Despite the numerous distractions and interruptions, I STILL somehow ended up being able to get to class with time to spare.
It was mind-boggling. It was as if some kind of higher power was distorting the very fabric of space-time to allow the passing of events that make up my daily life without being an inconvenience to me.
"Good-Mor-ning, Ru-to-kuuuun." A cute and possibly seductive tone greeted, appearing next to me.
The owner of said voice was a busty girl with beautiful, long hair and blue eyes. Like all of my female friends, she wore the girl's student uniform.
She smiled her usual pleasant and bright smile.
As expected of the Princess of Kuoh, Kiba Yuuki.
I smiled back at her. Yuuki's been one of my best friends since I entered Kuoh Academy a year ago.
I, who was known as the White Knight, and she, who was known as the White Princess of Kuoh, had quite a few rumors circulating concerning our relationship.
"Good morning, Yuuki-chan." I greeted back.
"I'm not sure whether or not I should say "It's good to see you're still ogling my breasts." Yuuki said, placing a finger on her lips.
Yes. I was indeed ogling her. She was hot, but there WAS another reason…
I rubbed the back of my neck, a light pink on my face. "Sorry, but it's still bugging me. Do you wear a bra or not? Your breasts bounce around a lot and I'm not sure if it's because of a poor-fitting bra or because you wear nothing under that shirt. It's KILLING me." A perverted smile appeared on my face as I raised my hands, jokingly moving my fingers in a groping motion. "If you let me feel them, I'll be able to find out the answer."
Yuuki stepped back, suppressing a mischievous smile by covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Sorry, Ruto-kun, but that's for me to know and perhaps for you to find out… maybe on a little date. Maybe next sunday?" Yuuki then put on a thinking expression. "Or maybe I might be busy… Hmmm, I wonder I wonder." Yuuki began to sway side-to-side. I could tell she was teasing me because she held her hands behind her back while she made sure to emphasize her boobs swaying and bouncing with her movements.
Yep. Yuuki was the only one who defeated me when it came to teasing.
She's so good, I can't even tell if she's just joking around or if she possesses any romantic interest in me.
That's something I'd like to know before I tried seeing if I could recruit her for my harem.
Yuuki's not like the female pervy glasses character, Kiryuu Aika (who I will only reluctantly admit is my friend). Yuuki is so convincing, it's hard to tell whether she is simply teasing me or genuinely trying to seduce me. For Kiryuu, I KNOW she's teasing.
I pursed my lips, thinking. "Wait. Like a DATE date? Or just as friends?"
Yuuki was so hard to figure out sometimes. Sometimes she was kind of flirtatious in a teasing way and other times she was normal and other times she was kind of cute.
Yuuki's smile became less teasing and became more genuine. "Sorry, just as friends this time." She stuck out her tongue in a way that could only be described as adorable.
I sighed. "Bummer. I was really looking forward to feeling those glorious bazongas of yours." Then I smiled. "But we ARE on for that date, right?" Maybe it would be a chance for me to finally figure out whether or not you're teasing me. I HAVE TO know before I try asking you to become a member of my harem.
Thank goodness I don't have anything planned with Ruruko on Sunday.
"Of course." Yuuki answered with her usual smile.
I sighed. "Well, even if I don't get to grope your boobs or your ass, a date is still a date."
Our conversation was interrupted by the final bell, signaling class to start.
Yuuki gave me a look that said "We'll talk more later" before going back to her seat.
I nodded and turned my head towards the front of the class.
It was boring as usual. The teacher went over the same material as always, causing me to come close to falling asleep several times in the middle of the lesson.
I was so grateful when lunch came around later on, meaning no more boring lessons for a while.
… And of course I forgot my lunch. Yep. Left it on the damned counter back home… Damn.
… Could this be it? Could this be how I die? Starving to death is not how I wanted to go…
I laid my head on my desk, my strength fading due to hunger.
"Goodbye… cruel world…" I uttered as my life began to fade.
That was when I felt something placed on top of my head which laid on the desk.
"Don't go dying yet." A reassuring voice told me. "As if your most loyal knight would allow you to perish in such a way."
I paused. "Hm?" I raised one hand and felt out what was.
Rectangular, heavy, and wrapped in some kind of cloth…
Dear God! It was a bento!
I picked up the box and raised my head, staring intently at it. It was indeed a bento. A pink box wrapped in a white cloth with a red heart pattern.
I looked up at my savior with watering eyes. "You are so freakin awesome, ya know, Karlamine?"
The girl I spoke to was a smiling teenage girl about my age with light brown hair and green eyes. She also wore a headband that goes across her hair and forehead along with the girls's student uniform.
Karlamine Silverman. A European transfer student who came to Japan over 2 years ago.
Karlamine smiled, clearly pleased with herself.
"Of course. My life is sworn to you—" Her face then became tinged with pink due to a blush. "B-but it's not like I've been w-waiting and m-making you a bento e-everyday on the off-chance you happened to forget your lunch or anything! No! That would be crazy!" She shook her head after laughing awkwardly. "Nope. I just happened to have some leftover ingredients and thought you'd like to try some of my cooking. A total coincidence that I happened to bring this today… Haha…"
No. No I am not clueless to her obvious affection.
Karlamine (sometimes I call her Karly for short) has pretty much had interest in me ever since last year.
There was a horrible accident and her house got set on fire. It was pure chance that I happened to pass by the house as the firemen were trying to fight the flames when someone screamed that their daughter was still inside. I, being the heroic dumbass I was, ran into the building without any sort of protection. It only took me several minutes to find Karly on the ground, pinned underneath a bunch of debris. I dug her out, but the flames had intensified… I ended up passing out due to smoke inhalation, but I vaguely remembered running through the flames, taking the brunt of the damage from the fire while I carried Karly on my back.
I managed to get us both out relatively unscathed though. I know because I woke up in the hospital with Karly sleeping in the bed right next to mine. We were both bound to make a full recovery. Karly's parents came in while she was still unconscious to thank me… It was a rather happy and teary-eyed affair.
In my life thus far, I've only seen a grown man cry two times. This was one of those two times as Karly's father started crying, thanking me for saving his daughter's life.
I ended up going to sleep for a while, but when I woke up, Karly was by my side, holding my hand and smiling in a cute way.
She thanked me for saving her life and had since then sworn her loyalty to me in a confession-like fashion. I was her "King" and she was my "Knight". Since then, she was one of the few girls I could count on not to spontaneously throw their panties at me.
Of course she had affection for me, but that was solely out of admiration towards me for saving her life.
Therefore, I can't really consider her a harem member candidate. I saved her because I didn't want some girl's death to be on my conscience, not because I wanted her to become a girl for me to do ecchi things with. Besides, it was no big deal since my injuries from the fire healed up pretty quickly. That's another thing about me. I'm a surprisingly fast healer. I could be considered something of a modern medical miracle really.
But back to the present!
I smiled as I accepted Karlamine's bento. "Thanks. You truly are the greatest knight."
Karlamine's face lit up a bright shade of red, her smile becoming frozen on her face.
"It-It's really no trouble! R-Really!" Karlamine then held her hands together in front of her, her blush becoming lighter as she appeared to be nervous. "B-But… I-I was wondering… if maybe… maybewe couldeatlunchontherooftogether!" Despite the fact she spoke so quickly on the last part of that sentence, I was able to hear what Karlamine said. It sounded like she was half-asking/half-pleading.
Not to mention the look on her eyes was so adorable.
I smirked. "Hells yeah! Why not?" True, while I couldn't return her feelings which have been born from her admiration, simply ignoring Karlamine would only hurt her. Therefore, while I can't consider making her a harem member, she can still be a close friend whom I treasure.
I got up… but then I felt a strange pressure "down there" (NO! Not that kind of pressure!... I had to go. Real bad…).
I started sweating slightly as I gave Karlamine a nervous smile. I must've been holding it while I slept through class because I had to GOOOOO!
"S-Say…Karly… Is it okay if I meet you there…?" I asked.
Karlamine, still pleased about what was apparently "a victory," nodded. "Alright! I'll bring your lunch up there for you!" She picked up the bento she made for me and ran off, excited.
Meanwhile, I ran off in another direction. Towards the bathroom specifically.
I went and then I went… and then I washed my hands of course…
Then—and ONLY THEN—did I head for the roof for lunch.
Karlamine's such a nice person… making lunch for me and stuff.
I once again noted it was a pleasant day outside. Not bad weather for eating on the roof.
I looked around the rooftop but found no one but—
"Ah. What a fine chance it is meeting you up here, Ruto-san."
She was a tall girl with blue, shoulder-length hair and eyes of the same color. Perhaps the most notable thing about her was her face which was like that of a bishounen. She was smiling pleasantly for some reason that left me feeling as if she had done something rather mischievous recently…
Oh well.
"Err… Yura-san, right?"
The girl nodded. Hey, just because I know most of the hot girls's names, it doesn't mean I know ALL of their names.
… Yeah… Yura Tsubasa. A second year like me… she was on the Student Council, I think, with Ruruko and Shitori-senpai.
I then noted two bentos in front of her as I moved closer.
One of them was a normal, blue bento wrapped in a blue cloth… the other was a familiar… waaaiiit a second.
"Erm… Yura-san…" I started. I clicked my tongue, uncertain where to start. "Why… why does that second bento look like the one Karly made for me earlier?" I looked around. "Come to think of it, I really expected Karly to be up here…"
Yura-san smiled with a strange and suspicious smile. "Oh, she told me to give you your bento for her since she had other things to do."
"Ah… I feel like I should be more suspicious about this…"
(Karlamine POV)
Well… this certainly isn't how I saw my day going…
Locked in a janitor's closet… my arms tied behind my back and my legs tied together… a gag over my mouth.
Yes. Certainly my strangest day.
Perhaps it's my own fault for being so careless. I never thought that one of Ruto-sama's potential lovers would go so far to get rid of competition (Yes. I do indeed know about his plans to build a harem. That's why I've been trying so hard to get close to him, so that he may someday ask me to take part)...
Truly, for Ruto-sama to have such a knight as weak as me… how sad. Forgive me, Ruto-sama…
But to sum up my thoughts at that moment:
YOU FUCKING BIIIIIIITCH! YUUUUURRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
"I really SHOULD be more suspicious about this…" Then a growling noise from my stomach interrupted me. I hunched over, in pain due to hunger. "... But I really don't care right now… I'm so huuuuuungry…"
… But I got the strange feeling that I was forgetting something.
I reached towards the bento, but Yura-san so cruelly pulled it further beyond my grasp.
"Please, allow me to feed you, Ruto-san."
I frowned. "Well, I-I can feed myself just fine…" I then trailed off as I noticed Yura-san's eyes staring at me intently. There was a disturbingly forceful glow about them. There was also a slight pink on her face.
"Allow me to feed you, Ruto-san." She said it again in a scary yet calm tone… Did she get hotter all of a sudden?
I sweatdropped.
… Is… Is this a possible harem candidate? She's blushing slightly, so I'm thinking she has some affection for me for some reason… she also appears to be dead set on feeding me…
I never even met this girl before (not in person anyway), so I didn't exactly feel comfortable with trying to recruit her for my harem, but she was being more forceful in her attempts to feed me and make me eat with her. Not to mention the mysterious disappearance of Karly was something to feel worried about.
As per my rules and guidelines to being a TRUE Harem King, I don't recruit girls who I have no clear romantic interest in or who are strangers to me. I don't really know Yura-san by anything other than name, so I could clearly tell this situation would get worse before it got better.
I would have to wing it and hope for the best. There were worse fates than being forcibly fed a bento by a cute girl.
I managed an awkward smile at Yura-san's forceful offer.
"Err… Sure."
The scary look on Yura-san's face vanished and she smiled lightly, opening up the bento that Karly made for me.
It was filled with all sorts of yummy stuff… Riceballs, tempura, tsukune, a whole bunch of delicious food. So much that it was surprising how it all fit in this small box.
I think I started drooling at some point…
Yura-san continued smiling as she picked up a pair of chopsticks and picked up something random from the box. She was staring at my face, so I don't think she even knew what she had picked up.
"Say 'Aaah'." Yura-san instructed, raising the piece of food she picked up with her chopsticks.
I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth. "Aaah."
Yura-san was about to feed me the delicious morsel when—
*SLAM! SNAP!*
The door to the roof suddenly slammed open, a lone projectile ripping through the air and stabbing through the piece of food Yura-san picked up, sending it flying through the air and leaving my sight.
I felt the urge to cry… my precious foooood…
"Ah, what a coincidence to meet you up here, Ruto." I noticed a powerful hostility that made me break out in a sweat. "Especially considering we made plans earlier and here I am, seeing you being fed by another woman even though that position should've been promised to me."
I turned and swallowed, waving. "Heeeeeey, Ruruko…"
Shit. I knew I was forgetting something. In my fit of hunger, I forgot I promised a rooftop lunch with Ruruko!
DAMN YOU, STOMAAAAACH!
I noticed Ruruko was twirling a lone chopstick in her hand in a strangely menacing way. I could take a guess at what had happened to the other one.
She smiled in a menacingly sweet way… but her gaze was directed towards Yura-san.
"Thanks for saving my spot, Yura-senpai, but Ruto's supposed to be on a date with ME right now." Ruruko illustrated her point by walking over to Yura-san and pushing her still-sitting form a few feet to the right, sitting where Yura-san had been sitting, smiling as she picked up her own bento and opened it, taking out a new pair of chopsticks.
"Now, how about you try my homemade bento, Ruto? I've made enough for the both of us." She then picked up food with her chopsticks and smiled cutely. "Now open up—"
Just wanting food and not paying much attention to who gave it to me, I opened my mouth again.
Ruruko was about to feed me when Yura-san grabbed her arm, her expression matching the menacing one on Ruruko's.
"How rude of my kouhai," Yura-san stated. "Making poor Ruto-san wait for your date, knocking away the person who was trying to feed him."
"And how rude of you to get in the way of love." Ruruko shot back.
I had the distinct feeling this could only get worse before it got better.
*SLAM!*
The door to the roof slammed open once again.
"DON'T FALL FOR THAT HARLOT, RUTO-SAMA!"
I turned to see my "knight" running through the door… or perhaps "flopping" would be the best word to describe it… for her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were also tied together, leaving Karlamine no choice but to flop about in order to move.
"Hey, Ruto-kun! Look what I found in the janitor's closet!" Yuuki greeted cheerfully, either ignorant or not caring of the current situation.
I raised an eyebrow. "Karlamine? What are you doing all tied up?" It was a fair first question.
Karlamine, a desire for vengeance written all over her face, used her head (due to her hands being tied behind her back) to gesture in the direction of… Yura-san?
"Why don't you ask her?"
Yura-san smiled innocently. "Who? Me? Whatever are you accusing me of doing? I was just trying to have a peaceful lunch with Ruto-san since both his girlfriend and his knight were cruel enough to abandon him."
"YOU TIED ME UP!"
"You KNEW I was eating lunch with Ruto! I specifically TOLD YOU to stay away from him like I do EVERY SINGLE DAY!" Wait. Ruruko has to constantly tell Yura-san to stay away from me? Is Yura-san really interested in me?
Yura-san scoffed. She was CLEARLY trying to challenge the two.
"Pretty good excuses for the flat-chested loli and the wannabe knight."
"…"
"…"
"…"
""WHAT DID YOU SAAAAAAAAAAAY!""
And then all Hell broke loose.
Ruruko and the still-tied-up-Karlamine lunged at Yura-san.
It was hard to follow because they all moved surprisingly fast, Ruruko and Yura-san more-so than Karlamine, but they still moved very fast.
At some point, Yura-san was… well it looked like she was trying to crush Ruruko in a powerful bear hug-type attack while Karlamine looked like she was trying to choke Yura-san out with her legs, managing to wrap them around Yura-san's neck.
To sum it up: It was hot.
I observed from a distance, eating the bento that Karlamine made for me, sitting next to Yuuki.
Despite feeling somewhat interested by the catfight going on in front of me, I felt awkward.
"Aren't… aren't you going to join in or something?"
Yuuki waved off the question. "Oh no. I'm usually horrible when it comes to using my fists to fight."
I noted the way she worded that was kind of weird. Has Yuuki ever used something else to fight?
"I can't wait for our date on Sunday, Ruto." Yuuki said out of the blue.
I noticed that the rooftop had suddenly gone silent. Karlamine, Ruruko, and Yura-san were all shooting shocked looks mixed with envy and hatred at Yuuki.
"""WHAT DID SHE SAAAAAAAAAAAAY!?"""
Shit…
Is what I thought at first. Then the other girls tried attacking Yuuki instead out of jealousy. It wasn't bad though. Yuuki was actually surprisingly fast despite how much her gigantic chest should've weighed her down. None of the other girls were able to land a single hit on Yuuki. It even looked like Yuuki was playing around with them.
It was a wonder she didn't try out for track or something. She would do rather well…
Oh well. I continued observing the catfight until it was inevitably ended by the sound of the bell which simultaneously ended lunch.
I managed to calm Ruruko's jealous rage by kissing her on the cheek, causing Karlamine to cry out of envy and Yura-san to simply leave.