After reading poetry with Abigail while messing around with her bra just to get a good idea of how it worked, which also involved unclasping and clasping the back of it a few times just to get the hang of it, Kris had the idea of calling Ryouta. It was early still, but he wanted to talk to him, and Abigail had put her phone down to rest her eyes for a little.
It took a couple moments of ringing, but Ryouta eventually answered the call.
“You alright?” Ryouta asked, following up his question with a yawn.
“Bro… this is so awesome. Is this what it’s like every day for you?” Kris asked in response.
Ryouta blinked a couple of times. “What do you mean?”
“Living with your girlfriends. You get to be surrounded by people who love you every day. I always figured it would be awesome, but like, I had no idea it’d be this awesome. No wonder you’re always so happy.”
“I’m always so happy?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Well, when I think about it… yeah, I guess I am. Maybe I just got used to it so it doesn’t really stand out to me.”
“That’s crazy. How could you ever get used to something like this?”
“Well, when you’re happy all the time, you just get used to it.”
“Nah, I can’t imagine that.”
“Then your girlfriends are lucky.”
Kris cocked his head to the side. “Why would they be lucky?”
“Well, if you’re constantly feeling like you’re happier than you’ve ever been before and aren’t able to get used to it, then you’ll probably always be appreciative of it all, right?”
“Oh, I guess. But isn’t the same true for you?”
“Well, hearing you talk… maybe I’ve started taking things a bit for granted. I guess I got so used to how great it is that I’ve started feeling like it’s just… normal, and not really appreciating how lucky I am.”
“Maybe you should do something for them. Like, take them out on a special date or something.”
“I didn’t expect to get woken up to hear dating advice from you, but you’re right. It’s been a while since we’ve gone out on a real date, and I’ll have to think of something to do with Aza and Eva, too.”
“It’s alright, bro. I’m sure they’ll appreciate whatever you want to do with them.”
Ryouta smiled and sighed. “Yeah, I know. I’m lucky like that. Hah. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m in a pretty good mood. Thanks for helping me remember just how lucky I am.”
“No problem, bro. I’m always happy to help. And if you ever start forgetting again, then I’ll remind you again.”
“Thanks. Anyways, was there anything you needed, or did you just feel like talking about how happy you are?”
“Oh, the latter. Well, and I wanted to hear your voice. I normally hang with you at least a bit every day, but I haven’t been able to while my girlfriends have been here, so I missed you. And I know some guys complain about how their friends don’t hang out with them anymore once they have girlfriends, and I don’t want you thinking that’s going to happen to us. I’ll always make time for you, bro.”
“Guess I should remember just how lucky I am to have you, too.”
Kris tilted his head to the opposite side when he heard that. “What makes you say that?”
“You being an amazing bro makes me say that.”
“Nah, I’m nothing special.”
“I’m going to tell Alice to text your girlfriends to praise some sense into you until you realize how awesome you are.”
“Bro… they already praise me all the time. I don’t think my heart could handle even more…”
“You’re too cute sometimes, Kris.”
Hearing Ryouta call him cute made him blink. “Bro?”
“Sorry, I’m still waking up.”
“You think I’m cute?”
“Well, I mean… yeah.”
“Aww. Thanks, bro. You’re cute, too.”
“I feel like we’ve had a conversation like this before.”
Kris shrugged. “Even if we did, it’s good to compliment each other. Bros need to compliment bros more often.”
Ryouta shrugged as well, the two sharing body language despite not being able to see one another. “Well, you’re not wrong about that. Anyways, got any plans for today?”
“I’m not sure. I had a bunch of ideas for dates and stuff, but like, I also kind of just want to chill with them, but I kind of feel like it would be a waste of time, but I don’t want to overwhelm them by making us go out every day, but I don’t want to bore them either, but—”
“Kris, what did I teach you is one of the most important things to do in a relationship?”
“Uhh… communicate?”
“Yes. So, just, you know, go and ask them. See what they want to do or what they’re in the mood for. If you’re fine with whatever, then let them help you figure it out.”
“But they’re my guests, so shouldn’t I have plans for them?”
“They’re your guests, but they’re also your girlfriends. You’re partners. You figure things out together now. Also, if I was your guest, I’d want some days of going out and some days of staying in. If they want to go out, then come up with some plans to go and do something since you know the area. If they want to stay in, then just chill indoors.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. Guess I’ll ask them then figure something out. Thanks, bro. What about you?”
“Well, I said I’d take mine out on a date, but I have no idea what to do. I’m starting to miss living in a city. There was never a shortage of things to do there, but out here, in these suburbs… I’m starting to understand why people like the city instead of being far away from it. I can’t even imagine the people who own property in like the middle of nowhere away from everything. And to think I used to want to be like that when I was younger.”
“Don’t worry, bro. We’ll just make our own city.”
“We’re already doing that in-game.”
“Yeah, but like, in real life.”
“You know, if anybody else said that, I’d know they were just messing around. But when you say it, I feel like you’re serious.”
“Of course I am. Why would I ever lie about something like that?”
Ryouta let out his final sigh of the conversation. “You know, people say that humans don’t deserve dogs, but I’m pretty sure we should really be saying that humanity doesn’t deserve you.”
“No way. If anything, they should be saying that about you, especially since you’re also like, half dog online.”
“Oh. That gives me an idea.”
“Yeah bro?”
“Cass likes volunteering and helping out communities and all that, and she’s been implying for a while now that she wants us to go do something like that together, and there’s this animal shelter we’ve gone by a few times and Serra said she wanted to play with all the animals there, and I think Alice has sent some money their way, so… do you think it’d be a good date to take them there and help out and play with the animals? Well, I guess that doesn’t really sound like a date. Dates are supposed to be romantic…”
“Bro, definitely do that. That sounds awesome, and if they’re all into it, you should totally go. Who cares if it doesn’t sound romantic as long as you’re all having a good time together?”
“Yeah… you’re right. Alright. I think that’s what we’ll do then. And I think Saya would like getting to watch that, too.”
“Nice. Sounds like you’ve got it figured out, bro.”
“Yeah. Thanks for helping me.”
“I didn’t do anything. That was all you.”
It turned out that Ryouta was not, in fact, actually done sighing for the conversation. “You really need to give yourself more credit sometimes. You’re the one who confirmed it was a good idea.”
“If you ask me if two plus two equals four, I don’t deserve thanks for telling you it’s four.”
“Would you thank me if you asked me and I told you it was four?”
Kris thought about it for a few moments before going, “Ooooohhhhhhhh. I get it. Alright, you’re right. You’re welcome, bro. And I’m gonna hang up now since I hear the others waking up. Thanks for talking to me.”
“Right back at you.”
“I’m looking forward to immersing and gaming with you again.”
“Yeah, same. I’m sure everybody else misses you, too.”
“Nahhhh.”
“Yahhhh.”
“Naaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.”
“Yaaaaaahhhhhhhh—”
“The heck are you doing?” Cassandra asked, her voice heard in the background of the call.
“I’m—I’m talking to Kris…”
“Oh. That explains it.”
Kris spoke up and said, “Tell her I say hi.”
“He says hi,” Ryouta said. “She waved.”
“Cool. Alright, I’ll let you go. Let’s have a nice day with our girlfriends, bro.”
“Yeah. Let’s be a couple of great boyfriends today.”
“I kinda don’t wanna hang up though.”
“Our girlfriends are going to get jealous of us if we stay on call all morning instead of giving them attention.”
“Nah, mine would understand.”
“Yeah… and mine would probably get ideas and like it.”
“What kind of ideas?”
Ryouta, not wanting to ruin Kris’s innocence, and especially not wanting to put the male-on-male ideas of his girlfriends into his head, instead said, “Alright, I’m gonna hang up now. Seeya later, Kris.”
“Aight. Love you, bro.”
“Love you too.”
And then the call ended.
“Man, I’m lucky,” Kris said to himself. “The best girlfriends in the world and the best bro in the world. I’ll never get used to this.”
“You—you have a boyfriend, too?!” Lucy asked, peeking her head into the bedroom. “That’s… I had no idea you… this opens so many doors… I thought I gave up those ways during my teenage years, but it might be time to dust off all my bookmarks to get caught up on my old favorites…”
Kris blinked at her and then shook his head. “Nah. That was my bro, Ryouta. We’re best bros. He has his own girlfriends.”
“Oh, him. I remember you talking about him before.”
“Yeah.”
“So… you don’t have any boyfriends I don’t know about?”
“Uh… not unless I have one I don’t know about, and I’m pretty sure there aren’t any I don’t know about.”
“Dang.”
“Do you want me to have one or something?”
“It’s—it’s not that I want to share you more than I already am, but… I’m just saying… I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”
Anastasia then looked into the bedroom from the doorway behind Lucy, her head right above the other girl’s as she looked down at her. “As he does not have a boyfriend, yet you want him to have one, I propose that you become the boyfriend.”
“M-me?!”
“It would solve the issue, no? You could wear a suit and follow those tropes in place of another boyfriend.”
“Anny… we really are sisters from other mothers…”
Kris still wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was happy to see Anastasia and Lucy getting along so well. But that aside, he looked at them and asked, “By the way, you two want to stay in today, or should we go out and do something?”
“Going out would be fun,” Lucy said. “It’s kinda cramped in here with all of us.”
Anastasia nodded along with Lucy’s words.
Kris then looked over to where Abigail was supposed to be, but all he saw was a lump under the covers instead. Upon pulling the covers down a bit, though, he revealed the reddened face of Abigail who looked away from the other women with a guilty expression worn on her face.
“Hey, I’m trying to ask you something,” Kris said, poking Abigail’s cheek to try and get her attention.
Meanwhile, both Lucy and Anastasia looked at the barely dressed Abigail who was sharing the bed under the covers with Kris. Neither of them could believe what they were seeing.
“Maybe… we should stay in,” Lucy said. “In this room. In the bed.”
“A smart idea,” Anastasia said, already beginning to unbutton her uniform to expose some of her cleavage.
Kris was too busy trying to get Abigail’s attention to ask her about her preference for the day. He had no idea that he had two more girlfriends in the process of stripping to join him in the bed.