In his interactions with all the girls around him, Chihaya Tetsuya always tried his best to maintain a certain distance.
Among them, the distance between himself and Nagasaki Soyo was the one he paid the most attention to.
Besides the fact that Soyo's attitude towards him was usually a bit stern, the other, most important reason lay with Tetsuya himself.
Although she was a high school student the same age as Anon, Soyo's figure and demeanor always made him subconsciously see her as a contemporary. Furthermore, she was his sole channel of communication with the financial consulting firm. Compared to the "little sisters" under his care, Soyo was perhaps the only one who not only didn't receive his care but, in fact, assisted him in return—an equal partner.
It was precisely because of this that Tetsuya could never put on a guardian-like air with her as he did with Ai and Anon.
Just like now. Faced with a completely defenseless Soyo who was proactively closing in on him, Tetsuya was utterly unable to lecture her into calming down as he had with Anon. At this very moment, under Soyo's nonchalant expression, the distance between them had become so close that he could smell her scent—
"Wh-what's gotten into you all of a sudden, Soyo..."
Although the room was still filled with the aroma of the coffee from just moments ago, the instant Soyo drew near, a fresh floral fragrance wafting from her body instantly captivated Tetsuya's sense of smell.
Is it because she always uses high-end fragrance diffusers in her room? Or did she secretly put on perfume when she changed her clothes?
Tetsuya's remaining brain capacity was completely unable to distinguish.
He only knew that the fragrance was relentlessly eroding what little reason he had left, and that her well-defined figure was making him unconsciously start to imagine what it would feel like if Soyo had done the same thing to him that night.
"You know it too, don't you... This dress isn't a style you can just show to anyone."
"Of course. After all, I'm not some kind of shameless woman. So this nightgown... I will only wear it for you."
Although her voice was a few notches lower than usual, Soyo still managed to say the words clearly.
On the other side, Tetsuya first looked with disbelief at the girl before him, whose face was gradually flushing red, before belatedly averting his gaze.
"So... Soyo, you like me too?"
"Otherwise, I wouldn't be doing all these things for you, would I?"
Soyo retorted, blushing.
"Like moving in upstairs, and helping you with housework. These things can't be explained by a normal relationship of gratitude."
"Th-that's true."
If it were purely out of gratitude, it wouldn't be enough for her to take responsibility for his food and daily living arrangements as well.
In other words, she's been seeing me in that light since all that time ago?
"But... Soyo, you should know, right? Besides you, Ai, Anon, and Sakiko all have the same feelings for me, and I still haven't given any of them an answer."
Facing the only girl he saw as an equal, Tetsuya spoke his true thoughts.
"Honestly, at this point, even I'm not sure when I'll be able to make my choice. Ai is the benefactor with whom I once depended on to survive, Anon is the family who will be with me for the rest of my life, and Sakiko has decided to become a partner bound to me by a shared destiny. Under these circumstances, I can't be so shameless as to ask even more people to wait for my so-called response."
Tetsuya replied with great seriousness.
Among the girls who liked him, Soyo was undoubtedly the most special.
There was no lifelong cause-and-effect relationship between them as there was with the other three; theirs was a truly equal partnership. It was precisely for this reason that Tetsuya didn't want to give any irresponsible answers.
"I'm honored that you like me, Soyo, but it's for that very reason that I want to explain all this... I might never be able to give you the response you want, nor can I make you any promises. So, if you turn back now, there's still time—Whoa!"
"I was wondering what you were going to say. You think I haven't thought of all the things you just brought up?"
Tetsuya's attempt to dissuade her not only didn't make Soyo back down, but instead made her declare her feelings once more.
"I already knew about Hoshino Ai and Sakiko. As for Anon... well, I did have my suspicions, but I suppose this is the real confirmation. It doesn't make a difference, though. Whether she confesses or not, as long as you're still brother and sister, I'm destined to deal with her for the rest of my life."
Tetsuya, dumbfounded, asked:
"You... you knew all this, and you still decided to confess to me?"
"Mhm. After all, what I want from you was never an ending where I get to have you all to myself. It's a place to belong, one I can rely on whenever, that makes me no longer feel lonely, and can guide my path forward. So... how should I put it..."
Soyo pondered for a moment before continuing.
"Even if you don't choose me as your lover in the end, I honestly won't feel that disappointed. After all, even if I can't be your lover, we'll still be partners running [Starry Sky] together. There will always be a place for me by your side, and you will always need my help."
"Eh..."
Just like the first time he heard Sakiko's feelings, this confession, so different from Anon's and Ai's, threw Tetsuya into a state of confusion.
"There's... this kind of 'like' too...?"
"Well, my experiences are a bit special. Compared to a fragile relationship like marriage that could fall apart at any moment, I believe that our way of supporting and accompanying each other is much more stable and blissful... This is what you've always been seeking, too, isn't it? A long-lasting, reassuring companionship."
Soyo said, once again drawing closer to Tetsuya.
"So, what I need isn't some lifelong vow, nor is it a promise of marriage. What I want is a 'contractual relationship' that is much more solid than that. And what you have to pay me isn't those heavy answers or promises you speak of. As long as you don't 'fire' me, and you appropriately satisfy a few of my 'requests', then I will forever be the person on your side."
At this, she suddenly thought of something and said to Tetsuya with a smile:
"Oh, right. For example, that 'harem plan' Sakiko is currently orchestrating. Do you want to know what it's all about?"
"...Eh?"