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“Ugh… my mouth hurts…”

“…”

Stella rubbed her numbed lips, which were swollen and tinged in redness from how much they had stuck together.

Nova, sensing her sulking expression, awkwardly looked away. Honestly, it was somewhat absurd when you think about it.

*

Just a moment ago, I had casually placed my hand on the back of her head and carefully kissed her.

When I finally pulled away after a few seconds, Stella wore a strange expression.

“…!!”

As if dissatisfied, she started pushing her tongue further into her mouth, almost as if seeking more affection. It felt like the inside of my mouth was going numb, so I contemplated breaking away a little.

But Stella, as if throwing a tantrum, bit my lips and wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Hey, your tongue, your tongue…”

I meant to keep it moderate, but I felt the urge to scold her a little, so I firmly pulled her into a tight embrace while holding her hands.

“Ugh?!”

Realizing that her arms were trapped behind her, Stella looked panicked.

Seizing that moment, I controlled her tongue with mine and pushed deeper.

Stella, bewildered, tried to push me away, but with her hands stuck behind her, she couldn’t escape.

“W-wait… Ah, no!”

Regrettably, at that moment, I lost all sense of reason.

After all, my favorite person was looking at me with tear-filled eyes.

‘No, I must keep my wits about me.’

If things continued like this, it felt like we might truly cross a line.

But then again, hadn’t we already confirmed our feelings for each other?

Moreover, somehow, our bodies were quite close together.

In that instant, I felt a rush of blood to my lower half without realizing it.

“…????”

‘Oh crap.’

It was indeed strange not to feel anything with us so close.

Stella’s eyes widened as they met mine.

I hurriedly distanced myself from her.

“Phew! W-what was that?”

“…”

“You, you…”

Stella quickly covered her chest with her hands and snapped into a defensive stance.

“This pervert! Beast! Unholy creature!”

There was no denying it at this point, and yet, how could I possibly endure this?

Since we were here, I decided to be a bit more brazen.

“Ha… so who was it that bit my tongue and lips? Don’t do that next time. Got it?”

“You, you held me down and did it too…”

“If it happens again, it won’t end like this.”

“Eep!”

My somewhat frightening tone made her tail tuck in, looking like a frightened puppy.

Usually, she acted like a fierce cat, but this side of Stella wasn’t bad either.

“Ha… let’s head back now.”

The sun had set, and the moon was rising.

People on the street had thinned out, and even the stores began closing up for the night.

“Curfew at the dorms is coming up soon, we need to hurry…”

“Ah!!”

Just then, Stella suddenly shouted out loud.

“What’s wrong! Is there a problem?”

Stella’s face became pale as if she recalled something important she had forgotten.

“We were supposed to prepare for your birthday party!”

“My birthday?”

Now that I thought about it, today was indeed my birthday.

Last year I had let it slip by while off on adventuring alone.

I had always brushed it aside, so I was surprised that she had remembered it.

And what did she mean by preparing it?

“Birthday party preparation? Who were you doing this with…?”

“This isn’t the time to talk about that!”

Stella grabbed my hand and rapidly started down the tower.

Like that, we rushed down and dashed off.

“Ah! This is bad! This is bad!”

Stella’s face was a mix of panic and determination as she glanced anxiously at the clock.

“Ah! We need to hurry back to the dormitory!”

As we arrived, we found ourselves at the entrance of the boys’ dorm? Why was she coming here?

Once we reached the entrance, Stella grabbed my wrist and began chanting a spell.

Suddenly my vision glowed, and space shifted. This was my room!

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a mound of shoes.

As soon as Stella entered, she shouted loudly.

“Sorry! Sorry, everyone, I’m late!”

“Stella… do you even know what time it is?”

“Yawn.”

“Hmm! Finally, we’re here.”

“What’s going on… why are you all here?”

The room was filled with quite a few people, including Shia, Siel, and even Lucid’s underling.

They were all holding a firework in their hands, and the room was decorated colorfully.

I had really not expected this! I had thought Stella called me out just for fun, but I never imagined she was preparing this event.

“I’m really sorry! It’s just that… well, the reason I’m late…”

Stella stumbled over her words trying to explain, but she could hardly get a coherent sentence out, after all, talking about what just happened would definitely be too much for her.

Since I was in a position to be celebrated, I didn’t feel any need for excuses, but I still needed to protect her now that she was officially my girlfriend.

“I asked her to do something special for the birthday since it’s a celebration.”

“Nova…!”

Stella looked at me with eyes sparkling with emotion.

Meanwhile, Shia’s gaze narrowed as she watched the interaction between us closely.

“Hm~”

Having noticed the curious distance between us, Shia then added nonchalantly,

“Well… if that’s the case, I have no objections! After all, today is Nova’s birthday.”

What caught my attention next was Siel. At that moment, I glanced nervously at her as she looked toward me with concern.

Holding tightly to my sleeve, Stella glared at Siel as if to assert her territory, with a strange sense of victory shining through.

“Hmph!”

“…?”

Siel, confused by Stella’s behavior, quickly turned to me and spoke.

“I heard it’s your birthday, so I sincerely congratulate you.”

“Um…? Oh… thanks.”

Honestly, I hadn’t expected her to remember my birthday at all.

Since I hadn’t let anyone know, how did she even find out?

And why on earth was Anubis here? I wasn’t particularly friendly with him!

Just as I was struggling to find the right words, he finally spoke up.

“Sorry, I know this is our first time having a formal conversation, so it may feel awkward.

I’m Anubis. You must be hungry; want to eat this?”

“Uh, um…”

This guy’s introductory manners were surprisingly likable, huh.

So it made sense that he was never short of female company.

To be honest, at first, he seemed unimpressive, but I found it hard to harbor ill feelings toward him.

Among students who might challenge Stella, he was undoubtedly unmatched.

As long as he wasn’t interested in Stella, then I had no problems with him.

“Alright then, let’s get along! Thanks for coming to celebrate.”

To test the waters, I offered my hand for a shake.

Anubis responded with a smile, returning the gesture.

“Heh!”

I tried to crush his hand tightly, but he merely chuckled as if it were nothing.

‘This… this isn’t how it should be?!’

I thought he might retaliate, but his expression remained serene.

As we exchanged shaking hands and holding our ground for about thirty seconds, a voice suddenly spoke up from behind.

“Men should…”

“Nova… stop it, it’s embarrassing…”

“…Is it okay for me to eat this?”

Siel, apparently hungry, looked at the lavish feast set before us and asked.

“Oh! The food is getting cold, so everyone please dig in!”

“Wow! How long has it been since I ate your food?”

“It certainly looks delicious…”

Beef stew, steak, pasta, and risotto—an array of dishes filled the dining table.

Based on appearances alone, there was no issue. Stella, seeming used to it, was devouring the dishes with gusto.

I figured I should learn to cook properly—just in case Stella ever brought home leftovers!

“Well… what matters most is the taste.”

Now that I thought about it, I was pretty honest about food.

If it’s bad, I’d declare it outright.

As I speared the steak with my fork, intending to assess its worth,

“Hmm…?”

“How’s it? Is it delicious?”

What is this? The moment it hit my mouth, the meat melted away.

The steak was cooked to the perfect medium rare, and the sauce blended beautifully!

I’ve never had food this delicious before in my life…

“Approved.”

From now on, you’re my textbook for cooking! You are quite promising.

“Nom nom… I’ll have another plate!”

“Hey, how about considering a job as our family’s chef?”

“It seems like everyone is enjoying it, so I’m glad. There’s plenty left, so feel free to eat more.”

Usually, I’m not the type to enjoy eating, but this turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable meal.

It had been a while since I’d had such a lively meal, and it was definitely a nice time.

Above all, being able to see Stella so happy was worth more than anything.

When our eyes met, Stella beamed and presented me with a plate.

“Try this too, Nova!”

“What is this?”

With a somewhat strange color, my guard was already down from the earlier dish, so I decided to take a big scoop.

Just as I put the odd purple risotto in my mouth, I caught a glimpse of Shia’s sardonic smile.

Moreover, Stella was looking at me with eyes full of anticipation, and at that moment, I sensed something was off.

“Just to clarify, this is…?”

“Yep! I made this with all my heart!”

As expected… regrettably, I had no way to escape this one.

Given how she emphasized it, it was clearly intended for me.

You know the saying about not being able to spit on a smiling face? I couldn’t bring myself to say I wouldn’t eat it with that eager expression in front of me.

“Wow… haha, this is seriously delicious!”

“Really? Hehe, there’s plenty, so you can have more!”

I successfully managed to suppress the urge to retch.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but…

I realized once again that letting my guard down was a big no-no.

 

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