After lunch, Utaha Kasumigaoka began writing her novel.
In the afternoon, there were fewer customers, and Chen was bored, playing on his phone behind the counter to pass the time.
He wanted to use the internet to see if there was anyone he knew; the internet these days was truly convenient, anyone could appear on it.
All it needed was keywords.
His acquaintances were all quite eye-catching, so it was possible someone had taken their photos and uploaded them online.
Tohru and Chisato Nishikigi were researching new recipes; both had a great interest in cooking, especially when they saw Lord Chen's satisfied smile after he tasted their food.
The afternoon passed quickly. After eating dinner together, cleaning up the kitchen, closing the shop, and going upstairs, Chen, following behind the three, suddenly realized something was off.
Today was different from before; with Utaha Kasumigaoka added, it seemed things couldn't be as usual.
He also didn't know what Tohru and Chisato Nishikigi would do... Thinking of this, Chen's steps couldn't help but slow down.
Utaha Kasumigaoka and Tohru went up to the second floor first, then turned around and saw Chen, who hadn't even gone up many stairs.
"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.
"I think I forgot to lock the door. You guys go take a shower first," Chen said, trying to turn around.
"It's locked, didn't I watch you lock it?" Utaha Kasumigaoka said.
"Really? I'd better go check to be sure."
"Whatever," Utaha Kasumigaoka ignored him.
Although she felt Chen was a bit off, she didn't pay it much mind.
But when she reached her own room door, she realized that Tohru and Chisato Nishikigi had already entered Chen's room.
She also went to Chen's room door and saw the two of them rummaging through the closet.
"What are you two doing?"
"Getting clothes. Don't you change into pajamas at night?" Tohru asked back.
"Of course I wear pajamas to sleep, but why are you two looking for clothes in Lord Chen's room?" Utaha Kasumigaoka frowned, she had already thought of some possibilities, but at this moment, she didn't follow that train of thought.
"What else could it be for?" Chisato Nishikigi took out her pajamas and smiled at her: "Of course, our pajamas are kept here."
"But... isn't this Lord Chen's room?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Then shouldn't your clothes be in your own rooms?"
"But we sleep here too," Chisato Nishikigi winked at her.
Utaha Kasumigaoka was not surprised by this answer. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and asked: "...So you two sleep with Chen every day?"
"Yes," Chisato Nishikigi nodded with a smile.
"Both of you together?"
"One on each side, isn't that just right? Are we supposed to take turns accompanying Chen ge?"
"...Has it been like this from the beginning?"
"Hehe~" Chisato Nishikigi laughed shyly.
"Tohru, you actually agreed?"
"What's wrong with that? Anyway, I can't sleep on the other side, and it's empty anyway."
...
Utaha Kasumigaoka's mouth twitched; she suspected she had misheard.
What kind of outrageous statement was this?
Would a normal girl say something like that?
Don't you like Chen?
Where's your possessiveness?
Can the other side just be given away?
"How did you become like this?" Utaha Kasumigaoka couldn't help but ask.
"What's wrong with me?" Tohru tilted her head, confused.
"You were so wary of me before, why are you so generous with Chisato?"
"Perhaps it's love that grew over time."
?
"Chisato is right, Lord Chen's happiness is the most important."
"You still say you didn't brainwash Tohru?" Utaha Kasumigaoka asked Chisato Nishikigi.
"I really didn't, didn't I tell you before? Don't be too narrow-minded."
"...So that's what you meant, but is this a matter of being narrow-minded? Are you two out of your minds? Did Chen do something to you?"
"Tch~ We wish Chen ge would do something to us, but he just won't make a move," Chisato Nishikigi pouted, replying discontentedly.
"He didn't do anything?" Utaha Kasumigaoka blinked, a little surprised.
"So you guys haven't done anything these past few days except sleep together?"
"What else would we do!"
"This guy... is he for real? It doesn't seem like it, could there be something wrong with his body?"
"You're the one with something wrong with your body!" Chen suddenly appeared behind Utaha Kasumigaoka and patted her on the head.
"When did you come up?" Utaha Kasumigaoka hadn't noticed him come up at all.
"When you were digging for answers." Chen rolled his eyes at her and pushed her into the room.
"Why are you blocking the doorway?"
"Why are you pushing me in? You don't mean you want me to sleep with you too, do you?" Utaha Kasumigaoka stepped away from Chen, watching him warily.
"I'm not just any girl."
"Utaha, we're not just any girls either, it's only because of Chen ge that we're proactive," Chisato Nishikigi emphasized.
"Mhm, mhm, besides Lord Chen, I don't care about anyone else," Tohru followed up.
"...You two are quick to show your loyalty." Utaha Kasumigaoka couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"...Alright, alright, stop making a fuss. Hurry up and wash up and go to bed, aren't you tired after a day of work?" Chen asked.
He had originally intended to come up a bit later, but then he suddenly heard that Utaha Kasumigaoka's tone didn't sound as unhappy, so he seized the opportunity to interject.
On second thought, he was in the clear; he hadn't done anything inappropriate, he was proper, and he wasn't even the one who initiated it, so what was there to be afraid of?
If he was afraid now, what would he do when there were more people later?
Be tougher!
"Sleep? How will we sleep? Do I have to sleep with you too?" Utaha Kasumigaoka crossed her arms and glanced at him.
"It's not that bad. You can just go back to your room to sleep. There's no rule here that you have to sleep with me."
"I go back? What about them?"
"Of course, we'll be like before," Tohru replied as a matter of course.
"Mhm, mhm," Chisato Nishikigi nodded along.
"No!" Utaha Kasumigaoka rejected it without thinking.
"Why?" Tohru looked at her strangely.
"Why else? Do you think it's normal for you two to sleep with Chen?"
"What's wrong with that? It's not like it's been one or two days."
"...Then from now on, everyone goes back to their own rooms to sleep!"
"I don't want to! I want to sleep with Lord Chen."
"Mhm, mhm, I also want to sleep with Chen ge."
"You two... So what's your decision?" Utaha Kasumigaoka had no way to deal with the two of them, so she could only throw the question to Chen.
She had already figured out Tohru and Chisato Nishikigi; they were just simpletons, overly generous, perhaps even lacking common sense.
They had hostility, but no possessiveness. Perhaps watching anime had made their minds abnormal, detached from reality.
After all, they were cosplaying without shame; what normal person would dare to cosplay as a dragon maid every day?
The horns and big tail were worn from morning till night; no matter how much they liked it, it wasn't possible.
"Me? I can't make a decision." Chen shrugged and spread his hands.
"What do you mean?"
"Our household follows the majority rule. Once they decide on something, I can't stop them."
"Majority rule? Your household? They're already family to you?"
"Yes, they're already family."
Tohru's father was there, but it didn't matter whether he was there or not.
"Family..." Utaha Kasumigaoka's brows furrowed.
Like this, she understood why their thinking was so open; alone, they found reliance, and didn't care about anything else, and the key was that both of them were still so young.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you two..." Utaha Kasumigaoka looked at the two apologetically.
"It's okay, we don't mind," Chisato Nishikigi waved her hand: "Having Chen ge is enough."
"Mhm, I want to be with Lord Chen forever."
"Me too."
...Utaha Kasumigaoka withdrew her sympathy; these two were optimistic and didn't need her consideration at all.
"Since that's the case, then I'll join this big family too!" Utaha Kasumigaoka hardened her heart and said: "This way, I'll have a say, right?"
"Why would you join?" Chen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and ask back.
"What? They can join, but I can't?"
"I don't care, but if you join, you'll be family from now on?" Chen reminded her.
"Family is family, I don't dislike them either."
"Really? What about me?"
"You? Hah~" Utaha Kasumigaoka scoffed and changed the subject: "So what's your decision now? Let them go back to their own rooms to sleep, or continue sleeping with you? You said you didn't want to before, right?"
Chen looked at Tohru and Chisato Nishikigi, meeting their pitiful gazes.
...
Being soft-hearted is truly a sickness; sometimes, you just can't make a choice.
So the question is, should one person be unhappy, or should two people be sad?