Ever since I confessed, she has been acting strange. - CHAPTER 4: THE DUEL BETWEEN THE YOUNG LADY AND THE SINGER

Episode 23: Second Attack – Tendou Seion③

After the commotion at the store, I was determined – this time for sure – to eat my dessert.

After all, I hadn’t even had my “Aah~” moment yet. And the mood wasn’t sweet at all.

“Ojō.”

“Huh? W-what…?”

But then, out of nowhere, Eito took my hand and started to lead me somewhere.

“W-where are we going…?”

“…………”

I asked him, but he didn’t answer.

Before I knew it, we had left the amusement park. Even then, Eito didn’t stop.

I stayed quiet, just following along, wondering where we were going…

(A h-hotel…!?)

Without hesitation, Eito led me straight to a hotel connected to the theme park.

He immediately booked the highest-ranking room available for walk-ins – without a second thought – and took me there without giving me a chance to object.

“Um… Eito…? Why a hotel…?”

“………………”

I tried to ask him in the elevator, but as expected, he didn’t answer.

At this point, I had no choice but to remain silent as well. Or rather, my heart was beating so hard from Eito’s insistence that I could not even think clearly.

…A hotel. A hotel is, you know, a place to stay. A place where people rent rooms to spend the night.

But when a man and a woman stay in the same room… that means that, right?

It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting this, but I’m always prepared. My underwear is always clean, no matter what.

(Wait. Hold on.)

I need to calm down. I got a little excited, but I need to think this through carefully.

Let’s go over the pattern so far. How many times have I gotten ahead of myself only to be completely shut down?

I am Tendou Seion. I won’t make the same mistake over and over again.

Well. Maybe just a little. Okay, fine, maybe I made the same mistake a few times. But that’s all in the past.

(I’m probably just misunderstanding again… But still, why did Eito bring me to a hotel?)

I went through all the possible reasons in my head.

Hypothesis #1: He brought me here to rest after walking around too much.

…Yes. Not impossible.

But would he really go to the trouble of bringing me all the way to a hotel? A nearby bench would have been enough. Even if we couldn’t go back to the restaurant from earlier, we could have just gone somewhere else.

This hypothesis is rejected.

Hypothesis #2: He brought me here to eat.

This isn’t impossible either. The hotel has restaurants.

But if that were the case, wouldn’t he at least explain? There’s no reason to drag me all the way down here.

Besides, the elevator has already passed the floors with restaurants.

This hypothesis is rejected as well.

Hypothesis #3: He brought me here to… do things that men and women do together on a bed.

…Absolutely not. Impossible. Just saying it out loud makes me want to cry.

In the end, I couldn’t think of a reasonable explanation before the elevator stopped.

Eito took me to a room on the top floor of the hotel.

I was inside, but I had no idea what to do with myself.

In fact, I was too nervous to do anything.

Because this… this was different.

Being alone together in a room at the mansion was one thing… but this was different.

…well, okay. The time we ended up sleeping in the same bed in our pajamas was definitely a big deal. But let’s put that aside. Nothing really happened.

Being taken to the same hotel room, though – that was completely new territory.

…Ah. No. I can’t. Now that I’m trying to stay calm, my nerves hit me all at once.

“Ojō.”

“W-what…?”

“Take it off.”

“Huh…?”

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Reflexively, I asked again.

“E-Eito? What are you…?”

“Like I said, take them off.”

“You don’t mean… my clothes, do you?”

“I do.”

“F-fkyu!?”

I bit my tongue. Of course I did. Who wouldn’t in this situation?

“Y-you want me to t-take off my c-clothes!?”

“Y-yes.”

“W-why?”

“There is no why. Just take them off.”

“A-aahh…!”

I’m done for. My brain doesn’t work anymore.

This can’t be real.

Eito – that Eito – dragging me to a hotel and telling me to take my clothes off?

This must be a dream. There’s no way this is really happening. It’s way too comfortable for me…!

“How much longer are you going to wear that?”

Eito took a step closer.

Instinctively, I took a step back.

But he didn’t stop.

Step by step, he closed the distance – until I was completely backed against the wall…

“You really are… a troublesome woman, Ojō.”

“A-ahh…!”

Eito put his hand against the wall – trapping me.

No. I can’t escape.

Wait. Should I even try to escape?

I shouldn’t run away, right?

Ahh, but this is nerve-wracking.

I was prepared – always prepared – but I never expected the main event to come so suddenly…!

“I want you to take that off as soon as possible, Ojō. If I could, I’d rip it off with my own hands.”

“O-okay, but… but…”

“But?”

“M-my legs… they’re shaking… I can’t walk by myself…”

I felt like I was going to collapse. Not out of fear, but because my heart was beating too fast.

Eito might even hear how loud my heartbeat is.

My face must be completely red, it feels so hot.

I can’t walk to the bed on my own.

“That’s okay.”

Eito leaned in close and smiled as he whispered in my ear.

“But make sure you take it off yourself, okay?”

“You won’t do it for me?”

“Of course not. You have to do it yourself.”

By myself.

Does that mean… he wants to watch me, all embarrassed, taking my clothes off by myself?

“S-so that’s your thing, huh…?”

“My thing?”

Eito tilted his head in confusion, but maybe that was just part of his preferences.

Maybe he’s the type who cares about creating the right situation.

“Well then, allow me to carry you.”

“Ah…!”

The moment he spoke, Eito effortlessly lifted me into his arms and started walking.

“……!”

I instinctively closed my eyes.

I was too nervous, too embarrassed – I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

I let him do whatever he wanted.

But… it was okay. That was good.

I never thought today would be the day, but I was ready.

It’s okay.

I’m sure it will be okay.

“Open your eyes, Ojō.”

“Nn…”

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

The bright lights filled my vision and revealed the room around me…

“…The bathroom?”

Eito hadn’t carried me to the bed.

He had taken me to the bathroom.

Before I could process it, he put me down gently.

“U-um… Eito?”

“As soon as you take off your clothes, put them in this bag.”

“Huh…?”

“Your change of clothes is over there-a bathrobe.”

“O-okay…?”

And with that, Eito left the bathroom.

…Why the bathroom?

Standing there alone, a question mark practically hovered over my head.

But then it hit me.

“O-oh… I see… I have to take a shower first…”

Eito must be the type who appreciates order.

Well, I appreciated it too.

After all, I had been running around all day – I had worked up a sweat.

So I took a shower.

With slightly shaking hands, I put on my robe and walked over to where Eito was sitting on the bed.

“U-um… Eito… I took a shower first…”

“I see.”

Eito got up from the bed and walked straight to me –

“…!”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Ah… this is it.

He’s going to carry me to the bed, pin me down, do whatever he wants to me…

I’ll climb the stairs to adulthood, and we’ll have five children.

Two boys, three girls.

The boys will be like Eito – cool and handsome. The girls will be confident, like me.

On the weekends, we go out as a family. I’m going to tell them all how much I love their father.

Oh, but first we have to go on real dates as a couple…

Then a wedding… wait.

Isn’t that out of order?

No, it doesn’t matter anymore.

All that matters is the fact – once that’s in place, everything else will fall into place.

After all, I’m Tendou Hoshine.

A daughter of the Tendou family.

Money isn’t an issue.

And anything in our way? My overwhelming financial power will crush them.

“Ojō.”

“Ah-Eito! I… I think I want to have a boy first, and then…”

“I’ll get rid of these clothes right away and get new ones.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have identical replacements prepared later.”

“Um, Eito?”

“Yes?”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it?”

“I mean… um…”

“Ah, don’t worry. The replacement clothes will be just as elegant and refined as the ones you had.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Something felt… wrong.

We weren’t on the same page.

…Calm down. At times like this, it’s best to go back and start from the beginning.

How did that even start?

Right. It all started when he suddenly brought me to a hotel.

“Hey… why did you bring me here in the first place?”

“Because I wanted you to change.”

“Change? You brought me to a hotel just so I could change?”

“You took me to a hotel just to change?”

“Yes, only for that purpose.”

“Nothing else?”

“Nothing else?”

“………………………………”

I fell to my knees.

All the tension, all the excitement-it crumbled into dust in an instant.

★

“Change… just change…? Does that mean I was getting excited over an outfit change like some kind of pervert…?”

The light faded from her eyes as she crumpled to the ground.

Had all the walking today finally worn her out? After all, she still hadn’t eaten lunch. As soon as the new outfit arrived, I’d take her to the hotel restaurant. At least the food there would suit her much better than anything from the theme park.

“…………”

My eyes drifted to the bag containing her clothes.

Flashes of the earlier scene at the theme park restaurant flashed through my mind – the way she had stood firm, unwavering, in front of those drunken college students.

To be honest, even standing close enough to grab one of their arms, the stench of alcohol was overwhelming.

The fact that these people were so close to her was infuriating enough. But the thought that their disgusting smell might have clung to her beautiful hair or elegant clothes – just the possibility – made my bl00d boil.

I never wanted her to wear that outfit again.

“Maybe I really am overprotective.”

I know myself. This is definitely overprotective… No, it’s not.

Instead of being overprotective, would it be more accurate to call it possessiveness?

“How pathetic…”

On what grounds do I have the right to feel possessive?

She is my mistress, the one I am supposed to serve, and I am nothing more than a mere servant.

What right do I have to have such possessive feelings toward her? It’s disrespectful to her.

“…………”

I wonder.

Is this really, okay?

If I continue to be so overprotective, won’t I just get in her way?

I might end up hindering her growth and experiences. Thinking back, she hardly had any friends before Otoha. Maybe that was my fault, because I was always by her side.

I’ve only thought about supporting my mistress, staying close to her.

Maybe I should have looked further ahead.

“Maybe I need to rethink things.”

To be honest, I never realized that I had such a strong sense of possessiveness.

And I certainly never thought I’d feel this way about her.

Lately, I keep discovering sides of myself that I never knew existed.

But are these discoveries really for her?

“I guess I have a long way to go.”