Chapter 4: Meeting Noriko’s Mother

You wake up early, presumably because you went to bed early. You stumble downstairs, fetching some strawberries from the fridge, and filling up a glass of water before sitting down at the dining room table, alone.

Momo enters the dining room, halfway slamming the door and fuming, with a glass of chocolate milk in hand. She sits down next to you and chugs it like she was an alcoholic and it was a shot of whiskey.

"Something the matter, Momo?" You ask your half-sister.

"Nah," Momo lies, poorly. You let the silence stretch out for a few long seconds, and then - "Okay fine. School. I got in a fight."

"With Minori's boyfriend?"

"No, a different fight. With another girl. She was saying she could totally steal Minori's boyfriend away from her."

"I thought that you didn't like Minori's boyfriend?"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean she can just say stuff like that." She crosses her arms, puffing up her chest. "Insult one of us, insult all of us! I saw that on a TV show," she explains conspiratorially.

"And did you punch this girl?"

"Nope!" She hurriedly chugs the remainder of her chocolate milk, slamming it against the table and standing up. "I remembered what you made me promise." She wears a cheesy grin, made all the cheesier by her chocolate milk mustache. "Only kicks!" Her entire body is obviously poised to flee if you try to give chase.

"I'm not mad, but try not to get in trouble, okay?" At seeing that you're not mad, Momo's smile fades a little, and she huffs and sits down. "Just mock her with words next time."

She gives a mumbled, "Fine," like you'd just given her a ten minute lecture.

You get up from your seat, and take her in a surprise full body hug from behind. "It's good to defend your sister, but you shouldn't be starting fights, Momo." You pat her head gently. "You should use your words, and only resort to hitting if the other person starts something."

"Alright..." she mumbles, looking guilty.

"Remember, you can't really be considered to have won if you get punished. You need to make the other person be the bad guy." You kiss the top of her head before sitting down. "Strawberries?" You say, offering her the carton. She takes one and eats it. "What else has been going on in your life, besides starting fights with two people in three days?"

"Uhh," she says, mumbling. "I dunno."

"How are classes?"

"They're alright. I'm not as smart as you though..."

"Few people are," you tell her, with a slim edge of smugness. It's true, after all. "If you need any help, with tutoring or something, I'd be happy to."

"Nah, I'm fine," she says, fidgeting. "I don't need help."

"What about other students? Make any friends?"

"...not really," she says. "Give me another strawberry." You offer it up, and she snaps it into her mouth quickly, chewing on it so she doesn't have to keep talking.

You heft her up, making her squeak in surprise, before setting her down in your lap. "What's wrong? Remember, you can't lie to me, I have big bro sense."

"Nothing's wrong," she mumbles, in an utterly unconvincing voice.

"Big bro sense is tingling... big bro sense says that's a lie." She crosses her arms, and you gently ruffle her hair. "Come on."

"Nobody likes me."

"I like you."

"You don't count."

"I'm pretty sure Mariko likes you."

"She doesn't count either!"

"So, besides me and Mariko, nobody likes you?"

"Well you don't have to just agree..." she says dourly.

"The real question is, which people do you care about? Who do you want to like you?"

"Somebody..." she mumbles.

"Somebody in particular?"

"Just somebody. I don't have any friends." She's pouting in your lap. "Or, like, a boyfriend."

The thought that this may be related to the fact that she keeps getting into fights comes to mind. "I'll just have to like you enough for ten people, then." You squeeze her in a tight hug, making her squeak as you pull her small body against you. "Besides, I'm sure somebody likes you. You're far too likeable for that not to be the case."

"You're just saying that," she says, her cheeks a little flush with color. She stretches her arms out to grasp another strawberry and put it in her mouth so that she doesn't have to say more.

"I'm not just saying that," you tell her, plucking a strawberry out of the carton. You tease it at her lips, and she opens wide, letting her take a bite. "I'm saying that and feeding you, which is obviously superior." With your free hand, you gently ruffle her hair. "I'll always love you, Momo. You're my precious little sister. If anybody else can't see what a wonderful girl you are, it's their loss."

You hand feed her for a while, but you do need to go to school. You plop her off your lap, and give her a chaste kiss to the forehead, making her practically glow red with heat. "Sorry, Momo. I need to get to school," you tell her, grabbing your school jacket.

"Y-yeah, me too, Nana-kun!" She stammers, a bit embarrassed after your pampering. The two of you skedaddle out to different cars - Momo shares one with Minori.

Once you arrive at school, you take your normal seat. You seem to have mistimed your arrival, as you're the only person in class, and a check at your watch confirms it. Damn, you could have spent a little longer with Momo. Chanette appears in the doorway first, her bodacious bust bouncing a bit as she enters the room, blushing a bit as she glances your way, then pretends not to notice you and sits down at the seat behind and to the left of yours.

"Good morning, Chanette," you say, offering a hand.

She hesitates for a moment, some anxiety playing on her features, then grips it tight, wearing an over the top smile. "Morning! Nanashi, right?" Her Wesmeri accent is present, but more a flavoring than anything else, coming off as vaguely foreign to your Kurogayan-adapted ears.

"Yes," you say, with a nod. "I thought it'd be nice to introduce myself and get to know you. I think I know... maybe a third of the class."

"All girls," she points out, with a little smirk. "Ah, not that I'm judging," she adds, quickly.

"Of course not," you agree. "Just happens to be where I'm sitting."

"Right, right," she says, nodding rapidly. Her tits bounce a little bit from the speed of her nodding. Her blonde hair's tossled, unkempt, curls natural rather than fostered, a bit asymmetrical, but only in a way that frames her features well. "Of course."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who came early," you say.

"It's a common problem for a lot of guys," Chanette says, snorting, then seems to realize what she just said and blushes red. "Ah, you know, just, mistiming when you're due for something and showing up early."

"I know what you meant," you tease. "I'm glad you came so quick too."

"Y-yeah," she says, nodding. "Haha, I came quick." She sniggers, then takes in a deep breath through her nose, as if to clear her sinuses.

"What do you do around school? Any clubs or teams?"

"Yeah, the Wesmeri club."

"What, all of them?"

She giggles at that. "Yeah, all of them. They did me in the butt," she says. You're not entirely sure if she's riffing, straight up lying, or telling the truth. Her body language is a bit odd. "Wesmeri's a super easy class for me, since I'm a native speaker."

"I speak a bit too. My accent's pretty on point, I think, but my vocabulary's not as good as a native speaker. Fortunately, there are plenty of other things I can do with my tongue."

"Y-yeah," she says, nodding along like she totally knows what you're talking about. "Like kissing, for example."

You lean in, close enough she can feel your breath, and her eyes get big. "I'm sure I could think of something else to do with my tongue. Something that involves lots, and lots, of licking..." you trail off, enjoying her blush, the wild look in her eyes, the way she breathes heavily through her nostril. "Want to get ice cream some time?"

"O-oh, yeah, sure," she says, nodding quickly. "Obviously that's what he meant," she mumbles to herself. She tugs at the collar of her shirt, revealing a hint of her beautiful, milky white, massive tits. "Is it hot in here, or is it just you?" She asks, with a little laugh.

"I'm definitely not the only one hot in here," you tell her, your eyes smoldering, and she blushes red at the comment, averting her gaze down to your chest... where, rather than blushing brighter once she realizes she's staring, she instead just chooses to take a longing look at your collarbone and the hint of muscle beneath your jacket, running her tongue slowly along her upper lip as she stares.

"Want to touch?" You tease. She just nods and reaches out, hands groping your chest nervously. Well. You don't want to be rude. And a big-titted blonde perv is currently groping you, which is pretty nice. "You should give it to me..." you tease, and she barely even reacts, just blushing. "In exchange for my own..." she nods dimly, utterly focused on your chest, like a deer in the headlights. "Your number, that is," you add, snapping her out of it.

"Huh?" She asks. She doesn't remove her hands from your chest, though they aren't groping you at the moment.

"If we're going to meet up for ice cream, we should exchange numbers."

"O-oh!" She says, blushing, pulling her hands back. "I thought you were talking about something else. Well. You were teasing me, probably," she mumbles. She hurriedly scribbles down her phone number and passes it to you. (965)-22878-785

You take out your phone and put it in, before giving her your own phone number back.

You take her hand in yours, drawing it up towards your lips and chastely pecking the back of her hand. She's practically blushing scarlet, as if this was the dirtiest thing a man had ever done to her. "You're good with your hands," you tease. "We could take a little walk before class? Find somewhere we won't be interrupted?"

She blushes even brighter red. "Ahaha," she fake-laughs awkwardly. "I'd love to, um, yeah, but, I have, I mean class is starting soon. I think that doing that kind of thing would take too long, you know."

"It'd only take five minutes, tops." You choose not to correct her misapprehension for the moment.

"Fuh, five minutes?" She's practically melting, from all the sweat on her face. "Whuh, no way!" She shakes her head quickly, unkempt blonde hair bouncing about. "Nuh uh. It'd take an hour!" She nods to herself. "Or at least, twenty three minutes," she concludes, as if mentally checking the length of a porn video. "Way too long. Sorry. I mean, you know, my schedule's way too full to do that kind of thing."

"How about we go out and see how much we can get done in five minutes? And if you have fun," you smirk, "you will by the way - we'll see if we can find twenty-three minutes later."

She blushes and stammers. "N-no way! You, you may think you're all cool, b-but! I have standards! A guy, he has to, you know - he has to have a big dick!" She decides on. You're pretty sure she's just making up criteria. "A-and! He's got to, to, umm," she glances around hurriedly, as though searching for some additional excuse, "he's got to have blonde hair!" She sags in her seat at that.

"A guy has to have a big dick for you to go get some fresh air with him? That's pretty lewd, Chanette."

She blushes. "Ah! You're... you're messing with me, don't think I can't tell! You think it's funny, huh? Well - let's see how you like it!" She balls her hands into fists, closing her eyes and concentrating for a moment, as if she was about to use Kamehameha on you. Then her eyes flash open, predatory intent in them. "I bet you'd really like me to play with your balls. Yeah, really toss them around, grip 'em in my hand. Then polish your sword, make sure it's nice and clean by the time I'm done." She slowly crosses her arms as she speaks. "Well too bad! Because I don't like dodgeball or fencing! Got you, boom!"

You grasp her chin between your thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at you, big blue eyes staring at you nervously. You draw closer to her, and switch to Wesmeri. "You. Are. Incredibly. Cute."

She blushes vivid red, fumbling and stammering as she retreats from your grasp - then Shuichi and Sumiko stride in, followed almost immediately by Yuriko. "Ah, we, we'll have to continue this later," she says, hurriedly, focusing her attention on her notebook.

"Good morning, Nanashi," Yuriko says, as she sits down next to you. She's affecting primness, and she glances over her shoulder at Chanette, who's currently fumbling with her book. She quirks an eyebrow. "You like... that kind of uncouth girl?"

"You should get to know her better," you tell Yuriko, fairly loudly so that Chanette can hear. "She is absolutely adorable."

Yuriko quirks an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder at Chanette, who is currently hiding her face behind her book and looks as if she is about to melt from embarrassment. She's fortunately saved any more teasing by Amaya-sensei striding confidently into the class; most of the class has filtered in by now, and she raps her desk. "Attention to the front!"

You turn your attention up, and she starts her lecture early, letting the other students filter in. You take out one of your books and get to studying, and she quietly overlooks it. When the first two classes of the day wrap up, Amaya calls you to speak to her outside the room.

"Nanashi-san," she says, as you stand outside the classroom with her, the other students milling about and discussing things, not having paid much attention to you. "I'm told you're the brightest student we've ever had here at Tsunikomo High." You nod. "If the books you're studying are any suggestion, you probably are. However, as a teacher, my job is more than just ensuring you learn, but also ensuring you have an environment conducive to growth. If you need any assistance, including with something personal, please, feel free to ask." She gently places her hand on your upper arm, and you notice absently that she's not wearing a ring.

"Thank you, then, Amaya-sensei. If I need anything, I'll be sure to come to you."

She pushes her glasses up with one finger, giving you a level look, then nods to herself, letting go of your arm. "Good. I know our relationship may not precisely comport to a typical student-teacher relationship, given your... natural talent. But I want you to know that I fully intend to live up to my duties as your teacher." You actually aren't sure if she's suggesting some kind of intimate relationship, or just sincerely offering a helping hand. "Sorry to keep you for so long," she says. "Please, head back in," she says, sliding open the door to the room.

"Thank you for your time," you say, before stepping back into the classroom. Yuriko is (predictably) leering at Kiyomi as you sit down next to her, her eyes drinking in Kiyomi's body. The girl may be beautiful but Yuriko really needs to stick her tongue back in her mouth. "Yuriko," you say.

"Ah? Oh, you're back," she says, leaning up straight in her seat. "Did Amaya-sensei have anything important to talk to you about?"

"Just personal stuff." Yuriko nods. "Still staring, huh?"

"She gets on with every other girl in class, except me." Yuriko pouts, crossing her arms. "I don't get it."

"Probably you're staring a bit too hard. I understand why you would... though my staring is focused a little closer to home now," you explain, your eyes running over her body. She blushes.

"Ah, your constant flirting is tedious," she says, with an imperious wave of her hand, but you can tell she likes it by the little smile she's wearing.

"You know, we never did decide where we were going on our date."

"Our date?" She asks confused, as if unsure what you're talking about.

"Yes. Our date. Obviously we're going to go on a date. So, where to?"

"Well... if, you were going to ask me on a date, which you have not, and need to." She says it with her chin held high, a certain pride not letting your suaveness and unending confidence penetrate her barriers that easily. "We might go to a suitably high-class restaurant, like the DeOuvre's."

You flick out your phone, finding the DeOuvre's number online and calling them up. "Hello. Yes. I'd like to place a reservation for two. Nanashi Kusakabe. Evening, preferably booth. Yes." You put the phone on your shoulder. "Does tomorrow evening work for you?"

"Guh..." She blushes, both at your cockiness, and your willingness to instantly get reservations. "You should ask before doing that sort of thing."

"Very well. Would you grace me with the pleasure of your company on a date to the DeOuvres with me tomorrow evening?"

She blushes. "Y-yes."

You pull the phone back up. "Yes, I'll enter it now." You take out your wallet, finding the plastic card and copying down the number. It's six groups of three rather than four of four, here. It's like three hundred dollars for a reservation, but your Mom will almost certainly reimburse you for it if it's to seduce Yuriko. You hope. Otherwise that's a month's allowance down the drain. "Thank you for your time." You hang up the phone. "No backing out now."

"As though anyone would back out of a date at the DeOuvres! And the guy isn't bad either," she teases, sounding rather confident for a moment, puffing up her chest delightfully.

"Neither is the girl," you reply in kind, an easy, confident smile on your lips. "Care to share your number with me? That way we can call one another if there's an issue."

"Ah, yes, my number is (647)-86724-824. Please give me yours," she says, pulling her phone out of her purse expectantly. You give her your number.

"Wear something special for me?" You ask, giving her a puppy dog tilt of the head and big eyes.

"Very well. I shall find something particularly exquisite to wear." She smirks. "Oh, I know just the sort of dress. You'll be unable to take your eyes off me," she says, with a strong sense of self-assurance, crossing her arms.

"You hardly need a particularly good dress to produce that effect," you tease.

"Pfuh, flatterer," she says, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"...or any dress at all, really," you tease, and she blushes a bit.

"Now that is rather crass."

"Hm? I just meant you look good even in a school uniform. I'm sure you'd look better than the food, even if you showed up in a baggy sweater and sweat pants," you tease.

She sniffs a bit. "You may continue along this line of talk, but be careful," she says, finger raised.

"Or what? Will you be so offended that I call you beautiful that you cancel the date? Now that would be a real shame."

She obviously doesn't really quite know how to deal with your relentless assault, so she changes tacks. She glances over at Chanette - who's busily talking to Raya, who speaks mousily and rarely - before turning back to you. "Come on. She's not listening now, so you can be honest. You just like her big tits."

"Actually, what I first liked about her was laughing at my jokes. But once I talked to her after the fact, I learned she's very innocent and naive, but trying hard to hide that fact, which makes her absolutely adorable."

"Oh? Well... if that's the sort of thing you're into..." she seems to look into the middle distance.

"Every girl has her unique flavor, and I like yours a lot, Yuriko. I have been talking to you quite a bit, haven't I? I wouldn't do that if I wasn't interested."

She blushes. "Ah, you're interesting too," she says, tucking her hair behind her ear again.

"Alright, focus back on class," Amaya-sensei says, tapping the table loudly. You turn your attention forward to her, then slide out a book to read as she begins to lecture.

The next two classes pass fairly quickly, and then the day is done, other than helping Noriko select a club. "See you tomorrow," Yuriko says.

"Ah, Nanashi-san," Terumi says, approaching you. Noriko stops her approach, simply quietly waiting for Terumi to stop talking to you. "I was wondering if we could hang out after school? It feels like it's been too long since we talked... I hope I didn't scare you off with that whole... dance thing."

"You didn't scare me, though you worried my mother." You can see her shoulders slump in relief, a small smile on her lips. "I promised to help Noriko pick out a club, though. We could talk while I do so?"

"Oh, if you have plans..." Terumi demurs.

"It is fine," Noriko says, stepping forward. "I do not mind. Having a second opinion on clubs might help as well."

"Oh, good," she says, with a smile.

"Come on, let's go, Noriko-chan," you say, and she blushes just a mite as she quickly steps after you, Terumi on the other side. "I'm about half to two thirds of the way through Tomoko," you tell Terumi.

"Oh? Did you get to the loyalty oath? That's my favorite scene."

You take mental note of the implication that she particularly likes that scene. "It was very compelling," you agree. Your thoughts absently stray to the possibility that Terumi wants to do for you what Tomoko did for Ryu. "Noriko, how would you feel about the flower arrangement club? It's an interest of Terumi's, so she could probably tell you whether this school has a good one or not."

"Flower arrangement sounds nice," Noriko says placidly.

"Oh, yes, this school has a quite good one."

"Often, people find my way of talking off-putting."

"Well, I don't," you say, firmly.

"I don't either," Terumi adds, a bit too quickly. Both you and Noriko look at her for a long second, but she just wears a calm smile without a hint of deception to it.

You go through the major ones you were thinking might be a good fit for Noriko. Flower arranging goes alright, though you think that Noriko's critical eye about the treatment of the flowers in question may have left a prickly mark with one of the other members.

Poetry... well, you think it may not exactly be the kind of club Noriko can contribute to. She read a couple pieces and just offered, "This is very pretty," when asked for her opinion. One of the club members tried to extricate more from her, but just got variations. "I find it aesthetically pleasing." "I like how the words are arranged to create an image."

As far as the arts go, Noriko has a steady hand, making sharp lines and smooth circles, but her ability to pull it together into a coherent broader image seems quite... perhaps not limited, but horrific. Her one painting sketch is done in ten minutes and looks like some kind of monstrous spider-woman, though apparently Noriko's intent is "a beautiful maiden in a flowing dress."

It turns out the photography club doesn't offer cameras to members, so you have to have your own, or use the one on your phone... and Noriko has a shitty flip phone and no money to buy a camera. She could borrow from the other students, maybe, but you get the vibe they don't really want to have to do that.

"Here," you say, fishing out your phone and offering it to Noriko. "You can try it out with my phone. If you like it, I'll see about getting you a camera or something."

"Oh. You do not have to buy me a camera, Nanashi-san."

"I'll buy something cheap and crappy if it'll make you feel better," you tell her with a smile. You waggle your phone at her. "Now try out the phone."

"Okay," Noriko says emotionlessly, taking it in hand, holding it landscape and surveying the classroom with it.

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You turn to Terumi, who perks up when she looks your way. "I really did like that scene, with Tomoko swearing loyalty to Ryu. It was intense. I wasn't able to put the image out of my head."

She smiles, tucking an errant strand of purple hair behind her ear. "I know. It's... I think the scene really benefits from the fact that erotic fiction wasn't exactly acceptable when it was written. The author had to make due with implications, and that meant she really upped the intensity on the emotions in the scene. It makes it a truly intense scene."

"Here are my photos, Nanashi," Noriko says, offering you your phone back.

There's two shots of a bookshelf with a flat, level photo. One shot of a girl's profile as she looks mildly annoyed at being posed this way. Another shot is from a corner and just sort of gets the whole classroom in one picture, without much more to it. There's no clever use of angles, nothing that makes you think, "Oh, she thought this would be a cool shot." It's like a robot trying to make art by rote.

"Is there anything you like in Hanahiro park besides the flowers?" You ask. "We could probably check out a couple more clubs before the school day is over."

Noriko thinks. "I like the statues. They are very lifelike. The history is sometimes interesting, though I know it all by now."

"I've got a couple ideas." Noriko stares at you expectantly. "There's history, culture club, and engineering. History's obvious, culture club's pretty similar but with a different angle-" Minori would hit you for that, "-and engineering, well, you haven't exactly shown artistic talent but you've got steady hands and a precise attitude."

She looks at her hands as if confused by the idea that they were noteworthy.

"Come on, we have to rush a bit if we want to get through this."

Noriko nods, her stride swiftening as she follows alongside you. The history club seems welcoming, at least, and Noriko doesn't accidentally piss anybody off there. Culture club runs into similar problem as poetry, she just has no ability to really dissect any appreciation of art. And engineering seems fairly welcoming, and Noriko shows at least a bit of interest in the stuff they do. She's also very careful to follow every safety procedure suggested without fail, even though she's not actually making anything and is mostly watching other students and the teacher work.

The school bell rings, and engineering club picks up their stuff and gets ready to go. "Any thoughts on which club you'd like to join, Noriko?"

She tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. "Do they all last the same amount of time?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know, then. History, flower arrangement, or engineering all appear equally acceptable. I do not think I am a good 'fit' for the other ones you suggested. I got the impression that they did not find my contributions valuable."

You pat her head. "That's okay. You wouldn't have had time for all of them. And don't think you're not valuable, Noriko." You gently ruffle her messy, short black hair, and her cheeks color a bit pink in response. "Which is your favorite?"

"I don't particularly prefer one of those three to the others."

"Well, then I'd suggest engineering. It has the best job prospects, and you mentioned getting a job being important to you."

"Oh. You remembered that?" She looks up at your eyes thoughtfully. "You are a very kind person. I hope you and Terumi find happiness together." Terumi half-chokes, but doesn't object, though her cheeks are bright red. Noriko sees something on your face and corrects herself. "Oh. Are you pursuing Yuriko to exclusion, then? I had assumed it was political, while Terumi was more of a love relationship, judging by the way the two behave."

"I don't know why you think I couldn't be planning on loving you, Noriko."

"Oh." Her cheeks flush a bit, and she fidgets. "Is that what you intend?" She offers a small smile- "I would not-" then it vanishes. "Oh. You did not say it, so you probably do not think it, and are trying to protect my feelings."

"Nothing like that is settled yet," you tell Noriko, with a gentle pat to the cheek. She gets a bit brighter, fidgeting uncertainly, not sure if she should smile or not. "Though I would certainly enjoy it."

She twists a little in position, uncertainly. "I would enjoy it, as well."

Terumi nervously grabs you in a hug from behind. "I'd enjoy it too, Nanashi-san," she says, quickly, not wanting to be left out. "If you'll accept me," she says, quietly, quiet enough you're not sure Noriko can hear.

You twist around in Terumi's grasp, grabbing her in a hug, and repeating the grasp on Noriko from the other side. Terumi's tits press against your side, and Noriko's head nuzzles against your chest. "I'd like to get to know both of you in a more romantic context."

"A~h," Terumi sighs happily. "I'm so happy to hear that."

Noriko just mumbles something inaudible into your chest.

"Sorry, what was that, Noriko?"

She's blushing red as she looks up at you, her eyes tinged with nervousness. "I hope I don't disappoint you."

"Don't worry, you won't," you tell her, kissing her forehead. She's a very cute girl, especially now that her bruise has mostly faded. "Ah, shit, just remembered," you say, extricating yourself from the hug for a moment. "I don't have your number, Terumi."

"Oh, of course. 647-48687-377, Nanashi-san." She rattles it off quickly, happily, a smile on her lips. She doesn't even ask for your number in return.

"Mine is 647-77642-736, if you need to call me."

"Thank you for trusting me with your phone number," she says, prettily, sweetly, sounding like she's walking on air, as she inputs it into her phone.

You lean down face to face with Noriko, her big owl eyes staring at you, and you kiss her on the lips. You can feel the scab on her lip, but it just adds an interesting quirk to the kiss, as your tongue gingerly presses into her mouth. She makes a soft noise of surprise, eyelashes fluttering softly, her cheeks growing warm. Her tongue is warm, of course, like the rest of any girl's, but with a kiss like this, it's particularly noticeable. You pull back, admiring the glow on her cheeks, the way she looks up at you with more than a thin hint of lust, her lips parted just an inch.

Then you turn to Terumi, grasping the back of her neck and the small of her back, pulling her into a heartfelt kiss of her own. She melts against you, her tongue slithering against yours, practically drooling into your mouth, humming delightedly as she slurps and sucks on your tongue. Finally, you pull off, and she wipes a bit of drool away from her lower lip and chin, blushing red.

"Noriko, you need to be home soon, don't you?"

"Oh." She shakes herself out of her kiss-drunk stupor. "Yes. If I do not have a reason to be out, I should be home. I no longer have a reason to be out now that I have checked out all the clubs."

"Then I'll have Shiiro drive us to your home," you tell her, smiling.

"Ah. Thank you, Nanashi." She fidgets a bit, then nods to herself, following after you as the three of you leave school. Her fingers nimbly lace together with yours, holding your hand as you head out to the car.

The three of you get in the car, Terumi in first, then you, then Noriko. You're on her 'bad side' this time, with her bruise and busted lip visible. Shiiro adjusts his mirror as he looks back at the group of you. "Terumi's back?"

"I-I'm not going to his house!" She says, hurriedly. "We just... were talking, and Noriko needs to get home, so, I thought I should come with, to continue our conversation."

"Very well then," he says. "Kimiko-sama made it explicit I was not to bring you back to the house, however, ma'am. I can take you to your home... or to the school, if you prefer."

Terumi's fidgeting nervously. "Y-yes, okay, thank you..." she mumbles.

The car gets started moving.

You wince and turn to Terumi, mouthing the word 'sorry' to her.

Then you turn back to your littlest girlfriend. "What time is best to talk to your mother, Noriko?"

"You want to talk to her?" She blinks in confusion. "She does not control my comings and goings, nor does she exercise control over who I am friends with." She blushes. "Or... more than friends with. There is not much point talking to her rather than my father."

"Still. I'd like to speak to her alone."

"My father does not return home from work for about another hour, on a typical day."

"Is today a typical day?"

She tilts her head. "I think it is. But I do not know. His schedule can be unpredictable. If you wished to meet my mother alone, the best time would likely be during school hours. If not during school hours, then immediately on school ending. Otherwise, I suppose that I could call you if and when he goes out drinking for the night, though that runs the risk of him coming home early, as well."

"Now is fine," you say.

"Very well. I will make certain my father is not home, so that you can speak to my mother alone."

You nod, your face serious. Terumi's eyes seem to wander your body for a long few seconds before she notices you've caught her staring, at which point she turns to look out the window.

When you arrive, Noriko walks calmly up to her apartment, raps on the door, and unlocks it, letting herself in. She waves to you after a couple moments. You take a deep breath, and Terumi gives you a quick, reassuring pat on the back.

"This is my friend, Nanashi-san," Noriko introduces you as you step up to the door. "He was wanting to meet you."

Noriko's mother is... well, she's a damned beautiful woman. Desaturated purple hair, with a cute little side tail, and amazing tits - possibly a rival for Chanette's - in a sweater. She looks almost girlish, particularly given her body language, despite being at least in her mid-thirties, possibly later. You can see why a man might be quite possessive of her, especially given the shy, unsure way she moves. "Ah, Nanashi-san," she says, sweetly. "Welcome to my home. I'm afraid my husband isn't home at the moment-"

"No. Nanashi wished to speak with you in particular."

"Oh. Isn't that nice?" She asks, nervously. "What about?"

"This and that." You offer her your hand, and she takes it, her grip limp and weak.

She offers you a nervous smile. "Ah... I don't know if I should have such a handsome boy over..."

"Don't worry. Despite your beauty, I assure you, I have nothing but the best of intentions." She blushes at the compliment, putting one hand on the side of her face as if trying to hide herself from you. You gesture towards their dining room table. "Mind if we sit?"

"Oh, well, I suppose no," she says, unsurely, and takes a seat at the same time that you do.

"I'm a new friend of your daughter's." She nods. "She's a very sweet girl, if a bit... odd."

"She's always been odd." Noriko's mother gives a little laugh. "She didn't really... well, from an early age... well... she's always been odd." Noriko placidly watches from the sidelines, not insulted at all. "I'm glad she's making friends, though." She offers a warm smile. "Her happiness is very important to me, and sometimes I worry I don't do such a good job protecting it. Still. If she has a friend she brings home to meet me, it can't all be bad."

"Ma'am, I care deeply about your daughter's happiness, too. And by extension, I care about yours." Her brow furrows in concern, her expression turning pensive. "What your husband does to you and Noriko is abuse. Very serious abuse." She starts to say something, but you hold up one hand, and she instantly - reflexively, even - falls silent. "While you are your own woman, Noriko does not have the luxury of choice, so I am asking you - begging you - to please, please do the right thing for your daughter." You reach across the table, grasping both her hands in yours. "You need to leave your husband. Noriko isn't safe here, and she won't be safe here as long as your husband is here."

She fidgets a bit, a sullen, unsure look on her expression. A mix of guilt, fear, anxiety... "I can't."

"I know you can find the strength to do this for your daughter's sake," you say, solidly.

"No." Her voice is very small. "I don't have the money. Her father - Goro - he works. I don't have any money. I can't leave. My family's dead. I don't have any friends. All I have is him. I know it's hard to understand, but even this, even this, is better than living on the streets, which is the alternative. A-and besides," she says, with this nervous, unsure smile. "He's not that bad. He's never broken any bones, of hers or mine. I-in twenty years of marriage, I've never had to go to the hospital. He always takes care of me, after."

"Does he take care of Noriko too?" You ask, giving her a seriouus expression. Her eyes turn downward. "Because she came into school with visible injuries, first day."

"Normally he doesn't hit the face..." she mumbles, quietly.

"Look. I think I can help you find a job and a place to stay for a bit. But I need to know that you're willing to leave him, before I go to all that effort." You take her hands in yours. You can see the hesitation, the uncertainty, at the idea of leaving her husband. "Please. For your daughter's sake. She deserves a better life than this, and so do you."

"...okay," she says, quietly, and you sigh in relief. "If... I don't really have... references... for twenty years..."

"I'll handle it. I just need you to promise me - no, I need you to promise Noriko-" twist that knife, it's for her own good, "-that if you can get out of here, you will. If I can find you a job, and a place to stay until that job gives you enough money to get your own, then you will leave him."

Her eyes are big, uncertain. After a painfully long period of hesitation, her hands squeeze yours back, and she nods. "I promise." She turns to Noriko. "I promise." She sounds almost on the verge of tears.

You give her a hug. "Come here, Noriko," you say, with a wave of your arm, and soon the three of you are in a group hug, you and Noriko awkwardly hugging her mother where she sits. You're gentle, your hands around Noriko's mother's belly. She winces briefly when you hug too tightly - bruising you can't see, you suspect.

You pull away from her. "I'll come back tomorrow, right after school, with a place for you to stay, and hopefully a job opportunity. I'm serious. Be packed up and ready to leave. Anything that you can't bring down to the driver's car when I get here, gets left behind. You understand?" You give her a serious look, and she nods glumly. "Okay. I have to go, but I will be back and you need to be ready for it." She nods again. "Come with me, Noriko."

Noriko follows you, slowly stalking after you as you leave the apartment. You take a look around, making sure her father isn't here, then press her against the wall and give her a thorough tongue kiss. Her own tongue nervously meets your own, poking at it uncertainly, the inside of her mouth excessively hot as your tongue slithers around inside it, teasing her, making her hum and moan in response. Her body shakes a bit, her hands nervously grasping at your sides to help her keep her balance, and you finally pull back, pressing your forehead to hers. "I promise. I'll protect you."

She offers a very small smile. "Thank you, Nanashi-kun."

You step away from her. "See you soon."

You rub your forehead as you head off, and Noriko goes back inside. You get in the car next to Terumi, and you don't see Noriko's father, so it seems you've gotten away with it. You breathe heavily. "Terumi, tell Shiiro where your house is," you say, leaning back in your seat and crossing your arms.

"Ah, I-" she hesitates, then sees your expression. "Okay..." She turns to Shiiro, her cheeks red. "I live at the RA-38 block." That's in one of the poorer neighborhoods. Not exactly a 'bad' neighborhood, but certainly not consistent with Terumi's earlier story that her mother is a teacher basically as a hobby while her father makes the big bucks.

She sits, hands in her lap, staring at her knees, looking miserable.

You reach up and close the privacy window, cutting Shiiro off from seeing and hearing what you're doing. You doubt he'd report back to your mother, but you want to have a private conversation. "Do you really think I'm not going to care about you, now that I know where you live?"

"...I lied though." She sounds a little choked up. "I-it was one of the first things I said to you, and it was a stupid lie." Her legs waggle a bit from nervousness. "I, I looked forward t-to talking to you, f-for years, and I just, I lied, a-and pretended like... like... I was..."

"How about the truth, now." It's gentle, but firm, as you say it, not brooking an argument.

"...my dad died seven years ago. We were well-off back then, but now... my mom's our only income source. She doesn't make much money as a teacher, so... I'm poor. Not well off. That was a lie."

You gingerly take a grip on the side of her face, turning her towards you. "And did you lie about being a good person? Because you look to me like you're very sincerely sorry."

"I-I am," she says, quickly.

"Did you lie about loving literature?" She shakes her head. "What about anything else?"

Her eyes are big. Then they trail down your body, staring at your chest. "I, I've had a crush on you for years. You're so smart, and athletic, and handsome. I'd seen you much more than once or twice on swim. P-probably more than a quarter of my diary for the past few years is notes on what I saw you do each day. But I was too shy to approach you."

You grasp the back of her head, pulling her into a heartfelt kiss, her tongue slithering into your mouth. She sighs against you, tits pressing into your chest, and your tongues dance and snake along one another. She sucks and slurps wantonly on yours, bouncing against you with desperate force, needing you, wanting you, desiring to swallow you whole and be swallowed whole. The wet smacking sounds of her lips against yours are heavy, her spit practically drooling into your mouth before she sucks it and yours back into her own.

When you finally pull back, she's breathing heavily, eyes lusty. You grasp her hair in one hand, forcing her to keep her eyes on yours, and she's practically in a haze of lust. You could probably make her suck your dick right now... but you want more than that.

You pull a note out of your pocket. Where you wrote what Tomoko says to Ryu in the Tragedy of Tomoko Sakamoto.

Your enemies shall be my enemies; your children, as my children. My father is your father, my mother your mother, my loyalty to those that bore me no more than that I hold to the air I breathed as a little girl. Of my self, there is no part of me I want to keep hidden rather than unveiling it to you: all that I am shall stand by your side, even unto death.

"You need to earn my forgiveness." Her cheeks flush with color, but she nods readily. "Repeat after me." She nods again, almost too eager. "Your enemies shall be my enemies. Your children, as my children."

"Your enemies shall be my enemies; your children, as my children." She says it as if rehearsed. You don't even have to keep going, she just keeps going on her own. She skips the part about abandoning her parents, though. You suppose that's fair enough - Tomoko had reason to hate her parents, so far as you know, Terumi doesn't. "Of my self, there is no part of me I want to keep hidden rather than unveiling it to you: all that I am shall stand by your side, even unto death."

She bows deeply before you. You pet her head, gently, looking down at her. Mine, some possessive part of you cries.

You pull her into a kiss, making her squeak in surprise, then she relaxes, eyes lidding, as she presses against you. Your tongue invades her mouth, and she replies to invite you deeper. Where you move, she slithers about, teasing, tantalizing, adding to the sensations. The inside of her mouth is hot and wet, like it was her cunt and she was begging you to fuck her face. Your hands grope her ass, animal need and desire overpowering your rational thoughts as you dig your fingers into the flesh down there, plentiful and muscular. She hums, eyelashes fluttering as you toy with her ludicrously sexy body. One hand even gives her tit a quick squeeze, enjoying the grope of one of the firmest, biggest tits you've ever touched.

Then the car comes to a stop, and the intercom flares. "We've arrived at our destination, sir."

You pull off from your kiss, and Terumi doesn't try to stop you. Her expression is delirious, hazy. "Now that I've accepted you..." you pat her cheek. "You're forgiven for lying to me, this once. I'll see you tomorrow, and all the days to come."

"As you wish," she says, sounding a bit drunk.

Terumi gets out of the car, walking with a skip in her step back into her apartment. It's one of those older wooden buildings. You open the privacy screen. "Back home, please, Shiiro."

"Yes sir," he says.

Fucking hell maybe you shouldn't have said tomorrow for when Setsuko leaves her husband. You flick out your phone and start looking at hotels in the city. The cheapest take you for $70 a night. Then you look for apartments. The cheapest of those take you for $700 a month. Plus you'd have to pay first and last month's rent up front, and security deposit, and they'd need a background check on you... it could easily take a week before one's set up. You're not sure how Setsuko would feel about being thousands of dollars in debt to you, but it looks like that's inevitable.

You get home and find your mom first. "Mother, I got a date with Yuriko."

"Oh! That's wonderful news," she says, her features lighting up. She hugs you, her tits pressing against your chest. "Now, give her a real chance. I know you don't like being told what to do, but please, take the opportunity to get to know her, see if she's the kind of girl you'd like to spend the rest of your life with. Don't just do this date to satisfy me then go 'nah.'"

"Okay, mother." You nod. "I actually think I like her." Her smile brightens. "I had to get reservations at DeOuvres, though, so if you could-"

"Oh, of course." She takes out her checkbook and immediately starts making out a check. "How much did it cost?"

"$300 for the reservation."

"Call it $500 for the reservation and the meal," she says. "No, I'll make it an even six. Just in case. You can keep the leftover, consider it a present for doing something proactive and smart with yourself." You nod. She rips out the check and hands it to you; you promptly deposit it in your jacket pocket. Then she wraps you in a big hug again. "I love you so much, you are my beloved, precious, special boy. I want you to know that I will always be proud of you."

You hug her back, wrapping your arms around her. This is nice. You have a beautiful, buxom woman wrapped around you and hugging you, and you're hugging her back, and she doesn't have any complaints at all. Even if she is your biological mother.

"Mother," you say, as she pulls off. She comes to attention immediately, eyes on yours, knowing you're about to ask for something. "A friend of mine's mother is in a bad situation. I'm not asking for charity. But this can be an opportunity."

She makes a 'continue' gesture.

"Her husband hits her and her daughter. She's willing, and prepared, to leave her home, tomorrow. I said I would look into finding her a place to live, and work. If she moved in as a servant, like the cook, two birds with one stone, and you get a woman who's intensely loyal to us as people."

"What's her job experience?"

"Housewife for the past twenty years," you say. "Before that... I mean, does it matter?"

"Not really. Tomorrow?" She quirks an eyebrow. "You really didn't want to give me time to think this over." She rubs her forehead. "Very well. She can come as a live-in servant, and bring her daughter. But!" She raises one finger. "If she doesn't work out, then she will leave, and you will be responsible for figuring out how. I am not putting her up for a month until she finds her feet or something. Make sure she understands that this is an opportunity, not a gift."

"Obviously," you agree, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for this."

She blushes a little. "Ah, you don't say that enough." She pats your cheek. "Now unless there's more, I do have work to do."

You nod, bowing, and leave her be.

You find Fumiko eating power bars in the kitchen, just wolfing down a couple of them and chugging the local gatorade equivalent, FuGo. She wipes her mouth as you enter. "What's up, little bro?"

"Can't I just be here to talk to my big sis without something being up?"

"No, you can't." She punches your shoulder. "Seriously though. I've gotta wait about a half hour, then I'm gonna go do some heavy duty fencing practice before passing out, so we can chat."

"I'm going on a date with Yuriko Sakamoto."

"That's the chick Mom's trying to set you up with, right? The lezzo?"

"Yeah. I was wondering if you had any advice?"

"Mm." She folds her arms. "Different girls like different stuff, y'know, do stuff she likes. But at the same time, don't pretend to be somebody you're not, nobody likes a fake, and hell you'll hate it ten years down the line when your play act is the only you your wife knows." She shrugs. "I dunno what she likes. Uhh... besides that..." she hums. "Show how you're worth the effort? I mean, you're rich, smart, handsome, you know, throw it out there."

"Any advice that's more specifically dealing with women?"

She thrums her upper arm, thinking it over. "A girl's body is a lot more sensitive than a boy. A little touch here and there is all it really takes. I mean, Dad seduced Mariko with one good kiss. Never heard of a girl doing a similar feat with a boy."

You nod, thinking about it. "Hm. Thanks for the advice, Fumiko."

"Anytime. Glad to see the super genius still sometimes struggles with the ladies," she teases, giving you a thwack on the shoulder.

You chit-chat with her a bit about her life - fencing and college classes and a few female friends, but no boyfriend - before an alarm on her watch goes off and she dashes off to practice.

You head up to your room, pick up the Tragedy of Tomoko Sakamoto, and get to reading.

Volume 2 covers the arc of Tomoko's life as Ryu's concubine, more or less; from their meet cute to her swearing loyalty to her bearing a child for him. She takes special care of his children with his wife, and never asks for basically anything, being completely loyal and in love with Ryu. There's some friction, as his wife comes to accept a Sakamoto as her husband's lover, but eventually the two bond, and there's several implications that they're having sex. You're not sure if that's normal, was normal, or just a bit of authorial fiat.

Then comes Volume 3, the finale. It builds towards a confrontation between the Charikono and the Sakamoto, and there's even a duel between Tomoko and the cousin who disgraced her. Tomoko wins, of course. She sees Ryu in danger, thrown from his horse, and dashes into action, slaying sixteen of her own blood before finally succumbing to her own wounds. Tomoko's fingers curl around Ryu's as she swears that she will follow him as a ghost, protecting him from evil spirits, and finally expires. The story ends with Tomoko's death - Ryu is still alive at that point, and the chaos of the battle is such that his fate is uncertain.

There's actually an appendix? Epilogue? In the library, so you pick it out. The translator's notes state that it's apocryphal, not written by the original author, and it shows. The love goes from intensely sexual and submissive to mostly chaste; Tomoko's ghost reconciles with her parents', with a lot of blither about filial loyalty; and any suggestion of lust between Tomoko and Ryu's wife is gone. It also establishes that Ryu is alive and well after the battle, hell, even better than he was before, beyond Tomoko dying which is sad but not so sad it inconveniences him.

Of course, by that point, you're on the edge of sleep, and you put down the book and pass out.

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