The school day finally ended. Ren felt a sense of peace after his private conversations with the Nakano sisters, but that calm was shattered the moment he saw them all waiting for him outside the school building. The group of eight, which now included not only the Nakano sisters but also Sagiri, Hibari, and Chisaki, had a new, easy familiarity about them that he found both confusing and heartwarming. He couldn't help but feel a little out of place, walking a few steps behind them as they chattered happily, their voices a melodic symphony that filled the air. They were a single, cohesive unit, and he, the person who had brought them all together, felt like a silent observer.
"We're having a group meeting today," Ichika announced, turning back to him with a conspiratorial smile. "And you, Ren-kun, are our honored guest."
He had no choice but to follow them. They led him to a family restaurant, a cozy, brightly lit place that was, to his surprise, completely empty. The only people inside were Nonko and Yuuna, who were sitting at a large table, looking at him with a mix of anticipation and smugness.
Nonko gestured to the empty restaurant with a flourish. "We rented the whole place for a few hours. So, how does it feel, Ren? To have all your women in one place?"
The girls around him echoed her smug expression, their eyes on his face, waiting for a reaction. They expected him to be nervous, to be flustered, to show some kind of panic at the sheer weight of his situation. They were waiting for a reaction they had never seen from him before.
And they got one, but not the one they were expecting.
As Ren looked at the faces around him—Itsuki's gentle smile, Yotsuba's playful grin, Nino's confident smirk, Miku's soft expression, Ichika's easy grace, Sagiri's watchful gaze, Hibari's curious stare, Chisaki's quiet warmth, Nonko's mischievous twinkle, and Yuuna's serene kindness—his eyes welled up. A single tear escaped and trickled down his cheek, followed by another, and then another, until he was openly weeping, a silent, heartbroken sob shaking his frame.
The smug expressions vanished, replaced by panic. "Ren-kun?" Itsuki asked, her voice laced with concern.
"What's wrong, Ren?" Nino said, her voice unusually soft.
He shook his head, unable to speak for a moment. He hadn't cried in a long, long time. Not since he had lost his parents. He had hardened himself, built a fortress around his heart, and buried the crying, lonely little boy inside. He had survived his cold, dark apartment, the silence that greeted him after school and his part-time job. His life had been a monotonous cycle of work and solitude. Anime, manga, and novels were his only companions, his only escape from a reality that felt like a cage. He had held on to the fantasy worlds because he was afraid that if he ever let go, he would have nothing left to live for. The thought of suicide had crossed his mind more than once, but the fear that he would never be able to read or watch a new story had always held him back.
But now, looking at the ten beautiful women who loved him, who were all there for him, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming rush of emotion. He was no longer alone. He had a family. He had a home.
"I... I'm just so grateful," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. All of you. Thank you for being here."
A wave of warmth and pleasantness washed over the girls, a feeling that was more powerful than any smug victory. Ren's tears, his raw, genuine emotion, moved them in a way they didn't expect.
Ren looked up at the ceiling, thinking of the survey ad he had answered before his death. He didn't know who or what the higher being was, but he would always feel a bit of gratitude for this second chance. Then, he remembered the other "higher being," the one who had trolled him into using four tickets at once. "You will be mine," he muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly, a new resolve forming in his heart. The system had said they were different, and one day, he would find a way to get his revenge on the one who had so gleefully made his life complicated.
Nonko, sensing a shift in the mood, clapped her hands together. "Alright, everyone! Let's sit down and order! I'm starving!"
As they all found their seats, the family restaurant became a stage for a new kind of bonding. It wasn't just about sharing a meal; it was about sharing a life, a future, and a reality they had all been pulled into by a boy who was no longer alone.