Just then, the waiter arrived, placing plates on the table. A steaming platter of gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, vibrant bruschetta, rich and dark squid ink risotto, and a massive plate of prosciutto-wrapped melon.
The smell was intoxicating, a comforting perfume of garlic, cheese, and cured meat. Mafuyu picked up her fork, her movements a little hesitant, and took a small bite of the gnocchi. A slow, genuine smile spread across her face.
Makoto patted Mafuyu's head with a fond smile as he noticed the jealous Yuna. "That's more like the Mafuyu I know."
He turned to the grumpy gray-hair gremlin. "You did well earlier, too, Yuna. Say 'aah'." He offered her a spoon of risotto with a mischievous glint.
Yuna, who had been glaring at his hand on Mafuyu's head with the heat of a thousand suns, froze. The offered spoon was a peace offering, a bright beacon of his affection in a sea of new and confusing rivals. Her face, which had been a mask of possessive fury, contorted into a priceless shade of crimson.
"I'm not a baby!" she sputtered, her voice a low, mortified hiss. "And I'm not eating that! It's black! What if it stains my teeth?!" But she was already leaning forward, her lips parting in a small 'o'.
He popped the spoon into her mouth. She chewed, her expression a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. And then, her eyes went wide. A slow, almost reluctant look of bliss spread across her face. "It's... it's good," she admitted grudgingly. "But it's still weird. And it's not as good as your spaghetti anyway..."
Ayane just snickered, a low, throaty sound of amusement. "Aww, is the main wife getting jealous? Don't worry. I'm sure he'll let you lick his spoon clean later."
Mika just smiled as she picked up her own spoon, scooped up a perfect, inky black mouthful of risotto, and held it out to him. "Your turn, Makoto. You'll need to keep your strength up."
He leaned in to eat the bite and pecked at Mika's lips with a fond smile. "Hmm, it's delicious. I should feed you something back later tonight, too, Mika."
Mika's cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink at the unexpected peck. Her serene mask slipped for a fraction of a second, revealing a flicker of genuine, girlish fluster.
But just as quickly, the mask was back in place. A devastating smile spread across her face. "Oh, you will," she whispered, her voice a low purr. "I'm counting on it."
Yuna, however, was not so amused. "HEY!" she barked, her voice raw with possessive fury. She slammed her fork on the table with a loud clatter. "No kissing the second wife at the dinner table! That's a violation of the harem bylaws!"
Ayane just stared at her with pure awe. "Did you actually write those bylaws?" Her voice mixed awe with strange, thrilling excitement.
Mafuyu, who had been quietly observing this exchange with confusion and fascination, just took a small sip of her wine. "Is she always like this?" she whispered to him.
Makoto whispered back with a fond smile. "Nah, she wasn't the shy, innocent Yuna you knew back then anymore. And she just gets jealous like that when those tease her, trying to steal her food or her brother."
"Jealous?" Mafuyu repeated softly, curiously. She looked at Yuna, who was now engaged in a furious glaring contest with Mika over a piece of prosciutto. "She just seems very protective." A small, almost sad smile touched her lips. "It's nice."
Makoto looked at Ayane, who was clearing the food at incredible speed. "Hey, give me one bruschetta, too, Ayane. Don't hog it all!"
"Hogging it?" Ayane let out a dramatic gasp, clutching the platter of bruschetta to her chest like a precious endangered species. "I am not hogging it! I'm ensuring that each and every piece is consumed properly!"
She gave him a slow, predatory grin. "But for you, my dear harem king..." She selected a perfect piece of bruschetta, laden with ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil. She didn't offer it to him on a fork or spoon. She held it between her own lips, her eyes sparkling. "Come and get it," she purred, her voice a low, dangerous hum.
Yuna and Mika both stopped their silent war and turned to stare, a look of "oh no, the fuck are you doing" on their faces. Mafuyu just took another, slightly larger, sip of her wine. "Oh, dear," she murmured to no one in particular.
Makoto just shrugged with a fond smile. "Fine, if you want to play that game..." He leaned in with a wicked, triumphant glint in his eye as he took a bite of the bruschetta, chewing it.
Then he pulled Ayane's head in, shoving his tongue into her mouth to forcefully take the remaining in her mouth. A sharp, choked gasp was torn from Ayane's throat as his tongue invaded her mouth. It was a conquest, a brutal, possessive assertion of dominance.
Her eyes, which had been sparkling with wicked, playful light, went wide with shock and thrilling excitement. She just melted, her body boneless and willing in his hands.
When he finally pulled away, Ayane was a breathless wreck. Her face was flushed, her lips were swollen, and her eyes were glazed over, a thin trail of saliva connecting them. "Okay," she whispered, her voice raw and broken. "You win, harem king."
"DISGUSTING!" Yuna shrieked, her voice raw with possessive fury. "That's my move! You can't just go and steal my move! And you did it in front of Mafuyu-nee! You're corrupting her!"
Mika just took a calm, deliberate sip of her wine. "I think she would be a very fast learner, like me."
Mafuyu, however, was not corrupted. She was fascinated as she watched the scene unfold, like an anthropologist discovering a new, chaotic, and incredibly horny tribe. She took another, much larger, sip of her wine.
"So," she said, her voice a little curious. "Is this a normal date night for you guys?"
Makoto almost choked, a fond smile on his face as he pulled back. "Date night, ehem... that isn't incorrect." He looked at the three girls. "Well, I did ask them out, so... what is our relationship now, Yuna, Mika, Ayane?"
The question hung in the air. The playful bickering, the sexual tension, the chaotic drama, it all evaporated in an instant, replaced by thick, heavy, charged silence.
Yuna was the first to break. She looked at him, her face a storm of conflicting emotions. There was fury, there was jealousy, but underneath it all was a flicker of raw, desperate vulnerability.
"You're my stepbrother," she said, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "And my boyfriend. And my..." She couldn't say the word. A deep blush consumed her entire face. "And you're not allowed to fuck anyone else without my permission."
Mika was next. She set her wine glass down with a soft, definitive click. She looked at him, her eyes wide, innocent, and shining with feverish, almost religious light. "You're my future husband, my darling, my master," she whispered, her voice sweet and innocent and corrupted.
"And I'm your second wife, your partner-in-crime, your pet, and your..." She trailed off, a small smile on her face. "And I will do whatever you ask." Her voice was soft, final, devastating.
And finally, Ayane. She wasn't smiling or teasing anymore, just looking at Makoto. Her eyes were soft, honest, devoid of their usual teasing glint.
"You're my friend," she said, her voice a raw, honest whisper. "My best friend. The only person who has ever really gotten me." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "And you're the man I'm going to marry, the future father of my child."
Mafuyu just stared, her mouth slightly agape. She took a large, unladylike gulp of her wine. "Oh," she said, her voice small. "I see."
Makoto flicked Mika's head with a fond smile. "No master or pet play in public, unless you want to traumatize Mafuyu-nee." He looked at her, his eyes sparkling. "Both you and Yuna still owned me for that choker last time."
Mika rubbed her forehead with a look of theatrical, wounded innocence. "Ow." But her eyes, when they met his, were sparkling with wicked, unrepentant light. "But you liked it, you were a very good dog."
"STOP TALKING ABOUT THE FUCKING DOG!" Yuna hissed, her face a beautiful shade of crimson from remembering the breeding trauma. "We are in a nice restaurant with a guest! Try to act like civilized human beings for five goddamn minutes!"
Ayane just let out a low, throaty chuckle. "Relax, main wife. We're just welcoming our new member." She winked at Mafuyu, who looked like she was about to either faint or order another bottle of wine.
"And for the record, Makoto was a good dog last time. His tongue was... amazing, as you just experience that, Mafuyu." She took a large, appreciative gulp of her Shirley Temple.