Episode 391: Baby’s「Food」

「S-Sara-san, stop!! No more than that!!」

「Baby Onii-chan, you’ve gotta be quiet or it’s a no-no, okay?」

「You’ve gotta listen to what okaa-san says~」

「Good boy, good boy~」

「Uguooo…」

The moment I showed any sign of resistance, Mio-chan and the others ruthlessly pounced on me to pin me down. Of course, it’d be easy to shake them off, but I can’t do that to Mio-chan and the others… That being said, if this keeps up, Sara-san is definitely going to do「that」to me!?

「Grandma, “that” please.」

「Sara-chan, are you really doing this? You can still stop now…」

「That’s a foolish question. If it’s for Kazunari-san’s sake, I’ll only answer with my full effort, no matter what it is.」

「I see… your resolve is firm, then? Understood, wait just a moment.」

「Please do.」

And unfortunately, it seems Sachie-san, whom I thought was the final fortress, has shifted to supporting Sara-san, albeit reluctantly… In other words, at this point, I have no more moves left.

Nishikawa-san’s words aren’t reaching her, anything I say will only have the opposite effect, and I can’t expect any covering fire from Hanako-san…

「Kazunari-san…」

「I understand… I’ll brace myself too.」

「Yes. Please rest easy, I’ll stay by your side until the very end.」

「…Thank you.」

Now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to finally steel my resolve.

Besides, in the ritual (?) that’s about to take place, Sara-san will be the one taking overwhelmingly more mental damage… I mean, the mental burden is much greater for her. I can’t possibly let her go that far and then be the only one to run away!!

「Sorry for the wait, Sara-chan.」

I softly close my eyes and stay still to calm my heart. Soon, the light tapping of slippers echoes as Sachie-san, who had gone somewhere, returns.

…It’s fine.

I’m a man who can happily accept anything Sara-san does… no, a Real Man.

Isn’t that right, Kazunari?

「Here it is. I think it’s fine now.」

「…There’s no problem. Thank you very much.」

「It’s nothing. Let me know if there’s anything else you need, okay?」

「This is enough. I’ll handle the rest…」

「W-What is that…!?」

「I see, so that’s how it’s going down…」

「Yeah, if it’s that…」

「!? To think that I…」

「Well, I figured it would be something like that…」

What reaches my ears through my closed eyes is the conversation between Sara-san and the others as something is seemingly handed over, followed by everyone’s meaningful voices of surprise.

Of course, the voices of Yuji and Hayato are mixed in too… No, thinking about it, I feel bad for those two, but shouldn’t they be excused from this?

Actually, the fewer people in the gallery, the better it’ll be for reducing Sara-san’s burden, no doubt…

「Sara-san, it might be better if everyone leaves the room…」

「Please don’t worry. If it’s just this level of situation, I have no problem at all.」

「N-No, but at least the men’s eyes…」

「Thank you for your concern. But I’m really okay, you know? The preparations are already finished, and I’m ready anytime…」

「Sara-san, why…」

This is… a little strange, no matter how you look at it.

If it were the usual Sara-san, she’d never dream of showing such a sight to any man other than me, even if they’re friends like Yuji and the others. So why this far…

…Ah!!

Wait, could it be that what Sachie-san prepared was…?

「…Sara-san, are you truly, truly okay with this?」

「Of course. I’m fully prepared, so please rest easy and leave it to me.」

「…I understand.」

I see, so that’s what it is after all.

The reason Sara-san says it’s no problem despite the attention from everyone and the presence of men… and the fact that she can say she’s fully prepared, means that what Yukie-san prepared is probably some kind of「countermeasure」for this situation.

For example, isn’t it something like「that」thing mothers use to wrap around their whole bodies when they give milk to a baby while they’re out?

If that’s the case, it explains why Sara-san is stubbornly insisting she’s fine… Well, in the first place, Sara-san is wearing clothes, so maybe there’s no need to worry that much.

「Sara okaa-san, hurry, hurry!!」

「Baby, drink a lot, okay~」

「Exciting…」

「Then Kazunari-san… here I go.」

Sara-san speaks with a voice tinged with a bit of tension. She puts her hand behind my head while I’m in her lap and applies some strength to lift it slightly.

I feel a subtle sense of incongruity from that movement that’s somehow different from usual, and when I think about what’s about to be done to me, I feel a little tense…

「Fufu… you don’t have to be that nervous, you know? I do have experience with this, after all.」

「Eh!?」

E-Experience? What on earth do you mean by… No, no, she probably means she’s done it with a child as a part of「playing house」or something like that, right!?

Then it doesn’t count, it doesn’t count… Stop thinking about unnecessary things, me!!

「Kazunari-san…」

As I was thinking those impious thoughts, I felt the presence of「something」approaching my face… The next moment, something touches my lips.

But what’s strange is that the sensation feels remarkably lifelike… or rather, it’s hard to believe it’s the texture of something felt through clothes. What does this mean?

No way… No, that can’t be!?

「Here, say ahhh…」

「Wait!? S-Sara-san, wait!! You don’t have to go that far!?」

「Eh… Kazunari-san?」

I can’t believe Sara-san would go that far!!

But since it’s Sara-san, who never compromises for my sake, there’s a possibility… maybe!?

A-Anyway, right now!!

「I-I-It’s no good after all!! I can’t let Sara-san do something like that!!」

Even if people call me a wimp or a chicken, I can’t let Sara-san go that far as part of a mere「game」!!

First of all, things like this should be done when we’re alone… at the「appropriate timing.」That’s what I think.

「Kazunari-san, what on earth happened? I didn’t think I was doing anything particularly special…」

「Eh…?」

「It might be a bit unique in the sense that I’m giving baby food to Kazunari-san, but this is just playing house after all… Besides, there’s nothing wrong with this act itself, is there?」

「…Is that so?」

「Yes.」

In contrast to me panicking like that, I don’t feel any hesitation in Sara-san’s voice… In other words, I’m the only one panicking in this situation.

If that’s the case, honestly, I don’t just have things on my mind, my mind is full of them, but since Sara-san herself is saying that much, shouldn’t I just accept it honestly?

Besides, I’m sure measures have been taken for the surroundings… they are taken, right?

Alright, this time for sure.

「I understand. Sorry for the weird concern.」

「No, I should be the one saying that. I’m deeply reflecting on the fact that I’ve ended up making Kazunari-san feel embarrassed. Once this matter is over, I’ll apologize again…」

「No, no, those are my words exactly…」

The embarrassment I’m feeling is like comparing a moon to a softshell turtle, or rather, it’s practically non-existent compared to the ritual (?) Sara-san is about to perform. If I let her apologize for that, I’ll really have no ground left to stand on.

That’s why even when this is all over, I won’t let Sara-san apologize.

That’s final!!

「Now, Kazunari-san…」

「Yes…」

This time I open my mouth without hesitation and wait for the “moment” that’s about to arrive.

It’s okay, it’s okay.

If it’s Sara-san, even if I don’t worry, I’m sure…

「Baby Onii-chan, it’s time for food~」

「Kazunari-san, say ahhh…」

The voices of Mio-chan and Sara-san overlap, and I felt like「something」entered my wide-open mouth… for a moment.

Oh, to hell with it!!!

「Amu…」

Since I have no idea how much force to use, I gently and lightly take「it」into my mouth as if touching a fragile object, just so it doesn’t hurt Sara-san.

The moment I recognized that sensation, my heart rate increased all at once. While desperately suppressing the「impious feeling」that was about to sprout in my head and heart, I closed my eyes tightly, tightly, as a way of putting spirit into it…

Right after that, the texture of that soft「something」I felt clearly was…

The texture was…

…Huh?

Oh…?

「Kazunari-san, how is it?」

「Mugu…」

The sensation in my mouth has a strange elasticity that’s clearly different from a human’s「that,」and the shape feels somewhat different too.

Besides, if I think about it carefully, if I had taken Sara-san’s「that」into my mouth, shouldn’t there be other places touching my face?

In other words…

「Nnh!?」

I made up my mind and opened my eyes. The first thing that jumped into my view was Sara-san’s face, staring at me with her usual gentle eyes.

And at the edge of my vision, I could see something like a bottle with a whitish liquid inside, and it was extending from my lips… maybe?

「Kazunari-san, you don’t have to force yourself to drink all of it, okay? I haven’t specially adjusted the taste.」

「That’s right. I just used the powder as it is, so you don’t have to force yourself, Kazunari-kun?」

「Nmuoh…」

Being pointed out by the two of them, I noticed the taste of the milk overflowing in my mouth for the first time. It was hard to call it delicious even as a compliment. The moment my taste buds, which had imagined a taste like cow’s milk, were hit by a taste that was far too unexpected, I let out a groan.

I mean…

Is this, by any chance…

A B A B Y B O T T L E ! ?

「What a strange feeling. To think the day would come when I’d give Kazunari-san a meal with a baby bottle.」

「That’s true, but I didn’t think Sara-chan would go this far.」

「Fufu… answering Kazunari-san’s spirit is my top priority.」

「Mugu.」

Faced with that goddess-like kindness overflowing with love for me, which is just so like Sara-san…

The「impious emotions」I had pushed down inside me turned into embarrassment, wretchedness, and apology all at once…

Faced with Sara-san’s heart and feelings that are so pure, innocent, and untainted… I.

To such a Sara-san… I’m aaaaaaaaaa…

If there were a hole, I’d want to crawl into it. That’s exactly how I feel!!

「Pfft… uhihihi…」

「N-Natsumi-san, laughing is a bit… kukuku.」

「Kazunari-kun definitely misunderstood it as「something,」didn’t he… mufufu.」

「Y-Yoko!!」

「No, it’s more like it couldn’t be helped if he misunderstood…」

「Yes. A certain young lady misunderstood too.」

「Wait, isn’t it the same for all of you!?」

Hey, you lot over there, I can hear everything!?

Wait, just as Nishikawa-san said, you guys definitely misunderstood too, didn’t you!?

「Baby Onii-chan, is it yummy?」

「Drink a lot and grow up big, okay~」

「Kazunari-san…」

The kindness of Sara-san, Mio-chan, and the others as they stroke my head to purify my filthy heart actually ends up making the「something」inside me stand out more… and my feeling of being unable to stay here swells up at an accelerating pace.

Everything I had been thinking on my own was based on impious assumptions…

I’m…

I’m aaaaa!?

「Muuuuuu!!」

「K-Kazunari-san!?」

Don’t look at me, don’t look at me right now, Sara-san!!

「Baby Onii-chan, behave yourself!!」

「Are you still hungry~」

「Mhna-ee-kee!!」

But Mio-chan and the others desperately try to hold me down as I try to look away, unable to bear the pangs of conscience…

And Sara-san, while looking at me curiously, continues to stroke me over and over with the baby bottle in one hand…

「Fufu… mischief is a no-no, okay?」

「Uuuuu!!」

And as a finishing blow, she releases a word to pamper me with the greatest smile imaginable. To me right now, that was nothing but the final blow.

「Sara-okaasan, Mio wants to give milk too!!」

「Sakura too!!」

「Yuki will do it too~」

「Fufu… good luck, Kazunari-san?」

But…

I’m still not being forgiven… am I.