Translator: Ranzan

  Editor: ryunakama

  「Wow, beautiful.」


  「Yup!」


  Aoba and Akiha stood looking through the window glass and were struck by the beauty of the scenery.

  They were 15 miles from Oritachi, in Sendai City. This city had the most population, and it was bustling.

  They were on the top floor of a skyscraper, in a restaurant.

  Taiyou had invited Aoba and Akiha there.

  They were in a very large private room, in a very expensive place.

  He looked at the two looking out into the night sky, and remembered when he and Aoba had first arrived at his castle…it was all so nostalgic.

  「Customer, would you like your meal now?」


  The waiter asked, and the seated Taiyou placidly nodded.

  「Yes, please.」


  「Just a moment.」


  The waiter bowed, and the two girls returned to their seats.

  When they sat down, another waited pushed their chairs into the table without a sound.

  「Wow, this is something. Hey, Aoba, do you come to places like this often? Atsuko and the others like places like this, you know.」


  「My mothers come to places like this, but this is the first for me.」


  「Oh, really?」


  Akiha looked a bit surprised.

  「They told me that in the future, you should take the people you like to places like this.」


  「Well, I know, but Atsuko and the others can be a little cold. They were always like that.」　Akiha said.

  「So you’ve known them long?」Taiyou asked.

  「Yeah.」


  Akiha smirked at him and threw up a peace sign.

  It was very much like her to overreact to a simple conversation.

  「I even had a time when I was living with Aoba.」


  「Oh…when was that?」


  「When was it…hey, Aoba, when did I start living with you?」


  「I think around first grade, I can’t recall.」


  「Was it around then? Yeah, I guess so. Or maybe around kindergarten.」


  The conversation between the two began to blossom.

  「That reminds me, why did you invite me here?」


  「Same as last time, is that okay?」


  「Well, before was an amusement park, but now you should be alone with Aoba.」


  「Is that bad?」


  「Is this a set-up?」


  「You guessed it.」


  Taiyou thought a bit. Instead of beating around the bush with a girl like Akiha, it would be better to be straight with her.

  He took the wine glass the waiter had provided and sipped from the grape juice inside, and said:

  「I want you.」


  「For my fighting strength?」


  「What fighting strength?!」


  Taiyou reacted loudly.

  His head even hurt a bit.

  Today, he had come to persuade Akiha.

  He asked Youran to set up this expensive place for him, and then used Aoba as bait to get her there.

  It was a beautiful view, and expensive restaurant, then, I want you.

  「So anyway…fighting strength…you…」


  「Agh…this is Akiha, so just say it, Natsuno-kun. Also, it’s not entirely separate from the idea of fighting strength either.」


  「That’s among us in the family though.」


  「What, what?! So you really do want fighting strength?」


  Akiha’s eyes sparkled, and she was hooked.

  As a reaction, Taiyou’s head did start to pound.

  「Why are you getting excited all of a sudden?」


  「Well, because it’s interesting, right? Any way you look at it.」


  「So interesting is the important thing?」


  「For me it is.」


  「I know, but, too bad, it’s not.」


  Taiyou held his breath a bit, and made a serious face looking straight at Akiha.

  「It had nothing to do with interesting…I just want you.」


  He used the same words, and this time with emotion.

  「Let’s just be friends.」


  Akiha said with a quick bow.

  「That was fast.」


  「Aoba…Aoba are you okay with that? Well, that’s a dumb question, you’re Aoba, after all.」


  「Yes.」


  「Why do you think that way? Why me?」


  「I’ve thought it over.」


  Taiyou looked straight ahead, with a piercing gaze looked at Akiha, and said.

  「Why? There are two answers to that question. One is because you’re close friends with Aoba.」


  「Because I’m friends? What does that mean? You just want to have sex with two close friends?」


  「I didn’t think about that. No, I, my harem has women that stick together strongly, and what makes that happen is that they all do their best to strengthen one another. I think that’s very important. I want to make that connection as strong as possible, and the links as close as I can. Even if one connection is cut, another one forms in time for the other to heal.」


  「I see.」


  Akiha understood.

  After seeing Aoba’s family, she would understand it, Taiyou thought.

  「And one more reason.」


  「Yes, what is it?」


  「Because I really do love you, I noticed.」


  「Whaa?」


  Akiha’s composure seemed to crumble.

  Her bright and cheerful face was taken aback, and now replaced by something close to surprise.

  「I thought about it, and I noticed that I really do love you. I know I should think more about it, but instead I decided to just lay it all out on the table. Wait, I thought, am I really in love with this girl? I realized.」


  「What are you saying?!」


  「Yeah, I love you, I guess. Just a normal conversation.」


  「Whaaaaaa?」


  For a second Akiha’s face became as red as a boiled octopus.

  She jumped up, and her chair fell with a clunk.

  「A…Are you being honest, Natsuno-kun?」


  「Yes.」


  「REALLY?」


  Akiha asked him again.

  「Really.」


  Taiyou smiled and looked at Akiha.

  「Akiha Aoba. I love you, honestly, and I’d like you to be mine.」


  He said while gazing at Akiha.

  In front of one of his wives, he proposed to her best friend.