Chapter 6: Not The Daughters, But The Mothers
It wasn’t frightening so much as overwhelming, their love wrapping around him like vines, tight, persistent, and impossible to ignore.
It showed in little ways at first, then grew harder to brush off. One would pout if he talked too long with someone else, sliding closer to reclaim his attention with a bright, needy smile. Another started tagging along everywhere, waiting outside his classes, popping up at the store, always with a cheerful "I was just nearby!" that didn’t quite add up.
They’d bicker over who got to sit by him, their voices sharp with insistence, each claiming a spot like it was a prize.
One doodled his name across her notebooks, hearts framing every letter, and beamed when he noticed, like it was a gift. Another kept mementos, ticket stubs, a pencil he’d lent her, a photo from years back, tucked into a little box she’d show him with giddy pride.
If he mentioned hanging out with a new friend, one might ’accidentally’ spill juice on their notes the next day, giggling an apology that didn’t reach her eyes. Another would text him nonstop if he went somewhere without them, her messages a flood of "Where are you?" and "Miss you!" until he replied.
They’d crowd around him at lunch, forming a tight circle, each vying to share her food or steal a bite of his, their laughter loud and overlapping. One even made him a bracelet, woven with care, a little lopsided, and slipped it onto his wrist with a hopeful "You’ll wear it forever, right?" that left no room for no.
Mika didn’t know what he’d done to deserve it, but somehow, all five of the battle angels daughters had fallen for him hard.
...Too hard, if he was honest.
It wasn’t just affection; it was a devotion so deep it felt like they couldn’t breathe without him in their orbit. They clung to him with a fervor that bordered on desperation, their eyes lighting up when he was near and dimming when he wasn’t.
Worse, they refused to let anyone else into his life, new friends, classmates, even casual acquaintances were met with tight smiles, subtle nudges, or outright sabotage until they backed off.
It was like they’d staked a claim on him, an unspoken pact that he belonged to them and them alone.
And that put him in an impossible bind.