To be honest, I'm relieved. Alfred's the same as before, with his usual relaxed att.i.tude.
âŚYesterday's matter has already pa.s.sed, so. I'll just let it go. It'll probably be better not to mention it again.
Not only that, I want to purge my brain of my embarra.s.sing actions last night. For some reason, I've got the sinking suspicion I said a lot of embarra.s.sing things, so much that it'll make any normal person blush in shame and wish to disappear. I definitely need to forget it all!
Nothing happened! I can't believe it; I was just like the kids at the church back then, crying so that he wouldn't leave me! What the h.e.l.l was wrong with me?!
I can't be so out of character! I have to fix the mess I made, and quickly kick the plot back on track.
If not, it'll be impossible to step back into my role as Alfred's rival.
In fact, I feel like it's almost past the point of no return. I wonder how our relationship developed in this way? And why?
Why did he try to calm a crying person with a light kisâ
No. Stop! I need to forget this. I really need to forget this.
That's right.
It's better to pretend nothing has happened and go with the flow.
As long as I do this, everything will become normal between me and Alfred again.
After making my decision, I attempt to get up from bed. Suddenly, someone pushes me back down.
âWoahh!? Eh, what⌠Ah!â
It's Alfred. He shuffles closer to me in an instant, and nibbles on my throat.
His large hand slides under my shirt, slides from my side to my back in a slow agonizing pace. As if he's stroking me.
âEh, Al⌠fred? What are youâŚâ
ââŚYesterday's continuation. You immediately slept after all. I couldn't do anything.â
âC-continuationâŚ!?â
His hand arrives at the side of my pants, and I panic.
âW-wait, Alfred. What are you doing? Wait⌠No, that's⌠not goodâŚ. Hey!
It's obvious what he's planning to do. I quickly grab his wrist.
But why? Why⌠are you trying to⌠take off my clothes?
No, no. I must be mistaken. That can't be true. ThatâŚ
As if. No way. No way!!
He shouldn't be thinking of doing âthat' with me.
Even so, Alfred grabs my pants with both hands. Then, as if thinking it's bothersome, he also reaches for my underwear.
And he tries to pull it down.
My hand shoots out, clutching my underpants desperately and pulling them back up.
âW-wa⌠wait, wait, wait, l-let's calm down a little, okay? You shouldn't be doing this with meânoâme. You're just teasing me, right? Right? Let's put an end to this bad jokeâŚ"
No matter how dense someone is, they will definitely understand what this situation is! But he doesn't stop. Instead, he deliberately trails his tongue from my neck to the bottom of my ear. I try my best to push down the weird noises threatening to leave my mouth.
âAh, Alfred, wait, this⌠I, no, I am a male!â
âYeahâ he says, lightly brushing it off.
âEh!? W-wait, Alfred. What's with that light reply? Don't tell me⌠You like boys?!"
Like I thought, Alfred lifts his face. There's no way he can ignore words like these. There are wrinkles in the middle of his brows.
âAs if.â
I feel relieved. That's right. Yeah. Even at school, he never looks at or touches other people in a l.u.s.tful way.
Well, actually, he doesn't seem to be interested in people, period.
âI-I see. ThenâŚHey, wait!â
He licks my chin.
âW-whyâŚ?â
ââŚYou are⌠special. I feel like I really want to touch you⌠I want to feel you. Hey, will you let me touch moreâŚ?â
âN-no way!â
Eh, whatâŚ
Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean with you want to feel me? Oi, oi!
I quickly come up with an excuse. âAh, you see, I didn't take a bath yesterday, so I must be dirtyâŚâ
âThen, we can just use the âcleansing magic.'â
âY-you shouldn't use it for this kind of purpose!!â
'Cleansing magic' is a treatment technique taught in our intermediate magic cla.s.s. It's used to clean wounds.
It's not like it's impossible to use it to clean oneself the way one would use a bath. It's just wasteful to use magic like that.
Ah, but this guy has a boatload of magic power, doesn't he?
âD-doing something like this recklessly is bad, okay? Hey, please think about it more. Calm down. Let's do something like this when we're adults. When we're older, okay? This is too early for us, right? That's why, stăź hey, I told you to stop!â
After desperately scratching him with my nails, I finally see him stopping.
ââŚYou mean, we can do this when we're adults?"
âHuh?â
âYou said it yourself. âLet's do it when we're adults.' So that should be fine, right?"
Why did it suddenly become like thisâŚ!
Alfred's replies are so sudden, and the nature of his replies are really troubling. I'm shocked speechless for a moment.
âNoââ
âPromise me. If you do⌠I'll stop this instant.â
âThaââ My mind is fuzzy. What⌠are you saying?
âHeyâŚ" Alfred's voice snaps me back to my senses. "What will you choose?â He whispers this close to my ear, his voice low and dropping a few octaves. Then he licks my ear. A shiver runs down my back.
Should I choose to do it now? Or wait until we become adults, evading the current situation?
Eh, wait a minute.
Why are there only two options?
ââŚWhere's the âwon't do' option?â
âDoesn't exist.â
âEh!? W-wait a minute! What the h.e.l.l is that!? Thatăź waaahhh!â
In one fluid motion, he pulls down my underwear. I try to fight him on that, grabbing his arms.
âI-I understand! I understand, already! Let's do it when we're adults!â
âŚI choose to evade the current situation.
I mean, if this keeps going, I'll definitely be done by himâno no no. Don't be stupid!
Anyway, for now, my top priority is to escape from this inevitable situation.
After that, I can think about the next step.
âThen at that time, I can do it?â
âEh!? D-doăźâ
Do what? To who?
I probably shouldn't ask. I definitely shouldn't. My gut feeling.
All of a sudden, I recall something extremely important.
The âHoly Maiden'.
That's right.
In two years, you'll meet the Holy Maiden, right?
ThenâŚ
âafter two years!!â
ââŚTwo years?â
âYes, two years. You probably won't feel the same in two years, but if in two years you somehow get the impulse to do things to me againăź"
After you meet Holy MaidenâŚ
You will surely come to realize that your current delusional feelings are just a misunderstanding.
For some reason, my chest hurts a bit thinking about this.
I am certainly⌠under the same delusion..
Since we have such great chemistry, it is easy for us to be washed away with our feelings. Probably.
We have to be careful. If we touch each other too much, this will happen again.
ââŚWhy in two years?â
âT-thatâŚâ
How should I explain it?
I mean, no way can I mention the 'Holy Maiden' to Alfred.
He won't know who that is, since it's someone he'll meet in the future. And I shouldn't let him know either, to keep the plot on track.
Soon, his hands release his grip on my underwear. Yet before I can feel relieved, he caresses my body once more.
âHyah! I-I told you, noâŚâ
Even if I want to run away, I'm pressed down on the bed, unable to escape. My heart beats out of control; my breathing becomes hard and painful.
âI-I beg you, Alfred, wait⌠noâŚI really âŚdon't want toâŚ!!â
He suddenly stops.
Opening my eyes, I see his own narrowed. Reflecting upon his pupils is a shade of hurt.
âAlâŚ?â
âThe small star the G.o.ddess tossed into this world, which will always twinkle beside me, illuminating my way, huhâŚ"
âW-what?â
ââŚNothingâŚThat's right⌠If you come to hate me⌠And disappear from my side⌠I don't know what I'll doâŚâ
âEh?â
His words confuse me. A long, no. A very long sigh escapes his lips, full of remorse and an unwillingness to part. As though he's bearing the weight of the world.
ââŚI understand. Then⌠Can we do it two years later?" Alfred stares into my face.
His eyes tremble, filled with a heat. Totally unlike a child's.
âYesâŚâ
âI can?â
âEh, ahâŚâ
âI can, right?â
âHuh? Y-yeahâŚ"â
But then I realize what I said.
âN-no! What I said just now doesn't count!â
âYou said I can.â
âNo I didn't! Just now Iâââ
Yet Alfred shuts me up with a kiss, eyes crinkling in a smile.