Resolve

"Uh, uh..."

Seo-yeon just kept stammering "uh, uh," her mouth opening and closing uselessly.

Victoria, who seemed to have no resistance to this sort of thing either, was the same—face flushed, sneaking glances this way.

"Uh, what?"

"Uh, how far did you go, Brother?"

I'd expected something like this.

No, I'd expected something even worse.

What was done was done, but I still had to clean it up.

"Let me say this up front: I didn't cross the line."

"And you expect me to believe that right now?!"

Normally I'd have said Seo-yeon's temper had finally erupted, or that her vicious-Seo-yeon mode had switched on for the first time in a while, but this time I had nothing to say in my defense.

I'd stripped her down to a thin bikini, pinned her wrists and bound them, put a collar on her, and in that state stuck my fingers in her mouth and even kissed her—and now I was saying I hadn't actually crossed the line?

Honestly, I wouldn't believe me either.

I'd done things far more perverted than anything in an ordinary relationship between a man and a woman, so who would believe me if I said I hadn't crossed the line?

And on top of that, this was even Aria's toned-down version.

Not something to boast about, but I'd licked her armpit too.

"Hold on, let's all calm down and talk."

"Do I look like I'm in any state to calm down?"

"Let's think rationally. Like Victoria over there."

I pointed at Victoria.

Only then did Seo-yeon turn her gaze to Victoria.

Victoria's face was still red, but at least now she was watching us steadily.

"Victoria, you have some idea, right?"

"...Yes. It does seem to be true that Si-hyeon has perverted tastes, but at least it seems he hasn't crossed the final line with Aria."

"How can you be so sure, Victoria?"

"Seo-yeon, think about it the other way. He boasted so proudly about all those perverted acts, so why would he need to keep his mouth shut only about that... act?"

"That's... true, I guess."

At Victoria's words, Seo-yeon seemed convinced, and her momentum deflated a little.

Actually, this was probably because Victoria knew Aria better than Seo-yeon did.

Thinking about it one-dimensionally, you could assume Aria was hiding only the fact that they'd had sex while showing off their relationship.

But from Aria's perspective, if she had actually gone all the way with me, there would be no reason to hide it.

If her goal was to show off or keep the others in check, she could simply reveal that they'd already done it.

Of course, keeping the others in check was never her goal in the first place.

Because the one who said it was fine for me to have multiple women was Aria.

But separate from that, I was also curious why Aria had deliberately revealed what happened between us.

"Aria. Why did you deliberately reveal what happened between us?"

"If you're curious, I should tell you, Brother."

Aria stirred the ice left in her now-empty matcha latte with her straw.

After drawing it out for only a moment, Aria finally opened her mouth as if she'd figured out how to say it.

"You've already chosen me, haven't you, Brother?"

"That's right. I wouldn't kiss someone I don't like."

"I want to monopolize all of your firsts after that too. So you could call what I just did both establishing the pecking order and giving permission."

"That's what's strange. If you just hadn't said anything, wouldn't it have turned out that way anyway?"

Bringing up the trip, the kiss, and everything beyond—if she simply hadn't spoken, those were all things Aria would have monopolized.

But Aria shook her head.

"Brother, I told you before, didn't I? That I can do anything for your happiness, but I'm also a person with jealousy.

If you're happy, I don't mind you having other women. But I always want to be your first."

"So you can give up the 'only one' spot, but not the 'number one' spot?"

"Yes. That's why it was permission—the other two can now catch up to the point I've reached with you."

At Aria's words, Seo-yeon's and Victoria's expressions twisted slightly.

Jealousy toward the winner, humiliation at having to receive permission, and yet relief that Aria's leniency still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gave them a chance.

The first to speak up about that permission was Victoria.

"I'm not the type to meekly follow someone else's rules. Who knows? I may overtake you and become Si-hyeon's number one, Aria."

"If you can, then try it. Victoria."

As Aria said that, she turned my head toward her.

A soft sensation touched my lips, and at the same time Seo-yeon's and Victoria's eyes went wide.

Aria didn't stop there. Our tongues didn't tangle, but the kiss was deeper than expected—our mouths opened slightly, and breath and saliva passed between us.

This cunning little sister had kissed me openly, right in front of other people.

"...Hah. If you can, that is."

When Aria pulled away, a silver thread stretched between us.

I thought again how fortunate it was that we were in a corner seat of the café and there were no other customers nearby.

If there had been people, we probably would've been thrown out for indecent behavior in a café.

But if there was no need to worry about being seen anyway, then at least I should take the lead.

"Aria."

"Yes, Broth—. Mmph?!"

The moment Aria turned her eyes toward me, I pulled her into my arms and kissed her far more fiercely than before.

"Mmph, mm, wait, hah..."

I greedily took her breath without giving her a chance to catch it.

It was a far more coercive and greedy kiss than the ones we usually shared, but soon I felt the strength slowly draining from Aria's body.

"Brother, wait, mmph, nn..."

I kept kissing her regardless.

Seo-yeon and Victoria looked even more shocked than when Aria had kissed me, yet they also watched with a mix of envy and fascination.

They looked like people seeing something lewd for the first time.

As if, while facing what they'd always known as taboo, they felt excitement and a sense of transgression at once, and suddenly found themselves imagining they wanted to try it too.

"Hah, hah..."

Only when Aria had gone completely limp and her eyes had gone unfocused did I let her go.

Aria was gulping down air as if making up for all the oxygen I'd stolen, and her body was trembling faintly.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo-eh...?"

Aria still had an expression like she couldn't properly understand what had just happened.

I quietly whispered into her ear.

"That's punishment for a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mischievous little sister."

"Your... punishment..."

Aria murmured while leaning against my shoulder, catching her breath.

I pulled her into my arms and spoke to the other two.

"If you're jealous, then work hard too. At least now I won't use Aria as an excuse to refuse you."

"Brother, you really are a sadist..."

Seo-yeon muttered blankly.

I'd recently become aware that I had this side to me, but hearing it from someone else's mouth made me think I might have gone a bit too far.

Of course, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had no intention of stopping.

From the moment I'd resolved to be with more than one woman, I had no intention of handing the lead to anyone else.

Even if that someone was Aria.

"Disillusioned?"

"Well, of course..."

"No, you're more turned on. Han Seo-yeon."

I caught Seo-yeon's chin between my thumb and forefinger.

"Nn...!"

"Answer."

Seo-yeon's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes trembled with anticipation.

It was only a guess, but Seo-yeon was probably a masochist.

Actually, she'd probably looked up quite a few videos like that.

Given the whips and choking and all.

Both of my adorable little sisters being a pair of masochists—as their brother, it was truly sad.

Which meant I had to discipline them properly.

"I, I..."

Still, probably because this side of me was new to Seo-yeon, she seemed to have some resistance to saying it out loud.

It couldn't be helped. As her brother, I'd have to give Seo-yeon a little more of a push.

I put a bit more strength into my hand and tugged her chin slightly.

"I said answer."

"I, I also..."

Her wording had changed from "I..." to "Me too..."

This time I didn't rush her, and waited for Seo-yeon's answer.

"I also... want you to do things to me, Brother..."

"If you don't say properly what you want done to you, I won't know?"

"A k, kiss..."

At Seo-yeon's adorable answer, I finally let out a small laugh and released her chin.

"No. Kisses should be between people who love each other."

"Ah..."

Seo-yeon couldn't even complain. She just stared at me blankly, disappointment and shock mingling in her eyes.

If I stopped here, it would only leave a wound in Seo-yeon's heart.

I reached out and stroked Seo-yeon's hair, whispering.

"So try harder. So that I'll want to kiss you. Got it?"

"Okay..."

Seo-yeon had become a lot more honest lately, but she still had a fierce side.

But the Seo-yeon right now was like a puppy whining because it wanted its owner's love.

Honestly, I thought she was a little cute.

But I didn't say that out loud just yet.

What Seo-yeon craved was ultimately my affection.

To properly train Seo-yeon, I needed to praise her every time she acted obediently and imprint on her that if she wanted to be loved, this was how she had to behave.

It wasn't a bad deal for Seo-yeon either.

After all, until now I'd been thoroughly drawing a line and acting like a proper brother, so as not to make any romantic appeal to Seo-yeon.

The reason, of course, was that deep down Aria was in my heart.

But Aria and I had already reached mutual understanding, and now I'd made up my mind not to choose just one person.

So there was no longer any need to play the good brother.

Or the good man, either.

"Victoria."

"Y, yes?!"

Even though she must have known she'd be called, Victoria looked quite startled when she actually was.

Or if it wasn't surprise, then anticipation.

I walked around behind Victoria, rested both hands on her shoulders, and whispered in her ear.

"What were you expecting?"

"Eek?!"

A sound close to a scream escaped her.

But whether it was simply from the sudden skinship or from watching the two before her, Victoria quickly composed herself.

"Wh, what do you mean, what was I expecting...! Si-hyeon, I hope you don't think I'll be as easy as the other two!"

"Oh, really?"

I let go just like that.

I could have pushed further here, but Seo-yeon, who craved my love, and Victoria, who wasn't at that point yet, were different cases.

"Ah..."

Victoria let out a short sigh tinged with regret.

Regardless, I returned to my seat.

The moment I took my first step toward my seat, Victoria grabbed my arm.

"Do you still have something to say?"

"...I did."

"What? I can't hear you."

"I said I was expecting it...! But Si-hyeon, you won't kiss me. Just like you did with Seo-yeon..."

Victoria definitely still had some sense of reason left.

Actually, I was grateful for that, and relieved.

"Then you just have to make me fall for you. I think a Victoria who's this pretty, this smart, and this hardworking could definitely manage it."

"Eh...?"

The answer clearly caught Victoria off guard, but I was already whispering my next words into her ear.

"I'm not a star, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Victoria."

"What do you mean...?"

Victoria was visibly flustered.

It was a truly cruel thing to say to Victoria the musician, but even so, I deliberately spoke the next words.

"Wouldn't a lamp you can grasp if you try be better than a star you can never reach no matter how hard you try?"

"Si-hyeon, that's."

I was saying: wouldn't it be better to give up challenging Aria and choose me instead?

Normally, saying that would have been almost insulting to Victoria. But I said it anyway, fully aware of that.

If she became disillusioned with me over this, that was fine too.

I only thought her obsession with Aria was a problem—I actually found the sight of her reaching toward an unreachable star quite beautiful.

Even if she came to hate me, if Victoria the musician remained, I thought that wasn't a bad outcome.

And though it would never happen, if Victoria withdrew the hand she'd stretched toward the star and chose me instead, that wouldn't be bad either.

It would solve the problem of Victoria's obsession that Aria found so bothersome, and free Victoria from the shackles she'd carried all her life.

Of course, I was certain the latter was impossible.

Maybe things would change after Victoria fell for me a little more, but for now the scales still tipped toward Aria. Aria had influenced her life far more deeply than I had.

The small light of a mere lamp could never shine more brilliantly than starlight.

"Si-hyeon, do you dislike me? Why would you say something like that?"

"Not at all. Actually, I like you."

I gave her back the exact answer Victoria had given me before.

I liked her. But it wasn't love yet.

Victoria was different from those two, who had lived their whole lives holding their love for me in their hearts.

Those two couldn't give up their love for me, so I had also resolved to take them both.

But Victoria could still give up.

She could forget a commoner man who didn't even love her back and meet any number of better men.

If things went on like this, a day might come when my scale grew heavier than Aria's.

So I had to make her realize it at this point.

What it meant to reach for love instead of a star.

But Victoria's reaction was a little different from what I'd expected.

"I refuse."

"Refuse what?"

"I already told you, Si-hyeon. I'm greedy."

Victoria looked at me with eyes full of resolve.

"I'll defeat Aria, and I'll make you fall for me too."

"You might lose both in the process, you know?"

"I don't care. That's what I've prepared myself for."

Along with a bold smile, a declaration of war flew at me.

"After all, reaching for a star is exactly that kind of thing, isn't it?"

She was saying that I, too, was a star to her.

That was what Victoria was telling me.