The brilliant morning light shines on me, waking me from a deep sleep. Through the glass, the sun shines its warm radiance onto my skin, giving me a wonderful feeling. I also notice that the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold, which is unusual if I am at home. Without doors and windows, I usually spend my nights being very cold. Wait, windows? This place has it! Then where the heck am I??
As soon as my vision stabilizes from blurriness, I realize I am not in my usual pencil lines-made house. Why? Because if I were at home, I would have been able to see the sky since there was no roof, and the black color of the outlines would stick out like a sore thumb.
The developers of this game did not put in a top for my house. And the rest of the buildings around my house are inaccessible. What did you expect? Because of that, the rain and the snow seasons were the worst since they did not give me a good time. Usually, I would have to sneak inside Han's place whenever possible or just steal his blankets and pillows. It is not a good thing to say since it makes me sound like a freeloader and decreases my already low self-esteem, but I had no choice.
In addition to a ceiling, there is a soft and relaxing sensation under my back that I can not get while staying home. Once you do not own a bed, having one underneath your back is pretty noticeable, I would say. The difference between a cold hard floor and a bed is two ends of a spectrum. There is no comparison.
Instead of my own place, I think I am still in one of the mansion's rooms.
Now that my mind is out of the haze, I think my memories are back.
"Hey, C." On my right, the sweet voice of Laura travels into my ears.
As I turn to face her, I notice Laura is on her side to look at me. Thanks to the sunlight, her gentle face appears to be shining. I guess this is what people call beaming.
"Did you sleep well?" She asks while smiling softly.
And I answer that question as truthfully as I can.
"The best one I have ever had! How about you?"
Laura puts her hand on my face and caresses it.
"Me too. It is a bliss to wake up with the one you love."
"Haha."
I let out an awkward laugh to hide my embarrassment. Frankly, how do I even reply to Laura? We are still in the middle of getting to know each other. It is not like we have been together for years, so I can not be saying the same thing to her. That would be hollow and meaningless. The time I have spent to know all the other Lauras may have been long, but the time this current Laura has spent with me was short.
On the one hand, I do not want to sound like a scumbag by saying the same thing without meaning it. On the other one, I do want to make Laura feel happy.
I need serious help...
But then, the class rep saves me from overthinking.
"I'm sorry for making you feel awkward. You don't need to say anything back to me, C. These are what I am feeling. I only want you to know that I think about you and care about you!!"
"...Thanks, Laura."
That sentence of appreciation comes from the bottom of my heart.
"Where is Rachel? She was also in this room last night, right?"
Oh shit...
I just made an extreme mistake...
In this world, you do not talk about another girl in front of one girl...
*Suuuuuu*
Laura inhales deeply.
God saves me...
*Pat pat*
Contrary to my thoughts, Laura does not hurt or yell at my face. She gently runs her fingers through my hair instead.
"Haaaaaa. Why do you have to mention that girl's name?"
"Sorry." I quickly apologize.
Really, I need help to make it work in a relationship. Desperately.
"Silly, C. She is outside making breakfast for all of us. Kurokawa is also helping. I did my part and went back here to check on you. Let's go out! Breakfast is ready."
Laura gives me her hand, and I take it.
"Yeah, let's head out."
As I walk out of the room while holding Laura's hand, many thoughts race through my mind. The more I get closer to the kitchen, where Rachel's clear hummings can be heard, the more vivid last night appears in my head.
In the end, after the cleaning, we did not get out of the house as Laura wanted. We stayed inside Han's place because no one else but me. They made the decision based on me.
In layman's terms, I was hugely burdened by guilt last night.
When my body was embraced by the two girls, I felt something akin to a barrier inside of me was broken.
They were giving me their support as tears formed on my face. The two girls in love with me gave me their softest embrace possible. After a while of being loved, I was tired and went to bed with none other than those two.
I...did not know such a day could exist.
I thought I would be killed. I thought I would be castrated. There were scenes in the past telling me the same situation but of Han. When he was found out kissing someone else, he had his teeth pulled out individually. Then, someone would smash those into bits and put them into his eyes.
But yet...Rachel and Laura worked it out with each other...somehow...
How hard would it be to suppress your own character settings? I do not know for sure.
What came to my mind was that Rachel and Laura really cared. Their voices and their words pushed the dark clouds away. Even Kurokawa, who was not close by, contributed to the ardor. And that was what I have longed for for quite a while.
With my wish fulfilled, some of my deepest, darkest emotions seeped through the walls I built inside me. They were only fragments of my hideous self, but no matter big or small, I wished those to be buried deep. In a moment of weakness, when I experienced more warmth than ever from those I truly cared for, I lost a little control of my own thoughts.
Fortunately, I did not say those out loud.
The day I do so will probably be when I have to say goodbye to them. If they knew how much of a coward I am, I would probably be left alone again.
Until now, I still have no clue why the girls were charmed by me.
Unlike Han, with a beautiful face, I had none. He lived inside a big mansion with a precious childhood friend who would do anything for him. He did not have to fear not having not enough money or love. Han had the attention of everyone. Everything within this world where I was born was built only to serve one man, the protagonist. Even when his future was ridiculously hard, he still had one.
What did I have?
None.
No face, no house, no future.
However, despite all that, the girls considered me to be their savior. Most noticeably was Rachel. When she called for my help, it seemed she was struggling her best to fight back against something invisible. I could only speculate that the system was forcing her to do the things she did not want to. It was evidently clear whenever I tried to force Han on her or ship the two of them together.
But to be fair, that could not explain why she kissed me.
For a yandere like Rachel to switch her target, it would at least need to be a life or death situation. Me saving her from the system forcing her onto Han was not nearly enough.
There should be something else.
What am I missing?
Then, I hear Rachel's cheerful voice.
"Good morning, sleeping head! Today's breakfast is pancakes!"
"Heya, C! Let's eat and go to school together today!" Kurokawa waves at me.
"Morning, C!! This is probably the first time I have so many friends at home, haha!!" Han has also woken up. He somehow looks pretty energetic even though it is in the morning.
*Gu*
"Come, have a seat." A soft squeeze comes from Laura's hand. "We are waiting for you."
Do I really need to think about the how's and why's?
*Katan*
I pull out a chair, and Laura sits on my right. Seeing that, Rachel also finishes up the stack of pancakes and sits on my left. On her left is Kurokawa, and near that is Han.
"Man, I have to tell you, I slept like a log last night. I swear it sure felt like someone gave me a sleeping pill. It was that good!!" Han laughs.
"I also slept pretty well." I nod.
"See, I told you it was better to stay here." Rachel puts a fluffy pancake on my plate. "Bon'apetite."
"Well, C, we should sleep like that more often." Laura casually says while cutting the food into small pieces.
Hey, girls...I am not a baby...
"You girls really did lock me out of it." Kurokawa mumbles.
"WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO LAST NIGHT AT MY HOUSE?!" Han stands up with bewildered eyes.
"We did nothing! We would not do it at your place, anyway!" I explain hastily.
Hearing that, the guy nods.
"Oh, then that's fine. As expected of my master."
"C, say Ah!" Then, from my right...
"Say ah!" And my left...
This is a warm table full of food.
But the food is not as warm as the people.
Maybe, the questions can wait for another day.
(Arc 1 ends)