Chapter 229: Free Time

"Silly girl, why did you sleep here? What if you catch a cold?"

As her arms naturally tightened her embrace, I also did the same, pulling her completely into my arms.

From there we ended up sitting on the sofa with me hugging her from behind. With my arms resting on her navel, Akane left all her weight to me as she rested her back to me.

"How can I get a cold if my cure is here? A hug from you is enough to cure it, husband—Ah! My papers!"

She was saying some cheesy lines only to remember that she was working on some papers before she fell asleep.

Without leaving my embrace, Akane leaned forward to take a look at the previously disorganized table and search for her papers.

"There, I organized it for you. What's that about?"

"Oh. Thank you, husband. It's for our future."

Akane giggled cutely as she reached for the stack of papers at the side which I pointed. After checking what she wrote on it, she organized it again before continuing to work on it.

I've read its contents earlier, and it's something related to her studies. Watching her work on it, I became something like a relaxing pillow for her that when she couldn't think of what to write, she would rest her head on me. Since I have nothing to do, I tried helping her which sped up the progress in finishing it.

Once she finished it, Akane turned to me and with a silly smile on her lips, she declared it's my turn. She also wanted to help me with my homework.

After spending some time working on it together, I asked her to take a bath with me, which she cheerfully agreed with. I still have Shio's smell with me. Even if she didn't say anything, I'm sure it somehow bothered her when I kept on coming back to bed with another girl's scent.

This time, I wanted to be clean for her.

30 minutes later. We went back to our room, refreshed.

Akane snuggled to me, which was something she always does. Like always, I returned it by embracing her tightly. We had sex once during our bath that's why we're both somehow satisfied down there.

After a few minutes of just feeling the existence of each other, Akane asked a question that was bugging her.

"Husband, what should I do? I feel like I'm monopolizing your night like this."

"You're not doing that. It's my decision to come back to you like this. I always spend my days at school and even during weekends I also go out to meet someone else. Call it as me trying to make it up to you, but this is my way to show my love for you."

I knew she would start thinking like this one way or another. After embracing the fact that I couldn't just be hers alone, me sleeping somewhere else wouldn't be an issue anymore for her. But yeah, this time, it's me who wanted the transition to be perfect.

By perfect, I didn't mean truly perfect. Just that it should be a natural thing wherein it wouldn't feel wrong for her if I decided to spend the night with another girl.

"The others, especially Miwa-nee and Shiori wanted to sleep with you too. There's also Otoha. If they asked or you feel you wanted to be with them for the night, don't worry about what I will think, husband."

"Understood, wife. I'll tell you if something like that came up. But for now, my arms still wanted to embrace you at night."

"Un. Years from now, I know that this is still what I will look forward to every night."

"Well, years from now there might be a little child who resembled you and me between us by then."

Our child. Just like Minoru for Miwa-nee and me, we will also have a little Ruki or Akane.

"That's one of my dreams, husband. Ah. Right, I'm going to tell you about the good thing that happened."

Not just her dream. It's also mine. That will be realized in the far future, making a stable home for everyone comes first.

"I'm all ears. For it to put you in this good of a mood, I'm sure that I will like that too."

"For sure, you will."

Akane enthusiastically told me that her school also has a program for the first years. Of course, it's not like the Mentor Program wherein they will be paired up to a senior who will guide them instead, the school opened up elective courses which the students can take. Aside from her Home Economics club, she took up one such course which would further her skills on that part.

She's really going all-in on becoming a better housewife for me. Though it sounds silly, her dedication and her enthusiasm about it is too adorable.

And I'm looking forward to seeing what she will learn about it. For now, she probably still couldn't decide on what she wanted to do in the future but I'll support her regardless of what she chose to do.

After telling her what happened to me and Himeko, Akane told me what she learned from Itou. That girl really hated it that a guy is close to her sister. She told Akane that it felt like if her sister fell in love, she would become distant to her once again.

Now that my relationship with Himeko became clear to her eyes, I wonder how she would react after today.

Itou not leaving Himeko's side after they arrived home was something she probably thought of to see if she would still be favored by her sister.

In the end, I could only conclude that Itou is just worrying too much. Himeko is clear about certain things, such as her love for Haruko, for her sister and lastly for me. The two girls were slightly ahead in her heart, with me coming in a close third.

For now, at least. But being the only guy close to her, it could also be said that I'm the only one in her heart.

After talking more about my upcoming visit to their school, Akane told me that she'll try to talk to them tomorrow so that everything will go smoothly this Thursday. Since it will be after school, I will also use that chance to prove the rumor about me and Akane by visiting her in the club first. Those who joined her club just to follow her will be in for a surprise.

-

-

Wednesday. Aside from some comedic routine from the various groups in class during some of the lessons, the classes go on about as normal as possible.

During the lunch break, I got some free time due to the girls having prior engagements. Because of that, I got some time for myself. I didn't stay that long at the cafeteria and had just gone over to buy bread for my lunch before going out somewhere quiet.

There's no point looking for new targets anyway, so I used the time to check in with the other girls from the other schools.

When I called Akane, she was eating with her friends in their classroom. Because it's a video call, she happily showed me off to them. I'm actually acquainted with her friends since they're the ones who were always with her during our middle school.

I never targeted any of them, even if some were in a relationship. It could be that I already unconsciously put Akane and her surroundings as a taboo zone. In any case, there's really no point in targeting them. Even now, I'm still thankful for them for sticking with Akane. That silly girl was unreasonable sometimes, but they're still there for her.

During the call, they barraged me with their questions about my relationship with Akane and I answered them all calmly and perfectly, confirming our relationship. Those who came from the same middle school in their class overheard it. In the end, our call created a commotion. Akane is one of the most popular in their high school after all that almost everyone was interested in news about her. The never-ending rumors are the witness for that.

Next was Yae. When she answered my call, she was too delighted that she ran out of the cafeteria to be able to talk to me clearly. Also, it's to hide our relationship. What happened at Akane's class quickly reached the cafeteria after all. The gossip spread too fast especially if it concerns the popular students.

Yae is also a popular girl but like Akane, she's hard to approach. Also, she has fewer friends than her.

I always kept her by my side, which led to her friends from middle school to drift away from her. When I cut her off, she couldn't reconnect with them because she's too occupied with thinking up ideas. Ideas about how to make me look for her again.

Aoi was alone at the rooftop saying that she was trying to get some fresh air but when I saw the blazing sun behind her, I kind of scolded her which made the unruly girl shrunk down to go back inside the building.

Ria was eating alone in their classroom. Because of her nature of being an observant, others find it hard to get along with her. Because the two of them were currently alone, I added Aoi to the ongoing call.

Even if the three of us were at different schools, we ate our lunch together.

Because there's not much time left, I could only greet Sena, Otoha and Nao. However, even just seeing me was proven enough to make them satisfied.

Well, like them, seeing all of their satisfied smiles was enough for me. I guess even if I get some free time like this, my mind will still wander into the thought of spending it with them if I'm not tired or there's nothing else to do.

They're already a part of my life after all.

-

-

Because of the Mentor Program, they moved our PE class every Tuesday to Wednesday.

From the original two classes, it will now become a joint PE Class for Class 1 to 4.

Wednesday is Class 2 and 3's original schedule so we're the ones being added to them. But yeah, since the students doubled, Eguchi-sensei wouldn't be alone at conducting the PE Class.

In the end, they decided to split the boys from the girls. The boys will conduct the PE class outdoors while the girls will conduct it inside the Gymnasium.

By doing it this way, it wouldn't be as chaotic. However, I'm kind of worried since the one who will conduct the class for the girls is Eguchi-sensei, the discipline freak.

I can only hope for her to go easy on them. I admire her dedication to actually improve everyone's physical fitness, but she tends to go overboard.