"Well, at this point, I don't think there is a need to return to class." I say that while gazing at the sky above us. It is still bright and clear, imbued by cotton-white clouds like any other day. Although compared to before, the bright blue color has somewhat adjusted to something with a deeper hue, everything is relatively similar. In addition, the temperature has shifted slightly, making the winds graze my skin cooler than when we first came here.
This world does not teach anything realistic anyway. Everything is just a filler for the main plot. Who would waste resources on creating a procedurally generated sky?
Alas, it has been some time since the bell rang. Kurokawa and I have really taken our time to laz around, doing absolutely nothing.
"How is the wound right now? Do you still feel any pain?"
After hearing my question, the bookworm, with her head on my shoulder, lifts her bandaged hand and shakes it a little, signaling that she is completely fine. Her gleeful gaze focuses on the butterfly knot, scanning every part of my work. One that resembles what she made for me in The Breaking World, which I am still uncertain about its legitimacy.
"No, husband. Everything is fine now." Kurokawa then shows me her arm. "Look at this! Isn't it cute?"
"Yes, it suits you." I answer, curling my lips.
Smiling softly on one side of mine, Kurokawa remains silent.
After all that has happened throughout this morning, she is enjoying this moment more than I thought. And it is not just our bookworm who is appreciating the breeze. No longer in its place, her luscious hair flies all over the place and keeps tickling me, forcing me to scratch every now and then. Sometimes, it touches my face, sending a floral scent to my newly formed nose. Her cheeks are flushed, and she keeps her eyes closed while leaning against me, unburdened by anything. It is the ultimate sign of trust. She knows that she is safe here.
She knows that she will not be judged. Even when her scar is wide open for me to see, she is unafraid of it being seen.
"This...feels nice...Being by your side..." Kuro whispers quietly.
"I think so, too."
Unlike the other two, who always indirectly try to bring an energetic atmosphere by fighting against one another, the air around Kuro has shifted from a solemn tone of loneliness to a more relaxed state. As if she has finally found a place where she belongs, the bookworm puts on a completely different attitude to how she was yesterday. Even when some things are left unsolved, Kuro's thoughts should be able to untangle a bit.
Since we are two different beings, I can not say in her place that all of her anxieties are gone forever. One that I can be sure of, though. With her outer shell broken, Kurokawa can now start to be who she really wants. From the pieces of predetermined characteristics, our bookworm will stand.
I wonder what direction she will take.
Knowing the past helps me nothing since it is in the future. Thanks to my knowledge of the previous iterations, I knew Kurokawa wanted to be free from her mind. However, I never had the chance to learn anything more than her wish. Telling her to open up was impossible for Han as she looked at him as a tool to degrade herself. Perhaps she threw her desires away a long time ago. Maybe it is still there somewhere, deep inside her heart. At least, the bookworm should not suffer so much from mental anguish as much as before.
Hearing her calm breathing pattern, I can tell Kuro is having a good time just by being here. And that makes the two of us. I also feel happy doing nothing in her presence. If only things were different, I would not have to feel as guilty.
In a way, I find it hard to believe such a change could occur so quickly. After all, we have only been talking for half a day. Nothing can be solved within that short amount of time.
Then again, what happened during this span was much more than anyone's anticipation. We both got to see a world where we were together. And the feelings of that particular point in the past, if it really was from the past, still lingered inside me.
If something like that impacted me that much, I could guess how much it influenced Kurokawa's decisions. We were both different thanks to the same experience. Thus, the situation has come to a point where I can not push her away despite my worries. Even though I know I should draw a clear line to separate us two, it is undoubted that my heart does not want me to do it.
But seriously, I do not want to become a three-timing bastard, goddamnit!
"I don't know what to do when Laura and Rachel return to this place." A long sigh makes its way out of my chest as some disturbing images resurface. "I appreciate your feelings, Kurokawa. But we have to set things right when those two are back."
Kurokawa's gentle voice rings: "About our relationship?"
It is actually everyone's relationship. To be more exact, my relationships with many other girls. Plural.
"Yes." Anyway, I nod to her words. Kuro is an intelligent person. A main heroine in a world where every girl is a yandere by default. She should understand how weird it is to have three people infatuated with one and the consequences it brings. Calling it a bloodbath is sugar-coating the thing.
As my mind wanders, hoping to receive positive feedback from the bookworm, contrary to my thoughts, Kurokawa fires a nuclear bomb: "I don't mind you having two girlfriends. After all, my position is already unshakably solid. A wife should be able to tolerate at least that to keep her man. Especially when this man is above the others."
If I had eyes, they would have rolled a full round and popped out of the sockets. "That's illegal!"
What kind of logic is that? How on Earth am I going to reply?
"It's immoral, Kurokawa. Don't you think so too?" My voice goes up unconsciously.
"That's nature, my husband." Replies the bookworm, still in a calm and gentle manner. "A male lion has many mates. He even goes as far as killing the cubs of the previous pack leader. It's perfectly normal for a good male to leave more offspring."
Okay, I did not know that.
"Is that true?" I look over at my shoulder.
The girl nods. "It is."
Damn, nature is scary as heck!
"Wow... Hold on! We are talking about our human society! In case you have not noticed it. I'm definitely not a lion. A lion is at least strong enough to defend its turf. Yet I have noodles for arms! And legs! Look at me! I can barely fend for myself."
She thought she could deceive me with the knowledge she gained from her books. Hah! I am stupid, but not that irredeemable. Rather than calling me a lion, a worm fits me better.
"If you are talking about a normal human society, C, then isn't it better for us to group up? First of all, we humans are herd animals. That means living together is better than living alone. Besides, it'd be perfect to protect you by having everyone by your side." Kurokawa takes her head off my shoulder and turns to look at me intensely. There is a light flickering inside her emerald eyes. "Secondly, no one gets left behind, and everyone is happy. Isn't that just wonderful?"
Not good! This is not looking good!
If I try to debate Kurokawa, I will lose. The chance of me winning is less than the size of a molecule. I mean, books are the only thing she knows the most. Even if she got a fraction of the knowledge and wisdom from those books of hers, she would still fare much better than me by a thousand times. There is no way I can defend myself against Kuro's continuous bombardment.
Kurokawa is not the planner just because the system made it so. She has the wits to prove it.
"We can use our advantages to make up for the disadvantages of the others. That will make our bond stronger and more resilient to outside forces. Don't you feel afraid of what the future might hold? What if there is a threat so big that we can not deal with it alone?" The bookworm continues with a calm voice. "For example, C, I'm not physically gifted like Rachel or have a courageous heart like Laura. I don't think I can handle much heavy lifting."
Shit! She really has some good points there. The more we do this, the more screwed I look!
