The 100 Girlfriends | Meta Breaker |
Chapter 3: The Divine Contract 📜
The Main Quest Obligatory 🏫
| 😏🇦🇷 Valentino Mori |
<< Sometimes, to win a game, you don't need to be reincarnated as a hero with OP powers. You just need to be the only player in a world full of NPCs. And me... I've always been a player. >>
The sharp beep of the alarm clock at 5:30 AM was met with a precise and silent swat. Valentino opened his eyes. Today was D-Day.
His routine was executed with the precision of a Swiss watch: workout, breakfast, shower. Then, he faced his event "skin": the Ohananomitsu High School uniform. He put it on in front of the mirror, noting the comical contrast between the formal suit and his rebellious hair. The blazer covered his tattoos, completing the camouflage. Perfect.
He grabbed his backpack and left the house. His plan for the day was simple: «observe, gather data, and maintain a low profile.» Be a ghost. A stealth player on a reconnaissance mission.
But halfway to school, something stopped him.
It was a strange feeling. An uneasiness. A sort of "ping" 📍 on his mind's minimap, pulling him toward the path that led up the hill, toward the old shrine.
«"Go to the shrine,"» whispered a voice in the back of his consciousness.
It wasn't his voice. It was softer, more hesitant. An echo of Rentarou Aijo's soul, the "original player."
Valentino frowned, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. A shrine. Why the hell would he go to a shrine now? It was illogical. It was inefficient. His plan was to get there early.
«But luck has been on your side, hasn't it?» argued a part of his own mind, the pragmatic gamer part. «The investment in Hanazono Holdings. The job. The shift cancellation right when you needed to build the PC. Your RNG streak has been incredibly high.»
The idea was absurd, but the unease was real. He felt like an NPC with a golden exclamation point over its head, a quest the game forces you to accept.
"I don't have time for this," he muttered, frustrated with himself.
But his gaming experience had taught him a valuable lesson: sometimes, the most random-seeming side quests are the ones that unlock the most important storylines.
He let out a sigh, a small cloud of vapor in the cool morning air. What was the worst that could happen? Arrive a couple of minutes late?
"Alright, alright, I'm going," he muttered to the air, as if responding to the voice in his head. "But if they make me purify myself with ice water or something, I'm going home."
He changed direction and began to climb the slope leading to the shrine. The walk was thoughtful. The morning sun was bright, the last cherry blossom petals falling from the trees.
He reached the entrance. A wooden torii gate, ancient and majestic, marked the threshold between the mundane and the sacred world. The air here was quieter, denser.
He felt a shiver. The feeling that he was in the right place was overwhelming.
"Okay, Rentarou," he whispered to himself, addressing the echo in his soul. "You brought me here."
He stepped through the torii.
«The loot better be good.»
As he passed under the majestic wooden torii, the noise of the city seemed to fade away, replaced by the whisper of the wind through the trees and the distant song of cicadas. The air here was denser, charged with an ancient and serene energy. He followed the stone path, past moss-covered granite lanterns, until he reached the main shrine pavilion, the *haiden*.
It was deserted. An almost sacred silence enveloped everything.
He approached the offering box. From Rentarou's memories, he knew the ritual. He took a hundred-yen coin from his pocket, tossed it into the box—the metallic sound 🎶 echoed in the silence—pulled the thick rope to ring the bell twice with a deep GONG!, bowed his head, and clasped his hands together.
He didn't pray for love, as the original Rentarou would have. Instead, he sent a thought out into the universe, a mix of ironic gratitude and a silent challenge. "Okay, whoever's pulling the strings, thanks for the luck so far. But just so you know, starting tomorrow, I'm the one in control."
When he finished and raised his head, he was not alone.
Audience with the Programmer 🖥️
Leaning casually against one of the temple's red wooden pillars was a man. He was old, with a bushy white beard that looked like it was made of clouds, and he wore a simple kimono. But there was something fundamentally *wrong* about him. A mischievous glint in his eyes, an almost electric energy that seemed to make the air around him vibrate.
And he was wearing aviator sunglasses 😎. Absolutely ridiculous.
Valentino didn't panic. He didn't scream. His mind, forged in the logic of video games, immediately categorized the situation. *Unexpected Plot Event. Special NPC. Initiate Dialogue.* He kept his body relaxed, but every muscle was ready to react.
"Excuse me," Valentino said, his tone calm and respectful. "Can I help you with something, sir?"
"Oh, I don't need any help," the old man said, pushing himself off the pillar with an agility that defied his age. He approached, his steps making no sound on the temple's wood. "The one who needs it—and boy, is he going to need it—is you, Rentarou Aijo." He took a dramatic pause, a smile forming under his mustache. "Or should I say... Valentino Mori?"
An icy chill, more intense than any morning workout bar, shot down Valentino's spine. The world seemed to stop for a second. The name. His real name. Spoken aloud in this world. The shock was so pure and so absolute that for an instant, his mind went blank.
But panic didn't set in. Fear was instantly suppressed and replaced by something much more familiar to him: defiant curiosity. If the game knew his real name, it meant the rules were even stranger than he thought.
Instead of backing away, Valentino did the opposite. He relaxed his shoulders, a defiant smirk 😏 slowly spreading across his face. He lifted his chin, his intense, analytical gaze locking onto the old man, not like scared prey, but like a seasoned hunter who had just found an unexpected, legendary creature.
"Well, look at that," he said, his voice coming out in a relaxed, mocking Spanish. He switched to Japanese but kept the same tone. "So who are you supposed to be, then? If you know me like that, you must be some kind of deity, right?" He paused, his smirk widening. "Like Dieguito Maradona?"
The God of Love was thrown off for a second. He blinked behind his sunglasses, clearly not expecting that reaction. He had anticipated panic, denial, maybe even fainting. He hadn't expected... this. A reference to an Argentine football god and a total lack of fear.
Then, a thunderous, joyful laugh erupted from him. "AHAHAHA! Dieguito! Now *he* was a god of love in his own way! I like you! You've got spark!" He took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes that were not human. They were orbs of liquid gold that glowed with their own light ✨. "No, I'm not Diego. But you're close. You can call me the God of Love. A pleasure."
Valentino nodded slowly, processing. God. Of. Love. Logic wrestled with the surreal evidence, but the mention of his name... there was only one explanation. This was the game's "developer."
"And I'm here," the god continued, his tone becoming more serious but still playful, "to talk to you about your future. A very, very crowded future."
He approached Valentino, his smile growing wider. "You see, during your 16 years of life—this body's, of course—you've suffered 100 rejections. A truly legendary streak of bad luck. A record! 🏆 They should give you a medal! And since the universe seeks balance, for your high school life, the scales will tip... drastically to the other side."
The god clapped him on the shoulder, a surprisingly solid pat. "At Ohananomitsu High School, you will meet not one, not two, not ten... but one hundred soulmates."
The revelation hit Valentino like a shockwave. One hundred. One hundred girlfriends.
The fog in his memory tore apart violently. The blurry recollection, the itch in his brain, the memes, the clips... it all clicked into place with a thunderous, terrible clarity. The title. The chaos. The absurd scale of the premise. The outlandish personalities.
«Ah... shit,» he thought, the realization crashing down on him like an anvil. «It was THAT anime. The most ridiculously over-the-top romantic comedy in history.»
Breaking the Fourth Wall 💥
His face showed no shock. No joy. It showed an almost comical resignation, the face of a player who realizes he's unintentionally chosen "Nightmare" difficulty 💀. And then, his body collapsed.
He fell to the temple's wooden floor with a dull thud, going completely limp. A second later, a ghostly, semi-transparent version of himself rose from his body. Valentino Mori's soul, with its spectral tattoos and platinum hair, dusted the invisible dirt off its shoulders.
He looked directly "at the camera," breaking the fourth wall with a look of utter resignation.
"I'm sorry," Valentino's soul said to the reader, with a perfectly clear Argentine accent. "I don't get paid enough for this shit."
He turned and began to float away towards the great beyond, clearly determined to find a better *isekai*. But he had barely taken two ethereal steps when the God of Love, with surprising speed, grabbed him by the collar of his ghostly shirt.
"Whoa there! Where do you think you're going, champ?" the god said, before forcefully shoving him back into Rentarou's body, like stuffing a sock into a drawer.
Valentino shot up, gasping, as if he had just broken the surface of the water. He pointed at himself, then at the god, his calm finally shattered by the sheer absurdity of the situation.
"Hold on a second! Stop, stop, stop!" he exclaimed, now truly losing his composure. "Why the hell am I even in this Rentarou Aijo's body?! I didn't even watch the whole anime! I saw a couple of episodes, laughed, and then dropped it! I'm not a huge fan!"
The God of Love shrugged, putting his sunglasses back on with an expression of complete disinterest. He turned, also breaking the fourth wall to address the reader.
"No idea," the god said nonchalantly. "And don't ask me. The writer of this fanfic is just as lazy as the original authors. He probably thought it was funny."
Valentino stood there, jaw agape, looking back and forth between the god and the empty space where he felt the "audience" was. The logic of his situation had been shattered, replaced by the chaotic meta-comedy of the universe he was trapped in.
Finally, he slumped his shoulders, completely defeated by the absurdity of it all. He let out a long sigh.
"Okay," he said, his voice tinged with a deeply weary irony, rubbing his temples. "I get the premise. One hundred girlfriends. Comedy. Meta-jokes. Now tell me what the catch is. Because in games like this... there's always, always a catch."
The God of Love's playful smile vanished. The mischievous energy surrounding him dimmed, replaced by a solemnity that gave Valentino goosebumps. The shift was so abrupt that all the comedy of the moment evaporated.
"Ah, yes," the god said, his voice now devoid of humor. "The catch. The 'fine print' of the contract."
He approached Valentino, his golden eyes locked on his. "The 'zing,' that connection you'll feel, is incredibly powerful. When your eyes meet one of your soulmates', an unbreakable bond will be created."
Valentino nodded. "Got it. The infatuation 'debuff'. And?"
"And," the god continued, his tone growing heavier, "that bond must be completed. The soulmates must fall in love. They must become a couple."
"Okay, sounds reasonable," Valentino said, though an alarm was starting to go off in his head. "And if they don't? What if, for some reason, it doesn't work out? She gets her heart broken and moves on with her life, right?"
The God of Love slowly shook his head. The silence that followed was heavy, ominous.
"No, Valentino," the god said, his tone dreadful. "It's not that simple."
He paused, letting the gravity of the moment sink in.
"If the soulmates do not fall in love... if your bond is not realized in a relationship... then both of you will die in a series of unfortunate events, shortly after."
The sentence fell in the temple's silence like a tombstone.
Both of you will die.
Valentino felt as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs. The world narrowed, his tunnel vision focused solely on the god's serious face. The color drained from his own. His smirk, his confidence, his player's attitude... it all shattered.
It wasn't just 'Permadeath' for them. It was 'Permadeath' for him too. There was no 'game over' and retry option. If he failed with a single one of the hundred, he wouldn't just be condemning her to a random, horrific death—he himself would be erased from the game.
The most over-the-top romantic comedy in history had just, in a single instant, turned into a personal Battle Royale. A survival game where he had to get 100 consecutive wins, and a single failure meant total elimination.
And he was the only player.
Race Against Time ⚖️
*Both of you will die.*
The words resonated in Valentino's mind, erasing everything else. The irony. The gamer attitude. The confidence. It all vanished, replaced by the icy weight of absolute responsibility.
He looked at the God of Love, expecting a sign, a joke, something to tell him it was all part of the absurd comedy. But the deity's golden eyes were serious, unforgiving. It wasn't a joke.
One hundred lives, plus his own, hung by a thread.
His strategist's mind, which a moment ago had been paralyzed by shock, rebooted with brutal violence. There was no time for panic. No time for a lengthy interrogation. Every question he could ask the god was irrelevant in the face of the main directive: «Do not fail. Under any circumstances.» The enormity of the responsibility hit him like a physical force. His "low-profile" plan shattered. He had to be proactive. He had to succeed. One hundred times.
"Are you alright, kid? You look a little pale," the God of Love said, with a hint of genuine concern in his voice.
Valentino looked up. The fear in his eyes had been replaced by a cold, steely determination. It wasn't the time for blame. It was time to act.
"Understood," he said, his voice coming out firmer than it felt. "I accept."
There was no ceremony. No glowing contract. It was just a word. The weight of a hundred destinies settling on his shoulders.
The God of Love nodded. "Good luck, Valentino Mori. You're going to need it." And with a blink, he vanished.
Valentino was left alone in the temple. For a second, the weight crushed him. One hundred girls. One hundred potential deaths. His own life. It was insane.
Then, an instinct pulled him out of his trance. He looked at his phone's clock.
8:15 AM.
The entrance ceremony for Ohananomitsu High School 🏫 started at 8:30.
"¡La puta madre!" he exclaimed, the Spanish bursting out like a whip.
The calm was gone. The planning was over. The mission had just begun, and he was already late.
He ran faster than he ever had in his life. His legs, strengthened by spring training, responded, devouring the asphalt. His mind raced even faster. Every face he passed was now a question mark. *Is she one? And her? Did I just run past my first soulmate without even realizing it?* Every girl he saw was a potential life depending on him. The world had transformed into a minefield.
He reached the school gates just as the final bell rang. He didn't stop. He ran through the empty hallways, the sound of his dress shoes echoing off the walls. He followed the signs to the auditorium, his heart hammering in his chest.
He pushed open the large double doors carefully. The interior was dim, filled with hundreds of students sitting in silence. On the stage, the principal was mid-speech.
Valentino slipped inside, crouching and moving along the back wall, searching for an empty seat in the last row. He found it. He slumped into the chair, silently gasping for breath.
He had made it. He was in.
But as his breathing returned to normal and his eyes began to scan the rows of students in front of him, a terrible certainty washed over him.
He was no longer an observer. He was a participant in the most dangerous game he had ever imagined. And the match, whether he liked it or not, had already begun.
The ZING! of Destiny ⚡⚡
| 😏🇦🇷 Valentino Mori |
<< Oh man, it's my first day ☹ >>
The entrance ceremony was a blurry torture. Valentino sat in the back row of the auditorium, barely hearing the endless speeches from the principal and the student representatives. His mind wasn't there. It was racing at a thousand miles per hour, trapped in a loop of controlled panic.
«One hundred girls. If I fail, they die. If I fail, I die.»
He was desperately trying to force his memory, searching for any detail from the anime. «Who were the first ones? What were they like? Was there a redhead? A blonde?» He vaguely remembered a tsundere and another girl, but their faces were indistinct smudges. Every girl he saw in the auditorium was a possibility, a threat, a responsibility. His "stealth" plan had turned into a desperate identification mission.
When the ceremony finally ended, the students began to move in a chaotic torrent toward their new classrooms. Valentino was swept up in the crowd, his gaze scanning every face, looking for... something. A sign. A glitch in reality.
He took out the small piece of paper he'd been given with his classroom number. Class 1-4. He pushed his way through the groups of excited students, his urgency contrasting with the festive atmosphere. He was distracted, hurried, his brain processing too many variables at once.
And then, on a crowded staircase leading to the second floor, it happened.
He turned on the landing, his eyes fixed on the classroom numbers in the hallway above, and he collided with someone. It wasn't a hard hit, more of a clumsy stumble. He had bumped into two girls who were coming down in the opposite direction.
"Ah... sorry!" he said on pure instinct, taking a step back.
"No... I should be the one to apologize," said a sweet, melodic voice.
"That hurt! Watch where you're going!" retorted another voice, sharper and angrier.
Valentino looked up to apologize again, and his eyes met theirs.
On his left, a girl with striking short pink hair, adorned with green ribbons and small flowers. Her eyes were large and expressive. «🌸🎀 Hakari Hanazono.»
On his right, a girl with bright golden hair tied into two high pigtails, also with green ribbons. Her gaze was fierce, but her cheeks were starting to blush. «🔥💢 Karane Inda.»
And in the instant their gazes connected, the universe hit the pause button.
⚡⚡ZING!⚡⚡
It wasn't a sound. It was a sensation. A million-volt electric shock that shot through every nerve in his body, from the roots of his hair to the tips of his fingers. It was as if destiny itself had grabbed him and violently yanked him. An instant, primal, undeniable recognition.
He saw in their eyes the same surprise, the same electric shock. He saw the confusion instantly transform into something else, something deeper, something he now recognized with a drop of cold sweat running down the side of his forehead.
It was the trigger for this romantic comedy he had been dragged into. And his first two opponents, allies, and responsibilities were standing right in front of him.
As Valentino struggled to process the physical shock and the terrifying confirmation of his mission, Hakari's and Karane's minds were experiencing their own chaotic overload. The electricity of fate hadn't just connected them to him; it had also focused their senses, making them truly *see* him for the first time.
In 🌸🎀 Hakari's mind, it was as if a scene from a romance movie had come to life. The boy in front of her wasn't just "some guy." His hair, with those platinum streaks, was bold and artistic. His eyes, though surprised, held a depth that drew her in. And the way the uniform, despite being standard issue, fit a body that was clearly in shape... It was as if the perfect male protagonist from one of her novels had leaped off the page.
«Who is he?» she thought, her heart pounding to a shōjo manga rhythm. «He's... he's like a rebellious prince. So... beautiful.»
In 🔥💢 Karane's mind, the reaction was far more conflicted and visceral. The jolt had left her breathless, and when her vision cleared, she saw him. The flashy hair, the tattoos subtly peeking out from his shirt collar, the underlying calm in his posture even amidst the collision... he wasn't "cute." He was "cool." Dangerously cool. It made her feel small, nervous, and furiously embarrassed by the way her treacherous heart had started to pound so hard.
«What's with this guy?!» she thought, a battle raging in her head. «Who does he think he is, coming to school with hair like that? He's an idiot... an idiot with... a really intense gaze... Don't look at him! Don't look at him, you idiot!»
Valentino, recovering from the shock, saw the reactions on their faces: the instant adoration in Hakari's eyes, the internal war of embarrassment and attraction in Karane's.
They were exactly the archetypes he had studied. The *deredere* and the *tsundere*.
And both were head over heels in love.
The game had just begun. And it already felt like a complete and utter disaster.
The Deception 🤔
The moment of shock shattered. The electric connection vanished, leaving behind a tense silence and three hearts pounding at a frantic pace. Valentino, his gamer mind now on high alert, knew the next move was theirs.
🌸🎀 Hakari, recovering first, saw 🔥💢 Karane beside her, who was staring at Valentino with the same infatuated intensity she felt. An alarm went off in her head. «Competition!» She had to act fast.
With an Oscar-worthy acting skill, her face contorted into a pained grimace.
"Ouch...!" she whimpered softly, bringing a hand to her ankle. "I'm sorry... I think I hurt my leg when I fell."
She looked at Valentino, her large eyes filled with a calculated vulnerability. "Could you... carry me to the nurse's office?" she asked, her voice a sweet and helpless whisper. The strategy was clear: take Karane out of the equation.
Valentino looked at her. His mind processed the situation instantly, although a faint echo of the previous host buzzed with explosive concern in a part of his subconscious. «Phase 1: The damsel in distress. A classic tactic to monopolize the target's attention.» He knew, with 100% certainty, that she was lying. There had been no "fall," just a stumble.
The original Rentarou would have panicked. But Valentino was not Rentarou. He saw the play and decided not just to join in, but to raise the stakes.
His previously calm face transformed into a mask of absolute, devastating concern. He knelt before her with a dramatism that was obviously sarcastic, a move to play along with her.
"This can't be!" he exclaimed, his voice laden with theatrical anguish. "Oh, heavens! Are you in great pain, my lady? I feel like the worst scum in the universe for causing such harm to such a delicate flower!"
He took her hand with exaggerated solemnity. "Of course I will carry you! I would carry you to the ends of the earth if it would ease your suffering!"
Just then, he winked at her, a gesture so fast and subtle that only Hakari could see it. The message was clear: «I know what you're doing. And I love it.»
Hakari blinked, completely thrown off. The wink short-circuited her brain. He knew. And he was playing along! The reaction was... much more exciting than she had expected. «"My lady"? "Delicate flower"?» It made her feel a little guilty, but mostly, it made her heart race. «He... he's such a gentleman... and so dramatic... and so clever!»
🔥💢 Karane, seeing that she was losing ground fast, panicked. As Valentino helped Hakari "to her feet," Karane, though a bit embarrassed by what she was about to do, let out a loud "TSK!".
"Don't even think that just because I twisted my ankle I'm going to ask you for help too!" she snapped, her lie far less subtle than Hakari's.
Valentino turned to her, his eyes widening with feigned horror. "You too, my other lady!? No! It's a double tragedy! I am a monster, a destroyer of ankles! A villain of the worst kind!"
He approached Karane, who took a step back, overwhelmed by his intensity. "Do not worry! This humble servant will bear the weight of his crime and carry you both to safety, even if it costs him his life!"
Karane stared at him. She didn't know what to think. She realized his performance was intentionally over-the-top, probably so she and the other girl wouldn't feel so embarrassed about their own act. But still... he was calling her "my lady." And he was acting like a complete and utter idiot. It was... confusing. And strangely, her heart was beating harder than before.
Both girls, having initiated a simple deception, suddenly found themselves trapped in Valentino's exaggerated melodrama, unsure if he was the most dramatic gentleman on the planet or the shrewdest player they had ever met.
Valentino, for his part, was barely holding back his laughter. «Okay,» he thought as he positioned himself between the two "invalids." «First field test: passed. Now, let's see how I handle two at the same time.»
A pang of mental exhaustion hit him. «Really,» he thought with irony, «I don't get paid enough for this stuff. In fact, I don't get paid at all.»
The Procession to the Infirmary ⚕️
Once Valentino's exaggerated melodrama came to an end, he straightened up, the theatrical expression replaced by one of practical calm. He looked at Hakari, then at Karane, his eyes assessing the situation.
"Alright, my ladies," he said, his tone now more serious but still with a hint of amusement. "If you are truly injured, then let's proceed to the infirmary."
The sentence was double-edged. It was an offer of help, but also a gentle challenge to their performance. Both girls, trapped in their own lie, had no choice but to go along with the charade.
Valentino positioned himself between them but didn't touch them immediately. In Japan, physical contact, especially with someone you've just met, was a minefield. And though his soul was Argentine, his mind now understood those subtleties.
"With your permission," he said formally, bowing his head slightly. "May I help you walk? I wouldn't want you to fall again because of me."
His request, so respectful and polite, threw them off again. It wasn't the clumsy action of a nervous boy, but the considerate question of a gentleman.
🌸🎀 Hakari, delighted, was the first to nod. "Y-yes, please, Aijo-kun."
🔥💢 Karane simply let out a "hmph" and looked away, which Valentino correctly interpreted as "yes, but I'm not going to admit I want you to touch me."
With that implicit consent, he acted. Carefully, he wrapped one arm around Hakari's waist and the other around Karane's, allowing each to lean on one of his shoulders. His touch was firm but respectful.
The trio began their slow, strange procession down the hallway. Instantly, the barely contained rivalry between the two girls resurfaced in a silent war for territory.
"Hey, you're getting too close to him," Karane hissed, trying to use her shoulder to gain a few millimeters of space.
"We have to stay close to keep our balance, Inda-san," Hakari replied with venomous sweetness, pressing herself even closer to Valentino's side. Her gaze cleverly flicked to the small name tag sewn onto Karane's uniform. A chess move.
"Don't give me that... wait a minute! How do you know my last name?!" Karane exclaimed, her anger diverted by confusion.
"It's on your uniform, silly," Hakari said, enjoying her small victory. Then she looked at Valentino. "And you must be Aijo-kun, right? I saw your name too."
Valentino smiled. "Aijo Rentarou, at your service," he said with a touch of theatricality. "I see you've done your homework, huh?" As they bickered, his own gaze drifted to the name tags on their uniforms, registering their last names. Hanazono. Inda.
As they moved forward, his mind was working at full speed. He wasn't confused. He was analyzing. His mental notes from the library were coming to life. This was a field test.
He decided to formalize the introductions to lighten the mood. "As you've both deduced, I'm Aijo Rentarou. I'm in Class 1-4. And again, my sincerest apologies for being the clumsy cause of your accidents."
🌸🎀 Hakari beamed instantly. "I'm Hanazono Hakari! What a coincidence, I'm in Class 1-4 too! Maybe destiny wanted us to run into each other!"
🔥💢 Karane huffed, clearly annoyed that Hakari had used her last name before she could introduce herself. "Inda Karane. And... yeah. Also in 1-4."
"Well now," Valentino said with a genuine smile. "It seems destiny not only wants us to meet but is forcing us to study together. How efficient."
His comment made Hakari giggle and Karane roll her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
«Observation 1: Hanazono Hakari. Archetype: Deredere with a strategist's touch. Uses sweetness as a weapon. Objective: monopolize affection. Vulnerability: direct romantic gestures.»
«Observation 2: Inda Karane. Archetype: Textbook Tsundere. Aggressiveness as a defense. Competitive, easily distracted by provocation. Objective: not to 'lose'. Vulnerability: sincerity and patience.»
It was his first test managing two soulmates at once. And though the path to the infirmary felt like an emotional minefield, Valentino couldn't help but think that, despite the mortal danger, this was going to be... incredibly interesting.
Pink Clover 🍀?
The procession finally reached the doors of the infirmary. Luckily for Karane and Hakari, the nurse wasn't there. Valentino helped them sit down on one of the cots, maintaining his role as the concerned gentleman.
"Well, my ladies, it seems you'll have to rest here for a bit," he said. "I'll go get you some water."
Just as he turned around, two girls from another class passed by in the hallway, whispering excitedly.
"Hey, did you hear the rumor?" one of them said, her voice loud enough to be heard in the infirmary. "They say pink clovers have grown in the back garden, and if you give a four-leaf one to the person you like, your confession is guaranteed to be a success!"
"Really? That's so childish!" the other replied, though her tone betrayed her interest. "But... does it really work?"
"They say it's never failed! It's like magic!"
The effect of those words on Hakari and Karane was instantaneous and electric. They looked at each other for a fraction of a second. The same idea, the same desperate strategy, flashed in their eyes. A good luck charm. A guarantee.
Before Valentino could say anything, they both leaped up from the cot, their "injured" ankles miraculously healed.
"I just remembered I have something urgent to do!" 🌸🎀 Hakari exclaimed, already running for the door.
"M-me too!" 🔥💢 Karane shouted, hot on her heels. "Something... very, very important!"
And with that, the two of them shot down the hallway in the direction of the back garden, leaving Valentino alone in the silent infirmary.
He stood there, staring at the doorway where they had disappeared. A slow smile formed on his face.
"Ah," he said to the air. "So the main quest now has an item-gathering 'sub-quest'. Interesting."
The entrance ceremony had already ended, and the introductory classes wouldn't start until the next day. He had the rest of the day free. He could go home. He could go to his new job.
But instead, he stood there, processing everything that had happened in the last hour. The god's revelation. The death clause. The double "zing." The melodrama. And now, a treasure hunt for a magic clover.
He rubbed his temples, feeling the start of a headache, half from stress and half from the sheer absurdity of it all.
«Okay, Valen,» he thought. «You have two girls, who are your soulmates and whose lives depend on you, competing for a lucky clover to confess to you.»
He let out a dry, humorless laugh. His "low profile" and "observation" plan had lasted exactly five minutes.
"This game," he muttered, "is completely insane."
He rubbed his temples, but then remembered the day's schedule. "Luckily, today is just the ceremony day," he thought, a hint of relief crossing his mind. "We'd just be going over school rules and a speech or two. Nothing to worry about." The real classes wouldn't start until tomorrow. That gave him time. It gave him room to think.
Instead of leaving, he walked over to one of the hallway windows that overlooked the back garden. From there, at a safe distance, he could see two figures—one with pink hair, the other with blonde—crouched down, searching frantically through the grass.
His "stealth" mission had failed. Now, the "strategy" phase began. And the first move on the board had just been revealed.
Double Intervention 🥤🥤
Valentino watched them from the window for a few minutes, a playful smile on his lips. Seeing them search so earnestly was both endearing and ridiculous. He decided he had observed enough. It was time to intervene.
He headed to a vending machine in the courtyard, the metal humming as he selected two cans of iced tea. The plan was simple: approach, offer a truce in the form of a drink, and see how they reacted outside of their direct competition.
He found 🔥💢 Karane first. She was in a more secluded part of the garden, kicking frustrately at a flowerbed. Clearly, the search was not going well.
"Finding a four-leaf clover is harder than it looks, isn't it?" Valentino said, his calm voice making her jump.
"What?!" Karane exclaimed, spinning around, her face flushed. "I-I wasn't looking for any clover! As if I'd believe in that stupid stuff!"
"Oh, you weren't?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
"No! I... I was just... looking for a good spot!" she claimed, her excuse getting more absurd by the second. "Yeah, a spot to... to pee! Because I suddenly really have to go!"
Valentino blinked, processing the excuse. A genuine laugh escaped his lips. "Okay, that's the most creative excuse I've heard in a long time. I give it an 8 out of 10."
Karane's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "It's not an excuse!"
"Of course not," he said, his tone full of amusement. He held out one of the cold cans to her. "Here," he said, offering her one of the cold cans. "You must be tired from... looking for a bathroom."
She looked at the can as if it were a snake. "W-what's that?! Why are you giving it to me?! I don't need anything from you!"
"Alright," Valentino replied calmly, starting to pull his hand back. "If you're that scared of a simple can of tea, you don't have to drink it..."
The word "scared" was the trigger.
"I'M NOT SCARED!" she snapped, snatching the can from his hand with a sharp movement. She popped it open with an aggressive *click*, as if declaring war on the pull-tab.
Valentino watched, amused. He had won. But he knew her pride wouldn't make it easy.
Karane brought the can to her lips but hesitated. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her face a storm of emotions. Then, in a tone that was an impossible mix of defiance and panic, she blurted out:
"This is so... stressful that I feel like stomach acid is going to come up!" she complained, reframing her fear as stress. "But since it's open, I'll drink it just so it doesn't go to waste! It would be disrespectful to the environment!"
«Ah,» Valentino thought, hiding a smile. «There it is. The tsundere justification.» He understood the code perfectly: she was admitting how nervous the situation made her, but blaming external factors (stress, environmentalism) instead of her own feelings. It was adorable.
She took a long sip from the can, not looking at him.
"Well, it's getting late," Valentino said softly. "You should head home."
"Y-you don't have to tell me twice!" she retorted. She turned to leave but stopped. She wrestled with herself for a moment, and then, without turning back, she muttered, "...Tha... thanks."
Before he could reply, she ran off, shouting over her shoulder, "DON'T THINK I'M GRATEFUL OR ANYTHING!"
Valentino smiled, shaking his head. Fascinating.
Drink number one, delivered. Now, for the second target.
He walked to the other side of the garden, where he saw a shock of pink hair peeking out from behind a rose bush. 🌸🎀 Hakari was there, her shoulders slumped, clearly disheartened.
"No luck over here either, my lady?" he asked, appearing beside her.
Hakari looked up, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. "Aijo-kun! No... I can't find anything."
"I figured," he said, holding out the second can. "Seems today isn't a day for magic luck."
"Oh! You went to all this trouble...!" she said, accepting the drink, her fingers deliberately brushing against his. A sly smile appeared on her face. "But... I think it's too much for me. Could you drink half of it for me?"
Valentino looked at her. He knew exactly what she was doing. The indirect kiss. A classic move.
«Okay, Hakari,» he thought, a mischievous smirk forming on his lips. «You want to play. Let's play.»
The Final Play ♟️
He brought the can to his lips and took a sip, very slowly, maintaining eye contact with her over the rim of the can. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous amusement. He watched as her cheeks blushed deeper and deeper under his intense gaze. He held the can out to her. "Ready, my lady."
Hakari took the can, her hands trembling slightly. She brought it to her lips, her heart hammering at a thousand miles per hour. «An indirect kiss! My plan worked!» But the intensity of Valentino's gaze, his conspiratorial smile... it was too much.
And to put the final nail in her coffin, just as her lips were about to touch the can, Valentino cleared his throat, a small, intentional noise, as if he were about to say something.
That simple sound was enough to break her concentration. Her nerves completely betrayed her. The can slipped from her hands, spilling the iced tea onto the grass with a disappointing splash.
Valentino quickly averted his gaze, biting his lower lip to stifle a laugh at how funny and adorable he found the situation.
"Ah! I'm such a fool!" she lamented, bending down to pick up the empty can.
"It's nothing," Valentino said, regaining his composure and crouching beside her, offering her a handkerchief. "It was just a bit of juice."
"It's not that!" she exclaimed, frustration and emotion overflowing. Unable to hold back any longer, she took his hand. "Aijo-kun! I... I like you ♥! Please, go out with me!"
The confession, so direct and passionate, filled the evening air. Valentino, though he had expected it, felt the weight of her words. He was about to reply when...
CLANG! CRASH! CLATTER!
A metallic racket made them both turn. There, a few meters away, stood 🔥💢 Karane, surrounded by a dozen cans of juice that had fallen from her arms. She was looking at him, then at Hakari, her face a mask of shock and betrayal.
"I-Inda-san..." Valentino stammered.
"It's... it's not like... I wanted to return the favor," Karane said, her tsundere excuse coming out automatically. "But I didn't know what flavor you liked and... and...!" Her eyes locked onto Hakari. "AND YOU! How dare you get ahead of me?!"
🌸🎀 Hakari, getting defensive, feigned ignorance. "Get ahead? I don't know what you're talking about... Could it be that you like Aijo-kun too?"
"YES, OF COURSE I—!" Karane shouted, then stopped herself, realizing the trap. She had been about to admit it. "S-shut up! You have no proof!" she retorted, her face red with fury and embarrassment.
A tense silence fell over the three of them. Valentino looked at her, his expression not of mockery, but of quiet expectation.
Karane felt trapped. She could back down. She could deny everything and run away. It was what her tsundere instinct was screaming at her to do. But she clenched her fists at her sides.
She took a deep breath, a shaky breath that was the biggest battle of her life. She lowered her hand from her mouth. She looked up and, for the first time, met Valentino's eyes directly, without looking away. Her face was still red, but her gaze was one of fierce determination.
"It's not that," she said, her voice coming out much firmer than it felt, swallowing all her pride. "I meant to say... that you... I like you too ♥, Aijo. A lot."
She paused, each word a victory against herself.
"Please... go out with me."
The confession was real. It was vulnerable. It was sincere. The tension was palpable. The two girls, having laid their hearts on the table, turned to Valentino, their voices united in a desperate question.
"Aijo-kun... / Aijo... Which one of us are you going to go out with?"
Valentino looked at them. The *dere* and the *tsundere*. His first two soulmates. Both their fates, and his own, hanging on his answer. He could feel the weight of the death clause on his shoulders.
"Wait," he said, his voice calm but firm, cutting through the tension. The two girls looked at him, confused.
"I appreciate this courage more than you can imagine," he continued, his expression turning serious and mature. "But... we barely know each other. This is all very sudden."
Both of their faces fell. The hope in their eyes died out, replaced by the unmistakable glint of imminent rejection. They looked like two flowers about to wilt.
"No," he said quickly, seeing their reaction. "I'm not rejecting you. On the contrary." He stepped closer to them, his gaze shifting from one to the other. "I wouldn't doubt that you're both incredible. And I feel... incredibly drawn to both of you. But it's precisely because of that that I want to do this right. I don't want to take advantage of a 'love-at-first-sight' from destiny. I want to get to know you for real."
He gave them a small, reassuring smile.
"I propose this: let's spend this week together. The three of us. Lunches, the walk home. Let's get to know each other. For real. And at the end of the week, I promise I will have an answer for you."
Karane and Hakari looked at each other, processing his proposal. It wasn't a "yes." But it wasn't a "no" either. It was... something different. Something unexpected. It was a request for time, not out of indecision, but out of respect. Slowly, confused but with a new spark of hope dawning in their hearts, they both nodded.
| 😏🇦🇷 Valentino Mori |
<< Sometimes, the best play isn't to attack, but to call a time-out. >>
[End of Chapter 3]