NOVEL NEXT Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: Heat
Chapter 63: Heat
Ultimately, I couldn’t focus on anything in the morning and spent it in a daze. By midday, Kuro and Elizabeth returned safely, and we all had an early lunch together. In the afternoon, Kuro shaved my beard, and in return, I combed Kuro’s hair, spending a leisurely time together. It tickles a bit when I brush through, and Kuro makes a cute voice that I haven’t heard much, running away, but then urging me to continue when I stop. Well, Kuro could probably do it better on their own, but oh well.
Mil and Gisella seemed to get along well, planning to make a stove together in the hideout and discussing how to use Elizabeth’s fur. They seem endlessly interested in various plants, wandering around while chatting happily. Somehow, I feel like these two are enjoying the environment of the hideout the most. Shiro was teaching Zamza various things about the hideout. Zamza still seems scared of Shiro as usual. However, despite that, Zamza’s curiosity about the new environment is strong, asking questions timidly and sparkling with excitement at the harvest, showing heartwarming reactions suitable for his age. Shiro, for their part, may be harsh with Zamza, but surprisingly, they’re quite caring. Moreover, they behave strangely like an older sister, which is amusing in its own way. The two of them look alike in appearance, like a beautiful brother and sister, making you feel somewhat warm inside when you see them.
So, in the end, that day passed without doing anything in particular until bedtime, just idly watching everyone’s behavior.
That night, I woke up suddenly, feeling bothered by the sound of the wind.
I guess I still haven’t dispelled the uneasy feeling lingering since yesterday. It feels a bit suffocating. I somehow want to see the starry sky. I quietly crawl out of the rock bed so as not to wake everyone. Carefully, I take out the leftover coffee brewed in a thermos and step outside the rock wall. It’s slightly chilly.
“Bonus.”
As soon as I step outside, I hear a voice whispering near my ear. I turn around in surprise to see Shiro standing there with a curious look on her face.
“Sorry for waking you up. I just felt like seeing the stars.”
“I see. Then, let’s watch them together.”
Shiro sits down, leaning against the rock wall, so I sit beside her. It might be the first time Shiro and I have watched the stars together like this. I take a sip of the slightly cooled coffee and pass it to Shiro.
“Do you want some?”
“Yeah.”
As usual, the night in this place is quiet, with only the stars twinkling relentlessly. Only Shiro, quietly sipping her coffee beside me, conveys a slight warmth across my shoulder. The feeling of breathlessness I felt earlier seems to ease a little.
“Bonus, you were good at eating fish.”
“Fish? Oh, the one I ate back in Vaintz Village. Yeah, I used to eat it a lot in the old days.”
“In your hometown?”
“Hometown… Well, I guess you could say that.”
“Bonus… Do you… want to go back to your hometown someday?”
I wonder. Even at the very beginning, when I was thrown into this land, could I have answered without hesitation?
“When you were eating fish, you had a face I’d never seen before, and it worried me. ――――If you do go back, can I come with you?”
“I… had a child. Of course, a wife too.”
I can tell Shiro takes a sharp breath beside me. The face, the name――――I still can’t remember them even now.
Honestly, the me before I lost my name and face and the me sitting here now, introducing myself as Bonus, can no longer be considered continuous.
At that time, there’s another me who crossed the crosswalk as if it were a matter of course, and that person is still commuting normally.
Living each day, doing my job, occasionally being begged for pocket money by children, and leading a modest but happy daily life.
That’s the feeling I get.
But what’s the point of telling her such nonsense?
After all, such things are not important to her.
What she needs now is an answer.
If that’s the case, then I’ve already decided when I became Bonus.
“I won’t go back. I intend to stay with you and the others forever.”
So, I’ll just convey the conclusion.
She shudders her shoulders for a moment. Then, in the next moment, she straddles me and gazes into my eyes with her blue eyes shaking.
“Bonus. I… I’m Bonus.”
“Yeah?”
Shiro brings her face so close that our breaths mingle, and she wraps her arms around my neck. Then, in a slightly angry but whispering voice, she speaks.
“I was scared, you know? When I was running away from the Black Wolves, I didn’t know where Bonus went.”
“Ah, when we set fire to the village and escaped… That’s a terrible memory. I’m sorry.”
“――No, I won’t forgive you.”
With that, Shiro slowly kisses me. Shiro naturally has a high body temperature. But now, her body feels worryingly hot. The temperature difference between her hot body and the considerably chilly outdoor air makes me feel a bit dizzy. As I slide my hand over her warm and smooth back, Shiro pulls me closer, pressing against me more firmly. Yesterday, she had a robust body that slaughtered a large number of Black Wolves, but now it feels unbelievably soft. And her kiss is so deep. Somehow, the scene of the first time I met Shiro comes to mind. No matter how hungry she was, Shiro always ate very slowly and savored every bite, eating more than anyone else. Come to think of it, back then, I thought she was a guy.
“Hey, Bonus. One more time.”
Shiro’s hot lips slowly part from mine. With our foreheads still together, Shiro sighs with hot breath. I feel like my head is going to spin even more. There’s a sweetness in her breath that somehow stirs up a man’s primal instincts. I never imagined Shiro had this much allure.
“――Ah, umm… Unbelievable. Huh? Oh, umm, sorry~”
Thanks to Mil’s sudden intrusion, I regain a bit of composure. Their reaction is surprisingly innocent. Shiro shows no intention of moving away at all. Even while Mil is talking, she doesn’t shy away or anything, still covering me. But think about it carefully. Mil will come back. Somehow, I’ve ended up in this situation, almost like I’m intoxicated by the heat. But doing anything further now would be bad upon reflection.
“Shiro, let’s take a break for a moment――”
“No.”
Shiro, still as warm as ever, softly entwines herself around me. Though there’s no pressure, I can’t move at all. This is bad; I might be devoured. But then, a random, inappropriate thought strikes me.
“If we had a child together, they’d probably be unbelievably cute, right?”
The fervently soft restraint loosens a bit.
“But, I don’t think the environment is stable enough yet to raise a child. Let’s create an environment where we can raise a child with peace of mind. After all, if we’re going to do it, we should at least prepare an environment where we can give birth and raise children with some peace of mind.”
“…Yeah.”
It seems she finally understands. Actually, I feel like it would be quite risky if Shiro got pregnant now. In this world where violence reigns and life is cheap, it could be dangerous. If we’re going to do it, I want to make sure we have a somewhat stable environment for childbirth and pregnancy.
But for some reason, Shiro still hasn’t moved.
“But, just a little more――”
“Huh?”
“Oh, umm, we’re still… heeey!”
Unfortunately, Mil returns at an awkward moment, and Shiro runs away. The ear-piercing howl, the jaws of the Black Wolves chasing endlessly, the sensation of mud and blood clinging to my body, the smell of the burning village—all the unpleasant things swirling around in my head have somehow disappeared. Instead, for a while, I feel like I’ll be troubled by Shiro’s heat…
“By the way, Bonus. Don’t go to any weird shops with Azir, okay?”
“――Ah, yeah. Of course!”