Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 176 The Little Glutton's Request
Ken Sakamoto agreed to the little glutton's request.

It's not that I want to be in a relationship with her, but rather that I want her to continue to help stabilize Mio and Haruna.

Sitting back in his previous spot, Ken Sakamoto felt that Ai Hoshihara, sitting directly opposite him, was looking at him as if she were looking at a plate of juicy Wagyu beef.

This guy wasn't even this hungry last time. Although their relationship progressed quickly back then, it was still a gradual process.

Although I did see her more times than I saw Mio and Haruna combined, it was only slightly more.

When the two of them are together, they don't just spend all day shamelessly entangled together...

I guess it was because things progressed too quickly this time, and she had been suppressing her feelings for too long, so she quickly entered the stage of wanting more.

Ken Sakamoto asked casually, "What were you guys talking about just now?"

Ai Hoshihara replied, "It's a very coincidental coincidence."

"A coincidence?" Ken Sakamoto asked, puzzled.

Ai Hoshihara continued, "In the past two months, my two little sisters and I have had a very similar dream."

Ken Sakamoto immediately turned his gaze to Mio and Haruna.

Both of them had their brows furrowed. Natsume Mio, sitting next to him, had her head slightly lowered, while Mikazuki Haruna, sitting opposite him, was staring straight at him.

"Is it that dream about my relationship with you guys?" Ken Sakamoto bluntly pointed it out. He chuckled and continued, "Mio told me before that it felt like something that happened in a past life, right?"

"Huh? You told him?" Mikazuki Haruna asked in surprise.

Mio Natsume pouted and said, "I already told Ken, so I don't need to tell you."

Mikazuki Haruna said unhappily, "It seems you've been bothering Ken for a long time."

"What do you mean by 'obsessing'? It's just... I just like Ken!" Natsume Mio didn't bother to hide it anymore, grabbing Sakamoto Ken's arm and pressing herself against him. "Ken and I have known each other since junior high, and I confessed to Ken right after graduating from high school!"

Sakamoto Ken gave her an inquiring look, which made Natsume Mio shrink her neck slightly.

She muttered to herself, "It was a confession...it happened after the exam that day...but you got into a taxi and didn't hear it..."

"Huh? This counts as a confession?" Mikazuki Haruna said. "Well, I also love Ken, but Ken didn't come."

"You can call your hand Ah Jian!"

"No!"

Seeing the two of them suddenly start arguing again, and seeing Hoshihara Ai's expression of not caring about them at all, Sakamoto Ken knew that Hoshihara Ai had probably slightly stirred up trouble between Mio and Haruna.

You two... your skill levels are still too low.

While it's good for them to have disagreements, they should try not to escalate them into arguments.

"What the hell? You breast pad demon, you even need to pad your skirt with something!" Natsume Mio said, while rubbing against Sakamoto Fitness.

Good grief, they've started attacking each other.

Ken Sakamoto quickly waved his hand and said, "It's just a dream. Everyone dreams, right? I've dreamed about you guys too."

"What's wrong with dreaming about us?!" The two immediately stopped arguing and looked at Sakamoto Ken.

"It's not convenient to talk about things in dreams, as they might be a bit inappropriate for children," Ken Sakamoto said with a slight smile.

“There are no children here,” Mikazuki Haruna said.

“Those with small breasts should sit at the same table as the children,” Natsume Mio chimed in.

Mikazuki Haruna: "?"

“Don’t say that, Haruna isn’t exactly small,” Sakamoto Ken said.

"Yeah, it's still Ken... Eh?" Mikazuki Haruna said, but then something felt off. She said, "Were you doing something weird to me in my dream?"

Sakamoto Ken maintained his smile, facing the gazes of the two girls. He deliberately remained silent for five seconds before smiling slightly and saying, "Anyway, it's just as you think."

"Hiss..." The two of them gasped at the same time.

Mio Natsume wondered if Ken had the same strange dreams he had entered twice.

On one occasion, I saw Ken and this older woman named Ai Hoshino doing *that* in broad daylight on a bench in a public park…

Another time, she saw Ken get into Haruna's car, and then she followed him. Ken took her to a strange place and tried to persuade her to join them...

What Mikazuki Haruna was thinking was...

She dreamed of A-Jian twice. The first time, he pinned her down on the sofa, and the second time, she handcuffed him to a chair. It's impossible that he dreamed of the exact same scene, right?
Ken Sakamoto had mentioned some things about dreams to Mio and Haruna before, but they were only fragments of conversation and he had never gone into detail.

Only Ai Hoshihara knew the full story behind the dream.

Ai Hoshihara then said, "As I just told you, I study physics, and there are actually specific scientific principles behind these 'dreams,' but..."

She smiled slightly and said, "With your high school level of physics knowledge, it's difficult for you to understand, so I won't go into details. I'll just tell you the conclusion."

Ai Hoshino pointed at Ken Sakamoto with her fingertip and said, "Ken is my lover from my past life, so it's only natural that he should be with me now. At most, I'll accept you as Ken's little lovers."

"puff!"

Sakamoto Ken had just taken a small sip of barley tea when he heard what Hoshihara Ai said, and he couldn't help but spit it out.

No, what are you talking about!

What is a "little lover"?!

Sitting opposite him, Ai Hoshihara suddenly felt a chill on her toes, her toes curling slightly. She looked at Ken Sakamoto and said, "You sprayed tea on my feet. Clean it up for me now."

Ken Sakamoto glanced at her deliberately raised left foot and didn't respond to her words.

What? Do you expect me to wipe it for you right now?

Beside them, Mio and Haruna reacted even more strongly than Sakamoto Ken. At this moment, Mio Natsume looked at Sakamoto Ken with a hint of fear in her eyes.

She never imagined that this woman, who seemed to be eyeing Ah Jian, would say such a thing.

What do you mean by accepting them as Ah Jian's mistresses?!

There were so many things to criticize in that sentence that she felt like she had a huge lump in her throat and didn't know where to begin.

Mikazuki Haruna, sitting next to Hoshihara Ai, even subconsciously shifted her body slightly away from her.

"Who, who wants to be Ah Jian's...lover?!"

Haruna Mikazuki's emotions were stirred up by Ai Hoshihara, and she stared intently at Ken Sakamoto, saying, "Ken! Tell me, what strange things did she just say!"

Sakamoto Ken said seriously, "Professor Hoshino, I have to disagree with you this time. No matter what happened in the past life, this is the present, and I will not treat them as lovers."

“Exactly!” Mikazuki Haruna chimed in.

"Then what do you consider it?" Natsume Mio questioned.

“I think everyone should be equal; that’s what creates harmony,” Kenjiro Sakamoto said.

"So you mean you want it all?!" Natsume Mio said. "Ken, do you remember those things too, about last week's events and how we ended up killing you? I heard you mention it."

Ken Sakamoto vehemently denied it: "I don't know what you mean by the previous week's run..."

“But you told me that you’ve been feeling like a hopeless scumbag lately, and that you’ve been taken advantage of by three women.” Natsume Mio pointed this out clearly.

"He said the same thing to you too?!" Mikazuki Haruna immediately chimed in, "He said the exact same thing to me."

Ken Sakamoto did indeed tell them all, so it seems that Mio and Haruna have pretty good memories.

However, this was also within his expectations.

When he first told them this, Ken Sakamoto had already thought about what he would say next.

"It's just a feeling I've had lately, or rather... a premonition?" Ken Sakamoto said innocently. "You guys aren't going to start a fight with knives just because I had a weird dream, are you?"

"How could this be... It's a dream, not real..." Natsume Mio said softly.

Mikazuki Haruna pouted slightly, not answering. She lowered her head slightly, looking at her toes.

Tonight, this older sister named Ai Hoshihara brought her a lot of information.

The three of them dreamed of the same thing: stabbing Sakamoto Ken in the same way, and experiencing the same intimate scenes with him in their dreams.

Most importantly, this woman actually said that she and Mio should become Ken's mistresses!
And what about her? Does she actually want to be the main wife?
Even she herself didn't realize that her focus had shifted from wanting to have Sakamoto Ken all to whether or not she should be one of his mistresses...

Natsume Mio was the same; she had been clinging to Sakamoto Ken's arm since earlier and was now completely pressed against him.

Looking down from Sakamoto Ken's angle, one can see into the abyss of the girl's eyes, and one's gaze will be drawn deep into it.

"Mio, you're practically pulling your clothes off," Ken Sakamoto whispered a reminder.

Natsume Mio softly said "Oh," then reluctantly let go. She then placed her hands somewhat awkwardly on her thighs, her brow furrowed, her mind racing with various thoughts as she tried to process the information she had received that day. At that moment, all four remained silent.

But just then, Keiko Kaji walked over.

Even though she had witnessed the ambiguous relationship between Sakamoto Ken and Mio and Haruna several times, she was still a little surprised to see this scene.

Both of the girls she knew best looked preoccupied, while the special guest judge of the writing contest, a bestselling science fiction author, and a young physics professor at the University of Tokyo, held a wine glass in one hand, swirling the liquid inside, and looked at Professor Sakamoto with affection.

Although Keiko Kaji herself has never been in a relationship, she has certainly seen it through her friends, her best confidantes, and various movies, TV shows, comics, and so on...

That look in her eyes is definitely full of affection!
So, Sakamoto-sensei must have been in contact with her long ago, starting from the day he brought her to visit the studio?
Keiko Kaji had no doubt about the quality of "Looking Back," and in any case, only this work deserved to receive this grand prize.

but.

This doesn't preclude the possibility that Sakamoto-sensei really did get in through this judge's connections...

As expected of Sakamoto-sensei...

At this moment, all four people turned their gazes to Kaji Keiko, which made her feel inexplicably nervous.

Keiko Kaji maintained her smile and said, "The other writers over there are chatting together. I didn't see Sakamoto-sensei, so I came over to check. Aren't you going to get some more food? There was king crab at the food station just now."

"Shall we go get some?" Ai Hoshihara asked casually.

“I ate it a few days ago, I don’t want to eat it…” Mikazuki Haruna said.

"I've never eaten... king crab or anything like that before..." Natsume Mio whispered to Sakamoto Kenjiro.

"Come to my house tomorrow if you want to eat," Mikazuki Haruna said to Natsume Mio.

Ignoring Mikazuki Haruna, Natsume Mio said to Sakamoto Ken, "I'm going to get some food. Ken, do you want to come with me?"

"Get me a few more crab claws," Sakamoto Ken said.

"Hmm... okay then." Natsume Mio nodded, took a few steps toward the food counter, but then turned back.

Mikazuki Haruna's gaze remained fixed on Natsume Mio. The two exchanged a glance from afar, and she also stood up.

"I'll go as well."

Leaving behind a message, Mikazuki Haruna quickly walked towards Natsume Mio, and the two walked side by side toward the dining table.

It seems the two of them wanted to have a private conversation...

They're probably discussing how to deal with Ai Hoshino.

At the food counter, Mikazuki Haruna pulled Natsume Mio aside and said, "Don't you think that coming over like this gives those two a perfect opportunity to do something?"

“What else can we do?” Natsume Mio said. “There are so many people in the hall, coming and going, and Editor Kaji is here too…”

"No, look!"

The two stood behind the chocolate tower, and Mikazuki Haruna pointed towards the booth they had just been sitting in: "Why was she sticking her foot out at Ken?!"

"Eh?!"

……

Ken Sakamoto looked down at the high heel resting on the edge of the table.

This wasn't a fully covered style; instead, a few thin leather straps wrapped around her ankles, extending along the sides of her feet and only forming a few lines on the instep.

Against the backdrop of these thin black bands, the ivory-white and delicate instep stands out, and you can even vaguely see the pale blue veins under the skin.

Because of the lifting of the foot, the arch of the foot forms an elegant arc, while the five toes, which are completely exposed in front, are slightly raised.

The toenails were trimmed cleanly, without any gaudy colors applied, just a layer of clear nail polish.

As she gently wiggled her toes, Ai Hoshihara said, "You got quite a bit of tea on your feet, they're all slippery. Aren't you going to wipe them clean for me?"

“Just wash it when you get home.” Ken Sakamoto glanced at Keiko Kaji standing to the side, picked up his fork, and as usual, speared some fruit from the plate that was only three centimeters away from the high heel. He put it in his mouth, chewed it, and said, “Do you think it will ferment and taste bad when we get home?”

Do you think I have a smell?

"A captivating flavor."

How charming?

"It's just an exaggerated rhetorical device. There's actually no smell at all. You can tell by smelling it yourself." Ken Sakamoto shrugged and said calmly, "Only those unhygienic feet will smell. If you wash them clean every day and pay attention to removing dead skin regularly, bacteria and fungi won't have any nutrients to grow."

“You talk as if you’ve actually tasted it,” Ai Hoshihara said.

Kaji Keiko stood there for a few seconds, then silently turned and left.

Being Sakamoto-sensei's editor broadened her horizons considerably...

Sakamoto Ken ultimately didn't make a move, and Hoshihara Ai clicked her tongue softly and withdrew her foot.

"Do you dislike me?"

"Yes, I am. I'm eating something."

“I remember you weren’t like this last time around,” Ai Hoshihara said.

"It was washed beforehand," Ken Sakamoto said with certainty.

“Alright, those two went to get the food, but actually they were secretly watching this side.” Hoshino Ai brought the topic back.

"It was all part of your plan, wasn't it? You deliberately let them watch," Sakamoto Ken said.

"More or less, but it didn't quite meet my expectations," said Ai Hoshino, swirling her wine glass. "I expected you to carefully wipe it for me."

“I haven’t reached that level yet…” Ken Sakamoto said.

“Right now, they’re definitely plotting something, probably how to target me. Like I said before, all their hatred is directed at me. For your sake, I have no choice but to reluctantly play the bad woman,” Hoshino Ai said.

“Thank you very much, and I will repay you,” Ken Sakamoto said.

Ai Hoshino downed the drink in her glass in one gulp and leaned slightly closer: "Tonight I'll see your sincerity."

Ken Sakamoto said, "They still can't know about this. Right now, your persona in front of them is still that of an older sister who's pursuing me. Our relationship isn't that deep yet."

“I know,” Ai Hoshihara said. “I probably understand them better than you do.”

“How could that be? I spent so much time with them last week,” Sakamoto Ken said, shaking his head.

"You know them? Then why were they stabbed last week?"

"You're one of them too!"

"Hmm, you only understand their bodies, but you don't understand their minds."

Ai Hoshino pointed out: "Actually, they have already formed some kind of alliance. I am now in a situation of one against two. Although you and I have done everything, they don't know that. They just see me as a competitor with a slight advantage, not as an opponent who has already taken the lead."

"You were actually trying to tell them what kind of relationship we've reached, weren't you?" Sakamoto Ken said.

Ai Hoshino shrugged and said, "They wouldn't believe me even if I told them, unless you said it yourself. After all, in their eyes, I'm a nasty woman with a terrible personality, so it wouldn't be surprising if I said something."

"unless……"

"Unless what?" Sakamoto Ken asked, seeing her smiling face.

“Unless you actually touched my foot just now, they will confirm the relationship between you and me, and then they might be disappointed in you and cut off all contact. Your dream of building a harem this time around will be ruined,” Ai Hoshihara said calmly.

Sakamoto Ken was slightly surprised when he heard her say that.

He hadn't thought about it at all, and for a moment he almost grabbed some tissues and started wiping her face.

Looking back, that's certainly true.

Both Haruna and Mio felt that what Hoshihara Ai had just said was mostly empty talk.

As Ai Hoshihara said, they only saw her as a big sister with a bad temper.

"Were you trying to hook me?" Ken Sakamoto asked, staring at Ai Hoshihara.

Hoshino Ai smiled and narrowed her eyes, saying, "What's wrong? You got angry because your naughty older sister tricked you, little fish?"

“You promised to help me,” Ken Sakamoto said.

"It's just to help you avoid the axe. Their severing ties with you is also a way to avoid the axe, isn't it?" Hoshino Ai raised an eyebrow and said.

Seeing Sakamoto Ken's serious expression, Hoshihara Ai waved her hand and said, "Alright, actually, I only had the thought of driving them away for a moment just now. I'll try not to do it again in the future."

What does "try your best" mean?

“Because sometimes I can’t help but want to have Ken all to myself~” Hoshino Ai said quietly, “Unless, Ken shows me his sincerity tonight.”

(End of this chapter)