An Awkward Atmosphere

“So, what exactly is the deal with this arrangement?”

Before heading to bed, the conversation turned to who would sleep in which room. According to the order decided yesterday, Kent and Marie were to sleep in Kent’s room, while Caro and Catherine slept in Caro’s room. However, with Rachel joining us tonight, someone would have to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room. That was the prompt for Rachel’s remark.

“Since we decided on the sleeping arrangements last night, it only seems fair that Rachel-san, who arrived later, should take the sofa bed. Or perhaps you wanted to sleep with Kent-san, Rachel-san?”

Caro answered.

“N-no, that’s not it! I just don’t understand why big brother and Marie-san are sleeping together. He’s a guy, after all. I doubt nothing’s going to happen when he’s sharing a bed with a beautiful woman like Marie-san.”

Rachel’s comment seemed to stem from concern for Marie.

It was already too late for those concerns, but I struggled with how to respond.

“Rachel-chan, thank you for worrying about me. But it’s quite alright. Kent-san is very gentle.”

“Is that so? If you say so, Marie-san, I’ll believe you. But call me if anything happens; I’ll come running!”

With that, Rachel agreed to sleep on the sofa bed.

Everyone crawled into their respective beds, and I climbed into mine. Of course, Marie-san was right there beside me.

“I’ve been wearing the undergarments you gave me all day, Kent-san. They fit so perfectly I almost forgot I was wearing them.”

Saying this, Marie slipped off her tracksuit, revealing her undergarments.

“Kent-san, you can touch me, you know?”

She took my hand and guided it to her breast.

“How does it feel?”

“It’s very soft.”

Feeling the soft, elastic weight of Marie’s breast, I began to undress as well.

“Kent-san, let’s do a lot tonight. Chu.”

A long night for Marie and me began.

In the adjacent living room, Rachel lay on the sofa bed.

“This feel is so nostalgic. It’s exactly like the one we had at home,” she muttered to herself while running her hand over the fabric.

“Wait, I think I hear voices from big brother’s room…”

The soundproofing was quite good for a house in this world, so noises from the next room were usually faint. She couldn’t make out the conversation. However, Rachel became curious about the creaking sounds as much as the voices. She picked up a nearby cup, pressed it against the wall of my room, and leaned her ear against it to see if she could hear what was happening inside. Upon hearing the contents, her face instantly flushed bright red.

“Is big brother actually doing it with Marie-san right now?!”

The words slipped out, but she couldn’t pull her ear away, listening intently to the sounds from within.

“Rachel-san, what are you doing?”

“Hya-ii!”

Startled by the sudden voice from behind, Rachel nearly jumped out of her skin.

“C-Caro-san! What are you doing up?”

“I thought I’d get a drink of water, but then I saw you acting rather strangely, Rachel-san. So I called out. Are you curious about what’s happening inside?”

Caro asked point-blank.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, but finding out other people are… in the middle of that sort of act… it’s a bit much.”

“Does it put you in that kind of mood too, Rachel-san?”

“My heart’s racing a bit, but I don’t really know.”

Rachel said, looking flustered.

“In that case, would you like to try it with me?”

With that, Caro approached Rachel, pinned her hands, pressed her against the wall, and brought her face close. They stared at each other in that position for a while.

In contrast to Caro’s serious expression, Rachel’s face was beet red, perhaps from embarrassment.

“It was a joke. Did I surprise you?”

Returning to her usual expression, Caro let go and stepped back.

“Geez, don’t scare me like that! My heart was pounding!”

Rachel said, trying to act calm even though her heart hadn’t slowed down yet.

“If you can’t settle down, I’ll prepare a drink for you. What would you like?”

“I’ll come too, then. Knowing big brother, he’s probably got quite a stock of things. He won’t get mad if we help ourselves.”

Rachel said with total confidence.

(As I thought, they really are siblings. She seems to know everything about Kent-san.)

Caro felt a pang of envy toward Rachel for knowing a side of me she hadn’t seen yet.

“Yep, he’s got all sorts of stuff stocked up.”

Caro was surprised to see Rachel scouting out drinks and snacks one after another as if she owned the place. She wasn’t just searching; she was looking with the precision of someone who knew exactly where everything was hidden.

“You seem to know exactly where everything is, Rachel-san.”

“I didn’t actually know, but it’s just where I figured big brother would put things. Oh! Found some Ume-kombucha! I’m having this.”

Rachel pulled an unopened tin of Ume-kombucha from the shelf.

“Do you want some too, Caro-san? It’s very relaxing before bed.”

Rachel recommended the plum kelp tea to Caro.

“I’m curious to see what it’s like, so I’ll have some.”

“Okay! Just wait a sec while I prep it.”

Giving in to the temptation of a new flavor, Caro decided to try it. Rachel prepared the Ume-kombucha with practiced hands.

“Here you go. It’s hot, so be careful.”

“Thank you.”

Taking the teacup, Caro took a careful sip to avoid burning herself.

“It’s a bit tart, but it’s a very soothing taste,” Caro said with a look of pure comfort.

Seeing that expression, Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. She tried to steady her feelings and spoke to Caro.

“Right? He’s got other stuff too, so let’s have a drink again when we have time.”

“Yes. I’ll look forward to it,” Caro replied with a smile.

Seeing that smile made Rachel’s heart race once again.

The next morning, I woke up. I felt something cold against my arm.

Marie, who had been sleeping beside me, was using my arm as a pillow. She was drooling in her sleep, soaking my arm.

“So this is the cold sensation!”

Marie has terrible sleeping habits. I only realized this after we started living together. Right now, she was absent-mindedly scratching her backside. Since she was clinging to me, I was awake but couldn’t move. If I did, I’d wake her up. (Though in reality, Marie wouldn’t wake up from just that.)

As I watched Marie for a while, I sensed someone coming. I assumed it was Catherine coming to wake us as usual, but the person who walked in was different.

“Big brother, Marie-san. You need to get up soon.”

Rachel, who had walked in saying this, froze when she saw the two of us.

“Big brother… you really did have your fun last night. You have a girlfriend like Caro-san, yet you do this under the same roof? That’s terrible!”

As usual, the two of us were naked. Moreover, since summer was approaching, we hadn’t used any blankets, so we were completely exposed.

“No, well, you see… uh…”

I struggled for an answer. Just then, a lifeline appeared from behind.

“It’s alright, Rachel-san. I know about this, and the three of us have even done it together.”

Caro spoke up from behind Rachel.

“And you’re okay with that, Caro-san?”

“He cherishes me, and for a man, I think having several women gives him a certain dignified presence.”

Caro answered as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

In this country, men who take multiple women as legitimate wives are either powerful nobles or, if commoners, part of the wealthy class. Rachel figured that with my abilities, joining the wealthy class would be relatively easy. Still, compared to the common sense of our previous world, it felt strange, though perhaps it couldn’t be helped.

“Big brother… you’d better take responsibility and make Caro-san and Marie-san happy.”

“I know. I’ll work hard, pay my taxes, gain my privileges, and make sure nobody can complain.”

“Good luck, big brother… By the way, Marie-san hasn’t woken up even though we’re talking this loudly.”

We were having a serious conversation while I was still naked and entwined with Marie.

“Marie-san, it’s time to wake up.”

Caro set about waking Marie. She knew full well what a formidable opponent Marie was in the morning. She started by calling out gently, but that wasn’t enough to wake her.

“Marie-san really doesn’t wake up easily, does she?” Rachel remarked, watching Caro’s movements.

“Marie-san, wake up! Hamuh.”

With that, Caro began gently nibbling on Marie’s ear.

“Ah… not there… I’m feeling it… Hah!”

Marie finally seemed to wake up. Realizing Rachel and Caro were there, she returned to her usual self.

“Good morning, Caro-chan, Rachel-chan. Did you sleep well last night?”

The words sounded like those of a kind mother, but coming from someone naked and pressed against me, it felt entirely out of place.

“Oh, I guess we’ve been found out. Well then, I won’t hold back… Good morning, Kent-san. Chu.”

Marie gave me a good morning kiss. She then hurried to gather her scattered clothes and get dressed.

“Speaking of which, Marie-san, you’re wearing undergarments too, aren’t you?” Rachel observed.

“Kent-san got them for me. They stop the chest from swaying and are quite nice. Catherine is wearing them too, you know?”

“Must be nice. Thinking about the seasonal uniform change tomorrow makes me feel so heavy… I want some too.”

“Why does the uniform change make you feel heavy?” I asked, puzzled.

“In the summer uniform, you take off the jacket, right? So you’re just in the dress shirt. But I have nothing to wear under it.”

“I don’t quite follow?”

Rachel and my conversation wasn’t clicking.

“Um, you see… items worn underneath are restricted to white. And if you’re going to wear something under it, it has to be a thin fabric or something like the undergarments we’re wearing now. But thin white fabric is expensive; if your income is low, you can’t buy it or make it. If that happens… well, Kent-san might prefer it that way, but your chest ends up being see-through… It wouldn’t be noticeable on someone like me, but on someone like Rachel-san, it’s completely visible.”

Saying this, Caro looked back and forth between her own chest and Rachel’s. Caro’s chest was modest, but Rachel’s was a normal size.

“That’s right. It hurts when the tips rub against the fabric… and the male students’ stares were quite bothersome… though that was a long time ago now.”

Marie, having finished dressing, spoke nostalgically of her student days. Marie’s chest size is on the larger side. Someone of a similar size would probably be Josette.

“I wonder if Josette-san is the same way?”

I accidentally let slip as I finished dressing.

“Josette-sama is a noble, and a high-ranking Duke’s daughter at that, so she definitely owns things to wear underneath,” Caro said.

“I see…”

I sounded a bit disappointed.

“So, big brother. Please.”

“I guess I have no choice. I’ll order them, but I need to measure your size, okay?”

“Then could I ask for some as well?”

The undergarments I had given Caro were all colors other than white. Since I already knew her size, I quickly operated the terminal and handed over several sets, including spares.

“Are you going to measure me, big brother?” Rachel asked with a slightly displeased look.

“If you don’t want me to do it directly, I’ll have Caro-san do it. But you’ll have to accept that I’ll know your size anyway.”

“Fine.”

“Then, Caro-san, please.”

“Understood. This way, Rachel-san.”

With that, Caro and Rachel went to Caro’s room.

“By the way, where’s Catherine?”

Realizing she was the only one who hadn’t shown her face, I looked around the room. Catherine was in the middle of making breakfast in the kitchen.

“Good morning, big brother. It was noisy a moment ago; did something happen?”

“Good morning, Catherine. Well, all sorts of things. Thanks for making breakfast.”

“It’ll be ready soon!”

Saying that, she began plating the objects she had created and lining them up on the table.

““““Let’s eat!””””

The two who had finished measuring returned, and with Marie-san added, everyone was gathered for breakfast.

“Big brother, is this actually safe to eat? It looks seriously dangerous…” Rachel whispered to me, making sure no one else could hear.

“It looks like that, but it’s actually quite delicious. Just trust me and try it.”

“…Hamuh. Oh? It’s good!”

Rachel, having put the clearly dangerous-looking object in her mouth, spoke with surprise.

After breakfast, I received Rachel’s measurement data from Caro, took out my terminal, entered the necessary information, and performed a search. I showed the results to Rachel, let her choose, and handed over the items I had retrieved. I tried to refuse, but since she insisted, I accepted payment as well.