Chapter 17
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Soon after, Yukari decided to walk with Arata home that day. Attori would come, but she wanted to practice for Dance Class so she could wow him on Wednesday. However, Ruby offered to give them a ride home, and it was nothing Yukari would want to miss. Riding a luxury car was quite in her bucket list. Since it was out of goodwill, and that Ruby was a very close friend of the king, they agreed and got home faster than they planned. The school queen also picked up the dishes from yesterday, and left with a kiss on Arata's lips.
The king's right hand was advised to be not moved or used for a few days, and so Yukari volunteered to make him food for dinner as long as he needed her to do so. She was left to her devices in the kitchen while Arata was spending some time in the forum, typing down with only one hand since his hand was bandaged into one cup.
He posted in his own post, disregarding most of the other replies in it. "I hereby declare Devin's tips as absolute! Laughing emoticon. A few items saved me from Attori's Jello Slash with only 5 HP remaining. One-shot-kill is real." It was followed by a barrage of laughing-crying emoticons.
Devin posted with a bowing emoticon next to the crown one.
"I hate how that diluted ketchup over there kept on hiding things unless Arata opens a post and ask! We should have succeeded, too!" Horsepower replied again, as if picking a fight with the dataminer. "If he was a route, he would be Attori's!"
"Hey, now, don't be like that." Devin replied with a line of differently colored smiley, from yellow to green to blue. "It's only out here because Arata said I post it here. I have no intention of telling you guys directly."
"By the decree of the king, you shall tell us everything!" Mumumu replied with crown emoticons and some devil laughters. The same combination of emoticons were posted by Botan.
"These people think so highly of me..." Arata whispered to himself as he struggled to keep up with their conversation. He tried to match their speed with one hand and posted. "Laughing emoticons. Whew, you're now more popular than me, Devin! Devil laughters."
"Borrowing this from Pantsu." A barrage of sweat emoticons started the next reply Devin gave as an answer. "OP one, I only want to serve you, though." The next reply was a barrage of laughing-crying emoticons.
Horsepower answered with some sweats as well. "Ew. Someone wants to be Arata's date-able."
"Kiss emoticon! Kiss emoticon! I love you, big brother (at) TheKing Arata!" Devin replied a joke to which most had replied with 'LOL' and laughing crying emoticons.
"Don't call me big brother; you're older than me!" Arata had to shut him down even though he was cracking so loud, Yukari even knocked on his door.
"The little sister trope!? You gotta be kidding me!" Horsepower sent in a line of growling devils.
Nothing productive happened in the forum. It was only filled with their chitchat since there was no public chat in the game. For some reasons, Arata noticed that even Horsepower was joining their antics despite not liking anyone of them. His other friends must have stopped playing the game, leaving him on his own so he had to yap like a stray dog to be adopted. It was unnecessary if Arata was asked; but due to his bad reputation, he could not be blamed.
Ring! Ring! Arata's phone started ringing again, and the man decided to take the phone call. It was from Keiko, who he had not seen every since the stabbing incident. He greeted the caller, who answered with a sobbing voice.
"Arata, can I come see you today? Is anyone else around?" Keiko almost whispered in an inaudible voice, but the king managed to hear her. "I want to talk to you..."
"Yukari is here, but don't worry about it. She was just as shocked as you with what happened." He gave her a reassuring tone. "She won't do anything bad if you won't do anything not nice. Even Attori wants to talk to you about your behavior. Both of them knows you, and they want to help out if there's something bothering you." He paused and smiled through the phone. "I- want to help you out."
Silence came from her end of the line, before she hung up the call. Arata pulled the phone away so he could look at the screen before getting off the computer. He went downstairs and saw Yukari stirring the soup in the casserole.
"Smells like good food!" He greeted her and raced to her side to get a whiff of the stew.
"It's just meat-potato stew." She frowned and pouted, before looking at the white ball of a hand he had. "Can you eat with just one hand? Do you want me to feed you?" Yukari asked with a faint blush. "You didn't eat lunch earlier, too, so you must be starving."
"Feed me, mother!" Arata flashed a teasing grin before getting smacked by his best friend. He rubbed his head and hummed. "Yukari, Keiko might drop by later. Just focus on feeding me, okay?"
"Well, if she trashes my stew, I'm cooking her instead." Yukari grumbled, sighing at the man's kindness to his girls. She could not complain anymore, now that she had become one of them.
Dinner had come, and Keiko was still out of sight. Arata was being fed by Yukari using the same spoon and chopstick she was using. The television was on, the news covering random events happening around. Then again, no matter how Arata squinted, the screen was too blurry to see. It was not like he needed it in the first place.
His attention came to the girl who was so focused on the news, she left her chopstick in her mouth. She was not making a sound at all before she noticed she had to eat. Yukari's eyes widened as she remembered about Arata and his temporary disability. She pouted again and began feeding him rice and the small meat chunks in the stew.
[The date-able had accepted your gift: Spoon-feed Me! You have additional 50 points! Secret Admirer Ginmachi Yukari now has 48% Affection Rate! Congratulations!]
The 9 PM action time came, and Yukari decided to sleep over for the day. She told her parents she would be next door, helping Arata. She thought of not leaving him alone since Keiko was coming over, said he. Then again, it was already dark, and she was still nowhere to be found. The date-able was setting up their bed, planning on sleeping next to the king tonight.
The king was having a shower, his hand wrapped in plastic so the water would not soak his bandages. He was trying to refresh himself more under the cool kiss of the water raining on his skin. Arata preferred a shower more than a bath so he took it frequently even though he should not, like right now when his right hand might get wet. Needless to mention, he loved water; its rushing movement calmed him down and made him feel lighter with the dirt and grime being taken away from him. That was why he got attracted to Attori when he first saw her; her flowing blue hair was like water.
He took a look at his bandaged hand, moving the muscles to feel the pain. It was unbearable, but he seemed to find it comforting. When he first got here, he just felt like he was just lost in a dream, where a fairy told him he was stuck in a server. It was hardly plausible, and the fact that the game was still a game made him worry. Then there went the troubles of being suspended and deleted. And soon, the fear of losing a 'game' battle. Then again, this wounded hand was as good as a firm slap in the face. This world... is not just a game.
It was just now that he was getting answers from the problems of a few days ago. His contact with his old world was not the problem, it was his mindset about it. In the depth of his heart, he wanted to go back. However, the more he realized which one was a better choice, the more he relocated his heart. This world was as real as the one he had before, and he was free to choose it. A world where he was loved and revered.
A second shot at life, only that he was living like a god.
During his reflection time, someone slid the bathroom door open. He turned to the direction of the doorway and tried to see through the frosted glass. A long-haired brunet came inside and closed the door behind her. By the looks of it, Keiko broke into his house while Yukari was in his bedroom. Arata opened the frosted glass door, peering outside to see the childhood friend.
"I was expecting you earlier. Sorry, I couldn't greet you." The king smiled, rather confident with the body that he now had.
Keiko twitched and hooked some hair behind her ear. "Sorry, I don't want to get seen so I waited until you weren't together." She walked nearer to the shower, guessing Arata disappeared to reach the shower faucet to turn it off. "About earlier..."
Arata soon stood just next to the shower door, arm raised against the frame. He grinned at the girl who was dazed by the image of his moist skin with water drops rolling down a lot of places. "Can you tell me what happened? I was surprised that you lashed out in front of everyone."
"I, uhh, I was..." The girl pursed her lips and took a deep breath, soon shoving herself against his thighs. "I don't want to be like all of them! I want you to be mine alone! I've always wanted you since we met! Arata! I don't want to share! I felt like... if I don't own you! I would lose you to some random girl! That if I don't hold onto you firmly! You would run away!" She sniffed loudly and continued to cry on his thighs. "I don't want to feel so broken like my brother... I don't want to lose the most important person to me!"
"...But Keiko... you won't lose me at all." Arata dropped the cool act and chuckled in defeat. He scratched his cheek as he held onto her head so she would not end up banging it below his navel. "I'll always be here with you, and I'm not going anywhere. If you continue doing this, hurting every other girl that I like... then I don't think I'll like you anymore..."
She froze.
"Stop claiming me, Keiko. I'm for everyone." Arata could only pat her head with his hand. He would be mad at her behavior like the rest, but he knew they were all programmed to be like this. Only by compromising would he be able to keep all of them. Just like what Cora and Ruby were doing. Especially Attori. He knew some others would react the same, and so he should attend to them as fast as he could. He did not like the Challenge mode, but it was necessary. Eight action times might not be enough when another batch of date-ables gets released.
"Keiko, look," he whispered as he pushed her off of him gently so he could kneel down and hug her. His words got cut off since the door opened without a sound, and he saw Yukari frowning at them. Then again, he continued with an awkward smile directed to the other girl. "I like each of you, and I care deeply for everyone. I'll always make time for you, but you have to work with the others. Attori, Ruby, Cora... Yukari... they all agreed to it. And so there they were, with me whenever possible.
"I can't help you if you don't want to go with it." He brought his gaze down and sighed, his hold tightening against her shoulder. "Please don't hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt you." Those last words gave a pang, even to himself. For some reasons, if he had to choose between Keiko and the rest, he would choose the latter. He just could not let her pose more danger to them, even though she might be the one getting more hurt in the long run.
Yukari decided to close the door behind her as she walked in the room. Her footsteps made Keiko twitch, but she remained under Arata's arms. The best friend grabbed the bath robe from the side and walked as close as she could to them before throwing it over Arata. "You better get dressed. If you end up having colds, I would blame you for that."
She turned to the other girl. "And you, are you okay? Your head got knocked by that mongoose earlier." Yukari squatted and waited for her to answer.
Keiko moved away from Arata's hold and turned to her. "Do you mind... if I sleep here tonight?"
"Not my house, but you're barred from Arata's room." Yukari huffed as she got up. "Think of it as your punishment for getting Arata hurt." She pouted and looked at the real owner of the house. "I'll go set the guest room for her. Don't let her in your room or else, I'm kicking out the both of you."
"Ahahaha! Yes ma'am!" The king gave a salute as Yukari walked out of the room. Ever since Keiko moved out of the house, Yukari had pretty much acted like the landlady. He then looked at Keiko who was just staring at the direction she went. "Keiko," -he earned her attention- "you should tell Attori about your feelings. She could sort it out way better than I can because she's a woman like you. And she loves me more than you think. Please make it up with her."
He raised his hand wrapped in plastic and bandages. "This isn't entirely her fault." He leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "Can you do that for me?"
The brunet only hung her head and kept her face out of his sight. She only nodded before Yukari came again and called her for the room. Keiko got up without saying 'good night' to the man, and barely made eye contact with the best friend. Arata knew it did not end there, but at least, she would stop attacking for now.
Yukari watched him as her got up and fixed the bath robe behind him. She continued staring even until he made a curious noise. The girl blushed. "Can you sleep naked tonight?"
"You would have to do the same."
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Soon after, Yukari decided to walk with Arata home that day. Attori would come, but she wanted to practice for Dance Class so she could wow him on Wednesday. However, Ruby offered to give them a ride home, and it was nothing Yukari would want to miss. Riding a luxury car was quite in her bucket list. Since it was out of goodwill, and that Ruby was a very close friend of the king, they agreed and got home faster than they planned. The school queen also picked up the dishes from yesterday, and left with a kiss on Arata's lips.
The king's right hand was advised to be not moved or used for a few days, and so Yukari volunteered to make him food for dinner as long as he needed her to do so. She was left to her devices in the kitchen while Arata was spending some time in the forum, typing down with only one hand since his hand was bandaged into one cup.
He posted in his own post, disregarding most of the other replies in it. "I hereby declare Devin's tips as absolute! Laughing emoticon. A few items saved me from Attori's Jello Slash with only 5 HP remaining. One-shot-kill is real." It was followed by a barrage of laughing-crying emoticons.
Devin posted with a bowing emoticon next to the crown one.
"I hate how that diluted ketchup over there kept on hiding things unless Arata opens a post and ask! We should have succeeded, too!" Horsepower replied again, as if picking a fight with the dataminer. "If he was a route, he would be Attori's!"
"Hey, now, don't be like that." Devin replied with a line of differently colored smiley, from yellow to green to blue. "It's only out here because Arata said I post it here. I have no intention of telling you guys directly."
"By the decree of the king, you shall tell us everything!" Mumumu replied with crown emoticons and some devil laughters. The same combination of emoticons were posted by Botan.
"These people think so highly of me..." Arata whispered to himself as he struggled to keep up with their conversation. He tried to match their speed with one hand and posted. "Laughing emoticons. Whew, you're now more popular than me, Devin! Devil laughters."
"Borrowing this from Pantsu." A barrage of sweat emoticons started the next reply Devin gave as an answer. "OP one, I only want to serve you, though." The next reply was a barrage of laughing-crying emoticons.
Horsepower answered with some sweats as well. "Ew. Someone wants to be Arata's date-able."
"Kiss emoticon! Kiss emoticon! I love you, big brother (at) TheKing Arata!" Devin replied a joke to which most had replied with 'LOL' and laughing crying emoticons.
"Don't call me big brother; you're older than me!" Arata had to shut him down even though he was cracking so loud, Yukari even knocked on his door.
"The little sister trope!? You gotta be kidding me!" Horsepower sent in a line of growling devils.
Nothing productive happened in the forum. It was only filled with their chitchat since there was no public chat in the game. For some reasons, Arata noticed that even Horsepower was joining their antics despite not liking anyone of them. His other friends must have stopped playing the game, leaving him on his own so he had to yap like a stray dog to be adopted. It was unnecessary if Arata was asked; but due to his bad reputation, he could not be blamed.
Ring! Ring! Arata's phone started ringing again, and the man decided to take the phone call. It was from Keiko, who he had not seen every since the stabbing incident. He greeted the caller, who answered with a sobbing voice.
"Arata, can I come see you today? Is anyone else around?" Keiko almost whispered in an inaudible voice, but the king managed to hear her. "I want to talk to you..."
"Yukari is here, but don't worry about it. She was just as shocked as you with what happened." He gave her a reassuring tone. "She won't do anything bad if you won't do anything not nice. Even Attori wants to talk to you about your behavior. Both of them knows you, and they want to help out if there's something bothering you." He paused and smiled through the phone. "I- want to help you out."
Silence came from her end of the line, before she hung up the call. Arata pulled the phone away so he could look at the screen before getting off the computer. He went downstairs and saw Yukari stirring the soup in the casserole.
"Smells like good food!" He greeted her and raced to her side to get a whiff of the stew.
"It's just meat-potato stew." She frowned and pouted, before looking at the white ball of a hand he had. "Can you eat with just one hand? Do you want me to feed you?" Yukari asked with a faint blush. "You didn't eat lunch earlier, too, so you must be starving."
"Feed me, mother!" Arata flashed a teasing grin before getting smacked by his best friend. He rubbed his head and hummed. "Yukari, Keiko might drop by later. Just focus on feeding me, okay?"
"Well, if she trashes my stew, I'm cooking her instead." Yukari grumbled, sighing at the man's kindness to his girls. She could not complain anymore, now that she had become one of them.
Dinner had come, and Keiko was still out of sight. Arata was being fed by Yukari using the same spoon and chopstick she was using. The television was on, the news covering random events happening around. Then again, no matter how Arata squinted, the screen was too blurry to see. It was not like he needed it in the first place.
His attention came to the girl who was so focused on the news, she left her chopstick in her mouth. She was not making a sound at all before she noticed she had to eat. Yukari's eyes widened as she remembered about Arata and his temporary disability. She pouted again and began feeding him rice and the small meat chunks in the stew.
[The date-able had accepted your gift: Spoon-feed Me! You have additional 50 points! Secret Admirer Ginmachi Yukari now has 48% Affection Rate! Congratulations!]
The 9 PM action time came, and Yukari decided to sleep over for the day. She told her parents she would be next door, helping Arata. She thought of not leaving him alone since Keiko was coming over, said he. Then again, it was already dark, and she was still nowhere to be found. The date-able was setting up their bed, planning on sleeping next to the king tonight.
The king was having a shower, his hand wrapped in plastic so the water would not soak his bandages. He was trying to refresh himself more under the cool kiss of the water raining on his skin. Arata preferred a shower more than a bath so he took it frequently even though he should not, like right now when his right hand might get wet. Needless to mention, he loved water; its rushing movement calmed him down and made him feel lighter with the dirt and grime being taken away from him. That was why he got attracted to Attori when he first saw her; her flowing blue hair was like water.
He took a look at his bandaged hand, moving the muscles to feel the pain. It was unbearable, but he seemed to find it comforting. When he first got here, he just felt like he was just lost in a dream, where a fairy told him he was stuck in a server. It was hardly plausible, and the fact that the game was still a game made him worry. Then there went the troubles of being suspended and deleted. And soon, the fear of losing a 'game' battle. Then again, this wounded hand was as good as a firm slap in the face. This world... is not just a game.
It was just now that he was getting answers from the problems of a few days ago. His contact with his old world was not the problem, it was his mindset about it. In the depth of his heart, he wanted to go back. However, the more he realized which one was a better choice, the more he relocated his heart. This world was as real as the one he had before, and he was free to choose it. A world where he was loved and revered.
A second shot at life, only that he was living like a god.
During his reflection time, someone slid the bathroom door open. He turned to the direction of the doorway and tried to see through the frosted glass. A long-haired brunet came inside and closed the door behind her. By the looks of it, Keiko broke into his house while Yukari was in his bedroom. Arata opened the frosted glass door, peering outside to see the childhood friend.
"I was expecting you earlier. Sorry, I couldn't greet you." The king smiled, rather confident with the body that he now had.
Keiko twitched and hooked some hair behind her ear. "Sorry, I don't want to get seen so I waited until you weren't together." She walked nearer to the shower, guessing Arata disappeared to reach the shower faucet to turn it off. "About earlier..."
Arata soon stood just next to the shower door, arm raised against the frame. He grinned at the girl who was dazed by the image of his moist skin with water drops rolling down a lot of places. "Can you tell me what happened? I was surprised that you lashed out in front of everyone."
"I, uhh, I was..." The girl pursed her lips and took a deep breath, soon shoving herself against his thighs. "I don't want to be like all of them! I want you to be mine alone! I've always wanted you since we met! Arata! I don't want to share! I felt like... if I don't own you! I would lose you to some random girl! That if I don't hold onto you firmly! You would run away!" She sniffed loudly and continued to cry on his thighs. "I don't want to feel so broken like my brother... I don't want to lose the most important person to me!"
"...But Keiko... you won't lose me at all." Arata dropped the cool act and chuckled in defeat. He scratched his cheek as he held onto her head so she would not end up banging it below his navel. "I'll always be here with you, and I'm not going anywhere. If you continue doing this, hurting every other girl that I like... then I don't think I'll like you anymore..."
She froze.
"Stop claiming me, Keiko. I'm for everyone." Arata could only pat her head with his hand. He would be mad at her behavior like the rest, but he knew they were all programmed to be like this. Only by compromising would he be able to keep all of them. Just like what Cora and Ruby were doing. Especially Attori. He knew some others would react the same, and so he should attend to them as fast as he could. He did not like the Challenge mode, but it was necessary. Eight action times might not be enough when another batch of date-ables gets released.
"Keiko, look," he whispered as he pushed her off of him gently so he could kneel down and hug her. His words got cut off since the door opened without a sound, and he saw Yukari frowning at them. Then again, he continued with an awkward smile directed to the other girl. "I like each of you, and I care deeply for everyone. I'll always make time for you, but you have to work with the others. Attori, Ruby, Cora... Yukari... they all agreed to it. And so there they were, with me whenever possible.
"I can't help you if you don't want to go with it." He brought his gaze down and sighed, his hold tightening against her shoulder. "Please don't hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt you." Those last words gave a pang, even to himself. For some reasons, if he had to choose between Keiko and the rest, he would choose the latter. He just could not let her pose more danger to them, even though she might be the one getting more hurt in the long run.
Yukari decided to close the door behind her as she walked in the room. Her footsteps made Keiko twitch, but she remained under Arata's arms. The best friend grabbed the bath robe from the side and walked as close as she could to them before throwing it over Arata. "You better get dressed. If you end up having colds, I would blame you for that."
She turned to the other girl. "And you, are you okay? Your head got knocked by that mongoose earlier." Yukari squatted and waited for her to answer.
Keiko moved away from Arata's hold and turned to her. "Do you mind... if I sleep here tonight?"
"Not my house, but you're barred from Arata's room." Yukari huffed as she got up. "Think of it as your punishment for getting Arata hurt." She pouted and looked at the real owner of the house. "I'll go set the guest room for her. Don't let her in your room or else, I'm kicking out the both of you."
"Ahahaha! Yes ma'am!" The king gave a salute as Yukari walked out of the room. Ever since Keiko moved out of the house, Yukari had pretty much acted like the landlady. He then looked at Keiko who was just staring at the direction she went. "Keiko," -he earned her attention- "you should tell Attori about your feelings. She could sort it out way better than I can because she's a woman like you. And she loves me more than you think. Please make it up with her."
He raised his hand wrapped in plastic and bandages. "This isn't entirely her fault." He leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "Can you do that for me?"
The brunet only hung her head and kept her face out of his sight. She only nodded before Yukari came again and called her for the room. Keiko got up without saying 'good night' to the man, and barely made eye contact with the best friend. Arata knew it did not end there, but at least, she would stop attacking for now.
Yukari watched him as her got up and fixed the bath robe behind him. She continued staring even until he made a curious noise. The girl blushed. "Can you sleep naked tonight?"
"You would have to do the same."
Soon after, Yukari decided to walk with Arata home that day. Attori would come, but she wanted to practice for Dance Class so she could wow him on Wednesday. However, Ruby offered to give them a ride home, and it was nothing Yukari would want to miss. Riding a luxury car was quite in her bucket list. Since it was out of goodwill, and that Ruby was a very close friend of the king, they agreed and got home faster than they planned. The school queen also picked up the dishes from yesterday, and left with a kiss on Arata's lips.The king's right hand was advised to be not moved or used for a few days, and so Yukari volunteered to make him food for dinner as long as he needed her to do so. She was left to her devices in the kitchen while Arata was spending some time in the forum, typing down with only one hand since his hand was bandaged into one cup.He posted in his own post, disregarding most of the other replies in it. "I hereby declare Devin's tips as absolute! Laughing emoticon. A few items saved me from Attori's Jello Slash with only 5 HP remaining. One-shot-kill is real." It was followed by a barrage of laughing-crying emoticons.Devin posted with a bowing emoticon next to the crown one."I hate how that diluted ketchup over there kept on hiding things unless Arata opens a post and ask! We should have succeeded, too!" Horsepower replied again, as if picking a fight with the dataminer. "If he was a route, he would be Attori's!""Hey, now, don't be like that." Devin replied with a line of differently colored smiley, from yellow to green to blue. "It's only out here because Arata said I post it here. I have no intention of telling you guys directly.""By the decree of the king, you shall tell us everything!" Mumumu replied with crown emoticons and some devil laughters. The same combination of emoticons were posted by Botan."These people think so highly of me..." Arata whispered to himself as he struggled to keep up with their conversation. He tried to match their speed with one hand and posted. "Laughing emoticons. Whew, you're now more popular than me, Devin! Devil laughters.""Borrowing this from Pantsu." A barrage of sweat emoticons started the next reply Devin gave as an answer. "OP one, I only want to serve you, though." The next reply was a barrage of laughing-crying emoticons.Horsepower answered with some sweats as well. "Ew. Someone wants to be Arata's date-able.""Kiss emoticon! Kiss emoticon! I love you, big brother at TheKing Arata!" Devin replied a joke to which most had replied with 'LOL' and laughing crying emoticons."Don't call me big brother; you're older than me!" Arata had to shut him down even though he was cracking so loud, Yukari even knocked on his door."The little sister trope!? You gotta be kidding me!" Horsepower sent in a line of growling devils.Nothing productive happened in the forum. It was only filled with their chitchat since there was no public chat in the game. For some reasons, Arata noticed that even Horsepower was joining their antics despite not liking anyone of them. His other friends must have stopped playing the game, leaving him on his own so he had to yap like a stray dog to be adopted. It was unnecessary if Arata was asked; but due to his bad reputation, he could not be blamed.Ring! Ring! Arata's phone started ringing again, and the man decided to take the phone call. It was from Keiko, who he had not seen every since the stabbing incident. He greeted the caller, who answered with a sobbing voice."Arata, can I come see you today? Is anyone else around?" Keiko almost whispered in an inaudible voice, but the king managed to hear her. "I want to talk to you...""Yukari is here, but don't worry about it. She was just as shocked as you with what happened." He gave her a reassuring tone. "She won't do anything bad if you won't do anything not nice. Even Attori wants to talk to you about your behavior. Both of them knows you, and they want to help out if there's something bothering you." He paused and smiled through the phone. "I- want to help you out."Silence came from her end of the line, before she hung up the call. Arata pulled the phone away so he could look at the screen before getting off the computer. He went downstairs and saw Yukari stirring the soup in the casserole."Smells like good food!" He greeted her and raced to her side to get a whiff of the stew."It's just meat-potato stew." She frowned and pouted, before looking at the white ball of a hand he had. "Can you eat with just one hand? Do you want me to feed you?" Yukari asked with a faint blush. "You didn't eat lunch earlier, too, so you must be starving.""Feed me, mother!" Arata flashed a teasing grin before getting smacked by his best friend. He rubbed his head and hummed. "Yukari, Keiko might drop by later. Just focus on feeding me, okay?""Well, if she trashes my stew, I'm cooking her instead." Yukari grumbled, sighing at the man's kindness to his girls. She could not complain anymore, now that she had become one of them.Dinner had come, and Keiko was still out of sight. Arata was being fed by Yukari using the same spoon and chopstick she was using. The television was on, the news covering random events happening around. Then again, no matter how Arata squinted, the screen was too blurry to see. It was not like he needed it in the first place.His attention came to the girl who was so focused on the news, she left her chopstick in her mouth. She was not making a sound at all before she noticed she had to eat. Yukari's eyes widened as she remembered about Arata and his temporary disability. She pouted again and began feeding him rice and the small meat chunks in the stew.The date-able had accepted your gift: Spoon-feed Me! You have additional 50 points! Secret Admirer Ginmachi Yukari now has 48% Affection Rate! Congratulations!The 9 PM action time came, and Yukari decided to sleep over for the day. She told her parents she would be next door, helping Arata. She thought of not leaving him alone since Keiko was coming over, said he. Then again, it was already dark, and she was still nowhere to be found. The date-able was setting up their bed, planning on sleeping next to the king tonight.The king was having a shower, his hand wrapped in plastic so the water would not soak his bandages. He was trying to refresh himself more under the cool kiss of the water raining on his skin. Arata preferred a shower more than a bath so he took it frequently even though he should not, like right now when his right hand might get wet. Needless to mention, he loved water; its rushing movement calmed him down and made him feel lighter with the dirt and grime being taken away from him. That was why he got attracted to Attori when he first saw her; her flowing blue hair was like water.He took a look at his bandaged hand, moving the muscles to feel the pain. It was unbearable, but he seemed to find it comforting. When he first got here, he just felt like he was just lost in a dream, where a fairy told him he was stuck in a server. It was hardly plausible, and the fact that the game was still a game made him worry. Then there went the troubles of being suspended and deleted. And soon, the fear of losing a 'game' battle. Then again, this wounded hand was as good as a firm slap in the face. This world... is not just a game.It was just now that he was getting answers from the problems of a few days ago. His contact with his old world was not the problem, it was his mindset about it. In the depth of his heart, he wanted to go back. However, the more he realized which one was a better choice, the more he relocated his heart. This world was as real as the one he had before, and he was free to choose it. A world where he was loved and revered.A second shot at life, only that he was living like a god.During his reflection time, someone slid the bathroom door open. He turned to the direction of the doorway and tried to see through the frosted glass. A long-haired brunet came inside and closed the door behind her. By the looks of it, Keiko broke into his house while Yukari was in his bedroom. Arata opened the frosted glass door, peering outside to see the childhood friend."I was expecting you earlier. Sorry, I couldn't greet you." The king smiled, rather confident with the body that he now had.Keiko twitched and hooked some hair behind her ear. "Sorry, I don't want to get seen so I waited until you weren't together." She walked nearer to the shower, guessing Arata disappeared to reach the shower faucet to turn it off. "About earlier..."Arata soon stood just next to the shower door, arm raised against the frame. He grinned at the girl who was dazed by the image of his moist skin with water drops rolling down a lot of places. "Can you tell me what happened? I was surprised that you lashed out in front of everyone.""I, uhh, I was..." The girl pursed her lips and took a deep breath, soon shoving herself against his thighs. "I don't want to be like all of them! I want you to be mine alone! I've always wanted you since we met! Arata! I don't want to share! I felt like... if I don't own you! I would lose you to some random girl! That if I don't hold onto you firmly! You would run away!" She sniffed loudly and continued to cry on his thighs. "I don't want to feel so broken like my brother... I don't want to lose the most important person to me!""...But Keiko... you won't lose me at all." Arata dropped the cool act and chuckled in defeat. He scratched his cheek as he held onto her head so she would not end up banging it below his navel. "I'll always be here with you, and I'm not going anywhere. If you continue doing this, hurting every other girl that I like... then I don't think I'll like you anymore..."She froze."Stop claiming me, Keiko. I'm for everyone." Arata could only pat her head with his hand. He would be mad at her behavior like the rest, but he knew they were all programmed to be like this. Only by compromising would he be able to keep all of them. Just like what Cora and Ruby were doing. Especially Attori. He knew some others would react the same, and so he should attend to them as fast as he could. He did not like the Challenge mode, but it was necessary. Eight action times might not be enough when another batch of date-ables gets released."Keiko, look," he whispered as he pushed her off of him gently so he could kneel down and hug her. His words got cut off since the door opened without a sound, and he saw Yukari frowning at them. Then again, he continued with an awkward smile directed to the other girl. "I like each of you, and I care deeply for everyone. I'll always make time for you, but you have to work with the others. Attori, Ruby, Cora... Yukari... they all agreed to it. And so there they were, with me whenever possible."I can't help you if you don't want to go with it." He brought his gaze down and sighed, his hold tightening against her shoulder. "Please don't hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt you." Those last words gave a pang, even to himself. For some reasons, if he had to choose between Keiko and the rest, he would choose the latter. He just could not let her pose more danger to them, even though she might be the one getting more hurt in the long run.Yukari decided to close the door behind her as she walked in the room. Her footsteps made Keiko twitch, but she remained under Arata's arms. The best friend grabbed the bath robe from the side and walked as close as she could to them before throwing it over Arata. "You better get dressed. If you end up having colds, I would blame you for that."She turned to the other girl. "And you, are you okay? Your head got knocked by that mongoose earlier." Yukari squatted and waited for her to answer.Keiko moved away from Arata's hold and turned to her. "Do you mind... if I sleep here tonight?""Not my house, but you're barred from Arata's room." Yukari huffed as she got up. "Think of it as your punishment for getting Arata hurt." She pouted and looked at the real owner of the house. "I'll go set the guest room for her. Don't let her in your room or else, I'm kicking out the both of you.""Ahahaha! Yes ma'am!" The king gave a salute as Yukari walked out of the room. Ever since Keiko moved out of the house, Yukari had pretty much acted like the landlady. He then looked at Keiko who was just staring at the direction she went. "Keiko," -he earned her attention- "you should tell Attori about your feelings. She could sort it out way better than I can because she's a woman like you. And she loves me more than you think. Please make it up with her."He raised his hand wrapped in plastic and bandages. "This isn't entirely her fault." He leaned closer and kissed her forehead. "Can you do that for me?"The brunet only hung her head and kept her face out of his sight. She only nodded before Yukari came again and called her for the room. Keiko got up without saying 'good night' to the man, and barely made eye contact with the best friend. Arata knew it did not end there, but at least, she would stop attacking for now.Yukari watched him as her got up and fixed the bath robe behind him. She continued staring even until he made a curious noise. The girl blushed. "Can you sleep naked tonight?""You would have to do the same."
