Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Tori
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Tori
Stay calm.
Before taking these two to a hotel at the same time, there's one thing I absolutely have to do first.
Change Ren's relationship level to Affection...!
When the fukuren function unlocked, a prerequisite definitely popped up in the system window.
Achieve 'Affection' relationship level with an existing heroine.
I don't know if this is an ironclad rule or if it's different when taking on someone special like Saki as a second girlfriend, but it's better to play it safe. If I get blinded by the allure of a threesome and half-ass it, only to barrel straight into a bad ending, there's no taking it back. I possessed this body with the goal of saving every heroine perfectly, without a single mistake.
If I fail... what happens then?
No idea.
Anyway, 9 PM is cutting it close. Even if animal hospitals stay open later than human ones, it's still too late.
I stepped a few paces away and pulled out my phone.
Ring ring— ring ring—
—"Hello, this is the animal hospital."
She picked up!
"Uh, hi, I'm Tori's guardian. How's Tori doing?"
—"Oh, perfect timing! I was just about to call you tomorrow. As I mentioned, we monitored and treated him for a few weeks, and he's completely healed now. You'll be shocked—he looks totally different from before."
Nice.
"Could we come by right now?"
—"Huh? Right now? We close for consultations at 9:30. Is that okay?"
"Yes, absolutely."
If I can't grab a taxi, I'll piggyback Ren and Saki and run there if I have to.
—"Alright, see you soon then. I'll have Tori ready in the waiting area."
"Thank you."
I hung up just as Ren and Saki walked over to me, right on cue.
"What was that call about?"
She's been way more curious about what I'm up to ever since becoming my girlfriend.
"Let's go for now."
I hailed a taxi with Ren and Saki in tow.
"To OO Animal Hospital, please."
"Sure thing."
Luckily, the driver knew the area—no need to spell out the full address.
"Huh? Why are we going to an animal hospital, Sanghyeon?"
Considering everything up to now, yeah, it's pretty out of left field.
We were debating whether to do fukuren with Saki, and suddenly I'm grabbing a taxi to an animal hospital.
I get why Ren and Saki would be confused. But these kinds of events hit harder when they catch you off guard like this.
I gave them a rough rundown: a while back, I'd rescued a dog and left it at the vet.
"...I really love that soft side of you, Sanghyeon."
I hadn't even told her it was Tori yet—just that I'd saved an abused stray—and Ren was already looking at me with deep affection.
"Yeah... I get it. Yuu seems carefree on the outside, but he's always looking out for everyone around him. It's the kind of thing that sneaks up on you and leaves you touched."
"Hehe. Right? That's how you fell for Sanghyeon, huh...?"
"Ah, uh... y-yeah."
The taxi driver could hear us, so it was kinda embarrassing.
Then the driver, who'd been quietly driving until now, glanced at Ren and Saki in the rearview mirror and broke into a big grin.
"Looks like you ladies are planning some fukuren with this handsome guy~?"
"E-eh, y-yes."
Ren seemed flustered that the driver had caught on so quick.
"I've got two wives myself."
"Whoa, really!?"
This time Saki grabbed the driver's headrest and leaned forward.
"Yup~. We're living happily ever after."
Fukuren must be a pretty established institution in this world. Makes sense—back in my old world's Japan, there was the 1989 low birth rate shock that shook society, and they started pushing pro-natal policies hard after that. If this world's history diverged a bit, they might've rolled out even more radical policies 30-40 years ago.
Which would make this guy a first-generation fukuren patriarch.
"D-do your wives get along well?"
Ren asked in a trembling voice.
Since she and Saki were about to try fukuren themselves, she had a lot of questions for this life veteran.
"Hoho. They're the best of friends. Sometimes I get jealous of how close they are."
"Wow...."
What a coincidence—exactly like our situation. Saki went quiet, shyly hanging her head as she pictured the three of us dating. Ren smiled faintly, full of hope.
Who knew we'd get such a great event on the way to the animal hospital.
We chatted about this and that, and the driver answered kindly with a warm smile.
About five minutes later...
"We're here."
"Ah, thanks!"
"Thank you."
I pulled a 10,000-yen bill from my wallet and handed it over.
"Whoa, hold on, sir—your change..."
"Keep it. Consider it fair pay for the heartfelt advice."
Compared to the positive vibes he shared with my future wives, this is nothing. He's basically a fukuren senior, so I'm happy to tip big.
"Hoho, thank you kindly. You'll be happy for sure~. Life with three in a fukuren marriage is pure bliss."
Ren shot Saki a proud 'See?' look, while Saki fanned herself shyly as she stepped out of the taxi.
"Take care now."
"Bye~"
The taxi vanished from sight in seconds.
Memorable encounter.
"Ren, Saki. Hurry up. The hospital's closing soon."
"Okay."
"Yeah."
[OO Animal Hospital]
Ding-dong—
The glass door chimed as we opened it. Saeiko-nee, the nurse scribbling at the counter, greeted us warmly.
"Oh! Tori's guardian is here!"
"...Tori?"
Ren tilted her head, like she'd misheard. I feigned confusion and asked the nurse.
"Yeah. Can we see him right now?"
"Of course."
She opened the ward door, and through the gap, a black shadow bolted up in its cage.
Sparkling big eyes.
A moist nose that had already caught its long-lost owner's scent.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Its thick Labrador tail smacked the cage bars relentlessly.
"Why's he so excited? Just a sec~ There, opened— Eek?"
The moment she unlatched the cage, Tori charged out and flopped belly-up in front of Ren.
Ren, who'd been frozen until now, finally realized what was right in front of her.
"......To...ri?"
It started as a whisper, then her breath hitched.
"Tori... Tori! T-Tori, right? It's you, Tori!?"
Her knees gave out, and she sank to the floor.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...!"
Ren's arms crushed Tori in a hug. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Because of me... because of me, you... I'm sorry...! I'm sorry..."
Her shoulders heaved violently. Sobs tangled with gasps, her fingers clutching Tori's scruff.
Tori didn't care.
Even after a year on the brutal streets, pushed to the brink of death, he looked utterly blissful just reuniting with his owner.
Tori licked her face nonstop, tail wagging furiously.
Saki, who'd been staring blankly, sidled over and poked my side.
"Y-Yuu... what's going on? Why's Ren freaking out? And what's with that dog?"
I couldn't exactly say it was Ren's lost dog and I'd planned this to win her over, so I played dumb and explained.
"About three, four weeks ago, I spotted it on the street by chance. You know those two thugs? They were beating it with a bat."
"Disgusting scum...!"
"It was in bad shape, so I rushed it here."
Saki glanced at me, then at Ren.
"But it seems like Ren knows that pup?"
I pointed to the cleanly polished 'Tori' name tag dangling from its collar.
"Truth is, Ren dropped a dog tag just like that one a while back. She said it was from a dog she lost a year ago. And when I found this black dog, it had the same collar. A bit rusted, though."
"Ah...! So that's why?"
"Yeah. I figured low odds, probably just same-name dog. But looks like it really was Ren's."
"Whoa... seriously? This is insane, Yuu. What are you? Some kinda angel?"
Pfft.
Angel?
"What kinda ripped angel looks like this? Hahaha!"
"It could happen! This is unreal. How do you find and save Ren's dog from a year ago? This is straight-up international news material! Love's power or what!?"
Saki, with her girly side peeking through, cupped her cheeks like it was her own story.
After sobbing in Tori's fur for ages, Ren shot to her feet and marched over to me.
Whoosh!
"Ugh... thank you... thank you so much...."
She must've overheard me and Saki while hugging Tori. Her emotions boiled over—she grabbed my face and kissed me.
"Gasp...! K-Kiss!"
The instant our lips met, a system message appeared.
📛 Name:Tsumetai Ren 🏫 Class:2nd Year C Class🎂 Age:20🏛 Affiliation:Academy - Yumekoi Academy❤️ Relationship:Affection ★
👍 Likes:Neatly made beds, dogs, rabbits, the smell of shirts dried in the sun, Tori, Yu Sanghyeon, Yuu-sang, Sanghyeon-sang, Sanghyeon-kun.
👎 Dislikes:Violence, unannounced physical contact, enclosed spaces, carelessly misunderstanding others, speaking ill of Yuu-kun, her own cold personality.
Perfect!