Agung let out a long, weary sigh, the kind that came from a man who had spent thirty-five years sweeping dust only to realize he'd just swept himself into a corner. He looked at Umi, whose hand was still twitching with the urge to deliver a "Love Arrow Shoot" to his solar plexus.
"That's just it, Umi-chan," Agung said, his voice dropping into a quiet, helpless register. "That is what I would have done if that bratty Operator had actually sent me to 2013 from the get-go. I was a 35-year-old virgin street sweeper who suddenly had the power of a God and a quadrillion dollars. Of course my first thought was a 'Perfect Route' harem. I'm an otaku! We're wired to optimize the ending!"
He looked down at his soft, "Creation-grade" hands, then back at the six women who were currently judging his very existence.
"But I'm not in 2013," he whispered, his gaze drifting to Hime, who was currently letting the magical alpaca nibble on her hair. "I'm in 2026. And in 2026, I didn't just 'choose' three of you. I apparently chose all of you. I built a life I don't remember, and I left a hole I can't just 'patch' with a reset button. If I go back now, I'm not fixing a mistake—I'm erasing her."
He pointed a trembling finger at the little girl.
"So, yeah. 20-year-old me is an idiot who thinks six wives is 'inefficient.' but 35-year-old me... the one who just got kissed by a truck and saw his daughter for the first time... that guy realizes that a quadrillion dollars is worthless if I'm just running away again."
Maki lowered the reflex hammer, her expression shifting from pure rage to a complicated, clinical observation. "So the 'Street Sweeper' has a conscience after all. You're staying?"
"I'm staying," Agung said, standing up from the bed, his slightly chubby frame looking a bit more solid. "I don't know how to be a mogul. I don't know how to be a 'Producer.' But I know how to work until the job is done. If the job is 'Being a Husband to Six Idols and a Dad to... however many kids are in this house,' then I guess I'm picking up the broom again."
Nico crossed her arms, a small, triumphant smirk appearing. "Good. Because the 'Deadbeat' version of you owed me three years of luxury shopping trips. And since you have a non-decreasing quadrillion, I expect a very high-interest rate on those apologies."
From the doorway, Honoka, Rin, and Hanayo finally burst in, unable to contain themselves any longer.
"He chose the 'All-In' route!" Honoka cheered, throwing her arms up. "I knew it! You can't just pick 'two or three' of our friends, Agung-kun! That's against the spirit of school idols!"
"Yeah, nya!" Rin cackled, holding her phone out. "I got his 'Top 3' list on video, though! I'm totally sending that to the group chat!"
Agung's face went pale. "Wait! Rin-chan! No! That was just hypothetical 'Isekai Logic'!"
Eli, who was standing right behind Rin, plucked the phone from her hand with a cold, elegant smile. "Too late, Agung. I've already seen it. 'Eli or Nozomi for the mature aura,' was it? We'll discuss your 'ranking system' during your first week of domestic service. Starting with the laundry."
Agung slumped. He had the power to create stars, but he was currently being bullied by nine legendary idols.
"I really should have asked for 'Charisma' instead of 'Creation Magic,'" he muttered.