After Nagasaki Soyo fell completely asleep, Chihaya Tetsuya quietly took his sketchbook and pen to the living room so as not to disturb her rest.
He wasn't sure if it was because of the stimulation from Soyo, but the moment he left the room, he immediately began to draw the design for a new set of thermal underwear.
Although he was very reluctant to admit it, it seemed he really did get inspiration when his male instincts were stirred...
"At this point, I should just face reality."
Tetsuya sighed and said to himself.
"I am, in fact, a pervert who gets inspired when girls try to seduce me."
Although Soyo had repeatedly emphasized that he was just the passive recipient, he had no intention of evading all responsibility. After all, while he was being assaulted by them, he had never explicitly resisted.
Being a designer was a profession that required constant engagement with one's self and sensibilities. This way of thinking, always accompanied by self-analysis, made him understand his own nature very well. Even if none of the previous intimate encounters were of his own volition, he had also felt intense pleasure and satisfaction while passively receiving the girls' affection. As for thoughts like "not wanting to make them sad" and "it's just a reward," those were just secondary reasons that came after his instinctive reaction, used to convince himself to continue enjoying the current situation.
...
If they knew what I was really thinking, would they be disappointed?
After all, he had never proactively shown them the desires a man should have. It was very possible that what they liked was the version of him from before, who desperately restrained himself and seemed to have no desires...
If he proactively revealed the truth that he also yearned for them, would they change their minds?
Should he really do as Soyo said and continue to enjoy the status quo as the "passive party," bearing no responsibility?
"...That won't do."
The moment this thought flashed through his mind, he immediately and completely rejected it.
"Since they've all openly declared their feelings for me, then I can't hide anything either."
If a similar situation happens again... I have to proactively tell them that I, too, possess the dangerous side a man should have!
Even if doing so might make them change their minds, I have to do it!
"Although this might go against Sakiko's original plan, I don't want to maintain a relationship with them that's built on concealment."
Thinking of this, Tetsuya made up his mind.
"And at the end of the day, they're all inexperienced young women... If I can become more proactive, they might get scared or resist, and reconsider their future course of action."
He couldn't help but recall Hoshino Ai's extremely unnatural reaction on the night the live show ended.
Although it was just his speculation for now, he had a feeling that he wasn't as helpless as these girls thought.
If he wanted to, he could completely turn the tables!
Thinking of this, Tetsuya felt his thoughts become much clearer.
And just as he was about to continue drawing, his phone suddenly rang—
[Brother... what are you doing right now?]
...Back to the present...
"Anyway, although Soyo did make a move on my brother, it seems like nothing really happened between them."
Anon put down her phone and said to Mutsumi with a look of amazement.
"Just sleeping in the same room, was that really enough for her?"
"Soyo was never the greedy type."
Mutsumi's reaction to this completely expected outcome was incredibly calm.
"She's satisfied as long as she can be sure she can stay by Chihaya-san's side."
"Uguu—"
The implication of that sentence was that she and Hoshino Ai were the greedy types!
Damn it, it doesn't sound nice, but it's true!
In fact, ever since that night, she had been waiting for Ai's call, looking forward to their next collaboration. However, the "accident" that night had probably hurt Ai's pride. She hadn't sent any messages during this time, nor had she mentioned any plans for a next assault.
But that being said, she wasn't completely without empathy.
My brother isn't going anywhere. I'll just have to wait for Ai to rally her spirits again—
"Hm? Is that..."
Just then, Mutsumi suddenly blinked. She gently tugged on Anon's sleeve with one hand and pointed towards a nearby drugstore with the other.
"Anon, look, isn't that Tomori?"
"What?!"
Anon was startled. She quickly looked in the direction Mutsumi was pointing and immediately cried out.
"It really is, it's Tomori! But the person with her... who is that?"
Long black hair, a long-sleeved hoodie completely out of season, and a slightly familiar baseball cap and mask...
Wait... a baseball cap and a mask?
"It couldn't be her, could it?!"
But, if it really is her, why would she be out with Tomori at a time like this?
Thinking of this, Anon quickly turned back to Mutsumi.
"Mutsumi, let's follow them and see!"
"...Mhm."
From what Mutsumi knew of Takamatsu Tomori, she wasn't the type to go out with strangers easily, let alone someone who would proactively enter a drugstore. And from Anon's reaction, it seemed she had already guessed the identity of the companion...
Out of a bit of worry and curiosity, Mutsumi followed Anon's lead.
...
"You can go home and try applying it according to the tutorial! I think it will definitely suit you!"
"Y-yes, I will!"
Tomori nodded earnestly and took the blush her companion had recommended from the shelf.
"And this mascara, you can take it back and try it too. Your eyelashes are already so long, they'll definitely look even better with a little mascara!"
"Okay!"
At her recommendation, Tomori then picked up the tube of mascara.
Just like that, under the black-haired girl's guidance, Tomori bought a lot of cosmetics all at once.
And when it was time to pay, the black-haired girl proactively took out her wallet—
"Leave it to me. Consider it compensation for bothering you on your day off."
"You don't have to go that far..."
Tomori said in a small voice.
"On the contrary, it's an honor for me to have been invited by you..."
"Jeez, you're being too much of a stranger!"
The black-haired girl said after paying.
"I sincerely want to be good friends with you, you know. And like I said before, I have a problem that I can only solve by talking to someone... So just think of all this as my payment!"
"...I understand."
Faced with such a resolute attitude, Tomori, who was never good at refusing, could only nod helplessly. She turned to the black-haired girl beside her and said:
"Well then, where are we going next... Ai-san?"