I Wanted To Believe My “Popular Phase” Had Arrived (2)

“So, you see? I might be… at my limit now.”

“H-huh, wait, Arka!”

Arka pulled my hand and pushed me down.

It happened so suddenly that I tried to resist, but she was stronger than me.

In no time at all, she was straddling me.

Even if I wanted to sit up, she was on top of me and I couldn’t move.

“You know… when I keep looking at you, Soji-kun, my chest feels all tight and painful…”

“H-hey, this is moving way too fast! I’m not mentally prepared for this yet!”

“Prepared? For what? I don’t know. I don’t know, but…”

Her gaze was dreamy.

Her cheeks were bright red.

So much so that it looked like she had a fever.

I could feel her body heat too.

“Soji-kun… what’s happening to me?”

“H-how would I know?!”

This was bad, bad, bad!

Quiet down, heartbeat!

For someone whose years without a girlfriend equaled his age, this situation was too much to handle!

Was this okay?

Was it really okay to just go with the flow?

Was it fine to go all the way, God?!

“Hm, this is quite the unexpected development, I say.”

“……”

Absolutely not!

There was no way I was having my first time with him watching!

More importantly, Arka didn’t seem to understand her own situation either.

With both of our feelings still half-formed, this wasn’t something to do on impulse and momentum, right?

That’s right.

It’s not like I was chickening out!

I was being a gentleman!

“Everything’s fine. Calm down.”

“Soji-kun?”

What was I supposed to do in a situation like this?

Forcing myself up… was impossible.

I was losing in raw strength.

The only thing I could really move were my arms.

I pooled together every scrap of wisdom I had.

Gathering all the manga and game knowledge inside me, the conclusion I reached was—

“Huh?”

“You did well.”

My right hand was patting her head.

I didn’t know if it was the right answer, but my hands were all I could move, and this was my limit.

Arka looked surprised too, her eyes wide.

“Soji-kun…?”

“I don’t really get it myself, but… if this helps you feel at ease?”

I really didn’t understand.

Whether this action meant anything.

It didn’t answer her concern, and I didn’t think I was fooling her either.

“…Thank you.”

Arka smiled in relief.

Then she collapsed onto my chest and, clinging to me, began to breathe softly in sleep.

“Zzz…”

“Arka?”

“It seems she has fallen asleep, I say.”

“…Haa…”

I felt relieved, but at the same time, a bit regretful.

Was this really the right call?

Had I just let my chance to lose my virginity slip away?

No—doing it with him watching would have been absolutely unacceptable.

“Do not worry. If it comes to that, I shall close my eyes, I say.”

“…I don’t trust you.”

“That is cruel, I say.”

“Haa… well, whatever. I’ll carry Arka to the bed.”

“Indeed. Sleeping in a place like this would give her a cold.”

Just as I tried to get up, I heard footsteps.

“I heard voices. Are you here, Soji?”

“Erika?”

“I wanted to talk about—”

“Ah…”

The balcony.

Me lying on my back, with Arka asleep on top of me.

What would Erika think when she saw that?

Yeah. Lots of problems.

“…You pervert.”

“I-it’s not what it looks like!”

Seriously. Lots of problems.

Arka slept peacefully on the bed.

I watched over her, while Erika stared daggers at me from behind.

“Um… this really is a misunderstanding.”

“……”

“I didn’t lay a hand on her. You can even ask Kojiro if you want.”

“…Fine. I’ll believe you, for now.”

After that, I desperately explained everything.

That Arka had called me over and asked for advice.

That I was the one who got pushed down.

I absolutely hadn’t attacked her myself.

“Arka really was acting strange today. She stayed in beastfolk form the whole time.”

Now that she was asleep, she had reverted to her human form.

Why was that?

Even while she was talking to me, she seemed calm up to a point…

“From what you described, it’s probably a beastfolk trait.”

“A trait?”

“I’m sure I covered it in my lessons. Try to remember.”

“Huh… did you?”

We had learned about beastfolk over the course of a month.

I recalled Erika’s lessons back in the royal capital.

Beastfolk traits… characteristics.

Arka’s flushed face, her labored breathing…

“Heat?”

“Most likely.”

What were beastfolk?

It was said they were the result of beasts evolving into humans long ago.

Bearing traits of animals like cats, dogs, and birds, they also inherited those instincts from their ancestors.

For example, cats disliked water and preferred night over day.

Animals had stronger instincts than humans.

Among them, reproductive instinct had been necessary to preserve the species in harsh natural environments.

Beastfolk had a heat period as well.

When faced with someone of the opposite sex they were drawn to, they could no longer restrain themselves.

“I see. So that’s why she suddenly…”

But wait.

Heat wasn’t supposed to be indiscriminate—it didn’t mean just any member of the opposite sex would do…

“That is precisely the case. It seems she thought you were acceptable, I say.”

“……”

So Arka had thought that of me.

“What are you blushing for? That’s disgusting.”

“S-shut up!”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Sometimes people mistake temporary feelings for something more.”

“Don’t dismiss it so completely!”

“I’m saying it for your sake. So you don’t misunderstand things and get hurt.”

“T-that’s none of your business!”

Even without her saying it, I wasn’t misunderstanding anything.

A lot had happened in a short time, and we’d solved problems together.

She was grateful, and we’d grown closer.

But once she cooled down, she’d probably realize it wasn’t like that after all.

I wouldn’t expect anything.

Because I’d learned long ago that expecting things could lead to betrayal.

“By the way, where’s Semirena?”

“I haven’t seen her since she was treating the injured in town.”

“I haven’t run into her either.”

“At this hour, she’s probably resting in her room.”

“That makes sense.”

We’d worked hard too, but the one who had it toughest was definitely Semirena.

She had treated all the injured by herself.

The townspeople had relied on her as a Saint.

Because she was there, we were able to save so many people.

I’d thank her properly tomorrow.

“Fwaa… I’m suddenly sleepy again.”

“Let’s go to bed. We’re departing in the morning.”

“Isn’t that a bit early? Wouldn’t it be better to stay until we hand that duke over to the royal capital’s knights?”

“That won’t be necessary. The arrangements are already made.”

“If you say so.”

I left all of that logistics work to Erika.

She looked tired too.

Her eyes were more droopy than usual.

“Let’s sleep.”

“Yes… and don’t you dare lay a hand on me.”

“There’s absolutely no chance of that.”

“That’s offensive in its own way. It makes it sound like I have no appeal.”

What a pain…