First of all, mad props go out to Dr. Facer for taking the time and effort to proofread this chapter for me. And also, big thanks to Fulunukko for allowing me to use one of her fan art as the cover icon for this story.

Just as a side note for anyone interested, explanations for various references and other Japanese terms which are scattered throughout this whole story can now be found at the bottom of each chapter.

Chapter 5 had already been finished way back in September of last year, so it's undergone the most revisions and is probably the most polished. Well at the very least, there's nothing here which I as the writer find to be lacking. So for all those reading, please enjoy.

"Thanks a bunch, Momo," Rito says while putting on the pants and sweater she provided for him.

"Think nothing of it. It's always good to come prepared," she replies while closing her D-Dial, and the two of them continue to make the long walk back home.

Though truthfully, he doesn't know which is worse: that Momo keeps a spare set of his clothes on her phone's #2 speed dial or the fact that he actually needs those emergency backups at the ready for his hectic, everyday life.

"So, are you sure you don't mind?" the teen suddenly inquires and she turns, breaking out of her private musings.

"Hmm? Regarding what?"

"Well you know... about me. That thing you and Yami agreed on earlier..."

"... Ah yes. You needn't worry about upholding any promises towards me, Rito-san, if that's truly what you've decided upon," the princess responds, disheartened that she hasn't acquire enough love-love points to raise such a joyous, eventful flag quite yet.

Rito gives a slight nod to himself. Yet his face grows more unsettled upon recalling tonight's momentous events.

"Say, Momo. You're a girl, right?"

She blinks keenly back at him, half-serious in her next remark, "Oh my, how kind of you to finally take notice."

"You know what I mean..! I just wanted to get your perspective on a few things," Rito says, scratching his chin with a finger as he begins to look decidingly uncomfortable, "So, what do you think about Mikan and Yami..?"

"Ah, those two..." Momo replies upon realizing what's on his mind. Before answering, she asks a question of her own, "Does it really bother you so? To think of your sister in such a fashion?"

"Maybe a little... I'd be lying if I said that it didn't."

She pauses and tilts her head thoughtfully, "But that's just how women are, Rito-san. To fall in love and to be loved – regardless of age, race or gender, I would think everyone wants to experience a beautiful storybook romance like that sometime within their life."

"Is that how it is..?" the forlorn teen asks and the princess gives a definite nod, "Yeah... I guess that's true enough."

"If it's any consolation to you, I never truly believed Mikan-san's inclinations swung in that particular direction either. Though in retrospect, I suppose it isn't too surprising. She is quite the adventurous girl after all, breaking into all sorts of taboos and the like."

"Huh?" he double-blinks, baffled, "What exactly does any of that have to do with Mikan?"

She fixes Rito with a long look before letting out a weary sigh; and even after giving him such a big hint... "It's fine for now if you don't know. Still, I can't help but sympathize with your sister a little. It's looking to be a constant uphill struggle on her part..."

Her ambiguous response only leads the teen further into his own head-scratching confusion, like an annoying itch that he can't quite reach. Yet all of that is besides the point, "No, but seriously. Somehow it doesn't feel like we're even on the same page or anything..?"

"This is concerning Mikan-san, correct? And how it's troubling to witness her secret love affair with Yami-san."

Had Rito been drinking any liquid, he would have spat it all out into a fine, comedic spray then and there, "Wha..?! No! That's not it! I've actually had this talk with Yami already, so that's not the real issue here..!"

"So the problem is something much simpler..?" the princess surprisingly mulls over before a peculiar thought strikes her, "Don't tell me... It's not so much an issue of who your sister is with, but merely the fact that she could possibly be dating now?"

Rito averts his gaze up and away, having the good graces to now look embarrassed.

"... That's pretty amazing," she can't help but say; in more ways than one.

His expression turns sour, thinking that Momo has got to be over-embellishing, "It's not all that bad, is it? I mean, I think it's a perfectly normal reaction for any older brother to have."

"That may have been fine if it were merely just that... But aren't you overlooking something essential here? Namely, the fact that Mikan-san may have homosexual tendencies?"

"Well it's not like that never crossed my mind or anything..! And maybe I'd be a lot more concerned if she was with any other girl... But because it's Yami, it doesn't feel like there's all that much to worry about," he admits with a mix of bizarre reluctance. It's weird yet somehow fitting, since there really isn't a better person whom he'd want to leave his sister to, "Did that make much sense?"

"In a manner of speaking..." the princess tentatively replies, still reeling over the simple fact that Rito isn't as prudish as she had initially thought, "Still, aren't you being overly protective of Mikan-san? Or maybe it's because you consider her to be too young..?"

She casts a timid glance at the troubled teen, taking personal interest in the topic at hand, while Rito thinks long and hard about his answer.

"... Those reasons too. But for me, I think it's mainly because she's always been my kid sister, you know what I mean?" he asks before recalling that she's the youngest of the Deviluke siblings, a fact which is so easily forgettable at times, "Ah, well... I guess you might not understand the feeling..."

Yet Momo doesn't seem at all bothered by what he said, still willing to lend an ear as she patiently waits for him to continue.

His gaze drifts upward, thinking about the type of boy, or girl in this case, that she'll come to like and every single hormonal change that's brought along with it.

"It was never anything I ever thought about happening... the day when Mikan sets out and actively start dating," he begins by saying, the memories of when she had still looked up to him as her cool older brother and tagged along everywhere he went still fresh in his mind, "Even now, it makes me real anxious just thinking about it. Since it's a really big leap from how I'm used to seeing her as, I guess."

The third princess listens on, quiet and calm. Yet even though she can better understand his viewpoint now, she's unable to grant him any of her sympathy, "... I hate to say it, Rito-san, but for you to be in shock over the natural process of your sister growing up... Isn't it because you've held unrealistic expectations for Mikan-san, or more like an unfair image of how you always wish her to be?"

He winces at her pointed remark – so direct yet without a speck of falsehood.

"Even now, she has quite a few admirers at her own school from what I've been gathering. And thinking that matters won't escalate from here as the years go on would simply be far too naive."

The teenage boy lets out a long, unhappy sigh. He must have been a huge idiot for being blind to the obvious, "Yeah, I hear what you're saying. Like how mature and reliable she is or how pretty she's really getting to be... Mikan's already got such amazing qualities which can make anyone fall for her, yet here I am worrying about every little thing. It must seem like I'm way too overbearing, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. It's even quite enviable actually. The way you want to sweep her into your arms and soothe away all of her worries."

"Uh? I... guess I can probably see myself doing that. If she was having a rough time at school or with a certain problem about Yami..." he replies after a moment's hiccup, feeling somehow strange and uneasy.

"Then, right when she's at her most vulnerable, you would guide Mikan-san discreetly into your bedchambers, all the while whispering sweet and tender nothings, as every square inch of your body begins educating her on whom she should really seek after and will ever truly need~" the princess jubilantly portrays and Rito's whole face erupts red at her vivid snap-shot imagery.

"Hey you..! Stop leading me on and making me look like some type of moonlight gigolo in your fantasies!"

She cutely cocks her head back at him, "Oh my, was I? But you were the one showering her with boundless praises, Rito-san. You were so convincingly profound, in fact, that I couldn't help but to go with the flow~"

His cheeks burn even brighter upon remembering that bit of incriminating evidence against himself, "T-That sort of thing..! It was from a purely objective standpoint, is all..!"

She smiles back knowingly, "Of course. It's because Rito-san loves Mikan-san so very much. Isn't such an honest answer good enough?"

Stunned into silence, the teen wonders about that seemingly obvious fact. Can things really be that simple? For someone else to be the center of Mikan's life: is this restless anxiety strictly his feelings of a protective older brother?

Turning, Momo tosses him a sideways glance and continues, "If you're still having doubts about their relationship, then I'm sure your sister will clarify this whole matter out for you if she were merely asked about it."

Considering that option briefly, the troubled teen shakes his head upon recalling his own earlier advice to Yami, "... No, it's fine. It's not any of my business to pry, and I'm sure Mikan will tell me everything herself if she really feels the need to."

"I see. If that's your decision, then I'm sure all will be well," she reassures. Even though Mikan holds a special place in his heart, it seems that there are still limits which the younger girl can't easily reach. For this the princess can feel a bit grateful, since she's aiming for an even higher position, "However... All this talk regarding Mikan-san, yet aren't you feeling the least bit regretful about this whole development yourself?"

"Huh? Why would I be?"

"I'm speaking about Yami-san of course, and how she may be off limits to you now."

"What? Me and Yami?" He questions in open disbelief. It's hard enough for them to even have a casual conversation with each other. He can't even begin to picture how a relationship with the stoic assassin will be like, "Wow! Where exactly did that come from..! I mean, sometimes I think she only tolerates me for the sake of her friendship with Mikan."

"Hmmm... Do you truly believe so?"

He opens his mouth to affirm yet closes it midway, amending his prior statement, "Well okay, maybe that isn't as true as it might have been back then. But doesn't she actually need to 'like'-like me first before we can take things any further? And the odds of that ever happening are about the same as it would be with Nana or Kotegawa!"

"Oh yes, I can most certainly agree with you there."

"See? I think I'd be just as happy if she opens up and learns to trust in me a little more," Rito says with certainty, having misread the princess' agreement to his faulty logic. He then returns his gaze forward, recalling his heart-to-heart chat with the blonde assassin not too long ago, "Besides which, Yami's much more delicate than she appears, having gone through so much in her life already. So even if I could, I'd still hate to pressure her into doing things that she isn't quite ready for."

Momo turns to look at him, pleasantly surprised. She has never before considered Yami's past as an obstacle that may ultimately keep her from accepting the harem plan.

"It's just like Rito-san to be so insightful where it matters the most," the third princess thinks admirably. Looking back, he's made great stride with the infamous assassin all on his own and without her usual interference to nudge him along, "Perhaps it would be better if I left Yami-san entirely up to him..?"

Meanwhile, the teenage boy in question is having separate thoughts of his own, his gaze anxiously shifting back and forth until he finally decides to ask her outright, "... So how about you, Momo? Would you ever consider, ah, well, b-being intimate with another girl..?"

"Are you seriously wondering whether or not I've ever been bi-curious?" she directly inquires with no small degree of astonishment, surprised that the sexually inactive teen would ever ask such a thing, "You're a little late in asking that, Rito-san. I believe the better question is how many I've already been involved with and to what degree."

Flabbergasted, her straightforward response leaves the teen's mouth agape and hanging, "Don't tell me... was it somewhere around half a dozen..?!"

However, his outlandish guess is only met with a fit of suppressed giggles followed by a single raised finger.

"Just one~" she answers back playfully and the teen visibly deflates. Yet right when he feels that everything is safe, the third princess smirks an impish grin and lays down the finishing stroke, "That person being Nana."

"Wha—? Nana..?! As in your own sister, Nana?!" Rito exclaims, completely bug-eyed.

"Do you happen to know of any other girl by that particular name?"

"B-B,bu-But..! She's your twin sister!"

"A fact which you so helpfully pointed out beforehand," the princess casually replies with a tiny twinkle in her eyes, "If it displeases you so much, Rito-san, then simply think of it as an extra helping hand when masturbating."

He whirls back around, throwing her a single look which spoke volumes. It's such a ridiculous notion that he feels all the more compelled to listen to her explanation.

"Nana and I are twins after all, and we are identical with one another. More so even back then," she lectures on and Rito gives a tentative nod, barely following her so far, "So in a sense, such an act can be viewed as an exterior form of narcissism, correct?"

Try as he might, his mind can't wrap its way around this crazy-ass concept, "... No! How'd you even figure this to be in any way logical to begin with?"

"Oh my, you don't believe me? But that's exactly how it was for us," Momo replies, her unshakable certainty causing a seed of doubt to seep into the teen's mind once more, "Why, whenever Onee-sama, Otou-sama or Zastin-san weren't around, Nana would always..."

"No, Nana! We mustn't..!"

"Was it this bratty mouth that's always talking smack to me? Do I gotta step down again and whip you back into place?"

"F-Forgive me. But please be sensible, Nana-sama... We're siblings. I-It isn't right for you to be touching me all over..!"

"Kuh..! Even though you're supposed to be the baby sister here..! Don't get all cocky just 'cause your boobs keep getting a little bit fuller lately! Just you wait! Once my hormones start kicking in, my tits are goin' end up being huuuuge!"

"Y-Yes. Nana-sama is such a kind and benevolent person. She needs only to tolerate being flat-chested for a couple more years— No..! For a few months more. God will surely bless Nana-sama with a bountiful bosom and forever cure her washboard-like appearance."

"Huuuhhhh?! Hey, slave! Talking about my chest like that... Are you trying to imply something which you can't say directly to my face?"

"N-Not at all! It was all in a good way..! I only meant that in an absolutely good way!" (1)*

"Looks to me like you need another lesson on how to show your master the proper respect!"

"M-My tail..! It isn't meant to be bent in so many wayyyyysss!"

"Kyahaahahaaha! Would you listen to yourself now? No different from any other wild animal, sounding like a dirty bitch in heat!"

"D-D-Don't! Inserting it in there..! If you go any further, I've never be able to marry..!"

"Oh? Can't have that, now can we? Lucky for you, there's another hole which is free for use. So what's say we try testing to see how much can fit into this filthy little pit of yours, hm? OraOraOraOraOraOraOraaa!" (2)*

"Aaaahhhnnn~~~ Anymore and you'll break meeeeeeeeee~!"

Flushed with ecstasy, Momo places a hand on her right cheek and takes a patented breather.

"It's probably best if I spare you the details and stop here. I wouldn't want to risk upsetting you further, Rito-san, seeing how easily impressionable you can be," the third princess says. Though by the looks of it, she's the one who needs some time away from the potency of her own storytelling, "But just recalling what that tactless Nana had done to me while I was still so ripe and green... is it truly any wonder in how I turned out to be?"

His eyebrows cross as Rito adopts a hotly pained expression. It would have made for a more believable story if the twins' roles had been switched at the very least. He seriously can't picture the juvenile Nana acting like a hardcore sadist back in their childhood, especially since this is the same girl who still likes to wear those unassuming, animal-themed panties even to this day.

"Not that I'm ever trying to sneak an extra peek or anything..!" the teen reminds himself mentally. It's just that Nana's retaliations against him always seem to leave her wide open for another free peep show. He's always wanted to point that out to the second princess, though he'll probably just get another beat down for his troubles.

"To have my anal virginity taken away with neither rhyme nor reason..." Momo continues to reminisce, looking daintily down while having both hands tucked behind the lowest neither regions of her back, "Though it pains me to admit, in the eyes of the lascivious Rito-san, my value as a potential sex partner must now be on shaky ground."

"Woah, hold on! Since when did you decide that I was into that type of freaky foreplay in the first place?!"

Leaning closer, she discreetly prods him in a hushed tone, "There's no need to save face in front of me, Rito-san, since I've already taken the necessary precautions to prepare myself, both physically and mentally, for this tying endeavor. So if this happens to be one of your secret guilty pleasures..."

"Like I said before..! There's zero chance of me being interested in doing that at all!"

"So you're not even the least bit curious then? That's too bad..." Momo responds with genuine disappointment.

The teenage boy fights down his mad flush with a grimace, feeling more than a little miffed, "That Momo! Always messing around like that..."

His right hand reflexively curls off and on while he involuntary glances downward.

Like the feel of hot leather, that stimulating sensation as his fingers wrap around any one of the three sisters' tail is a feeling which he'll never forget. And while lithe and limber, it's downright impossible for those spade-shaped ends to squeeze itself through a female's front entrance much less the rear gate. Or so he firmly believes.

Following the direction of the quiet teen's gaze, Momo's grin widens upon noticing where his eyes have drifted to.

"Whether or not I had been fully penetrated on that fateful day..." she whispers low-key, her hand trailing down the center of her waist where two fingers press down and part the frilled fabric of her skirt, "You're free to check for yourself, Rito-san. All you need do is say the word~"

Growing red-faced in record time, Rito looks away and stutters out a stiff reply, "N-No thanks... I'll just be taking your word for it, for now..."

Momo brings a hand up in order to help maintain her outward composure; it must be absolutely criminal to enjoy herself so while witnessing the teen's reactions towards all of her teasing. And in a rare moment of empathy, she decides to give in and offer the honest truth for once, "Please rest assured, Rito-san, that most of what I spoke of had largely been a fictional tale. While it is true that Nana and I share a familiar skinship with one another, matters between us have never escalated to anything more than what would qualify as mere petting, much less to any erotic situations which you may be imagining. It had all begun as childish curiosity and was carried out with the most innocent of intentions."

Despite himself, Rito releases a whooping breathe, looking greatly relieved, "So that's all there was to it, huh? Hahaa... yeah, I kind of figured as much. So I guess that was just a phase which you two grew out of?"

"Well, I can't exactly speak for Nana. But I personally have never been adverse towards any form of female intimacy," the third princess responds before smiling softly to herself. But all of that is impossible for her now, "It's just that, ever since arriving here on Earth, all of my preferences had since shifted more towards the mania side."

"What? Mania?" (3)*

She nods lightly, carefree and uplifting, "Yes. An obsessive-compulsion over loving one single, truly special person..."

She turns her head forward, gazing out and distinctly recounting.

"From the courage and resolve he shows when faced with adversity, or his kindness and consideration for all those around him. When it comes to women and compromising positions, he always tries his utmost in maintaining a respectable level of integrity; so much so that it makes my job all the more difficult. Even right down to his indecisiveness and awkward bumbling. Those seemingly negative traits which may be scoffed down by many, I can't help but find them to be positively endearing."

Closing her eyes, she breaths in while placing a hand gently over her chest.

"To hear the sound of his voice calling out to me; to watch his peaceful face as he sleeps; to receive his praise and compliments, no matter how gracious or small they may be; to the way my heart is set beating aflutter from the simple action of just drawing near him..."

She turns and locks eyes with him then.

"You know. Those sort of boring, everyday things."

All the while, he continues staring back at her with a feeling that he couldn't tear himself away.

"Ju-just now... what exactly do you mean to say?"

"About being on the mania-side and no longer wanting to experiment with other women anymore?"

"Not that! I'm talking about, well, you know..! About how you've, about how it might be possible that you l-l-l-l-loovvvvvvv—"

"Love you..?" the third princess helpfully provides and to which he affirms with a heavy gulp and a rigid nod, "But why is that so surprising? I thought I mentioned all this to you once before."

"Well yeah..! You said that there were plenty of other girls who secretly liked me. But you never really included yourself in there!"

"Ooooh... is that right?" Momo draws out after tilting her head and giving it some extra thought. She then regards him with clear violet eyes and gives her soft, simple response, "Well, now you know..."

Saying no more, an all-encompassing silence soon sets in between the two. Rito is given plenty of time to ponder it all, scratching his head furiously as he drowns deeper into his own collective thoughts.

"What's up with that anyways?"

In hindsight, it had all been glaringly obvious right from the start. Why else would Momo set up the harem plan, tailor-made and catered just for him? Yet to be outright confessed to out of the blue: it still left his mind staggered and reeling.

On a side note, this is exactly like his issue with Mikan; a touchy subject which he foolishly avoided thinking about up until the very last moment.

Rito glances down, his eyebrows furrowing; since when did it become like this? Before the teenager knew it, he found himself being able to trust and rely on Momo for just about anything; whether it's everyday problems or private issues which he'd never think about discussing with anyone else, not even with Saruyama.

"So she's something like to a close female friend with extra benefits..?" Rito mulls over before giving her a queasy leer, "A fact which she always likes taking every chance to remind me of..."

His eyes waver and fall to the wayside. But even then, something about that statement doesn't feel entirely right to him. Not anymore.

"A penny for your thoughts..?" Momo's voice rings out as she leans into his line of sight and innocently peels up at him, "You've gotten so quiet all of a sudden, Rito-san. Would it have been better if I didn't reveal this to you at all?"

The teen glances back at her, searching for those uneasy answers in the reflection of her gaze, "You... aren't you feeling even the least bit anxious or hesitant about any of this?"

Nervous over whether or not her confession will be accepted. The doubts and fears felt after declaring it to that beloved person.

"Oh my, what a peculiar thing to ask. Is this something for me to truly be ashamed of?"

Rito looks down again, "Yeah... of course she isn't. Momo isn't like me, knowing exactly who it is that she really loves..."

He's probably the one pushing his own set of ideals onto her. Yet the words spoken and the look which she gave him were no less undeniably real.

"But... why me? Why now after all this time?"

"Do you really want me to say it? Quite the sinful man, aren't you? Secretly enjoying it when a girl lays out and bares it all to you," she flirtatiously replies.

A few beats pass before he brings his footsteps to a halt. Maybe her teasing remark would have gotten the better of him at a different place and time, but this is a matter far too important to be casually glossed over.

Momo turns, sees his earnest look and shyly glances away, regretting how she hadn't met him with that same level of upfront honesty.

"I never held many expectations, Rito-san, not after confessing to you so suddenly like this... It's merely that I wanted my feelings to be known and made perfectly clear towards you. That's all there is to it."

She bites her lower lip and shakes her head, knowing that it's an outright lie. The third princess had already speculated on how her spoken confession may be received. And the possibility that she could finally bind Rito to her was something which had crossed her mind more than once.

"It really is too vexing, but Yami-san may have a better grasp of his true character than I do... Rito-san isn't the type of person who'd return my affections due to any form of obligation."

The pain of uncertainty: that dark and murky in-between. If it meant that she could finally secure a place within his heart, despite how small that space may be, then it didn't matter how underhanded or despicable the tactic was. Somewhere deep down she hates herself for feeling this way, for accepting this result as another means of achieving her one and only good ending.

"Perhaps I always held onto that slim hope as anyone would. But I don't expect our relationship to change so easily, not when you've always had your heart set on someone else," she confesses to the teenage boy besides her, "Yet if somehow you might look more favorably towards the harem plan...

—if this causes you to feel a little more passionate towards me—

… then I can't ask for anything better."

"That's it? But why..?" Rito thinks while staring sadly at her profile, "Why aren't you hoping for anything more out of me?"

"… Because I've always wanted you to be able to choose freely," she speaks reflectively, realizing this fact for the very first time herself, "That I think would be the greatest reward. If it were anything less than a Rito-san who's fully committed and willing, then the harem plan would never last."

His frown sets deeper. He reaches out and grips her shoulder, stopping the princess from distancing herself any further. By neither him nor her, that type of answer isn't good enough to satisfy anyone anymore, "That's not what I'm asking. Forget everyone else for a second here. What is it that you're wishing from me personally, Momo?"

Her chest tightens. That look of quiet intensity piercing straight through her as the teen wholeheartedly awaits her response.

"Rito-san... do you know? The way I helplessly melt whenever your gaze falls solely on me..." she expresses inwardly. Her eyes mist over, the beat of her heart overflowing, "To simply say, 'I love you too...'"

She steps forward, effortlessly slinking into his personal space in only the way she ever could.

"If you ever whisper those magic words in front of any girl, all the while embracing her as if she were the most precious person in your entire world..." she appeals to him, heartfelt and sincere, "Then, without a doubt, she'll surely be yours forever."

Her raw presence: that stifling pressure which makes it nearly impossible for him to resist is absent as she chastely drapes her arms around his neck while bringing her face ever closer.

"It would be lovely if Rito-san were to one day take that special, long-awaited initiative..." she whispers breathlessly; the tenderness in her voice holding a ping of hopeful plead, her half-lidded eyes staring into and reflecting only his own. So close is she that he can feel the breathe of her warmth on his motionless, awaiting lips, "That would be so wonderful... if just this once..."

Palms sweaty, his breathing hiked and heavy: Rito inhales that natural, earthy scent of hers which he so secretly fancies. His whole body is entrapped in numbing stillness, the involuntary twitch of his stiff muscles being the only sign of visible movement.

Vaguely, recollections of two beloved girls who's face, voice and name pop up somewhere in the recesses of his mind.

This feeling of wanting: it's suppose to be something important. However, such fleeting thoughts seem so far away – his overriding senses focus squarely on the minuscule distance between himself and the taste of Momo's lips...

His whole perception is lost in time as he stands there immobile for god knows how long, torn between this singular desire and indecisive rationality.

Inability.

Inactivity.

The girl before him is still waiting. How much longer will this go on? Until he gives in, or until he breaks down?

But just as suddenly as it came, the magic fades once the third princess voluntarily pulls herself away.

He blinks out of his stupor, realizing why this happened.

Another lost opportunity. It was his choice to make yet he failed so miserably. That wasn't even an answer so much as leaving everything blank and allowing the time limit to expire.

Swallowing that throbbing lump back down his throat, his mouth tries formulating the right words, "... M-Momo—"

"Shall we be moving along now..?" she says in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Huh?" the teen utters only to see the princess ducking her head, "Y-Yeah, I guess..."

Sedately, she turns and walks on, leaving Rito to follow after her.

No further words are exchanged. Only the sound of their mismatched footsteps echoing off the dry pavement can be heard in the dead of the night.

Coward.

Pathetic.

Spineless.

Wimp.

Words like those flash through his mind while he soberly looks ahead.

Like a lone flower beginning to wilt from lack of care and sunlight, the way her head is slightly bowed or how her presence seems so dimmed and drained. If this had been a few hours ago, Rito is sure that he'd have missed all of these little signs entirely. It makes him clearly aware that he had never taken the time to truly look at Momo up until now.

His feet start to drag as the troubled teen falls more and more paces behind her, feeling so utterly sick with himself for being unable to give the third princess a proper response.

"God... I really am the worst..."

But even that would be giving himself too much credit. He has no right to empathize with her, not when he hasn't even reached the point of confessing to his own crush, Haruna, after all these years.

The timing was never right, there were too many people around, the moment was always ruined by the strange and unexpected. Time and again, those occurrences always seem to happen to him without fail.

His languid steps finally crawl to a complete stop.

But when it comes right down to it, aren't those reasons nothing more than painful excuses? (4)*

Even after that mistaken confession with Lala at the poolside, he's done nothing to either encourage or resolve the misunderstanding. Simply allowing matters to regress back to how they were before: he's fallen into that same stupid routine of procrastinating between the two.

"Rito-san..?" Momo quietly calls out, noticing his absence from behind her as she stops walking as well.

The small, trivial things which he can never decisively do. Just how is he suppose to get together with Haruna...

—No. How does he expect to be in a relationship with anyone if he can't even do this much for himself?

Beyond the irony of it all, a rue smile escapes the teenager's lips, "... It really is unfair of you, Momo."

She blinks, staring back at him nonplussed, "Pardon..? I don't quite follow what you're saying."

"You have it easy compared to me, since there's a whole lot of other issues that I still have deal with. That's just something which happened to cross my mind just now."

"Haa... I suppose I can see where you'll be facing a greater level of difficulty," the third princess responds hesitantly, unsure of how to deal with the teen's egotistical behavior.

"But even after saying all that, the one who's being the most unfair is me for always thinking about this whole thing so selfishly."

"Rito-san? Just what..?"

Yet all he does is shake his head bemusedly in response. Nothing ever seems to come easily for him, does it? But at this point, adding another factor into this whole love equation doesn't really make much of a difference.

No. That's not entirely right. There's still something else that needs to be done; something more which he wants to do for this lovely girl who only thinks the world of him.

Resolute, he turns to the third princess and gestures with his right hand, "Say, Momo... Would you mind letting me see your phone for a minute?"

Another day and a bright new morning at Sainan High, where mischief is sure to run abound.

"I don't know, Taichi... Should we really be doing this? What if Momo-san somehow finds out that we've been going through her stuff?"

Throwing his buddy a look of disgust, a shaved-headed student sneers, "We've already come this far, so what's the point of getting cold feet now? And besides, all we gotta do is put her phone back to where it was before she even notices that it's gone."

This is all for the sake of learning more about their esteemed idol after all, since they no longer have the manpower and resources to collect any new material about her nowadays.

Obviously, these two had once belonged to the "Venus Momo Club." Yet ever since they had skipped school on that one fateful day, their beloved VMC and its policies had gone full-blown S&M without them ever knowing the cause as to why.

And so, allying with the other three fans of Nana Asta Deviluke, they both set out to try forming a brand new school club. Yet at the first opportunity, those guys had highjacked the rights by majority rule and forced them into becoming ghost members of the "Justice League of Flatties Club" instead.

Just recalling that past incident sends the skinhead's blood boiling. How dare they steal their idea like that! Those backstabbing, loli-lovin' bastards..! It makes him sick to his stomach to be associated with future pedophile felons like them, since real women are built to have mountainous humps and death-defying curves!

In his button-pressing rage, he accidentally stumbles upon the cellphone's photo album, "'Rito-san's Lovely Expressions Collection?' What the hell?"

Whatever it is, there's a crazy amount of images inside this one single folder. However, just as Taichi opens up the latest entry, an unmistakable female voice chides in.

"Might I ask what you're doing?"

Instinctively turning, he comes face-to-face with the idolized princess herself, "M-Mo-Momo-san..! T-This isn't what it looks like—!"

Yet she merely extends an open hand out to him, gesturing for the return of her property which he obediently obliges.

Docile and humbled, Taichi glances around and wonders where the hell his backup support went off to, only to spot him coming down the hall in a completely guiltless manner.

"Yo, Taichi. I've been looking for you everywhere, man. Where've you been?" his so-called buddy pretends to ask, having ditched him after he saw the third princess fast approaching, "Hey, isn't that Momo-san's cellphone? Now you're just snatching things up without even finding out who they belong to first? Not cool, dude."

Taichi grits his teeth while glaring daggers at the other boy. Momo, however, doesn't pay much attention to either of them, checking the contents of her D-Dial before looking back up.

"I'm so sorry to ask this, but could you excuse us for a moment please? There are a few personal questions which I'd like to ask your good friend Taichi-san here, and I would absolutely die of embarrassment if anyone were to overhear," she says while fidgeting adorably. Then she presents the duo with an award-winning smile, "But please don't worry, I'll be sure to return him to you in mint condition once we're finished with our little chat."

"Sure, anything for you, Momo-san! And just so you know, I'm always available too whenever you need my help, so feel free to ask me any time you want," his love-stuck buddy eagerly responds before walking away, full of barely concealed jealousy.

"Ha! That's what you get for trying to sell me out, ya little punk!" the skinhead thinks self-righteously. Brimming with confidence, he turns to address Momo, unknowing of the harsh reality which awaits him.

"Did you see?"

"Eh..?" he blinks and utters dumbly. He must have been imagining things, since there's no way such icy severity can be spoken by that sweet and innocent princess, "Oh..! You mean that pic on your cell?"

He had only caught a glimpse of it, yet that was enough for him to get a general impression of what that photo portrayed.

"But Momo-san... Those rumors aren't true, are they? After taking a quick peek at what's inside, I just had to ask..." the skinhead hesitantly inquires, then he laughs the whole notion off like a bad joke, "No way! As if that could ever happen, right? 'cause Momo-san obviously has better taste in men and would want more than a good-for-nothing senpai like that."

"... So who might you be suggesting? Yourself perhaps?" she asks him after a pregnant pause and Taichi smirks with smug satisfaction, feeling like it's too good to be true. Which he soon finds out how accurate that saying truly is, "Yet to badmouth an outstanding young man like Rito-san... Aren't you just a petty little boy who can only boost himself up by putting others down? Who sneaks around and justifies thievery for the sake of idol worship: never once attempting to know the real me. Is someone like that suitable for me? Are you saying that I should settle for qualities which are so far removed from that of a normal human being?"

"Momo...san?"

The devilish princess points a finger at his chest and moves in for the kill, "Don't make me laugh. A foreseeable, lifelong virgin like you, thinking it right to lecture me on who it is I should be dating. Why not quietly hide yourself away from the eyes of moral society and continue conjuring up delusions of how I should be? Since that seems to be all which you and your merry band of simpleminded comrades can ever hope to achieve."

With that said, Momo flashes her trademark public smile before leaving the poor, emasculated boy in a state of absolute shock. It isn't until a cluster of noisy students pass by does that effectively snap him back to his senses. Like a lightning bolt, he dashes down the hallway to the other side of the school, knowing there's only one man who can help him now.

"Nakajima-san! Nakajima-san!"

Turning, the brown-haired student pushes up his glasses upon spotting his fellow classmate running up to him, "Former club member #47, Tanaka Taichi, huh? What brings you here? I believe we're no longer associated, what with your puny lot still chasing after a mirage of our revered goddess."

Without a shred of dignity, Taichi bows deeply while slapping his hands together over his head, "Forgive me! It's just like what you and everyone from the VMC have been saying all along! I was a fool completely blinded by the truth! Being stepped on, toyed with and ridiculed beyond repair... there's obviously no greater appeal on the face of this earth than a dark and dominating Momo-sama!"

Growing all weepy-eyed, Nakajima clutches his right fist, overcome with emotion as he places his other hand firmly on Taichi's shoulders.

"Well spoken, Tanaka-kun! So you've finally seen the light," he says with pride before proceeding to give his fellow classmate a great big bro-hug, "As chief representative of the VMC, I sincerely welcome your return back into our ranks!"

And on this day, the fan club's numbers increase by one. While everyone else around notes two more weirdos at school worth avoiding from now on.

Meanwhile, the idolized princess in question has already gone back to her classroom in 1-B, where a certain redheaded girl awaits her return.

"So, looks like you managed to find it a-okay."

"Mea-san..." Momo says while shifting her attention away from her phone set, "Allow me to thank you once again for helping me locate my D-Dial."

"Don't mention it. Nana-chan has that exact same model, so I kind of figured this one was probably yours," Mea replies, that deceptively carefree smile of hers spreading ever so slightly, "Yep, I can see why it's so important for you two, since it's an irreplaceable tool that can summon such wonderful plants and animals with a simple push of a button."

"There are other means of course. The D-Dial is simply the most convenient method for us to use," the princess smoothly lies, making a mental note of asking her eldest sister to create a backup for her in the near future. She can't place her complete trust into Mea just yet, especially if the redhead is still making throwaway remarks such as those.

"Oh, isn't that Rito-senpai?" Mea curiously inquires after taking a peek at the phone screen display. Momo snaps her D-Dial shut by reflex, however, it had already been too late, "So that's why you wanted to get your phone back in such a hurry. You must be real happy with how smoothly the harem plan seems to be going lately."

Seeing that it's useless to conceal this fact now, the third princess lets her arm drop back to her side, "Indeed. Though I'd appreciate it very much, Mea-san, if you didn't breath a word of this to anyone, not even to Nana."

"So this will be another little secret just between the two of us? That's fine by me. But why bother keeping a happy occasion like this under wraps?"

She pauses, taking time to consider her answer, "I suppose you can say that I don't want to jinx it for myself."

"Oh? That's not something I'd expect the classy, yet sneaky Momo-chan to ever say. But whatever. Finding these juicy contradictions about you can be wonderful fun in its own little way~"

The school bell rings shortly thereafter and Mea along with the rest of the class soon return to their seats. After taking a glance around to make sure no one else is looking, Momo flips open her cellphone in the midst of a lecture. She then clicks on the first of two icons and enlarges the image, staring fondly at the photo while deeply reminiscing.

"Say, Momo... Would you mind letting me see your phone for a minute?"

"Huh? My D-Dial..?" the princess uttered vacantly, puzzled as she reached into her pocket and handed the multipurpose device over to him.

Dejectedly, Momo watched on while the teen fiddled with the buttons on her phone, somewhat afraid of him accidentally summoning an S-rank plant creature from her botanical garden.

This entire evening had ended in a spectacular failure. She had already planned on first softening up Rito to the idea of a harem: to accepting others' love for him. So why, at the most crucial of times, did she act so impulsively and reveal her innermost desires to him? Now everything that she had strived for could all be ruined because of that it.

Her eyes grew teary as she blinked away rapidly. Tonight should be used as a learning experience; a reminder to herself that she needed to try harder. But even so, that desolate feeling of rejection and defeat still wouldn't leave her.

"Oh, there we go..." the teen whispered to himself before raising his voice to an audible volume, "Um, Momo. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but, ah, I could use some help on figuring out how this item works."

Sniffing, she turned his way and managed to greet him with a brave face, "... Just let me know which menu you're at right now, Rito-san. Onee-sama had created our D-Dials to be user-friendly after al—!"

Suddenly grasped by the shoulders, Momo yelped in surprise upon being pulled closer to the teenager's side.

*Click*

Blinking, it took awhile for the flustered princess to even recognize the shuttering sound of her own D-Dial in camera mode. Shifting her focus to what's in front of them, she noticed the small device in Rito's outstretched hand and threw him a quizzical look.

"Well, you see... This is something like an apology for the way I froze up on you earlier and how stupidly I've been acting afterwards," he admitted reluctantly.

She stared at him for a moment more before looking down with a bittersweet smile, "So, does this photo also serve as a compromise for your answer to me then?"

"Actually, there's a bit more to it than that," he replied, finding it difficult on where to start, "The thing of it is... I don't mind much anymore. Going out with you, that is. Like what me and Yami had just done earlier, only for real this time."

Momo was stunned speechless, scarcely believing what she was hearing.

"Ah well, this will probably be more like a trial run than anything else. Since I... don't quite see you in the same way as you see me. But because these mixed-up feelings are a lot less clear, then I think that's all the more reason for me to try and explore what's really there."

This well of happiness swelling up inside – it all felt like she was somehow dreaming, which was why she needed to check for sure, "... Will this be under no uncertain terms or may I ask for a few conditions of my own?"

"Conditions? You mean for the date?"

"Why, yes. As the other half of the participants involved, aren't I entitled to at least one?"

Giving a start, the teenage boy was quick to nip any potential troubles at the bud, "Just so long as it's reasonable, you know..! Don't go asking for too much on our first time out together."

"Oh, you know me, Rito-san. I would never dream of taking advantage of you like that~"

"It's because I know exactly how you are that I'm saying all of this to you in advance..." he wearily explained with his shoulders slumped, "So..? What's your request?"

"Hmmm... I'm not quite sure," she stated upon retrospect and Rito palm-slapped his forehead in response, "Well, I'm certain an idea or two will pop up given enough time. All I ask is that you please try not to forget."

The teen lowered his hand away from his face, unable to argue back; not after seeing her blissful expression as she humbly regarded him like that, "... Another thing, Momo. I've always thought of you as someone really amazing, one of a kind even, with loads of great qualities going for you too. So that's why, even when it comes to things like love and romance, I don't ever want you to feel as if you somehow deserve anything less."

"... Is that a promise..?" she whispered unknowingly. Because in her eyes, there was no one better for her than the earthling boy himself. And if he truly meant every single word... a soft smile blossomed from the bottom of her heart, "I meant the photo here. Can I treat it as a keepsake until our appointed rehearsal date?"

"Sure, I don't see why not," he replied before checking out the snapshot for himself, "But really... It didn't come out as nicely as I thought it would, what with it being kinda blurry and slanted at such a weird angle..."

"Not at all. It's a wonderful sentiment in fact, regardless of how it looks," the princess soundly disagreed, "But if you're truly dissatisfied with it, then we can simply take another one."

Locking her arm around his, she cuddled indecently close to the unsuspecting teen and took her D-Dial back from him.

"C-Close..! Aren't you getting a little too close there..?!"

"Since my arm's reach isn't as long as yours, Rito-san, this degree of proximity is an absolute necessity~" Momo merrily replied, omitting the fact that she had made secret use of the camera's zoom-in function in order to back up her claim. It was a reasonable excuse, an excusable reason for her to draw if only a tiny bit closer to him.

With the camera lens focused squarely on them, that entire moment was perfectly captured with a bright flash and an automated click.

Her thoughts stray back to the present time as Momo examines the image in more acute detail.

The first picture is a rather embarrassing shot of herself, something which she would never willingly show to anyone else. It's slightly tilted and off-centered, which results in a good chunk of Rito's head missing from the frame. Not to mention her own face, being far from photogenic as his surprise attack had caught her off guard and terribly abashed. But even though she dislikes seeing herself in such a vulnerable state, the princess can't deny the photo's authenticity and heartwarming appeal.

Switching over, the second picture is definitely more to her style with Rito being the one on full blush mode. That's only natural of course, since she had been pressing herself against the teen in certain locations where the camera lens couldn't quite capture. Though he does deserve some credit for sticking by her, cheek-to-cheek and so much more, without bulging until it was all over.

Grinning widely to herself, Momo wonders how much willpower was needed for him to appear halfway presentable in that one shot. Then she idly entertains another tantalizing thought.

"If others saw these photos, I wonder how many would think of us as being a couple?"

For a moment, the princess considers setting one of them up as her phone's new background but eventually decides against it. Superstitious or not, she doesn't want to trigger any bad end flags involving hand saws, kitchen knives, train accidents or suicide dives. (5)* But maybe later on, when the harem is firmly in place, will she go ahead and display this image proudly.

Bringing her arms above her head, Momo arches her back and gives a long, satisfying stretch, a motion which sparks the immediate interest of every male student within the classroom. Still, this is certainly a step in the right direction. Now if there's only a way to hurry him along into becoming more like her ideal carnivore...

She shakes her head and restrains herself, needing to remember that these things take time. Perhaps she's getting impatient now in wanting to move onto the next level.

And why shouldn't she be? Before today, this had been a situation so surreal that she had never dared dream of this possibility for herself. Yet it's really happening: this miraculous idea that he may genuinely return her feelings for him. Unconditional and real, and most of all chosen from his own free will.

With one final look, Deviluke's third princess closes her D-Dial and pockets it happily.

Yes. Out of all the expressions Yuuki Rito has ever made, by far and wide, these pics are the ones she'll forever adore. Because it's a face he specially reserves, meant only for her. Because it's all about the two of them, being there together.

~FIN~

(1) : "Hanasaku Iroha." Or more specifically, a dialogue exchange lifted from a scene in episode 18 which involves the seiyuu for both Ohana/Nana and Nako/Momo.

(2) : "JoJo's Bizarre Adventures" and the process of getting continuously punched, or in this case repeatedly pumped...

(3) : From the eroge "Sengoku Rance." A term used by the bang-able ninja Suzume to jokingly explain why she isn't seduced away by the Shimazu Brothers and remains faithful to the protagonist, Rance.

(4) : From the shounen series "Naruto." Anyone who's invested into the whole pairing debate over there will probably know where this term comes from. If you don't, well consider yourself lucky that you can spare yourself some of the headache.

(5) : "School Days," 'nuff said. A reference which I can see Momo easily knowing due to her love for eroge/bishoujo games.