Hi3rd: Achievement Hunter

Aleph spent the entire night teaching the two Kurumis a lesson they would never forget. Before he knew it, both of them were knocked down. The two Kurumis took both his arms. Their regular soft breaths swept his chest.

'I used it to let them sit on chairs…'

They essentially existed as projections (thin air). They could not interact with objects of the material world.

That's where Aleph came in. He used his Lord of the Mysteries to let them sit on chairs and sofa. Considering its extremely minimal scope (i.e., working only on chairs, sofas, and beds), the power he consumed wasn't much.

It's just that…

They sat somewhere else last night.

'Will Hua and Senti…'

Thinking of scummy thoughts was already on Aleph's regular routine. His thoughts became as wild as Mobius or Mei sitting on his face.

Aleph waited until the pair of Kurumis woke up.

"Ain..?"

First was bewilderment. Then came a surprise. Finally, Kurumi remembered everything that happened last night. Her face flashed a beet red.

She blinked and briefly returned to the real world. Her entire room reeked of her fluid's smell. The entire bed sheet was a mess.

The White Queen is considered a projection of hers. Everything she felt last night was transmitted to Kurumi's real body.

That was how she collapsed in exhaustion. A Spirit boasting a physical body far beyond the likes of humanity. Yet she was still defeated.

Such is an Aeon's prowess.

Her attention returned back to Aleph's side. She does not know what to say. The embarrassment was killing her from the inside.

It was, after all, her first time being treated "like that". The syncing of her clones' senses opened a whole new door.

Aleph did not say anything. He played with her hair instead.

"Three… no, five days. I will start the final plan that day."

His words drenched Kurumi in cold water. Her chaotic thoughts forcibly returned to normal.

"I will take care of others by then."

"It's fine. I am not that petty."

He gave out a brief laugh. He looked her in the eyes.

Kurumi knew she could not hide her small grievances from him.

"You are the first girl I fell in love with. I will never forget about you."

Along with these words was a kiss on her forehead.

Aleph's intimate acts won her over.

They stayed like this the entire morning.

*****

"Hm…. It's our fault."

The identical girls, Hua and Senti, were currently at the dining table. Senti looked at Aleph's room. He was still asleep. Although strange, she did not question it much.

Aleph is a busybody. He had to settle things related to his Spirit World, take care of his chosen Emanators, maintain a tight watch on other Aeons, and so on.

Hua looked at her in surprise. Not once had they conversed about their problem directly.

"It's our fault. We are too passive. Indecisive. Why would we still panic like this if we already did it?"

"..."

Hua's act of preparing the dining table was paused. Her thoughts floated away, but Senti's sharp gaze brought her back.

It was her personality to be thin-skinned. An unstoppable surge of embarrassment appears whenever she does that thing with Aleph. If touching felt like that, how would it feel if they went to the final step?

"You know… making babies. I am not scared of it."

"Why..?"

"Because I am waiting for you, idiot!"

Senti's crimson eyes clashed with Hua's ocean-like eyes.

"We are the same! I want us to experience it at the same time!"

"..."

Senti could not directly admit it. She cares for Hua. She minded her possible reaction had she come first. The feeling of neglect was something she did not want Hua to feel. Moreover, Senti felt that Aleph was waiting for something to resolve this exact problem.

They are, after all, the same person with different thinking. Senti wanted Hua to take the lead so she could follow.

That was the perfect plan.

Now, Senti realized she had been too conservative.

Hua fell silent to this. A trace of disbelief flashed on her eyes before it turned to a wry smile.

"I was waiting for you to take the first move."

"..?"

"I am willing to concede it to you. Aleph won't treat us differently because of it, and…"

Senti understood what Hua left out. She was self-aware that she lacked the decisiveness to take that step. Since Aleph's intimacy won't change because of it, she stayed in her comfort zone. She waited for Senti to come first.

Ironically, the twins re-enacted the entirety of O. Henry's Gift of Magi. They considered each other well, only for these considerations to turn out to be useless.

Senti won't move as long as Hua did not;

Hua won't move as long as Senti did not.

Silence swept over the two for a while. They did not know what to say. Their small rivalry did not matter much.

Tap.

Tap.

Footsteps came from the stairs. The two did not notice Aleph's presence until then. His deliberate concealment played a role.

"So, who won this time?"

Their eyes stopped on him.

"Just kidding." He said with a smile. 

It did not take long for his arms to wrap around Senti. He did the same thing to Hua. He did not say a single word.

"I won't leave anyone out. You know… if one of you took the initiative, I planned to bring the other one too."

"..!"

"...Pervert."

"Heh. Feel free to call me one."

Aleph did not shy away from Senti's words.

"How can I not love the two of you? You are both adorable. And cute. A little bit slow to process things, but that's charming too."

Slowly, they were reminded of Aleph's first appearance. He brought Hua along on his impromptu rescue team. He was also the one who stopped her from recklessly saving her best friend. He took that danger in her stead and got Carole out safely.

Despite being only a few years older than them, Aleph made her feel relaxed. That everything won't go wrong so long as he was there.

It was a blind trust. It was bad, yes, but she could not help it.

That is where Aleph's charm lies.

He is willing to do what the others won't do.

Hua, who was beside him, took the initiative to pull him over for a kiss. Her heart throbbed. Her emotions burst over like a dam.

The wonders of their first meeting… it was as beautiful as before.

Aleph gave Senti a good look. The latter sighed, half-frustrated and half-nostalgic, as she rushed over to his side.