Only With You?
My thoughts froze in an instant.
Only the soft, squishy sensation at my fingertips seeped into my mind... I wanted to say something, but no words came out.
I had to pull my hand away from her breast, quick...
"Puhuhu♪"
Elysia noona, who had been staring right at me, suddenly burst into laughter. Then she gently removed my hand from her breast herself and said,
"See?"
"Uh, u-uhh... See what...?"
"Even when I offer my body to you, you just sit there all shy and frozen. How could a boy like that be dangerous?"
Ah.
So that's what she meant by "it'll be fine." My face heated up even more for no reason.
"...You surprised me all of a sudden... I'm a guy too, you know..."
"Sorry, sorry❤ But I got a good look at flustered Kyle's face!"
Elysia noona pinched my cheek with a mischievous grin.
I'd felt like my heart was about to explode, but she looked totally unfazed. It kinda pissed me off.
"...Noona, you should treasure your body more. If you do this to other guys, you're gonna get in big trouble someday."
"I don't do this to other people?"
Elysia noona leaned her head on my shoulder.
Still gazing right into my eyes.
"I'm only like this with you?"
...Saying something like that with a face that could steal every guy's pure heart in the world? That's cheating.
I'd definitely been annoyed just a second ago, but her words melted it all away.
"...Ahem, ahem. People might misunderstand if they hear that."
"We're all alone here anyway."
Elysia noona propped her chin on her hand, turning her head toward me as she spoke.
"I don't mind♪"
...Was she acting like this because she knew her looks could charm anyone?
My heart was pounding way too hard, making it tough to even talk. Was this what it meant to be persuaded by her beauty?
...Yeah, with Elysia noona, it was totally possible.
"Then don't do this when we're at the academy later. People really will misunderstand."
"Even though the church and academy are keeping my identity secret, so most people don't know?"
"...Noona's looks are just too standout."
"Hee~."
Elysia noona leaned in closer at my words.
"How do my looks stand out?"
"...Are you seriously asking when you know?"
"I don't know♭"
She looked like she knew damn well.
But she wasn't backing down until I said it myself, so... I answered honestly, just as I felt.
"Noona's just way too pretty... That's the problem."
"Heheung. Am I that pretty in Kyle's eyes?"
That pretty?
Pink hair like melted cherry blossoms. Eyes like embedded gold stars. A fox-like face that could enchant a crowd.
Anyone who didn't call that pretty had to be blind.
"......Yeah. Super pretty."
But saying it out loud was so embarrassing... Heat rushed to my face the second the words left my mouth.
"Puhuhu."
"...I meant it seriously, why are you laughing?"
"Just... Hearing you say that makes me so happy...❤"
Elysia noona curved her eyes into crescent moons with a beautiful smile, then took my hand in hers and called my name.
"My Kyle."
"Yeah, noona...?"
"You'll work hard at the academy, right?"
It was a dream, so of course I would. And since I could go thanks to Elysia noona, I'd give it my all more than ever.
"Of course. I'll do my best to become a knight."
"Yeah. Grow up strong and become a Holy Knight who protects me by my side."
Elysia noona leaned on my shoulder with a relaxed expression.
"Until then, I'll support you no matter what."
"...Yeah. Please take care of me from now on too."
"I should be the one saying that, my future junior."
Elysia noona, looking a bit tired, gave a drowsy smile.
I let her use my shoulder for a while, staying still. Soon, her softly sleeping face came into view, accompanied by faint breaths.
She looked just like a fairy from a dream.
'Elysia noona...'
I carefully took her sleeping hand in mine.
A bit weird and really lewd, sure... But she'd saved me from wandering the streets forever.
The best way to repay Elysia noona was to become her Holy Knight.
I resolved to do just that.
To protect the noona who'd protected my dream.
Someday, as her Holy Knight, I'd protect her.
...And so, nearly five years passed.
Five years.
A time that could be called short or long, depending.
When it had passed, I was spending the last day of my twenty-fourth year with Elysia noona.
"New Year's almost here. Right?"
Elysia noona, about to turn twenty-nine, rubbed her hands together. White breath kept puffing from her mouth in the cold air.
"Yeah. It's exactly three years since I was appointed as a Holy Knight too."
"Finally, we can drink together♪"
December 31st. The last day of my twenty-fourth year.
Elysia noona and I were standing outside a pub near the academy, waiting until midnight.
She'd insisted on drinking with me for New Year's. I'd kept refusing before because I worried something might happen.
"...But can a cleric even drink?"
"As long as I don't get drunk, it doesn't count as drinking."
Elysia noona giggled mischievously, then reached out to me.
"I'm cold. Let me warm up in my Kyle's pocket❤"
"...You have your own pockets, noona."
"I wanna put my hand in my knight's pocket specifically?"
Four years at the academy.
Elysia noona had been doing all sorts of skinship like this, claiming it was because I was her Holy Knight.
Like shoving her cold hand into my pocket to hold mine. Or hugging me tight from behind, saying Holy Knights had to stick close to their Saintess.
After four years, holding hands felt normal now.
Though I still couldn't get used to her explosive figure at home.
"Here. Go ahead."
"Kyaa~. My Kyle's the best❤"
Elysia noona happily slipped her hand into my pocket.
Our hands touched inside, her skin cooler than mine, sending a chill across my flesh.
"Hehe. Kyle's hand is so warm."
"...You're probably the only Saintess who warms her cold hands in her Holy Knight's pocket."
"What's wrong with that? Between us."
Between Elysia noona and me.
It was a relationship hard to define.
Too close for just close noona and little bro. But forcing "lovers" felt like a stretch.
And "flirting"?
...Elysia noona didn't seem to have romantic feelings for me.
To her, I was probably just a cute little bro whose reactions were fun to tease.
"Ah, ten seconds left!"
Elysia noona pointed excitedly somewhere.
I turned to look where her finger aimed. A massive magic billboard showed the countdown starting.
"10, 9, 8...!!"
The crowd around us counted down eagerly together.
Elysia noona matched them with a thrilled grin.
"3, 2, 1...! Happy New Year!!"
Fireworks burst brilliantly into the night sky as the countdown ended.
The moment they exploded, Elysia noona pulled her hand from my pocket and grabbed mine tight, dragging me into the pub.
"Come on, we stamped the seal last time, so we gotta drink today, right?"
"...Noona, why do you wanna drink with me so bad? You don't drink with your friends."
"Oh. That...?"
Elysia noona smirked slyly and whispered in my ear.
"It's my first time too❤"
"Y-Yeah...!?"
"I held back 'cause I wanted to drink with you. So I wanna try it quick!"
...Ah, that's what she meant.
"First time" got used a lot in that context, so I misheard for a sec and freaked.
But why?
Her face saying it her first time looked... lewder than usual somehow.
"So let's drink quick!"
...Probably imagining things. She had such an innocent smile now. No way.
"...Guess I can't say no. Especially since you held back for me."
"Yes! So let's drink till we drop today!!"
The moment our glasses clinked and I downed one shot.
I passed out cold.
"...You're really weak to booze, my Kyle."
I poked at his sleeping red hair with my index finger, buzzed myself.
I'd braced for at least a bottle. Didn't expect him to conk out after one shot.
"Well... Makes things easier♪"
I hoisted the sleeping Kyle onto my back and left the pub for the nearby motel.
Luckily, I'd reserved ahead. He was still out cold even as I unlocked the door and carried him inside.
"Huu...❤"
By now, holding back was getting tough.
Despite all my teasing over the years, he never crossed the line... My body, starved for him, couldn't take it anymore.
"Screw it... now."
For real this time. I couldn't hold back any longer.
"Gonna fuck him and make him mine...❤"
Five years of waiting? That's plenty patient♡