Naoki and Tenka lay side by side on the soft mattress, both wearing matching couple pajamas that felt cool against their skin. The faint scent of the same soap clung to their bodies, a remnant of the bath they had just shared together, a ritual that always ended with the kind of intimacy you'd expect from newlyweds at the peak of their honeymoon.
Ever since they had first tasted that forbidden fruit, going even a single day without tumbling beneath the sheets together had become all but impossible.
Tenka rolled onto her side, propping her head up with one hand as she gazed at Naoki with an expression that was difficult to read.
"Naoki-kun, you've already done it with Yachiho-chin, haven't you?"
Rather than breaking into a cold sweat or scrambling for a flimsy excuse like a man caught red-handed, Naoki simply stared at the ceiling for a moment before giving a calm nod. "Yeah, that's right. But... how did you find out so quickly?"
Tenka let out a soft chuckle and reached over to pinch his nose playfully. "You're such an idiot, honestly. Anyone with eyes could see that Yachiho-chin had just lost her innocence. The way she was walking earlier was completely off, like a short-circuiting robot. Even Sahara-chin noticed, even if she pretended not to."
Naoki rubbed his reddened nose and turned to look at Tenka with a more serious expression. "You're... not angry?"
Tenka smiled warmly, her fingers drifting to play with a strand of his hair. "Didn't I tell you before? I don't mind you building a harem, as long as I stay number one in your heart. But honestly, I'm curious... how did things progress that quickly? Yachiho-chin is the type who takes a lot of pride in herself."
Naoki exhaled slowly and told her everything, holding nothing back. "Her grandmother personally ordered her to get close to me and bear my child to secure the future of the Azuma family line."
Tenka's expression didn't shift even slightly at that. She simply nodded, as though the last missing piece of a puzzle had just clicked into place.
"Ah, I see." She murmured, pressing herself closer against his chest. "That's very much Tobera-sama's style. Blunt, practical, and with absolutely no interest in sentiment. She doesn't care about romance, only efficient results. But well, at least her taste in choosing 'stock' is beyond question, wouldn't you say?"
"..."
Tenka went quiet. The fingers that had been idly tracing patterns on his chest gradually stilled. She rested her chin on his shoulder, staring vacantly at the corner of the room, the light in her eyes dimming just a little.
"Still, Naoki-kun... there's a small part of me that feels a little... sad. I was your first. I was the one who opened the door to all of this. But imagining another woman, even if it's Yachiho, carrying your child before I do... it feels like losing a race that I myself started."
Naoki felt a faint tremor run through her. He wrapped his arm around her at once, pulling her closer and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Tenka, listen to me. Being the first to give birth might come down to timing, but being first in my heart is a position no one can take from you. You're the one who taught me what true closeness feels like. Without your courage and openness, I never would have gotten to where I am now. To me, you are my own choice."
Those words worked slowly, softening the tension in her. She looked up at him, a faint smile beginning to return to her face.
"Hehe, you really do have a way with words, don't you? That smooth talk of yours is genuinely dangerous." Tenka gave his cheek a light pinch. "Come on, be honest with me. Before you met me, how many girls had you dated? Don't tell me you left a trail of broken hearts behind you."
Naoki laughed softly and shook his head. "Believe it or not, in all eighteen years of my life, I had never been in a single relationship. You're my first girlfriend, Tenka. Besides, you already know how things are. Men these days are basically second-class citizens. Women are incredibly selective, and ordinary guys like me rarely even get noticed."
Tenka's eyes went wide, then she threw her arms around his neck with an almost overwhelming burst of delight. "Really? So I'm truly the first in every single way? Oh, this makes me feel so incredibly victorious!"
After she had her fill of that happy moment, Tenka's expression shifted into something more serious. She loosened her hold slightly and looked him directly in the eyes.
"Right, speaking of what's ahead, take two days off from your training with Riu-sensei tomorrow."
Naoki frowned. "Days off? Why so suddenly? Riu-sensei is really strict about the schedule."
"The government just issued a warning. A type of Humanoid Shuuki has been discovered, far more powerful than ordinary Shuuki. They possess intelligence and strength that far exceed the standard. Because of this threat, the government has ordered each Unit to coordinate more closely. We need inter-Unit training to align our capabilities."
Tenka sat up slightly, sweeping her hair back.
"The plan is for me to visit the Seventh Unit's headquarters tomorrow to propose an Exhibition. This isn't just a friendly match; it's a live combat simulation. I want Naoki-kun and Yachiho-chin to come with me."
Naoki gave a firm nod, settling his head back against the pillow beside her. "Alright, if that's the Captain's order, I'll talk to Riu-sensei first thing tomorrow morning. Besides, dealing with Humanoid Shuuki really does call for extra preparation."
Tenka smiled with satisfaction, pulling the blanket up over both their shoulders. They spent the rest of the night talking about ordinary, inconsequential things, what Naoki wanted to eat for lunch tomorrow, Tenka's complaints about the mountain of administrative reports piling up on her desk. The mood grew warm and easy, a far cry from the brutal battles fought in the Mato.
Tonight, they had mutually agreed to actually rest. Naoki could feel his body running on fumes. After the exhausting marathon with the fiercely resistant Yachiho, followed by the heated session during their bath together, his stamina had been thoroughly wrung dry.
He was painfully aware that his body wasn't made of iron. If he kept pushing himself like this, he'd collapse before any real enemy ever showed up.
As Tenka's breathing slowly grew steady and she drifted off to sleep in his arms, Naoki stared up at the dark ceiling, his thoughts wandering freely.
*(Damn, and I've only dealt with two women. I'm already half-dead. If this keeps up and the harem keeps growing, I might actually die young from sheer exhaustion.)* He lamented silently.
His mind drifted to the protagonists of the hentai he had watched in his previous life, men who seemed to possess superhuman libido, capable of going from sundown to sunrise with a dozen women and never losing so much as a single breath.
(There has to be a way. I need godlike stamina if I'm going to satisfy Tenka, Yachiho, and possibly the other Corps members down the line. I absolutely cannot be defeated by something as embarrassing as stamina.)
With that ridiculous resolve to find some way of fortifying his endurance in the days ahead, Naoki finally closed his eyes, letting his body recover its strength for what was certain to be a very long day tomorrow.
🎇Keep reading and support this story on Ko-fi:
📎Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/lovefanfiction or bit.ly/4sbFiOM
✅More early access chapters from WebNovel
✅5 translated fanfic chapters & 1-2 new original fanfic chapters every day (Monday-Saturday), exclusive on Ko-fi.
Thank you so much for your incredible support!