She could be mature, she could be innocent, she could be perverted.

     There were many sides to Sorahashi-san. All those sides put me at ease. No matter if she acted strange, provoked my temptations, or manipulated me, I didn’t mind any of it. She made all the dark emotions that had been building up in my heart slowly begin to disappear. In place, my desires had been brought to the surface, making me understand that I was a beast.

     She taught me not only about all herself, but also about the various sides of me that I hadn’t known about. She was truly a mysterious individual.

     As we got busy picking out plenty of dishes together, we suddenly came across the pet section. There were pet bowls there. Suddenly, I thought about how she also had one for herself. Not that it was anything important.

     Perhaps she noticed that I was looking at the pet bowls, because she came over to me.

     「…Would you like to have a matching set of these as well?」

     She softly whispered in my ear. I felt my body jump in surprise.

     Certainly, I’d been acting as her dog more often than not, lately. But that was…

     「I don’t really…」

     「This one is quite nice, don’t you think? It’s the same color as your collar.」

     She picked up a white bowl and brought it up to my neck. She moved as if she were putting a collar on me.

     My previously calmed heart began to race once again. This didn’t seem like just a simple date after all. I quietly took a black one off the shelf.

     「…This one suits you, Sera.」

     「…Hehe. It’s the same color as my collar.」

     Doing the same as her, I brought the black bowl up to her neck. Just that action made me think of all the times I had disciplined her as my pet, and my stomach tightened up. The sensation of us licking all over each other’s bodies at my house vividly rushed through my mind.

     I felt a shiver run through my entire body. It spread in time with the beating of my heart, as if urging me on.

     I wanted to do it.

     Right now. I wanted to throw away all outside opinions, ethics, and everything else and make her my puppy right this moment. Desire overflowed from my heart, transforming me into another self. But then, I suddenly heard the cries of a baby somewhere, startling me.

     …No, I couldn’t.

     If things continued like this, it’d really get out of control.

     「Then, let’s buy this one too. It’s a bit exciting to eat off of brand-new tableware.」

     I was certain she knew what I was thinking. She put the bowls into the shopping basket. They settled in with a clank, and at that, I realized she was about to buy quite a lot of dishes.

     「Sorahashi-san, is it heavy? Want me to carry it?」

     「It’s fine. I’m stronger than you, after all.」

     「That’s true, but… isn’t it kind of a lot?」

     「There’s no need to worry about money.」

     「Where are you going to put it?」

     「I have plenty of space. In the first place, there isn’t much lying around because the house that I’m living in was originally a vacation home. 」

     Was that really okay?

     I didn’t mind the idea of me being an addition to her house. But somehow, it felt like it would be something bad. She didn’t seem to mind at all, though.

     「Ah, right. Why don’t I buy some furniture and prepare a room for you as well?」

     「Th-that’s a bit much…」

     「Really? I thought it was a good idea, though…」

     Was she planning on letting me live there?

     I wryly smiled. Certainly, her house was quite spacious, and there seemed to be plenty of empty rooms. But I felt like if she were to buy me any furniture, I would cross a line I wouldn’t be able to return from. It’s not like that wasn’t the case already, though.

     「Hmm… I suppose the next thing on the list would be a toothbrush. Oh, and a cup to put it in, as well.」

     She brightly smiled.

     I stopped in my tracks.

     「…Are you sure?」

     Honestly, having my own dishes there shouldn’t have seemed like such a bad thing. And yet, for some reason, I felt strongly against it. I couldn’t even carve a place out for myself in my own home, so was it really okay for me to make one in someone else’s?

     Wouldn’t I just be causing an inconvenience?

     Was I really worthy of being by her side? Those sorts of worries began to circle around my mind.

     「It’s no problem. If you desired, you could stay at my house as long as you wanted.」

     「Why go that far…? Is it just because I’m a good master for you?」

     「That’s part of why, but… It’s because I genuinely like you.」

     My breath nearly stopped. It was the first time someone had looked me straight in the eye and said that to me. My heart was beating so fast that even I was surprised, and my face began to grow hot.

     Yume had also said that she liked me a lot. But it was strange how even though the words were the same, my heart reacted so differently.

     She —— really? Me?

     I felt the same shock now as I did back when she had asked me to be her master. After all, there was no way that Sorahashi-san could come to like me. But the fact that she had said that was certainly not a lie. Her voice rang true, leaving me speechless.

     「I like how you treat me like a puppy, I like how gentle you are, I like how merciless you are when I’m being punished… Oh, and I also like how you’re good at cooking! The idea of being able to eat your cooking every day is so exciting. …Although maybe I ought to cook occasionally as well.」

     She spoke as if it was already decided that we’d be living together in the future. For some reason, hearing her say all this made me smile. I never thought anyone would truly want me ever again.

     Mizuki had started to distance herself from me, and in the end, Mutsuki and Yume were just friends.

     There was no one left for me to cook for every day — no one left who wanted to eat my food.

     But Sorahashi-san wanted me, wanted to eat my cooking — and that made me happy. It scarred my heart, was so painful that it made me want to cry. I wanted to be wanted. I wanted to be needed. I wanted to be seen. I never knew I wished for such things until now.

     However, those just might have been my greatest desires of all.

     「…You’re crying again.」

     She said in a small voice, setting the basket on the ground.

     Then — she licked my cheek.

     I jumped in surprise.

     「Wait… Sorahashi-san! If you lick there, you’re going to get sick!」

     「I won’t. It’s okay.」

     「But I’m wearing makeup today…」

     She licked my cheek, just like a dog.

     And then, I realized I was crying. In times when I felt good, and that time when she gave me a Christmas card… Lately, my tears had started to flow during such inexplicable moments.

     People only cried when they were deeply moved. Maybe my tear ducts had a malfunctioning sensor.

     By the time the tears stopped, I was exhausted and crouched over.

     「Kurumi, are you okay?」

     「Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for all this.」

     「No, it’s no bother at all. Rather, this feels more like a treat.」

     「…Pervert.」

     She laughed when I said that.

     「Does my makeup look weird?」

     「It’s fine. You’re always cute.」

     「It makes me a little anxious when you put it like that…」

     「Huh…」

     Seeing her look dissatisfied, I chuckled. I stood up to see her peering into my face from below.

     Her eyes were as beautiful as ever.

     「You can cry whenever you feel like crying. I’ll be there for you.」

     「By that, you probably mean you’ll be licking my tears up.」

     「Don’t worry about the details.」

     She said, picking up the basket.

     「…Sorry. And thank you.」

     「Mhm. Say, Kurumi.」

     She smelled like the ocean. It was a scent different from her natural one, but it stimulated my instincts. Even though it was artificial, it didn’t seem so bad when I thought of it as her scent.

     「What do you like about me?」

     Her words were full of confidence. I thought for a moment and then spoke.

     「You’re innocent, a little scary, and mature… but you’re also straightforward. Those are the things about you that I… like.」

     「Hehe. I see, I see.」

     Sorahashi-san turned her back on me and started to walk away. I couldn’t see what expression she was making, but the spring in her steps told me how she felt about what I’d said. I sighed in relief, following along. Then, I suddenly noticed — her ears were red, which was an unusual sight. Maybe she was embarrassed.

     She should be used to receiving praise, though.

     Still puzzled, I gently placed my hand on the basket she was holding.

     「Here, I’ll help you out.」

     「…Okay.」

     She walked through the store without another word. We weren’t conversing. Yet, my heart was warm. I smiled at her — but she stubbornly refused to look my way.

     An unusual sight indeed.

     I chuckled.

---

< Previous Part | Next Part >