You really are a woman who makes me happy—
"How much do you like me?"
Upon hearing Ryo's question, Kazami Haru surprisingly began to calm down. Maybe it was the tempting aroma of deep-fried tempura and hellishly spicy miso ramen that eased the tension between them.
Even when faced with an alluring, sultry blue-haired succubus, he still didn't let Ryo seize complete control.
"Two hundred percent."
He didn't even need a second to think. The answer came without hesitation.
Although his usual attitude toward Ryo was clearly different from how he treated others, Haru was simply fighting fire with fire.
The truth was, his feelings for Ryo were in no way inferior to those he had for anyone else.
Ryo, as the original model for his ideal partner, held a very special place in Kazami Haru's heart.
"Then how do I compare to Nijika?"
Ryo narrowed her pale golden eyes, staring intently at Haru's face. Her right hand still lightly gripped his collar, forcing him to meet her gaze. Beneath her seemingly emotionless expression lay something more.
Clearly, this wasn't some casual flirtation she threw out.
Ryo was seriously asking what place she held in his heart and no matter how much Haru liked her, this wasn't something he could lie about just to please her.
Taking a slow breath, Haru raised his gaze and met hers head-on, speaking in a firm voice with not a trace of doubt.
"I like both Nijika and you equally."
"...?"
Ryo's delicate brows furrowed. The beauty mark at the corner of her eye seemed even more vivid beneath her icy golden gaze.
Though surprised by Haru's sincere confession, something else stirred inside her—an emotion she couldn't quite put into words. Her grip on his collar tightened, and her already cool, alluring expression turned even colder.
The next moment, she kissed him again, this time more forcefully.
When they pulled apart, Ryo's face was faintly flushed. Her breath came shallow, and in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked again,
"And now?"
"No matter how many times you kiss me, my answer's not going to change."
Haru's expression remained calm as he looked into Ryo's beautiful face. At such close distance, they could feel each other's warm breaths, and the faint, intoxicating scent of her skin filled his senses. As if to show her dissatisfaction, she gently rubbed her head against his neck.
Her fine, deep-blue hair brushed his skin, causing a ticklish sensation that made him instinctively want to pull away.
But Ryo seemed to have predicted his reaction. From the start, she had pinned him against the wall, leaving him no choice but to fight back.
"So what you're saying, Haru, is that you love both me and Nijika?"
Even after going that far, Haru's attitude hadn't wavered in the slightest.
And hearing him say he loved her while also loving someone else, Ryo felt joy mixed with something more complicated. Her tone softened slightly compared to before.
"...Not just the two of you."
"Not just?"
Her softened voice vanished in an instant, replaced by her usual icy tone. Immediately, Kita Ikuyo popped into her mind. The one she was always wary of. That dream… she could still see it vividly.
They might have a good relationship as bandmates, but when it came to Kazami Haru, Ryo showed no mercy.
"Is it Ikuyo? Or Bocchi?"
She asked the question and then nodded to herself, her eyes narrowing as she stared into Haru's earnest black eyes. Then, as if to punish him, she tugged hard on his cheeks, stretching them sideways.
With a smug little smile, the blue-haired succubus looked satisfied.
"All of them."
Just as she had spoken with sincerity, Haru's answer came from the heart, without a hint of pretense.
This guy… does he seriously want to form a harem band?
"Scumbag."
Ryo slowly let go of his now-reddened cheeks. Her face seemed calm, but a cold edge lurked beneath.
Usually lazy and elegant, Ryo now showed a completely different side. Even she felt her thoughts in disarray upon realizing Haru genuinely wanted a "harem."
But Haru had expected that reaction. Without hesitation, he spoke again.
"I love each of you. That's why I'll make sure you all agree."
Since he had made that promise, there was no turning back. Even if Ryo called him a scumbag, he deserved it, but he was determined to stay true to what he had once told Tomori and the others.
Ryo, her pale golden eyes lifting slightly, crossed her arms and stared at the face she both loved and resented. Neither of them looked away.
The silence between them deepened as they stared at each other for what felt like dozens of seconds.
Then, flicking a few locks of blue hair behind her ear, Ryo asked in a quiet, loaded tone,
"Did you… do it with any of them?"
"No."
Haru shook his head without hesitation. There was no way he'd even consider that right now.
They were still just high school students, and they hadn't even sorted out their feelings yet. Even if someone made a move on him, he wouldn't say yes, not like this.
If he was going to be with them, then he had to take responsibility. Otherwise, he couldn't live with himself.
"I see."
The moment she heard his reply, Yamada Ryo gave a small nod.
She raised her calm golden eyes in thought, then suddenly leaned in and bit down on Kazami Haru's smooth neck, only stopping once a vivid red mark had formed.
"I don't agree."
"I'll make you break up with everyone else willingly. From now on, I want to be the only one you say 'I love you' to."
Ryo's tone was quiet yet firm. No matter what, she couldn't accept the idea Haru had just expressed. Even though she often joked about the band being his harem, if that were to actually become reality, she wouldn't go along with it.
Maybe if, as the heiress of the Yamada family, she ended up marrying him, she could eventually be a bit more lenient in front of the other band members.
Because the feelings Nijika had in that "dream" still left her with guilt even now, but the Haru who married her in that dream had been entirely devoted, never showing the slightest hint of affection toward anyone else.
The Haru in the real world, however, seemed to have changed a lot under the influence of various "factors." Even Ryo couldn't tell anymore if this was a good or bad thing for the future.
"Then you better be ready too, Ryo-san. Because I'll absolutely make you change your mind and say 'I agree.'"
Straightening his back with determination, Haru's slight smile carried a confidence that left Ryo momentarily speechless. It was the kind of conviction that made it seem as though everything he said, he would make come true.
Even someone like Ryo, who outright rejected the idea of a harem, couldn't help but feel something stir inside.
This guy really dares to make such bold claims, huh?
Her frosty expression suggested she was about to hit him with a biting remark, but when she opened her mouth, the teasing words faded like smoke. All she said, in a cool and indifferent tone, was...
"…Just a small fry like you, huh? Well, I'll be watching."
With that, Ryo pushed open the iron gate of her family's estate and stepped inside. She didn't look back once, even as she reached the front door. Haru stood at the gate, watching her disappear, then let out a long sigh.
"Looks like I can't just sit around anymore."
Starting a "harem" wasn't something that could be done just by talking about it. After all, this wasn't some fantasy game, it was real life.
Even if he somehow managed to get Ryo to agree with him, convincing the Yamada family would be a whole other challenge. No parent would want their daughter to marry someone sharing affection with others.
If he wanted everyone's acceptance, then at the very least, he had to be capable of taking responsibility for all their futures.
First, he needed to solve the real-world issues. Then came the emotional ones.
…
Elsewhere~
Now changed out of her stage outfit, Misumi Uika glanced over at Wakaba Mutsumi beside her with a complicated expression.
After Ave Mujica's performance ended, they had gotten into the company car together to leave the venue. Up until then, Uika hadn't exchanged many words with Mutsumi. The quiet, reserved girl had shown no intention of starting a conversation either.
If Uika also stayed silent, the two of them would probably sit in that awkward air all the way home.
"…Um, Mutsumi?"
After careful consideration, Uika finally spoke. Her gentle, friendly tone made Mutsumi turn her head expressionlessly.
"I've been meaning to ask… You and Saki-chan are really close, right?"
"Yeah. We've known each other a long time."
Mutsumi gave a small nod. Holding her tiny purse in both hands, she walked lightly along the hard asphalt, her pale green hair swaying in the breeze.
Her distant and quiet demeanor made it hard for Uika to keep talking. But remembering the scene of Mutsumi going on a date with Kazami Haru, she steeled herself.
"Mutsumi… if that's the case, then you probably know who Saki-chan has feelings for, don't you?"
At the very instant her words merged into the air, Mutsumi suddenly stopped walking, her round-toed shoes pausing mid-step.
She slowly turned around, her pale golden eyes staring into Uika's beautiful face. The look in her eyes revealed no emotion, making Uika feel incredibly uneasy.
It was as if, in that single glance, everything in her heart had been laid bare.
Feeling nervous, Uika raised her hand and forced a smile. "Mutsumi? What's—"
"Saki's in love with Haru."
Uika's hand froze in mid-air.
Mutsumi's bluntness caught her completely off guard. She hadn't expected her to say it so openly. There wasn't even the slightest hint of hesitation on that doll-like face.
Did she not think this was a problem?
As Saki-chan's childhood friend, Mutsumi clearly knew how her friend felt. And yet she still went on a date with Kazami Haru in private. That wasn't something she should have done… was it?
Or was Mutsumi simply too naive to realize what she had done was inappropriate?
"Mutsumi, you knew Saki-chan had feelings for Haru-kun, and yet you…"
"Uika, you like Haru too, don't you?"
Mutsumi's flat statement pierced straight through Uika's heart, stopping all the words she had been about to say.
How—how did Mutsumi know?
Uika felt like the quiet, doll-like girl had seen right through her. She, who called herself Saki-chan's "best friend," had developed feelings she never should have had for Haru.
If even she had gone this far, what right did she have to lecture Mutsumi?
Mutsumi might not have done anything truly wrong yet, but Uika… she already had.
"I…"
Faced with that question, Uika wanted so badly to say "I don't." But those three short words caught in her throat and refused to come out.
No matter how hard she tried to summon the courage, they wouldn't leave her lips. With her mind in disarray, all she could do was clutch the edge of her clothes to ease the tension.
How was she supposed to answer that?
Did she really have feelings for Kazami Haru?
Wakaba Mutsumi quietly watched the confusion and nervousness on the blonde girl's face. When Uika remained silent for a while, Mutsumi spoke again.
"You don't like him?"
At those words, Misumi Uika felt her knees go weak.
With just a few words, this doll-like girl had effortlessly shattered all her defenses and pretenses. All the careful reasoning and advice she had prepared were completely forgotten. All she could do was bow her head like a child, lost and helpless.
Uika didn't truly understand what "liking" someone meant. The feelings she had for Haru were something she had never experienced before. Even though she knew in her heart that she had fallen deeply and hopelessly in love with him...
She absolutely couldn't act on it.
After a long silence, she slowly raised her deep violet eyes and, her voice trembling slightly, finally spoke.
"I... I won't have feelings for Haru-kun. Because he's the one Saki-chan likes!"
"As her friend, if I already know who she likes, then of course I should support her love. But before, I saw you, Mutsumi, going on a date with Haru-kun… You knew he was the one Saki-chan liked. Shouldn't you be keeping your distance from him?!"
Mutsumi's lips parted slightly in surprise. Clearly, she hadn't expected Uika to say that.
But as she stared into Uika's shaken expression, she seemed to realize something. Holding her small purse in both hands, she lifted her delicate face and calmly explained,
"I like Haru."
"Huh?"
Uika froze.
Seeing her stunned reaction, Mutsumi, still expressionless, took a step forward.
Among everyone in Mujica, Mutsumi appeared to be the most timid and introverted, and yet she was the one standing here, boldly declaring her feelings. Even as Saki-chan's friend, she didn't hesitate to face the truth in her heart.
They felt the same way, but had completely different ways of dealing with it.
Seeing this, Uika instinctively took a step back. There was no point in giving any more "warnings."
"Haru. Everyone likes him."
Mutsumi spoke slowly.
"Everyone likes Haru-kun? Yeah… I guess that's to be expected. I mean, even Saki-chan makes that kind of expression. And even you, Mutsumi…"
Watching Uika's bitter smile, Mutsumi blinked and opened her mouth slightly, as if she suddenly realized something about her own words. She quickly added,
"No. It's that Haru likes everyone."
Uika: …?
"What… does that mean?"
Uika felt like her brain had turned to mush. She stared in disbelief at Mutsumi's calm face. The doll-like girl spoke so lightly, as if those words hadn't just caused an emotional earthquake.
Haru… likes everyone?
She understood each word on its own, but together they felt like some cryptic riddle. Her thoughts tangled up like dry noodles clumped into a ball.
Then, suddenly, a possibility dawned on her. She leaned in close to Mutsumi and asked,
"Mutsumi… are you saying that…"
"Haru has others he likes too."
After hearing that, Uika finally grasped what Mutsumi meant.
The boy she had labeled a "scumbag" for playing with girls' feelings really might be involved with several of them at once, but instead of feeling angry, Uika found herself turning to Mutsumi with a look of genuine concern.
"If Haru-kun also likes Saki-chan, then… doesn't that bother you?"
"I just want to be with Haru."
Mutsumi gently shook her head in response, her tone quiet and sincere. She didn't seem to be lying.
The shock of it all sent Uika reeling. After years of living alone in Tokyo since moving from the countryside, this was the first time something had shaken her so deeply.
Their conversation just now had effortlessly overturned everything she had once believed in.
So now… what was she supposed to do?