Chapter 183: Yuuto Kiba's Secret
Feeling the piercing cold intent, Yuuto's expression changed dramatically. He instinctively took a large step back, putting distance between himself and Haruto.
After recovering his composure, his tense body relaxed slightly, but his expression remained nervous.
"Haruto-kun... I'm sorry, that's not what I meant..."
Yuuto didn't want Haruto to discover the secret of his body, but he never expected his words would provoke such a strong reaction from Haruto.
For reasons unknown and inexplicable, Yuuto instinctively apologized before falling into an awkward silence.
Rias and the others were also startled by Haruto's sudden outburst, unable to comprehend why he had become so enraged.
No, this was beyond mere anger. Though the brewing killing intent hadn't fully formed, it was clear things would escalate if this continued.
Only because it was Yuuto standing before them did Haruto hold back—they all believed anyone else would have already been dealt a fatal blow.
Aside from Haruto himself, Rias, who had always kept a close watch on him, could be considered the person who understood him best.
She shifted her gaze from Haruto to Yuuto, who had triggered the incident. When she noticed those golden strands of hair, something seemed to surface in her mind, though she couldn't quite grasp it immediately.
Seeing everyone's grave expressions, Haruto gradually calmed his agitated emotions. He knew he was likely overreacting, but when it came to matters like this, he struggled to maintain proper control.
"Kiba, I hope you can give me an explanation."
Haruto had always found Yuuto somewhat peculiar, but out of camaraderie and because Yuuto was fundamentally a good person, he had deliberately overlooked it.
Today, however, he needed to uncover Yuuto's secret, otherwise he wouldn't be able to focus on anything else.
Yuuto stared intently at Haruto before lowering his head in complete silence.
Witnessing this reaction, Haruto irritably ran his fingers through his hair and turned his attention to Rias.
"President, since Kiba won't talk, then you should explain."
Rias glanced at Yuuto with some difficulty. "Haruto, Yuuto has his own hardships..."
After a pause, she added meaningfully, "Just like your sudden anger earlier, some things are indeed hard to talk about."
Haruto was rendered speechless, realizing Rias was using his own situation against him.
While Yuuto had his secrets, Haruto had plenty of his own—this abrupt outburst being a direct result.
"Tch..."
Haruto turned away in displeasure, noticing Akeno and Yuuma watching him with strange expressions. He knew he wasn't in the right this time.
After some thought, he finally reached a decision.
"President, if I share my reasons, will Kiba be honest too?"
"Yuuto, is that acceptable? After all, we're all companions—keeping secrets forever isn't sustainable."
Rias spoke gently to Yuuto. The usually sunny and cheerful campus prince now nodded pitifully like a helpless young girl.
Haruto shuddered at his own sudden thought, quickly shaking his head to dispel the bizarre notion.
"Fine, I'll explain then..."
Naturally, Haruto couldn't reveal everything about the Cuckold Protagonist Template, so he chose an alternative explanation.
"As you all know, my abilities can enhance both parties' strength through SEX, and I naturally possess a charm that attracts women, particularly older women..."
After receiving nods from Rias and the others, he continued.
"Conversely, many men feel immediate animosity toward me upon first sight. They want to torment me and steal away women who show interest in me. Back when I was still ordinary, this nearly got me killed multiple times."
Everyone was hearing about Haruto's ordinary past for the first time, as his rapid advancement had always led them to assume he had been part of the supernatural world for ages.
Only when Haruto mentioned it did they realize that just a year ago, he had been an utterly ordinary, delicate boy.
Well, perhaps with slightly above-average looks.
With Japan's sparse surveillance coverage, even Rias's subsequent investigation could only uncover what was documented in the files—this was new information to her as well.
At this moment, she finally remembered what had crossed her mind earlier.
"Haruto, is it because Yuuto is male, has blond hair, and because of what was said earlier, that you thought he was affected and intended to harm you?"
Haruto nodded expressionlessly. Taking advantage of his woman or cuckolding him was indeed harmful to him, so Rias wasn't wrong in saying that.
"Although the effect of that influence weakens with stronger individuals, it still exists. Moreover, I don't know if the effect will strengthen as my power grows."
Regarding the intangible aura of the Cuckold Protagonist Template, Haruto had considered figuring it out but found no feasible method.
He couldn't just grab every woman and ask how they felt about him, or grab every man and ask if they wanted to steal his woman...
Even if he did, their answers might not reflect their true feelings.
Humans... no, whether humans, devils, angels, or fallen angels—as long as they were intelligent beings, it was nearly impossible for them to always speak the truth.
If he used mental magic to force others to reveal their inner thoughts, he could only experiment on those much weaker than him, which would be useless for studying whether the aura's effect strengthened along with his power.
Akeno and the others exchanged glances, and even Yuuto looked at Haruto with a strange expression, though his face was less gloomy than before.
"Pfft..."
Someone started it, and soon the girls covered their mouths one after another, stifling giggles. Even Yuuto couldn't help but turn his head slightly, his shoulders shaking subtly.
Haruto was first baffled, then grew embarrassed and annoyed.
He feigned seriousness and said, "Be serious, we're discussing important matters. Besides, among those who want to harm me, blond-haired guys are the most numerous."
His words only made the girls laugh even harder instead of stopping.
The clear, melodious sounds of the girls' laughter echoed continuously in the clubroom. Haruto maintained a stern expression for a while but eventually gave up.
He sighed helplessly, "Though I don't know what you're laughing about, I probably wronged Kiba. Once you've had your fill of laughter, remember to explain it to me."
"Hahaha—"
At this, the girls laughed even more unrestrainedly, with Mittelt being the most joyous. She even spread her black wings, floating in the air while clutching her stomach and rolling with laughter.
It wasn't until Koneko returned with a well-fed Asia in tow, curiously asking what had happened, that the girls finally stopped laughing and got down to business.
Mittelt leaned close to the white-haired loli's ear to gossip, making Haruto roll his eyes and mentally note it down.
Next time they cultivated together, he would make sure to pay her back thoroughly.
After hearing the story, even the typically expressionless Koneko couldn't help but let a slight smile touch her lips. She walked over to Haruto with a mature air, reached out her pale, slender hand, and patted him on the back.
Well, originally, she had intended to pat his shoulder, but after finding she couldn't reach even on tiptoe, she settled for patting his back instead.
"Haruto, don't worry. Yuuto is the safest male in this world."
The white-haired loli emphasized with extra weight in her tone, repeating, "The safest male!"
Haruto irritably ruffled her smooth silver-white short hair into a mess, enduring her little fists pounding his stomach while a bold guess surfaced in his mind.
Considering Yuuto's various unreasonable behaviors, along with Rias and the others' strange attitudes, and the white-haired loli deliberately speaking that way—no matter how unbelievable it seemed, he could only lean toward this speculation.
Haruto caught the white-haired loli's strong little fists and held her in his arms like a kitten.
Koneko initially resisted, but as Haruto skillfully began stroking her head and smoothing her hair, the little loli gradually quieted down. Like a real cat, she happily closed her eyes and enjoyed herself in her owner's embrace.
"President..."
While petting the incredibly cute Nekomata loli, Haruto asked, "Is Kiba not actually a girl? Is this a disguised state?"
Rias knew some things about Yuki Shinozuka, and combined with the white-haired loli's words, it was natural for Haruto to speculate in this direction.
She held a fist to her mouth, coughed twice, and waited for the laughter in the room to completely die down before speaking to Haruto. "You're right, but also wrong."
Haruto: [?_??]
Rias didn't deliberately play riddles, and since she had promised Haruto earlier, she continued, "Yuuto is a girl, but her current appearance isn't a disguise. It's just that until a certain matter is resolved, she can only use this body."
"President, let me explain from here..."
Yuuto slowly walked up to Haruto and voluntarily said, "Actually, everyone else in the club knows about this matter. Only you..."
"Only you, I didn't want you to know."
Haruto: ???