038. Let them go, this war is over.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this, but I swallowed my pride and said, "We should just let them go." Solemnly looking at my dad he gave me a slight smile, but I looked away from him, not wanting to stomach the thought that I was agreeing with him.

"What?" Shinji stammered before he got angry. "Turning coward, Kenji?"

"No," I said grimly. No one else spoke, still trying to evaluate my statement, so I explained. "We could attack, but more lives on both sides would be lost. We could try and negotiate, but neither side can trust the other right now. The only sane alternative is to just go home and let them leave. We have the peace we fought for; we’ve won. Let’s go home."

Shinji continued to argue, and Mister Takahashi backed him up, though mostly because he was interested in the spoils of war we were letting go of. But in the end, the rest of the generals agreed enough blood had been shed and most of them were still farmers and anxious about greeting home late in the year for planting their fields. That of course made me remember that I had broken our plow yesterday.

That day I rode home with Shinji, Mister Takahashi, and my dad to bring home the news of the sudden peace. The rest of the army broke camp and began their march back as well, but they would probably take two or three days more. As we road, Shinji announced to us, "Man, I can't wait to get home. No one ever told me going to war was going to give me such a bad case of blue balls!" They all laughed, though I just thought he was being stupid.

"Well, once we're home I'll make prompt arrangements to have your wedding finalized," old Mister Takahashi proclaimed. Then with a cackle, he added, "I'm sure that by next week when you are married you'll be complaining about how sore and empty your balls are instead."

"Darn straight!" Shinji cheered. "Your daughter is definitely a fine chick, but I don't think I can wait a week! I want to get that ceremony junk over with quickly. Just get us married as soon as we get back."

Mister Takahashi balked at his future son-in-law's disgraceful lack of respect and decorum. He didn't know Shinji as I did. He came from a rich family, had the right breeding, family name, and good looks, but was a self-centered jerk. Anything he wanted he took and bullied and intimidated others to get away with it as I endured my whole childhood.

Actually, he was a lot like Setsuko so maybe they would be happy together. I stopped listening as Mister Takahashi tried to gently persuade Shinji into observing the rituals of the time and he just grumbled and called those stupid. My dad came up and asked quietly, "So, any girls finally pique your interest?"

Like I would ever talk to Dad about my lack of a love life. Maybe I should shock him and tell him about how I've been peeping on Shinji's bride-to-be through a hole in her bathhouse and jerking off? Wonder what they would all think about that? Shinji would punch me and Mister Takahashi would fix the hole if not kick me off his property, but I didn't have a clue what my dad would think. Not that I thought he really cared.

Then I thought about how I walked in on Kouki a few days ago while she was masturbating. Maybe telling him that would shock him into caring about at least one of us? I shrugged that thought away. Fuck him. I didn't care about him anymore. He could die and rot for all I cared.

I never answered him or even talked to him the rest of the ride home, and thankfully he didn't make another attempt either. Hours slipped past as I set a fast pace to get home quickly and out of the company of the three men I despised most in this world, so by nightfall we were entering the rocky beach of an isthmus that led into town.

Soon this beach would be guarded again, and while it did twist and turn, and the footing could be dangerous as it was often wet and sandy at high tide, the bright full moon made seeing easy.

The town was already mostly dark as we got in so there was no one to greet us as we arrived. Shinji bid us goodnight and turned into his dojo, leaving just me, my dad, and old Mister Takahashi to ride up the hill back to his manor.

Unexpectedly Mister Takahashi spoke to me, "Kenji, my boy, I know your accommodations are... sparse, to say the least."

"No kidding," I grumbled probably too loudly, but he gave no indication that he heard me.

"And since our return home and sudden peace would not be possible were it not for your brave actions I'd like to honor your heroism by offering you your own room in my home," the aged man finally got to his winded point. He had enough rooms to let my whole family stay in his home, but had been the one to kick us out when my father couldn't stop getting drunk in his home. I almost refused his meager generosity, but then the thought of having to live in our tiny two-room shed with my dad again dad made me reconsider.

After thinking for a moment I countered, "Give my sister a room too and it's a deal." I don't think he expected to haggle over a gift, but being put on the spot he agreed. It was close to midnight when we finally arrived home and woke Kouki.

"Kenji! Where have you... Daddy?" my sister said confused as we entered our home.

"I'll explain later, but for now let’s go," I said grabbing just a change of clothes.

"Go?" she asked, even more confused.

"Mister Takahashi is giving us our own rooms at the manor," I answered. Throughout this whole exchange, our father just stood there silently watching. I could tell this wasn't the homecoming he’d wanted, but he'd probably be drunk by morning with whatever he had stashed away in his room or brought back with him. In fact, I was surprised that I hadn't considered he hadn't gotten drunk yet all day.

Kouki stood unmoving as I returned to the door. "Daddy?" she said with confusion.

Only then did he speak up, "It's alright, princess. You're a woman now and deserve your privacy anyways. I'll see you in the morning." It was too dark to see exactly how she reacted, but she did give him a quick hug before she followed me out.

Somehow that simple act of love for the man I detested made me insanely jealous. After caring for her for a year on my own, not to mention all the times I protected her during Dad's drunken rages, she still cared for the bastard. Meanwhile, I got treated like shit. I stewed silently, just keeping my bitterness to myself as we got to the rear service door and were greeted by Chizu.

"Please. Follow Chizu," the little maid whispered and led us to the servant’s quarters. Right next to her room were several other unused rooms, at least until Mister Takahashi's manservants came back in a few days with his belongings, but even then there were spares. "Chizu has prepared room for Master Matsumoto," she told me as she pointed at one door.

"Please, go back to calling me Kenji," I said, but was too tired from the long trip, so didn't wait for her to answer and just went inside. I dropped my stuff and just collapsed into the bed and was pleasantly surprised by how soft it was. Must be sheep's down I thought, but then I was asleep.

I slept so soundly that it seemed like just moments before I woke up. The bed was so warm and comfortable that I almost went right back to sleep, yet today was supposed to be a long celebration for Shinji and Setsuko as they would be married tomorrow morning. Shinji wanted the marriages right off, but had agreed to give one day for all that pomp.

I couldn't blame Shinji; being the center of attention had been embarrassing enough from the soldiers. I couldn't imagine having to spend the whole day with everyone looking at me, standing so close to Setsuko, knowing what I would do with her once I had the chance to be alone in bed with her, yet still go home alone tonight. Talk about torture.

"Fuck," I muttered to myself. I'd gotten hard thinking about defiling Setsuko, and there was no going back to sleep for me now. I considered just using the newfound privacy of my own room to just jerk off, but I wasn't sure how soundproof these walls were, or where I would hide the mess. I knew I should really go out and offer to help with the wedding preparations as I was still their servant as well as giving me some way to repay the generosity of Mister Takahashi, but then I wondered if anyone had asked Setsuko if she needed anything.

<A big hard dick,> I joked to myself with a grin, and then squeezed tightly around the base of my shaft. Fuck I was really, really horny. I bet it would only take me under a minute to just pop one off. I threw caution to the wind and started stroking my dick, imagining Setsuko in her wedding dress, pulling it up and simply jumping on top of me saying, 'Before I'm married to a guy with a small prick I need to know what a real man feels like inside of me.' I was pumping away hard pretending my hand was Setsuko's succulently tight virgin twat and was just about to explode when there was a knock at the door.

Oh, fucking hell! I was so damn close. I tried to ignore it, but then the doorknob started to turn...