Chapter 50: Momo: It Itches.
....
"You're saying there's friction between Momo and the blockhead, but she just refuses to explain the exact reason to you?"
"Precisely. Haven't you noticed her current attitude toward Kihara is completely different from before?"
Anna Yanami awkwardly shifted her gaze away. She really hadn't paid attention to any unusual behavior from the girls surrounding Kihara lately, mainly because all her focus had been consumed by losing weight and controlling her diet.
Besides, the most threatening rival, Sanae, had returned home for a bit, while Lala—his official fiancé on paper—was far too innocent to proactively do anything with Kihara, let alone with Momo and Nana acting as gatekeepers for her.
Anna even felt there was no need to stay on high alert around Kihara; she just needed to successfully slim down first before considering anything else.
"Sorry about that. I've been focusing on losing weight recently so I didn't notice. But can you give me specific details on what anomalies Momo has displayed?"
Nana recalled the recent events briefly, then listed every single point that had felt off to her. What started as a simple recap ended up shocking both of them, as she went on listing details for over ten minutes.
"You really care a lot about your sister, don't you?"
"W-Who said I care about her?! I just don't want the atmosphere at home to get weird, that's all!"
"Mmhmm, I get it."
The tsundere nature practically written across Nana's face made Anna chuckle despite herself. Analyzing the clues provided, she quickly reached a conclusion.
"Nana, maybe you've been guessing wrong from the very start!"
"I guessed wrong?!"
"Yep." Anna adjusted the non-existent glasses on the bridge of her nose, the corners of her lips curling into a confident smile. "Momo isn't having a fallout with Kihara-kun; she's simply realized she's living with a member of the opposite sex and feels a bit unaccustomed to it!"
"I recall you two haven't had any contact with males your age growing up, right?"
"That's true."
"That's the exact reason!" She snapped her fingers, launching into a smooth, well-reasoned analysis: "Momo must have suddenly realized that aside from being her brother-in-law, Kihara is also a male of the same age. Since she's never lived with a boy before, the resulting confusion led to a shift in her behavioral patterns."
Half-doubting, Nana pointed at herself. "But I don't feel any different. I still play video games with him as usual, and living together actually feels really fun."
"Hmm..." Anna scratched her hair in dilemma, offering a tentative guess: "Maybe it's because you have a 'life-saver filter' on him. You feel extremely safe when he's around, so you don't experience that confusion or anxiety."
"Now that you mention it, I really do feel very safe whenever I'm near him... I didn't realize you were this good at psychology, Anna!"
"Of course!"
In order to figure out her blockhead childhood friend, Anna had purchased plenty of psychology books and romance novels to fill the gaps in her knowledge.
In other words, she was a bench commander boasting rich theoretical knowledge, but holding absolute zero practical experience.
'So according to Anna, that unknown flutter deep in my heart whenever I accidentally touch Kihara also represents relaxation and safety?'
Nana hadn't expected that consulting Anna on a whim would actually solve two of her troubles at once. She almost felt like addressing her as "Psychology Master."
She decided to ask Kihara to play video games together more often in the future. After all, it wasn't as if she liked him; she simply felt comfortable being around him, which was why she sought him out so frequently.
"That settles it then!" Nana's eyes sparkled as she clapped her small hands together.
"Settles what?"
Anna was thoroughly bewildered, having no idea how Nana had shifted from a drooping state to suddenly glowing with enthusiasm. Deep down, she felt a subtle hunch that she might have just dug a hole for herself.
"Nothing! Anna, thanks for helping me resolve my worries. If you run into any problems in the future, just come find me directly. I'll do my best to help you out!"
Anna let out a self-deprecating smile, patting her little belly roll. "I have a weight-gain problem right now. Do you know any fast ways to lose weight?"
"Uh..."
Nana scratched her hair awkwardly. None of her animal companions possessed a magical ability like sucking away human fat, and if Momo had any weight-loss plants, she would have brought them out long ago.
"Sorry, I don't know any."
"So I really have to stick to dieting and exercising after all? Ugh~ I'm so hungry!"
"How about... we sneak a little snack?"
"No way, no way!" Anna's head shook in a blur. "If my willpower wobbles at a time like this, I'll definitely lose control completely. Besides, if Kihara finds out we snuck food..."
Her fearful expression piqued Nana's curiosity, prompting her to press: "W-What would happen?"
"It's better if you don't know."
'How could I possibly tell anyone about the embarrassing incident of barking like a dog in front of him?! That would be making it obvious I've done it before!'
"Alright, then I'm heading back."
"Mmhmm."
After seeing Nana off, Anna looked at the calendar in her bedroom to cheer herself on: "Just a little over ten days left until the weight loss ends. Hang in there! You can do it!"
On the other side, upon returning home, Nana found Momo thoroughly absorbed in a soap opera in the living room. Walking up to her, she waved her small hand in front of her face. "Momo, where's brother-in-law?"
"In big sister's room. She said the hundredth test for the food machine was completed and asked him over to assist with a comprehensive inspection."
"Oh, I'll go find him then. You keep watching TV."
It wasn't until Nana's footsteps completely vanished from her ears that Momo finally relaxed, leaning back into the sofa cushions in a more comfortable posture. She had been deeply worried that Nana would keep pressing her on what happened between her and Kihara.
If she kept pressing, it would very likely draw the attention of Lala and Kihara himself, which was the last scenario she wanted to see.
"Honestly... why did it turn out like this..."
Momo bit her thumbnail in frustration, squeezing her left palm tightly between her thighs and rubbing it twice before that distracting sensation was temporarily suppressed.
Lately, whenever she caught a glimpse of Kihara's lips, she would automatically recall the feeling of having her tail sucked by him that day, leaving her entire body feeling intensely uncomfortable.
Her stamen felt itchy, and her floral nectar was practically overflowing.
"How about... I head to school next week and have Dr. Mikado perform a physical checkup on me?"
Currently, this approach was undoubtedly the safest and most effective solution. After all, when she accompanied Nana for her checkup last time, she had already witnessed the doctor's professional medical knowledge and expertise.
Solving a minor issue like hers would surely be a walk in the park.
With a rough plan in mind, Momo stopped dwelling on the matter, worried that the stray thoughts she had managed to suppress with great difficulty might surface once more.
Otherwise, maintaining her composure would prove to be an extremely arduous task. The frequent need to cool herself down recently had already left her somewhat sleep-deprived. If things continued like this, her exhausted state would end up exposed to everyone even without Nana pointing it out.
....
Thank you for reading.