(fiction) The Conquests of Jacob Ferguson, Part 3

A few days later, I was cleaning up in the yard. A work crew had just finished painting for the day. The house was starting to shape up nicely, I started having some pride in how it looked and felt like I was giving my boarders a good home. I wiped the sweat from my brow with a bandana.

"Excuse me, Goshujin-sama, pardon the interruption" Suzi said, as she presented an iced tea.

"Arigatou, Suzi-chan" I replied, as I took a sip. "That hits the spot!"

"My sister will be arriving shortly; will you be available? I'd like to introduce you." 

"No worries, I'll go change, I'm all sweaty." I responded. "How long will she be here?"

"Just for a little while, maybe a couple of hours. She is stopping by on her way to Springdale; I will go on a longer visit to her place, after she settles in."
I wasn't looking forward to meeting Suzi's sister. I was going to suggest that Suzi move out. I knew that I'd be hurting her feelings, but I didn't see any alternative. Regardless of the hypotheticals I'd discussed with Ava, I couldn't bring myself to ask about expanding my relationship to include Suzi and Claire. I couldn't get over my guilty feelings that I'd be abusing their affections. I felt like I was being unfaithful to Ava and Trixie for even considering it. I knew that I would need to 'grow a pair' and let both Suzi and Claire know that it 'wasn't going to happen'. They deserve someone better than me. It would hurt but I had to let them know not to set their hopes on being with me. I was feeling pretty down about it.

A little while later, I came downstairs after freshening up. Everyone was gathered in the living room. The doorbell rang and Suzi rushed over to answer it. I saw her hug her sister and relieve her of her luggage as they exchanged greetings in Japanese. She then turned and said:

"Everyone, I would like you to meet my...."

Her sister and I interrupted her with our simultaneous outbursts.

 "Kay-chan?!" I asked, incredulously.

"JAY-KUN₁!!" Suzi's sister breathlessly exclaimed.

She ran and leapt on to me. If anyone was saying anything in the next few moments, I didn't hear them. I felt her cheek resting atop my head as she embraced me, pressing my face into her chest. Profound emotion and nostalgia washed over me, I was enveloped in the familiar scent of her perfume. Her legs were wrapped around me, high on my waist. I felt the smoothness of her skirt fabric as I supported her with my hands. After a moment of the most intense hug I've ever experienced, she released my head and pivoted, separating our upper bodies. My gaze was misty with tears; I saw that her eyes were also welling up. Then she struck me.

 "BAKA!" (IDIOT!)  She yelled as she slapped my face, "Dō shita?!" (How could you?)  She asked, as she backhanded me. "Eight years! I was so worried, I didn't know what happened, I didn't know what I did, that you would shut me out. I thought you might be DEAD!"

"I'm so sorry!", I replied. "I tried to find you! I couldn't find you!  Everything was stolen from me. It wasn't your fault; you didn’t do anything wrong. I just couldn't find you..." my explanation was interrupted by her fiercely pressing her lips to mine.  Our kiss deepened as she her weight slid lower, to my hips. She wrapped her arms around me, pressing herself against me. My arms slid up to her back, returning her embrace. A moment later...

<Tap, tap, tap> someone was tapping my shoulder, to be more precise, two someone’s were. I reluctantly pulled out of the kiss, Kay rest her head on my shoulder.

"Onee-chan₂ (Big Sis)?  Just how do you know my Goshujin-sama?!" Suzi inquired. She looked furious.

 "Jake! Who is this woman? What do you think you're doing !?" Ava demanded to know. "And would you disentangle yourself from my man?" She added, while tugging on Kay's shoulder.
"Yea! un-pretzel!" someone chimed in. (I think it was Trixie)
 Kay reluctantly slid her feet to the floor, she held onto my arm, her head still on my shoulder. Ava's face displayed a complex mix of emotions.

"I still haven't forgiven you; you will still need to explain yourself, fully." Kay informed me.

I looked over at Trixie and Claire, Trixie was aghast, her jaw was figuratively on the floor. Claire was grinning; she had her cell phone out and apparently had filmed the whole thing. Suzi then did her best to introduce her sister.

"Everyone, this is Yamamoto Karin, my elder sister. She just took a job in Springdale" she said.

"Karin?" I interrupted. "Hold on, you told me your name was 'Kayoko', one word like 'Prince' or 'Madonna'"
"Kayoko?!" Ava's eyes grew wide as she realized who Suzi's sister was.

“It was a phase" Karin replied to me.  "And don't change the subject, why did you abandon me?! What happened?"

"I'm not changing the subject. When I was returning home, my satchel was stolen in Heathrow; my phone, my journals, my camera, everything was gone! I'm sorry for being so careless. My cheap phone didn’t have automatic backups either, at least not when I was ‘roaming’ overseas. The point is , I spent months on the internet trying to find you, scrubbing student rosters and online directories for 'Kayoko'. I found six, none of them were you. I literally had no way to contact you. I was crushed, I gave up when I figured you didn't want to be found, because in all that time you didn't contact me either, after all, my contact information didn't change.

My revelation must've had a profound effect on her. "Hit me!" She begged. "You didn't leave me, but I gave up on you. My anger blinded me, I thought we had something…and I thought I'd never hear from you again. I had lost my way to contact you too... but, I at least knew your name. On a layover in Hong Kong, my purse was snatched. I should've tried harder to find you. Please, hit me, I deserve it for how I treated you, for the angry thoughts I carried for so long. I am so sorry."

I gently flicked her forehead, with my fingertips "Now, we're even. You are here now, and we've already had a 'make up' kiss. I haven’t yet come to grips with what this all means...” we both smiled despite the tears. "…but, I am so happy you are here!"
She then said to the group in general; "I apologize for my rudeness, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Yamamoto Karin, Tsubaki's sister, and Jay-kun's fiancée." She added, with a bow. "Please take care of me."

The room erupted with questions; "What?!", "Fiancée?!", and "How did that happen? she just got here!", "how did she get ahead of me?!" The room was noisy with the clamor.

“When did I propose?” I leaned over and quietly asked her.

“I’m old-fashioned.” She quietly responded, as she got out the latest model smartphone and started opening apps. Her fingers flew rapidly over the screen, typing and swiping. “The way I see it, you’ve ruined me for other men, I’ll have you take responsibility”

“Responsibility?” I asked, confused.

“For taking my chastity.” She replied to me in a no-nonsense manner.  She was finished typing and then tucked her phone back in her handbag. "For the time being, I am not letting you out of my sight." Then  she said, in a voice loud enough to get the attention of everyone in the room; "Umm, Landlord-san, darling, which room shall be mine?"

The room fell silent.

"I don't understand" I said.

“I can't expense staying a fake boarding house, nor for shacking up with by betrothed, so while you were all bickering, I registered this place. You have an 'Airbnb' account now. I’ve also cancelled my reservation at the extended stay hotel in Springdale. I'll be living here from now on. So, Landlord-san, which room shall be mine?

“Umm, I think we’re full!” someone stated.

“Not important...” Karin responded to no one in particular. “I don’t mind expensing a room, but only sharing a bed. If I recall correctly you prefer the left side, darling?” It felt like the temperature in the room was dropping. Karin seemed unfazed by the daggers being stared at her.

“Kay, I...I have a girlfriend now,” I stammered out, while indicating Ava with my open hand. “Ava and I have been living together for almost two years. I love her. I am thrilled to see you; I really am, but…”

“Nee-chan, there is a couch in my room, you may stay with me” Suzi offered.

Karin nodded her thanks to her sister, and then asked me: “I want to confirm something Jay-kun: I understand now why Ava is looking at me like she is, but read the room. It seems that all four of them are upset."  She then added in a slightly louder voice, "You're dating them all, aren't you?"

“Of course not!” I objected. Karin seemed unconvinced.

"You son-of-a-gun, you actually pulled it off!" She said. "You've got yourself a harem, just like in those manga you were reading when we were dating. I’ve confirmed it when I dropped that bomb about you being my fiancé, everyone was so jealous. So, OK, I want in too! This place being a boarding house is just a cover, right?  What's the rotation? I'll trade with whoever has you tonight, we have a lot of catching up to do and after that..."

"You’re jumping to conclusions, you’ve got it all wrong!", I interrupted. "Like I said, Ava and I are together, Suzi is my employee, she draws a salary through the agency. Trixie and Claire are my tenants. They pay rent and everything. I know that I still have a long way to go, but I'm fixing this place up so it can be a viable business..."

" B.S." Karin interjected. "You only have two tenants; how can you even afford a maid? And, I could tell from Tsubaki's emails that she has a thing for her 'Master'. That. Being. You!" She added while poking me in the chest., punctuating her words. “Are you going to tell me that she hasn't told you yet? That you haven’t figured that out?” She then grabbed a fistful of my shirt. “Or have you figured it out and are just stringing her along?!” she added in a menacing tone, she then released me and pushed me away. “First that tourist a few years ago that broke her heart, and now you?  I’m warning you, if you hurt my baby sister…"
"I'm sorry, Kay, that tourist was me, I never meant..."
 She silenced me, with an intimidating glare: "We'll get to that in a minute. For now; look around, they’re all jealous, they all consider my kissing you as trespassing, they each consider you theirs. They don’t know that I am not a thieving cat here to take you away from them, look at the body language, and look in their eyes! Do you expect me to believe that you don't have a relationship with everyone living here? That you only share your bed with Ava? "

"Oh, I share his bed with him most nights." Trixie chimed in. "Ava too." She added. The room fell silent.

 "You have sex with him? With them? Most nights? The three of you?!" Suzi asked, flustered.

 "No, no, we just sleep together most nights. It is nice and snuggly!" Trixie replied. "Besides, even though I love Ava, and she's my best friend, I don't swing that way."

"I guess that's a relief," Suzi then sighed. "I thought you meant that you were having sex with him every night” she added, almost under her breath: “That would explain why he turned me down....”

"He and I only make love on weekends." Trixie added.

Suzi's left eye started to twitch, "You have sex with my Goshujin-sama twice a week!?" she asked. "And…and, She’s okay with this?!" she indicated Ava with her hand.

Ava blushed. I felt my face getting hot also.

"No, no, four or six times a week, wait, what do you count? He's very thorough. " Trixie responded. "Regardless, only over two nights. And of course, Ava knows, as it was her idea. We’ve worked out a system where I 'have him for dinner' and she works up an appetite to 'have him for breakfast'. But it only works on weekends. Otherwise, he'd be late for work!"

Suzi fell on her backside, muttering, and held her head in her hands. Claire was taking notes, and appeared to be planning camera angles, Karin looked at me and raised her eyebrows, as if to silently say "See, I was right!"

"I think you broke her" Claire interjected, indicating the twitching and mumbling Suzi.
"But...but, I didn't do any of this!" I tried to defend myself. against Karin's accusations:" Yes, it is complicated; the arrangement that Ava, Trixie and I share, and  everyone who lives here is precious to me. But, try to understand, I just found Suzi by chance, at first Trixie was just going to be here for a while, she needed us. Clarissa just got out of a situation and needed a place to stay. I didn't pursue any of them! I'm not some womanizer, some skirt chasing playboy... "
Ava tugged my ear and questioned me, sotto voce, "So, the other night, when you told me about your fantasy of 'boffing the maid', that wasn't off the cuff, was it? How long have you had feelings for her?" 
"I met her about five years ago" I replied, also sotto voce, "I'll tell you about it later, I was on sabbatical, I tried avoiding starting a relationship because I didn't want to hurt her, I thought I'd never see her again."
"I don't mind that you're getting some on the side, but you should tell me about it ... you know what effect it has on me"
"I'm not saying I never wanted to, but I have not 'boffed the maid'."
"But you do love her? and Claire too? " Ava asked in a slightly louder voice, all chatter in the room stopped.
I felt my blood pressure rising, sweat dripped down between my shoulder blades. It time to 'grow a pair', I was going to risk it all.
"I do!  I know it's wrong, but I can't help it. I'm sorry that this hurts you. I fell for Suzi at first sight, I've loved Claire forever.  I am also acutely aware that Claire and Suzi deserve more than just being someone's mistress, yet what they deserve isn't something that I can give them. Do you have any idea how I am agonizing over this? How trying not to hurt anyone is tearing me up inside?"
I then said to Karin, "I know it wouldn’t be fair to anyone if I did something like you're accusing me of. I know that would be cruel. I am not ‘gathering a harem’...Kay-chan, be reasonable, how would such a thing even be possible? Even if I wanted to, how could I set this up? Look at how it is that you are here now. How could I arrange such a sequence of events? I didn’t even know your real name! I certainly had no idea that you and Tsubaki were sisters, and she certainly had no idea we had an affair while backpacking across Europe one summer eight years ago! I'm innocent!"

"Jay-kun, are you listening to yourself? You are denying gathering a harem, not having one! Maybe it is fate, or destiny? or Karma?  I know you couldn't engineer this, at least not Tsubaki and I. To think a pair of sisters unknowingly fell for the same man, half a decade and half a world apart, only to find out on a different continent than where either of us met you? And in a little college town like this? Something weird and wonderful has occurred. Regardless, it's obvious that you love us all, and we all love you. But, why didn't you just... I mean, how dense can you be? " Karin interjected. "That follows the tropes even more closely, you're a 'Clueless Harem King'!" She pulled out her smartphone again and consulted a web-page, as she pointed to Ava, she said: "that makes you the 'official girlfriend’, or 'legal wife' we have Tsubaki as the 'Maido' of course. Trixie, the little redheaded girl just oozes moe₃. And you, the genki girl with the camera, Claire, what's your deal, I wonder?"

"Genre savvy, girl next door, childhood friend, first kiss, exhibitionist and voyeur" Claire volunteered. "Also, Ecchi and bi-curious" she whispered into Karin's ear.

"Okay then..." Karin shrugged as she took it all in "Anyway, I think we can salvage this. I want my man to be happy, and I want my little sister to be happy, and the rest of you might as well be happy too. We'll just need to work together to make it happen.  Jay-Kun go make some coffee, we girls have to chat for a bit."

They ‘chatted’ well into the night. I felt like a coward for letting them go on without me. I went to bed around midnight and they were still at it. When I came downstairs the next morning, they were all asleep, sprawled in a pile in the living room. I put on a fresh pot of coffee and left a note, letting them know I went to get donuts. When I came home less than an hour later, they were miraculously all 'bright eyed and bushy tailed’₄. Apparently, they had been waiting for me, and called me over for a 'meeting'.  All of the girls had something to say. Ava spoke first:

"Jake, I love you, I want you to stay with me and make me happy even after we're old and you're wrinkly. I want to make you happy too. Please say yes"

"Goshujin-sama, I will serve none other but you. I cannot forget that morning you confessed to me in Gotemba, and since then I've been in love with you and longed for the day that we can be together, please say yes."

"Trixie loves you lots too." Trixie said. "You may not realize it, but you saved me. I can't imagine life without you now, please say yes"

“Jakey, I started loving you when we were kids, and I’ve never stopped loving you. Stay with me forever, please, say yes” Clarissa pleaded.

“Jay-Kun, you know how I feel. I love you and I’m not letting you get away again. Please say yes.”

I tried to respond to them. “I’m a little overwhelmed, I do love all of you, but I'm afraid that I don’t know how to make it so that someone doesn’t get hurt. I know I didn’t handle this situation well up to now. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not acknowledging the love I feel to each of you. But I don’t know what to do now. What are you asking me to say ‘yes’ to?”

“We want a happy ending. Marry us all!” they all proclaimed.

I said “Yes”

I was buried under a weeping, laughing, hugging, kissing, happy pile of women. Once we all calmed down, I asked the burning question that was running through my mind;

“How?”

      

Notes:

1) The honorific suffix -Kun is mostly reserved for males you know well and/or are affectionate towards

2) in Japanese the word for sister is 'nee', adding 'o' indicates an elder sister/ big sister, the honorific -chan makes Onee-chan translate as 'my dear big sis' as -chan expresses affection in a informal setting.

3) Coined in Japan in the late '90s, "Moe" (萌え, pronounced as "Mo-Eh", derived from a Japanese word that means “budding, to sprout/bloom”) is a term used in anime/manga pop culture that means, amongst other things, "cute", "huggable", or "endearing". Often about a specific ideal or kind of character. When used as an interjection, figuratively, it's used to convey that "something blooms inside your heart".  A common definition is that 'moe' is the ability of a character to instill in the audience an irrational desire to adore them, hug them, protect them, comfort them, etc

 4) How can five women share two bathrooms and get ready for the day in under an hour, when it takes ninety minutes for one of them to get ready to go out for dinner? It is a mystery, but that’s what happened.