Bonus Short Stories
Girls with Animal Ears Enjoy Being Petted!
One day, after a year or so had passed since Rio and Latifa began living in the village...
“It’s a celebration!”
“It’s time to celebrate!”
Sara and Alma were drinking tea in the living room, when all of a sudden, Latifa came in with Vera in tow and closed in on them.
“W-Wah! What’s the matter, Latifa? Vera?”
“Latifa told me all about it, Sara! She said that Rio acknowledged you during training this morning. That’s why we have to celebrate!” Vera said.
“Y-You don’t have make such a big deal out of it...” Sara shook her head with a strained smile at her little sister’s insistence.
“Fufufu. There’s no need to try play it cool!”
“That’s right! I know my sister’s actually really happy about it deep down!”
Both Latifa and Vera said with triumphant expressions.
“Indeed, Sara’s been in a good mood ever since morning practice ended. She’s even been grinning for no particular reason,” Alma murmured from where she sat, opposite Sara.
“I-I have not! I am not grinning!” Sara objected in a fluster, a red blush on her cheeks.
“Geez. Sara just isn’t honest with herself!”
“I completely agree.”
“Guh...”
Sara flushed even deeper at Vera and Latifa pointing out the truth.
“And so, we’ve decided to fulfill any one of my sister’s wishes. Name your price!” Vera cleared her throat and proudly puffed out her chest.
“I-I don’t need anything in particular, really.”
“Don’t say that! What would you like?” Latifa asked.
“I... That’s not something I can just answer on the spot...”
“Huh? Really? I can think of many things I’d want...” Latifa mumbled under her breath.
“Like what?”
“Like having Onii-chan feed me his cooking, or having Onii-chan lend me his lap to lie on under the sun, or having Onii-chan pet me...” Latifa counted off her on her fingers as she listed them off, one by one.
“T-They all have something to do with Rio!” Sara yelled, taken aback.
“Fufufu! But... I’m sure you’d want him to do that to you, too. I bet you pictured it in your head, right?” Latifa said with a smug grin.
“Ugh... O-Only a little, though! It may have flash across my mind just a little...” Sara responded truthfully, but her embarrassment made her duck her head.
It was then that Orphia returned from her errands outside. “I’m home! ...Huh? What’s wrong, Sara?” She took one look at Sara with her gaze fixed downwards and tilted her head in question.
“Welcome home, Orphia.”
“My sister has something she wants Rio to do to her!”
Latifa and Vera answered in one synchronized breath.
“Oh, really now? Sara?” Orphia asked, examining Sara closely.
“I-I do not! These two were just asking me if there was anything I wanted them to do for me. It’s not like I want Rio to hand-feed me, or let me use his lap as a pillow, or pet me or anythi—...?!”
Sara was desperately refuting everyone when her eyes landed on Rio, who was standing behind Orphia. She froze mid-sentence, as though time had stopped.
“Umm... I’m home, Sara,” Rio greeted awkwardly as Sara’s face scorched with embarrassment.
“Whoa... Sara, your face is bright red,” Orphia said with a wry smile.
Sara stood up on her trembling legs and marched over to the corner of the room. She squatted down and buried her head in her hands.
“Uugh...” she let out a muffled groan. Her ears and tail flicked about this way and that.
“I’ve never seen Sara behave this way before,” Alma said, her eyes widening.
“Right? What should we do?” Orphia asked with a troubled look.
“We should just get Rio to pet her!” Vera offered her brilliant suggestion. “The best way to get rid of a gloomy mood is to be petted.”
Rio’s eyes widened in shock, while Sara’s body shook with a flinch.
“W-What are you saying, Vera?!” Sara stood up resolutely, objecting to Vera’s pleased words in a fluster.
“Oh? Do you not want Rio to pet you then, sister?”
“Uh... I... Something that childish is...” Gazing into Vera’s pure and innocent eyes put Sara at a loss for words.
“I guess I’ll ask him to pet me instead.” Orphia stood up, electing herself.
“O-Orphia, that’s not fair. Then, I shall too.”
“I want to be petted too!”
“Me too, of course!”
Alma shyly announced her intention to join the bidding, followed by Vera and Latifa jumping on the bandwagon. The girls started to playfully approach Rio in jest. Sara was the only one left behind, watching the sight of them playing with a blank look.
After a pause, Sara came to her senses with a gasp. “I-I want to be petted too! It’s my celebration, after all!” she yelled. All of the other girls exchanged expressions of amusement.
“Okay, you first,” the girls immediately said in unison, and stepping back from Rio all at once.
“Huh? Ah...” With no more obstructions between herself and Rio, Sara’s eyes wandered, hesitantly avoiding eye contact. Latifa circled behind her and gently pushed her back.
“W-Wah, err, umm, ah, Rio...” Once she was standing in front of him, Sara raised her head and looked up at Rio with tearful eyes.
“Erm... Is this all right?” Rio gave a strained smile and petted Sara’s head.
“T-Thank you... very... much...” Sara thanked him in embarrassment. Her ears and tail were happily moving about.
We Want Mixed Bathing!
Latifa had come to the village’s reservable hot spring with Sara and the other girls.
“Mrrghh...”
They were in the changing room; Latifa was grumbling as she watched the girls change.
“Erm, Latifa? It’s embarrassing to have you stare so intently...” Sara said, a faint blush on her cheeks. She tugged her outfit closed around her tightly.
“Is something the matter?” Orphia tilted her head curiously.
“No... I was just wondering if men prefer bigger chests.” Latifa’s gaze was fixed on Orphia, who had the largest chest of those present.
Orphia was only 13 years old, her physical development having matured along a bit further compared to other elf girls her age, but if anything, her physique was more on the dainty side. She probably didn’t have room for that much more growth in the future.
“Ahaha, who knows. I’m an elf, so I probably won’t get any bigger than this. Sara’s a werebeast, so I think she has the potential for much more development.” Orphia grinned and blushed.
“Wha— you say that, but you’re the one with the bigger chest here, Orphia! And I’m a year older!” Sara responded in a flurry.
“...You’re both being insensitive. Latifa, too. No matter how much you worry, you’ll never be smaller than me.” As a dwarf, Alma pouted her lips just a little.
“L-Latifa’s only 11 years old right now. You shouldn’t be thinking about these things until you’re a little older. It’s still too early for you,” Sara chided Latifa, having noted Alma’s scornful look.
“Hrmph...” Latifa grumbled uneasily.
Having the person in her thoughts always by her side made it a perfectly justified concern to have.
“Come on, take off your clothes so we can get into the bath now.”
“Okay!”
At Sara’s urging, Latifa stripped her clothes off and proceeded towards the bathtub.
“Phew, this is what happiness is...” After washing her body, Latifa sank into the bath water and let out a sigh. She sat in the bathtub with her knees hugged to chest and face, looking forward and letting her gaze wander without focus.
I hope Onii-chan will pay lots of attention to me in the time we have before he leaves the village…
Her thoughts were all about Rio.
Recently, she had taken to listing the things she wanted Rio to do for her and the things she wanted to do for Rio inside her head every day.
“Ehehe.” As she imagined various things, Latifa smiled happily.
“What is it, Latifa? Now you seem rather happy about something,” Sara asked with a somewhat pleased expression.
“I was just thinking about how much more fun it would be to have Onii-chan bathe with us,” Latifa answered unabashedly with a carefree smile.
“W-W-What are you saying?! There’s no way that would be allowed!” Sara flushed red as she yelled.
“Eeeh? But it’d be so much fun if everyone could hang out in the hot springs together at least once... Don’t you think?” said with an unhappy expression.
“True, it does sound fun,” Orphia agreed with her in a gentle tone.
“Not you too, Orphia!”
“Onii-chan uses the same hot springs, so it would’ve been better to just come together. Do you think it’s too late to ask him to join us now?”
“...Now that you mention it, the boys’ bathroom is right next to here,” Alma muttered supportively in response to Latifa as she thought out loud.
“Huh? Really? Then if I called for Onii-chan, he could come right away?”
“H-Hey! What if he actually comes here for real?!”
Latifa raised her voice happily, but Sara stopped her in a fluster. Orphia and Alma laughed in amusement at the two of them.
...I would never, Rio thought to himself from the bathroom next door.
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