New chapter of The Demon King is out! (1/2 chapters)
The day after that, I was called by Lily-san and was heading to the hotel restaurant.
I was guided by the waiter through the restaurant and into a private room with a large window, where Lily was already waiting.. What was different from usual was that Shamu was sitting next to Lily-san. She looked somewhat worried.
“Good morning. Well, sit down, sit down.” (Lily)
It was lunchtime now, so it was a bit late to say “good morning”. Since this restaurant was usually used for dinner, the atmosphere felt different, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. However, Lily-san seemed to be in a good mood. I wondered what kind of interaction had taken place between them since the night before yesterday.
“Well, I’ll sit down…” (Yuri)
I sat down in the chair across from them. I wondered why Lily-san had called me. I thought I knew Lily-san well, but I couldn’t predict this.
“Well, could we have some tea, please?” (Lily)
As Lily-san spoke to the waiter, tea and a set of tea cakes were brought out almost immediately. They must have been prepared in advance.
“Bring the rest of the order when I call.” (Lily)“Yes. Excuse me.” (Waiter)
When the waiter left the private room, there were only the three of us. The tea that had just been poured into the cups gently gave off steam on the table.
“So, what brings us here today?” (Yuri)
“I was thinking I’d like you to sleep with Shamu.” (Lily)
I almost spit out the tea I was drinking.
Sleep with…?
“Yuri-kun, do you not want to sleep with Shamu?” (Lily)
“It’s not that I don’t want to…” (Yuri)
I glanced at Shamu. As expected, she looked worried.
“…It’s more like I’ve never imagined it.” (Yuri)
After saying that, I felt like I hadn’t explained enough.
“That is… I’ve always thought of her like a sister.” (Yuri)
When Shamu heard that, she looked shocked, and immediately her shoulders drooped, and she hung her head as if she were about to cry.
“I knew it…” (Shamu)
Knew it…what?
“Yuri-kun, saying she’s like a sister is cruel. Apologize.” (Lily)
Lily-san looked at me seriously.
“Apologize?” (Yuri)
“Yes.” (Lily)
I see…calling her a sister was a harsh thing to say. She actually looks hurt. I should apologize, then.
“I’m sorry. Maybe calling you a sister was going too far.” (Yuri)
What is even going on?
“Yuri-kun, do you feel like you can’t see Shamu in a sexual way?” (Lily)
The conversation shifted. It felt like this was a pre-prepared question.
I guess Lily-san was probably voicing the kind of anxiety Shamu had shared over the past two days.
“Hmm…” (Yuri)
“You see, boys, unlike girls, if they can’t see someone sexually, they can’t, um, perform. You know…” (Lily)
Lily-san glanced shyly at Shamu.
“They can’t, you know, get hard.” (Lily)
These two have a good relationship, but it seems like they’ve never had this kind of raunchy conversation before.
“So, do you feel like you don’t want to or can’t sleep with Shamu?” (Lily)
“Well…” (Yuri)
This is a tricky question. If I say I can, it would feel like I’ve always looked at Shamu sexually, but if I say I can’t, that would really hurt her feelings. It’s like telling someone you like, “I can’t see you as a man, it’s impossible”. There aren’t many things in the world as hurtful as that.
“No, I don’t think it’s like that.” (Yuri)
“Then, isn’t it fine?” (Lily)
Well, not exactly…
“I’d like to know what Lily-san thinks. Are you okay with this?” (Yuri)
“Of course, I don’t like it.” (Lily)
As I thought. Somehow, I feel relieve. Lily-san is like that, after all. She tends to get jealous easily and can get upset if I so much as glance at another woman. Even with Shamu, it wouldn’t be easy for her to just brush it off and feel nothing at all.
“But I hate it more if Shamu’s love doesn’t come true.” (Lily)
“So, you don’t like it, but you’re willing to endure it?” (Yuri)
“I don’t like it, but it’s not really about enduring.” (Lily)
What does that mean?
“I’d be happy if Shamu is happy. Sure, I don’t like it, but if her happiness outweighs my dislike, then isn’t that okay?” (Lily)
“Is that how it works?” (Yuri)
“Yuri-kun, you might not understand, but that’s what a woman’s life is about. Even if she wants to be with the man she loves, she can’t if he’s busy with work. But without work, you can’t live. It’s like a trade-off. You can’t just throw everything away and be together all the time. Pregnancy and childbirth are the same. Your body changes, it’s painful, and you might even die. Nobody likes that. But once the baby is born, you’re happy, so you endure it. It’s not just enduring. It’s more like trading something unpleasant for greater happiness.” (Lily)
Well, I guess that makes sense…
“I see Shamu’s situation as a trade for happiness too. So, don’t worry about me. Now, the problem is you, Yuri-kun.” (Lily)
“What about me…?” (Yuri)
What do I want to do? Lily-san says that while she doesn’t like it, she’s okay because her happiness outweighs her discomfort. As for me… Honestly, I don’t have any sexual desire for Shamu. But I do feel protective of her, like family, and I want her to be happy.
“I understand.” (Lily)
Lily-san, seeing me in deep thought, spoke.
“Then, let’s break up.” (Lily)
Huh?
“Break up…with me?” (Yuri)
“Yeah. Then, Yuri-kun will be single again, so there’s no problem if things turn out that way with Shamu, right?” (Lily)
“Wait a minute.” (Shamu)
A voice cut in from the side.
“What are you talking about? Don’t say things that don’t make sense.” (Shamu)
Shamu, who had been silent until now, said this while looking at Lily-san as if doubting her sanity.
It didn’t seem like an act, so she probably hadn’t been told about this.
“I’ve been monopolizing Yuri-kun for two years, leaving Shamu aside. I’m already happy enough. If Shamu ends up marrying some unknown man and having children, then it’s better to break up… and yeah, I’d probably just go home quietly since hiding would only get me found right away.” (Lily)
“Are you serious? That’s absolutely not okay!” (Shamu)
“It’s fine.” (Lily)
Lily-san hugged the pressing Shamu tightly, holding her small, clever head to her chest.
“When I said I didn’t want Shamu to be unhappy, it wasn’t something that could be weighed on a scale, like being cheated on. I love Shamu as much as my own child. So, I can throw everything away for her.” (Lily)
“Senpai…” (Shamu)
“Well, if you change your mind, come see me. Anytime is fine.” (Lily)
Lily-san stood up.
Then, she walked past me and was about to leave the room.
“Wait, please.” (Yuri)
I grabbed Lily-san’s hand to stop her.
“I give up. Please don’t say you’ll break up.” (Yuri)
—
Since the conversation was settled, the two of them were enjoying their meal, getting along like real sisters.
Was Lily-san’s talk about breaking up just a kind of bluff…? I’ve thought about it several times, but it doesn’t seem like it. She probably thought I would stop her, that I would intervene, but if I hadn’t, I have a feeling she really would have gone back to her parents’ home. That’s how determined Lily-san was. When I think about what’s coming next, the food doesn’t taste like anything…
When it was with Lily-san, I was fully motivated, thinking about how to escort her gentlemanly, but when it comes to Shamu… well, it feels like I’m not mentally prepared.
With Lily-san, to put it bluntly, I had already been looking at her in a sexual way before we even got into that kind of relationship, so it was easy to fall into it without any barriers… but with Shamu… Hmm. I’m just feeling nervous.
“Well then, I think I’ll excuse myself soon.” (Lily)
As we were finishing the meal, Lily-san suddenly stood up.
“Huh? I thought Senpai would stay with us?” (Shamu)
I almost spit out my tea.
What the heck is she saying?
“What are you talking about? That’s a no-go. That would make me look like some kind of pervert.” (Lily)
Good. Even for Lily-san, that kind of thing seems impossible.
“Here. This is the key to the room.” (Lily)
Lily-san placed the key next to my table. It had the mark of the hotel on the tag.
“Well, be gentle with her.” (Lily)
Lily-san lightly placed her hand on my shoulder and left.
“…Shall we go too?” (Yuri)
“Ah… yes.” (Shamu)
Shamu nodded nervously.
—
When we entered the room… somehow sitting on the bed right away felt too vivid, so I ended up sitting on a one-person sofa-like chair.
There was a small table between us, and on the other side, there was a chair identical to mine, set up for two people to face each other.
Shamu sat there naturally and said,
“Um… if Yuri doesn’t want to, I don’t want to force anything.” (Shamu)
She suddenly said something strange.
“…What do you mean?” (Yuri)
“Well, you know… things kind of flowed this way, but… this kind of relationship doesn’t work if one side doesn’t want it, right?” (Shamu)
“Well, yeah, that’s true.” (Yuri)
“If Yuri doesn’t want to, forcing it would be weird… and I don’t want you to do it unwillingly either…” (Shamu)
It seems like Shamu is worried about whether she has any charm. Well… Lily-san has been by my side all the time. It’s no wonder that watching the very attractive Lily-san gather the attention of all the men would make Shamu doubt her own sexual appeal. Her chest… is a bit on the smaller side too.
“I’m not doing this unwillingly, but to be honest, with Shamu…” (Yuri)
The expression “like a little sister” fits perfectly, but that’s probably a forbidden phrase, so I shouldn’t say it.
“It’s like… I’ve always thought of you as someone I shouldn’t touch. You’ve always been attached to me but never clung to me, so I thought you weren’t comfortable with that kind of thing…” (Yuri)
“Huh? Why would you think that?” (Shamu)
Shamu looked at me in surprise, her eyes wide.
“I don’t dislike it. Honestly, I would’ve liked to sit on your lap while doing homework, but if I did that… well, I’d look like a silly girl, wouldn’t I?” (Shamu)
Silly girl…
“I wanted to be more affectionate, but… more than that, I wanted you to acknowledge me… I was happier when you said I was amazing or smart.” (Shamu)
Yeah, well, I do remember doing that. When I complimented Shamu like that, she really did look happy.
“At some point, I realized my feelings weren’t quite romantic, but by that time, Senpai and you were already in love… so if I started being clingy after that, it would’ve felt like I was taking advantage of my position to get ahead…” (Shamu)
Her voice gradually became tearful.
It seems like the inner struggles Shamu had been dealing with are now overflowing as emotions.
“Then, go ahead and lean on me now.” (Yuri)
“Huh, now…? Right now?” (Shamu)
“Come on.” (Yuri)
I leaned forward and took Shamu’s hand. As I pulled her towards me, Shamu left the sofa and came closer.
“Wh-what should I do?” (Shamu)
“Sit on my lap. You’ve always wanted to try it, right?” (Yuri)
“Y-yes… well then.” (Shamu)
Awkwardly, Shamu carefully sat on my lap. I thought she’d just sit normally, but it ended up being more like she was cradled in a princess-carry position.
“A-am I not too heavy?” (Shamu)
“No, of course not.” (Yuri)
Far from heavy, she felt so light that I was almost worried. It didn’t even feel like I was holding a person, more like a slightly heavy cat. I wrapped my arms around Shamu’s back to support her weight.
“Ahh… this feels nice.” (Shamu)
“You’ve been stressed these past few days, haven’t you? Good job hanging in there.” (Yuri)
I stroked the back of her head.
Though honestly, as far as pampering goes, was patting her like this really appropriate?
“Yes… I worked hard. I’ve wanted this for so long.” (Shamu)
Shamu nuzzled her head into my chest.
“You smell so good… It’s my first time smelling Yuri’s scent.” (Shamu)
Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d touched Shamu like this. Even though we’ve been together for over ten years, we’ve barely ever made contact. We’ve only hugged a handful of times. Despite being side by side countless times at the desk, we hardly ever touched each other.
“…I want to lean on you more.” (Shamu)
“Yeah. Go ahead and lean as much as you want.” (Yuri)
“Then…” (Shamu)
Shamu leaned forward and buried her face in the crook of my neck. Naturally, we ended up in an embrace, and I placed my hands on her back and head, stroking her gently.
For a while, Shamu didn’t move, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“Ah!” (Yuri)
Suddenly, I felt something wet on my neck where Shamu’s lips had been. She licked me.
“…Is that not okay?” (Shamu)
“No, it’s fine…” (Yuri)
“Then…” (Shamu)
Without saying much, Shamu started licking my neck again, her tongue moving like a cat’s, as if my neck was coated in some kind of sweet nectar. She continued licking obsessively.
After a while, seemingly satisfied, Shamu pulled back slightly and looked directly at me. In the sunlight streaming through the curtains, her face was flushed with excitement. It was an expression I’d never seen before.
“…Here too is fine, right?” (Shamu)
“Yeah.” (Yuri)
And with that, Shamu and I shared a kiss.
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