Afternoon, Daytime.
"That concludes our discussion for this afternoon. See you all tonight~!"
In the rabbit group room on the second floor of the cruise ship, Ichinose Honami, the host of the discussion, flashed her usual bright smile as the radio announcement signaled the end of the session.
As expected, today's discussion on the privileged status had gone nowhere.
With Class A remaining tight-lipped and Class B utterly clueless about their own members, even someone as naturally talkative as Ichinose could only fill the time with small talk.
At this point, the only thing she was certain of was that Class D had no privileged members. The reason? The three of them were so hopelessly bad at deception that it was painfully obvious they weren't selected. Their carefree attitudes in discussions made it clear—they weren't even pretending.
If Ichinose continued with this approach, progress would remain at a standstill.
Now that the first discussion of the day had ended, Kure Ragna had no reason to linger. Exchanging a glance with Manabe Shiho, he lightly brushed his fingers against Karuizawa Kei's hand, signaling it was time to go.
"Alright, let's head out," he said casually.
"Mmm..."
Kei responded quietly, a stark contrast to her fiery demeanor yesterday. Like a hedgehog who had lost its spikes, she clung to Kure's arm without resistance.
The three members of Class D stared in disbelief.
Yesterday, she had been a storm, a force of nature refusing to back down. Now? She was acting like a doting newlywed wife.
What kind of miracle had occurred overnight?
"Wait… did you two make up?" Manabe Shiho asked hesitantly as they walked.
"Make up?" Kure Ragna repeated with a chuckle. "I told you yesterday, didn't I? It was just a kid throwing a tantrum."
"You're calling me a kid?" Kei muttered, puffing her cheeks. "You're the one who doesn't consider my feelings at all… getting so close to other girls like it's nothing…"
She complained, but at the same time, she clung to him even tighter.
Manabe and the others felt a strange sense of loss.
Logically, they had won. They had confronted Karuizawa, pressured her, and even secured an apology. Yet, somehow, it felt like they had lost in another way—something they couldn't quite explain.
Must be my imagination… Manabe thought, shaking off the feeling.
---
Fire Escape Stairwell.
Before anyone could say anything, Kei released Kure's arm and flashed a reassuring smile. "I'll handle this. Just wait here."
Without hesitation, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Through the small glass window, they could see Kei approaching Ichida, the girl she was about to apologize to. The conversation was quiet, their words muffled by the door's solid build.
At first, Ichida's face was tense, her expression wary. But as Kei spoke, her features softened, confusion replacing her initial fear. Eventually, a smile formed—one of genuine understanding.
Five minutes later, the two girls emerged, chatting amiably.
"So… everything's fine now?" Manabe asked, still slightly skeptical.
Ichida, a quiet girl, nodded. "Karuizawa-san apologized sincerely. She even offered to treat me to dinner as an apology."
Manabe exhaled in relief. Truthfully, she had been bluffing earlier—if Kei had refused to apologize, she wouldn't have known what to do. With Kei's strong personality and a boyfriend like Kure backing her, the situation could have turned ugly fast.
But now, with everything settled peacefully, this was the best possible outcome.
"Alright, then we'll get going," Kure said casually, watching Class D's group walk away.
Just as he turned to leave, he felt Kei wrap her arms around him from behind.
"Hey… tell me… what are we now?" she murmured, resting her cheek against his shoulder.
Kure blinked, slightly caught off guard. "What do you mean? We're fine. Everything's fine."
"That's not what I meant!" Kei pouted, tightening her hold. "I confessed to you yesterday, and you didn't reject me. That means you accepted it, right? But if you accepted it… shouldn't something change?"
Kure paused, then let out a small chuckle. "Oh, you mean Kushida?" He shrugged. "Things will stay the same, for now."
Kei pulled away slightly, staring at him in disbelief. "Wait… You're seriously keeping things as they are? Don't tell me—are you planning to be a scumbag and start a harem?"
Kure smirked. "First part, no. Second part, yes."
Kei gasped. "You—! You're actually admitting it?!"
"You're misunderstanding something," Kure said calmly. "A scumbag and a man with a harem are two different things. Just because someone has a harem doesn't mean they're a scumbag. Likewise, not all scumbags can manage a harem."
His tone was steady, confident.
"Look, this isn't just about me. Since you chose to be with me, then I'll take responsibility for you. I'll carry all of you. And trust me, I can handle the weight."
Kei opened her mouth slightly, stunned by his bold declaration. For a moment, admiration flickered in her eyes.
Then she snapped back to reality.
"Wait, wait—No! You're still trying to start a harem!"
Kure's smirk widened. "That's the simple way to put it."
Kei stood frozen, processing his words. Then, after a long sigh, she relaxed against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her voice softened, no longer resisting.
"Fine… Do what you want… But since you're saying all this, you'd better take responsibility and carry me properly." Her grip on him tightened. "Don't leave me halfway."
Kure chuckled, placing a hand over hers.
"I won't."
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 100 Advanced Chapters and Exclusive R-18 Content!