Chapter 305: Number One
Translator: Reflet
Editor: ryunakama
“And what is this?”
Kotone inquired. Her reaction seemed somewhat indifferent, but that was probably because she wasn’t sure as to what was inside of the case. So Taiyou opened the cases, showing them the interior. At that very moment, identical faces were all painted with surprise. They were bewildered enough to cover their mouths with their hands out of how breathless they were.
“I want you girls to put these on.”
“Taiyou-san…is this…?”
“Could it be…that?”
“That rumored…thing?”
“Yeah, those are rings. One for each of you.”
Taiyou had brought out the rings he had received from Sakura. He felt a bit of guilt as he looked at the deep emotion on their faces, since they didn’t know what events had led to this, but he endured it and then spoke.
“I’d like you to treat these as engagement rings.”
“…”
The three mismatched sisters lost all their words. Taiyou didn’t think that they were displeased, though, nor did he think they were too conceited or anything like that.
“Are you willing to accept these?”
He asked, seeking some sort of answer. After a bit, the three sisters brought down their hands from their mouths simultaneously, nodding.
“””Yes, with great pleasure.”””
And they extended their left hands. That very moment, their surroundings grew pitch black. Their terrace seats had been illuminated by light bulbs under the night sky, but that lighting had instantly dropped all at once. Taiyou looked toward the shop, wondering what had happened. As he did so, the employee from earlier was looking their way, winking with a thumbs up.
The lighting had vanished, replaced by the moonlight.
Grateful for the fashionable decision of the employee, Taiyou then turned back to the three sisters. He first took one ring out of its case and took Kotone’s hand. Pushing the ring through the ring finger of her left hand, the ring fit perfectly, as if it had all been planned.
“Let’s just say that these rings have been reserved.”
“Reserved?”
Kotone asked puzzledly. Taking out the next ring, this time he took Suzune’s hand and slipped it through her ring finger.
“Actually, it’s more like these are designed to keep men away. Or like some type of marking.”
“Marking, you say?”
Taking the last ring, he put that as well through Kazane’s finger.
“I’d like to use these as reserves until the day that I can get you all rings that I got with my own power. So please treat them as such.”
“Even without these things, we’ll always be yours, Taiyou-san.”
Kazane quietly and nonchalantly declared. Her tone itself wasn’t strong, but that only made her feelings seem stronger.
“Yeah, which is why I said ‘marking’. There’s no guarantee that other men won’t try and plot to forcibly take you all. That’s what the marking is for. It’s my way of asserting myself and saying ‘These women are mine. You’d best know what you’re getting into if you so much as think about touching them.’”
“Marking…”
“…That makes me happy.”
Kazane murmured, and everyone rubbed their cheeks against the rings that they had received from Taiyou affectionately.
“Thank you very much.”
“I’ll treasure this for my whole life.”
“I will always, always, treasure it.”
“Well, you don’t have to treasure them that much. Once all seven are present, I will hand you the proper wedding rings. So it’ll just be until then.”
“””Yes!”””
Though they had initially nodded at what Taiyou had said, they still were evidently trying to affectionately pat the rings. For a time, that was all they were doing, but suddenly, as if remembering something, all of them looked up at Taiyou.
“Taiyou-san, is this just for us?”
“What about everyone else?”
“Are they…prepared?”
“…Come on, you guys.”
Taiyou felt teary-eyed. Today, his feelings were at their peak, and he energetically hugged the three sisters.
“You’re gonna bring up other girls at a time like this?”
“Of course.”
“After all, they’re married to our precious Taiyou-san!”
“We wouldn’t feel right about being the only ones to receive…Actually, it wouldn’t be good at all.”
“Relax. I have enough for five people.”
“Five people…”
“There’s us, Kohaku-san, and Youran-chan.”
“And Aoba-chan and Aoyama would be the fourth and fifth.”
“Yeah.”
“””What about Yami-chan?”””
The three sisters asked all at once again. It was a reasonable question, and Taiyou replied naturally with the answer he had already planned out.
“I still haven’t…or should I say, it just isn’t the right time to put the ring on her before defeating her.”
“Oh…that’s true.”
“She still isn’t yours after all.”
“But of course I hope it happens soon.”
“I’ll do my best every day to make sure it happens quickly.”
While hugging them, he fell onto the sofa looking up.
He gazed at the moon above his head. The girls whispered into his ears.
“We’re happy to have met you, Taiyou-san.”
“Hm?”
“Because you think of us a whole lot, Taiyou-san, and you make sure to think of everyone else as well.”
“Not just us, but everyone.”
“Well yeah.”
Taiyou smiled, putting power into his arms.
“You have yourselves a harem, yeah? That’s the kind of household you wanted. And you believe that to be happiness. Well it’s the job of men to help their love’s desires come to fruition.”
“But other people can’t do that.”
“They would normally reject what we want.”
“But you’re amazing for acting like it was no big deal and granting our wish.”
“Amazing, huh? All I was doing was making the wish of the girls that I liked come true.”
“””Yes.”””
The three of them said in unison. It was as if they were saying that that in itself was what made Taiyou amazing.
“We like you, Taiyou-san.”
“We love you.”
“We adore you more than anyone in the world.”
“And I adore you more than anyone in the world.”
And when he said that, the three sisters all got in a good mood. He pressed even closer to them. Their mood had clearly gone up when he told them that he adored them more than anyone else in the world. Of course, Taiyou understood the reason. He said that precisely because, in actuality, he loved them the most.
“Taiyou-san, how much do you love us?”
“I love you more than yesterday. I love you more than anyone else.”
“Heeey Taiyou-san, can I ask you one selfish thing?”
“How about two things?”
“Ah, would three be okay?”
“Well aren’t you selfish. But go ahead.”
Taiyou laughed, egging them on.
“Is it alright if we keep these on at school?”
“Of course. It’s to keep other males away after all.”
“Is it alright if we brag about getting these from you, Taiyou-san?”
“Sure you can, but if you dilly dally then I’mma do it firrrst!”
“Could you put the rings on us in front of everyone?”
“That isn’t too difficult.”
“Could Koto-chan, Suzu-chan and I exchange our rings sometimes?”
“If anything, please do. Cause it’s probably something that only you guys can do.”
They made lover’s talk under the moonlight. Depending on who saw them, they might very well just dismiss them as being lovebirds without a care in the world. That was just how Taiyou and the sisters felt. Today, more than yesterday. Right now, more than a second ago. Taiyou was always seeking to become more and more in love with his partners, and this was still continuing in real time.
This very moment when he put the rings on them was the most bliss moment he had ever had with them from the moment he met them.