Chapter 291: Because He Is a Handful…

Hiero

The Handful who became my lover fell asleep with me still on him.

A calm, peaceful face that looked like he worried about nothing. Right now I cannot help loving that.

I knew he did not notice, and I understood he had no awareness he was courting me either.

But if you are told things that make your teeth float every day, you cannot help thinking you are being courted.

I was careful so my feelings would not turn into deep love, and then this Handful...

I smiled and poked one of his cheeks, puni puni, with my index finger while he slept with his mouth half open, breathing quietly.

The feelings I had gone to the trouble of damming up now had the lid opened and overflowed and would not stop.

He said he would take responsibility, so I will have him take all of it, all of it, all right?

I suddenly felt the same flow of power as mine and turned my face. Pafa appeared in the room with the movement I often use.

Then she saw me on top of Raide, smiled softly, quietly climbed on the bed, and slipped in beside Raide.

Like I had done she settled between his open right arm and body, turned on her side, and used his right shoulder as a pillow.

Pafa laced her fingers with my left hand, held it gently, kept smiling, and asked in a small voice.

"Did you fall?"

"...Un. I fell."

"Nfu. Good. Hiero, good, right?"

The smile Pafa wore was not the usual teasing kind. It looked happy and relieved.

Looking at Pafa’s soft smile with her eyes narrowed as if she had let out a breath, for some reason tears started dropping from my eyes again, poro poro.

It is not that I am sad. I got at ease, and because I have not put a lid on my feelings they overflow at once.

"Gusu. Honestly... it troubles me."

"It cannot be helped, Hiero. He is a Handful."

"Un... un, Pafa. That is so. Because he is a Handful we were drawn, right?"

"That is so. Because he is a Handful he can court us."

I smiled while tears fell and moved the hand she held, nigi nigi, again and again to tell Pafa my feelings.

I wanted Pafa to know the feelings for the Handful I cannot put into words, and I wanted to put my same-homeland friend who had worried more at ease, so I kept moving the held hand.

Pafa squeezed my hand back as an answer. That made me glad and tears fell again.

Only today I think I have become a terrible crybaby.

You will take responsibility for making me like this, right?

You promised, so take responsibility for changing us, all right?

I muttered that in my heart. Pafa and I smiled at each other and fell asleep feeling his body heat.

Was it a dream? I am not sure, but I felt like someone said "Good night."

Raide

Morning sun coming in the window woke me.

I stared blankly at the ceiling with a blurry view when I felt someone on my body and remembered I had fallen asleep with Hiero on me.

I meant to rub my eyes with my right but someone was using my right shoulder as a pillow so I could not. I rubbed both eyes with the back of my left and cleared the view.

I dropped my gaze. Hiero had turned her face, pressed her right ear to my chest, and was breathing calmly in sleep.

And to check who was using my right shoulder as a pillow I turned my face. Pafa was staring at me with a soft smile.

With a head that does not work much just waking I thought, what is she doing? I smiled and greeted her in a small voice.

"Morning, Pa... nnn?"

"Chu... nfufu. Morning, Raide."

Before I could finish the words Pafa kissed only my lips and cut me off.

Pafa eased her face away, brought it to my neck, and started sniffing as if smelling, sun sun.

Then she murmured at my ear, "I am a lover too," so I pressed Pafa’s body even closer with my right and asked, "Is that all right?"

As if answering my words Pafa lifted her face from my neck, narrowed her eyes, put on a soft kind smile, and kissed me.

Small lip sounds sounded again and again. In proportion to the number of sounds Pafa kissed me.

Why is Pafa sleeping here? Why am I being confessed to just waking. I do not know.

But I have no reason to refuse Pafa becoming a lover. Rather I had wanted it so I am glad.

When I put my tongue a little into Pafa’s mouth our tongue tips touched once, chon, then the kiss was stopped. Pafa who eased her face away tilted her head a little and smiled with a troubled face.

"That is, you know? We will not be able to stop so no."

"That is so. I look like I would not stop either so I will endure. I love you, Pafa."

"Nfufu. I love you too. Tell Hiero too? She is awake."

At Pafa’s words I dropped my gaze. Her ears were red. I could tell at once she was awake.

When I stroked Hiero’s side-hair with my left her body twitched, piku. So cute I could not stand it.

Waking up and having gotten lovers, and the happy feeling on top of that, I almost thought I was still in a dream.

I stroked the head of Hiero who would not show her face at all, moved my left little by little as if combing her hair, and spoke.

"Morning, Hiero. My beloved lover."

"...Morning. You are sly, Raide. Being told words like that from just waking, my cheeks slacken and I cannot help it."

"Hmm. I want to see that slackened face... tactless?"

At my words Hiero moved her face, pressed it against my chest, gui gui, and murmured, "Not yet, I cannot."

Pafa who brought her face to that Hiero grinned and spoke at her ear. "Not yet?"

Then "Nn~~~!" Hiero leaked and, still pressing her face to me, skillfully patted Pafa, pasu pasu.

I held those two adorable bodies tight, gyu, smiled, and opened my mouth.

"I love you both. I love you."

"Nnuuuuuuu! I-I do too!"

"Nfu. I love Raide too."

Hiero said it rubbing her face, suri suri. Pafa narrowed her eyes, smiled kindly, and answered.

After enjoying the two of them’s body heat we sat up... but Hiero left the room still hiding her face with both hands. I was disappointed I could not see the slackened face.

I smiled wryly, rubbed the back of my neck with one hand, and looked at the door Hiero had gone through when Pafa standing at the edge of the bed kissed one of my cheeks.

Then Pafa put on a soft gentle smile, brought her mouth to my ear, and whispered in a soft voice.

"If you want it, Raide, we will show you slackened faces anytime."

"...Too stimulating from morning, Pafa. I would rather you not tease me too much."

"Fufu. It is morning, right? Nfufu."

Pafa eased her face from my ear, looked at my lower half, immediately moved her gaze to my face, grinned, and said that.

I stroked one of Pafa’s cheeks with one hand, smiled with a troubled face, and said, "Will you not forgive me?" I was kissed on the lips again and told, "Sorry? But I will wait."

Strange? I thought only Hiero was sly-cute, but Pafa is sly too?

Day by day she is remembering memories and various things. Pafa is becoming sly-cute like Hiero.

I am honestly glad she is getting various things back... what is it?

Do the People of Rieralia have many sly, cute women?

Pafa left the room too. After my lower half settled I stood and stretched.

I thrust both arms straight up. The feel of stretching this whole body felt good.

I moved from my room to the washroom, washed my face and teeth and mouth, tidied myself, then headed for the dining room.

There was Hiero clinging to Nimi cooking in the kitchen from the side, pressing her face as if hiding it.

Pafa beside Hiero helped Nimi and now and then poked that Hiero, tsun tsun, with a finger and grinned.

Micon and Scon had prepared dishes on the table. When I gave them a morning greeting they smiled happily and answered.

...Hmm. Is this not too much of a happy space? I truly have to brace or I will go slack.

Saying I will go slack is less correct than saying I will be made slack...

I greeted Nimi too when she noticed I had gotten up and turned her face. I helped prepare breakfast and we all sat around the table.

As an aside when I talked about going slack and such at breakfast I got laughed at terribly...

I felt embarrassed, but I got to see Hiero’s face laughing happily so I will call it good.