ATHO Chapter 45

Chapter 45 – Must be Love

Chapter 5: A Happy Ending, Part 1

Novel Title: 嫌われ者の俺はやり直しの世界で義弟達にごまをする (As the Hated One, I Flatter My Stepbrothers in a World Where I Get a Second Chance)

Author：赤牙 (Akakiba)

Art：古澤エノ (Furusawa Eno)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: シャルル (Charles -MC), リエン (Lien -ML1) & ジェイド (Jade -ML2)

*Please read at novels.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Lately, Jade has been coming to my room every morning, wrapping me in his arms as if to check my temperature. Once he feels my warmth, he lets out a relieved sigh and presses his lips to mine.

Ever since Jade and Lien confessed their feelings to me, every little gesture from them has started to feel special.

Holding hands, hugging, kissing… Things that once felt so normal now make my heart race, leaving me nearly overwhelmed.

When I asked if I was the only one feeling this way, Jade smiled warmly.

“Every time we touched you, Charles Nii-san, we felt the same way.”

“Really? If my heart races like this every time, I don’t think it’ll survive.”

“I’m so glad my kiss can make your heart flutter like that,” Jade said, narrowing his eyes affectionately before kissing me again. This time, the kiss was deeper. His lips pressed firmly against mine, and his tongue softly traced my teeth. I parted my lips, letting his tongue intertwine with mine.

Our fingers laced together as we shared an intimate, deep kiss, tongues dancing as if to express our feelings.

In moments like this, happiness wrapped around me, filling my chest with a warmth that was impossible to resist.

“Hehe, your face looks like it’s melting,” Jade teased.

“It’s because… it feels so good,” I admitted.

Pleased by my response, Jade kissed me again and again.

Later that morning, while I was still feeling dazed from earlier interaction between Jade and I and also trying to focus on work, Lien suddenly hugged me from behind.

“Whoa!”

“Did I surprise you, Nii-sama?” Lien asked, grinning mischievously like a child delighted by a prank.

“You almost made me drop an important document.”

“Oops, sorry, Nii-sama,” he said with a giggle before planting a kiss on my cheek.

“Feel better now?”

“Haha, I wasn’t angry to begin with.”

“Really? I was hoping to offer a make-up kiss.”

“…Do you want one?”

“Yeah.”

Lien’s bashful smile made my heart skip a beat, and before I realized it, I was the one leaning in for a kiss.

“Not the cheek, Nii-sama. I want a kiss on the lips.”

“Uh, okay…”

Following his request, I kissed his lips. After a few gentle pecks, Lien pulled me to sit on the sofa.

My heart pounded as I wondered what he was planning. Slowly, Lien began untying my tie.

“Lien? What are you doing?”

“Hmm? Just a little something,” he replied vaguely. Once the tie was undone, he moved on to unbuttoning my shirt. As my neck was exposed, Lien leaned in and kissed it.

“Ah…!” 

The ticklish sensation made me shiver.

Watching my reaction, Lien intensified his kisses, teasing me further.

“Ah… Lien…”

In the past, I never understood why Lien did things like this, and I felt nothing but embarrassment. But now, knowing his feelings, I could see it as a form of expressing love.

Lien’s lips pressed firmly on my neck, leaving a faint, stinging sensation. He pulled back to admire the mark, looking pleased.

“Charles Nii-sama, your neck looks beautiful with a kiss mark.”

“What…?” 

I touched the spot reflexively, and Lien chuckled softly.

“Hey, Nii-sama, I want you to give me a kiss mark too.”

“What? Me? I don’t know if I can…”

“It’s okay. It’s easier done on the chest,” Lien said, undoing his tie and baring his chest.

At this point, refusing would feel wrong. Blushing furiously, I leaned toward his exposed skin.

Gently pressing my lips to his smooth chest, I tried to mimic what he had done, sucking lightly. But perhaps because of my nervousness, it didn’t leave a mark.

“Sorry, I didn’t do it right…”

“Then try again,” Lien encouraged, stroking my head. Determined, I sucked harder this time. When I pulled away, a faint red mark appeared on his fair skin.

“I did it…”

“You did great, Nii-sama. Now we belong to each other,” Lien said, gazing happily at the mark on his chest before planting a soft kiss on my neck.

My heart raced.

I belonged to Lien, and Lien belonged to me.

The thought embarrassed me deeply, yet it brought me an undeniable sense of comfort.

Day by day, my feelings for Jade and Lien were changing, shifting from a sibling bond to something more. I wasn’t sure where this new path would lead, but one thing was clear: my feelings for them had only grown stronger.

This… this must be love.

Realizing my emotions, my affection for them grew even more. I wanted to express my feelings just as they had done for me.

That night, I called both of them to my room.

As soon as they entered, I guided them to sit on the sofa. Taking a deep breath, I faced them both.

“Um… I have something I need to say to you both.”

Jade and Lien looked at me with slight unease.

“I…- I’m in love with you both!”

I blurted out my feelings. The two of them froze, their faces blank with shock.

“Charles Nii-san, did you just now realize your own feelings?” Jade asked.

“Uh… yes…”

“What?! After all those kisses and hugs we shared, you didn’t know they were already mutual?!” Lien exclaimed.

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant…”

“I’m sorry. We should have confirmed your feelings properly. We thought we were already connected as one…”

“I, uh… I’m sorry about that.”

As I hung my head in guilt, the two of them stood up and embraced me.

“No, it’s us who should apologize. Your confession makes me so happy, Nii-san.”

“As long as you feel the same about us now, that’s all that matters. We love you so much, Charles Nii-sama.”

When I looked up at them, wrapped in their warmth, Jade and Lien were smiling blissfully. Their kisses on my cheeks sent my heart racing almost painfully.

And so, we officially began our journey as lovers.

***

After that, I was surrounded by their unrelenting love, and every day was filled with happiness.

In the mornings, when we saw each other, we naturally gravitated closer for a ‘good morning’ kiss.

During work, if our eyes met and the mood was right, we’d share a warm embrace and kiss.

At night, before sleeping, we kissed as well, cherishing each other deeply.

Every day, I could feel their love through their touch. It was undeniably blissful, but lately, I’ve been troubled.

Our relationship had shifted from siblings to lovers. While we spent more time holding hands and kissing, nothing beyond that had happened. 

Yes, as lovers, there had been no progress beyond kisses.

I wondered if they simply didn’t have strong desires in that sense or what. Personally, I’ve never been particularly driven either. But with someone I love, I wanted to connect on a deeper level.

To better understand homosexual relationships, I decided to read a sensual novel about love between men. However, the story went far beyond my imagination, leaving me overwhelmed.

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*Translator’s Note: Well… things are about to get down and dirty from here on. Mature chapters coming up next! -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• Nii-san/Nii-sama/Onii-san = (Big/Elder) Brother

☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation. Jade would call Charles ‘Nii-san’ while Lien would call him ‘Nii-sama’.

Next update: 2025.10.08

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