The Storm Wolf: Gathering Clouds - chapter 7 Lovers - 7.4-7.5
* Interestingly, this specific term does not exist in English, but it’s meaning roughly aligns with "childhood friend." For example, Jack and Legoshi.
** This trope describes a childhood friend who, due to some circumstances, was separated from the protagonist but suddenly reappears in their current life. This often poses a significant threat to the main character’s developing romantic relationship.
Tadao should probably cut down on reading Federation light novels.
"I'm doomed. It's over." I curled up into a ball on the mattress, tightly wrapping myself in the blanket. "I'm not ready for this!"
"Well, I wouldn't want to sound critical, so I won't call this 'karma,'" Tadao said, his tone laced with amusement, even as he deliberately radiated matching emotional waves. "But, you know what they say about people like you?" He rubbed his chin theatrically with thumb and forefinger. "Words like 'playboy' or ' scumbag' come to mind..."
Unable to suppress a groan of frustration, I buried my face deeper into the pillow, much to Tadao's evident delight.
"We haven't even committed our relationship, so there's no issue of loyalty!" I shot back, glaring at the red deer. His shrug was as infuriating as his smug tone. "I just didn't want them to meet each other so soon!"
"You can keep telling yourself that," Tadao retorted with a chuckle. "Let's see if you believe it by tomorrow morning."
I let out another helpless groan, burrowing further into my cocoon.
"But seriously," he continued, his tone more measured, "if you officially end up with your boy next door*, you're not planning to keep things going with Kotetsu senpai, are you?"
Tadao's careful phrasing hinted at something deeper, but I didn't have the energy to unpack it just now.
"Aether isn't exactly the boy next door," I murmured, peeking out from under the blanket. "And if it were official, I... I..." Words failed me. It hit me then—I should've thought about this earlier. "I can't."
"Exactly, the boy next door who came out of nowhere trope** always... Wait, what did you just say?" Tadao paused mid-sentence, looking surprised.
"I don't think I can give up my connection with Kotetsu senpai," I admitted, my fingers brushing against my neck.
"Uh... okay. So, does that mean you'd give up your relationship with Aether for Kotetsu senpai?" Tadao asked, setting aside the terminal he'd been casually scrolling through.
"No, it's the other way around." Sighing, I flopped onto my back. "I don't want to lose Aether either."
"Wow." The shock on Tadao's face was almost comical. "I didn't think you were this much of a Jerk. People aren't perfect, huh?"
"I'm not!" I defended myself. "I just really value the connections I have!" My right hand hovered in front of my face, fingers curling toward my palm. "For so long, I was always alone. Maybe because of that, any bond feels... precious." Lowering my hand, I stared at the ceiling, revisiting memories of rare, fleeting acts of kindness. "And now that I've decided to stop letting the past hold me back, I finally have friends, people who care about me. I don't want to lose any of them."
"But that's not how the things work," Tadao said softly, his tone cautious. "Have you ever heard the fable about the greedy fox? It tried to cross a river while holding too much, and drowned because it refused to let go."
"That's sounds like a pretty blissful way to die..." I muttered, partly out of defiance, though a part of me might've genuinely believed it.
"It's not!" Tadao sighed, exasperated. "Not everyone's okay with polyamorous relationships, you know. If you can't let go of either of them, just the effort to—"
"That's it!" I sat up, a revelation striking like lightning. "Polyamorous relationships!"
"That's not what I was suggesting! And weren't you just panicking about them meeting each other?" Tadao said, his jaw practically on the floor.
"Exactly—that's the problem!" My tail swished against the bedsheets in excitement. "If they meet and get to know each other early on, there won't be any barriers!" Clenching my fist, I tapped it against my thigh, a clear plan beginning to form. "Even if they don't get along, it's fine! At worst-case scenario, they can stay separate. A polyamory centered on me doesn't need everyone to be connected!"
"That's definitely not the worst-case scenario..." Tadao muttered, rubbing his temples. "I never thought I'd witness the birth of the most shameless psychic in history..."
"Thanks for the chat—it really helped!" Feeling much more at ease, I adjusted my position and closed my eyes, rehearsing how to introduce Aether and Kotetsu to each other.
"…And that's about it. I plan to introduce them at the beach party." The ever-burning campfire radiated warmth, quickly thawing my body.
That Snow—calling him by any other way felt odd, in every sense including paradoxical—just stared at me, so long I wondered if he'd fallen asleep. His wide eyes and gaping mouth said otherwise.
Then, as embers burst from the logs, he laughed—a wild, uncontrollable laugh.
His voice was low and weighty, carrying a certain steadiness. This might've been our closest thing to a conversation, but after five uninterrupted minutes of his manic laughter, all that remained was my growing awkward.
Finally, that Snow let out a breathless wheeze, coughing as he touch his chest and right brow, shaking his head with a look of pure pity.
"Thanks for the support," I said, baring my teeth in annoyance. "Is it so hard to understand the feeling of not wanting to lose something precious to you?"
I grabbed my tail, combing the fur at its tip. In the flickering light of the fire, the gray strands resembled shadows.
With a clang, that Snow dropped his metal can to the ground, glaring at me with piercing intensity.
"Oh, right. I forgot you didn't know…" I said softly, almost amused. "I'm not completely white."
The white wolf froze, his fur puffing out until he looked twice his size.
"Once, a very wise wolf told me," I said, leaning closer to the fire, my tone calm, "'Love doesn't follow reason. Who we fall in love with, and who falls in love with us, isn't something we can control.'" I glanced at that Snow, still frozen in place, and continued. "I believe going against one's heart is wrong. If I value both these relationships, isn't it natural to find a way to maintain them? Worrying about how others see or think of it seems utterly pointless."
Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but I was certain I saw something flicker in that Snow's eyes.
"Besides, they already know about each other. That's a good start, right?" I shrugged, checked the time, and tucked my terminal back into its strap. "It's said that honesty is almost always the best strategy, and we're psychics. Communication and understanding are what we excel at."
I stood up, looking at that Snow wolf, who silently watched me. He rested his chin on his knees, his tail swaying lazily behind him.
"Oh, one more thing I mentioned before but just a reminder," I added, tying Gray Snow securely. "Next time, I'll be bringing my brother. You don't mind, do you?"
That Snow seemed distracted, but his ears flicked twice—an agreement, at least.
"See you then!" I called, heading toward the nearest teleportation point.
It struck me that this "conversation" might have set the course for future events—a thought that was… intriguing.
But pondering determinism versus free will could wait for another day. For now, I needed all my focus to prepare for the upcoming party.