His meeting with Azusagawa was totally unexpected, but as he had promised previously, he quickly helped him clear up the rumor about him throughout his forum.
Frankly, it was quite easy for him to do this, and very quickly, the bad rumor about Azusagawa cleared up. He also found out who had slandered Azusagawa, but he didn't understand why this guy would slander Azusagawa.
However, if there was one reason he might pick, it would probably be, "It's just a game, so you don't need to get serious, right? Everyone is doing it, after all." He could somehow tell this person would say something like that in front of Azusagawa, which was also why he was confused about why Azusagawa could be so kind.
Even Buddha could get angry, so why shouldn't a harem protagonist get angry too?
Or were they too chicken?
Or was it similar to what most readers usually say?
Was it because they were too beta?
Shishio wasn't sure, but he decided to give this "person" a little prank that he would remember for life.
After all, wasn't it too cheap for that "person" to get unscathed from all the trouble he had done to Azusagawa?
Shishio might not be a superhero, but he just felt this "person" wasn't pleasing to his eyes, so he just made his life uncomfortable.
Was he so overbearing?
Probably.
However, Shishio didn't regret it, and when someone asked why he did this, he would say, "it's just a game, so you don't need to get serious, right? Everyone is doing it, after all." He wondered how that "person" would react when he said all of that.
Anyway, the problem of Azusagawa was easy to solve, but the issue of Natsuo was quite troublesome.
His relationship with Natsuo's parents and his step-sisters was one thing, and Shishio also didn't want Natsuo to do something stupid such as commit suicide. If Natsuo did that, then the guilt that might be felt by Hina and Rui was so heavy that they might part away.
Shishio must admit this case was so troublesome, and the easiest way to solve this problem was to make Rui and Hina live away from the house where Natsuo stayed.
Rui had moved away, and it was a great thing.
Hina also decided to move away too since she felt it was better for her to move.
Shishio was happy with their decision, so there was no need to make it complicated. It was better for them to be parted by distance and time before they slowly forgot each other, making the relationship between them become a mere closer stranger.
Frankly, all of these problems made him realize what kind of evil person he was.
Yet he couldn't stop it since the love he felt toward his women made him want to monopolize them. He knew he was being selfish since while he could monopolize them, they couldn't monopolize him.
Shishio knew he was guilty, and it wouldn't be wrong for Natsuo to want him to break up with his step-sisters.
However, should he just back away because Natsuo said so?
No way, right?
If Shishio could back away just because someone said so, that meant his feelings toward Hina and Rui weren't so deep, and if he could back away from those two women, he could also do the same with the other girls. Naturally, it was something impossible, and there was no way he would leave them.
Shishio thought for a moment and felt that even if he was quite despicable, he should treat the relationship between Rui and Hina in an upright manner, in a manner where their families could see and acknowledge them.
Shishio didn't want Hina and Rui to lie to each other or lie to their families. Instead, he wanted them to uprightly tell their family that the three of them dated each other.
However, Shishio had to tell Rui about her relationship with Hina first. Yet as he was about to explain, there was this certain force that compelled him to close his mouth. He was, without a doubt, often by Rui's side.
After all, when Rui trained with her father in the new restaurant, he was also there by her side. He helped her to make the recipe for becoming better, which made Jou even more excited about the prospect of becoming his son-in-law.
It might be good news that he was being accepted by Jou, who would become his father-in-law in the future, but he couldn't be happy since he was unable to say what he wanted to say to Rui.
However, when he saw her smile and imagined how she would be disappointed in him, it made him hesitant to tell all of this to her.
Someone could say he was being chicken, and there were even many hints that Rui might accept his relationship with Hina, but could everything go well?
What if she just teased him?
There was nothing he could do besides searching for a good opportunity for him to tell.
Yet when?
After all, while Shishio knew there was a certain and perfect day for someone to sail to the sea, there was not a perfect day to tell Rui about the fact he also had done "it" with Hina.
Shishio was filled with anxiety, but he had always been good at acting, so he hid it well. However, girls always had this sixth sense that was hard to explain. They might have noticed his worry, but they didn't say anything, waiting for him to say.
'Ahh, how complicated.'
Shishio knew that being in love was troublesome, and he must admit it was taxing. However, he was really wondering how to explain this problem to Rui without hurting her.
Should he just shut his mouth, waiting for her to ask?
If possible, Shishio wanted Rui to take the initiative to ask him.
Unfortunately, Rui had been focused on her dish, so her dream could be accepted by her mother.
Still, when Shishio thought about Rui's mother, he knew that being betrayed was the most painful thing. If he was unable to talk about his relationship and Rui happened to see them, without a doubt, it would be seen as a betrayal by Rui, so even if he knew it might cause trouble at the beginning and might make her hate him, he knew he had to say this.
Shishio had to tell this painful truth to Rui.
As for "when"?
Shishio had decided to say this when Rui had finished, showing her dish to her mother. Then, when everything was cleared up, and Rui could show her mother her determination to become a chef wasn't because of wanting to spit or just a haze, he would tell everything to her.
Frankly, Shishio thought to tell this when they were going home together from the restaurant when Rui had just finished her training.
However, when they went home together on his motorcycle, Shishio glanced at her tired face from behind and how she hugged his waist and laid her face on his shoulder tiredly, showing her trust in him. It made him hesitant to convey everything which he hid from her.
"You okay?"
"What?"
It might be the thing that Rui loved the most after her training. She loved to take a bath with Shishio, sitting between his legs and leaning back on his chest. The only thing she wanted to complain about was she could feel his hardened third leg which made it hard for her to sit in a comfortable position, considering its size and all.
However, Shishio couldn't be blamed for this situation.
After all, who made Rui so tempting?
Rui's short hair had become long enough that she could tie it into a short ponytail, showing off her slender and pale white nape. A combination of her ample breasts and pink nipples showed what kind of alluring woman she was. The warm water made her skin rosy, making her figure even more bewitching.
Shishio was glad to have her as his woman.
Rui pulled his arms around her graceful waist and said, "You know, I am glad to have you beside me."
"Really?"
"Um." Rui smiled and nodded. "If you're not there, I might not be sure what I should do. I might be blind, and I might clash off with my mother without knowing what kind of pain she has endured because of my selfishness."
Shishio rubbed her hair gently. "You don't need to be so exaggerated. I am your lover. Isn't it normal that I want you to be happy?"
"Yes, it's normal, so tell me, what has made you worried all this time?" Rui turned and stared deeply into his eyes. Her magenta-colored eyes stared into his as if trying to see the worry that he hid deep inside. "If you don't tell me anything, it'll be unfair. I want to help you too." Shishio had been by her side on her toughest time, so she wanted to do the same and be by his side on his toughest time.
Shishio stared at Rui for a moment before he gave a butterfly kiss on her shoulder.
It made her feel slightly itchy but also made her body slightly hot since she could read his intent. However, she wouldn't let him run away and quickly pushed his head away from her shoulder. After all, she was afraid if this continued, she might be under his spell again, succumbing to the pleasure.
While Rui wanted to do it, she wanted to have a serious conversation with Shishio first.
Watching her stubborn face as if the rationality and instinct on her mind fought each other, Shishio must admit this girl was hot, but he wondered whether he could tell the problem he had hidden from her.
"Tell me," Rui asked again with a blushing face.
Shishio couldn't run away. No, he didn't want to run away since he didn't want to lie anymore, so he decided to tell her.
"I date your sister too."
"..........."
Suddenly the bathroom was devoid of noise.
Only the sound of the water droplets from the corner of the faucet could be heard between them.
"Rui?" Shishio asked.
"Call Hina-nee to come." Unlike her previous blushing succubus-like demeanor, Rui was expressionless and showed the demeanor of a female yaksha.