I'll show my love gently. (Pink Trigger)

I hesitated. Who among us, even the most studied of Witch Hunters, the foremost researchers of the history of Rokkenjima and its secrets, could predict how any of its inhabitants would react to this kind of play?

No... Unless I want my story to end here, I have to be decisive. I might not know, but it's just as likely that these women don't know, either. I'll press forward.

With this thought in my mind, I slapped a hand to Jessica's skirt. The noise and feeling were both muffled. A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead. Not giving anyone a chance to say anything, I raised my hand again... brought it down once more, to the pleasant curve of her bottom.

There was barely any sensation.

"Huh...? Mr. Player?" Jessica asked in a teasing voice. "Weren't you gonna get started?"

This is... Grr! That attitude is what earned you this punishment to begin with, Jessica! Now I'll... I'll...!

I brought my hand down a few more times, each strike as pathetic as the last. I heard Jessica stifle a chuckle.

"... Mr. Player. Perhaps I should-" Natsuhi started to offer, to my disgrace.

Enough! Remember, Jessica, you asked for this! I grabbed a hold of her skirts and hiked them up to reveal the ordinary white panties she was wearing, and before she could protest, I slapped a few more times.

There's no effect at all! She's actually laughing at me! I felt myself growing more furious, but...

But...

Ah!! It's no use! It's not because I'm a weakling or Jessica is especially strong, you understand! Maybe those are both true to some small degree, but the fact of the matter is that I love these characters too much! I can't bring myself to hurt Jessica and stain her face with tears. With shame, I stopped striking her and simply grabbed and squeezed her.

"H-hey! Nope, that wasn't part of the deal!" Jessica complained, struggling for only a moment before easily freeing herself from my grasp and fixing her skirt with an upset expression. "You saw that, right, Mom? Mr. Player was just feeling up my ass!"

"Jessica, language..." Natsuhi admonished her daughter, holding her head to nurse a headache. "Mr. Player... This obviously isn't working. I'm going to go see my husband and see if we can arrange to have you leave when the boat arrives with our family. I'm sorry, but there is no time for a fruitless distraction on such an important day."

No! This is crazy! How am I failing to bend this honeypot of a situation into erotica?!

Ah, wait. Maybe that's it...

The women of the Ushiromiya family are used to a stern education from Ushiromiya Kinzo. I don't think he ever did anything like this to them, but it's probably safe to say they built up a tolerance to emotional ****. There certainly isn't any evidence that they enjoyed it on a sexual level.

I watch those two heading for the door, Jessica flipping me the bird behind her back where her mother wouldn't see it.

If I let those two leave, there's no way I'm going to turn this limp-dicked situation into a happy ending. I ran for the two as Natsuhi unlocked the door, intent on begging Natsuhi to leave me alone with Jessica for just a moment-

I tripped and grabbed hold of what was in front of me. There was a nasty tearing noise as what I'd grabbed did nothing to halt my fall and I landed on my face. Feeling my nose bleeding, I turned my gaze upward...

In one hand, I'd caught the hem of Jessica's red miniskirt. In another, I had bunched fabric from Natsuhi's long purple bell skirt. Both of them had torn, leaving me staring up at Jessica's panty-clad bottom and her mom's dark pantyhose. Their faces expressed a duality of hot fury and cold disdain, respectively.

How was it I could be so close, yet feel so far away?

"Mom... I'm going to kick Mr. Player's ass, okay?" Jessica asked her mother, pulling a pair of brass knuckles out of her pocket.

"Jessica... please try and display that same discipline Mr. Player taught you in restraining yourself while I leave to change," Natsuhi commanded her with sharp emphasis while still looking at me. "If Mr. Player has taught you proper discipline, I'm sure he has nothing to fear. As for you, Jessica, I'm counting on you to do what your heart knows is right to defend the honor of our family... I'll come by with Dr. Nanjo, later."

"Got it," Jessica said with a friendly and scary smile, picking me up off the floor and leading me back into her room. She shut the door and locked it again.

...

Was I killed by Ushiromiya Jessica in that room? No, of course not: I want to believe these lovable family members would never kill for a dumb reason like that. The more headstrong, violent, and undisciplined among them, however, might beat a man senseless, making him easy prey for a witch that decided to start picking sacrifices at midnight...

Anyway, Jessica is an honest young woman who makes good on her promises. My ass got kicked, as she'd promised. I'll continue loving even that ass-kicking part of her.