Chapter 14: The Day After (3)

[Matsushita Natsumi's POV]

Lunch break.

Tsubasa-kun, Chinatsu-chan, and I were on the rooftop, our usual spot for lunch. It had become our daily ritual. Our dynamic had garnered some attention, making us a bit of a spectacle. People used to speculate that the three of us were entangled in some kind of love triangle, but that gossip had died down over time as they saw how comfortable we were with each other. Well, they weren't entirely wrong. We were indeed in a love triangle, but not in the way they thought. Our relationship was a unique three-way bond, and just yesterday, we experienced something incredibly intimate together for the first time.

My stomach still felt a bit fluttery from yesterday's encounter, but looking at Tsubasa-kun eased that sensation. He was my guiding light, the one who brought warmth to my heart. While Chinatsu-chan was also very dear to me, Tsubasa-kun's presence shone even brighter in my life.

While I was enjoying my lunch, Chinatsu-chan brought up an interesting point. "You know, a lot of people are starting to get suspicious about our relationship. Take Chika-chan, for instance. Since my first year, she's been all over me because of how close you and I are. She seems to think that Natsumi and I are rivals competing for your affection, Tsubasa."

Tsubasa-kun chuckled, "Well, let them make up their own stories. They won't be certain because they don't have enough proof."

Chinatsu-chan nodded, but her expression remained pensive. "True, but Chika-chan is quite perceptive. If she ever catches us together, she might suspect that we're more than just friends. I mean, what do we even call our relationship?"

"It's still not enough evidence for her to be certain. The only way she'd be convinced is if she caught the three of us heading to a motel together," Tsubasa-kun joked.

The idea of our relationship becoming public wasn't something I particularly opposed. In fact, I almost wished I could proudly announce to everyone that I was in a relationship with Tsubasa-kun, along with Chinatsu-chan, and that we had a threesome. But there was one significant obstacle holding me back: my mother. If she found out, she'd do everything in her power to separate me from Tsubasa, and I couldn't bear the thought of that.

I continued our discussion, "What about Ichinose-san? She did see the three of us buying condoms together. Do you think she might be starting to suspect something?"

Tsubasa-kun paused with his food halfway to his mouth, contemplating the question. "As long as she didn't witness us heading to a motel together, we should be safe."

"Really?" Chinatsu-chan raised an eyebrow and let out a sigh. "I don't even know what I've gotten myself into. I've witnessed a lot of unconventional romances out there, but even those pale in comparison to ours. I mean, we're not living in a world where polygamy is widely accepted, right? What's your plan for the long run, Tsubasa?"

"What do you mean by the long run?"

"I don't intend to break up with you, so we'll probably be together as adults, right? Natsumi seems to have similar thoughts."

"I plan to be with him together and forever. I can't even imagine my life without him," I chimed in.

"Me either," Chinatsu-chan said. "So? This relationship will last until the day we die, Tsubasa. What do you intend to do with that? What are your plans for the future? Our future."

Now, I understood what Chinatsu-chan was getting at. The long run referred to our future, the future of the three of us. If society were to find out about our relationship, they would surely judge us. In the modern world, incestuous relationships and polygamy were not accepted. People would criticize us for sure. So, how could we navigate a world that wouldn't accept us? That was an answer we couldn't possibly know. It was an impossible question to answer.

There was a solution, but it wasn't as simple as it sounded. To gain society's acceptance and legitimize our relationship, we needed to get married – the three of us. However, that was easier said than done. Marrying one girl was one thing, but in our culture, marrying two girls was seen as ridiculous.

Even Tsubasa-kun's mom would probably be unable to accept that. So, Tsubasa-kun would have to choose one of us to marry, or maybe he'd remain unmarried and just stay as we were. I secretly hoped he'd choose to marry me; it had always been a dream of mine. But that seemed like wishful thinking given our complicated situation.

What Chinatsu-chan meant by 'our future' was essentially who Tsubasa would choose to marry.

"What do you mean?" Tsubasa pretended not to fully grasp the question, though it was clear he knew exactly what she was getting at.

I jumped in to clarify, "Chinatsu-chan means, when we grow up, who are you going to choose as your legal wife? Who will bear your surname? Who will officially be tied to you and registered as your spouse?"

"_____"

Tsubasa-kun fell silent for a moment, and after some contemplation, he replied, "We'll figure that out when we're adults."

His response sounded like something a guy who tried to avoid trouble would say...

"To be honest, I'd rather marry both of you..." Tsubasa-kun's words sent a blush creeping across my cheeks. I glanced at Chinatsu, who was clearly blushing as well. "I mean, who decided that an individual should only marry one person, anyway? That seems absurd. So what, if you like two people, you should just choose one and leave the other behind? That's a pretty douchebag mindset."

After his rambling, he looked into both of our eyes and placed his hands on each of our shoulders.

"That's why I'm going to find a way so that I could marry both of you! I'll pursue a career in politics and advocate for polygamy to make it legal. Just you wait. Before you know it, both of you will be wearing engagement rings that I bought for you. I promise," Tsubasa-kun declared.

"Tsubasa-kun..."

"Tsubasa..."

Chinatsu-chan and I responded breathlessly. Tsubasa's determination made him seem incredibly manly.

"Anyway, for now, I have a request for both of you," Tsubasa-kun continued, though this time his expression shifted from determination to awkwardness.

"What is it?" Chinatsu-chan asked.

Tsubasa smiled and scratched the back of his head, saying, "Let's try having a threesome... right here in school."

The moment he said that, our smiles turned cold.