Risk Level 5: Arachne
"...Hmph."
The first sound I heard upon returning home yesterday was that I was a pervert. Nero still puffs out her cheeks in a sulky face as I get ready for work. Even so, the fact that she follows me all the way to the front door to see me off is no different from usual.
"I'll be back."
"..."
She deliberately turns her head the other way again. The sight of her childish sulking is strangely endearing. Ever since I told her I liked her more that way, she's been keeping her ears and tail out in the open. I don't even need to use my ability to know what she's thinking—her tail and ears give her away first. It's not as simple as a dog's tail wagging when happy and drooping when sad, but after spending so much time together, I can read her pretty well now.
"Haha..."
Looking at her right now... yeah, she's definitely quite upset. It's probably because of what I said to Yerin yesterday.
'Honestly... I'm happiest when I'm with you.'
Ever since I got back, she's been poking at me with lines like, "If it was that fun, why don't you just live with her?" The walls must not be soundproof, or maybe Nero's hearing is just that good. Either way, it meant I could indulge my desires without holding back around her. Still, I can't take back what I already said, so I need to figure out how to cheer her up.
"Want me to make you some churu when I get home tonight?"
"Do you think I'm some kind of pet cat?"
"...Huh?"
She wasn't...? But she likes it. At my blank stare, she blushes and takes a step back.
"N-no... I just meant that I'm not the kind of easy woman who'd forgive you over a snack."
"I know that. I never thought you were. I just want to do something you like."
"...You're going to be late. Just go already."
I got pushed out the door like I was being chased, but her voice at the end sounded a little softer, so that was a relief. I should pick up some ingredients for churu on the way home.
"What's with you two first thing in the morning? Bickering like that—why don't you let me join in too?"
As soon as I stepped out, Scarlet's light sarcasm greeted me. I gave her an awkward smile and got into the elevator that had just arrived. Of course, Yerin was already inside, neatly dressed in office attire and waiting for the perfect timing. ...I only felt uneasy.
"Good morning."
"Who the hell is this girl? Smirking first thing in the morning... creepy."
Scarlet reacted with clear displeasure to Yerin's smiling greeting, but Yerin's expression didn't waver. If anything, it grew even brighter. ...Of course it did. She'd been waiting for exactly this reaction, timing her words perfectly.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I had such a wonderful weekend that I guess it's still showing on my face?"
Yerin linked her arm with mine, openly flaunting how much fun we'd had. Scarlet's molars ground together with an audible crunch inside the sealed elevator.
"You little—"
Grab...!
"Eek...? Scarlet?!"
I tried to hide Yerin behind me in case Scarlet swung first, but I should have worried about myself instead. Her hand shot straight for my crotch, gripping me through my pants hard enough to make me lose all control of my body.
"Stand it up. Right now. We're doing it here."
"N-no... not in the elevator—"
Squeeze...!
"I said—"
"..."
"So you were late because you spent the morning arguing while she had your lower half in a vice grip. Is that the story?"
"...Yes, that's correct."
She already knew everything, but she was making me explain it in detail just to tease me. I had nothing to say since I was late for morning counseling, but...
"You clearly have a way to control that woman, don't you?"
"...I'm sorry."
Like the Team Leader said, if I'd used the mental connection right away, I could've shaken Scarlet's hand off my crotch immediately. Of course I could have. I'd done something similar to rescue the Field Team Leader from her before. But the moment she grabbed me there, my mind went completely blank.
"Well, it's not me you need to apologize to. Arachne is waiting. Go straight to your morning counseling session and spend the rest of the day with her until afternoon."
"Understood."
"I'll contact you when it's time, but you'll need to attend the meeting before you leave for the day. It shouldn't take too long."
"Yes, yes. I'll head down right away."
So today was the day of the team leaders' meeting? "Ah, then will the Field Team Leader also be...?"
"She'll attend if nothing comes up. Is there a problem?"
"...N-no. No problem at all."
I'd been managing to avoid facing the Field Team Leader directly, but today there'd be no escaping it. Every time we happened to meet or pass by, that frozen, icy glare she sent my way was terrifying. I was curious about the reason, of course, but my instincts told me asking about it would only make things worse.
"Haa..."
Anyway, I needed to hurry to Arachne first. Last time, we'd parted right after dealing with... the aftermath and getting checked. Because of what happened with Yerin afterward, that moment with Arachne felt strangely awkward now. Her moans had been really pretty, too. Of course Arachne herself wouldn't be thinking about anything like that, so I needed to clear my head quickly. She'd just been embarrassed because she'd accidentally... poured that white liquid all over my face. I shouldn't overthink it either. I should just pick up where we left off in our conversation and—
"...You're here?"
"Hello, Arachne...?"
Hmm...
"...Yeah. Did you have a good weekend?"
Huh?
"Yes, I think it went pretty well."
I'd walked into Arachne's containment room—her familiar kitchen—like usual, but the moment I took a step, everything suddenly went dark and I couldn't move my arms or legs. It wasn't that the surroundings had darkened so much as... it felt like I'd been pulled upward into a dark space. Now that I thought about it, every time we met, Arachne had always descended from the ceiling to show her face. Was I in that same place now?
The red eyes blinking in front of me and the heavy, creaking sound of threads being pulled told me Arachne was right there. We'd just exchanged normal greetings, but being unable to move in the darkness stirred my imagination and fear.
"Ah, sorry. It was a bit dark, wasn't it?"
Click.
Just as I started wondering if I'd disappear and no one would ever find me, a small lamp lit up between us with a soft click.
"A table...?"
A four-legged table with a lamp on top. That wasn't too strange, but its location was... Here. We really were on the kitchen ceiling. The slightly tilted table and lamp, along with a wardrobe, shelves, and even a bed, floated in the dim space above the kitchen. I'd never imagined it looked like this up here. This was Arachne's true home—a neatly woven web that could actually be called a house for a spider. I was caught in it like an insect, completely unable to move.
Still, the way the furniture was securely tangled in the webs, floating as if in midair and creating a proper room (except for the hole-filled floor below), was surprisingly impressive. It was my first time seeing it, and I couldn't help but admire it inwardly.
"Aah, I'll let you down now. It's just... I heard we were supposed to do counseling... and I needed a place to sit, so I brought you up to where I stay..."
For some reason, she was flustered in a way that was very unlike her usual self. Her words came out a little jumbled.
"I never expected there to be a table and chairs up here on the kitchen ceiling."
"Ah... yeah. There wasn't originally a chair, but since I don't use it, I brought one for you to sit on... Ah, sorry, let me untie you first."
She must have debated how to bring me up here. The first method was probably carrying me directly, and the second was pulling me up with webs like she'd just done. She extended one pair of her spider legs toward me, skillfully cutting through the threads wrapped around my body with a crisp sound, then helped me sit on the chair.
The chair I sat on was immediately pulled forward until it stopped in front of the table. Two coffee cups floated over without spilling a single drop, settling perfectly as the webs moved in perfect coordination, preparing the space for our counseling session.
"...Honestly, my heart was already at ease thanks to you, so we didn't really need to do counseling... I'm sorry for making you go through the trouble."
"No, don't apologize. This is part of my job, and I personally enjoy talking with you, Arachne. You don't need to feel sorry or think you're troubling me."
"...Okay."
'He's so kind... So maybe he'll forgive me no matter what I do.'
"I-is that so?"
I felt like I'd just heard something dangerous in her thoughts. I glanced down under the chair, but of course there was nothing but a web stretched out beneath us, with quite a drop to the floor below. Still, based on everything I'd seen from Arachne so far, she was rational and considerate. She wouldn't do anything that would cause me real trouble... but if things went wrong, running away... didn't seem to be an option here.