Volume 1 Chapter 22 The S-Rank Buff – Defining ‘Love’ in a Harem Romance
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Mini-summary:
In this emotionally charged chapter of the Harem Fantasy Romance, high-schooler Hirose wrestles with the complex feelings he holds for his primary girlfriend, Hibiki, and his other lovers. The pair define a clear boundary using the word ‘Love’ to solidify their Primary Relationship amidst the chaos caused by his Beautician Gift and its sensual Recoil. The resolution leads to an intensely explicit, skill-enhanced intimacy where physical passion becomes a declaration of loyalty and an acknowledgment of his non-combat S-Rank value to the girls.
—
It was the middle of March. The season was edging toward spring, and the air had finally started to warm up.
Down in the high school classroom, it was already common knowledge among the students that Hirose and Hibiki were a couple, a pairing the whole class had pretty much signed off on. Plenty of guys would shoot Hirose envious looks, but they rarely dared to say anything, not when he was constantly surrounded by three gorgeous girls whose beauty was just on another level. The only time they ever seemed to voice their complaints was during P.E., when the boys and girls split up.
Compared to when he first started high school, Hirose’s world had completely transformed. Girls who weren’t Hibiki, Himari, or Kairi had started talking to him, too. He still felt a little shy about it, sure, but he couldn’t deny that it felt good. Comfortable.
He knew, deep down, that he owed it all to Hibiki. He’d gone to the Adventurer’s Guild full of hope, eager to discover his Gift and embark on a grand adventure. The outcome, though, was devastating: his Gift was ‘Beauty,’ a non-combat type, and he was told flat-out he didn’t have the aptitude to be an adventurer.
He’d been crushed, his spirits sagging so low he could barely lift his head. But then Hibiki found him, and because of her, he’d actually started feeling confident in his Gift. He’d been dragged through a whirlwind of events, lost his virginity by default, and through Hibiki’s friends, he’d started solving other people’s problems, which led him to meet Koharu and Kirino.
He never would’ve guessed that the Skill’s Recoil would involve his skin flushing and becoming intensely sensitive; that was another chaotic element he’d had to deal with. But, thinking about it in reverse, maybe without that Recoil, he never would’ve gotten so intimately involved with them.
Half a year had passed, filled with drama and discovery, but Hirose was truly happy with his life now.
However, even Hirose had a worry. One day, while walking home alone with Hibiki, strolling side-by-side on the sidewalk, he finally articulated it.
”Hey… do you think it’s okay for me to use the word ‘like’ with other people, when I’m with you?”
They were the class’s official couple, but he was also close to Koharu and Kirino. He wasn’t dating them, exactly, but their relationship was definitely more than just casual. What’s more, they’d ask him for it—beg him for it—when they were intimate: ‘Tell me you like me.’ It hadn’t started that way; neither Koharu nor Kirino had made that request initially. But as their physical relationship deepened, it became something they actively craved.
What did Hibiki think when she heard him tell them that he liked them back? He knew his feelings for Hibiki were on a different level than for the other two. But after everything they’d been through, all the experiences they’d shared and overcome together, his feelings for Koharu and Kirino were undoubtedly like. It wasn’t just a purely physical thing—he couldn’t possibly see it that way.
”You’re asking that on the assumption that you do like Koharu and Kirino, aren’t you, Hirose?” Hibiki stated, her voice even.
”Yeah… At first, we just sort of ended up close, you know, by accident. But after spending all this time together, I’ve developed an attachment. Of course, you’re still my number one, though.” he admitted, his cheeks warming.
”It’s fine, completely fine. I mean, I’m the one who pretty much invited you into this whole arrangement in the first place.” Hibiki smiled gently.
She wasn’t angry, nor was she disappointed. For a normal person, this conversation would probably spark a huge fight.
”Fuffufu. Hirose-kun, I actually have a simple Method to solve this, you know?” she chirped, suddenly adopting a strange, overly formal tone.
”Huh?” Hirose was taken aback. He’d expected a more somber or thoughtful response to his heavy question. Instead, Hibiki had answered immediately, almost as if she’d already prepared the answer.
”You only ever say ‘I love you’ to me!”
It was a declaration of love too grand for a high school freshman. He understood the feeling of ‘like,’ but ‘love’—the meaning, the emotion—was still fuzzy to Hirose. If he felt love for anyone close, it was family, yet the emotion he felt for a romantic partner was clearly and fundamentally different.
”‘I love you,’ huh?”
I Love You. It wasn’t a phrase Hirose was used to saying. Hibiki took a step ahead, spun around, and stopped right in front of him, her expression serious.
”Remember that time when the sign almost fell on you?” she asked, her voice low.
”Of course. If Kirino hadn’t been there, I—”
It was a memory deeply etched in both their minds. It had only happened a month ago, but they could never forget it.
”—I genuinely thought you were going to die then. And, well, something in me changed after that. I realized I didn’t just want to cherish you… no, I had to cherish you. I felt like ‘like’ just wouldn’t be enough to hold what I felt anymore.” she confessed, her eyes wide with sincerity.
”So, ‘I love you’?” Hirose questioned.
”Yep! Well, I don’t really understand love much either!” she admitted, laughing lightly. “But if you think of me as your number one and it helps you distinguish between me and Koharu or Kirino, then I think this is the best solution.”
Hibiki’s idea definitely offered a clear distinction. Love felt heavier, a much stronger kind of like than simple like.
”I don’t really know about Koharu, either, but I get the feeling that Kirino’s emotions might be closer to mine… Still, I want you to only ever say ‘I love you’ to me.” she requested, her gaze steady.
Since that day, Kirino’s Gift had also been revealed. She had sworn, almost to herself, that she would protect Hirose. That declaration had a fierce determination that Hibiki recognized as something entirely new for Kirino.
”Now you think about me, Hirose. What if I was the one standing where that sign fell?” Hibiki challenged, her head tilted.
He didn’t even want to imagine it…
”No…” he whispered, his eyes clouded.
”Hehe, thank you.” Hibiki showed a shy, happy smile at his visceral reaction.
Hirose’s face, on the other hand, darkened slightly, purely from the forced thought experiment. “I don’t ever want to lose you, Hibiki. I want to be with you forever. I don’t know if that’s a love beyond like. But if you want me to say it, maybe saying it will make it truly real someday… so…”
He knew he had to say it.
”…Hibiki, I love you.”
”~!!?!”
It looked like steam was popping right out of Hibiki’s head. Her face was completely flushed crimson, confirming it. Even though she was the one who had asked him to say it, receiving the words clearly embarrassed her.
”…Aren’t you going to say it back, Hibiki?” Hirose pressed, watching Hibiki desperately try to hide her face in her hands.
”H-Hirose! I love you too! Kyahaha!” she shrieked, throwing her arms out and leaping into a fierce hug, shouting her love directly into his chest.
* * *
”…Hirose… use your Skill, please?”
This had become their shared, familiar plea, a routine request for him to make her feel better. In this case, better meant more pleasure.
They used it every time they were intimate to ramp up the pleasure, though he knew this wasn’t its original purpose. Lately, he’d started to understand the limits and peculiarities of his ‘Skin Quality Improvement’ Skill. No matter how many times he used it on Hibiki and the others, their skin wouldn’t get any more beautiful. Their current skin seemed to be at the maximum possible level of flawless, confirming the Skill had a ceiling.
And there was one thing on the skin that his Skill wouldn’t remove: moles. Moles were treated differently than burns, bruises, or scars. Since the Skill was supposed to improve skin quality, they should logically disappear, but they wouldn’t. Hibiki still had a tiny mole on her face, meaning freckles probably wouldn’t vanish, either.
Regardless, using the ‘Skin Quality Improvement’ Skill to its maximum didn’t pose any problems, leaving only the Recoil to deal with. While he felt a twinge of guilt about using it for something so erotic, it had become a deeply ingrained habit.
Hirose activated his unique ability, enveloping Hibiki in its powerful, familiar energy as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She was seated on the bed, her breath catching in a gasp.
”Nngh… this is crazy… ♥” she murmured, a raw, honest admission.
The confession of love had led them straight to this moment—Hibiki’s room, completely private. The air was charged. Just holding her while his ability was active created an intense, non-ordinary sensation that seemed to bypass all barriers.
Her body never developed a tolerance for this ‘Recoil’; Hibiki reacted with the same overwhelming intensity every single time. “Ah… aah… I can’t feel this way with anyone but you, Hirose… ♥”
The pleasure was so overwhelming it compelled her to speak the truth in her heart. Her breathing grew ragged, and her voice rose sharply with every wave of feeling. Hibiki’s shoulders hitched as she writhed in a mixture of intense pleasure and emotional release.
The slightest touch of his fingers sent a jolt through her, but this feeling had become an addiction. “It feels so good… so amazing… ohh, aahn! Hirose… Hirose… ♥”
Just as the emotional intensity peaked, Hibiki stopped his hands, turning to him with an undeniable desire in her eyes. She began to gently strip off the uniform shirt Hirose was still wearing. “Haa… haa… Hirose’s body… ♥” she panted, her gaze tracing the lines of his frame.
Hirose, naturally slender, was now finely toned from their shared experiences. Not overly muscular, but pleasantly defined.
”Nngh… chuu… juru…”
Hibiki pulled him down, trailing her lips and kisses over his upper body. Wet, seductive sounds filled the silence. Her full breasts pressed softly against his stomach as she moved slowly upward. “Hirose… ♥”
”Nnngh… mmmh…” he groaned, accepting the deep, tender kiss from Hibiki.
It was an exchange they had shared countless times, a deep, tender sealing of their bond, repeated again and again until they were both breathless.
”Maybe because you said ‘I love you,’ I want to make today special,” she whispered against his neck, her voice thick with emotion.
”Okay. Do whatever you want,” Hirose breathed, his body already reacting fully to her closeness.
”Then… something we haven’t done before… nngh.”
Hibiki pressed her lips to his neck, drawing intensely on the skin. After a long moment, a red mark of possession bloomed there.
”Is this… position okay? Will the class notice it?” Hirose asked, his voice rough with heat.
”So what? Just show it off,” she challenged, looking up at him with a mischievous, possessive gleam.
”Idiot… anywhere they can’t see is fine,” he complained, though his tone was heavy with surrender.
”Then, let’s make a lot of them where they can’t see today—”
Hibiki moved with fervent intent, placing kiss marks on his chest, arms, and stomach. Soon, Hirose’s body was a canvas of red badges, a silent testament to her love and claim.
”Hibiki, you know I’m going to give you plenty back, right?” Hirose rasped, his own desire mirroring hers.
”Yes… do it. I want you to give me as many as you want, Hirose. Carve it into me—that I belong to you,” she whispered, her eyes trembling with anticipation.
Hibiki surrendered to his lips on her skin. Her soft sighs echoed in the room as similar marks were imprinted upon her body, sealing their mutual vow.
”Ahn! Ahn! Deeper! Deeper and deeper! ♥”
After their fervent foreplay, they moved into a deep, unifying embrace. Their bodies moved together, a rhythmic dance of shared passion. With every stroke, Hibiki released a sweet, seductive cry, her soul bared to him.
He kneaded and adored her voluptuous curves, which responded and changed shape with his touch, all while his hips maintained a relentless, unifying rhythm. Their connection reached the very depths of her being, a constant, gentle seeking of her core.
”Right there! That’s the spot! ♥ Harder! You can go harder!” she begged, completely lost in the moment.
Taking her words as a plea, he tightened his grip on her shoulders and drove their bodies together with passionate strength. A loud, wet sound of their skin meeting began to ring out, their momentum building rapidly.
He lowered his body, sealing Hibiki’s mouth with his own, their soft lips and tongues intertwining in another deep exchange. Hibiki was overwhelmed by the non-ordinary pleasure of his unique ability, which magnified the feeling tenfold.
Her limit was fast approaching. She grabbed Hirose’s back tightly and clamped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. “It’s too much… I’m coming! Hirose! Please! Just like this! ♥”
”Me too… almost there! Just hold on a little longer!” he panted, accelerating his hip movements, completely invading her inner walls.
Their movements became slick and sensual, a final, fervent slide against her yielding warmth. Reaching his absolute limit, Hirose finally drove deep, releasing the entirety of his essence into the heart of Hibiki.
”~!!?! ♥”
The rush of his hot essence filled her instantly. Elated, Hibiki hugged Hirose with her whole body, refusing to let go. After a long moment, Hibiki relaxed, her body trembling slightly in the aftermath of their explosive connection. Hirose slowly pulled away, and a trickle of their shared love spilled from her entrance.
”Oh… ohh… ♥”
Covered in sweat and the sweet marks of their passion, Hibiki was lying on her back, her breath still coming in ragged gasps, her soul fully imprinted by their experience.
”Hibiki… you did great,” Hirose murmured, stroking her hair.
”Hiro…se… ♥”
He lay down beside her.
* * *
”Oh wow… we seriously overdid it today…”
Two hours later, they were still naked, wrapped up in a blanket. Hibiki had her wrist across her forehead, trying to steady her breathing.
”We didn’t take any breaks, did we?” Hirose chuckled.
”I’m definitely going to have muscle aches tomorrow… I’ll be like a newborn fawn.” she complained, though her voice was rich with satisfaction.
Both their lower bodies were soaked, and their whole bodies glistened with sweat. The scent of what they’d done hung heavy in the air—anyone who walked in would know instantly.
Looking up at the ceiling, Hibiki suddenly brought up a new topic.
”Oh, I almost forgot. That word… you know, the one they use in games to increase an ally’s attack or defense power?”
”Hmm… the Buff?” Hirose supplied.
”Ah, that’s it! That’s a word adventurers use too, right?”
”Yeah. Support-type adventurers have those Buff Effects Gifts, and they apply them to their party members.”
Hibiki turned on her side, her beautiful, peach-colored hair spilling around her shoulders. “But you can use it too, Hirose…”
”Huh?”
”You’re not an adventurer, but for girls like me, your Gift is an S-Rank, strongest Buff Effect. Because of you, we’re all the strongest heroes in our own lives.”
He’d been told something similar by Fuyutsuki, the girl who appraised his Gift. He still hoped to repay her for her kind words of encouragement someday. Through his life with the girls, Hirose fully understood just how desperately girls desired what his Gift offered.
”I mean, girls get ecstatic over just a tiny bit of improvement in their looks, but with your Gift, they basically get a ‘Happy Life Max!’ Buff. Koharu’s like that, and I bet Kirino feels the same way.” she insisted.
”…I know. Seeing it myself, I have to agree.” Hirose admitted.
”So, I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but… always be confident in your Gift, okay?” Hibiki pressed softly.
”…Yeah.”
It was always like this. In a casual, unassuming moment, Hibiki would say something incredibly kind. She affirmed him, kept him positive. Hibiki had started out seeming like an unapproachable, bright social butterfly. But talking to her revealed a pure, gentle core. He was constantly led by her, but he felt nothing but affection for her.
That’s why he felt the need to tell the girl who was always by his side one more time.
”Hibiki…”
”Hmm?”
”—I love you.”
”You really… I love you too,” she whispered, her voice husky.
Hirose said it much more easily now than he had on the sidewalk. They naturally embraced, holding each other tightly. Even though they were completely exhausted, they moved their lips together, ready to go for just one more time.
Takanashi Hirose couldn’t become an adventurer. He was ordinary, unremarkable. If he had been granted a battle-ready Gift, he wondered if he would have even been successful.
They say the Gift you receive often has some connection to your deepest subconscious—not everyone, but a noticeable tendency, according to a Gift researcher. This meant that the fact that Hirose received a Gift like ‘Beauty’ likely had something to do with his own sense of self.
Even if this helped him reflect and become more positive, Hirose knew, fundamentally, he wouldn’t have accomplished anything alone. That’s why he thought it over and over again. To ensure he never forgot, he always kept this feeling in his heart…
—Hibiki, thank you for finding me.
He couldn’t fight. But he wanted to use his strength for everything else. Whether it was making beautiful girls shine even brighter, or helping those burdened with secrets and worries that couldn’t be shared—he resolved to pour his entire self into everything he could do right now.
Notes:
• Kirino – Strikingly beautiful with blue long hair (F, 168cm), Kirino is gifted with ice magic and feels isolated because of her appearance. Hirose’s Beauty skill helps her improve her self-image and social comfort, directly affecting Kirino’s relationship with her family and classmates.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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