Sometimes, Kaoru nvied Ichinose's social skills.
For instance—how had she managed to bring Tachibana Akane to his room?
As he stared at the senior before him, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
He took a deep breath, struggling to figure out what to say for their first meeting since the training camp.
But the strange looks from Karuizawa and Kushida left him unsure of how to react.
"This is Tachibana-senpai from the third year. She used to be the student council secretary. I ran into her on the way and thought I'd bring her along."
Ichinose cheerfully introduced Tachibana while also presenting the room's occupants to her in turn. Even Karuizawa seemed caught off guard, greeting Tachibana in a daze.
Apparently, Tachibana's arrival had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, not something premeditated.
"It's nice to meet you all. I apologize for intruding today."
Despite the odd situation, Tachibana did her best to maintain an elegant senior demeanor in front of her juniors, refusing to show any sign of discomfort.
However, the moment Kaoru stepped out of the bathroom, her expression visibly changed.
"Ahaha, no need to worry about disturbing us. More people would make it livelier today."
Kushida quickly recovered, wearing a bright smile.
The awkward one was Kaoru—what did it have to do with her?
Beside them, Ichinose added, "That's right. Today is Kikyo's birthday. This cake was bought for her. Having seniors here makes it even better."
Akane shifted her gaze away from Kaoru and took out a gift box from her bag.
Handing it to Kushida, she said, "It was prepared in a hurry. I hope you won't mind."
Kushida looked surprised but accepted the senior's gift with a smile. "Thank you for the present, Senpai. This is really unexpected."
The fact that they had time to prepare gifts meant this wasn't entirely a spur-of-the-moment visit.
Kaoru sat next to Karuizawa, who tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "What's going on?"
That was a question better directed at Ichinose Honami—he had just come out of the bath.
After the failed training camp, Kaoru now observed Akane more closely.
He noticed she kept avoiding his gaze.
Whenever their eyes accidentally met, she would immediately look away, only to steal glances at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention.
"Senpai, did anything happen with the class back then?" Kaoru asked.
His attempt at small talk was barely passable.
Akane reluctantly met his eyes and replied, "Horikita settled things with Class C and D by offering ten million points. Though no one said anything about it."
Even though no one spoke up, Tachibana still felt partially responsible for the problem.
Throughout the three-year battle, they had only relied on Horikita Manabu, rarely getting chances to help.
Akane felt deeply guilty, and with Kaoru's involvement, her frustration only grew.
"Don't overthink it. This outcome is the best. Soon, you'll all graduate smoothly."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kaoru noticed tears glistening in Tachibana's eyes.
Damn it, he'd said the wrong thing again.
"Are you that eager for me to graduate?" Akane clenched her fists, her chest tight with emotion. "To me, dropping out before or graduating now makes no difference. Horikita never paid me any attention anyway, and you—you're just as careless. Maybe it's better to just leave it at that!"
Kaoru's expression turned odd. What kind of image did he have in her eyes?
Karuizawa and Kushida exchanged glances, bewildered.
Neither of them knew Akane well enough to understand what was happening.
"Tachibana-senpai, you shouldn't think that way."
Ichinose spoke earnestly, "Did you forget what I told you on the way here? If Kaoru had no feelings for you, why would he confess to you?"
Akane found it difficult to respond, perhaps due to her instinctive reaction to the word "confession."
She subconsciously glanced at Kaoru.
Then, she saw Karuizawa clinging possessively to Kaoru's arm, their gazes meeting.
"It might sound unbelievable, but I'm Kaoru's girlfriend—and so is Kei, as well as Kikyo and Suzune. So I have no objections to your relationship with him."
Akane wore a bewildered expression. "B-but isn't this cheating?"
"Is it still cheating if it's allowed?"
Ichinose sighed. "We won't interfere with his feelings for you, nor yours for him. In return, we hope you won't interfere with our feelings for him either."
Kaoru was surprised.
The emotions flickering in her eyes, the slight pursing of her lips—it was clear these were the most complex and genuine feelings in the girl's heart at this moment.
If you all like him, then I won't oppose it. I won't stop you, and I hope you won't stop me either.
That was Ichinose Honami's sentiment.
"It's not that complicated. The truth is, I just want a harem, so I won't let any of you go," Kaoru suddenly interjected.
"I'm just a greedy person, that's all."
Ichinose pressed her lips together and smiled faintly, her eyes shimmering with an unusual light as she murmured, "Wanting not just our bodies but our entire lives—that really is greedy."
Kaoru realized he was already outmatched in this debate. In the future, she might even dominate the harem's decision-making.
"I still find it hard to understand. Are you saying you all agree to be with him, never feel jealous, never get possessive, and won't even oppose him fooling around outside?"
Akane couldn't fathom their mindset. Wasn't this too extreme?
"Of course we will! If we like him, we'll definitely get jealous!" Karuizawa blurted out. "But from now on, we're going to tightly control this guy's interactions with other women!"
Kaoru could feel her grip tightening—clinging to his arm like a koala, refusing to let go.
"As for me, I don't care about all that," Kushida said cheerfully. "My relationship with him is a bit complicated. As long as he satisfies me, that's enough." She then gestured toward the kitchen and added, "The one in there cares even less about how many women he has. I doubt the concept of a 'boyfriend' even exists in her mind."
Akane studied their expressions, feeling utterly at a loss for the first time.
She'd never heard of anything like this before.
"B-but bigamy is—"
"Senpai," Kaoru cut her off. "Do you really think I care about that?"
Akane fell silent, then glared at him indignantly. "Of course having so many girlfriends is great for you, but can you really take responsibility for a girl's entire life?"
Who does this junior think he is, acting so arrogant!
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