Chapter 7: Bath time
(Ryoto's pov)
Karen: "Don't you dare complete this quest, or I swear to God, I'll hunt you till the end of your days!!"
'So what would change. You already told me that we are stuck together for the rest of my life. Maybe therapy will help you calm down a little and be a little less abusive.'
Karen: "*Spit*."
'... Did you... just spit inside my head?'
Karen: "And so if I did?"
'I'm going to send you to therapy.'
Karen: "..."
Since I met her, I made her shut up for the first time. It's a beautiful feeling, really...
Lala: "This soup tastes so good!!"
Mikan: "It's a miso soup with clams."
Lala: "I see! Earthling food is delicious, isn't it, Mikan?
Mikan: "Tsk tsk, it's not that Lala-san. It's the cook's skill."
Lala and Mikan talked about Earth's cuisine and cooking, but someone at the table didn't listen to even a word as he was deep in his thoughts.
Rito: "Sigh..."
Ryoto: "What is it, Rito girl problems?"
Rito: "*Cough* *cough*"
Rito choked on rice, so I handed him water. He hurriedly drank it.
Rito: "...Thanks"
Ryoto: "So, what were you thinking about?"
Rito: "It's just... everything moves so fast and in a strange direction. You suddenly have finance, she is an alien, and we already treat her like family. Don't you think it's at least a little bizarre?"
Mikan: "Eh? Who cares. She looks human and speaks our language. There are only the three of us here anyway, so we have enough room for her. And after Lala-san showed up thus has become more bright and cheerful, I'm happy."
Rito then turned his head to me.
Rito: "Aren't you being forced into this engagement? You are just 15 years old."
Ryoto: "Who, me? I'm not being forced or anything like that. Lala is an interesting girl, and spending time with her is fun."
Rito: "...Am I the strange one here?"
He started drinking water once again.
While we were talking, Lala went out for a moment and returned with a towel from the bathroom.
Lala: "Ryoto~ We've had dinner? so let's take a bath together!"
Hearing that, Rito spot out the water from his mouth, but I didn't bother checking on him this time.
Ryoto: "Sure."
Karen: "Grrr!"
Rito: "What!!? Are you going to just agree to that?"
Ryoto: "Hmm? Why should I refuse?"
Rito: "B-but you are a boy, and s-she is a girl."
He was all red as he was saying that. As his brother, I worry about him sometimes. But wait, I can use it.
Ryoto: "You know what, you are right. I shouldn't go to the bath alone with Lala."
Rito: "R-right, boy and a girl shouldn't bath together before marriage."
I'm literally engaged to her.
Ryoto: "Mikan, want to go with us?
Mikan: "Huh?"
Lala: "That's great idea! Mikan let's go!"
Lala practically dragged Mikan to the bathroom. Mikan didn't show any strong signs of refusal. We all left, leaving Rito with a cloud of smoke coming out of his head.
---
In the bathroom, we all wore bathe towels to cover our private parts... for now at least. Lala didn't seem to mind, but Mikan was embarrassed even though she tried to hide it.
I sat on the seat before the mirror, and Lala ran towards me, dropping her towel.
Lala: "I'll wash you, Ryoto."
Ryoto: "Don't stand in the doorway. While Lala washes, I wash her as well. Later we can turn around, so I'll wash Lala, and she washes you. Sounds good?"
Mikan: "I should expect you to be calm in a situation like this but experiencing it is something else."
Lala: "What do you mean by that, Mikan?
Mikan started washing Lala.
Mikan: "Well, in middle school, Ryoto was a famous playboy... or at least tried. He was rejected every time."
Ryoto: "These are truly my dark times."
I shook my head gently a few times.
At that time, I discovered I was adopted, and I tried to distract my thoughts in any way possible, so I started chasing skirts. It helped a little, but afterward, I felt embarrassed by my actions, so I stopped doing that in high school. I even started to distance myself from Rito and Mikan. It was at that time that Mikan stopped calling me Onii-chan. The only ones who know that I'm adopted are my parents and me.
As I recalled the past, I felt hands on my chest moving up and down. It was Lala washing my front.
Mikan: "Hey, Ryoto?"
Ryoto: "Yes?"
Mikan: "Does Lala knows about your eyes?"
Ryoto: "She does."
Mikan: "You don't need to keep them closed then. It must be uncomfortable always to have them shut."
Lala: "Yes, Ryoto, open them!"
Ryoto: "I don't mind."
My eyelids opened up slowly. I was sitting in front of the mirror so they could still see my eyes in the reflection. At that moment, Lala's hands stopped as she looked at my eyes through the mirror image. Mikan was in the same state as Lala.
Mikan: "How does it feel to see through these eyes?"
Ryoto: "The same way as yours but with more details when I'm not using them."
I answered Mikan's question and tried to satisfy her curiosity.
Mikan: "Using them?"
Ah, I forgot that Mikan doesn't know that they can do more than just shine in the dark.
Ryoto: "Well, I can do this, for example."
I switched their vision, so now Lala sees what Mikan is seeing, and Mikan sees what Lala.
Mikan: "Wha-"
Lala: "Wow!"
Mikan was surprised by seeing my back and 'her' hands at my chest, so she instinctively tried to take them back, but even if her own arms were already in the air, the one in the front of her wouldn't move without Lala's consent.
On the other hand, Lala seemed to find it exciting. She had a fun time during the exchange.
I quickly stopped using my eyes and their sight to their owner.
Mikan sighed with relief and looked at me with an 'angry' expression.
Mikan: "Did you really need to do this?"
I shrugged my shoulders.
Ryoto: "This ability was the easiest to show."
Mikan's eyebrow raised.
Mikan: "This ability? Do you have more of them?"
Ryoto: "Sure do. Strengthen eyesight, illusion switching up the vision of people like I just showed and looking into the memories of people are a few of them."
Before Mikan could question me more, Lala beat her to the punch.
Lala: "Hey Ryoto, do that again."
She started shaking me by the shoulders.
Ryoto: "Maybe another time. First, we need to wash you up. Turn around."
Lala: "Yeees!"
We all turned around, and I started washing Lala. I started with her back the same way as she did to me.
Mikan: "Hey, maybe I should wash Lala."
Ryoto: "Don't need to. I can wash her without a problem."
Mikan: "...But what about Lala? Maybe she-"
Lala: "Ryoto, scrub me rougher~."
Mikan: "...or not."
Mikan's arguments were all defeated, and we went back to the washing.
My hands were getting lower and lower until they met a devilish tail near her butt.
Ryoto: "Do you want me to clean your tail too?"
Lala: "Sure, but be gentle. My tail is very sensitive."
I nodded my head and started gently stroking the tail.
Lala: "Mmmm~."
Lala started moaning quietly. She even but her finger to suppress her voice. Fortunately, Mikan didn't seem to notice it or at least pretended not to. I focused my eyes on her and saw a slight blush around her neck that would be normally unnoticeable, but honestly, it doesn't prove anything. She could feel awkward because of the situation. We didn't take a bath together for several years, and she is at that age that is already conscious about the opposite sex.
I finished cleaning her tail, so I moved my hands to the front. I moved my hands skillfully around her breast.
Lala: "Hey, that tickles!"
Ryoto: "I finish up soon, so hold on a little longer."
It's good that both of them were turned away because my little brother wanted to announce his presence, and it was hard not to notice him.
__________
*PING*
*TITLE ACQUIRED*
Title: "Self-control Master"
__________
Soon we all were clean, so the next logical step was to go into the bathtub. Sadly our bathtub was too small for three people to get in.
As the gentleman that I am, I let them use it as I went out. Lala at first protested and wanted to upgrade our bath, but she claimed down aftermarket some headpats. To be entirely fair, I gave Mikan headpats as well, and luckily for me, she was uncharacteristically meek, so she accepted them, unlike other times.
Outside the bathroom, I heard a familiar sound.
__________
*PING*
*QUEST COMPLETED*
Reward: 200 SP, 'Karen' goes to therapy for one week (New quest won't appear till the end of the treatment), one gacha ticket.
__________
'Bye Karen~.'
Karen: "Before I go, I just want to say sorry-
'What?'
I didn't expect her to apologize. I'm starting to feel a little bit guilty for sending her away.
Karen: "-SORRY THAT YOU MUST GO OUTSIDE WITH THAT FACE, SUCKER!"
With these words, she vanished, or at least I think so because I couldn't hear her voice at all, even after taunting her. But her last words make me feel more justified with my choice of action.
In the meantime, Rito was still sitting at the table with a red face.
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END
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