Honestly, it felt good knowing they liked me.
Of course it did. Beautiful, capable, and powerful women liking me? Who wouldn’t feel good about that?
“The fact that I like someone might hurt them.”
Sure, that’s a thing people say, but it definitely doesn’t apply to them.
“Why they like me… I don’t even need to think about it.”
Honestly, considering everything I’ve done, there’s no reason they *wouldn’t* see me in a good light.
I’ve done so much, helped so much, it’s practically a saga.
“Is it really okay to charm the main characters like this…?”
But if they’re into it, what’s the point of saying, “No, you’re wrong, I’m not the person you think I am”? That’d just be awkward.
At this point, denying myself would just be insulting them.
So, I decided to accept it.
I couldn’t return their feelings right away, but I wasn’t going to reject them either. I’d just carry them with me.
But then…
[Affection Level: 59/100]
[Affection Level: 18/100]
Seeing it laid out in numbers like this hits different, you know?
And the fact that I found out unintentionally made me feel guilty enough to want to come clean…
“Rudion. Stop stalling and just tell us what’s going on.”
“I’m getting tired of reacting too. Just do what Seria said.”
I couldn’t muster the courage, so I ended up wasting time with nonsense.
But that’s it. Now that they’ve said that, I have no choice but to come clean.
I thought about how to say it… then casually pointed at Seria and Alkiné in turn.
“59. 18.”
*Gasp.*
I could feel their bodies tremble.
They looked at each other, then back at me.
Probably checking their affection levels and going, “You too? Same.”
Finally, their gazes locked onto me.
Seria was the first to speak.
“You can see that too?”
“Wait, Seria. Did I hear wrong? Did Rudion just say 59 for you…?”
“Can you be quiet for a second, Alkiné? I need to ask something important right now.”
“What’s more important than your affection level right now?”
Alkiné’s nagging was promptly ignored.
One Seria asked with a terrifying glare in her eyes.
“By any chance, do you have affection points for anyone other than us?”
“…There was something important.”
Even with such overwhelming numbers, is that really what’s important?
No, maybe it’s even more important because of that.
Whatever it was, there was no need to be particularly flustered by Seria’s question.
Because I had already checked that separately.
I searched a few times for characters in the game who had affection points, but none of them showed any affection points.
Knowing that result, I simply shook my head in denial.
“Phew, that’s a relief. I was worried for a moment about what to do if there were any.”
“That’s a relief…”
At the same time as my denial, the two women let out sighs of relief. It felt kind of strange.
By the way… It seems like it’s already complicated with the two of them, so adding more would be troublesome.
Ah, it’s not that I want more than this. Having just these two is already more than enough, and wanting more would just make me trash.
Then, Alkiné suddenly raised a question.
“…But what do you mean by ‘handle it’? Seria. What exactly were you planning to do?”
“Why are you asking when you already know?”
“I’m asking because I don’t know… By the way, are you really at 59?”
“If you’re asking about my affection points, then yes.”
At Seria’s calm response, Alkiné let out a sigh of disbelief.
I mean, my heart races even at 18, so how much must she like him at 59?
Besides, if she likes him that much, why did she allow me to confess? Is she crazy?
That sigh seemed to contain such thoughts, and the quick-witted Seria seemed to catch on immediately.
“Let me say it again. I never handed Rudion over to you, Alkiné. I just allowed him to be by your side, so don’t misunderstand.”
“I know. Just looking at your numbers, I can tell.”
“It’s convenient that my true feelings are objectively quantified in numbers like this.”
Don’t find convenience in something like that.
After a brief exchange like that, the conversation soon returned to its original flow.
“By the way… Rudion found out about our affection points.”
“…That’s right. I think I know why he apologized.”
“Just to be sure, when did yours open, Alkiné?”
“The day before yesterday. When Rudion came to save me.”
“I thought so.”
“When did yours open?”
“It’s been a while for me. When was it again…”
The two of them continued to talk about each other’s affection point systems like that.
She turned her gaze back to me again…
Even though she just stared without asking any questions, it was clear what it meant.
I cautiously revealed how I felt about their affection… about my feelings.
“Honestly, I’m grateful. Having two people who like me? It might be a bit overwhelming, but it feels amazing.”
…
“I think it’s all my karma. Because of everything I’ve done up until now. But in that regard, it was all sincere, and even if I could turn back time, I’d do the same. So I don’t regret it.”
…
“So… even if I can’t charge in headfirst, I have no intention of running away.”
After rambling for a while without realizing it, that was the conclusion I finally reached.
Overwhelmed? A sense of responsibility? I stumbled over my words, unsure of what I was feeling, but at least I didn’t lie.
…But now that I’ve said it seriously, I suddenly feel embarrassed.
Honestly, situations like these don’t come around easily unless you actively create them.
Especially this kind of ticklish atmosphere.
So, up until now, I’ve been keeping my distance by avoiding this kind of atmosphere… but looking at Seria’s skyrocketing affection, it doesn’t seem to have been very effective, huh?
Anyway, I tried to prevent this kind of situation from happening.
Aside from the awkwardness of a serious atmosphere… as I just concluded, I couldn’t immediately change my attitude toward them.
‘The conclusion I just reached was essentially a declaration to keep drifting along like this.’
I can’t actively step forward toward them.
It’s not because I dislike them. On the contrary, it’s because I like them.
They were characters I held affection for as major figures in the game.
Even though it was in the game, we formed a party together, solved incidents, and overcame hardships.
To be honest… they were among my favorite characters.
Now that they’ve become reality, how could I possibly dislike them?
But precisely because of that, I couldn’t step forward more actively.
If I responded with half-hearted feelings, it would only amount to taking advantage of their affection.
I didn’t want to casually and comfortably settle into their feelings for me.
…I made it sound grand, but honestly, it’s just because I’m a coward.
Of course, their young age still plays a role… but the burden has lessened enough that I can start ignoring that issue.
While I was thinking all this, Seria and Alkiné just kept silently staring at me.
Maybe…
I thought I should say more, so I tried to sneak in a word, but Seria cut me off.
“That’s enough. That’s plenty.”
“Same here. I didn’t confess expecting anything from you anyway.”
It seemed like they accepted my wish to keep our current relationship as it is.
“I told you at the beginning, didn’t I? I’d wait until Rudion approached me himself. I do regret it now, but if Rudion has that mindset… I can keep waiting.”
“You’re answering so seriously, it’s making me more embarrassed. You know what? My affection level just went up to 19.”
It felt a bit strange… like they not only accepted it but even saw it in a positive light.
I didn’t know whether to be thankful or sorry.
Since I couldn’t say anything, Seria stepped in and casually wrapped up the conversation.
“And you don’t need to apologize for finding out about the affection levels. I kept it hidden because I thought it might make Rudion uncomfortable. From my perspective, it was actually a good thing, you know?”
“I was only a little flustered at first, but I don’t really mind now.”
Just like that, they brushed off the fact that I checked their affection levels as no big deal.
Honestly, compared to the fact that they can read minds, affection levels probably felt trivial.
And just like that, my time for apologies finally came to an end.
Just as I was relieved that we somehow got through it, Seria started smiling brightly and muttering something.
“Since Rudion found out how much I like him, I guess it’s okay to be more proactive from now on.”
What did she say? I couldn’t hear it, but judging by Alkiné’s reaction, it was definitely something unusual.
A chill ran down my spine, and I quietly prayed that Alkiné would act as Seria’s restraint.
