Prologue

Two bodies enclosing with each other, two breaths intermingling, the sensation of hot skin, causing some sort of electric shock, lips which wander up the neck with kisses.

A strong kiss right behind the earlobe, a soft moan. This is so unreal, so unbelievable.

Slowly, fingers climb up the body in small steps up, starting from the navel to the breasts, petting, and stroking, then with a bit of force as they arrive to the mound, like praising the person who grew them.

Unable to breathe, unable to process, unable to think, everything is dyed in colors never known.

Passion. Desire.

Stroking back the hair, another hand starts to hold the face, eyes looking full of vigor, closing in, a tongue coming deep, so deep. The never seen colors faded, only to be replaced by a whirl, the world is spinning, not able to hold the breath but still seeking this suffocation.

So... good.

The lips part, sweet air comes back. Saliva runs down the corners of the lips, ambrosial nectar.

Hot. Everything is burning.

Legs are slowly parting, eagerly welcoming whatever there may come, and what about to come is-

But before that, another series of kisses, running from the lips back to the ears. A soft voice, whispering in it: “Kyou-san.”

“Ken...” Full acceptance.

―○●○―

Seventeen.

This is quite a usual number, nothing special is about it other than being a prime number. Unlike seven, which is how many crystal balls a monkey-boy has to collect to have a wish granted or the number of dwarves Snow White accompanied.

Still, it's seventeen. For most people nothing comes in mind when thinking about that particular number, it's so unremarkable that people would even wonder why I mention it in the first place. For me though, it has a whole other meaning. It has nothing to do with cultural references. There is nothing special about it, nothing world-shattering, nothing remarkable, it's only about my very, very private life.

It's the number of wet dreams I had after being transported into a fantasy world.

Like I said, very private.

Of course, I expect some wet dreams over several months, and I think that I may not have taken care of my womanly parts very well in this time-frame, but seventeen seems too much considering my prior life.

I speak of actual wet dreams, not just some sort of nightly fantasies. The kind of dreams you wake up with fully drenched underwear.

When I had a dream like that in Japan, it was usually right before my ovulation. I'm one of those rare cases of women who can feel that mild ache, whenever I'm ovulating. Which leads to another problem: My menstrual cycle is off again. When I was just summoned, the stress caused it to be a bit early, but afterward, it settled right in.

However, the last two times were concerning. First, it took five days more before ovulation, and this time it's another two more according to my counting.

So basically, I have too many wet dreams while my menstrual cycle is also shifting.

Having too many wet dreams can be just a sign of all the life-endangering stuff I'm living through, but while five of these dreams were generic, more like feeling how I'm physically enamored, the rest was...

“NO!”

“But Kenta!”

“No! No, no, no!”

*thump*

“But Kenta!”

“...uarrrgh... no...”

The rest included the male part of the comedy duo right in front of me.

Of course a beautified version, but this boy nonetheless: Katsuragi Kenta, 16 years old, gamer, misanthropist, and so-called hero.

...my mood is the worst today.

Something in my head tells me that albeit I may have somewhat acknowledged him, I still hate his guts most of the time. While something within my body tells me to... do that.

It has to be because I sleep next to him, right?

While he's insufferable most of the time, little more than an immature asshole, he's still a boy my age. Plus, look at those-

Wait, stop it. Don't think about it!

“Sigh.” At days like these, I'm annoyed about myself and everything Ken does.

I have some great conflicts with myself, so bearing with his constant whining and bossing around, his pure arrogance and dissatisfaction with everything is a real pain.

At days like these, I want to kill him.

Especially because my beautified dream-version of him is overlapping with his actual face in my mind.

Usually, I forget about the dream soon after the fact. There is a myriad of reasons why I shouldn't worry about it. He's the boy currently closest to me; therefore he's fodder for my dreams which uses my subconscious to create the content. However, they have become more frequent...

...tomorrow it'll be better. The day after worse. Counting days from my ovulation, my period should be right around the corner, I usually can pinpoint it to plus/minus three hours, but the irregularity makes me second-guess my prediction.

This will be my second period since joining Ken. I still remember the first time, when he panicky looked for me in Aroahenn, because I had some conditions like [Bleeding], so he thought I was attacked.

Actually, quite a funny scene.

For some girls, the period is quite severe, but for me, it's just a bit of bleeding and discomfort, nothing terrible. Maybe I'm a bit more moody than usual, but the same goes for most people who have a constant feeling of being unwell due to a cold or something else.

Why do I wonder about this irregularity in my cycle though? I mean, considering the things that happened since meeting Ken again, my stress value is much higher than anything. I'm still in my teens, so irregularities are normal according to the magazines I used to read in Japan. Plus, there is no chance of pregnancy, as I'm still saving my virginity.

Most likely I wonder about that because it's the latest drop in a barrel already overflowing. I also think that this shift is not random, I have a feeling about it.

Too bad that I can't get a lady magazine here, or look it up on the internet. I may talk with Rine-chan and Arako about it, but the latter isn't even human, and honestly, I don't have much hope asking Rine-chan about this topic.

“Sigh...” I play around with the ring on my left hand, the ring which is designed with a lioness. Let's recount my misery once again.

I was torn apart from my practically perfect life, my parents, my brother, my other relatives, many of my friends, my country, and my whole future. For what? For being a hero here. Not a cool one, however, like those in the Saturday Morning Hero Shows, but some fantasy hero dipshit.

Then I was practically thrown away by my friends. While they had the best intentions, I still feel hurt whenever I think about it, or about this betrayal of my feelings, or about my own weakness, or about how much I've fallen.

Yet, that wasn't enough. I had to struggle to keep at least any form of life-standard, trying to improve my level, as it was the reason why my friends left me in the first place. Facing lethal danger alone while the people who brought me here in the first place were about to cut me off.

I decided to join forces with the only person in class I really despised. I thought I could use him and I was also desperate. Then everything turned around and we got 'married', because the curse, which was the cause of his trouble, contaminated me as well.

I'm talking about Katsuragi Kenta, of course.

He really, really gets on my nerves most of the time, but those times when he's dependable annoy me even more, as it makes me realize that I should re-evaluate him. But he's straight mean to me most of the time and getting any kind of gratitude out of him is impossible.

Additionally, he's like a magnet for trouble.

Without Ken, I'd never had this really awkward encounter with my friends again, that ended up with Ken shooting Masahiko-kun. While I do believe that this was an accident, there is still a part of me wondering, whether he did it subconsciously.

Without him, I wouldn't need to worry about who exactly is going to chase and kill us now. He really has a streak going: former classmates, mercenaries, merchants, and even the Crusaders.

I'd probably have another set of problems if I never met him again, but I don't care, especially today!

“Sigh...” If his face would be like the one in my dreams, he'd be much nicer to look at. Dream-Ken doesn't wear that constantly annoyed facial expression, and his murky eyes are glowing with passion and sympathy.

At least Real-Ken could be kind to me for a change. Then I could stop being as mean to him in return. I won't budge here, the way he treated me at school was the worst, and I'm not willing to reach out a hand to him again. He has to be the first one this time.

Why do I even think about that?

Ah, because there is still a long way to go until we get another chance to break the curse. I need to stick close to him if I don't want to activate the negative effects of the curse again, which would slowly kill me. Him as well, but oh well.

It's only natural that I want to have a better relationship with anyone who travels with me for such a long time. I did the same for Arako and Rine-chan, who are also tangled into this marriage curse.

Yes, that's right! It's not only me! It's both of them as well, my two new friends!

I feel how a bit of my fire returns.

I don't need to get along with Ken. I tried, he never tried back. I'm done with it.

Actually, it'll be much better, if both of us continues arguing and fighting with each other. I don't know why, but this feels more... natural?

Still, I like him a bit. Not in a romantic way, and especially not in the way I dreamed about him last night. In a more platonic way. Maybe a bit of sympathy?

Even though it causes me to think about stupid stuff right now. Because I have this little bit of like, I want him to be a bit less... him.

Ah, I hate days when I have a dream like this! My emotions are going haywire and I know it, but can't do anything about that! This really gets on my nerves.

Emotions are complicated. My head and my heart are going different ways, want different things, and I make no sense.

Tomorrow will be better. The day after will be worse.