Beyond good and evil

The dinner was sumptuous, even if there were only three dishes. Those dishes were chargrilled seafood, jam-packed ajillo clay pot, and rice. They might be simple, but they brought a smile to everyone.

Shishio put the shrimp in his mouth and chewed it lightly. The meat was so soft that it broke the moment he chewed it, yet this wasn't the end since the juice on the meat burst out inside his mouth, bringing the bomb of deliciousness.

Shishio was about to take a garlic clove cooked in ajillo, but he stopped and decided to take the lobster, eating it slowly. He looked at everyone and could see that they really enjoyed this moment, yet somehow this was what surprised him the most.

As love, wasn't it normal for it to be only just a woman and a man?

Only a pair of two people.

Unlike him, who had so many girlfriends.

Even Shishio understood clearly that his situation was "different."

Yet even if this relationship was "different" from how normal it should be, Shishio could tell that the happy expression on their faces came from their hearts. It wasn't something fake where they lied to themselves in the name of love.

This was something that he should be proud and happy about, especially when he was able to do something that 99% of humanity couldn't do in their lives.

However, Shishio had never taken everything for granted since he was able to do this also partly because of their sacrifice to him.

He did all of this in the name of "love," which made him realize that he had twisted the meaning of "love" into something convenient.

Was it okay for someone to love the same gender just because of love?

Was it okay to do it with another person even though one was married just because of love?

Was it okay to have a harem just because of love?

When those questions were given, a love lost its sacredness and purity. Instead, it had become an excuse for one's ugliness.

Even though he often said he was walking on the path of a harem, he knew what kind of an ugly thing he had done. Somehow he had an urge to go somewhere alone, yet he also knew the thought of living without them wasn't something he could bear.

Would they think a similar thing?

No, Shishio could tell they didn't think something as complicated as him.

They only loved him and just felt happy with him. Still, even if their relationship was close to each other, they competed for his attention.

On the other hand, he was like someone who teased a cat with food right in front of it yet didn't give it. He teased them from time to time, making them love him even harder, which made him realize how evil he was.

Was it love?

It was love.

Shishio knew without a doubt since love was beyond good and evil.

"Ahh..." Shiina opened her mouth, showing her small teeth and pink tongue.

Shishio fed her a garlic clove that he didn't dare to eat earlier. "Was it good?"

"Um." Shiina nodded with a bright smile. She thought the taste of the garlic would be weird, but she didn't expect it would be savory, full of flavor. "You're going to Mai later, Shishio?"

"Yes." Shishio nodded, then looked around. "Do you want to rest for a while?"

"......."

Shiina was in a daze, but she nodded.

The two walked to the villa quietly, and entered the vacant room together, doing something that shouldn't be done.

Shishio knew that his action to go to Mai would bring dissatisfaction to everyone. After all, the impact brought by Mai during her dance was something that made their self-esteem slightly hit, making them realize that they were just a normal girl.

On the other hand, they thought of him as someone special, which made them, without a doubt, feel that he was suitable for Mai, who was like the brightest star in the night sky.

If he just walked out of the villa to visit Mai, without a doubt, they wouldn't be able to sleep and thought of him till late, wondering whether he would forget about them.

Time was tight, so this was all he could do.

The way to resolve this problem was to have sex with each of them right before he went out to calm them down, telling them his passion for them wasn't lost. Instead, it burnt with a fiery flame that could burn them out together.

Even if this was immoral, and there were many eyes that might catch them, this act excited them.

Shiina, who had been taught by Shishio from the beginning, could only cry and writhe her body like a thirsty someone in the desert. She sought after an oasis filled with white magma that could moisten her heart.

Shishio wiped Shiina's face, which was covered with something that was impossible to be seen by the people outside before they did it again.

Yet their act of depravity had been known by some since Rui happened to search for him and saw what he was doing with Shiina.

"...You two are like cats in mating."

While Shiina was just in a daze, Shishio was speechless since this might be the most suitable way to describe their act at this moment.

Shiina was at the bottom, showing her graceful and thin back. Meanwhile, Shishio was on top, lightly squeezing her with his weight while pounding her from behind and biting her white shoulder.

Yet the only cat in the heat wasn't the only two since Rui closed the door and just joined them.

While the three of them had lost their reasoning and became an animal moved by instinct, everyone enjoyed the blazing, warm bonfire.

Roberta was with everyone and lightly sipped the bear given by Hina.

Still, while Hina was drinking, her eyes darted around, trying to find the figure of the man that made her into a she-devil. It was just she didn't expect Kiriya to make her remember the name of someone that she had almost forgotten.

"Ahh, come to think of it... how is Hagiwara-kun doing?" Kiriya suddenly asked.

Roberta's expression didn't change, and she just quietly sipped the beer.

On the other hand, Hina was surprised. She wasn't surprised by how Kiriya suddenly mentioned Hagiwara. Instead, she was surprised at how calm she was when he mentioned her previous boyfriend. "I haven't made any contact with him since we separated."

Her voice was so calm that it made Kiriya realize that Hina didn't have a feeling toward Hagiwara anymore. He could only shake his head and felt slightly sorry for Hagiwara, yet maybe, it was part of karma.

"How did you know him?" It was just pure curiosity, nothing more.

Even Kiriya noticed that, which made him speechless, wondering whether love could be so easily erased from someone's heart.

Maybe, but only a stronger love could erase the previous love, so who was this person that Hina loved at that moment?

Suddenly a picture of a certain someone suddenly emerged in his mind.

However, Kiriya shook his head. 'No way, right?' He then told Hina how he met Hagiwara (Hina's ex-boyfriend) during his university time. Still, he asked, "Why did you no longer meet him?"

"Why?" Hina started to wonder about this question and a picture of "him" appeared in her mind.

The first time she invited "him" was because she wanted to forget everything. Yet the effect was greater than she had thought since she really forgot about everything, whether it was her family, ex-boyfriend, and many things. She became a little animal that only sought after his body. Yet could she say something like that so bluntly?

"I'm afraid to make my family worry..." Hina answered Kiriya's question with a white lie.

"I see..." Kiriya didn't want to check whether Hina was lying or not. Instead, he ended the subject of the conversation. "Well, I'll stop here. I am sorry to have brought it up. I was a little worried about him because he sounded exhausted when I called him recently after a long time."

"I see..." Hina nodded, almost unfeeling, cold like a frost, yet she still masked it with a polite tone. "May I ask the reason?" The heart of a woman could only be entered by one person, and it definitely wasn't enough for two people to enter.

Kiriya opened his mouth and wanted to tell the reason why Hagiwara decided to divorce, but while a mouth could lie, eyes couldn't lie. He could see her eyes were just filled with curiosity instead of hope or something else. Still, he naturally told her that Hagiwara divorced because he was unhappy with his marriage.

Hagiwara's marriage was a mess since it wasn't created from love. Instead, it came from debt. In such an infertile land, it was impossible for love to be born from it, especially when only one person tried and the other was just ignorant.

Hearing that answer, Hina just sipped her beer while gazing over the swaying red flame before gazing over the wood on the side, which had turned into ash.

Was her love for Hagiwara so weak that it could die so easily?

Probably.

"I see..."

By then, Hina wondered why she was so invested in her previous relationship and felt quite a regret since she couldn't meet "him" first. "I'll go to the toilet first."

Kiriya didn't say anything and just stayed silent, feeling slightly sorry for Hagiwara, but everything had ended. If there was a medicine for regret, it would be out of stock already.

Hina was light-headed because of alcohol or maybe because of Kiriya's story. She wasn't sure, but she was blank when she saw Shishio, Shiina, and Rui walking out together.

While Shiina was just as usual, Rui was so awkward and blushed before she ran away to the group.

Hina didn't stop them and just stared at Shishio in silence.

Shishio didn't say anything and just asked, "Do you want to go to the toilet?"

"Um." Hina nodded with a blush, following his game.

"This place is quite huge. You might get lost. I'll guide you there," Shishio said righteously.

"......"

Hina stared at Shishio for a while. Compared to her previous boyfriend, she must admit Shishio was a bastard, and this guy's face was as thick as a fortress in the medieval era. Yet she must confess she loved this bastard a lot.

"Then, guide me. I am afraid to get lost." Hina naturally linked her arm to Shishio.

"Don't worry. I'm very good at guiding people."

Hina nodded and agreed since she must admit under his guidance, her heart was only filled with him.