“Incomprehensible. Why is Tadashi so gaunt?”
“Well, why wouldn’t you understand? Kind of felt like I experienced the difference in our specs firsthand last night. Seriously, Senpai is amazing. I wonder how you managed to fight and win against three opponents at once.”
The reason, or rather, the cause of my current poor physical condition was what happened with three people last night. As a man, I couldn’t possibly say it out loud.
So, while vaguely answering Amili-chan’s question about why I was feeling unwell, I shivered inwardly, recalling my senpai’s combat achievements.
It wasn’t that the sunlight appeared yellow, but I felt as if all my life force had been drained from the bottom of my body. My body felt heavy. Yet, sadly, I also felt refreshed.
Of course, there was no chance of winning when I challenged two people with a clear difference in physical ability and then had another person added. It was a natural outcome, but still, the desire to win someday must be a matter of male pride.
If I told this to a colleague I used to work with, they’d probably call me greedy. No, worse than that, they’d probably label me a criminal first.
“You can’t say it, can you?”
“Huh? Say what?”
“It’s… my own business.”
In contrast, Shiik-chan and Miik-chan, who accompanied me to the training room Amili-chan had prepared, were already up earlier than me, preparing breakfast and their lunch boxes, and their skin even looked radiant.
“Look, Shiik. It’s true that being near Tadashi’s magic seems to enhance the luster of my skin.”
“Yes, Miik. I don’t feel any lingering fatigue; in fact, I feel my body surging with energy. I don’t even feel like I’d lose to Aiwa-nee-sama right now.”
And now, the two of them were energetically doing warm-up exercises.
While wondering about the difference between humans and angels, I quietly stood in front of a full plate-like golem.
If I got drawn into that kind of female conversation, I knew I’d be completely drained again tonight. I needed my stamina to recover a bit more before I could handle that kind of topic. I really needed to train my body more.
“Amili-chan, is this the finished product?”
“Negative. To be precise, it’s an improved model of a prototype. Its goal was not performance enhancement, but improved fitting performance. It’s a one-off unit. Currently, this unit is set to Tadashi’s magic wavelength and soul wavelength. Therefore, even I couldn’t bring out more than thirty percent of its performance if I used it.”
“Whoa, so it’s completely my personal unit?”
“Affirmative. I made it for that purpose.”
“But was that okay? Honestly, wouldn’t this be completely siding with me from the Demon Lord’s Army’s perspective?”
What Amili-chan had prepared in this training room was an upgraded version of a suit that allowed me to transform like a hero. For a Sentai hero, a robot is necessary, so instead of a powered suit, it was a wearable golem. It looked like full plate armor, but when I wore it, it would probably exceed three meters in height. Currently, the torso part was open, and it was more accurate to say I would be getting inside it rather than wearing it.
“It’s fine. I made this privately. The funds came from my own assets, not military expenditure. I didn’t use the military’s facilities either; it was built in my private laboratory. What I create and who I give it to is my prerogative, using my own technology.”
“But, didn’t you think I might misuse it?”
I had heard about its appearance and performance beforehand, and at that time, she had also touched briefly on the production cost. Even though I was earning a good salary, the price was still something that made me hesitate to buy it. I felt a sense of guilt that she was easily handing it over to me under the guise of a trial run.
“Misuse it?”
The reason I lacked confidence was that I didn’t think I’d be so deeply invested in. Honestly, I wasn’t an elite by any means. I lived as I pleased, paid for the consequences, and was just an ordinary person who was somehow integrated into society by my senpai. After various events, I ended up in this company doing a special job called dungeon testing. However, it’s just a special job; I didn’t gain any extraordinary talent by joining this company. Frankly, among the current party, I have the least talent. For now, I can somehow keep up, or rather, I’m completely being left behind by my senpai. The gap is that wide; it’s more accurate to say I’m desperately struggling to catch up. That’s why, even if I’m told to have confidence, I can’t have that much.
“No, I won’t.”
In fact, I’m too timid to even think about how to misuse such equipment. I honestly answered Amili-chan’s question, tilting my head slightly and looking up at her. Shiik-chan and Miik-chan were like angels, but their gestures were fundamentally like imps. In contrast, Amili-chan’s actions often reminded me of a small animal. When we watch anime together, I sometimes find myself on her lap without realizing it. If I were to compare her to an animal, she’s like a small, initially wary but then affectionate dog.
“Then there’s no problem.”
Our conversation seemed straightforward at first, but now, the emotions contained within it were palpable. Even now, she had a slight smug look on her face.
“Is that so? Then I must live up to that trust.”
“Mhm, I’m counting on you.”
Seeing her react like that, I naturally performed an action that had recently become a habit. My hand reached out to her head, which was at just the right height, and I gently stroked it. She didn’t reject it; instead, she let me stroke her as if to say, “Pet me more.”
“Huh!?”
After a few seconds, as I was stroking Amili-chan’s smooth hair, I felt gazes from behind me. Nervously, I turned around to see Shiik-chan and Miik-chan staring at me with either envy or dissatisfaction. They weren’t saying anything, just looking at me as if to say, “Figure it out yourself.” I frantically tried to stop, but…
“Mhm, I’m still petting,” Amili-chan said, moving my hand away from her head with a gentle but firm grip that would require courage to break free from.
“If you want to pet, you have another hand. You should be patient with that one. I am currently using this hand.”
“Oh? I didn’t say anything, did I? Right, Miik?”
“Yes, Shiik. Tadashi helps us with various things, so we don’t want any special rewards, you know.”
I know you do. I understand that. But I only have two arms. It’s likely that Miik-chan and Shiik-chan want to be petted simultaneously. To do that, I would need to move Amili-chan’s hand. But she stopped me with eyes like a puppy about to be abandoned. If she looked at me like that, I really couldn’t just stop suddenly. I couldn’t help but wonder what I was doing, with the test of this equipment coming up.
“Um, how about we take turns? In another ten minutes, it’ll be Shiik-chan and Miik-chan’s turn.”
This was the best I could do for a compromise. Rather, this kind of interaction was common. Senpai, girls are really difficult. We even argue about genres when watching DVDs at home. Amili-chan basically likes Tokusatsu, like Super Sentai series. Shiik-chan and Miik-chan mostly prefer magical girl anime. If we only watch one, the mood can really differ. They don’t get upset if they can’t watch their preferred genre, but there’s still a difference in atmosphere between those who watch happily and those who watch with the mindset of “it’s an experience.” I even gently suggested that they didn’t need to force themselves.
“It’s not that I don’t find it interesting.”
“Yes, it’s not that we’re not interested. Right, Miik?”
“Indeed, Shiik. This has its own charm.”
But it seemed it wasn’t exactly “interesting.”
“If Tadashi is interested in a show, we’re interested too.”
“Yes, I really want to know what kind of shows Tadashi likes.”
“Yes, it’s truly fascinating.”
And then, the pattern was usually that we’d eventually shift to my preferred genres. I once consulted Keiri-san, thinking I might be troubling them, and she said:
“What? Are you comparing me, a single person, to yourself? Isn’t that just a maiden’s heart wanting to be with you? Understand that much.”
She lectured me. Come to think of it, when I’m in the living room, those three always seem to be by my side. Their physical distance is always close. If Keiri-san is right, it means they’re trying to understand me, but is that really the case? I used to admire harems when I was younger, but having one now makes me think a lot. Pure love is less troublesome. Well, I don’t have any complaints. Being admired by such cute girls is a once-in-a-lifetime miracle for me. Besides, I’m not so conceited as to complain. It’s what you’d call a “rich person’s problem.”
Thinking about such unanswerable dilemmas might overheat my brain. In times like these, it’s best not to overthink. For now, I’ll focus on honestly stroking their heads. After finishing with Amili-chan, I then petted Miik-chan and Shiik-chan with both hands.
“Hmm, it’s natural that Amili-chan’s hair and Shiik-chan’s and Miik-chan’s hair textures are different, but there’s also a subtle difference between Shiik-chan’s and Miik-chan’s hair.”
While stroking was fun with Amili-chan’s silky short hair, stroking Shiik-chan’s and Miik-chan’s hair was also enjoyable in a different way. Miik-chan and Shiik-chan’s hair felt a little fluffier and softer compared to Amili-chan’s, but Shiik-chan’s hair was a bit stiffer. I could tell even with the subtle difference amplified by my magic crests, I wondered how such a difference could exist between twins.
“Oh? Then, Tadashi, whose hair do you like the most? We all use different shampoos and conditioners, you know.”
“Extremely interesting. I’d like to refer to it for future reference.”
“Yes, until now we chose based on our own preferences, but I think Tadashi also has preferences.”
However, I never imagined that such curiosity would lead to this. Three sets of eyes stared at me. Shiik-chan and Miik-chan, who had been closing their eyes in satisfaction just moments ago as I stroked their hair, now looked up at me. Amili-chan joined them.
“No, I can’t decide who’s the best. Everyone has their own good points. Amili-chan’s hair is nice and silky, and Shiik-chan’s and Miik-chan’s hair have different textures, which feel pleasant to stroke.”
I told them my honest feelings. Don’t call me indecisive. When we’re all together, you absolutely can’t show favoritism to anyone. What I’m saying is my true feelings, and I understand it’s difficult to think about who’s the best. My senpai also mentioned being careful about that. Even if complete equality isn’t possible, I try to be as equal as possible. I recalled my senpai’s face, who gave a wry smile, saying it was difficult even in practice, and what I truly feel towards the three of them is simply that I’m happy they’re with me. That’s all. We exchange affection. It’s certainly not one-sided, but our relationship is still tentative. There are no rankings, and I don’t impose my preferences.
“If I had to say, what makes me happiest is that Amili-chan, Shiik-chan, and Miik-chan are making an effort to dress up for me.”
After all, I know their efforts. The twin angels who do all the housekeeping while I’m at work. And the king of machines who helps me with various things while managing his work. I sometimes see these three gathered in the room, poring over fashion magazines. From the outside, it might look like children trying to appear older, but seeing women desperately trying to become beautiful, and knowing it’s for whom they’re doing it, I think it would be rude to rank them.
“It might be strange to say everyone is the best, but I’m happy just knowing that Amili-chan, Shiik-chan, and Miik-chan all like me.”
That’s why I’m also trying my best to be honest. Seeing the three of them look at each other in surprise is my privilege alone. Even if our plans for later are delayed, I must say this when I can.
Today’s word: Speak your honest feelings when you can.
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Currently, I am serializing another work: “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” Pandora’s box has been reopened, but we’re fighting back with various things in our secret base!! Please check that out as well!!
