The Spirit of Lust (Ch. 211 - 220)

[Summary: Oliver Brooks is a high school senior with a crippling case of social anxiety to the point he freezes up and can't even talk to people. One day he gets possessed by a Spirit of Lust, a being that feeds on the energy produced by sex. Unaware of this, Oliver finds that his body has changed overnight, there are these three women that seem attracted to him and he has become a monster in bed despite having no experience. All this doesn't change the fact that he is still a very socially anxious young man, however.]

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Chapter 211: Intermission - To work for it (Part 2).

There was something strange about the way Oliver looked back at Isabelle. He looked... surprised. Had her words gotten through? Isabelle fully expected him to brush her aside, but... Was he about to give her a chance?

Oliver removed his glasses and rubbed his face with both hands, groaning like something bothered him.

"Are the headaches still happening?" she asked softly.

"Sometimes," he answered. He pursed his lips and looked at her, glasses still off.

Even Isabelle was mostly used to seeing him with glasses on, so when he stared at her without them it felt strange.

"I get the feeling you already know," he said, shaking his head in resignation. "Somehow you always find out."

Isabelle tensed up. "K-Know what?"

"Answer yes or no. Did you know I'm going out with Mila, Grace and Sarah at the same time?"

Isabelle felt a chill run down her entire body, a mix of conflicting emotions that nearly paralyzed her. Guilt over knowing, relief that it was by accident, joy that he'd admit it to her...

She answered with a knot in her throat. "... Yes."

Oliver clicked his tongue and rubbed his eyes.

"I-It was by accident, I promise! You guys were...!" She shut her mouth immediately, before she could say more.

Oliver let out a long, drawn out sigh. His shoulders dropped, defeated. "How?"

"I... I came back home one day and... You were here with them. I heard you... talking."

He winced. "I... see. I'm sorry."

Isabelle smiled wryly. "It's fine. Serves me right, huh?"

"No."

Just... move on. "Does this have to do with why you're so upset?"

"Where do I even start? We... We have something of an open relationship, but even that label falls short. I go out with the three of them, but they only go out with me."

Isabelle's heart skipped a beat. It was as she thought, but she didn't comment and nodded for him to continue.

"It's been great so far. It works for us. Somehow they're okay with this weird arrangement." He swallowed. "But a few days ago, they... Shit. They told me they would... like me to... go out with other girls, too."

Isabelle's eyebrows shot up and she almost staggered in place. That did NOT go where she was expecting. "W-Wait, 'too'? As in... date them AND other girls?"

Oliver nodded, trying his hardest to keep a straight face through his blush. "They said they'd support it."

What the hell!? Who agrees to let their boyfriend see other girls, let alone suggest it? What were these girls...!?

No. Stop and take a step back, Isabelle. Don't just assume they are toying with Oliver. He might technically have less dating experience than her, but if that experience revealed anything, it was that Isabelle was certainly no authority in what made a relationship work. If this was how they wanted to do things, then it was what Isabelle would have to work with. And honestly, if she looked at it from another angle, it meant that her brother got three girls to agree to share him. That was equal parts scary and amazing.

She nodded. "Alright. And this troubles you because...?"

Oliver stopped for a moment, perhaps taken aback that she was being so accepting. Isabelle was only slightly less surprised, and it helped that she knew some of this already.

He groaned. "... This doesn't get any easier. It's troubling because... Because I like Alice and Noelle, too."

...

...

...

...

"Alice and Noelle?"

He nodded.

"My friends?"

"Yes."

"That's... not as surprising as it should've been. Huh."

"What does that mean?"

"That Noelle is a cutie and Alice is a babe. Makes sense."

"I mean... Yes, but that's not the only reason I like them."

"Oh, of course. There's plenty to love about them. Noelle is the sweetest and Alice is a badass."

Oliver chuckled, and Isabelle was very willing to count that as a win for herself.

"That's true."

"Hmm. Okay, I think I see the issue. You like them and want to ask them out since your three girlfriends support it, but you won't do it when they don't know you're already seeing other girls, and if you tell them, then that basically sets you up to be rejected. Did I get it or did I assume too much?"

Oliver chuckled weakly and smiled wryly. "You got it to the letter, pretty much. Except for one detail."

"Which is?"

"Alice already knows. She's been close friends with Mila, Grace and Sarah for years, and they told her about it the same day I asked them out."

"Oh, that's right. They would've told her already." Isabelle nodded, adding that to her calculations. However... "W-Wait, so does that mean Alice...? Is she okay with this?"

Slowly, her brother nodded. "So long as we clear things up with Noelle first, yes."

Isabelle's jaw dropped.

It was one thing to know that three girls she knew in passing were sharing her brother, but another entirely to know Alice was okay with it. She knew Alice, and knew that girl was extremely... particular about her dating life. She basically rejected everyone who asked her out. And yet she said yes to sharing Oliver?

...

...

Her brother was the biggest chick magnet ever.

Isabelle had to take a moment to compose herself, get her bearings and think clearly.

"So... The real issue is Noelle, right?"

Oliver grimaced and gripped his knee tightly. "I happened to run into her while I was out. I was hoping to tell her I was seeing other girls, but... I couldn't. I'm a fucking coward."

That wouldn't do. She couldn't have her brother beating himself up like that. It was probably his worst habit. As much as he'd grown, that was still there, apparently.

"I mean, it's a hard thing to bring up," she told him. "And if I'm honest, bringing a girl to your room, one who's obviously really into you, mind, only to tell her you're seeing someone else... I'm actually glad you didn't tell her."

"You think so?"

"Totally. In fact... Why don't you let me handle this?"

"What?"

"I'll tell Noelle you're seeing other girls. It might not make it hurt less, but at least she won't associate the bad news to you. And I know her better than you do. I think I can soften the blow."

"Seems like another coward move to me..."

"Oliver, there are times when it's great to man up and do things yourself, but I don't think this is one of those times. I'll tell her that you only just admitted this to me, which is true, and since I noticed that she's into you, I felt that I had to tell her. I... don't know if I'll be able to convince her to agree to your crazy proposal, but..."

"No, no. That's... It would be a great help. Thanks." Regardless, Oliver really looked like he didn't like this one bit.

Isabelle racked her brain. Was there anything she could do, anything she could say to make it just the slightest bit more likely that Noelle would agree to go out with Oliver? Because that was the goal, it was what Oliver wanted. And if her brother wanted it, that was all that mattered.

Time to earn some trust back.

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Chapter 212: Intermission - To work for it (Part 3).

Isabelle thought her words over and over as she rode the bus. She would meet Noelle at 7:30 pm at a small park near her house.

Noelle had been confused, and more than a little apologetic.

"You needed to talk to me and I was just at your house. I'm sorry, I should've waited a bit more to at least say hi," the redhead had said over the phone.

The girl was so innocent and pure it really made you feel guilty for having to bring her bad news. Isabelle couldn't blame Oliver for not daring to tell her, as the only thing stopping her from turning back was that she'd promised her brother she would help.

The park where they met had stone walkways, areas with short, green grass and a playground with a jungle gym, seesaws and swings. According to what they'd told her, Noelle and Alice had found Cake close to this place. It was starting to get dark, but the park was well lit with tall lamp posts.

"Isabelle," Noelle called to her from a bench.

"Hey. Sorry to bother you at this hour," Isabelle told her, walking to her and greeting her with a peck on the cheek. She sat down next to her.

Noelle giggled. "It's no bother. But what's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow? Or be said over the phone."

"... It'd be even more awkward to tell you at school," Isabelle said. "But whether I tell you or not depends on how you answer a question."

Noelle raised an eyebrow. "S-Sure?"

"Sorry to throw this at you out of nowhere, but... Noelle, do you like Oliver?"

Noelle tensed up and her face turned fully red in mere seconds.

"W-W-What? Why do you...?"

"Because it's kind of obvious. If you don't, then I'm just seeing things and that's that. But tell me. Do you like him?"

Noelle pressed her legs together, gripped her knees and stared down at her hands. "I... It's... I know it might be strange but... I do. I l-like him a lot."

God, she was so cute! And the most likely scenario was that she was going to get her heart broken! But better be upfront than hide things. It would only hurt more down the line.

Isabelle grimaced. "Then... I do have to tell you."

Noelle's eyes widened. Her face fell for a moment before she forced herself to smile. It was heartbreaking. "He's already seeing someone else, isn't he?"

"It's... Yes. Did you know?"

"I had a feeling." She forced a chuckle. "Who...?"

"Milana, Grace and Sarah."

"..." Noelle blinked. "Wait. Huh?"

"He only just told me. I finally convinced him to trust me again, if only a little. They have a... semi-open relationship, I guess? Milana, Grace and Sarah are only dating Oliver... but they let him see other girls, apparently."

Noelle's jaw half-hung as she tried to process it, keeping quiet for a long moment. Isabelle let her. It was a tough pill to swallow.

"You know, I kind of thought that would be the case," Noelle chuckled weakly. "The first part, at least. Those girls seem so into him, and they spend all their time together, right? It's like there wasn't any other answer."

"When Oliver told me, I thought of you," Isabelle told her. "They're doing their best to keep it a secret, but... I felt it was only fair that you knew, too, since..." Isabelle spoke through the knot in her throat. "I told Oliver I wanted to tell you, and he said okay."

Noelle's face turned to horror. "D-D-Does he know I...!?"

"He had an idea," Isabelle offered wryly. "He wanted to tell you himself, but couldn't find a way to do it."

"I... see." Noelle pursed her lips. Under the park lights, the glittering of her eyes was clearer. "I suppose he didn't... I never had a chance, did I?"

Should she do it? Should she tell her? It felt like a good opportunity.

...

Fuck it. Go for it.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"What?"

"Oliver... He really likes you. He told me so himself. But what could he do about it? Just because his... girlfriends encourage him to see other girls, doesn't mean you'd agree to that arrangement, right? He wanted to tell you this himself, but he was scared you'd hate him for it."

"..." Noelle bit her lip. "It's such a wild thing. I like to think I keep an open mind, but I don't know if... if I could agree to something like that."

"Yeah, I don't blame you." Isabelle sighed. "Still, you know Oliver had a pretty bad case of social anxiety to the point he couldn't speak to people, right? But ever since he started dating those three, he started to change. He talks far more, he got a job, he hits the gym, he's willing to take risks and chances he never would've before. Those girls helped him change and grow while I was too damn busy looking elsewhere, doing stupid crap and even making things worse for him." Isabelle's lip quivered, but she pushed through. "He looks happier than ever. Hell, he LOOKS better than ever. Weird as what they have is, no one can deny it's been great for him. I used to hate their guts, and for stupid reasons, but now that I know the truth, I know how dumb I was. I need to apologize to them tomorrow." She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. I don't even know what I'm trying to say anymore."

Noelle swallowed. "Thanks for telling me, Isabelle. I think... I think I can start moving on now, at least."

"... I think you two would make a great couple," Isabelle told her.

"You mean 'would have'," Noelle corrected, laughing weakly.

"..." Isabelle stood up. "I bet Oliver will want to talk to you soon to clear things up."

Noelle nodded. "I still want to be friends with him, at least."

Isabelle smiled. "Thanks. I really mean it."

The two girls hugged as they said their goodbyes.

Sometimes Isabelle wished she could read minds, and this was one of those times. Noelle's face showed she was deep in thought, even as they parted ways. What was she thinking about?

Isabelle wished she had a fail-proof solution to Oliver's problem. She wished she could convince Noelle to go for it and date her brother, but trying to push her into it would only make her reject the idea even more. No, this was all she could do for now. Much as she'd like to help more, in the end this could only be resolved between Oliver and Noelle. But somehow, Isabelle wasn't worried, not with the way her brother was now.

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Chapter 213: Intermission - Noelle and Alice.

For the first time in the last year, Noelle Summers didn't want to get up from bed and go to school. Not that school was that much fun, but she was a responsible girl who did what she had to do. She hadn't missed a day of school in the last three years, and now she was considering faking a cold or something just to not go.

She fell asleep at 3:00 am, all because of uncomfortable thoughts that wouldn't let her relax. Now she was tired and would probably have to see people she didn't feel ready to face.

"I hate being in love..." she grumbled her frustration into her pillow.

Only a single minute later, however, she was up and heading to the bathroom to start the day. Faking a cold felt plain wrong, and skipping school felt even worse.

Once at school, her first stop was the student council office, like always. She almost didn't want to open the window with how cold the day was, but she needed to let some air in.

They had an electric kettle and a tea set in the room, a small commodity Alice allowed herself since she drank a lot of tea. Noelle turned the kettle on and made sure there were still some of those sugarless cookies Alice liked in the bottom desk drawer. There were.

No paperwork to take care of that morning, at least not yet. Soon they would have to start coordinating with the clubs to prepare things for the talent show. They didn't have an early morning meeting, either, so there wasn't any specific reason Noelle had to be in the student council office other than it was routine.

Five minutes later, Alice came in, shivering.

"Gah, the days are getting even colder. Is it me or is this worse than last year?" the blonde asked.

Noelle giggled. "You asked the same thing last year."

"Well, it only gets worse. I also bet it's colder in the mornings than at night."

Alice was wearing green wool mittens, black stockings under her skirt, the school sweater under the blazer and a green scarf wrapped twice around her neck. She really had a bad time with the cold weather.

"There's hot water in the thermos," Noelle told her. "Want some tea?"

"Have I ever told you I love you, Noelle?"

Noelle chuckled. Every morning she offered tea, and nearly every morning Alice said the same. Noelle wasn't as big a fan of the beverage as Alice was, but she loved the smell, so preparing it was a pleasure for herself, too.

As Noelle brewed the tea, however, she felt Alice's eyes on her.

"Hey, are you feeling well?" Alice asked.

"Hm? W-What do you mean?" The redhead tried to play it cool.

"You're a little pale today, I think. And you sound... kinda down."

Noelle pursed her lips. "I... didn't sleep very well."

"What happened?"

Noelle's chest tightened. She wanted to vent, she wanted to say the things that were troubling her, and Alice was always one of the two people who would gladly listen to her troubles and try to help as much as they could. She had already talked to the other person, but it was her who brought all these awkward thoughts to her head. That said, Alice... Right. She was actually really close friends with those three, huh?

"Hey, Alice? Did you know?" Noelle asked softly, even weakly.

"Know what?"

"That... No. Sorry, sorry!" Noelle fervently shook her head. "It's nothing. I was going to ask you something, but I forgot what." She forced herself to laugh. It didn't sound convincing.

Idiot! Idiot! Isabelle told her Oliver's secret because they trusted her not to tell anyone! And here the first thing she was going to do was ask if Alice knew Oliver was dating her three friends. Idiot! Idiot!

Alice frowned and pursed her lips. She received the teacup Noelle gave her, set it aside on her desk and leaned on it.

"Noelle, there's something I need to talk to you about, and it's not pleasant."

"Eh?"

"Crap, I... Sorry, forget it. I shouldn't have brought it up now." Alice took her cup and took a tentative first sip. "Let's talk about it after school."

Noelle swallowed. "No. Please tell me now."

Alice grimaced. She kept quiet for a moment, looking to the side at her cup of tea. Then, with a reluctant tone, she spoke.

"I... I like Oliver."

Noelle's jaw dropped and her entire body tensed. "Oliver?"

Alice nodded.

"Since when?"

The blonde smiled wryly. "Only just realized it a couple of days ago."

A couple of days ago? And if she was telling her, it meant Alice was ready to do something about it. Unlike Noelle, who was always at a standstill, wavering on what her feelings were, not knowing what to do about them, and only just now daring to admit them to herself, it only took Alice a couple of days to decide she wanted something and move to get it. She was amazing, as always. But...

"H-Hey, but Oliver is..." she stopped herself.

"He's already seeing other girls." Alice nodded. "So you knew already."

Alice knew, then. Of course she did. She was close friends with those three. "Isabelle told me yesterday."

Alice nodded again in acknowledgement. "Then you know the arrangement they have."

Noelle swallowed. "Y-Yeah."

"If Oliver asks me out, if he asks me to join them... I'll say yes."

"B-But why!?" Noelle demanded, unconsciously raising her voice. "That's..."

"It's hard to explain," Alice said with a small smile. "I'm not experienced with dating, and I've had bad experiences, but... Oliver made something click for me, and I don't want to miss it. I know it's a strange situation, but I've known those girls for years, I owe them more than I can ever repay and I love them more than I can ever demonstrate. If they can be as happy as they claim with him, then I'm willing to make this bet, too."

"... Why are you telling me this?"

"Should I not have?" Alice asked. "I'm telling you for two reasons: For once, it's easy to see you like Oliver, too."

OH, COME ON. How easy was she to see through? Everybody knew already!

"But even more important than that, I..." Alice grimaced. "I've kept a lot of things from you. We may only know each other for about two years, but you're already someone really important to me. You've always trusted me, but I haven't been able to reciprocate. I'd like to fix that, if possible." She smiled regretfully. "I almost called you yesterday to talk about this, but I couldn't. I was too afraid that you'd hate me, but keeping it from you would be even worse, so here we are. I couldn't blame you if you did hate me now."

...

Did she? Did Noelle hate Alice?

"I..."

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Chapter 214: Intermission - Her intentions.

"I don't hate you," Noelle said softly. "I don't hate anyone. What right do I even have to hate anyone? I... Yes, I like Oliver. I like him a lot, but I never did anything about it. No one is betraying me or anything. Oliver was already seeing the girls before we started talking for real, right?"

Alice shook her head. "You're too good. Hate is never rational."

Noelle chuckled weakly. "I suppose. Then it means you mean more to me than a boy." Her chest felt a little lighter, and she was able to smile genuinely. "I don't hate you, Alice. If you think you can accept that arrangement, then I sincerely hope it works."

"You have no idea how much that means to me."Alice, too, was finally able to smile with some relief. "But what about Oliver? Do you hate him now?"

Noelle's smile went away, but she easily shook her head. "I don't hate him, but... The image I had of him... changed. I... I don't know anymore."

"You know, I was afraid of that, too," Alice said, sipping her tea. Noelle noticed her hands shook. Still, her friend smiled. "I was afraid that, when I told him some things about me, he'd be put off. But you know what? He actually said he liked me even more for it." She chuckled. "I think that's one of the reasons he clicked for me. Only one, mind. There are plenty of others."

...

Noelle's mind froze for a second that felt eternal.

Oliver... accepted Alice? He liked her more for it? Didn't he also accept Noelle's own secret? No, he didn't just accept it. He was happy for her, encouraged her and praised her for it. He could've been put off by it, or even just answered with an indifferent 'Oh yeah? So?', but instead he was genuinely happy that Noelle had found something she enjoyed doing and helped her grow. Yet here she was thinking less of him for dating more than one girl. And without even hearing him out?

But it was completely different, right? Noelle was just a video game streamer. Embarrassing or not, she was just an entertainer. Meanwhile, Oliver was... in a consensual relationship with three girls who were supportive of it. It wasn't any different.

"I'm not trying to say this to change your mind," Alice continued, "but, just for the record, I'd be okay with you dating Oliver, too."

Sharing a boyfriend with other girls... Noelle had never even dated anyone before. She couldn't see it. Not that she was violently opposed to the idea, but more like she couldn't imagine it happening. She couldn't see how it would work. She didn't even know how a normal relationship functioned, let alone something like this.

The bell didn't give her any more time to think.

"I'm sorry to bring this up just before class," Alice said.

"N-No, I insisted. It's fine." Noelle smiled. "Thank you for being upfront with me."

However, as she expected, Noelle was unable to concentrate during the first period. Her mind drifted and her face heated. She couldn't even take notes correctly. What a mess.

She decided that there was only one way to solve the issue, so when the bell rang to indicate the start of the first recess, Noelle exited her classroom and went to find Oliver.

She didn't expect him to meet her in the hallway, though. Not with him walking directly towards her and starting things.

"Noelle," he spoke firmly. "I need to talk to you. Can we meet after school?"

Noelle was taken aback. In front of him, she suddenly felt bashful, weak, and hot. "E-Eh? I..."

He shook his head as if to shake the brain inside. "Sorry to come at you like this, but... It's important." He looked her straight in the eyes. "It's not right that Isabelle was the one to tell you. I keep regretting it. If you don't want to see me today, then we can talk another day, but I need to talk to you. You deserve that much."

Nervously, Noelle looked around. There weren't that many, but a few people were looking their way. Rumors would no doubt spread, people would make up wild stories to make sense of what was happening here.

That Oliver of all people didn't care about it and spoke to her in the open said how important this was to him.

Noelle smiled. "I talked to Alice already. She explained some things."

Oliver tensed up, but he nodded. "Then it's all the more important."

"After school, then."

Oliver smiled with relief. "Thank you."

They parted ways with shy, awkward waves, and Noelle felt her chest much lighter and her head much clearer already. She chuckled to herself.

For some reason, since Isabelle told her about all this yesterday, it almost felt like she was talking about some Oliver she was supposed to know, but was a stranger. It was about the same when Alice spoke of him just earlier. But seeing him, actually hearing him say he needed to talk to her, made her realize that... Oliver was still Oliver. He hadn't suddenly changed because she knew his secret.

They would talk later. She would tell him she liked him, she would hear him out, and if he... if he asked her to go out with him, she would politely refuse. She would explain that she didn't feel like she could be a part of what he had, but that she hoped they could remain friends.

Yes. Yes. That was what she'd do. That was the plan.

...

But plans can suddenly change.

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Chapter 215: Intermission - Reverse card.

It was like one of those super cliche scenes you'd see in anime, specifically those aimed at girls. She didn't hate it, though.

Noelle stepped out onto the school's rooftop and saw Oliver there as he looked down through the chain-linked fence, a hand in his pocket and another in the fence's links. The soft, cold breeze moved his wavy black hair, and the fact that he was so handsome helped her case, as did remembering that this was a school with Japanese roots. But this was no anime. The only reason they were talking at the rooftop was for privacy's sake.

"It's even colder here," Noelle said, chuckling softly as she walked up to Oliver.

"Want to go somewhere else?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Better not risk it, right?"

"Right." Oliver sighed. He kept as straight a face as he could, but Noelle noticed that his grip on the fence was hard enough to bend and stretch some of the links. "So Isabelle and Alice told you everything."

"That... That you're dating Milana, Grace and Sarah, yes." Noelle's mouth was dry, and she hid her hands behind her back to prevent him from seeing them shake. "And that Alice... likes you, too."

Oliver closed his eyes for a moment and bit his lip before he opened them again, looking straight at Noelle, keeping eye contact.

"It happened before I even realized it. One day I only have one person in this school I can barely call an acquaintance, and the next there're three girls who want to hang out with me all the time. I couldn't wrap my head around it." He had a small, self-deprecating smile as he spoke. "I could barely speak to them, I wasn't anyone special, I had no charisma... Yet these girls still wanted to hang out with me. For a while I thought it was all a joke." The self-deprecation faded, and his smile became genuine. "But it wasn't a joke. These girls kept throwing hints at me, until one day I took a gamble and asked them all out. They said yes, and even said they would've asked me if I hadn't done it myself." He shook his head with a chuckle. "It's been about three months now, and things are only getting better between us."

There was a light sting in Noelle's chest. Oliver was happy, and that was good. She believed his words, and now understood that his relationship with the girls was something that developed naturally between them, which was also good. However...

"Then they came at me with this outrageous... Proposition? Request? Whatever it was, they said they'd like me to.... be with other girls. That they'd not only support it, but were looking forward to it. If it wasn't because of... how well I know them by now, I would've thought it a trick or similar, but no, they were serious. And when I finally accepted their idea, the first person I thought of... was you."

Noelle's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened, her cheeks burned and her mouth half-opened, but not a sound came. She held one of her hands tightly with the other.

"I didn't know what to think of it. I was already dating those three, I was happy, satisfied, but when the possibility that I could also date you appeared, I..." He bit his lip again to stop it from quivering. "Ever since we started talking, I tried to deny to myself that I liked you. But the more we hung out, the more I fell for you, and the worse it felt. How could I even ask you to be part of this? It would be the most selfish request, but... I just can't deny it."

Oliver looked at her firmly, resolutely. He stood with a straight back, he looked taller. Looking back at him made her heart beat faster.

"I like you, Noelle. I've never clicked with anyone so quickly, and the time we've spent together has been amazing." ... It was the same for her. Her chest tightened. "But I can't in good conscience ask you to go out with me."

Wait. Huh?

"What I'd want is for you to accept that I'm going out with other girls, but I wouldn't want you to see other guys, and that's..." He clicked his tongue. His face was a frustrated grimace. "That's absolutely ridiculous! What I have now with Mila, Grace and Sarah is something they agreed to from the start. It was their idea to begin with. Suddenly asking you to accept it would be the most egoistic thing I could do, and I just... can't."

Wait. Wait. Wait. So...

"I'll understand if it's hard for you to see me right now. That said, I don't want us to stop being friends."

Was this right? Was this really what was happening? Was Noelle... getting friendzoned?

At what point did she start believing that...? Isabelle told her yesterday that Oliver really liked her. Alice told her just that morning that she'd be okay with her dating him, too. They made it sound like... like Oliver was going to ask her out. At what point did she start believing the decision lay solely with her?

Noelle really liked Oliver, but she wasn't sure she could accept sharing him as a boyfriend with other girls. She had come here with the resolution to tell him just that and reject his proposal. But... But...

Now it hurt more. He DID like her, he DID want to be with her, but he was choosing NOT to ask her out. The decision wasn't hers. She thought it was, that she had the 'luxury' of refusing. She thought... that she could be with him if she wanted to, but chose not to. Now a door she thought open to her was closing before her very eyes.

Her parents always told her, when she stayed in her room alone, that she'd never experience new, amazing things if she kept saying no to the possibility of those experiences. Was this what they were talking about?

She liked Oliver. She liked him more than she'd ever liked a boy. She... She wanted him, and for a moment, she could've had him, but now... he was going to move on from her.

No.

No. No. No.

She wouldn't accept it. Was she going to miss out on being with the guy that made her crazy over some prude, socially constructed values? Was Noelle going to let that stop her from experiencing something potentially amazing? Alice certainly wasn't. She was going all in. Why couldn't Noelle do it, too? She thought she could say no, but now it wasn't up to her, and that made it hurt even more.

This was it. Another chance to experience something new squandered by fear.

...

...

...

No. It didn't have to be that away. She still had a say in the matter.

"I'd like us to still hang out," Oliver continued. "Because I'm not going to give up on..."

"Oliver!" Noelle interrupted him, not quite catching those last words. "C-Can I talk to you later?"

"Huh?" Oliver looked taken aback, and with good reason.

"Later. I promise we'll talk later today, but... there's something I have to do. I'm sorry about this."

"O-Okay...?"

With his answer, Noelle bolted out of the rooftop.

If she was going to do this, she had to at least be proper about it. If she was lucky, Milana, Grace and Sarah would still be close to the school.

************

Chapter 216: Intermission - His girlfriends.

"It really looked like I ran away from him..." Noelle lamented, hiding her face in her hands. "I hope he'll forgive me. I wasn't thinking straight." She was now, though, and her initial idea still seemed like the correct one.

Her phone buzzed and Noelle looked at it immediately. Alice had answered.

-Alice: They said they're still at school. They were waiting for Oliver, but they say that if you want to talk to them alone, they'll text him to go ahead without them.

-Noelle: Yes, please tell them that. I need to see them.

-Alice: Okay. I won't ask now, but will you tell me later?

-Noelle: I promise.

-Alice: Thanks. They're in their classroom.

Noelle didn't have the number of any of Oliver's three girlfriends, so she had to ask Alice to contact them for her. She went to the fourth floor and found them alone in their classroom.

Milana was sitting on a desk next to the window, looking at her phone, Grace was sitting on the chair, looking out the window, and Sarah was standing behind Grace, leaning against the wall as she texted on her phone.

Okay. No cold feet, Noelle. You either do this or you lose. Simple as.

"H-Hello..." she said, nervously stepping into the classroom.

"Hey," Milana waved to greet her with an easy, welcoming smile.

"Come in, come in," Grace said, chuckling. "I know Sarah looks the part, but she doesn't bite."

"Hey!"

"Usually."

"Hey!"

A snicker escaped Noelle. "Sorry to ask you to meet me so suddenly."

"It's no problem, but it is curious," Milana said. "Did you finish talking with Oliver?"

Of course they knew. It was no wonder, but it did say a lot.

"That's... what I wanted to talk to you about."

Sarah nodded. "We sort of expected it. Go on, then. No fear."

Noelle nodded back. "I've... got questions. So it's true that you three..."

"... Are dating Oliver?" Milana asked. "Yes."

"... At the same time?" Grace asked. "Yes, too. And it was mostly our idea."

"And it was also our idea to encourage him to ask you and Alice out," Sarah finished.

Wow. These girls were on point. Those were already three answers she was looking for. She knew all that already, but she needed to hear it from them.

"If... If it's not a problem, c-could you tell me why?" Noelle asked. "Why are you okay with it? Why do you encourage it?" She was asking with genuine curiosity. She needed to understand.

"It's fucking crazy, isn't it?" Sarah said, smiling. "But it's probably the best decision we've ever made."

Seriously?

"It started on a whim," Grace said. "For Sarah and I, at least. Mila had her eyes on him for a while before she finally talked to him."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah." Milana chuckled. "Couldn't decide if he was a sweet, soft spoken guy or a cringy edgelord trying to look mysterious. Once I realized it was the former, I went for the jugular!" She laughed. "I had to, or these two would've taken him from me first."

"We were at Thomas' birthday party," Sarah said. "We drank a bit, we talked, and then... You know."

Noelle believed she was avoiding outright saying it out of respect for her, but her tone said enough. Sarah wanted her to know it had happened.

And... of course. Of course they would've... done it already. It made Noelle feel awkward. It was the same feeling as when Isabelle told her she'd done it for the first time. A feeling of inadequacy, like she was now suddenly talking to girls more experienced than her. It further hammered in the reality of it all, and because of it Noelle pushed through.

"We liked it... and him enough that we wanted to keep seeing him," Grace said. "It wasn't anything serious at first, so we caused the poor guy all sorts of grief. We didn't realize he didn't understand what we were doing."

Milana grimaced. "He couldn't believe we wanted to be friends with him, much less that we liked him. It took a while and a lot of talking things over, but when he finally realized that we were serious about him, he asked us out."

"Ran to ask us, even." Sarah laughed. "We said yes immediately."

"But... Don't you get... jealous?" Noelle asked.

"We thought we might, but no," Grace answered with an easy smile. "In fact, it's exactly the opposite of that."

"Huh?"

"We like it," Milana said. Her cheeks reddened, but she spoke with confidence. "I like kissing him only slightly more than I like seeing him kiss Grace and Sarah."

Sarah sighed. "It's a turn on. If we can't do anything about it, we might as well embrace it."

"Which, in time, led us to ask Oliver if he liked any other girls," Grace followed up. "After, again, a lot of talking to keep everything crystal clear, he ended up admitting that he liked you and Alice. We told him we'd support him if he wanted to ask you out. It's... for our pleasure as much as his."

"He's just too much for any one woman," Milana lightly pouted. "He looks all cute and handsome and innocent, but in reality he's a monster!"

"A... A monster?"

"In bed," Grace clarified bluntly, making Noelle's entire face burn. "Even with the three of us, he still outlasts us. It's an experience that's out of this world. Honestly, it's almost as frustrating as it is hot. But it's not just that. Oliver is special. There's something about him that you only understand once you let him into your heart. Then you start understanding him more, to the point it's almost supernatural. The main reason we can confidently tell him to be with other girls is because we're so stupidly sure he's madly in love with us. It's impossible to feel jealous after you feel so, SO wanted."

Feeling wanted. That... made some sense to Noelle. It made her envious, even. She was 18 years old, had never had a boyfriend, never kissed. She had friends, but had never felt wanted in that way. She wanted it.

"So?" Milana asked. "Did he ask you out?"

Noelle swallowed. "He... friendzoned me."

"HAH!?" The triple echoed exclamation startled the redhead.

"He did what!?" Sarah asked.

"Are you sure?" Milana asked.

"That's... not what we expected." Grace said. "At worst we thought you'd say no, but this?"

Noelle pursed her lips. "I... I was going to say no. If he asked me, I was going to refuse because... because I didn't think I'd be comfortable sharing him as a boyfriend."

"Which is fair," Sarah said.

"There's a 'but' there, isn't it?" Grace said.

Noelle nodded. "When he said he couldn't ask me out, so he wouldn't, I... I felt like I lost him." Worse than that. She felt like she almost had him, could've had him, and then lost him. "I'm still not sure if I can do this, but I now know I'll regret it more if I don't. Which is why I wanted to talk to you." Noelle took a deep breath. "W-W-Would it be okay if I asked Oliver to go out with me, too?"

She didn't expect it, but the three girls grinned.

"Go for it," Sarah told her. "Zero objections from me."

"It's actually reassuring that it's you," Grace said. "I don't know why Oliver would 'friendzone' you, but don't believe him. He'll be thrilled."

Milana hopped off the desk and walked up to Noelle. She then held her by the shoulders and turned her around to face the door.

"E-Eh?"

"We'll talk details later, God knows there'll be a lot, but for now, just go!" She laughed. "Go and do whatever feels right. You have our support!"

"W-Whatever feels right?" Noelle asked, looking back at Milana.

The Russian girl winked. "Whatever feels right."

"B-But he must've left school already."

"Nope." Sarah said, holding and waving her phone, grinning. "Told him to stay right where he was. He's still on the rooftop. Go eat him up."

E-E-Eat him up!?

Noelle swallowed. It was the strangest thing. A part of her didn't want to share a boyfriend. That was natural. And yet... Having these girls' behind her, supporting her... It warmed her heart and filled her with confidence.

"I'm going, then!"

"You're gonna kill it!" Milana said and gave her a pat on the back. "Go!"

And so, Noelle ran as fast as she could back to the rooftop.

************

Chapter 217: Her question.

I never expected it to go well. It was a delicate topic that needed to be discussed, so I was ready to be yelled at and called all sorts of things. I never thought she'd run away, though.

I sat on the floor of the rooftop, confused and mentally exhausted.

Noelle said we would talk later, but would we really? If she ran away, it meant she didn't want to see me, right? I couldn't get a read on her thoughts. What little I heard was a mix of emotions and ideas that was too hectic to make any sense of.

I let out a loud, frustrated groan as I rubbed my face. Should I have done things differently? Should I have said something else? Maybe if I was more assertive, but that likely would've been off putting and made her hate me more. Maybe there was just no way to get a better outcome. It was bound to happen.

When my phone buzzed, I almost didn't want to check it, but it could be the girls, so I still did. And yeah, it was Sarah, asking me where I was and to stay there.

I was expecting them to come here, but it was Noelle who came through the door, running and gasping for hair.

"H-Hey, what's wrong?" I asked in a hurry, standing up and going to check on her.

"... Nothing, nothing," she said, laughing tiredly. "Sorry, I said... we'd talk later today, but... I made up my mind sooner than I thought."

"W-What do you mean?"

"I went to talk to the girls. Milana, Grace and Sarah. I needed to do that before I asked you this." Noelle took a couple of deep breaths. She stood up straight, but still had to look up at me. Her expression was serious, resolute. "O-Oliver! I r-r-really l-l-like you! W-W-Will you go out with me?" She almost shouted her question.

I slowly blinked as my jaw fell. I felt so dizzy that I had to believe I was hearing things.

"W-What? But... I thought you... That you didn't want to..."

"I... I don't want you to friendzone me!" she said bluntly. "It made me realize that... That I didn't want to waste an opportunity to be with you! That's how much I like you. I'll... I'll share if I have to, I won't complain, but I refuse to miss out on this. I'm tired of squandering opportunities just because I was afraid!"

I blinked again. "Friendzone you? I... wasn't gonna do that."

"Eh?"

"You left before I could tell you. I was going to say that... I want us to remain friends, because I don't want to give up on you. Even if it took me months or even years, I would eventually convince you to go out with me, to... accept my relationship with other girls." I scratched the back of my head. "I know it's insanely selfish, but this is the one thing I can't compromise on. I want you, Noelle, every bit as much as I want Mila, Grace, Sarah and Alice. So I'll do everything I can to fulfill that wish, no matter how long it takes me."

Noelle's mouth remained half-opened. "So... I jumped to conclusions?"

"I think so?" I offered sheepishly.

Noelle's blush deepened even more, and then suddenly she burst into laughter.

"Ahahahaha! I can't believe it! Hahaha! I'm so dumb!"

"H-Hey..."

"I thought... I thought you didn't want to go out with me anymore, so I rushed. But this..." She snickered. "God, I must look so stupid."

I chuckled. "Not really. When... When I asked out Mila, Grace and Sarah, I rushed too, because they were going to a party that night and I was afraid they'd hook up with other guys."

Noelle kept laughing. Her grin was gorgeous. "Are you serious?"

"In my defense, I had no idea what that relationship was for a long time."

"Yeah, they told me."

The choice of that specific anecdote was deliberate. I didn't want to tiptoe around the fact I was seeing other girls. If this had any chance to work, Noelle needed to understand how much those girls meant to me. That said...

"So yeah, I'm not going to give up easily. However, I don't want you to make a rushed choice," I told her. "So if you want to take some more time..."

"No." Noelle shook her head. "If anything, this helped me make up my mind. I'm sure that if I spent more time thinking about it, I'd end up deciding the same." She smiled at me nervously. "So... What's your answer? Will you go out with me?"

My smile came to me on its own. "Yeah. I promise you won't regret it."

Noelle giggled. "Bold words. That confident?"

I laughed. "I won't get anywhere if I don't at least look it, right?"

{Do whatever feels right, huh?}

That reading was strange. It was Noelle's thought, but I heard hints of Mila's voice in there. Maybe a memory more than a thought, then.

Noelle started fidgeting in place. She looked down at the floor with burning cheeks. "H-Hey, just so you know, I... I'm not... I've never had a boyfriend before."

I smiled at her and nodded. "I'm honored, then."

She giggled. "What I'm trying to say is that... I'm not... experienced."

{Will he think less of me if I tell him I'm looking forward to doing naughty things? But I've never even kissed a boy before, so I'll suck at it! But I want it...}

You know, maybe reading minds isn't such a bad thing.

I stepped closer to Noelle. With my latest, surprise growth sprout, standing so close to her made our height difference more noticeable. I was half a head taller than her.

I gently put my hands on her shoulders. She flinched from surprise, and my own heart was racing as well. Regardless, I pushed through and embraced her. Just a hug, but I wanted to feel her close. Noelle let out a shy chuckle and hugged me back, hiding her face in my shoulder. Just this felt heavenly. The closeness, the contact... But it was clear we both wanted more.

"Can I kiss you?" I asked her softly.

I felt her body tense. She looked up at me, face as red as her hair. She licked her lips and silently nodded.

************

Chapter 218: The magic of a kiss.

Noelle closed her eyes and waited for me to initiate the kiss. I spent a single second staring at her cute, pink lips. My heart raced, my desire to taste them almost turning my brain to mush. And if that desire almost did it, tasting them finished the job.

I started gently, with soft pecks to build anticipation. Noelle tightened her embrace and slightly pushed her head forward. She wanted more than this.

I pressed my lips against hers, gently caressing her back as I did. Having her in my arms just felt SO right. Her breathing stopped and her body began to relax.

{Ohhh. This is... good. More.}

I probed her lips with my tongue, and Noelle tightly grabbed the back of my jacket as she let out a soft moan of pleasure. When my tongue met hers, the petite redhead melted in my arms.

{Oh God...!}

She wasn't Mila, or Grace, or Sarah. She wasn't Alice, either. She was Noelle, a different girl, and I was sharing a deep, passionate kiss with her. Her first, even. I can't explain to you how much it excited me, how much it turned me on.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her even closer. She got one arm around my neck while she pressed one hand against my chest. Noelle was inexperienced, like Alice, and let me take the lead. The heat in my chest made me increase the intensity of the kiss little by little, exploring every corner of my new girlfriend's mouth, getting well acquainted with her playful tongue.

{Oh fuck...! I'm getting wet! My... My body's burning...!}

My dick was also getting hard. It was difficult to fight the temptation of doing it here. As she was now, I even believed Noelle would encourage it, but a part of me felt that was crossing a line before it was right. We only just agreed to go out together, and it was the school rooftop with its door unlocked.

No, I would be patient this time. I would wait until Noelle, with a clear head, told me she was comfortable with the idea. That said... I wasn't about to leave her wanting. I had to make a case for myself as her boyfriend.

As I kissed her, I put a hand on her cheek and caressed her. I traced the back of my fingers along her neck, her cheek, her ears. I slowly rubbed her back and pulled her closer to me so that her ample chest was pressed against mine.

Noelle reacted by shivering from pleasure, moaning into me and tightly grabbing my shirt as she tried her best to kiss me back. She licked my tongue as if it was the sweetest, most addictive candy she'd ever tasted, and she began to rub her chest on me.

{So good...! So GOOD! Shit, my nipples are hard. I want to pinch them. God, I think I'm close...!}

I kept doing exactly what I was doing for the next five minutes. We made out for a total of 20 minutes before Noelle reached her peak in my arms. Her voice didn't come out. It was a silent scream, her body stiff as a board and spasming like a firecracker, holding onto me like she'd die if she let me go.

I was genuinely surprised. Making her come was my intent, yes, but I wasn't sure I could really pull it off so quickly. Maybe I'd gotten even better?

I pulled my face away to look at her. Her cheeks were red, her eyes looked lost and she was absentmindedly licking her grinning lips. She hit that sweet spot of looking both cute and sexy.

Slowly, she began to come to. She blinked, looked up at me and quickly hid her face full of shame in my chest. It made me chuckle.

"What? What happened?" I teased.

"N-N-Nothing!" she claimed.

"Was I that bad?"

"Oh, so you're the type to tease an embarrassed girl?" she shot back, pouting. "That's low, Oliver."

Ouch. I smiled wryly. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

Noelle started giggling uncontrollably. She hugged me close and rested her head on my shoulder. Once she calmed down, she asked me,"Is it... off putting?"

"Why would it be?"

"I don't know."

"I liked that a lot. Did you?"

"... Obviously."

"I'd like to do more than just kiss, eventually. When you're comfortable with the idea."

Noelle swallowed. "I... I want it, too. I'm... a virgin, Oliver, but precisely because of that, I... I want to..."

I nodded. "I know that feeling. Whenever you feel ready."

"After you've asked Alice, then," she said, looking at me. She then giggled again. "I can't believe I have to share my first boyfriend with four other girls."

"I told you. You won't regret it."

"How are you so sure you can keep that promise?"

"Because I'm not going to take you for granted."

Noelle smiled and pecked my lips. "And I'm not going to get left behind. I'll end up being your favorite."

"Oh? I think I'm pretty good at not playing favorites," I teased.

"Just wait. You won't be able to get your hands off me!"

"That's an entirely different matter."

We both laughed. Call me crazy, but I think that kiss changed the air around us. I don't know if I can claim that Noelle had fully accepted the arrangement, but she certainly seemed like she was going to give it a fair shot.

I prayed that things would work out, but I wasn't gonna stop at praying. I made up my mind that I wanted all these girls, so I was going to work my ass for them. They wouldn't need another man, they wouldn't want another man. I'd be more than enough.

Noelle said she needed to be home soon, so she left before me. Parting was difficult, but it was made easier by the knowledge that we'd be seeing each other a lot more from now on.

I texted the girls to ask them if they were still in school so I could tell them how it all went. I didn't expect the response, though.

-Mila: Sorry, we left already.

-Sarah: You were too late, baby.

-Grace: Sorry, love. We got stolen.

Stolen? What the hell?

The next thing they sent was a picture. They were at Maria's Coffee shop, sitting at a table full of pastries with... Isabelle. The four girls were giving a peace sign at the camera as they grinned.

...

My sister stole my girlfriends!

************

Chapter 219: Intermission - Isabelle and The Girls.

Isabelle wondered what her brother must be thinking after seeing that picture. But hey, he was stealing her friends, so it was fair if she did the same to him once, right?

"But yeah, don't sweat it," Sarah said after taking a sip of her latte. "With everything people say about us, it's no wonder you thought we were just messing with Oliver."

"It still wasn't fair to you. I never should've believed rumors over my brother," Isabelle insisted.

"So, what? Would you feel better if we were mad at you?" Grace asked. Her stare was calm, but coolly intense. It almost made Isabelle want to shrink.

"Maybe?" Isabelle said sheepishly.

Milana chuckled. "God, you two really are alike. He makes that same face sometimes."

"We have no reason to be mad at you," Grace said, shrugging and taking a bite out of her doughnut before continuing. "Oliver does, but you're already trying to fix that, right?"

"Right..." Isabelle sighed. "I'm hoping he'll forgive me in time. He's quiet about it, but he can hold grudges for a long time."

"Really?" Sarah asked. "But actually, now that you mention it... I still catch him glaring at Mark every once in a while." She chuckled.

"Maybe he does, but I bet he doesn't like it," Grace said.

"What do you mean?" Milana asked her.

"Hmmm." Grace turned to Isabelle. "Do you know anything about what happened to him at the music club during freshman year?"

"Eh? That's..." Isabelle furrowed her brow. That was something she never got out of him. She asked, but he wouldn't say a word about it, not even to their mom. He was so into playing guitar that he even joined the music club. Then all of a sudden he quit. That was still a big mystery to Isabelle. "No, I don't. He quit all of a sudden and has never said why."

Grace sighed. "There's this guy in Thomas' class, Julian Jenkins. He is currently the lead guitarist for the music club's band, something he likes to brag about a lot to the girls he woos and everyone who'll hear."

"Julian?" Isabelle asked. "I know him. He puts on a pretty smile, but he's super petty."

"Not confident in his guitar skills, either," Grace continued. "Every person who has tried to compete for the position of lead guitarist has been bullied out of the club in some way or another. He's the one who cut the strings of Oliver's guitar while he was out of the room. That's what made Oliver quit."

Isabelle's jaw dropped. "He cut the strings!?"

Her chest began to fill with hot, boiling rage. Every day since he got it, even if only for an hour, Oliver played his guitar. If you made him choose between his PC and his guitar, he'd pick his guitar every time. If someone cut the strings, she was sure he would take it as not being wanted, but more than that, they would be rejecting the one thing he was most proud of. And... Isabelle let him go through that alone?

Given by the angry yet calm faces of Milana and Sarah, they'd already heard the story. Isabelle couldn't believe she was just now finding out what happened.

"How did you find out? Did he tell you?" she asked.

"He told me someone had cut the strings and that was what made him leave. I had to find out on my own who had done it and why." Grace sighed. "Turns out Oliver was going to be picked as lead guitarist. Everyone I talked to said it was the obvious choice, that he was really good. Julian panicked and cut the strings of Oliver's guitar and paid off everyone who saw him, effectively making them accomplices." She clicked her tongue and sneered. "I still want to do something about it. I want to get him kicked out of the music club, I want to get him expelled, I want to ruin every chance he has to ever make a career out of music." Isabelle felt a chill. She could see where the rumors about Grace came from, at least. The busty brunette sighed and calmed herself. "But Oliver didn't even want me to tell him who had done it. He hasn't moved on, but wants to."

"If it had happened to me, I would've beaten the guy to a pulp," Sarah said. "I still think Oliver should've done something other than quit, but at least he didn't get in trouble. Can't say I would've handled the situation better."

"Yeah, but you were more aggressive back then," Milana told her. "You've calmed down a lot."

Right. Sarah had admitted to throwing a tennis racket at someone once. Alice had even said the guy deserved it. So even Sarah had grown from how she used to be, huh? It had taken Isabelle so goddamn long to even take the first step...

"Anyway." Grace sighed. "Sorry, that was a long tangent."

"No, I'm glad you told me. I've always been curious." Isabelle chuckled softly. "Though it hurts a bit that Oliver trusts you more than he trusts me now."

"To be fair," Milana started, "we're sort of cheating."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Feel free to believe me or not, but we have this... connection with him. Sometimes we can sort of tell what he's thinking." She grinned mischievously. "And we're pushy enough that we can usually get the truth out of him."

"A connection?"

"Half the reason we're even in this relationship," Sarah told her. "Imagine this. You've fallen hard for a guy, okay? And you somehow know with 100% certainty that he is madly in love with you, he wants nothing but the best for you, and is actively trying to be a better person for you. And that's on top of all the reasons you like him already. Would you let him go?"

"I..." To know with 100% certainty? Isabelle always thought her boyfriends liked her like that. She'd been wrong, though. Every time. "I... suppose I wouldn't."

"That's basically how we feel," Grace said, smiling fondly. "Oliver is sweet, hardworking, loving, and more proactive than he believes. He's talented, loyal, a great listener... And a lot more things that I'm not sure I should tell his sister." Isabelle blushed. That said enough. "Add that to what Sarah said, and he basically has us hooked."

"What they said," Milana added. "So I hope you can believe us when we say we're not playing with him. We're serious."

"That's more than clear already," Isabelle told them. "But why encourage him to ask Alice and Noelle, too?"

The three girls shared a look.

"That's a dangerous question, Isabelle," Grace said, grinning teasingly. "You sure you want to hear the answer?"

"Huh? W-Wait. What did that mean? "Y-Yes?"

"One reason is that we could sort of tell he liked them, but would've never done anything about it," Milana said. "Which would be a good thing in any other situation, but for us..."

"Another reason is that we... find the idea appealing," Grace said. She left it at that, but the delighted shiver that ran through her said more than enough.

"And the final reason..." Sarah sighed. "He's too much even for us three."

Oh.

...

...

Oooooooooooh.

************

Chapter 220: Inspiration.

When I got home, the only one there to welcome me was Cake. She meowed at me like the talkative cat she was. I kneeled down and started scratching her head and neck. Cake purred and nuzzled into my hand.

"You wouldn't believe the day I had," I told her. "Would you believe me if I told you there are five girls who like me? I wouldn't."

I played with Cake absentmindedly for a while, my thoughts firmly set on the kiss I'd shared with Noelle and the kiss I'd shared with Alice that Saturday night. I could only hope Mila, Grace and Sarah wouldn't suddenly decide to pull back their approval of all this. I was already in too deep to want to let go of any of them.

A short buzz notified me of a message to my phone. I checked it while I continued to wiggle one of Cake's toys for her.

-Alice: Noelle called me. Are you free to talk right now?

Instead of replying, I gave her a call. She answered after the second beep.

"Hello," she said.

"Hey. It was okay for me to call, right?"

She giggled. "Yes."

"So... Noelle told me you two talked already."

"Yeah." I heard her swallow. "Let's say I... didn't want to let too much time pass before I did."

Her bashful tone lit a teasing spark in me, and I couldn't resist. "Oh? And why's that?"

"... Because there's a certain something I want to continue doing with a certain someone." Man, hearing it was something else. My heart skipped a beat at it. "But before that... I hear it went well with her."

"It was... strange. What did she tell you?"

Alice laughed. "She apologized for getting ahead of me and asking you out. I didn't know she had it in her."

"Apparently she thought I was friendzoning her, which is why she asked me."

"Is that so? Hmm. I think I can understand the logic a bit. So this means... you two are technically going out now, right?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes. And she accepted my... situation."

"You have to treat her well, you hear?"

"Loud and clear, ma'am."

"And... You and I. We'll talk tomorrow."

"... No chance we can meet now?" I asked, hopeful.

"Sorry. I'm at the workshop." She sounded genuinely disappointed. "I promised my brother I'd help him with a troublesome car. I'd get out of it if I could, but he's counting on me being here."

Bummer, but no use making it worse by crying about it. "Troublesome? How so?" I asked instead.

"There's this guy who wants to install a turbo, but if we do that as the car is now, it'll explode after two minutes, so we have to change plenty of other parts."

"And is it a pain or are you looking forward to it?"

She giggled. "The latter. Seems like a fun project, and I'm getting a new set of tires out of it."

"Sounds like you're only winning."

"Not gonna lie, I am. Things are going surprisingly well for me lately."

"Lucky you."

"Shut up. You have it even better."

We laughed together. Even if I couldn't see her today, hearing her voice was still good.

"Sorry, I have to go now," she said. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"What time?"

"Would first thing in the morning be too early?"

"No. I'm always early at school."

"Come to the student council office, then. Don't worry, we'll be alone."

"Okay. Have fun, Alice."

"I will."

We hung up, and in the sudden silence, I couldn't help but contemplate my situation. It was an odd feeling. If you asked me which girl I liked the most, I wouldn't be able to answer. I liked them all. However, as I talked to Alice... I felt like I liked her the most. When I was kissing Noelle, I felt like I liked her the most. When I was with Grace, I felt like there was no way I could love anyone as much as I loved her, but then being with Sarah and Mila made me feel exactly the same. Was this a good or a bad thing?

I felt a familiar itch in my fingertips and heard a vague melody in my head. These thoughts were giving me ideas, and I couldn't let them sit and be forgotten. I abruptly stopped playing with Cake and went to my room. The cat followed me and watched me pick up my guitar, plug it to the amp and begin playing.

Seemingly random notes played as arpeggios slowly began to make sense, to have some coherence. This wasn't a song from a game, or from a band. It wasn't something you could call a song, even. It was... stream of consciousness in musical form. I played the notes that sounded right, and... I liked it. Not sure if it sounded good, but it sounded right. It was quick, melodic, with an emphasis on lower notes.

You couldn't have stopped me from smiling if you tried. To know in an instant the next note I wanted to play... It was the first time I'd ever felt it. Some parts didn't match, some notes didn't mix well, and I screwed up in the arpeggio a couple times, but none of it mattered. I wasn't writing a song, but... putting feelings into music. It was wild.

That was the moment I reached a breakthrough as a guitarist. Music wasn't just learning a set of notes and playing them at a specific rhythm. It wasn't about memorization. That was what I did when I played songs that already existed, but doing this made me aware of how much emotions and mood played a part in making music. This was what inspiration felt like, and it was addicting.

Cake sat lay on my bed next to me, curled on herself as she listened to me play without pause. My arpeggios had never been so smooth. I was in a state of flow, where everything felt right.

When I finally stopped playing, I didn't stand up or do anything else. I simply stayed there, sitting on my bed, taking in all the sounds I'd just made.