently by myself.

But...

I managed to reunite with Takatsuki-kun.

He saved me.

Even when I was a monster, he wasn't scared at all .

He had gotten a bit of that calm atmosphere on him through his life as an adventurer...but it is the usual Takatsuki-kun!

The man I love!

I was saved by Takatsuki-kun.

He stretched out his hand and told me: 'Let's go back together'.

Compared to the hellish lonely days in the dungeon, my life since arriving at Makkaren sparkled.

I was happy as long as I could stay together with Takatsuki-kun.

I am fine with that alone.

I don't need anything else.

What I want is Takatsuki-kun alone.

That's why, please don't take him away from me...

I...

...I don't want to be alone anymore.

◇Takatsuki Makoto POV◇

"S-Sa-san..." (Makoto)

When I looked up, I saw the face of our strongest vanguard and my friend since middle school.

Her expression looked mischievous.

But maybe because the room is dark...there's no light in her eyes.

"Hey there, what's the matter, coming here this late in the night?" (Makoto)

"Night crawling, Takatsuki-kun." (Aya)

As straight as straights can go!

That she suddenly comes at me like this must mean that...Lucy must have told her something...

"This position is a bit uncomfortable, so...can I get up?" (Makoto)

My head is currently in between both arms of Sa-san, and she is riding on top of me, so I can't move.

"You kissed Lucy-san, right? Moreover, you were the one who did it. That's what Lucy-san said." (Aya)

Sa-san doesn't show signs of moving.

Lucy, she skipped a lot of things.

"No, that was..." (Makoto)

I explained what happened during the day.

The one where I myself kissed her was because I wanted to see the Fire Spirits.

Hearing that, Sa-san made a complicated expression.

"...Lucy-san said that was her first kiss." (Aya)

"Uuh..." (Makoto)

It pains my heart.

W-Well, it was my first too.

"Then, does that mean you and Lucy-san are not a couple yet?" (Aya)

"Uhm, she told me she would wait for my answer." (Makoto)

How did Lucy even explain it to her?

"Hmm, so that's how it is." (Aya)

I heard the mutter of Sa-san.

Sa-san said 'Hey, Takatsuki-kun' with a serious expression.

"I...have been in love with you since the time we were in our 3rd year of middle school, Takatsuki-kun..." (Aya)

"..."

I was confessed to.

"Well, you probably don't think anything about me though..." (Aya)

Her expression turns sullen.

"Eh?" (Makoto)

Oi oi, what are you saying, Sa-san?

That's not true.

That's an unbelievable misunderstanding.

"I have loved you since autumn of our 1st year of middle school." (Makoto)

I have loved her for a longer time than her.

"......Eh?" (Aya)

Sa-san made a specially dumbfounded expression.

"1st year of middle school, in autumn? That's soon after you and I got along, right?" (Aya)

"To be more precise, the first time you came to my house." (Makoto)

My first female friend.

And she came to play at my house.

There's no way I wouldn't get conscious about that!

My heart was thumping at that time.

"T-That's all it took? Aren't you way too simple, Takatsuki-kun?" (Aya)

Middle school men are simple!

"You came alone to hang out in the house of a man where his parents aren't home, Sa-san. I think you are also pretty special in that regard." (Makoto)

Moreover, this girl instantly threw herself onto my bed.

I easily saw her underwear even without meaning to.

That day, I couldn't sleep on my bed.

It had the smell of Sa-san.

"W-Wait a bit!" (Aya)

Sa-san closes her face to mine, flustered.

C-Close.

"Could it be that, since our 3rd year of middle school, we have had feelings for each other?" (Aya)

"Looks like that's the case." (Makoto)

I didn't know that Sa-san had feelings for me since middle school.

She was decently popular with the guys in class after all.

I simply gave up.

"N-No way... Hey, how about now?" (Aya)

"Uhm..." (Makoto)

I look at the slightly round familiar face of my friend.

She is a bit child-faced, and gives off the atmosphere of a small critter that would make people fawn over her.

Memories of when I tried to not think too much about her in my middle school days resurface in my mind.

Right now I can keep my attitude alone calm with Clear Mind, but...

"My feelings haven't changed much since then." (Makoto)

"...Haah~~." (Aya)

Sa-san falls flat at one side of my bed, right beside me.

"Just what was my resolve when I came to this room all nervous..." (Aya)

"You were nervous?" (Makoto)

"Of course I was!" (Aya)

She got up with a snap and showed me an angered face.

"I thought you and Lucy-san had become a couple. I thought that I wouldn't be able to stay together with you anymore... By the way, what do you think of Lucy-san?" (Aya)

"......"

That's the complicated part.

Honestly speaking, I love the two of them.

Is that even forgivable?

"You love us both, huh. If only I had confessed to you in our 1st year of high school." (Aya)

"I haven't said anything yet though?" (Makoto)

Sa-san grumbled as if she didn't even need to hear my answer.

Was it showing that much in my face?

"Hey, Takatsuki-kun, can you listen to my request?" (Aya)

"Hm? If it is something I can do." (Makoto)

With how things are flowing, I guess she is going to ask me to go out with her.

Lucy and Sa-san.

How should I answer the both of them...?

"Takatsuki-kun, I want a family." (Aya)

"Family?" (Makoto)

For a moment, I couldn't understand what Sa-san meant with that.

When I ask back, Sa-san shily closes her face to mine.

She placed her lips close to my ear, at a distance that her breath could reach me.

"I want your children, Takatsuki-kun." (Aya)

She whispers to me.

(EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH?!!!) (Makoto)

"S-Sa-san...w-wait a bit there." (Makoto)

"No, I won't wait." (Aya)

A cold hand touches my cheek, and Sa-san's face closes onto mine till it reaches zero distance.

Our lips met...

"Sa-san, pushing your tongue all of a sudden. Isn't the order weird?" (Makoto)

"Why? You did it with Lucy-san too, right? Also, we are going to be having sex anyways." (Aya)

"......"

I wonder why.

The girl I secretly had a crush on in my middle school days, saying those kinds of things, the immorality of it is incredible.

No, the excitement levels are already crazy dangerous though?!

Mostly in my lower region!

"Huh? Takatsuki-kun, your eyes are scary." (Aya)

Part of her face sunk into the bed, and she looks at me as if provoking me.

"It is your fault, Sa-san..." (Makoto)

I was on the verge of letting my body follow the flow, and...

— Let me hear your answer later, okay?

The words of Lucy rang in my mind.

Maybe because of Clear Mind, I calm down.

Is it okay to just be washed in the flow of things like this...?

"You are thinking of Lucy-san, right?" (Aya)

"Ah..." (Makoto)

"There's no need to hide it. I can tell just by looking at your face." (Aya)

Looks like it was written on my face.

Lucy did point out that I seemed to be in low spirits.

Thanks to Clear Mind, I should be able to maintain an image of a cool character though.

"Well, if you are showing hesitation, Takatsuki-kun, I will have to lead." (Aya)

"S-Sa-san..." (Makoto)

She undid the buttons of my clothes in an instant slightly violently.

"It is okay. I will take care of everything..." (Aya)

Sa-san's long tongue travelled the nape of my neck as she said this.

"W-Wait! Aya! Wait a moment!"

Lucy jumped into the room without knocking the door.

"Lucy-san, don't get in the way." (Aya)

Sa-san says slightly displeased.

"L-Lucy? You heard?" (Makoto)

"Your window is open, and couple that with my ears, I could hear everything!" (Lucy)

My window is indeed wide open.

But Sa-san is still going at her own pace here.

"Takatsuki-kun, let's continue." (Aya)

"A-Aya! What do you plan on doing?!" (Lucy)

"Child-making." (Aya)

"Child...weren't you simply going to confess today?!" (Lucy)

Looks like that's what they agreed on.

"Then, want to join us?" (Aya)

"E-Eeeeh?!"

Lucy turned beet red...and entered the bed?!

"I-I...don't know at all how it works between 3 people though..." (Lucy)

"It is okay, it is okay. We will manage somehow." (Aya)

Wait, stop!

And what about my opinion in all this?!

"Sa-san, Lucy! Calm down!" (Makoto)

"Impossible." (Lucy)

"No." (Aya)

Sa-san had a mischievous expression, and I could tell even in this darkness that Lucy was blushing.

The two closed in on me and...

"Shut up! You are being way too noisy late in the night!"

Furiae-san yelled.

Looks like we annoyed the girl that is currently in a long distance relationship.

"Sleep till morning! [Sleep Curse]!" (Furiae)

Those words were the last thing I heard. I was attacked by an unbearable drowsiness.

Before closing my eyes, I saw Sa-san and Lucy at both of my sides asleep.

(Wow, so curses work on these two, too...) (Makoto)

I thought strong characters were immune to status effect magic though.

This is the power of the Moon Oracle's curses, huh.

While I was thinking that...

I lost consciousness.

l