Rito's New Troubles: Collection

by Diablo Ex Machina

Every chapter of Rito's New Troubles, now in a single, streamlined package. Contains all 6 Volumes, the Finale, and an Epilogue. Reviews motivate me to work harder and faster! Rito x Lala x Ryoko x Yami x Yui x Tearju x Nana x Momo x Oshizu x Risa x Mio x Run x Mea x Nemesis x Mikan x Peke x Kyouko. On indefinite hiatus due to lack of interest and fan response.

10. Tearju 1

With Rito - A Little Over One Week After The Last Chapter

Rito was out of sorts. While he was glad that Sallem had left a week ago, leaving him to try and resume a sense of normalcy, things had changed too much during his stay for his life to ever go back to what it once was. That wasn't to say that everything that happened had been bad, but it wasn't all good either. The main more of less good thing that had happened to him was his harem. Yes, he was comfortable with that term now. It was actually kinda silly for him to try and deny it any further. What he had with Lala, Ryoko, Yami, and Yui was undeniably reciprocated love, and a bond he would never want to lose.

However, with the good also came the bad. During Sallem's stay on Earth, Rito had learned that he was haunted by a vengeful spirit looking to regain its' power, and achieving this goal by causing him to fall all over women. While most people would despise the idea of being haunter with all their being, Rito slowly took it in stride, as he'd already been exposed to enough oddities over the past year or so to have developed a low level tolerance to oddities like this. No, the real main problem he had was that the thing had apparently decided to put Haruna into a coma via car collision. To make matters worse, even with advanced aliens working on the problem, there was still the matter of the curse the spirit placed on Haruna, rendering any means of revival useless until the problem was dealt with at its source.

Because of all these bad events culminating, Oshizu had gone on a quest on Sallem's instruction, to gain enough power to remove the curse plaguing her best friend and defeat the spirit with her own powers. Also, since Sallem had left, the evil spirit had resumed its old ways now that the deterrent of his power was gone. Meaning, he was falling over a lot again.

Speaking of which...

"WAHHH! Panicked Rito as he toppled over and landed face first on Lala's bosom. "I'm so sorry!" He apologized as he tried to right himself, only to grab her tail as he braced himself. At Lala's moaning, Rito panicked again and landed in her boobs again. "Damn it," Grunted Rito as he got up, making sure he wasn't touching anything this time. "Why does it seem like that evil spirit is trying to make up for lost time?"

"Well, that might actually be the case." Said Peke. "Based on what you and Sallem have mentioned, the spirit haunting you is desperately trying to regain whatever power it once had, and is using your misfortune to do that."

Rito sighed. "Whatever, can we just hurry up to school already?" He whined, only to receive a firm whack to the back of the head for his troubles. "Ow!" He winced in pain as he turned to see who his attacker was.

"I'm disappointed in you, Rito!" Scolded Yui harshly. "You may be upset about Haruna being in a coma, but so are the rest of her friends! Also, in case you haven't noticed you have 4 other women who depend on you for emotional support in times like these as well. Remember when I confessed to you and we found out about Haruna's situation not long after?" She said firmly.

His expression lifting somewhat at Yui's words, Rito stood up straight. "I still have my friends, family, and harem. Haruna will wake up eventually, it'll just take time." He said with renewed confidence, glad that he had Yui's unwavering spirit to keep him and others focused in trying times. He was actually surprised that she'd made the transition from friend to lover so easily once she confessed with her determination like it was.

"That's right." Yami added as she joined them on the way to school, hugging Rito's arm as she did so. "Haruna's growing to be a friend to me as well, and since I can't really do anything to help her like Ryoko can, the best I can do is stay in high spirits for her sake."

"I noticed that you've been clinging to me a lot since we started going out, Yami." Observed Rito curiously. "No offense but I wouldn't have pegged you as the type."

"You make me feel safe, Rito." Explained Yami, a tinge of red to her cheeks. "I know that I don't have much to worry about physically as an experienced assassin, but you and Mikan give me emotional support that I haven't had for so long now."

"Yami," Whispered Rito, grabbing her hand tenderly. "Don't worry. While the life you once had may be gone now, you've got new friends and family now."

"I know." Said Yami as she snuggled Rito closely. "That's why I'm not going to let anything steal my happiness this time."

"That's good to hear, Yami." Agreed Rito as the group arrived at school. "And you know what? Just talking with you three has got me feeling better already."

"Glad to help, Rito!" Smiled Lala as she hugged him and Yami, much to the protest of the former. "And you'll see, Haruna will be up before you know it."

"Of course." Nodded Yui confidently. "She's the class representative, so if she didn't get better soon, it would be a bother for me as well."

"You still have trouble expressing yourself." Noticed Yami bluntly, causing Yui's eyebrow to twitch in irritation.

"Um, guys?" Began Rito awkwardly, being all too aware of the glares he was getting from the male half of the school. "Maybe we should just focus on getting to class right now?" He suggested.

---

Later - In Class

"Alright everyone," Began Honekawa-sensei shakily. "I know that this is sudden, but due to the trouble I'm having with work lately, The Principal has seen fit to hire an assistant teacher for my class."

'It's probably an attractive woman,' Thought Rito, knowing his hentai Principal. 'Might be an alien too, with the pattern I've already seen.' He added as an afterthought.

"You may come in now." Said Honekawa-sensei.

When the door opened and the new assistant teacher came in, ever male in the class except Rito was drooling over her right away. However, Rito was in shock as well, though due to a completely different reason. The woman had long blond hair and glasses, looked to be somewhere in her late 20's or early 30's, and was dressed entirely in a formal black attire. But most stunning, was that she looked like an older version of Yami.

'Could she possibly be...?' Wondered Rito as he gave Yami a sideways glance. Seeing her eyes widened slightly and her jaw a little slack - which was the most surprised he'd ever seen her - he decided that she must be, even before she introduced herself.

"Hello everyone," Began Tearju, pausing to find Yami in the class, subduing her surprise just as well as her clone did. "My name is Tearju Lunatique, and I look forward to working with you from now on." She bowed slightly to the class, most of the male half staring eagerly at her, with a few of the more savvy ones giving Rito death glares, the meaning of which were obvious.

Somehow Rito got the feeling that another angry mob of adolescent boys would try to run him down before long.

---

Lunch Time - With Rito

As Rito got out his lunch, he noticed Yami make a hasty retreat from the classroom. 'Why am I not surprised?' He asked himself. Really, for Yami to see the closest thing she'd ever had to a mother suddenly appear in front of her, it was obvious there would be a lot of things on her mind, and knowing her as well as Rito did, he knew she'd want some time alone to process things. 'But as her boyfriend, I should probably see if there's anything I can do to help too.' Just as he was about to go after her however, Tearju approached him.

"Excuse me, but would your name happen to be Rito Yuuki?" Tearju asked him nervously.

Noticing all the glares he was receiving from the male half of the class, Rito decided it would be a good idea to save any talking for later. "Sorry, but I really have something else I need to do right now." He apologized. "So if we could just have this talk later, I'd really appreciate it." Grabbing his lunch, he made a quick getaway out the door.

"Wait a second!" Pleaded Tearju as she rushed out the door after him. "I really need to talk to you!"

"He is so dead!" Seethed every boy in the class as they rushed after both Rito and Tearju, intent on attacking Rito because of how unfair it was that he got so much attention from attractive women. Once again, the charge was being lead by Saruyama.

"I really don't have time for this!" Rito called back to Tearju, visibly panicking when he saw the very familiar sight of an angry mob of lonely teenage boys. "This will have to wait until later!"

"Please come back here, Rito!" Begged Tearju as she began gaining ground on him, not noticing the mob at all. "Please stop running from me! I need this right now!" Hearing this, the angry mob picked up their pace.

"Stop making things worse!" Panicked Rito when he noticed how fast Tearju and the mob were gaining.

"If you would just stop for a second, I know we can work this oouuu-!" Screeched Tearju as she tripped over her own feet and fell on top of Rito.

"Owww!" Rito groaned from the floor as he turned around to right himself. When he saw that Tearju had landed on him in a compromising position, her butt in the air, and her breasts on his waist, his eyes widened in mortal terror, knowing that the mob was now more envious than ever. "Please don't hurt me!" He begged in fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Tearju replied as she got on her hands and knees and crawled up to Rito's face, thinking he was talking to her. "Ryoko told me that before I do anything else, I should talk to you."

"Please, for the last time whatever you have to say can wait until later. Right now I have to go!" Rito pleaded as he tried to back away from the danger zone.

"Please! I'm begging you! I need your help!" Tearju pleaded as she grabbed him by his shoulder.

The mob, finally having had enough, descend upon Rito and Tearju like a swarm of locusts...

Or rather, they would have if Yami hadn't shown up in the nick of time to beat them off with her hair fists.

"Stay away from my boyfriend." Demanded Yami coldly as her hair shifted to blades. "Otherwise I won't hold back this time." The mob, needing no more motivation, ran away.

"Thanks for your help, Yami." Said Rito awkwardly, noticing the subtle tension in Yami's expression.

"Eve..." Breathed Tearju as she stared at the girl who was, for all intents and purposes, her daughter. "Or... I suppose you go by Yami-chan now." She corrected herself sadly.

"Rito," Yami began as she pulled him up, completely ignoring Tearju. "Come with me." She gestured without emotion. "And leave her behind." She tagged on coldly.

"Wait a second, Yami. Don't you want to-huh?" Rito tried to follow her, but stopped when he felt something cold tug at his left wrist. "What the-?" He wondered as he glanced at his arm, and saw a semitransparent pair of handcuffs linking his left wrist to Tearju's right.

As all three parties took notice of the handcuffs, Yami came to a conclusion first, followed shortly by Rito, while Tearju remained uninformed and confused.

"It looks like the ghost is acting up again." Sighed Rito, hoping that just once he could go through a whole week normally. Without any form of supernatural or extraterrestrial mayhem making life harder for himself and others.

"I think it would be best if you went to talk to Ryoko," Yami suggested. "I'll meet you there." She said before running off faster than either Rito or Tearju could keep up with normally, let alone while handcuffed together.

"Wait! Yami-!" Pleaded Tearju, only for her daughter to already be gone. As she lowered her head in sadness, Rito placed a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"Come on," Invited Rito gently. "We know where she's going, so we can talk to her when we get there."

Blinking in confusion a few times at Rito as he helped her up, Tearju spoke. "Did Yami just call you her..." She trailed off nervously.

"Yeah," Nodded Rito to her unfinished question. "I am Yami's boyfriend."

Quickly, the confusion and shock on Tearju's face gave way to a soft smile. "Thank you. Ryoko has spoken so highly of you. So to hear that my daughter's found someone like you to love is a huge weight off of my shoulders."

"You're welcome." Said Rito as he lead her to Ryoko's office.

---

Ryoko's Office

"Rito, Tearju, it's good to see you both." Greeted Ryoko cordially, not noticing or not caring that Tearju was staring slack-jawed at her new musculature. "Though I must say, having that kind of foreplay when you've just met is a bit much, don't you think?" She asked as she pointed at the ghostly handcuffs linking the two together.

"It's not like that, Ryoko." Insisted Rito as he hoisted up the chain. "The ghost did it."

"I can see that," Joked Ryoko as she walked over to them and hugged her old friend. "Tearju, it's good to see you again after all these years."

"Uhh, it's good to see you again too Ryoko." Tearju grunted as she awkwardly returned the hug. "Though I have to say, you've really... changed since I last saw you."

"What can I say?" Ryoko boasted as she took off her lab coat and struck a few sexy poses. "I was looking for a change, but it seems I got more than I bargained for."

"I heard it was an accident caused by Lala." Deadpanned Yami.

"Well, that too I suppose." Ryoko admitted as she put her coat back on. "At any rate, it seems as if you've landed yourself in another fine jam, Rito."

"You can say that again," Sighed Rito as he and Tearju sat down on a bed. "But before that Ryoko, how do you and Tearju know each other?"

"Ryoko and I are old friends from our school days." Tearju explained as she pulled out a picture of a younger her and Ryoko. "I was what you might call the shy and awkward girl, while she was the more outgoing and playful one. We were pretty much opposites, and we still are, but we were the best of friends before we went our separate ways."

"It's been years since we've seen each other," Ryoko picked up the conversation. "Though it was only about a week ago that I made efforts to track her down at Sallem's request."

Rito's eyes widened in shock at the mention of Sallem's name as he turned towards Tearju. 'Fuuuuck.' He cursed mentally.

"I honestly have no idea why the richest man in the galaxy would want to help me in any way," Tearju said. "But at the very least, with the way things are now, I can finally stop running." As she said this, her expression became downcast.

"Running?" Wondered Rito. "What do you mean by that?"

Tearju hesitated and glanced at Yami before answering. "When I joined the organization that would clone Ev... I mean, Yami from my DNA and modify her body with nanomachines, I wasn't aware of their true nature. As soon as I learned what they were planning to do with the child I had come to love as a daughter, and even make more like her for the same purpose, I tried everything I could to get her out of there," As her story went on, tears began to form in her eyes. "However, it was all I could manage just to get out of there with my own life. After that I had to hop from planet to planet, hiding my identity all the while. Eventually I heard that the organization had been wiped out, and I feared the worst for you," She said as she looked at Yami, who was looking out the window, seeming not to care about her words.

"But it wasn't long before I heard rumors about an assassin named Golden Darkness," Tearju continued, tears now falling freely. "I knew that it had to be you, and just thinking about what you must have gone through to wind up like that..." Tearju could take no more, as she broke down sobbing into the nearest available shoulder. Which, due to being handcuffed, was Rito's.

"I don't care," Cut in Yami coldly as she casually used her hair to separate her mother from her boyfriend. "Regardless of anything else, the fact is that I am the way I am now, and no words will change that. I am Golden Darkness. I am Yami. I am part of Rito Yuuki's harem. Also, I don't want you joining." She finished as she used her hair to hold Rito and Tearju's linked hands taught, and sliced through the chain with a hair blade. However, instead of severing the chain, her hair merely passed through it. Glaring at the chain intensely as if that could sever it, she pouted bitterly. "This is not good."

Tearju blinked in confusion at Yami. "H-Harem?" She parroted in shock. "Why would you-? With a-? With him-? Who else-?"

It suddenly occurred to Rito that while Tearju may have been aware that he was dating Yami, she clearly didn't have any idea that she was part of a harem. Casting Ryoko a glance that said 'Explain' she chuckled at how her old friend was floundering at the revelation.

"Oh, that's right. You didn't know about our darling Rito's tastes." Joked Ryoko as she cuddled her face against Rito's and held him tightly. "For the past few months now, he's been gathering quite the harem, myself included." She winked playfully.

"H-Harem? Y-You? Y-Yami?" Tearju panicked, her expression bright red in a mix of fear and manic embarrassment. "I-I'm not-I mean I have no experience-I mean my heart's not ready! Please be gentle!" She struggled in confusion and uncertainty.

"No, no! It's not like that!" Denied Rito frantically. "I don't want you in my harem, or anything like that!"

"Are you saying I'm not good enough!?" Panicked Tearju in outrage, not fully understanding what she was saying anymore.

"Nothing like that!" Corrected Rito, just as caught up in the mania as she was. "You're a very beautiful woman, but I'm just not interested right now!"

"Then when will you be interested?" Demanded Tearju, all semblance of sanity and focus temporarily forgotten. "Or is it just that you want nothing to do with girls like me?"

"How did conversation get to this?!" Cried Rito, managing to regain some sense of normalcy.

"You just don't want me! I can tell!" Tearju wept with absolute certainty. "You're fine with my daughter and my old friend, but you want nothing to do with me! I can take a hint!"

"Yami! Ryoko! A little help here?!" Rito panicked, both him and Tearju getting a hair fist to the face, knocking them to the floor.

"She's like a female version of Rito." Observed Ryoko curiously.

"They're very much alike." Agreed Yami.

"Is the hitting really necessary?" Questioned Rito as he sat up, though the hand he used to support himself was quickly noticed to have groped Tearju's breast in the process. Sighing, Rito casually removed his hand from the moaning teacher's chest. "When did it get to this point?" He asked rhetorically.

"When did what get to where?" Grunted Tearju as she got up and adjusted her glasses. "What happened anyway?"

"I hit you both." Deadpanned Yami as she took a seat on the windowsill.

"Yeah, thanks for that." Grunted Rito as he stood up, pulling Tearju up with him. "But anyway Ryoko, we came here for a little help." He explained as he held up the spectral handcuffs linking him and Tearju together.

"Yes, I noticed that little problem." Observed Ryoko seriously. "As a matter of fact, Sallem warned me to expect something like this out of the evil ghost," She explained as she rummaged through her desk drawers and pulled out what looked like an old Game Boy and held it up to the handcuffs. "He gave me this little device called a Game Boy Horror to better analyze anything the spirit did, as well as work out how to fix any problems."

"E-Evil Spirit? H-H-Haunted?" Shuddered Tearju fearfully. "Y-You mean some bad ghost is hanging over your head? Spreading all sorts of evil?"

"Essentially, yes." Answered Ryoko calmly as she monitored the Game Boy Horror. "Now this is interesting..."

"What is it, Ryoko?" Asked Rito as he tried to look at the screen.

"Well first of all," The doctor began as she scrolled down a list on the screen. "Not only is the information listed here incredibly detailed and accurate, but it's also managed to come up with several likely theories behind the ghost's behavior. It would seem that these handcuffs are formed from the ghost's own energy, and don't take much effort to maintain." Pressing a few buttons, she continued. "It looks as though the cuffs are linking the ghost's own spirit to both of yours, making you two the only ones capable of touching them, and effectively taking you both hostage. Most likely to prevent itself from being captured."

"I'm a hostage!" Panicked Tearju as she frantically started shaking her linked arm. "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"

Rito however, was noticeably calmer about the situation. Likely due to being no stranger to being a hostage, and indeed familiar with dangerous situations overall.

"That won't do you much good," Pointed out Ryoko as she gently restrained her old friend. "This isn't a normal hostage situation we're dealing with. So long as neither of you tries to remove the cuffs by force, they'll disappear on their own when the ghost can't maintain them any longer. Honestly, it's not even a very effective hostage situation, so much as it's just really annoying. It's most likely just grasping at straws to ensure its safety by this point."

"How long can the ghost keep this up for?" Asked Rito as he tried to calm down a hyperventilating Tearju. "Please don't tell me it can keep this up for long."

"Well..." Hummed Ryoko as she looked at the Game Boy Horror again. "Based on how much energy it's spending to keep the chains solid for you two, the Game Boy Horror calculates that it won't be more than two months."

"Two whole months?" Paled Rito instantly as he recalled being linked to Lala for just a little over a day, and how hard just that much had been for him. Just the thought of being linked to someone he just met for 60 days was some kind of nightmare.

"Can't you do anything about that?!" Tearju pleaded, completely red faced. "I don't mean to sound forceful or rude or anything, but the thought of being linked to someone I just met for 60 whole days is just too much!"

'Ryoko and Yami are right. She really is just like me.' Rito noted their similar lines of thought.

"With just the technology at my disposal, not to mention the limited research on spirits people through out the galaxy have conducted, you're honestly lucky I was able to figure out this much." Ryoko apologized sincerely. "Any methods the Game Boy Horror recommends to shorten the time have a minimal chance of success at best, and are double edged swords more often than not. Not to mention that trying to remove them by force would wind up seriously injuring you both."

"Aren't there any safe ways?" Asked Rito and Tearju in unison, turning to each other in mild shock almost immediately.

"Sorry, but the best suggestion the Game Boy Horror has is to just go about your daily life like normal." Ryoko denied. "It has next to zero percent chance of shortening the time the ghost can maintain the cuffs, and that's only because nothing is ever a perfect 0% or 100% in science. However, it'll be safest if you just do things that way."

---

On The Way Back To Class - Rito, Tearju, and Yami

"How does she expect us to just go about our lives normally like this?" Wondered Tearju as she held up her shackled wrist worriedly.

"Well, this isn't the first time I've been forced into a situation like this." Admitted Rito sheepishly.

"It's not?" Asked Tearju curiously.

"No," Sighed Rito. "The last time it happened was a bit different though. In some ways it was easier, since I only had to be stuck like that for a little over a day. However, in some ways it was worse, mainly because of how I was stuck to that person."

"Were you stuck in someone's breasts?" Asked Yami dangerously as she turned her hand into a blade.

"Not at all! Not at all!" Answered Rito quickly, though Yami still looked like she wanted an explanation. "You see, a while ago one of Lala's inventions malfunctioned and my hand got stuck to her tail." Yami simply nodded, knowing that for female Devilukians, their tail was extremely sensitive.

Tearju sighed. "How is this going to work, anyway?" She questioned. "If we're handcuffed together for the next two months, then that means we'll have to do everything together, even..." She trailed off as her face got red at the implication that brought forth.

"You seriously didn't think about that already?" Asked Rito in astonishment. "Normally that kind of thing would be one of the first things on your mind when you're suddenly linked to someone for an extended period of time." He said, though after thinking for a bit he added. "Seriously though, how many times can the same specific situation happen to the same guy? Like I said before, this isn't the first time I've been through this."

"How did you get through it the first time?" Tearju asked.

"Blindfold." Deadpanned Rito instantly. "That, and a robot that can alter clothes freely." He added, though as he said this a thought came to mind. 'Where the hell did my life go so wrong as to make that sound perfectly normal?'

"Your life is certainly..." Tearju hesitated nervously. "Eccentric." She decided on, though she didn't sound very convincing.

'She really is a female me.' Thought Rito with absolute certainty. 'No doubt that's why Sallem sent her here. He found the one woman in the galaxy most like me, made her easy for me to find, and now he doesn't even have to do anything to set us up, because whether it know it or not, the ghost seems to be doing a good job of that already.' That thought brought another one to mind, and like dominoes his conclusions began falling down hard in his mind. 'Did he plan for the ghost to do this? Maybe yes, maybe no. It's just as likely that he thought just having us in the same general area would do the job one way or another. She is Yami's mother after all, and since I'm Yami's boyfriend, its' obvious several interactions would follow. Either way, this is obviously a set up, just like all the others.'

"Uh-oh." Stopped Yami suddenly as they arrived at the classroom, her eyes narrowed slightly in some realization.

"What is it, Yami?" Asked Rito worriedly as he instantly stopped opening the door, knowing that something had to be very bad for Yami to be unsettled by it.

"What about the mob?" Asked Yami rhetorically. "They were angry enough just seeing Tearju wanting to talk with you, I'm worried it will be worse when they see you handcuffed."

A chill crept up Rito's spine when he realized that she was absolutely right. Those guys were getting more blood thirsty with every girl added to his harem, when they took this the wrong way, and they would, he'd be lucky if his house survived the night.

"Angry mob?" Wondered Tearju fearfully as she opened the door, ignoring Rito's protest. "What are you two talking about?" She asked as she walked into the lion's den.

"Tearju, no!" Panicked Rito as she pulled them into the room. Rito quickly braced for impact, but after several seconds of no harm or yelling, he dared to open his eyes, and when he did he saw that every boy in the class aside from Honekawa-sensei and himself were burnt and smoking. While most would have asked what happened, all Rito needed to know was that the word "FAILSAFE" was written in large holographic letters floating above the class. 'I guess Sallem anticipated this.' He realized instantly.

"Oh my goodness!" Panicked Tearju. "What happened here?!"

"Uhhg... zap... zap..." Groaned Saruyama as he barely held his head up before falling face first onto his desk again.

"So he used tazers this time." Rito noted nonchalantly. "Don't worry, Tearju. I'll fill you in later." He sighed as Yami went to her seat, and he gave a quick lie to Honekawa-sensei about why he and Tearju were handcuffed. It wasn't hard, as all he had to do was mention the word aliens and Honekawa-sensei went along with it, saying that they'll just have to adjust things until the problem gets sorted out. Apparently, any mention of the 'A' word had become an instant easy excuse for any of the weird events going on around him, as most people didn't care to know of anything else beyond that. Rito was very thankful to have learned this, though he would have liked to figure this out sooner.

"Looks like Rito nabbed another one!" Cheered Risa loudly. "Hey Rito, when are you gonna seduce me?!"

Rito sighed. It seemed that even with aliens being a legitimate excuse to quickly deal with any minor accommodations needed during hard times, it still wouldn't protect him from the words of his peers.

---

After School - With Rito and Tearju

"This... isn't really what I had in mind when I first came to Earth." Tearju admitted nervously, nervously aware of all the stares she was getting from various bystanders.

"You get used to it," Rito reassured her tiredly. "Trust me, I know."

"I certainly hope so." Said Tearju as she tried to stand tall against the adversity life had thrown her way. "Anyway, I just want to apologize again about making you stay behind after class because of these." She said as she held up her shackled wrist.

"Don't worry about it," Shrugged Rito. "I'm used to unusual things happening to me all the time. Believe me, this isn't the worst I've been through."

"I see," Nodded Tearju. "It seems that we've both lived pretty rough lives."

"I really don't think that's an accurate comparison." Rito denied as he and Tearju walked up to his house. "I mean, compared to what you must have gone through while on the run, my problems probably seem like some romantic comedy in comparison."

"Don't belittle your own problems." Tearju explained. "They may not be much compared to mine, but you still have to live with your own issues every day. Do what you can to solve your problems."

"Thanks for the advice," Nodded Rito as they went inside. "Where did you come up with that, anyway?"

"I watched a film on teaching and went to a seminar before starting my new job." Tearju explained. "I wanted to make sure I had some kind of base to work off of."

"Welcome home, Rito," Greeted Yui tensely in a facade of pleasantry. "How was your day? Anything interesting happen?" She asked as she gripped Rito's shackled wrist tightly and held it up.

"Ow," Winced Rito in both pain and fear. "I can explain this. It's really not my fault." As the sound of Yui's foot tapping heavily on the ground pounded in his ears he realized something. "Yui, what are you doing here anyway?"

"After seeing your condition in class, how could I not come here?" Yui answered sternly. "Now, I can accept and respect the fact that I'm part of a harem here, and also that there are going to be some displays of affection in public, but I have to draw the line somewhere." She explained. "Being handcuffed to a member of the opposite sex, especially one you just met, no matter the reason is something that has to either be dealt with or monitored. Since you haven't gotten rid of them yet, I can only assume that these handcuffs can't be removed for some reason. So until I feel okay with this situation or it's resolved, I'm going to do my job as your girlfriend and a model student and monitor you two."

"Harem? Girlfriend?" Parroted Tearju in shock. "Exactly how many people are involved in this?" She asked, her voice stunned but not judgmental.

"Quite a few, actually." Chuckled Momo as she snuck up behind Rito and hugged him tightly. "Why don't you tell her about us, Rito?" She whispered in his ear, sending a chill up his spine.

"There is no 'Us' Momo!" Scolded Nana as she chased after her twin, both of them winding up running around Rito and Tearju. "How many times do I have to say it, Rito is Lala onee-sama's fiance!"

"But don't you want to get married too, someday?" Teased Momo. "With a chest as flat as yours, your best bet may have to be with someone accepting a harem, after all." No sooner did she say that than she managed to grab hold of Nana's tail.

"AAAaaaaAAaaHHhhHHhhhhuuuu..." Wailed Nana as she reached for her sister's tail to even the score. "Why is it you always go for the tail?" She growled as she toyed with Momo's tail.

"Why are they doing this?" Asked Tearju as she fearfully clung to Rito. "It looks so... horrible."

"You don't know the half of it." Sighed Rito as he shook his head. "Yui, a little help here?" He requested.

"My pleasure." Huffed Yui boldly as she grabbed Nana, Rito grabbed Momo, and they quickly pulled them apart. "When will you two learn better?" She asked disapprovingly.

"Maybe we should handcuff them together," Suggested Rito jokingly. "That usually seems to work in cartoons."

"It'll take a lot more than just handcuffs to get us to stop fighting!" Shouted Nana.

"I think one of us will die before we can get along," Sighed Momo. "Looks like you may need to have one more ghost in the harem, Rito."

"There are so many things wrong with that statement, I wouldn't even know where to start." Deadpanned Rito as he released Momo. "Now will you two get along for long enough for us to eat at least?"

"We've had to live with each other our whole lives, and we're both still here." Nana explained as Yui let her go as well. "It's going to take a lot more than anything even someone as hopeless as you could manage to make us actually want to kill each other." She said as she glared at Momo and Rito.

"Love you too, Nana." Remarked Rito sarcastically, causing Nana to turn bright red.

"Sh-shut up! Stop saying stupid things!" Demanded Nana. "Anyway, remember the proposal you've already given to onee-sama. Honestly, flirting around even though you already have her."

Taking quick notice of Tearju's shocked stare, Rito answered her most likely question preemptively. "I didn't propose to anyone. It started out as a botched confession to a completely different girl and snowballed from there. Honestly, I wanted Lala out of my life more than anything else for the first few months."

"Yeah, that's true," Admitted Lala nervously, though not in a sad way. "I was pretty hard to live with back then."

"You heartless..." Seethed Nana, who was ready to pounce on Rito until Mikan whacked her in the head with a frying pan.

"That's enough out of you," Scolded Mikan as Nana rubbed her head. "They've already had this discussion before and have managed to move past it. If it doesn't bother them, it shouldn't bother you."

"Looks like someone's getting their just desserts for being such a hothead." Chuckled Momo quietly, not noticing Mikan coming up behind her until her frying pan had made contact with the crown of her head.

"You're one to talk about glaring character flaws." Mikan chided Mom as she held her head. "Flirting is acceptable up to a certain point, but you take it too far too often."

"Mikan, why did you hit them with a frying pan?" Asked Rito as he took a few steps back. "I know they can get out of hand sometimes, but isn't that too much?"

"That's my fault, Rito." Apologized Yui. "I suggested that she should try being a bit more forceful with those two, since they're so maladjusted, but I'm beginning to wonder if it was such a good idea."

"I'm just trying to hammer a simple point into their heads," Explained Mikan. "I'm fine with you having a harem, Rito. However, Nana has to learn to accept that it's happening and that she can't stop it, while Momo has to learn to accept that she can't just force her way in. That aside, Rito..." She paused dramatically as she looked to Rito, then Tearju, then back to Rito. "Picking up girls you just met? This is a little different than it usually goes." She teased him with a sly look on her face.

"How does it usually go?" Questioned Tearju sadly. "For this to have a usual way, it means that Yami was just one of..."

"Well, I will admit that there seems to be some kind of routine to this," Rito said sheepishly, causing Tearju's eyes to well up with tears. "But I love Yami with everything I am!" He hastily added. "Just because I feel just as strongly about more than one woman, doesn't mean that I..." Rito trailed off, suddenly realizing how lame and insensitive that sounded, at least by Earth standards. 'Seems I'm still not entirely used to the idea yet.' He thought to himself.

All at once, the air between Rito and Tearju became very tense and awkward, neither one looking at the other.

"Well, everything else aside, Yui and Lala have already explained the whole situation to me." Mikan said as she walked back to the kitchen. "Dinner's almost ready, so why don't you go get ready?"

---

Dinner Time

It was more or less a typical dinner by the Yuuki household standards. Nana, Lala, and Mikan were making small talk, Momo was glancing at Rito and blushing every few seconds while making the occasional comment about the conversation the others were having, and Celine was happily enjoying a plate of pasta. As for the guests, aside from making a snap or two about Momo's behavior, Yui was also trying to get along with everyone, fairing quite well at it. However, there were two people who weren't having such an easy time with what would normally be a laid back meal.

'What is going on here?' Tearju asked herself as she fiddled with her food. Luckily the chain connecting her to Rito was long enough that she could still use both hands freely. 'I know that Earth is something of a backwater planet, but to allow harems? Why didn't Ryoko warn me of this, much less that she was part of one?' It seemed that Tearju had a somewhat flawed impression of Earth. 'And to hear that Eve... Yami is part of one... I know such things are commonly allowed on many planets in the galaxy, but my planet didn't have such customs. To hear about such things... and then be dragged into it like this...' Her thoughts trailed off as images of Rito playing with her intimately came to mind before she shook such thoughts from her head.

'What is going on here?' Rito wasn't fairing much better as he fiddled with his own food. 'I thought I'd made peace with having a harem, or at least something close to it. Well, I suppose even if I'm fine with it, the opinions of people around me will always have some kind of impact on me.' He sighed as he gave a sideways glance at Tearju, who looked a lot like he felt, which just made him feel worse. 'Though things have gotten to the point where almost nothing fazes me anymore, I suppose it's unfair of me to assume that other people could accept things out of the norm so quickly as well. Tearju especially, since I'm dating Yami, who's the closest thing to a daughter she has, while also seeing three other girls, and now she's handcuffed to me for the next two months. She probably thinks that I'm trying to add her to my harem...' As his train of thought trailed off, images of him caressing and squeezing Tearju intimately worked their way into his head before he shook them out.

'Why am I thinking of things like that at a time like this?!' Rito and Tearju thought in unison as they simultaneously glanced at each other and quickly turned away when they saw the other looking at them too.

'Those two are so much alike.' Noticed Yui, Momo, and Mikan as they casually observed the handcuffed pair mirroring each other at the table.

"Excuse me!" Said Rito and Tearju in unison to each other. "Sorry, you go first- No, I insist- I feel bad about- Uhhhh..." They both trailed off awkwardly.

"Yami is Tearju's clone, right?" Mikan whispered to Yui uncertainly.

"Yes, that she is," Yui whispered back. "Though I can see what you're implying. It's like someone put Rito's personality into a woman's body."

"Tearju is actually the older one, so if you wanted to get technical, it should actually be the other way around." Mikan explained.

Meanwhile, Lala was giggling at the sight. "You two are so much alike!" She cheerfully voiced aloud what everyone was thinking. "It's like someone made a girl version of Rito!"

"Please don't remind me of that, Lala." Groaned Rito as he recalled the times he was actually turned into a girl. "There are several things in my life I'd rather just forget, and that is very near the top of the list."

"What are you talking about, Rito?" Asked Tearju curiously.

"One of Lala's inventions turned Rito into a girl once." Yui explained.

"EEHHHHHH!" Panicked Tearju as she stared at Rito in shock, who simply hung his head in shame.

"It happened more than once actually," Mikan elaborated. "Every time Rito was more red than I'd ever seen him. He - I'm sorry - she," She corrected herself slyly, sending Rito even further into depression. "Could barely even function properly when she was forced to be like that. She had such a hard time dealing with even simple things like bathing and changing clothes."

"I'd like to see you do any better if you had to be a man for a day!" Challenged Rito angrily. "It's not so easy being transformed into something completely different from what you really are!"

"Uh-oh," Gulped Yui nervously. "This isn't going to be one of those times where somebody actually accepts the sarcastic challenge, is it?" She asked Mikan uncertainly.

"Of course not," Denied Mikan immediately. "I'm not a hot-headed idiot that rises to any provocation she hears." She explained as she cast a curious glance at Nana for several seconds.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Nana muttered suspiciously.

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Grinned Mikan behind her glass. "It's just the musings of a grown woman trapped in a young girl's body. Isn't that right, Celine?" She asked of the young plant girl as if she were a mother sharing an inside joke with their child, only to find that she wasn't in her high chair anymore. "Where did she go?" She asked in a worried tone. "The store clerk said that high chair was supposed to be escape proof. That's the last time I rely on 100 yen stores for quality products."

"Mauuuu~!" Chirped Celine happily from on top of the fridge.

"Celine!" Panicked Rito.

"How did she get up there?!" Yui questioned worriedly.

"Don't worry, little one! I'll get you down safely!" Declared Tearju as she tried to rush over to save her, only to forget that she was chained to Rito and then falling over into a heap with him in front of the fridge. "Owww~" She whined from her uncomfortable position on the floor and pressure on her chest.

"How does this keep happening to me?" Complained Rito from his position underneath Tearju, his body forced to spoon hers and his hand forced to her breast due to the handcuffs getting tangled.

"Mauuu!" Cried Celine as she fell from the top of the fridge and landed safely with a thud on Tearju's stomach.

"Thank goodness," Sighed Mikan in relief. "Honestly, you can be such a headache sometimes, Celine."

"At least she's alright." Tearju smiled as she brushed Celine's hair. "You really shouldn't worry your family like that, though. You need to take better care of yourself or you'll wind up seriously hurt, and everyone would be beside themselves with worry." She spoke in a tone from heavy experience. "Wait a second, what's that you have there?" Tearju asked as she pulled a bottle from Celine's hands and looked at the label. "Cola?" All at once, the entire room fell silent and no one dared to move a muscle.

"Did you just say... Cola?" Asked Nana nervously.

"Yes, why?" Tearju answered, unaware of the terrifying implications behind that simple fact.

"Does Celine look at all..." Yui paused to swallow to calm her nerves. "Unusual to you?"

"Unusual?" Wondered Tearju as she examined the little plant girl. "Oh my goodness, the poor girl looks ill!" As she moved to further study the symptoms, Rito held her back.

"Don't move!" Panicked Rito, ignoring for the moment that he was currently groping Tearju to hold her back. "Don't talk, don't flinch, don't make any sudden movements. Don't do anything except stay perfectly still."

"I would, but right now you're holding me in a very sensitive space." Squirmed Tearju as Celine enjoyed the gentle rocking of Tearju's body, and Rito was having a very hard time remaining still himself.

"Maauu~!*hic*" Slurred Celine drunkenly as she fell forward and sprayed her pollen.

"Not again." Deadpanned Nana.

"Where did she even get the Cola anyway?" Asked Mikan. "I thought we stopped keeping that in the house the moment we found out about Celine's condition." As if in answer to her question, a letter suddenly fell from above. "What's this?" She wondered as she opened it in curiosity.

To whomsoever it concerns, if you are reading this letter, then that means Celine has gotten into the Cola I left behind. Please note, that this was nothing short of an intentional act of maliciousness on my part, and that you should probably try to control the situation A.S.A.P. If anyone gets sprayed, please note that pictures will be taken of the highlights of the outcome and sent to the Yuuki Residence and my own private residence after the pollen wears off. Thank you all for being such suckers, and have a nice day.

Signed, Sallem Cortez.

"Even when he's not here that monster is causing problems." Sighed Yui as the spores began to dissipate from around Tearju. "Momo, do you think you could get Celine under control?"

"Why do I have to do it?" Whined Momo. It wasn't so much that she was afraid of getting sprayed, she was confident that her feelings for Rito couldn't get any stronger anyway, so much as it was that she knew first-hand how dangerous it was to try and catch Celine while she was drunk. She still had scars from the last time.

"Because you're the only one here who can talk to plants." Reasoned Yui as Celine ran off.

"Fine," Sighed Momo begrudgingly as she set off after the little girl. "Celine! Hold on a second!"

"What just happened?" Coughed Tearju once the pollen was clear. Much to the visible confusion of everyone present however, she didn't have a flower sprouting from the top of her head. "Why is everyone staring at me?" She asked when she noticed the odd looks she was getting.

"Tearju-sensei..." Began Yui hesitantly. "Do you happen to feel the least bit... strange or unusual?"

"Strange?" Muttered Tearju in contemplation. "No, I don't feel any- Wah!" She gasped as Rito pushed her off of him.

"Sorry about that," Winced Rito in pain as he rubbed his lower back. "But I just really couldn't stand being squished like that any longer."

"That's fine," Replied Tearju as she adjusted her glasses and righted herself. "I should have gotten up a lot sooner. I guess I just forgot you were under me."

"Don't worry about it," Grunted Rito as he stood up and held out his left hand to help Tearju get on her feet. As she grabbed his hand though, he noticed that the handcuffs binding them had been covered in vines, leaves, and flower buds. "What happened to this?"

"It was probably Celine's pollen." Mikan quickly deduced upon sighting the greenery as well. "She sprayed Tearju, but it didn't have the usual effect. I'm guessing something about those handcuffs absorbed the pollen before she could."

"Considering where those handcuffs came from, it might be a good idea to have those vines checked out as soon as possible." Yui suggested.

"You have a good point there," Consented Rito. "However, under normal circumstances these plants come off on their own given enough time. I'd hate to get Ryoko worked up over nothing if that's the case here."

"Excuse me, Rito," Interrupted Tearju. "I'm afraid that I don't completely understand what's going on here. Exactly what just happened?"

"Celine gets drunk off of Cola." Said Lala.

"Drunk!? A little girl? Shouldn't we be worried about this?" Panicked Tearju.

"It's not really Celine getting drunk that's the problem," Explained Momo as she walked into the kitchen, Celine singing drunkenly in her arms and a flower on her head. "It's just that anyone who gets hit with the pollen she sprays while drunk gets really ecchi for Rito." She smiled perversely as she tried to stride up to Rito, only to be held back by the irate duo of Mikan and Nana.

"Don't even think of using that as an excuse." Nana said sternly.

"Even without the pollen's effect, you're already as ecchi for my brother as you can possibly get." Mikan deadpanned.

"You're both no fun." Pouted Momo.

"I... see," Twitched Tearju, glad to have somehow managed to dodge a bullet on that one. "If you don't mind my asking, exactly how long do these flowers usually stay on?"

"It lasts around an hour or so," Yui answered. "I should know, since I was there the first time it happened. Thankfully, I wasn't sprayed myself, but still... it was a pretty huge fiasco."

"Maaauuuuu~" Yawned Celine as her eyelids started to droop.

"We should probably get Celine ready for bed soon," Mikan suggested as she took her from Momo. "I'll go get her washed up and dressed for the night, and the rest of you can clean up here."

"No problem, Mikan." Smiled Lala as she and everybody else began to finish off their meals.

By the time everyone had finished their food and set the dishes in the dishwasher, Mikan had finished getting Celine in bed and had come back to finish her own meal.

"Alright then," Began Mikan after she put her dishes away. "Rito, since you and Tearju have obviously had a long and hard day already, you can have the bath first."

"B-Bath? Together?" Stuttered Tearju nervously as her face turned bright red. Rito was likewise uncomfortable and blushing, but was otherwise taking the situation better than his partner was.

"Are you certain that's wise, Mikan?" Asked Yui. "I know it's inevitable, but to just out and say that right away is a little much, don't you think?"

"I'm hesitant about the idea too," Sighed Rito. "But even though I don't really like the idea, it's either get used to it quickly, or spend the next two months getting more and more dirty."

"I suppose you have a point," Consented Yui. "It would be worse for everyone to smell you in public than for us to know you bathe together in private."

"C'mon Tearju," Gestured Rito as he began to lead her to the bathroom. "We just need to get this over with quickly and try not to look at each other."

"Just a moment," Interjected Peke. "Lala-sama, do you think you could go change into some of your spare clothes? Those two are going to need my help getting dressed and undressed."

"Okay, Peke." Agreed Lala as she rushed off to her room. "I'll be right back everyone."

---

The Bathroom - With Rito and Tearju

"So... this is it then?" Said Tearju uncertainly as she sat back to back with Rito as Peke removed their clothes. "Are we going just going to scrub ourselves down or..." She gulped nervously. "Are we going to get in the tub?" While she was still getting used to Earth customs, she was pretty certain that just bathing in the same room as a man was bad enough, but actually sharing a tub was something reserved only for intimate couples.

"We don't need to do anything fancy," Assured an equally nervous Rito as he grabbed the shower hose and started warming up the water. "We just need to scrub ourselves with soap and water. We don't need to go any further than a hose and a bar of soap." While it was admittedly far from the first time that he was sharing a washroom with a woman, though it was always involuntarily, there were some lines he still didn't dare cross, even with a harem.

"I'll place your clothes in the laundry bin and grab you both some pajamas." Peke excused herself. "I'll be just outside if you need anything. Just say the word and I'll come back in and help you get dressed for bed."

"Thanks again for the help, Peke." Said Rito gratefully as he pulled a bin filled with various bottles of shampoo and conditioner next to him and Tearju. "I'm really sorry you'll have to go through all this every day for the next two months. If there were any way I could make things easier on you I'd do it."

"Don't worry about a thing, Rito-dono," Peke said as she left. "Normally I just serve as Lala-sama's clothing and faithful aid. Any change of pace from the norm is perfectly welcome to me."

"She's such a nice little robot." Smiled Tearju pleasantly as she started hosing herself down. "Not at all like the ones that chased me down and tried to kill me for the past few years."

"Glad to hear it," Chuckled Rito awkwardly at how nonchalant she sounded about robots having tried to kill her for the past few years. "Well... since we're going to be chained together for the next two months, I suppose it would be best if we got to know each other a little better... It might make things at least a little less awkward." He ventured hesitantly, deciding that now was as good a time as any to address the huge elephant in the room.

"O-Okay..." Stuttered Tearju, obviously still as uneasy about circumstances as Rito was. "Well, where would be a good place to start?"

"How about simple things like hobbies and interests?" Suggested Rito as he started shampooing his hair. "Personally I'm really fond of gardening and soccer. They're what I'm best at overall, and I have a lot of fun doing both."

"You're good with plants?" Asked Tearju as she began scrubbing her arms. "I am too, or at least I can tell when they need watering, when to plant them, and when they're ready to eat. I've had to rely on growing my own crops a lot the past few years once I found a place to hide out for as long as I needed."

Rito's heart couldn't help but sink a little at hearing that. He knew Tearju had been hiding out for years, but it hurt to be reminded of just how hard she had it simply to survive. Silently, Rito wondered for a second why he cared so much, but just brushed it off as simple human nature. "Well, I mostly just grow flowers and shrubs. I've never really given too much thought towards growing edible crops." He said to break the awkwardness before rinsing his hair.

"It's just something I picked up along the road," Tearju said casually as she started scrubbing her own hair. "What I really love doing is cooking. Besides science, that's where my skills and passion really lie."

"Cooking, huh?" Hummed Rito as he lathered his hands in soap and began to scrub himself down. "By 'cooking' you do mean stuff that would be edible to humans, right?" He asked awkwardly.

"Of course!" Insisted Tearju with a hint of pride in her voice. "I haven't cooked for anyone besides myself in years, but I'm still as good as I ever- GAH! SOAP IN MY EYE! SOAP IN MY EYE!" She panicked, flopping around in irritation.

"Hold on a second! You just need to- WAH!" Panicked Rito as he grabbed the shower hose, but a tug at the chain linking them caught him off guard, sending them both tumbling into a heap on the floor. In response to the noise, Peke went in to check on them.

"Rito-dono, I heard a noise in hear and-" Peke stopped talking when he saw Rito on his hands and knees and Tearju in the same position on top of him, the shower resting on her head and soaking them both, the handcuffs preventing them from coming untangled. "I see, it happened again."

"Every time," Groaned Rito, his head hung in shame.

---

Bed Time - With Rito, Tearju, and Yui

Thankfully, after Peke had helped them come untangled from each other, Rito and Tearju hand both been able to get ready for bed without further incident. However, not wanting to leave things to chance, Yui had imposed upon herself the task of preventing any nighttime incidents.

"Excuse me," Rito began. "What did you say you were going to do?"

"It's very simple," Said Yui, who was wearing lightweight pajamas with cat faces printed on it. "While you two remained handcuffed, at least for the first few nights, I'll be sleeping between you two to make certain nothing happens."

"Are you sure this is really necessary?" Asked Tearju, who had been able to borrow a pair of simple red pajamas from Rito's mother.

"After what happened in the washroom, very certain." Yui stood firm.

"If you say so," Agreed Rito uncertainly. "Though it's just that... I panic enough with just one other girl in my bed. The idea of having two girls in bed with me is a bit..."

"It can't be helped." Insisted Yui strongly, a faint blush on her face. "Until I can be certain that you two can sleep together unsupervised, I must do my part to make sure nothing shameful happens. Now get in bed already. I'm a light sleeper, so I'll be able to tell if either of you tries anything." She said as she got in bed.

"This is going to be an awkward night." Twitched Rito and he hesitantly followed Yui to bed, Tearju trailing just as hesitantly behind him.

---

The Next Day - Rito, Tearju, and Yui

Rito awoke from his sleep with a yawn. A fog of drowsiness still clouding his mind, he was slightly surprised to see Yui in bed with him, but then he remembered what went on last night. "I sure hope I didn't do anything wrong." He said nervously.

"Nyaaa," Yawned Yui as she began to stir as well. "Pet the kitty, pet the kitty. Nyaaaaa." She said as she got up and cuddled up with Rito affectionately.

"Yui, what do you think you're doing?" Asked Rito as he backed up a bit.

"Hmmm?" Murmured Yui as she rubbed the sand from her eyes. When she saw Rito backed up against a wall, her expression turned slightly sour. "You know that you just wasted a good opportunity, right?" She asked drowsily.

"Opportunity?" Parroted Rito. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing." Denied Yui as she stretched out and nimbly got out of bed without disturbing Tearju. "I'm gonna go get ready for school now. You two would do well to do the same." She said as she gathered up some clothes.

"I guess she's right." Rito said as he began to rouse his chain gang partner. "Tearju, wake up. It's time to get ready for school."

"Nmyuu," Mumbled Tearju sleepily as she gently rubbed her eyes. "Wait...? School!" She panicked as she sat bolt upright, wide awake and fully attentive. "I have to get ready for work and- WAH!" She panicked as she tried to hop out of bed, but once again forgot about the chain.

"Owww~" Groaned both Rito and Tearju as they helped each other up.

"Sorry about that, Rito." Winced Tearju.

"No, I should have been ready when you got up." Rito apologized as well, but he noticed something blocking his vision and pulled it away to see what it was. In his half dazed state, all he could really see was that it was looped around Tearju's arm. But as he regained his senses, he saw that it was a cotton bra, and that Tearju's top had come undone and half removed in the night, leaving her torso bare to the world.

All at once, everyone became aware of Tearju's partial nudity. Rito got a nosebleed and turned away, Tearju was panicking and trying to get dressed again, and Yui was diverting Rito's eyes and trying to redress Tearju.

"Damn it you guys! How did this even happen?" Questioned Yui angrily as she struggled to put Tearju's bra back on.

"I don't know!" Panicked Rito.

"Ahh! Yui, that's too tight!" Moaned Tearju in pain.

"What do you mean it's too tight?" Asked Yui. "This is your bra! No matter how hard I try I can't get the two ends anywhere near each other. What size are you anyway?"

"By Earth standards my bust line should be 96 cm." Tearju winced.

"Are you sure it's not 106? This bra is way too small." Yui grunted as she gave up trying for the moment to examine the bra. "Well the label says that it's 96 cm. Are you sure that this fits you?" As she said this, she walked around Tearju for a moment, and froze when she came to the front. Her breasts were huge! And not just regular huge either. No, the breasts looked too big to be natural. If Yui had to guess, she say they were 110 cm, at least. Whatever size they were yesterday, they were much bigger now.

"Yui, what are you staring at?" Asked Tearju curiously as she followed Yui's gaze. When she saw her breasts and the obvious growth they'd gone through since last night, she quickly covered herself. "Wh-Why has my chest gotten so big?!" She panicked. "And why do my panties suddenly feel way too tight?" She added as an afterthought.

Though Yui and Tearju were still baffled and panicking about the situation, Rito just sighed and stared at the wall. 'Ryoko grew muscles, Yami's always been loli, Yui became a catgirl, and now Tearju's developed a sudden growth in two of her three measurements. Now we just need Lala to grow a second head, or Haruna to suddenly grow 3 meters taller and everything will make sense in the world again.' He thought with heavy sarcasm.

If anyone had bothered to look, they would see that the plants made by Celine's pollen were still hanging on strong to the handcuffs linking Rito and Tearju together, and that one of the five buds on them had bloomed into a black flower.

---

Next Friday Night - With Rito, Tearju, and Peke

Rito was feeling good tonight, better than usual at least. He'd had a few low points recently, but with the support and love of those around him, he'd managed to pull through. Right now though, he and Tearju were currently getting dressed for a night out with Ryoko, the two of them separated by a curtain that had been set up in his room days ago for this very purpose.

"Peke, this sleeve feels just a little too tight," Said Rito as he tugged on his left sleeve of his semi-formal suit. "Do you think you could fix that?"

"Of course," Said Peke from the other side of the curtain. "Just give me a moment to adjust Tearju's dress one last time."

"Thanks again for adjusting all my clothes, Peke." Said Tearju gratefully. "I know that it wears you out to have to do all this, but after what happened on my first night here things have gotten pretty complicated for me."

"It's no trouble at all, Tearju." Peke reassured her as she moved over to Rito's side of the curtain and made the adjustments requested of her. "To be honest, I quite like the challenge. It gives me a chance to interact with people a lot more than I usually do."

"Glad to hear that you're getting something out of this too, Peke." Rito said as he casually rolled his eyes. "I'll be honest though," He whispered to her. "I'm really, really thankful that you're here to help us get dressed every day. Without you, our clothes would either be totally rancid, or water worn rags by now. You're a real lifesaver, Peke."

"Y-You're welcome, Rito-dono." Nodded Peke nervously as she floated backwards over to the door. "Well then, if you're both ready I'll just be off then. Oof!" She grunted as she accidentally backed into the door frame on her way out. "Oops, my mistake, I really shouldn't be so distracted." She laughed awkwardly as she quickly rushed out the door.

"Peke sure has been acting a bit weird these past few days." Rito noticed as he made sure his casual suit and tie were straight and tidy.

"Has she really?" Tearju asked curiously as she came out from behind the curtain. "I've only been here a few days, so I wouldn't know."

"Yeah," Nodded Rito. "She's been really out of sorts ever since Wednesday. I wonder what could be wrong with her?" He shrugged, deciding to set aside such thoughts and worries for the time being. "Anyway, you look great tonight." He complimented Tearju.

"You really think so?" She asked as she nervously fingered the green cocktail dress she was wearing. "I've never really worn anything like this before, so I was worried I wouldn't look good in it. Especially considering..." She trailed off as she stared quietly at her large bosom and lightly brushed her hands on her wide hips.

"Don't worry too much about those," Rito calmed her by grabbing her chained hand in his. "Just try to focus on what's going right in your life, instead of what's going wrong. I know it's been working for me a lot lately."

"If you say so." She smiled as she squeezed his hand lightly. "Still, this has been one very hectic week for us."

"Tell me about it." Sighed Rito as the world squiggled out into sepia tones.

---

Flashback - Tuesday - With Rito, Tearju, and Ryoko

"Well this is certainly a surprise," Smiled Ryoko slyly as Rito and Tearju walked into her office during lunch break. "It seems as though there was an interesting... development since yesterday." She said as she stared at Tearju's new figure for a few seconds, obviously enjoying the mayhem.

"Yes, so we've been told as much by almost everyone in school," Rito sighed as he helped Tearju carefully lower herself onto a bed, her recent increase in weight in certain areas impeding her coordination. "We already know what's causing it," He said as he and Tearju held up the plant covered handcuffs. "We just don't know how it's doing this, or what other effects it may have."

"Where did the vines come from?" Asked Ryoko curiously.

"Sallem left behind some Cola, and Celine got into it..." Rito trailed off, leaving Ryoko to fill in the obvious blanks.

"Fufufufufu," Chuckled Ryoko. "And instead of putting a flower on Tearju, it put several on the handcuffs?" She asked sarcastically as she began digging through her desk for the Game Boy Horror.

"So I've been told," Tearju replied as she held up the one bloomed flower on the handcuffs. "Yesterday they were all just buds, but by this morning this black flower had bloomed, and I looked like this." She explained as she looked at her body self-consciously.

"Doesn't look like you have much to complain about to be honest," Joked Ryoko. "Most women would kill for curves like that, and men would kill to have a woman with them."

"This is serious, Ryoko!" Pleaded Rito and Tearju in unison, once again staring at each other right after saying so.

"Is this going to be a regular occurrence?" Rito asked Tearju.

"I certainly hope not," Tearju replied honestly. "I think that we're giving people enough ideas as it is."

"You've got that right." Agreed Ryoko as she started scanning the cuffs again. "I know both of you like I know the back of my hands, and even I'm seeing something between you two already."

Tearju and Rito stared at each other uncomfortably at Ryoko's words, their faces both tinged red in embarrassment. "Well, if even you're saying that you see something, I'm pretty worried about what will happen." Rito admitted.

"So am I," Agreed Tearju. "No offense to either of you, but I don't think that I could stand being part of a harem. It goes against everything I was raised on, and the last time I did something like that..." She trailed off as her gaze became vacant and turned away.

Rito's eyes softened as he immediately understood what Tearju was referring to. "Don't worry, Tearju," He reassured her. "I'm sure that Yami will come around eventually. She did for me at least, and you're her mother after all, no matter how much she tries to bury how she feels about you."

"Do you really think so?" Tearju asked him hopefully.

"Positive," Rito nodded. "Just give her some time and let me talk to her for a bit, and I guarantee she'll warm up to you again."

"Thank you, Rito," Beamed Tearju gratefully. "Coming from someone so close to her, that means a lot."

'Those two may as well break out the rings ready right now,' Thought Ryoko mischievously. 'I think Sallem really outdid himself by setting these two up together.' As she was occupied with her thoughts an ominous beeping sound went off.

"What was that?" Asked Rito curiously.

"The Game Boy Horror," Ryoko answered as she checked the screen. "It's set to sound off if it detects something potentially dangerous."

"What kind of danger are we talking about?" Asked Tearju as she steeled her nerves for the worst.

"Anything that could result in permanent altercations." Ryoko explained as she continued to study the results of the scan, unknowingly causing Tearju to fold her free arm over her chest fearfully. "Now this is certainly an interesting reaction." Ryoko smirked slyly.

"What's the damage this time?" Asked Rito calmly, already prepared for the worst. Tearju though, he noticed, was not looking as calm as he felt, and he knew the most likely reason. While they'd both faced their own fair share of troubles, he was more used to a wide variety of bizarre and sometimes downright comical suffering, while Tearju was more used to a more dangerous yet also much more simple and narrow array of suffering. Understanding that she wasn't used to what was happening to her, he grasped her chained hand in his in comfort, which seemed to calm her nerves a bit.

"It looks like Celine's pollen is controlling the ghost in more or less the same way it does with anyone else." Ryoko told them.

"...Are you saying the ghost is in love with me now?" Rito strained to ask, an eyebrow twitching in disbelief.

"Not exactly," Ryoko chuckled as she reread the results. "The ghost is acting completely on instinct, and a very childish instinct at that. As you recall, Celine's pollen transfers her feelings for you to anyone who gets sprayed by it. However, these feelings are interpenetrated by people differently based on their own personalities. For anyone in or past puberty, like almost everyone who's been sprayed in the past, this usually translates to the love one holds for a crush, but for someone with an immature mind, like Celine or this ghost, it can translate those feelings as those an infant holds for its parent."

"So this thing thinks Rito is its father?" Tearju guessed. "But then why is it affecting me?"

"Due to the close proximity it has to both you and Rito, it must assume that since Rito is daddy, you have to be mommy." Ryoko hypothesized based on the data she was observing. "Since Celine sees Rito as he is, he's probably not going to change at all. However, from my interactions with Celine, she seems to see mommy by the defining characteristics infants usually see mothers by, as will the ghost. In other words, a large chest and wide hips, both of which are commonly associated with fertility and motherhood due to the fact that hormones cause them to grow in size to aid in raising and birthing a child. No doubt the ghost is using its powers to stimulate their growth."

"Are they just going to keep getting bigger then?" Tearju asked nervously. "It's already hard to walk now."

"I'm not certain." Ryoko shook her head. "Based on the current information the Game Boy Horror has, the growth seems to be linked directly to the flowers. Most likely for each flower that blooms you'll grow bigger, although I have no idea what causes them to bloom, so we don't have any way to prevent it at the time."

"Five flowers for five stages of growth," Rito said nervously as his eyes drifted to Tearju's already huge figure. "That's not gonna end well for anyone."

"There's some good news to go with this though," Ryoko interjected cheerfully. "It seems that the ghost used up quite a bit of power to cause the growth, which means that it has less power to maintain the cuffs. That one growth caused them to drain about a week's worth of power. In other words, you have less than seven weeks left of being chained together."

"Every cloud has a silver lining?" Rito said sarcastically. "Well, thanks anyway," He said as he and Tearju got up. "We've got to get back to class soon, but if there's any way we could thank you for trying, just ask."

"Funny you should mention that," Smiled Ryoko. "It's been a while since we've had some quality time together Rito, and since you're chained to Tearju I figured we could all go out for dinner this Friday."

"All three of us?" Wondered Tearju. "I'd understand if it was just me and you, or you and Rito, but don't you think things might get awkward like that?"

"Not at all," Replied Ryoko. "In fact, that's exactly why I'm asking for this now." Tearju stared at Ryoko in confusion, wondering what she meant, while Rito was already aware of exactly what she was thinking. "Being in a harem with one of my oldest friends. Having her daughter in the same harem. Don't you think that there's just a certain erotic charm to that?"

"Ryoko," Sighed Tearju in exasperation, feeling foolish for not seeing this sooner. Before she could turn her friend down however, Rito beat her to the punch.

"We'll be there," Rito said calmly. "Just give us the time and place."

"Rito!" Gasped Tearju in surprise. "Are you sure about this? Aren't you the least bit-"

"It'll be fine," Rito reassured her. "She's right, I haven't been able to spend as much time with her as I would have liked to. Besides, this will give the two of you a good chance to catch up after so long."

"I suppose so," Whispered Tearju as she nervously brushed her hair.

"Great then!" Beamed Ryoko. "I'll meet you at your house Friday at 6:00. See you two then, or maybe sooner." She winked as Rito and Tearju left the room.

---

Wednesday After School - With Rito, Tearju, and Peke

"I was really surprised to see you out again, Peke." Rito said as he and Tearju made their way home with the costume robot, who was currently wearing her human disguise. "After things went wrong the last time, I would have thought you'd have some hesitation about going out on your own again."

"I'll admit that I went through a few issues after being kidnapped," Peke replied. "However, after I took a few online classes on public safety, I learned that staying in or near residential districts and small time businesses are the safest places to be, since you'll be one of a few people in the area instead of just another random face on the street. This way, even if something happens, the local authorities can act much more quickly than they usually would."

"I didn't know you were taking any classes." Said Rito in mild astonishment. "You know, if you wanted to you could probably use your powers to enroll in the same school as Lala and I."

"I'll admit that the thought had crossed my mind," Peke explained. "However, I'm not too sure how well I'd fare at academics. Not to mention that The Principal scares me." She admitted sheepishly.

"Yeah, he'll do that." Agreed Rito without any hesitation.

"I still can't believe that this is the same cute little robot that helps us get dressed everyday." Tearju said, impressed at Peke's versatility. "Though I suppose that I shouldn't have expected anything less from an invention of the first princess of the Deviluke Empire."

"I'm not entirely sure about that," Rito said awkwardly. "While a lot of her inventions are very impressive, almost all of them have more bugs in them than a beehive. Peke's pretty much the only invention of hers that's always worked more or less perfectly, baring the occasional loss of power. I can hardly blame her for that though, she's only human after all."

"Technically I'm a robot." Peke reminded him.

"Right, sorry about that," Rito apologized casually. "Sometimes I forget that you're a machine. Aside from your powers and usual appearance, you're just so lifelike that I've never really seen you as anything but a person."

"Th-Thank you, Rito." Stuttered Peke in surprise. "No one but Lala-sama's ever said anything like that about me. Usually people think that I'm just a hair accessory or a toy."

"You shouldn't think about yourself that way," Tearju told her. "You're a person, just the same as everyone else. Not to mention that you've been a real lifesaver for both of us since these handcuffs were put on us. I don't even want to think about where we'd be if it weren't for your help."

"Don't mention it!" Peke blushed in embarrassment. "I'm just changing your clothes. It's what I was designed for after all." Just then, as their destination was no more than 3 blocks away, a sudden noise came to their ears.

"TEARJU-CHAAAAN!" Shouted The Principal as he came running at high speed. "I'VE FINALLY FOUND YOOOUUU!"

"Run!" Panicked Rito as he instinctively grabbed both Tearju and Peke by their arms and ran as fast as he could.

"I'm scared! I'm scared! Keep him away from me!" Peke shouted in fear as she ran.

"Rito! Wait a second! I'm not so good a running with- Wah!" Tearju panicked as she fell over due to the shaking of her large breasts, causing all three of them to land in a heap.

As usual, the fall left Rito and the others in a very compromising position. Tearju's ample bosom were squished against his back while Peke's butt was close to Rito's face. However, he knew he didn't have the time to worry about such things, as The Principal was nearly upon them. Acting quickly, he gathered the both of them in his arms, and ran at an almost inhuman speed, especially for someone carrying two people at once. Somehow or other, he was able to outrun The Principal, make it to his house, and bolt the door shut.

"That... was too close." Gasped Rito as he fell to his knees, panting in exhaustion with Tearju and Peke still held tightly in his arms.

"That was amazing, Rito." Breathed Tearju. "I can't believe you were able to run like that while carrying so much weight."

"Rito..." Whispered Peke before she realized she was still in Rito's arms and quickly got off of him, blushing profusely. "Thank you for getting me out of there so quickly." She said nervously. "You were really amazing just now." She bowed stiffly before running off.

"I wonder what that was about?" Rito said as Tearju helped him get up.

---

Thursday Morning - With Rito and Tearju

'Carefully,' Tearju thought nervously as she inched her way out of bed, trying not to wake Rito up. 'I just need a few seconds to myself, and then I can just slip back into bed. Rito will never know.' As she thought this, she reached for the measuring tape she'd snuck in the room last night. 'Now I just need to do this quietly.'

"Tearju?" Rito said groggily as he got up, startling Tearju. "What are you doing this early?"

'I've been caught!' Panicked Tearju as she quickly tried to think up a lie. "Don't worry about anything, Rito!" She told him nervously as she turned to face him, hoping eye contact would lessen any suspicion. Unfortunately, she had turned to the left, causing the handcuffs to once again pull Rito right to Tearju. This time, giving her a kiss.

It only lasted a few short moments of shock, but when they puled away their faces were already red.

"I'm so sorry about that!" Apologized Tearju in a hushed panic as she disentangled them from the handcuffs. "I was really trying not to wake you up while doing this, but then you woke up and I didn't know what to do, and I panicked!"

"That's okay, Tearju," Rito reassured her as he grabbed her shoulders firmly, trying and failing to make eye contact. "If there's something you wanted to keep quiet about, you just need to ask me to look away and I won't pry." He said to her, guessing correctly that she was trying to hide something.

"I'm still sorry either way." Tearju repeated guiltily. "It was just something I didn't want to bother anyone else with."

"If it's something that embarrasses you, it might help to talk about it." Rito suggested when her saw how afraid she looked. "I've found that it's best to deal with these problems head on before they become too big of an issue to deal with normally." Oddly, his words meant to calm her down only seemed to make her more fidgety. Racking his brain for ideas, he soon came up with something that might work. "Why don't we go wash up?"

"What?!" Tearju squeaked. "What brought this up all of a sudden?"

"If you're focused on how embarrassed you are with both of us nude, you should have an easier time talking about whatever's bothering you." Rito explained as he got up and out the door. "Besides, everyone else is still asleep, so we won't have to worry about trespassers."

"Good thinking!" Agreed Tearju instantly as she quickly grabbed the measuring tape and went with him, already aware that Momo and Lala weren't the most respecting of privacy, though for different reasons. "But how will we get undressed without Peke?" She asked when they got downstairs.

"We can just cut our clothes off, and have Peke fix them later." He explained as he grabbed a pair of scissors from a kitchen drawer and continued to the bathroom.

"If you say so." Tearju said as Rito began running the water and they both started stripping off their clothes.

"I know so," Said Rito as he began cutting off his shirt. "Remember, this isn't the first time this has happened to me, so I know how to deal with the mundane problems it brings." When he finished, he handed Tearju the scissors. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Tearju blushed as she accepted the scissors and began cutting of her own pajamas and bra.

"Now are you going to tell me what's bothering you so much?" Rito asked as he began washing. "It's gotta be something big if you'd try so hard to hide it."

"I suppose you could say that," Tearju hinted as she looked at the measuring tape she still had, debating whether or not to tell the truth. "If you really have to know, I was trying to measure myself."

"Why are you doing that?" Asked Rito, a mixture of curiosity and shyness in his voice. "If it were any one of around half the girls I know, I'd know why right away, but I've thought you were too mature to worry about something like that."

"Thank you for saying that," Tearju blushed as she scrubbed herself bashfully. "But don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for any strange reasons. All I'm doing is keeping a record, that's all." She explained. "I may look like this now, and work at a school, but I'm still a very knowledgeable scientist. Research on spirits is very limited, so I thought that by observing and recording its behavior, I could help move that field of science forward."

"Wow," Whispered Rito in awe. "Even in a bad situation, you're still dedicated to making the best of everything. I'm not sure if I'd have that same kind of dedication. You're really impressive, you know that?" He said in admiration.

"Th-Thank you," She stuttered as her hand tightened on the tape. "Umm... If it's not too much trouble, do you think you could help me out?" She asked as she held the tape out for him.

Rito gulped. Normally he would try to find a way to politely turn her down. However, for various reasons, right now things were different for him. "Alright then, just turn around and we can start." He said sheepishly as he grabbed the tape and began his work. "Is this okay?" He asked once the tape was around her body.

"Hold on a second," Tearju said as she adjusted to tape around her breasts. "Alright, what does tape say?"

"It says, 119 cm." Rito told her.

"That's 23 more than they used to be," Whined Tearju nervously as she moved the tape down. "Alright, now for the next part..."

In the end, it was determined that Tearju was currently at 119-56-110 in cm. Given that she was was 96-56-93 before she was handcuffed, that was quite an improvement, as well as quite a mentally taxing task for Rito to measure.

---

Flashbacks Over - Back in the Present with Rito, Tearju, and Ryoko

"Really?" Asked Ryoko, who was hiding her attire behind a trench coat, as she drove Rito and Tearju to a club she knew for their date. "That's how big you are now, Tearju? I'll admit, I'm very impressed."

"That's only because you don't have to carry them everywhere," Pointed out Tearju. "It's a serious workout to have breasts this big. I can't imagine what would happen to me if they got bigger."

"Hopefully your rear can help to balance you out a bit." Ryoko joked as they arrived. "Remember, there are still four more flowers on those cuffs, so who knows what might happen in the near future."

"Do you think you could leave that topic alone for the night, Ryoko?" Asked Rito as they all got out of the car. "Tearju's going through enough troubles just adapting to Earth and the situation forced upon her, as her old friend you can tease her all you want later, but I thought we were on a date right now?"

"Of course we are, Rito," Ryoko agreed as she cuddled up to him. "That's why I'm bringing this up. After all, with such a heavy chest, Tearju's bound to get some back pains." She leaned in closely as they walked inside and whispered in his ear. "Since you two spend all your time together, I just thought I might bring up the subject of you helping her out with that problem from time to time. Like a back massage?" She finished seductively.

"Ryoko, we're not-" Rito's words died in his throat as he, along with several other gaping patrons of the club, took in Ryoko's appearance now that she'd taken off her trench coat. Now Ryoko was never known for modesty, but her current outfit took the cake. Her attire consisted of a choker, bikini top, micro-skirt not even long enough to completely cover her panties, stockings, garter belts, and high heels, all of which were black which added even more to their sensuality. While this would normally be the most revealing outfit one could wear in public without getting arrested all by itself, Ryoko's Amazonian build made the already skimpy clothes look like undergarments.

"What's the matter, Rito?" Ryoko asked huskily as she leaned on him. "Don't you like what you see?"

"No, no," Denied Rito, his face red but somewhat excited looking. "I like it! I like it a lot!"

"You never did see any shame in showing off your body." Smiled Tearju, feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over her.

"As I always say: If you've got it, flaunt it." Ryoko boasted as she pulled Rito and Tearju onto the dance floor, many people making way, too stunned or nervous to do otherwise. "Now come on, Tearju! Let's see if you can remember a few of those dance moves I showed you in school!"

"I'm not entirely sure if I want to remember those moves." Tearju said nervously.

"Relax," Ryoko smiled as she started swaying her hips seductively. "Just follow my lead and you'll do fine." As she said this, she started grinding her body against Rito's, going for every possible chance to make physical contact.

"I really don't think that's the kind of dancing she'd be comfortable with." Rito guessed as Ryoko's breasts slid up and down his back.

"Nonsense!" Chided Ryoko playfully as she crouched and wrapped her arms around Rito. "You should have seen her when she was practicing on that poll we put in our dorm room." As she said this, she kicked one of her legs up in the air by Rito's head, giving him an up close look at her calves and thighs.

"I only did that for cardio!" Tearju insisted as she impulsively grabbed at Ryoko, pulling Rito into the grapple as well.

"I still have the videos." Ryoko said as she began a very close quarters dance with Rito and Tearju. "Would you like to see them sometime, Rito?"

"I told you to burn those!" Tearju panicked as she was forced to pick up on the dance.

"Do you think you two could just calm down for a moment?" Pleaded Rito as he struggled, getting caught in the tempo of the dance as well. "I promise not to look at the videos if you two would just calm down!"

'That bastard is so lucky!' Thought every straight male in the bar simultaneously as they looked in awe at the trio dancing in what could only be described as some kind of foreplay the likes of which the world has never seen.

---

In The Car - With Rito, Tearju, and Ryoko

"I haven't had so much fun in years!" Ryoko shouted in unbridled joy, her body covered in sweat from the dance. "You two really know how to have a good time."

"I suppose it was good from a certain point of view." Rito chuckled awkwardly as he gave Tearju a back rub. "How are you holding up, Tearju?"

"I can't remember dancing ever making me this sore." Tearju said as she massaged her breasts, trying to regain the feeling in them. "I'm sorry that I sat on you near the end, Rito."

"That's fine," Rito said, his face turning red at the recollection. "At least the food was good." He said, trying to find some points about the night that were unquestionably good.

"It was, wasn't it?" Tearju smiled weakly at him. "But if it's all the same to you right now, I just want to fall asleep the moment we get home. We can worry about everything else in the morning."

"That's the spirit!" Agreed Ryoko enthusiastically as she arrived at Rito's house. "Well, here we are. Do you two need any help getting inside?"

"My legs don't feel quite right." Tearju said as she got out of the car on weak knees.

"Don't worry, I've got you." Reassured Rito as he supported her.

"I'm right there with you." Ryoko seconded as she helped them both inside and to their room. Thankfully, it was late at night and everyone else was asleep. The moment Tearju stepped in the room she shared with Rito however, she made good on her word and got in bed without bothering to undress, and was out like a light.

"Looks like Yui's here again tonight." Sighed Rito as he climbed in bed too, falling asleep just as quickly as Tearju.

'And me makes four!' Thought Ryoko excitedly as she carefully got on the small bed as well. How all four of them fit on there is a question perhaps best let unanswered.

---

The Next Morning - With Rito, Tearju, Yui, and Ryoko

"Mmm~ Morning already?" Groaned Yui when the first rays of sunlight poured in through the window as she stretched out like a cat, her tail and ears twitching.

"Is that you, Yui?" Grunted Rito as he got up as well, rubbing the sand from his eyes. "Good morning to you." He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and a scratch behind her ears.

"Nyaaa~" Purred Yui as she cuddled up to Rito. "You know how much I hate it when you scratch me right there, nyaa~!" She protested, though it didn't really sound like she meant it that much.

"Scratch me next, Rito." Yawned Ryoko as she glomped Rito from behind, her breasts pressing into his back. "Scratch me wherever you want, you naughty boy." She whispered seductively.

"Good morning to you too, Ryoko." Said Rito, managing to remain calm in spite of himself.

"I see you're not wearing a bra this morning." Yui noticed disdainfully, though she quickly turned to jelly again as Rito began to brush her from her head to her tail.

"Nope," Admitted Ryoko happily. "Just my panties, garter belts, and stockings. Though you could change that whenever you feel like it, Rito." She literally purred into his ear.

"You could start by changing into the spare set of clothes you keep here, Ryoko." Rito brushed her off as politely as he could. 'Again I ask myself, where along the line did things like this become normal for me? Normally I'd have passed out from embarrassment by now, but I'm acting like this is a perfectly normal morning for me.'

"Are you sure you wanna pass up a chance like this?" Questioned Ryoko as she got out of bed, her mostly nude body displayed now on display. "You'll get other chances in the future, no doubt about it, but how much longer do you plan to keep your virginity with a harem that's growing as fast as yours?"

"He'll keep it until he's good and ready." Yui pointed out as she got out of bed as well.

"What's with the black fur bra and panties?" Ryoko asked Yui mischievously. "Planning some special things with Rito?"

Yui blushed as she covered her personal areas with her arms. "I'm not planning anything," She admitted shyly. "And these aren't what they look like... They're my own fur... I've been sleeping in the nude lately."

Just as Rito turned red and was about to voice his own concerns, he heard some groaning from beside him.

"Ohhh~ Could somebody turn off the lights?" Tearju complained from under the covers, obviously still trying to get some sleep.

"Sorry about that, Tearju." Apologized Rito. "I know we had a late night yesterday, but it's morning now. If we don't get downstairs for breakfast now everything's going to be cold."

"Alright, I'm getting up." Agreed Tearju begrudgingly as she struggled to dig herself out from her blanket cocoon and wake up.

When she was up and stretching, everyone stared open mouthed at her. She had fallen asleep in her cocktail dress, that much was obvious. However, a very low v-neckline had been torn in the top, and the area around the hips had been split at the left side. If one looked close enough, they would see a broken bra hanging loosely around her chest, and snapped panties on the ground around her feet. Either Tearju's clothes had shrunk in the night, or her body had grown, and given recent events and the fact that her breasts were obviously much bigger than when she went to sleep, no one had any doubts it was the latter.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" Asked Tearju curiously as she adjusted her glasses. Quickly realizing the most obvious reason, she hesitantly looked down at her body. "Not again." She whined as she tried to pull her clothes back together.

"Yes," Rito said neutrally as he looked at the handcuffs and found a red flower in bloom along with the black one from several nights back. "Again."