The somewhat dirty, rugged van made its way up the hillside road towards Hinata House, winding along the modest twists and turns on the way up.  The driver of said van - a somewhat tall, lean man wearing an open white lab coat, slacks, dress shirt, loosened tie, dress shoes, glasses, and mild stubble on his chin - proceeded at a leisurely pace, as if he had not a worry in the world.

To be more specific, the driver was one Noriyasu Seta, a thirty-something archaeology professor from Tokyo University who was the adoptive father to one Sarah McDougal, the teacher/mentor to one Naru Narusegawa, and the lover to two women - one Julia McDougal (Sarah’s mother) and one Haruka Urashima.

A man who was generally laid-back and easygoing for the most part, Seta tried to take things in stride and not get too bogged down by the everyday humdrum of life’s minor obstacles.  The way he saw things, life was too short to be hampered by such relatively minor inconveniences.  Better to try and enjoy each and every day as much as possible, because before you realize it, the day would be over and forever passed, with no chance of a do-over.

Of course, that wasn’t to say that Seta couldn’t be troubled by certain concerns or obstacles, if they were big enough and serious enough.

For instance, one of the few moments in his life that put him in a nearly full-blown panic was Julia’s health.

During his years of overseas expeditions to various archaeological digs, Seta had become romantically entwined with both Haruka and Julia.  When all three of them met up in their younger years, Seta was put in a real bind as to who he would pick between Haruka and Julia, given that he didn’t want to be accused of being a two-timing playboy.  Fortunately for Seta, Haruka and Julia knew that he wasn’t that kind of guy and decided that they wouldn’t put him on the spot like that.  As odd and improbable as it sounds, they decided on an unofficial ‘menage a trois’ kind of relationship, with them putting off formal engagement for the future if things ever got to that point.  When the question came up as to how to explain to Sarah that she might have two mothers in the process, it was Julia who told both Haruka and Seta that she would explain things to her daughter to help her understand (and hopefully accept) such an arrangement between the three of them.

Then with Julia’s sickness, Seta came to an emotional standstill…

The very realization of one’s mortality brought Seta to a point of serious inflection.  Until that moment, he never really had to deal with the concept of loss to such an extent as that.  Sure, a dead pet during childhood or a grandparent peacefully passing away in their sleep was one thing, but losing someone so close to his heart…the thought of such a thing practically made Seta freeze up in equal parts shock and disbelief.  Though Julia eventually made a slow-but-steady recovery, the thought of losing her put Seta in a very deep emotional hole.  For a few weeks after her brush with death, Seta descended into a momentary bout of excessive smoking and drinking to numb the pain of losing her.  Thanks to goading from Sarah, Haruka, and what few work-related friends he had, Seta managed to pull himself out of his slump and start to shave and shower more regularly.  He made a habit of visiting Julia more often (partly to check on her for her own physical well-being as well as for HIS own emotional well-being).  The whole episode made things a bit tense between Seta and Haruka, since Haruka didn’t want to win Seta’s heart by nefarious or underhanded means by swooping in and nabbing him while Julia was ill.  She simply didn’t want to win using such tactics, and if she was being honest with herself, while she initially perceived Julia as a love rival, she had come to see her as a love partner ALONGSIDE Seta rather than someone to compete with for his love and affection.  The thought of losing Julia shook Haruka as much as it did Seta, though she managed to handle the emotional trauma of the event better than he did (but only slightly more).

In any case, once Julia began recovering from her illness-related brush with death, both Seta and Haruka started making progress, albeit slower than either of them would have liked.  They simply felt that until Julia was at full strength that it simply wasn’t the time to continue deepening their threeway relationship.

But anyways, back to the present…

As Seta parked the van, he made his way up towards the front entrance of Hinata House.  While normally he would call ahead a day or two in advance, he felt like surprising everyone this time around.  He even brought some sake and some overseas delicacies from his latest archaeological trip in the South Pacific, mainly some entrees of the local cuisine sealed up in a cooler on ice.  Hopefully, at least some of the residents at Hinata would enjoy the meals he brought.  At bare minimum Kitsune and Haruka would enjoy the sake he brought if nothing else.  He also was hoping to catch up with Sarah and spend some quality father-daughter time with her.  After a lengthy chat with Julia, the two of them agreed that Seta should make an effort to spend more time with Sarah during her adolescent years.  Of course, that was tricky between Julia’s regular doctor visits both at home and at hospitals and Seta’s work requirements, but the two of them agreed that they would make more of an effort to be there for her.

Such was Seta’s line of thinking as he made his way up the stairs towards the front doors of Hinata House, a bottle of sake in hand as he knocked on the front door.  Within seconds, someone answered the door for him.

To Seta’s surprise, it wasn’t one of the residents at Hinata House who opened the door, but a dark-skinned foreigner dressed in rather exotic garb.  From what Seta could discern, the foreigner (a woman) hailed from either India or somewhere in southern Asia or the South Pacific.

“Hello sir,” she said with a smile and a slight bow.  “Can I help you?”

“Oh, well this is a surprise,” Seta chuckled with a warm, endearing smile.  “My apologies if I’ve startled you.  My name is Noriyasu Seta.  I’m a friend of Haruka’s…well, her and a few of the other women here.  I suppose you could say that I’m something of a friend of the Urashima family in general.  I know this is a little sudden and all, but I thought I’d stop by and pay a visit, if that’s alright?”  The Molmolian servant girl studied Seta as he spoke, doing her utmost to get a read on him to see if he was trustworthy or came with nefarious motives in mind.  A few seconds pass before she replies.

“Very well then, Mr. Seta, if I’m pronouncing that right.  Please forgive me if I got that wrong.  I get confused with the Japanese honorifics and figuring out first name from last name.  Please come in and take a seat in the front lobby.  Someone will fetch you shortly.”

“Why thank you, young lady,” Seta replied as the woman beckoned him inside.  As he made his way into the front lobby, Seta gave the young lady a once-over, trying to discern her country/region of origin.  Something about her skin tone, facial features, and overall garb made him think of a certain dark-skinned supergenius resident at Hinata House.

“Say…” Seta began once more, “if I’m not imposing or being too intrusive, do you by chance know about a young woman named Su?  She should be a resident here if I recall.”

“Why indeed I do, Mr. Seta,” the young lady replied with a grin.  “I believe you’re referring to Princess Kaolla of the Kingdom of Molmol, and she does indeed reside here.”

“A princess you say?” Seta asked with a raised eyebrow.  He didn’t inquire too much into the personal lives of the other Hinata residents aside from Haruka (being lovers with her) and Sarah (being her father), so he was genuinely shocked to find out that Kaolla Su was literal royalty.

“Yes she is, Mr. Seta,” the servant girl replied definitively.  “I should let you know that there is a sizable contingent of us who have flown in from our homeland to help and assist Princess Kaolla, as well as our Queen, Lady Amalla Su, who also resides here.  We live to serve and assist them in whatever capacity we can, along with the others who reside here at Hinata House.”

“Well…that’s rather considerate of you all,” Seta responded, feeling it best to keep the conversation going and to be as friendly as he could.  He had an inkling that the young Molmolian woman he was speaking to wasn’t just a royal servant but also a potential bodyguard with significant physical training and thus able to lay down a thrashing if deemed necessary.  That would make sense if two members of the Molmolian Kingdom’s royal family were currently residing at Hinata House.

“It’s only what is to be expected of us,” the servant replied matter-of-factly.  “Of course, each and every one of us among the royal family’s personal guard are only too happy to be of service towards our queen and our princess.  We live to serve and to be of assistance in any way deemed appropriate, including laying down our very lives for them if need be.  But enough about that.  I’ll go and notify our queen about your arrival, Mr. Seta.  If you’ll just wait here for a moment, someone will be with you shortly.”  As she spoke, two more Molmolian servants - one male and one female - entered the lobby and took up posting in a standby-type position, like British guards on duty at Buckingham Palace.

‘Guess they’re very security-conscious at the moment,’ thought Seta.  In a way, it made sense, given that two members of their royal family were residing at Hinata House, with one of them being their nation’s queen no less.

“I understand,” Seta responded warmly, not wanting to appear threatening or making these recent newcomers jumpy in any way.  “I’ll wait right here.”

With that, the first servant girl took her leave, presumably to notify their queen of Seta's arrival.  A few minutes pass, with Seta making mild small talk with the other two Molmolian servants, trying to break the ice.  To their credit, the servants were as polite as they were professional in responding to whatever questions or comments Seta made while he waited.

Soon enough, the original servant girl returned to the lobby, beelining directly towards Seta.

“Mr. Seta,” she began, “there’s something I feel you should be warned about upfront.”

“Oh?” he replied with a raised eyebrow.  “And what would that be?”

“It’s not a warning against your health or safety, just to be clear,” she continued, “just something you should know in advance so that you’re not overwhelmed or surprised by what you see, understand?  Otherwise, I imagine that you’ll not only be at a loss for words but you’ll possibly panic or faint at what you witness.”

“Well, that’s QUITE a warning to give, young lady,” Seta said with a mild chuckle.  “I appreciate the forwardness of such a thing, don’t get me wrong, but is it really THAT big of a thing to prepare for?”

“I’d certainly say that it’s quite a “big” thing to mentally brace for, yes,” she replied calmly.  “All that we ask is that you don’t make a scene or run off and go notifying the authorities or anyone else once you see what you’re about to see, understand?  Else we might be forced to restrain you for the sake of our queen.”

Seta looked back and forth between the first Molmolian servant and the other two put on standby to keep a watch on him.  By their demeanor, these servants appeared rather fit and alert, in peak physical conditioning by their musculature and overall build.  Even the women seemed quite strong, in the same league as professional martial artists or highly-trained soldiers.  While Seta prided himself on knowing a little kung-fu he picked up in his younger years, he wagered that if he WERE to fight them, the fight would probably not turn out in his favor, at least not when it was three-against-one anyway (he also didn’t like the idea of fighting two women to boot).

“Alright then,” Seta replied, raising his hands in a mild “I surrender” gesture to be compliant.  “I promise not to freak out or run off once you show me whatever it is you’re about to show me.  Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Very well then,” replied the servant as she turned towards a nearby doorway.  “My queen, I believe that he’s ready.”

WIthin seconds, Seta heard distinctly loud thuds, but it was the sight of what came next that really threw him off.  Passing through the seven-foot-tall doorway was a woman who was WELL over seven feet tall, bending significantly at the waist, knees, and neck to pass through.  Like the servants, she was dark-skinned, with silvery hair and blue eyes.  Her choice of garb ended up being nothing more than a very form-fitting sports bra and matching short shorts which hugged her waistline and buttocks like a second skin.  The woman’s build was firm but also very sexually alluring and she carried herself with an inherent grace and natural dignity.  She most certainly gave off queen-like vibes by her demeanor.

As this towering beauty crossed the threshold, standing upright once more, she came closer and closer towards Seta, her footfalls vibrating through the floorboards as she closed in on the man.  Seta had to crane his neck upwards to keep eye contact with this foreign beauty.

‘My goodness,’ Seta thought as he quietly gulped in mild trepidation, ‘she has to be a good nine feet tall…maybe even ten feet.’  He was making a rough guess as she neared closer and closer, using both his own height and the height of the lobby’s ceiling to gauge her height.  From what he could guess, the lobby’s ceiling was around twelve feet tall, and this woman wasn’t too far off from matching that height.

Stopping a few feet away, the towering beauty gazed at Seta, looking past her significant bosom down at the man.  Leaning forward slightly, she extended a hand in a gesture offering a handshake before speaking.

“Hello there,” she said in a rather alluring voice.  “I’m Amalla Su, Queen of the Molmolian Kingdom and Kaolla Su’s big sister.  It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Seta.”

“H-hello there, you’re majesty,” Seta replied, slowly reaching out to complete the handshake, his hand being engulfed within Amalla’s large but slender fingers as their arms moved up and down.  “The pleasure is as much mine as it is yours.”

‘She certainly is the BIG sister,’ Seta thought during the handshake.

“Oh there’s no need for formalities here, Mr. Seta,” Amalla grinned.  “Just Amalla is perfectly fine.  From what I’ve been told, you’re a friend of the family, so I’d prefer that we act in a more familial tone with one another.  And since Kaolla has become a member of the Hinata House family, I like to think of the Hinata family as part of MY family as well.  Therefore, as far as I’m concerned, you’re a part of my family, Mr. Seta.  In any case, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

The handshake broke off and Amalla took a seat on one of the nearby couches, which Seta noted looked comically too small for the towering beauty.

“Please, take a seat if you will,” Amalla gestured towards one of the single-seater chairs in the room.  Seta proceeded to do so, in part to avoid displeasing this statuesque stunner now before him.

“So…you’ve decided to drop by for a surprise visit, I understand?” Amalla asked.

“Yes,” Seta replied, “I apologize if I should have announced my arrival, but I believed there would be no harm in stopping by.  I was hoping to catch up and spend some quality time with some of the residents here, assuming they are here of course.”

“By chance are you referring to Miss Sarah and Miss Haruka?” Amalla asked.

“Those would be the two,” Seta replied with a grin.  “I mean, it would be nice to see how Naru, Keitaro, Kitsune, and the others here at the dorms are doing as well, don’t get me wrong.   But at bare minimum I just wanted to check up on Haruka and Sarah to make sure things are okay with them.”

“I see,” Amalla grinned in response.  “Well, you’ll be happy to know that Haruka, Sarah, and all of the others here are doing pretty well, all things considered, and I’d certainly love it if you stayed with us for a while to spend some time catching up with us.  After all, I consider you part of my family after all, Seta-san, if I can refer to you as such?”

“Family?” asked a bewildered Seta.  “I appreciate the friendliness of the gesture and all, but that’s a little surprising I must say.  We’ve only just met after all.”

“Not to toot my horn too much, but I’m a pretty good judge of character,” Amalla chuckled.  “I can make a pretty quick summarization of a person after getting to know them for a minute or two, and I can tell that you’re a good man.  And not to sound too intrusive or pry too much into your personal life, Seta-san, but I know about your…history, with Haruka…as well as the emotional roller coaster regarding her and…Julia, believe?”

Seta’s eyes widened in response.  Apparently, this woman knew a good deal about his history regarding Haruka, Julia, and probably Sarah by extension.  Assuming she really was Kaolla’s older sister, it was feasible that Kaolla could have divulged at least some information regarding Seta, Sarah, Haruka, and/or Julia during the months in which Sarah had been staying at HInata House.

“Well now,” Seta replied, “you have me at something of a disadvantage, Miss Amalla.  You seem to know quite a bit about me, yet I know almost nothing about you other than your title and that you’re Kaolla’s sister.”

“Oh, no need to worry about such things,” Amalla grinned.  “Assuming you plan on staying for the next few days, you’ll get to know more about me.  But more importantly, if you plan on staying here and catching up, there’s something you should know in advance.”

“That being?” Seta asked.

“I’m certain that you were quite shocked to see me when I first entered the room, given the size difference between us.  It’s only natural, what with me being nearly ten feet tall and all.  You’ve kept your composure rather well under the circumstances by the way, and I applaud you for that.  But you should know that I’m not the only one here who is like this.”

“You’re not?” Seta asked.

“No, I’m not,” Amalla grinned.  “You should know, dear Seta-san, that ALL of the women here at Hinata House have experienced something of a growth spurt over the past few days, thirteen of us in fact, including Haruka-chan and Sarah-chan.”

“Well now,” said an exasperated Seta, “that’s quite a thing to hear.  And in terms of this growth spurt, they’ve all…grown to the same…stature as you?”

“Not quite as tall as me, save for one of them,” Amalla elaborated, “but they have shot up several feet in height compared to where they were just a few days ago, yes.  I’d wager that the shortest among them are probably north of eight-and-a-half feet judging by the last measurments we took.”

“Measurements?  You mean…you’re all still growing?”

“Indeed we are,” Amalla grinned, “though our rate of growth appears to be slowing down somewhat over the last twenty-four hours or so.”

“Haruka and Sarah…they’re both still growing?”

“Indeed they are,” Amalla grinned once again.  “Blossoming into beautiful women all the while as they do so.  No need to worry about any physical ailments either.  I understand the concerns regarding one’s physical health under such growth, but the two of them - like the rest of us - are perfectly healthy all-around.  I figured that you should know this in advance, assuming you still wish to see the two of them.”

“O-of course I do,” Seta responded.

“Good to hear that,” Amalla replied.  “There’s also something else I feel that you should know, Seta-san, and I hope you have an open mind and won’t be too quick to judge.  Are you ready to hear it?”

“I suppose a little warning would be appreciated, given the seriousness of whatever it is you plan on telling me,” Seta replied with a shrug of the shoulders.

“Alright then, here goes,” said Amalla before taking a deep breath, exhaling, and then proceeding.

“I’m forming a harem between myself and all of the other women here at Hinata House, with Keitaro Urashima as our group husband.  I’ve made up my mind that we shall all be wedded to him, with everyone inducted as members of the Molmolian royal family.  That includes both Haruka-chan and Sarah-chan, who will become MY wives as well as Keitaro’s wives.  I know that everyone in the harem has feelings for Keitaro, and I simply feel it as my duty to see to it that everyone gets to have their “happy ever after” and be with Keitaro for the rest of their lives.  My mind is set and I don’t intend on stopping things from running their natural course.” Amalla paused as Seta took in this information.

To his credit, Seta didn’t faint or raise objections to what he was hearing, which was a little surprising, given that he was hearing that one of the women who he had romantic feelings for and the young woman who had come to love like a daughter were apparently being roped into a multi-party love arrangement with several other women and the dorm manager.

“This is…a lot to take in,” Seta replied, trying not to sound confrontational over what he just heard.

“There’s more, Seta-san,” Amalla continued.  “I know that Haruka has feelings for both Keitaro as well as for you and Sarah’s mother…Julia, is it?”  Seta nodded in confirmation.  “You see, my darling Haruka-chan feels conflicted over romantically loving all three of you.  Therefore, I’m going to do my part for my beloved and help her realize a simple truth to remedy this situation.”

“That being?” asked Seta with a cocked eyebrow.

“Why choose?” Amalla grinned.  “Why not simply love EVERYONE?”

“I beg your pardon?” Seta asked in a bewildered fashion.  “That…that’s…that’s not simply a feasible option, I’m afraid.”

“And why not?” asked Amalla rather bluntly.

“Well, for one thing it’s considered illegal and heavily frowned upon by society writ large,” Seta began.

“Not in Molmolian society it’s not,” Amalla countered.  “Polygamous relationships are both legally recognized and even embraced within Molmolian culture, and once you - meaning both you and Julia - are brought in as extended members of the Molmolian royal family, your union will be both recognized and embraced.”

“Now hold on a minute there,” Seta countered, “what makes you think that Julia and I would even consent to this kind of thing?”

“Seta-san, do you love Julia?” Amalla asked.  Seta paused for a few seconds before responding, not out of lack of conviction, but because the conversation had shifted so suddenly.

“Yes,” Seta said with full seriousness.

“And do you love Harua the same way?  Be honest.”

“I…I do,” Seta replied with a hint of shame.

“And you feel embarrassed or ashamed for loving two different women, is that it?”  Amalla reasoned matter-of-factly.

“Shouldn’t I?” Seta replied.  “Wouldn’t it be better to put all of my heart and soul into loving only one of them?”

“But they both sound like wonderful women,” Amalla replied with a grin.  “Wouldn’t it be better to simply make BOTH of them very happy, rather than leaving one of them with a broken heart?  From what I understand, you’re already halfway there with them anyway.  All you need is that final nudge to embrace the only viable conclusion for everyone’s happiness.  It’s really that simple.”  Seta paused before responding.

“You’re dead serious about this, aren’t you?” he asked in a skeptical tone of voice.

“I’ll put it to you this way, Seta-san:  I intend on marrying both Keitaro and every lovely lady here at Hinata House.  They all WILL be my spouses and lovers, plain and simple, including your dear Haruka-chan and Sarah-chan.  As for Haruka-chan, I’m going to have both you and Julia become HER lovers so that none of you are left out in the loving.  Now whether you and Julia wish to be folded into our own harem is up to you two and Haruka-chan to figure out.  But whenever Haruka-chan isn’t busy with loving Kei-kun, myself, or anyone else in our own harem, she’ll have time to catch up and reignite her love for both you and Julia.  It’s really THAT simple.”

“You’re not taking “no” for an answer in all of this, are you?” Seta asked.

“I’m afraid not, Seta-san,” Amalla grinned.  “Perhaps it comes with being royalty.  Generally speaking, on matters like these, I’m simply used to getting my way, especially when it concerns romantic love and family.  Like I said, I won’t force you and Julia into being part of MY harem.  I’m sure that would make things weird for Sarah-chan.  But you WILL marry and love both Haruka-chan and Julia for the sake of all three of you so that this matter can be ‘done and dusted,’ as the old saying goes.”

“And what makes you think Sarah is okay with any of this?” Seta countered once more.  “She’s a TEENAGER, for goodness sake!  She’s too young to get roped into this kind of thing.”

“Chronologically, Sarah-chan’s a teenager, yes,” Amalla responded, “but biologically speaking, she’s basically in her late teens to early twenties now, so as far as I’m concerned, she’s not too young for some good loving now.”

“What in the world are you talking about?” asked a bewildered Seta.

“I suppose it would be better to show rather than tell,” Amalla replied.  “Look, I’m going to go and fetch Haruka-chan and Sarah-chan so that you can have some private time to bond and catch up, on one condition of course.”

“What would that be?” Seta asked.  Amalla paused, taking another deep breath and exhaling before replying.

“Seta-san, do you love Haruka-chan romantically and Sarah-chan platonically enough that you won’t freak out at the sight of them, call them freaks, or run off the moment you see them?  It’s important that you’re completely honest and upfront with me with your answer.  Because if you tell me “yes” and then do the exact opposite, I’m going to be disappointed in myself for thinking that I had the right measure of you, then I’m going to keep you away from the two of them so that you can never hurt their feelings again, understand?”  The tone in Amalla’s voice was dead serious at this point.  Seta in turn took a deep breath before responding in turn.

“Yes,” he said plainly and bluntly.  “Sarah is my daughter.  I only want for her safety and happiness, and while I like Keitaro and think he’s a fine man, I’m hesitant to just plainly accept the notion of Sarah being married off to him so suddenly like this.  I’d like to get her opinion on how she feels about what you’re being so insistent on.  And as for Haruka…”

“Yes?” Amalla inquired.

“I DO love her…in the same way that I love Sarah’s mother.  A part of me feels dirty for being that way, but…as Emily Dickinson once said, “The heart wants what it wants, or else it doesn’t care.”  I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s the truth.  And while I’m hesitant to be so on-board with what you’re proposing, I swear to you that I would never intentionally hurt Haruka in any way like that.  I truly do love her, in the same way that I love Julia.  A part of me…wants to be with BOTH of them forever, as immature and illogical as that sounds.”

Amalla took everything she heard all in stride, hanging on every word that came out of Seta’s mouth.  As she listened, she studied Seta’s facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, all the minor details as he spoke to see if he wasn’t being fully upfront and honest regarding his feelings towards both Haruka and Sarah.  For if he wasn’t being honest, Amalla would do everything in her power to shield both Haruka and Sarah from being harmed (emotionally) by Seta.  She’d even go so far as to find Julia and keep her away from Seta, for the sake of Sarah’s happiness and emotional well-being.

Yet it seemed that wouldn’t be necessary at this point.  Like Keitaro, Seta conveyed an upfront sense of honesty and integrity.  In a way, he had some minor similarities with the lovable dorm manager in more than just appearance.  Like Keitaro, Seta was open and direct, not the type to play sick mind games or act with ulterior motives.

‘I suppose that’s how he ended up having two women fall in love with him,’ Amalla thought in reflection, ‘well, four if you include Naru and Kitsune, but that was in their younger years.  And besides, Naru-chan and Ki-chan are effectively now Kei-kun’s women…though depending on how things progress within our own harem, if Naru-chan and Ki-chan are up for it, and Seta-san is feeling like trying something new…No, best not to branch too far out there for the time being.  For now, let’s just resolve things between Seta-san, Haru-chan, and Sarah-chan before going down that particular avenue.’

“Alright then,” Amalla said to the smaller man standing before her, “from what I can tell, you’re sincere in your declarations regarding both Sarah-chan and Haru-chan, so unless I prove to be a less-than-satisfactory judge of character, I’ll have you visit and speak with the two of them so that we can resolve all of this relationship-related angst between you and Haru-chan.  If it’s any consolation, she’s in as much of a tizzy about all of this as you are.  It’s something you two seem to have in common.”  Amalla chuckled at the end on that last observation.

“And Sarah?” Seta asked.  “How exactly is SHE supposed to feel about all of this…about the idea of having a woman act as both a motherly figure to her AND as a…as a sort of co-wife in the midst of all of this?  She’s almost certainly going to be confused as all hell about this sort of thing.  I know that I would be if I were in her position.”

“One step at a time, Seta-san,” Amalla said in a reassuring tone.  “For now, it’s best that we resolve things between you and Haru-chan as well as between you and Sarah-chan.  Once Haru-chan knows you feel the same way about her and Sarah-chan knows that you won’t abandon her in light of these developments, then we can proceed accordingly.  So for now, just focus on the task at hand, okay?”

“I wish I shared your sense of assuredness, Amalla-san,” Seta groaned in response.

“No need to be over-formal,” Amalla replied as she ducked underneath the doorway into the adjoining hallway, beckoning Seta to follow.  “Just Amalla is fine at this point.  After all, we’re family now.”

“That quick to be accepting of another?” Seta inquired.

“In the words of Socrates, “Be slow to fall into friendship, but when thou art in, continue firm and constant.”  I told you already, I like to think that I’m a good judge of character, and so I accept you into my family…not as a member of my harem, mind you, but a family member all the same, given your relationship to both Haru-chan and Sarah-chan.  Now enough dawdling already, we have some relationships to preserve, so please follow me.”

Shrugging in response, Seta followed after the towering Amalla, baffled that she could be so certain that things would work out for the better between him, Haruka, and Sarah, as if nothing could or would go wrong in the process.