Morning came to Hinata City, with Keitaro lounging in Naru’s embrace, with her arms wrapped around him as she held him against her larger body, snuggled up against him as if he was a prize teddy bear won at a county fair.  The more time had passed, it seemed the more lovey-dovey Naru was becoming towards Keitaro, on a level akin to that of Amalla or Mutsumi just days before.  That being said, it was Amalla’s intention (along with Naru and others) to have literally EVERYONE in Hinata House just as lovestruck for Keitaro in the very near future.

As the sun began cresting over the horizon, Keitaro started to stir awake, breathing in Naru’s scent as he slowly moved his head around to take in his surroundings.  From what he could recall, he spent a rather passionate night in bed with Kitsune, Shinobu, and Nyamo, with Naru and Amalla both watching and partaking in the bedroom-themed festivities.

Thinking back on it all, Keitaro couldn’t help but blush over the number of sexual conquests he had accrued in the last few days.  After all, how many men can honestly say that they’ve engaged in particularly passionate love sessions with a half dozen women in such a short amount of time?  By this point, Keitaro was fast on his way to becoming what some would refer to as a “player” in the world of sexual/dating relationships.

Deciding to get up, Keitaro tried his best to gently worm his way out of bed, which in this case meant finagling his way out fo Naru’s embrace.  While Keitaro knew that Naru was physically stronger than him BEFORE the growth spurts, it was undeniable that Naru…hell, that EVERYONE at HInata House were WAY stronger than Keitaro now, given their towering heights and developing frames.  Though each and every one of the Hinata women now had practically flawless builds exemplifying peak feminine seductive charm, it was a safe guess that every one of the thirteen women in Hinata House had Keitaro beat when it came to raw physical strength.

The real trick for Keitaro was trying to get out of Naru’s embrace without waking her, which would be extremely difficult if not impossible, given how powerfully she had wrapped her arms around Keitaro while she slept.

Even so, Keitaro decided to make an attempt, hoping beyond reason that he could make his way out of Naru’s grasp.  He initially thought he was making good headway, when a few seconds later, Naru abruptly tightened her grip on him, pressing his face squarely into her cleavage.

“Morning, Sweetie,” she gently cooed.  “How did you sleep?”

“Umm…fine, Naru,” he answered.  “I was trying to get out of bed without waking you.  Wanted to let you sleep in a little more.”  Naru grinned in response before leaning in and smooching Keitaro on the lips.

“You’re so sweet,” she said in a bubbly tone of voice.  “But I’m afraid that’s practically impossible now, Kei-kun.  The only way you’re gonna be able to do that is if you’re not already in my arms like right now, which I intend to be the case as much as possible.”

“Seriously?” he asked in a somewhat flabbergasted tone.

“Oh, don’t worry, Kei-kun.  I’ll be sure to let the others have a turn with you in their arms, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to fight for my share of time with you.  While it’s not official yet, I intend to be the “head wife” in this little arrangement.”

“So…you’re dead serious about this whole “harem plan” of Amalla’s then?”

“But of course, Sweetie.  Nothing less than EVERYONE wedding and bedding you will suffice, Darling.  I’ll simply not accept anything other than that, plain and simple.”

For a moment, Keitaro was at a loss for words.  Seeing Naru act this way was certainly not something he would expect just a few days ago.  Whether or not this was an effect of Kaolla’s growth hormone or the pills she had the girls take afterwards, Keitaro wasn’t sure.  Maybe Amalla’s little heart-to-heart with Naru in the baths had some effect on her as well.  Honestly, Keitaro felt that things would come to blows between the two of them back then, and was quite shocked to see Naru brought to tears without so much as a slap or any act of violence occurring.

Now, ever since that little episode in the baths, Naru was just as adamant about (1) loving Keitaro with greater passion, and (2) spreading the love around with the other women of Hinata House.  She had made that clear enough with each threeway romp between Keitaro and his sexual conquests so far.

Deciding not to raise objections to Naru’s declaration (figuring it would be a waste of time and effort), Keitaro decided to change the conversation.

“Well then, umm…I was gonna go make something for breakfast.  I don’t know if you want to join me or not.  Feel free to lay here in bed if you’d like to sleep in a little more…”

“Nonsense,” replied Naru, “I’ll be joining you of course.”  She finished with another kiss to Keitaro’s lips before loosening her grip on him.

As Keitaro got up and proceeded to put some clothes on, he heard the distinct thuds of Naru’s feet hitting the floor as she proceeded to stand upright…

…followed by a third thud, but from a different spot…

…a spot that sounded more upwards, towards the ceiling.

Turning around, Keitaro’s suspicions were confirmed as he took in the sight of his girlfriend in all of her splendorous, beautiful glory.

Naru Narusegawa’s head was touching the nine-foot-high ceiling of his bedroom.

For a moment, Keitaro just stood in pure wonder at the sight before him.  His girlfriend was even larger than she was the night before.  Granted, it was ‘only’ a height increase of a few inches, but even so, the fact that she was now tall enough where the top of her head made contact with the ceiling was phenomenal in its own regard.

“N-Naru…are you…alright?” asked Keitaro almost breathlessly as he took in the towering beauty before him.  In response, Naru simply projected a warm, zen-like smile as she gazed down at him.

“I feel wonderful, Kei-kun,” she giggled.  “No need to worry about me.  I’m as fit as a fiddle.”

“Are you sure?  Because I’ve heard it said that people with…extreme cases of…I guess this would be considered ‘gigantism’...well, people who are diagnosed with it tend to have serious long-term health problems, especially regarding their skeletal and circulatory systems.  Are you REALLY okay, Naru?”

In response, Naru simply leaned down and scooped up Keitaro in her arms, holding him effortlessly against her torso (making sure to press his chest against her bosom as she did) and smiling dreamily at him.

“I’m perfectly fine, Kei-kun,” she replied calmly.  “No need to worry about me in the slightest, sweet as it is of you to do so.”  Naru then tilted her head down and kissed Keitaro once more on the lips.

“Even so, I imagine that it’s rather bothersome living in a world that seems to be shrinking all around you.  I mean…you’re now too tall to stand upright without worrying about your head bumping up against the ceiling, and that’s at the current moment to boot.  What about a few hours from now?  Or tonight?  Or the next day?  Doesn’t the thought of that worry you?  Or even upset you?”  Naru paused for a moment, deep in thought before replying.

“I can see where you’re going with this,” she said.  “I will admit, it’s certainly something of an inconvenience to have to navigate through doors, hallways, and even most rooms nowadays at my current size.  But as long as the building in general is big enough for this big ole body of mine, I don’t see too much to worry about.  I know it seems a little odd to hear, but in a way, I’m kind of getting used to this whole thing…and besides, I’m pretty sure that Kaolla is ‘on the job’ over this whole growing thing we’re all going through.  After all, she has just as much invested in this situation as the rest of us, given that she lives here with everyone else.  It would certainly be VERY inconvenient for her if she no longer had adequate shelter to accommodate her if she - and the rest of us - becomes too big to fit inside of it any longer.  So I’d not worry too much over this whole thing and just ‘go with the flow,’ as the saying goes, okay Sweetie?”  Naru gave another endearing smooch on Keitaro’s lips before gingerly setting him back down.

“Well then, if you’re sure, Naru,” replied Keitaro, deciding not to press the issue any further.  “But if you’re feeling off in any way, please let me know, okay?  I can’t help but worry about what’s happening to you - to all of you - as you get…you know…bigger.”

“Will do, Sweetie,” giggled Naru, “but you really need not worry about any of us.  I’m not a science-type like Kaolla, but I’d wager that we’re all feeling rather energetic and fit at the moment.  I know I most certainly am anyway.  Now what say we get something to eat then?  I’m feeling rather famished!”

Keitaro finished up with putting on some clothes while Naru fastened both her sports bra and matching yoga-style short shorts which Kaolla had fashioned for all the Hinata women.  Keitaro was just thankful that the material was super stretchy, lest the women end up bursting out of their clothes during each successive growth spurt.  Thankfully, between Kaolla’s little semi-countermeasure medication, her 3D clothing printer, and the super-elastic material of the clothes she could produce, finding adequate clothing wouldn’t be too much of a hassle for Naru and the others, at least for the foreseeable future anyway.

While they walked, Keitaro couldn’t help but ogle at Naru’s larger form as she walked in front of him (her larger strides making it only too easy for her to outpace him by now).  The way her powerful legs carried her gorgeous form, the slight jiggle of her bosom and asscheeks, the light thud of her footfalls with each step…it was rather awe-inspiring for Keitaro to witness such a woman making her way through the halls, bending ever so slightly to keep her head from scraping against the ceiling as she walked.

“See something you like, Darling?” asked Naru as she looked over her shoulder and down at her lover.

“Oh…umm…I’m sorry,” replied a flustered Keitaro, looking off to the side in embarrassment.  A moment later, Naru stopped in her tracks, about-faced Keitaro, and knelt down right in front of him so that her face was less than a foot away from his as she caught his chin in her thumb and forefinger.

“Now you see here, Kei-kun,” she said firmly but also gently, “don’t you EVER feel embarrassed or ashamed over looking at me, understand?  I love you, and I plan to be with you for the rest of my life.  As far as I’m concerned, we’re married in all but name, so I don’t want you feeling like you’re unworthy to look at me.  It makes me happy that my body gets your interest and attention…that it excites you.”  A moment later, Naru planted a French kiss on Keitaro’s lips, catching him unaware in the process.  Even so, Keitaro followed through a moment later, closing his eyes, placing his hands upon Naru’s cheeks, inhaling deeply, and savoring the kiss, which was driving the two of them crazy with sexually-induced fervor.

Pulling away from the kiss, Naru smiled as she gazed deeply into Keitaro’s eyes.

“After breakfast, we can continue this back in the bedroom, if you’re up for it,” she grinned.

“Really?” asked a surprised Keitaro.  “So early in the morning?”

“I’m up for it any time if it’s you, Kei-kun,” Naru answered.  “If you’d like, I can ask some of the other girls if they’d like to join us.  I figure the more the merrier, though I’m sure that if I raise the offer that literally ALL of the ones you’ve bedded so far will want to join in, including a few others here and there.”

In fact, the list of women who WEREN’T hungry or thirsty for some intimacy with Keitaro was shorter than the list of those who were.  The only ones left who might put up some degree of hesitancy or resistance to the proposition were Haruka, Sarah, and maybe Mei, and Naru (along with others) would act accordingly to make that otherwise.

Upon reaching the kitchen area, Naru and Keitaro were greeted by some of Amalla’s servants, who were in the process of laying out various breakfast dishes already.  On the table was an assortment of fresh fruit - bits of apples, oranges, bananas, pineapple, etc. - along with slices of toast, bagels, muffins, and English muffins.  The servants themselves were busy at the stove, putting waffles in the toaster one at a time, scrambling eggs in the frying pan, and preparing pancakes in another pan.

“Good morning, Mr. Urashima, Lady Naru,” said one of the servants as she started making coffee in one pot and tea in another, “I hope you slept well.”

“Very well, thank you,” grinned Naru.

“Would you care for something to eat?” asked another servant, currently getting orange juice out of the fridge and preparing several glasses.

“That sounds lovely,” Naru answered as she perused the selection, taking a plate in her hands.  Keitaro couldn’t help but stare at how much smaller the plate and utensils were in Naru’s larger hands now, as if she were using a plate meant for snacks or hors d'oeuvres.

“I wish I could provide larger plates for you all,” sighed Keitaro as he observed while grabbing his own plate.

“Oh Kei-kun, there you go again needlessly worrying,” chuckled Naru.  “There’s really no need to fret over such a thing.  At worst, this is a minor inconvenience, nothing more, so no more racking your brain with worry now, okay?”  She leaned in for another peck on Keitaro’s cheek and lips to alleviate his concerns.

Not long after while Naru and Keitaro were picking their selection of various foodstuffs, the thudding of footsteps indicated that the other women were up and about, making their way downstairs and towards the kitchen.

Sure enough, Keitaro was greeted with the sight of the many amazonian beauties, all of them ducking through the doorway into the kitchen and taking in the sight of breakfast before them.  Like Naru, all of them were wearing their pseudo-underwear (covering both their bosoms and their lower parts).  Keitaro couldn’t help but pick up that many of them were now hunched slightly so as to keep their heads from pressing against the ceiling, meaning that they were now nine feet tall or greater.

‘At this rate, it won’t be long before ALL of them are too tall to stand upright indoors in pretty much every room in the dorms.  Only the main hall area will be tall enough, and who knows how long it’ll be before they’re all too tall for even THAT room?  I hope Kaolla’s got something in the works, because otherwise it’s gonna be very, VERY difficult for them to live in this place…never mind the attention they’ll be getting in town and throughout the county, if they haven’t already gotten peoples’ attention.’

“Everything alright, Kei-kun?” asked Amalla, sensing worry in the young man’s face.

“Oh…umm…no, it’s nothing.  Sorry to make you worry…” he chuckled, trying to put on a brave face.

Without warning, Amalla crossed the threshold, knelt down, placed her large hands upon Keitaro’s shoulders, and leaned in for a smooch, making sure to have it last as long as possible before needing to come up for air.  Needless to say, Keitaro was caught off guard, as were some of the other women who were surprised at how forward and direct the older Su sister was being so early in the morning.

“You know, I can tell when you’re worried, Kei-kun,” grinned Amalla.  “It’s sort of a gift of mine, reading people and all that.  Now don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours over our little…growth spurt situation, understand?  It simply will not do to have our husband wrought with worry over us, sweet as it is of you to do so, of course.”

“B-but, Amalla,” replied Keitaro, “you have to admit that life here is gonna be EXTREMELY difficult for you all if you keep getting bigger and bigger.  I mean, look at you!  You’re already too tall to stand upright indoors, and if you keep getting bigger, that’s only going to become more problematic over time.  I mean, I don’t mean to make you worry, really I don’t, but it’s just something I have at the back of my mind all the time, at least until Kaolla has a permanent solution.”

“No need to worry on that part, Kei-kun,” replied Kaolla as she walked up towards Keitaro and Amalla.  “Rest assured that I have contingency plans laid out for everything you’ve just brought up…and so has my big sister here as well.  So no more of this fretting or worrying now, okay?”  She grinned as she knelt down and planted her own smooch on Keitaro’s lips, making Amalla grin all the while as she did so.

After the kiss broke off, Keitaro simply stood there like a deer in the headlights, unsure how to respond.  Seconds later, he managed to collect himself and replied accordingly.

“I don’t know how or why you can be so confident and certain that things will work out,” he said, “but I’ll try to trust in your judgement and planning, for the time being anyway.”

“That’s good to hear, Kei-kun,” giggled Kaolla.

The other women proceeded to help themselves to the plethora of breakfast items to partake in, be they waffles, pancakes, pieces of fruit, cups of coffee, glasses of orange juice, pieces of toast, or anything else they could help themselves to.  Amalla’s servants told them that they only make a request for whatever was available and it would be prepared and served right away.

“Please don’t overwork yourselves,” Keitaro told them.  “We certainly appreciate what you do for us, but I don’t want you all working yourselves to the bone.”

“It’s really no bother at all, Mr. Urashima,” replied one of the male servants.  “All of us here have been in service to the royal family for many years.  For some of us, our servitude goes back generations.  We have been bred for service in the comfort of others, especially the royal family and our queen and Princess Kaolla.  And since our queen has effectively made all of you part of her family, that makes you all by extension part of the royal family, whom we are devoted to caring for to the best of our abilities.  So like Queen Amalla has told you already, please don’t worry yourself over us or our workload.  I promise that we’re more than up for the task and that we won’t overexert ourselves.  You just spend your time enjoying yourself…and seeing to your…mates, so to speak.”

Keitaro couldn’t help but blush on that last part, given that he was effectively being told to continue partaking of the harem which Amalla (and several of the other women) were pretty much roping him into by this point.  And it seemed that Amalla’s servants were pretty much telling him to fully embrace indulging in said harem and embrace his role as a ‘player’ or even an outright ‘harem king’ as some might refer to such a title.

In fact, during breakfast, while the women ate (sitting on a plethora of large pillows and blankets for cushioning, now far too big to sit in normal chairs out of fear of breaking them), many of Keitaro’s “conquests” desired for kissing him while they ate.  Even some of those whom he had not yet bedded wanted to kiss him.  So during breakfast, in between bites of food and sips of juice or coffee, Keitaro found himself being assaulted by one French kiss after another from one amazon to the next.  The only ones who didn’t kiss him were Haruka, Sarah, and Mei.

From Keitaro’s perspective, his jaw was most definitely getting a workout between chewing his food and locking lips with each and every woman who kissed him, forcing her tongue down his throat and filling the confines of his mouth as she did so.  There were times when the “hungrier” members of the group (particularly Naru, Kitsune, and Kanako) had to be gently tapped on the shoulder and reminded to pace herself and go easy on Keitaro during their makeout sessions.

So it was that a meal session that should have lasted maybe an hour at the most ended up going well over double that amount of time, given the amount of smooching and caressing of bodies between Keitaro and his growing harem.  For a moment, Keitaro worried that things would get too hot and heavy and end up turning into an outright morning orgy in either the kitchen or the living room (which he figured that Amalla would be only too eager and happy to have occur, knowing her super-pervy mindset).

Mercifully, things ended up not being taken to that extreme, with saner minds winning out for the day.  Once mealtime had concluded and everyone had their fill of food and drink, the women began handing off their plates for the servants to wash and/or place in the washing machine.

It was at this moment that Keitaro took in the view of the HInata women, noticing that they all appeared slightly larger than they were just yesterday.  Hopefully, Kaolla’s little countermeasure was doing its job and at the very least slowing down both their rate of growth and how much they grew during each successive growth spurt, though a cure that could stop their growth outright would be preferable.

Deciding to address the matter of how much everyone had grown by overnight, Kaolla once again pulled out her scanner device and got everyone’s updated measurements:

Naru: 8’9’’ to 9’0’’

Kitsune: 9’0’’ to 9’4’’

Mutsumi: 9’0’’ to 9’3’’

Shinobu: 8’6’’ to 8’9’’

Kanako: 8’8’’ to 9’0’’

Motoko: 9’3’’ to 9’6’’

Kaolla: 8’3’’ to 8’6’’

Haruka: 9’2’’ to 9’6’’

Sarah: 8’4’’ to 8’8’’

Mei: 8’6’’ to 8’9’’

Nyamo: 8’6’’ to 8’10’’

Amalla: 9’6’’ to 9’10’’

Tsuruko: 9’9’’ to 10’0’’

So to stack them up in height from shortest to tallest:

8’6’’ - Kaolla

8’8’’ - Sarah

8’9’’ - Shinobu, Mei

8’10’’ - Nyamo

9’0’’ - Naru, Kanako

9’3’’ - Mutsumi

9’4’’ - Kitsune

9’6’’ - Haruka, Motoko

9’10’’ - Amalla

10’0’’ - Tsuruko

“Ten feet tall,” whispered Keitaro as he heard Tsuruko’s latest height read out.  That alone was enough to make his heart skip a beat as to just how BIG she had become.  Of course, Amalla wasn’t far behind either, and how long would it be before the other women - ALL of the other women - were in the ten-foot-range?  Hell, all but the youngest five of them were now ceiling-height or taller for most of the rooms, and Nyamo was almost as tall as the ceiling.  It would probably be only a few more days (a week tops) before literally every woman at Hinata House was too tall to stand indoors.

“Well then,” said Amalla to the group, “now that breakfast has been had, do any of you have plans for the day?”

“We should probably finish up on our homework,” said Mei, referring to herself and the other middle-school girls in her group, “as well as listen in on our online lessons, given that we’re now homeschooling for the time being.”

“I still think the principal overreacted to our little growth spurt,” mumbled Kaolla.

“Now now, Su,” replied Motoko, “the teachers there were just looking out for the welfare of the other students.  You can’t really fault them for wanting to play it safe for the sake of the other students and the teachers.”

“It’s not like we were gonna be threatening or anything like that,” pouted Kaolla.  “We might be bigger, but that alone doesn’t make us dangerous.”

“Well then, Kaolla-chan, you can use this as motivation to find out a cure to shrink us back down to our original size then, or at the very least stop any further growth,” said Shinobu, trying to spin things in a more positive direction.

“Yeah yeah, I suppose you’re right,” sighed the younger Su sister.

“What about the rest of you then?” asked Amalla.

“Normally I’d be tending to matters at the teahouse, though it’s probably best that I keep a low profile for the time being,” said Haruka.  “Don’t want to cause a scare for any incoming customers if I waltz right in, especially as I’m dressed at the moment.”

“I dunno, Haru-chan,” cooed Kitsune.  “I’d imagine that ya’d have QUITE a bit of newly arrivin’ customers when they get a good look at ‘cha.  You’d certainly have a coupla fella’s goin’ wide-eyed once they’d get a sneak peek of whatcha got goin’ on.  I know that I certainly would for one thing.”

“Come on now, Kitsune,” sighed Haruka.  “It’s too early in the day to be getting flirty.  I mean, I’m glad that you had…fun last night, but try to keep your clothes on today, would you kindly?”  Once again, Keitaro couldn’t help but blush at what Haruka was implying about last night, given that he was party to the hot-and-heavy action that happened less than twenty-four hours ago.

“Well, I was planning on doing some more sword practice out on the back deck,” answered Tsuruko.  “Would you care to join me, Motoko?”

“Sure thing, dear sister,” answered the younger Aoyama woman.  The two of them bowed and took their leave, making their way to their joint bedroom to collect their swords.  Not long after, Kaolla, Shinobu, Nyamo, Sarah, and Mei left as well to catch up on their schoolwork.

“And the rest of you?” asked Amalla to the remainder.

“I’m going to spend some time with Kuro for a little while,” replied Kanako, feeling that her pet cat needed a little quality time with her master.

“I think I’ll do the same with Tama,” grinned Mutsumi, who was always at peace whenever spending time with the beloved pet turtle who had made Hinata House her home as well.

“I’ll join you,” added Naru, deciding to follow after Mutsumi, but not before planting one last kiss on Keitaro’s lips before heading off with the Okinawan beauty.

“And you, Ki-chan?” Amalla asked Kitsune.

“Well, tempted as I am to spend some quality time with Kei-kun here,” she replied, “I think I’m gonna head back to my room and tidy up a lil’ bit.”

“Really?” asked Amalla.  “Because I can send one of the servants to do it for you and-”

“I know you can, Ama-chan, and I appreciate that, really I do.  But this is somethin’ I’d rather do on my own, have a lil’ time to myself and all that, ya know?  Don’t worry, I’ll holler for one of your people to give me a hand if I really need it, okay, Sugar?”

“Alright then, if you insist,” Amalla relented, seeing the fox-eyed beauty head off towards her room.

That left Keitaro in the kitchen with Amalla and Haruka, curious as to what would occur between the three of them.

‘Knowing Amalla, she’ll try to initiate something between the three of us…most likely involving a bed to boot,’ thought Keitaro.  He had spent enough time in Amalla’s company to know that the woman had a potentially limitless sex drive and an appetite for intimacy that seemed to grow alongside her own body.  He pondered whether or not the Molmolian beauty ever got physically TIRED at all or if she was some kind of Energizer bunny who could just go on and on and ON for hours without stopping.

“Well then, I suppose that leaves the three of us then,” chimed Amalla as she looked upon both Haruka and Keitaro.

“Look, whatever you have planned for today, I’ll leave you to it,” said Haruka as she proceeded to make her way out of the dining area, before being intercepted by Amalla.

“Ah ah ah, my dear sweet Haru-chan,” she cooed.  “I was thinking that you and I should spend some quality time together.  After all, like you said, it’s probably best that you keep a low profile from the public eye, so what say all three of us get to spend some time with each other for a little bit?”

“Knowing you, it involves scented candles, mood music, a fireplace, and some plush bedding, am I right?” asked Haruka somewhat dryly.

“It’s a tempting picture you paint, my sweet Haru-chan, but I’ll hold back from such temptation…for now, anyway.  I was thinking of something along the lines of watching a movie perhaps or even just finding something amusing on the TV to watch for a little bit, just to kill some time.”

“I don’t know,” replied Haruka, sensing that Amalla was up to something.

“What’s wrong, Haru-chan?  Do you not enjoy my company?”  The tone in Amalla’s voice indicated a touch of being hurt, though whether this was genuine or an act, Haruka wasn’t fully sure.

“Just…promise me that you won’t do anything too…frisky, okay?  I’d rather keep my clothes for the next few hours and not have them stripped off of me.”

“Deal,” grinned Amalla, before leaning in to plant a quick peck on Haruka’s lips, catching the older woman unawares, making her eyes widen and blush form on her cheeks.

“Why did you do that?” asked a flustered Haruka.

“Sealed the deal with a kiss,” answered Amalla.  “Plus it’s fun to catch you off guard like that.  You’re adorable when you’re surprised like that, you know.  Now come along you two.”  Amalla gently pushed both the Urashimas towards the living room, using her height advantage over the two of them to gently goad them towards one of the larger couches so all three of them could be seated together.

Amalla made sure to have Keitaro seated between both her and Haruka, placing him on each of their thighs as a makeshift seat while the two women were propped up against each other, With Haruka on Amalla’s right, with Amalla’s arm wrapped snugly around Haruka shoulders to keep her from getting away.

“Getting a little friendly now, aren’t we, Amalla?” asked Haruka.

“Nonsense,” she answered.  “I just like to show my lovers that I care for each and every one of them.”

“Seriously?  We’re back on that again?” scoffed Haruka.

“I meant every word of what I said back in the baths, Haru-chan,” Amalla shot back wholeheartedly.  “As far as I’m concerned, each and every one of you are my partners, my mates, my spouses, my wives with Keitaro as our husband.  I intend to make each and every one of you my lovers, and to shower you with so much affection and care that it makes your hearts burst.”

For a moment, both Keitaro and Haruka simply sat there in stunned silence.  No matter how many times they heard her say it, it was rather disarming to hear Amalla basically declare her love for both of them (along with everyone at Hinata House) with the intent to drown them in affection, whether that was in the bedroom or even just going about their day-to-day lives.

“Now then, if we’ve cleared the air on what my intentions are,” continued Amalla, “what say we see what’s on, shall we?”  Both Haruka and Keitaro simply nodded in agreement/acquiescence.

After some channel surfing, the three ended up settling on a local soap opera show, one of those lovey-dovey romance/drama types of shows.  The acting was far from top-notch and the storyline left something to be desired, but even so, it kept the trio’s attention for the most part.  Perhaps it was because all three of them had their own histories with romance in their own respective way, with Keitaro having his whole “promise girl” adventure up to this point, Haruka having her own love dodecahedron issues with Seta, Julia, and Keitaro, and Amalla having undergone married life back home in Molmol along with forming ANOTHER harem at Hinata at present.

Forty-five minutes later, the trio was deep into the soap opera, learning that there was a male character who was torn between loving two different women and struggling over which to pursue a relationship with.

At that moment, Amalla gave a sideways glance to see that Haruka had a tear forming along the corner of her eye.

“What’s wrong, Haru-chan?” Amalla asked.

“Nothing,” answered Haruka, mildly sniffing in the process.

“Then why are you tearing up?” asked Amalla.  “And don’t say that you aren’t because I saw you doing so just a second ago.”  Haruka paused in reflection, took a deep breath, and then turned her head slightly to face Amalla.

“Because it’s a no-win situation,” began Haruka.  “Here we have two wonderful women, both of them beautiful and good-hearted, and both of them are in love with Mr. Nice Guy, who himself isn’t pig-headed or vain or anything like that.  Every one of them deserves to be with the person they love, but they can only be with ONE person, plain and simple.  So no matter how you cut it, somebody is going to get their heart broken.  He genuinely loves the both of them, and each of them feel the exact same way about him in return, and yet he can only take one of them as his wife.  It’s just…so sad, in the end, because one of them is going to experience so much heartache when he makes his choice.”

“Well, I can’t determine how the story ends since I’m not the writer or director, but if it were my call, I’d just have the three of them all be lovers to one another, plain and simple,” replied Amalla.

“Of course you’d say that,” replied Haruka, “but the real world just doesn’t work out that way.”

“And why not?” asked Amalla.  “Why shouldn’t they all get a happy ending and be with the person they love?”

“Because society would frown upon that sort of thing,” answered Keitaro as he focused on the screen.

“And what is society exactly, Kei-kun?” Amalla retorted.  “Who within society declares what kind of relationship consenting adults want to enter into?”

“Well, that’s a bit of a grey answer to give on that question, Amalla,” answered Haruka, “but in short, it’s the dominant elements within a society that more-or-less determine whether that sort of thing is acceptable.  I mean, I know that multi-party relationships have existed here and there across different cultures and all, but most modern-day societies frown upon a relationship outside of “one man, one woman,” plain and simple.”

“What about the Muslim world?” asked Amalla.  “Last I checked, a man is legally allowed to have up to four wives in many of those countries.  Hell, the Mormons out in Utah had NO problem with one man having several wives up until Utah applied for statehood in the U.S.”

“Sure, you can find the occasional exception here or there,” replied Keitaro, “but MOST of the world frowns upon anything other than what Haruka just said.”

“Are you two saying this to keep yourselves from being tempted?” asked Amalla.

“From what?” asked both Haruka and Keitaro.

“From pursuing your hearts’ desires.”

“What?” asked both Haruka and Keitaro once more.

“You heard me,” grinned Amalla.  “In the case of Kei-kun, it’s pretty apparent, given the whole “Tokyo U promise girl” thing you had going on between Naru and Mutsumi not so long ago, as well as Kanako romantically pursuing you to boot.  And regarding Haru-chan, there’s the love dilemma you have, not just between Seta and Julia, but also including Kei-kun here to boot.  It’s clear enough to me that you’re in love with all three of them.”

“Th-that’s none of your damn business!” declared a blushing Haruka.

“Oh, on the contrary, I’m afraid it is, my dear Haru-chan,” replied Amalla.  “For you see, given that I consider both of you to be my lovers, it is very much my business to make sure that neither of you are wanting for lack of companionship.  In the case of Kei-kun, that’s simple enough, since it originally involved who to pick between Na-chan and Mu-chan, so I simply decided to make it so that not only would he get to be with the two of them, but with EVERYONE who has feelings for him.  In due time, I learned that that included Motoko-chan, Kaolla-chan, Shinobu-chan, and Kanako-chan, and the way things were looking, I figured that sooner or later that EVERYONE here at Hinata would fall in love with him to some extent, so I decided to simply preempt things by fastforwarding a predetermined outcome, that’s all.”

“Seriously?  You’re so sure and certain that things are going to come to that conclusion?” asked Haruka.

“Haruka-chan, do you dislike Kei-kun?” Amalla replied.

“Of course I don’t!” she shot back.  “He’s family.  I’ve known him since my childhood.  I’ve looked after him for much of his life.”

“Alright then.  Next question:  Are you or aren’t you in love with Kei-kun, Haru-chan?  Please look me in the eye when you answer and bear in mind I’ll know if and when you’re not being honest.”  Amalla cupped Haruka’s chin in her thumb and forefinger and gently turned her head towards the dark-skinned beauty.  The act caught Haruka unaware, and the normally stoic and level-headed Urashima woman simply stared into Amalla’s piercing blue eyes.

“I…I…” stuttered Haruka.  Amalla simply smirked and chuckled in response.

“Yes, my sweet little Haru-chan?” she replied, increasing her one arm over Haruka’s shoulder while gently tightening her other over Keitaro, making sure that neither of them could escape Amalla’s grip at the moment.

“I…” Haruka’s eyes began to tear up and her will began to waver.

“Please, just let it out, Haru-chan,” cooed Amalla.  “We both know what you want.  You can’t hide your desires from the likes of me.”

“I…I’m…a terrible person,” Haruka whispered.

“Why on earth would you say such a thing?” Amalla scoffed.

“Because I can’t commit myself to loving one person…but three people at the same time,” Haruka quietly muttered.  “I know I shouldn’t, especially because one of them is my freakin’ RELATIVE for God’s sake!  But even so…I can’t help how I feel about all three of them.  I love them all so very much.  Just thinking about them makes my heart flutter, but I shouldn’t think this way.  That’s why I’m a terrible person.”

“Haru-chan, if you’re a terrible person for loving the way you do, then I’m an outright monster or demon for loving the way that I do,” replied Amalla as she increased her hold on the Urashima woman.  “I don’t ever want you thinking that you’re awful or anything like that for loving people the way that you do, understand?”

“Amalla’s right, Haruka,” Keitaro added.  “If you think you’re a bad person for having the feelings that you have - which you AREN’T by the way - then I’m even more of a bad person than you for having the feelings which I have, and for the things that I’ve done over the past few nights.  So please…don’t do this to yourself, Haruka.  Please don’t hate yourself.”

‘Goddammit,’ thought Haruka at that moment.  ‘Why does he have to be so damn sweet and earnest like that?  Why can’t he just say I’m terrible?  Why!?’

For a moment, there was silence between the three, with only the television playing in the background.  Both Keitaro and Amalla were focusing all their attention on Haruka, who herself was in quite the emotional tempest.  Not long ago, she was killing time by watching some corny soap opera on the couch.  Now she was being put on the spot on matters of romantic love, in front of one of the people she loved whole-heartedly no less.

“Goddammit,” Haruka muttered aloud.  Right now, she could REALLY use a cigarette.

“I’ll ask again, Haru-chan,” Amalla said, her vision focused with hawk-like precision on Haruka, “do you have feelings of romantic love for Kei-kun, yes or no?”

Haruka gently tilted her head to face Amalla, staring with sad eyes at the Molmolian queen, lost in her gaze for several seconds.  She then turned her view towards the young man seated in her lap, took a deep breath, placed her hands upon the sides of Keitaro’s head, brought her own face closer and closer to his own, and planted her lips upon Keitaro’s lips.

It was only for a few seconds, maybe ten at the most, but in that very moment, Haruka felt time slow down drastically, like the slow motion scenes from the Matrix series where the protagonist Neo could dodge bullets like it was nothing.  During that kissing session, the emotional floodgates within Haruka Urashima had opened up and she poured all of those years of affection and love for Keitaro into that kiss.  A small part of her was tempted to take things much, much further than a simple smooch, but the rational part of her brain pulled her back from taking that impulsive leap into more adult-rated territory.

Once she broke off the kiss, Haruka turned back to look at Amalla, small trickles of tears running down her cheeks as she faced her.

“Happy now?  Does that answer your question?” Haruka sullenly replied.

“Very much on both of those questions, my dear Haru-chan,” Amalla answered with a calm grin.

Deciding that she couldn’t handle any more emotional turmoil, Haruka gently pushed Keitaro aside before getting up from the couch.

“If you’ll excuse me,” she said quietly, only to have her wrist snatched by Amalla.  The Molmolian had a firm grip on Haruka’s wrist, but applied just enough pressure to hold her in place without hurting her.

“Wait,” Amalla said plainly.

“Let me go,” Haruka replied.

“Just hear me out, Haru-chan,” Amalla continued.

“Listen, I’m not in the mood for this at the moment,” Haruka spat back.  “I need to be alone for a while, and I sure as shit could REALLY use a smoke right about now.  So let me be clear when I say this, Amalla:  Let. Me. Go. Now.”

Amalla slowly loosened her hold on Haruka’s wrist, letting the Urashima woman pull her arm away.  She took one last look at both Keitaro and Amalla, tears in her eyes, before turning around and leaving the couch, presumably heading towards her bedroom.

“I wish there was something I could do to help her not feel that way,” Keitaro quietly said.

“I’ll go have a word with her,” Amalla replied, getting up and slowly making her way after Haruka.  A second later, she stopped in her tracks, turned around, leaned down, cupped Keitaro’s head in her hands, and smooched him on the lips.

“None of that is your fault, Kei-kun,” Amalla said soothingly.  “Just know that, before you start shouldering unnecessary burdens.  I’ll go have a chat with Haru-chan.  I’ll probably get some of the other girls to help me out in getting her to turn around and stop punching herself over all this.  Why don’t you go stretch your legs and see how the others are doing?  Maybe go check on Motoko-chan and Tsuruko-chan or something?  We’ll speak again soon, Love.”

That last part made Keitaro blush slightly, being referred to as “Love” by Amalla, as if the two were already married or at the very least formally engaged.  A moment later, the towering dark-skinned beauty ducked thorugh the doorway, presumably to go after Haruka.

“Guess I’ll take her advice, to stretch my legs and see how the others are doing if nothing else,” muttered Keitaro as he made his way towards the back deck to check on the Aoyama sisters during their swordplay training.