Stealing Spree

"Welcome home, husband!"

Akane greeted me as soon as I entered from the door. She then jumped at me and kissed me more intimately than normal.

It's like she was waiting for me at the door all this time or did she have a radar that could detect my presence?

Ah. Right. That should explain why she's acting like this. It's because of Yae, isn't it?

"Ah! Unfair, Shimizu! Welcome home, sweetie. Give me a kiss too!"

Like I thought. Yae showed up seconds after Akane. She's still in her uniform but this girl, is that an apron she's wearing on top of it?

Ah. Only now did I notice that Akane also has an apron on top of her clothes, so they're both at the kitchen? Are they cooking our dinner together?

Well, this is new.

Akane really detected my presence when I arrived at our doorstep that she immediately rushed to the door to greet me first. Does she have a Ruki-radar now?

Yae who I haven't seen since last Sunday also reached in for a kiss. I didn't reject her and gave her one, partly because she's asking and partly because I really missed her.

Like Akane, Yae clung to me after the kiss. This girl was conveying how much she missed me as well as her intention to not lose against Akane.

"You girls, you left the fire on."

Miwa-nee's voice also sounded right after. Unlike the two, I could see her only looking at me. She's restraining herself not to jump at me like these two or that's just me imagining what was in her mind.

Though she's not wearing an apron like the two, she looks more of a housewife than them.

Err... she really is a housewife.

"I'm home, Miwa-nee."

I greeted her and she welcomed me back. Miwa-nee was showing her adult front. I guess she didn't want to be like these two affectionate girls.

"Husband, I'll get jealous if you only greet Miwa-nee."

This silly girl. You're always jealous, you know? Well, that's my fault why she's feeling like this anyway.

"I hate to say it but she's right, sweetie."

Not you too, Yae.

"You two, stop competing. You both jumped at me, is that not a greeting?"

To go home with 3 beautiful ladies waiting for you. This is a fulfilling life, eh?

At least it's not as chaotic as I expected. Yae behaved herself. The fact that I called her to meet me was probably enough to satisfy her.

After removing my shoes and changing to house slippers I moved to the living room while the two went back to what they were doing in the kitchen.

These days, the times I have to cook are lessened and well, the dishes I got to eat now have a variety unlike before where I could only cook what I can cook.

The previous silent house was also turning livelier. With the addition of Akane at first, now Miwa-nee and Minoru were also here adding color to the colorless house before.

Miwa-nee was watching TV with Minoru but since the kid's attention span is still short, he soon grew bored of watching and went to his toys leaving the two of us.

"You brought another girl home. I should stop being surprised at how many you have."

With her eyes still fixed on the TV Miwa-nee commented.

"Are you jealous, Miwa-nee?"

I tried teasing her to see her reaction but it only earned me a hit to my head.

"I told you, not in front of Minoru."

Miwa-nee reprimanded me. The hit on my head wasn't painful but yeah, Minoru might start asking questions if I keep showing him how close I am to his mother.

Maybe I'll find the time to talk to Miwa-nee again and ask about their plans. If her husband suddenly shows up one day, I don't know how she will react. If he asks her to go back with him, will she accept it?

And as to why they fought that led to her leaving their house, I also wanted to ask her about the reason.

After apologizing to Miwa-nee, I stood up and went upstairs. Since they're still cooking dinner I decided to change my clothes first. And during it, I also thought about how to deal with Yae.

To this girl who wanted me to fall for her, I could finally tell her the words she always wanted to hear. Apart from Akane, she's the only one who always demanded it, Haruko only silently accepted that I couldn't feel that emotion back then

My original room will be used again, I guess. It's already this late, Yae might stay the night here.

Akane knew my intentions for inviting Yae and she would concede her time with me again like what she always does.

About Miwa-nee though, not only will she ask about Yae, Yae will also ask about her for sure. She's the most competitive and she's probably more threatened by an adult like Miwa-nee than Akane.

Ah. Let's eat dinner first and decide what to do later.

As soon as I started descending the stairs, a mouth-watering aroma filled my nose from the kitchen. They're already doing the finishing touches for our dinner and even Minoru was looking forward to eating it.

It's a bit surprising that the two of them can work this well together. Looking at their backs busily working there, I'm already restraining the urge to go behind and hug them both.

Well, if I did, the dinner would be delayed again so I restrained myself. I spent the spare time watching TV with Miwa-nee and checking my phone for messages.

Minutes later, the dinner was served. Akane and Yae both sat at my sides. And like it's a normal thing to do, they both tried to feed me by themselves, competing on whose food on their chopsticks will I take.

"You cooked this together, why are you competing on this now?"

I used a slightly annoyed tone. I want them to get along together and not like this.

Why is it that they can work together in the kitchen and not when it concerns me?

Haa. What should I do with these two?

Take them together on the bed? Ah. That might work but there's a possibility that they will just compete again.

Miwa-nee read the situation well and what she did dumbfounded the two.

She also reached her chopsticks to me. Now there's a 3rd option.

Well, they're all the same food, what's the point of choosing one? I ate what's on Miwa-nee's chopsticks before singing praise for the food these two girls cooked together.

"Un. This is delicious. You two, keep working together like how you did in the kitchen. You're both my girls so I want you two to get along, okay?"

I alternately looked at them and they were both looking down in shame. I patted both of their heads before eating what's on their chopsticks as well.

That woke them up and they both happily smiled.

"So, how was it? How did it feel being stuck in that situation?"

Miwa-nee commented after. She had a teasing smile on her face. Minoru was looking up, confused at what's happening while he quietly ate his food.

"Hmm. It's enjoyable as long as they don't compete like that."

I answered truthfully. Well, I purposely said that for them to hear.

Akane and Yae reflected from what they did. Throughout the dinner, they restrained themselves from doing a stunt like that again.

After we're done eating, I once again expressed my appreciation for what they did in the kitchen.

Hearing that from me, their spirits were lifted.

Miwa-nee brought Minoru upstairs to put him to sleep after cleaning up so I was left with the two in the living room.

Akane settled herself on my left side while Yae did the same on my right. They both took one of my arms and put it around their shoulder.

"Shimizu, you're already living with him here, can't you give us time?"

Yae started.

This girl…

"I'm his wife. It's normal for me to be at his side."

Akane responded in a teasing tone.

Well, she already knew my intention. Most probably she's just doing this to annoy Yae. Her competitiveness also heightened when it comes to Yae.

Yae glared at her and pouted. In the end, she didn't retort back and just snuggled closer to me.

"Alright, here you go again. I told you two to get along with each other, right?"

It's all fun and fulfilling to have a harem but if it's like this where they will try and compete in front of me, it's a bit tiring to control the situation.

Well, I won't give up on any of them. I'll keep trying to have them get along with each other.

"Sorry, husband. I'll stop and listen to you."

Akane conceded first. Her apology was genuine. She then looked at Yaeko and bowed at her.

"I'm sorry too, sweetie. I'm just jealous that she's living here with you."

Since Akane already apologized Yae followed after. For sure it's not only her who was jealous of Akane. Haruko was one, that's why she came up with that request to stay here once a week. Just that unlike Yae, Haruko was great at restraining herself.

"Akane, you know you're always the most special. I'll make it up to you, okay?"

I turned to her and gave her a kiss on her cheeks.

"And Yae, as you've heard, Akane is special that's why she's here. Get along with her, do it for me, please?"

"Yes, sweetie. Just don't forget me, okay? Shimizu is here with you, while Haruko is attending the same school. I had to restrain myself from going to your school to meet you."

Yae voiced her thoughts. I expected this, out of the three closest to me, she's the only one who would have a hard time to meet me.

It will depend on when I will tell her to meet me like today.

"Hmm. Husband, I'll prepare our bath."

Akane stood up after saying that. This is her way of conceding her time again. Like always, she's helping me be alone with another girl.

"Un. I'll follow you soon."

I answered her.

"Thank you, Shimizu!"

Yae shouted at Akane before she disappeared from our sight.

At least she knew that it's Akane's way of giving us time.

"So, now that we're alone. How are you these days?"

"Missing you, you dummy. I thought you already forgot about me again."

Yae stopped restraining herself and she quickly stuck herself closer to me. She's like a kid who missed her parents.

I looked at her eyes and there's a hint of a tear forming there. This girl…

"Don't overthink it. I already told you that you're mine. There's no way I'll forget about you."

I brushed her hair with my fingers while saying all those.

I can confidently say now that I love this girl. Even now, I can feel that she's pouring in her love for me. It was just last Sunday but maybe for her, it's already a long time since we met at that special place for us.

"Fall for me then. You know, that's what I always wish for."

Muttering the same words she always say to me, Yae longingly clung closer, I could already feel the warmth of her body and the sound of her heartbeat.

"I've already fallen for you, you know? I love you, Yae."

Even before she could react, I kissed her lips and poured in my feelings for her. Loving her was something that was bottled up at the corner of my mind when I still haven't remembered that emotion. Same with Akane and Haruko, all of it was there, just that, I couldn't tap on it.

After remembering it, all of it was opened. I already poured it on Akane and Haruko, only her was left and now I'm letting her feel it through my actions.

I could see her wide-opened eyes from surprise and her lack of reaction because of my sudden confession to her. But all of it was brushed off when I didn't let go of her lips.

Soon she responded to it and it grew more intense as time passed.

"Say it again…"

She whispered when she took a break to catch her breath.

"I love you. I finally remembered those emotions and I don't know if you felt it but I already loved you way before. I'm just too dumb to recognize it back then."

I won't tell her how all of them have almost the same reactions when I uttered those words to them. Well, it's rude and they might take it in a bad way. I'll just let them feel how I really feel. Even if this isn't normal in the eyes of other people, this is already the norm for me and maybe for all my girls who accepted this arrangement as well.

"I felt like last week was a nightmare when you rejected me once again and now this week, it turned to this dream-like situation where my wish was answered and granted to me. Sweetie, I'm not dreaming, right?"

Yae muttered quietly as she slowly lost herself to what I said. This was always what she asked for me even back before I cut her off. Now that she got it granted to her, she thought she was in a dream. Afraid to wake up from it.

These girls, they all have this same kind of reaction.

Even if I added more girls, Yae and Haruko will always be up there just below Akane. Ah. Of course, others also have that chance to be this special to me.