1. Kazuki's Birthday? Not Even He Knew.
I woke up to the sound of a kazoo playing off-key in my ear.
"AIRI—"
"Happy Birthday, Biological Father!" she sang while holding a suspiciously glowing cake that read:
'CONGRATS ON NOT BEING DEAD (YET)'
"…It's not my birthday," I muttered, bleary-eyed.
She blinked. "It is in Timeline 527-Gamma."
"STOP USING ALTERNATE TIMELINES AS EXCUSES FOR CHAOS."
Too late.
Because the moment I got out of bed, I opened my closet to grab a shirt and instead found—
Lilith.
Sitting in there.
In a party dress.
"I got bored," she said. "Now celebrate your aging or perish."
2. The Surprise Party (or Trap?)
I stumbled downstairs into a fully decorated room.
Confetti cannons exploded in my face.
"Surprise!!" shouted everyone in unison.
Sayuri was wearing an apron that said "Hostess of Death."
Luna was at the piano playing the world's slowest version of 'Happy Birthday.'
Ayaka had wrapped herself in literal ribbons.
Mizuki looked like she was already preparing divorce papers for a marriage that hadn't happened yet.
I turned to Airi. "Did you invite everyone?"
She nodded. "And one extra."
"Extra what?"
She didn't answer.
3. Demon Summoning (By Accident. Again.)
As per harem tradition, each girl had a "gift presentation moment."
Lilith handed me a scroll wrapped in chains.
Luna gave me a poem she wrote in my sleep somehow.
Ayaka built a handmade "Kazuki Plushie" that—terrifyingly—blushed when you poked it.
Sayuri just gave me a threat and a cupcake.
And Mizuki…
Mizuki handed me an envelope with legal writing in demonic Latin.
"Don't read it out loud," she warned.
I read it out loud.
4. Marriage Demon Appears, Demands a Wedding
The lights dimmed.
A circle of dark fire appeared in the center of the room.
Out stepped an eight-foot-tall demon in a tuxedo and sunglasses.
"CONGRATULATIONS," he roared.
"YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE ANCIENT CONTRACT OF MATRIMONIAL SUMMONING!"
I blinked. "Wait, this is real?"
The demon pulled out a clipboard.
"By reciting the sacred contract, you have bound yourself to wed one of the gift-givers present today."
Everyone screamed at once.
"IT'S RIGGED!"
"I SWEAR I DIDN'T PLAN THIS!"
"MARRY ME OR DIE, KAZUKI!"
5. A Chaotic Selection Process
"Only one bride may be chosen," the demon growled.
"Oh, good," I muttered. "It's a romantic death game now."
Each girl had to present their "marriage pitch."
Sayuri: "I already know where you live, and I cook better than anyone."
Ayaka: "Pick me, and you get cake and sparkles."
Lilith: "I'll sign the contract in blood. Yours, preferably."
Luna: "I'm the only one here who won't kill you after the honeymoon."
Mizuki: "I drafted a prenup. It comes with a tax break."
Airi: "Can I join this game?"
Everyone: "NO."
6. Kazuki Panics (Again)
I stepped back. "Guys… I can't choose. I'm not ready for marriage. I can barely choose my ramen toppings."
The demon loomed closer. "CHOOSE OR FACE THE WRATH OF UNCONSUMMATED DESTINY."
I gulped. "Can I… defer the choice?"
The demon paused. "You invoke the Clause of Suspended Matrimony."
"What does that mean?"
He handed me a glowing pocket watch.
"You have 7 days to choose your bride. Or suffer eternal romantic limbo."
"…That sounds like my entire life already."
7. Everyone's Reaction
Sayuri: Sharpening knives.
Luna: Practicing vows.
Lilith: Already building a wedding dungeon.
Ayaka: Crying tears of glitter.
Mizuki: Booking chapel slots.
Airi: Selling popcorn and betting on the winner.
Me?
Sitting on the floor, holding a demonic pocket watch, whispering:
"Why does every birthday end with a threat to my romantic freedom?"
End of Chapter 22
✅ Call to Action:
💍 Who should Kazuki choose before the 7-day countdown ends?!
🔥 What would YOU do if a demon appeared at your birthday and forced you into a romance deadline?
📢 Stay tuned for Chapter 23 – "I Tried to Escape the Marriage Deadline and Accidentally Became the Prince of a Magical Kingdom"