253 Vol. 4 pt. 56 Patch 10.0 (2/2)

But at the same time, in this position… all he can think about are those doujins where a guy would be sucking on a girl's breasts while getting a handjob from her.

That would be nice.

For now, though, Fenrir raises one of his hands to let Azalabulia know that he's awake.

The hand on top of his head pulls away in a hurried panic.

He regrets letting her know that he's awake.

”A-are you feeling better?” Azalabulia asks.

Fenrir's eyes widen a bit from surprise. He didn't think she'd be the first one to say anything, but she was. ”Yeah,” he answers. ”Thanks for taking care of me. Feel free to pet me some more, by the way.”

”Re-really? You… like that?”

”Why wouldn't I? Even without being part dog, getting headpats is awesome.” At least talking to her and being honest feels easier for him now. He was really getting worried that he would never get over his nervousness around her, but being this close and intimate with her reminds him of doing this with his girlfriends. When he thinks of it that way… this just feels normal – natural. Azalabulia is another girl just like his girlfriends. The only differences between her and them are that she has an actual career and is a few years older than him, but those are all.

”Sorry for being so stupid around you before,” Fenrir says with a sigh. ”I guess… I just realized how dumb I was being. From now on, since you're an official member of Serra's harem with me, I'll treat you how a boyfriend should.” He also wants to ”bully” her some more like he did when he first met her. Now that he's gotten over the whole teacher and being older things, he can go back to teasing her.

Then it hits him.

”About time, onii-wan,” Saya tells him.

It makes sense to him now.

From the very first time Fenrir met Azalabulia, he was teasing her, welcoming her into the crew, and treating her with total confidence in himself – he was treating her like a normal person and he was just being himself. Then, discovering her career, age, and the fact that she's interested in him is what made him so flustered and awkward around her. He let those change how he was acting.

She got interested in him because of how he originally treated her, not how he treated her after becoming awkward around her. Not only that, but she's seemed more awkward ever since he's started acting awkward.

During the fight, though, they were fine. When they were just fighting each other and having fun, they were treating each other like they normally would without all the awkward romance involved.

Fenrir realizes that he really is stupid.

He's reminded of when he was told that his attempts at being smooth aren't really all that smooth, either. It's not his would-be smoothness that made his girlfriends fall for him. It's just… being his usual self and treating them like normal that won their hearts.

So, as stupid as Fenrir might feel right now, it's also a healthy confidence booster to be reminded that his girlfriends—now including Azalabulua—all just want him for who he is rather than who he thinks he should be.

”I'm really stupid,” Fenrir says, this time smiling as he sighs. ”All of this awkwardness has been my fault. Sorry about that.”

”What – what do you mean?” Azalabulia asks.

”Don't worry about it. It's not a problem anymore, girlfriend number four.”

”Hey! I – I have a name…”

”You're right. Sorry, Azawaza.”

”A-Azawaza?”

”Azawazaza.”

”Azawazaza?!”

”Azawazazazawaza.”

”Azawawazawalawawa?! D-don't you think that it's getting even more ridiculous?!”

”I think you're the one who just made it ridiculous, Azawaza.”

Serra, Nell, and Cassiel are all celebrating in the bushes.

”It would appear that my hero has finally figured it out!” Nell says.

”About time,” Serra agrees.

”Yeah. Seriously, he was being so weird around her,” Cassiel chimes in. ”We tried telling him but he just didn't get it.”

Fenrir reaches up and pokes Azalabulia's breasts that are hanging above his face. ”By the way, you can expect me to want to touch these way more now. Cass Cass doesn't let me grope her whenever I want to, so I have an opening for boobs-on-demand.”

While Azalabulia turns bright red, Cassiel clenches her fists as a vein pops on her forehead. ”That bas—hmph! It's – it's not like he tries that much in the first place,” Cassiel whimpers to herself.

Serra reaches up to Cassiel's chest and… just sort of rubs it seeing as how a metal breastplate is over it. ”This is why. We can't grope you when you're always covered, and he touches your boobs all the time in real life,” Serra says.

”Serra has a point!” Nell says. ”You must be gropable in order to be groped! How can you wish for his hands to fondle your chest when you keep it covered with metal?”

Fenrir isn't the only one to have a realization.

Now, Cassiel realizes that being so covered in armor might actually be a bad thing now that she has a boyfriend.