While Mizuto knew that he was amazing, he wouldn't do something such as sleeping with Mizore directly, especially when it was their first time after they knew each other. Moreover, he would be so degenerate if he could think such a thing.
His relationship with Mizore was that of a pure upperclassman and an underclassman.
Mizuto wouldn't make the same mistake that he had done with Yuu, where he lusted after his friend and also almost seduced her big sister, causing a crack in the relationship between Rei and her boyfriend.
He wasn't such a devil!
No... he probably had already become a devil.
So, as a devil, he knew that he had an obligation to pull those humans into sin, and at the same time, he felt that he had changed. The struggle and the morality that he felt before had disappeared, and he just wanted to have a good time.
So, even if he knew that his decision to join the concert band club might cause Yume to be in doubt, he didn't think it was a problem.
"I am home."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, and all the people present could hear him.
"Ah, Mizuto-kun, welcome back."
His stepmother, Yuni, greeted him gently. The awkwardness that grew between them had disappeared, and their relationship had become as cordial as before.
While Yuni was attractive, Mizuto thought that there were so many beautiful women in this world. As he had touched the stepdaughter, there was no need to involve the stepmother, especially when she was the woman that his father loved. Yet, even if he tried not to get involved with his stepmother, he could feel his stepmother's yearning for him.
Still, even if he could feel her yearning, he could see that she tried her best to suppress that feeling.
Mizuto somehow could imagine that as long as he hugged her, telling her how his feelings toward her weren't a stepmother but a woman, he could imagine that she would show struggle, then tell him to suppress his feelings, then helplessly help him with her hands before slowly falling deeper.
Shaking his head, Mizuto decided to throw those thoughts away.
"You haven't eaten, right? I have just cooked dinner with Yume."
"Thank you, Yuni-san." Mizuto thanked Yuni and could feel her hard work, trying to become a mother to him, so he shouldn't have such a perverted thought toward her, especially when he had so many mature women lovers by his side. Instead of lusting over his stepmother, he should put his lust toward the others. "Have dad gone home?"
"Not yet." Yuni shook her head. "He told me that he would work overtime."
"..."
Mizuto was speechless, but he didn't plan to do anything to his stepmother, so there was no need to worry about it.
"Oh, right, the teacher-parent-student meeting will be next week, right? Is it okay for me to represent you?" Yuni asked curiously. Even though she had married Mizuto's father, she wondered whether it was okay for her to go to Mineaki's place (Mizuto's father).
"It's fine. You are also my parent now."
Mizuto knew that his father was busy with his job at that moment, so there was no need to force his father to go to this meeting. Moreover, since Yuni could go to Mineaki's place, why should he hesitate to accept her kindness?
However, even if Yuni and Mineaki couldn't go, it didn't matter since his homeroom teacher was Nami.
Frankly, he was more worried if his parents met Nami, but except when the matter of sex was involved, he knew that Nami was reliable.
"Is that so? I am glad..." Yuni showed a gentle smile and was genuinely relieved that Mizuto was fine with the arrangement.
At that moment, in the corridor, the two looked at each other, and a strange silence permeated between them. This silence... they weren't sure how to describe it.
Yet, while Mizuto tried to calm down, he could see Yuni's shyness and the cute blush on her face.
Was this a woman in her 37?
Why was his stepmother like a young girl instead?
While he was speechless, fortunately, Yume came out from the living room. "Mizuto, have you gone home?"
"I am back."
"Welcome home~!" Yume greeted Mizuto cheerfully, but then she noticed a black box in his hand. "What is that?"
"Now that you mention it, what did you bring, Mizuto-kun?" Yuni quickly followed Yume and looked at the black box in Mizuto's hand.
"It's the oboe."
"Oboe?" 2x
The two were startled and confused.
"Oboe? Is that a musical instrument?"
"Yup."
"Why did you bring that?"
"Let's talk while we eat."
"Okay." 2x
While they were curious, they knew that Mizuto was hungry, so they decided to talk over this matter while dining. As the three had dinner, he also told them about his decision to join the concert band club.
"Concert band club?" Yume was dumbfounded. "Didn't you tell me that you won't join?"
"I decided to join today."
"It's so sudden..." Yume was confused by his sudden decision. Mizuto was busy, especially when he had a job, but then he told her that he was going to join the concert band club, which made her wonder why he did so.
"To be honest, I planned to join this club before, but I changed my mind when I saw the club's conditions. Yet, I changed my mind again after I saw the change in the club."
"What kind of change?" Yume also knew that Mizuto was initially interested in the concert band club, but then he told her he didn't plan to join, so why did he change his mind again?
"It's the club advisor."
"Teacher?"
'Yeah, the club's advisors have changed, and I can see the difference in this club. While many are still lazy and horrible, I can tell that this teacher is trying to change all of that, so I decided to join."
"Is that so...?" Nevertheless, Yume sighed in relief since she had thought Mizuto had joined because of Reina. She wasn't blind, and even if she had announced her relationship with Mizuto, it didn't mean that the others had given up. Instead, their feelings never disappeared; they just buried them.
While she knew that she might be cruel, it was definitely impossible for her to give up Mizuto.
However, Yume tried not to doubt Mizuto, and since he told her so, she was going to believe him. Still, that didn't stop her decision to check on him later when he was at the club.
"But it's amazing! Are you planning to become a musician, Mizuto-kun?"
Unlike Yume, who was worried that Mizuto might be swayed by other women, Yuni was more curious about whether he would become a musician since, with his face, she could somehow imagine he would become a star.
"I have never touched an oboe before. Let's see how it goes, but I plan to learn it."
His expression was firm, like that of a samurai who had decided to test his limits by challenging another, showing that he was the greatest swordsman on earth.
Watching this, the two didn't have a doubt and sincerely supported him.
Yet, there was no doubt, as he had said those words, Mizuto knew that he had to do his best to become the best oboe player, and he was going to do it since even if he did join the concert band club to accompany Reina, he definitely wouldn't want to waste his time on the club activity where there wouldn't be any will for everyone to improve.
Nevertheless, when the night came, Mizuto fell asleep; someone slipped into his room as usual and asked, "Why did you join the concert band club?"
Once again, Yume asked the same question.