Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Repaying Favors with the Body
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"Repaying favors is done with the body, you know."
He stared silently into my eyes for a long moment, then pressed his lips together and nodded.
"...As long as it's not an engagement, that suits me fine. Young people these days start dating freely, from what I hear. I'll permit courtship for now. I'll see with my own two eyes whether you can make my daughter happy."
"H-Haah!?"
Shizune shot to her feet.
"D-Da, da, da, dating!? F-Father, wh-what do you mean—!"
Shizune's voice echoed through the meeting room. Her face flushed apple-red in an instant. At a complete loss, she flailed her hands around while fidgeting her toes, still seated in her chair.
Jiggle♡ Jiggle♡
That body language only stirred naughty thoughts in a guy like me, but to her father, it must've just looked like a child's tantrum.
Wrinkle lines spread across the father-in-law's mouth.
Pfft.
"Shizune. Do you think I don't know you?"
He regarded his daughter calmly.
"U-Uuuh...!"
"So, do you hate the idea?"
Shizune fell silent like she'd swallowed honey. She just hung her head, clutching her sleeve tightly as she trembled.
The sight caught my eye. The upright scholar-like woman was now sitting there like a shy girl, too embarrassed to speak.
"Hahaha. Looks like now's the time for me to make myself scarce. Hm...! Mr. Kamijo, was it? If there's another room available, might we discuss the contract details somewhere quieter?"
A choice that considered both me and Shizune while securing his own interests.
Makes perfect sense.
"Of course. Right this way."
Kamijo-san opened the door, papers clutched to his chest, but the father-in-law didn't head out right away.
Instead, he turned and bowed deeply to Harumi, who had been sitting quietly behind me.
"Thank you. Ms. Kanemochiru."
Experience like that doesn't come from nothing.
Though Kamijo-san and I had been leading the conversation, the father-in-law seemed to have instinctively grasped who really ran this company.
"O-Oh!? Hm-hm! Of course! You've got a good eye!"
Harumi giggled delightedly at being recognized.
She must've looked utterly adorable, because the father-in-law gave a kindly smile before following Kamijo-san out.
Nailed it.
Getting the father-in-law's approval felt great.
"A-Ahem!"
That's when Shizune sidled up to me, her neck flushed red as I smiled.
Her legs trembled visibly beneath the hem of her hakama.
"W-Well~ Sa-Sang-Sanghyeon, I-I had no idea you thought so highly of me!? A-Ahem!"
I let out a line just like the father-in-law's from moments ago.
"So, do you hate it?"
Fidget...
Wriggle wriggle...
"U-Uuuh...."
Her lips quivered.
She twisted her fingers restlessly for a good while, unable to settle,
before finally mumbling in a voice like an ant crawling.
"I... don't... hate it..."
Her scholar's speech cracked in that instant.
But Shizune quickly pulled herself together with a cough.
"Ahem. V-Very well! Truth be told, I've always wanted to experience romance myself. Even the Classic of Poetry encourages tender love between man and woman... Dating an upright man like you, Sanghyeon... wouldn't be so bad."
Done.
The final member of my harem had finally joined.
Sure, there was progress to make ahead, but seducing a pure girl like Shizune was easy.
Just say I'd marry her and take responsibility if she got pregnant with my kid.
...Am I thinking like total trash?
Seducing and corrupting an innocent country girl like some villain.
Nah, who cares? It's official dating, and I'll take responsibility going forward.
"Looking forward to it, Shizune."
"U-Uh.... My name..."
"Does it bother you? I figured it was fine since you called me by mine, Shizune."
"I-It's not that! I just knew Koreans find it rude to address by family name... Th-That's why..."
She's pretty well-informed.
"Then we're good. I don't mind being called by my first name at all, so if you're okay with it, let's keep it that way."
Nod nod nod.
"A-Ah, l-looking forward to it... Sanghyeon..."
Shizune grabbed my hand and bowed deeply.
Gravity made her ample breasts sag downward, their presence even more pronounced.
Nice.
"Who said you could 'look forward to it'!!"
Slash!
Harumi wedged herself between us, chopping our joined hands with her palm.
"Huh?"
"Hey, Titty Bunny! I'm Sanghyeonie's main girl. You gotta get my okay too! Can't just go ahead on your own!"
Shizune seemed to finally remember I had 'girlfriends' plural.
"A-Ah...! Y-You mean a harem!?"
"Took you long enough."
She's got her ditzy side, alright.
"My... My goodness, then how many am I!?"
"Hmph! You're just number four, Titty Bunny."
"!"
Shizune gasped in shock, hugging herself.
"Scandalous... Utterly scandalous!! Sanghyeon, are you aiming to claim every woman in the world!?"
What is this, some pirate manga...?
"Shizune."
My voice dropped seriously, and Shizune tensed up, listening attentively. A woman who respects her man's words is always the best.
"From what you've seen of me so far, was I really like that? Some thug hitting on every girl?"
Flinch!
"N-No! I didn't mean it like that, Sanghyeon! Sorry if I upset you! That was half a joke, not serious at all, s-so—"
S-so?
Her dialect slips out when she's excited.
"Right? I only date women I can take full responsibility for. Ren, Saki, Harumi here. And finally you, Shizune. No more after that."
"...Really?"
She must've been a bit anxious too.
No matter how normalized low birth rates and modern customs are after decades, no woman lacks that instinctive possessiveness—she wouldn't want to share her man.
"Really. You can believe me."
Dead serious.
I'll make my women happy, no matter what. I died for it. I lived again for it.
Did she sense the sincerity in my eyes? Shizune gave her usual shy smile and nodded.
"O-Okay... fine..."
Every time she's embarrassed, she slips into normal girl-speak. Drives me crazy hearing it.
"Tch...!"
Harumi stood there, arms crossed, cheeks puffed out, glaring daggers.
She looked seriously displeased.
Like I thought earlier, she has possessiveness too.
She could accept Saki and Ren since they met me first, but another new girl? No way.
Especially for her, with her strong sense of ownership over me.
Harumi uncrossed her arms and jabbed a finger at Shizune, yelling.
"You! Titty Bunny! Anyway, what about repaying that favor?"
"Repaying the favor...?"
"Yeah! Our Sanghyeonie rushed to you in the middle of the night, cleaned up all your messes, came all the way here to save you, ate with you, hit the sauna—everything!"
I have no idea why she mentioned the last part, but she was full-on venting her jealousy anyway.
"Eh? Oh, r-right! Indeed. Thank you, Sanghyeon. Allow me to bow once more in gratitude—"
"Nooo!! You think that's enough? For a once-in-a-lifetime debt like this, just a bow!?"
Now Shizune was starting to get annoyed too.
She'd psyched herself up for her first romance, even accepting a harem, but this pint-sized girl kept butting in and ruining it. Keeping calm wasn't easy.
"Th-Then what do you want me to do! I don't have money like you, nor any special talents beyond calligraphy. Why are you bullying me like this!?"
As Shizune bristled, Harumi smirked like a little devil, arms crossed, chin up.
"You. Don't know how a girl repays a big favor to a guy, huh?"
Hm?
I whispered to her before she could say anything weird.
"Um... aren't you not officially approved yet either...?"
"Sanghyeonie, stay out of it!!"
Got it.
"Lemme spell it out clear. When a girl owes a guy a huge favor..."
Harumi grinned mischievously and spat her final words at Shizune.
"She repays it. With. Her. Body."