Chapter 72: Still No One Can Accept the Harem
"Huh!? Bocchi-chan, have you lost your mind!? What do you mean by letting Watanabe-kun start a harem!?"
After clearly hearing what Hitori said, Nijika slammed the table and stood up in disbelief.
"That's right, Bocchi-chan, how could you think like that? Is Satou-san putting too much pressure on you?"
Ikuyo also looked shocked and doubtful. When Hitori had previously consulted them about how to deal with love rivals, they hadn't come up with any good solutions and could only comfort Hitori, telling her to believe in herself and in Ren.
As long as their feelings were strong enough, no third party could ever come between them.
But now, after such a short time, Hitori was saying she wanted Ren to start a harem.
"Maybe it's a bit of everything. If I don't do this, Ren might have already left me... And if any of you have feelings for him, that would be fine too."
Hitori lowered her head, sneaking glances at Nijika and the others. Compared to Satou and Yuno, while she could understand their love, she felt more at ease with Nijika and the rest.
"Cool, this is exactly like the chaotic band member relationships I imagined. Bocchi-chan, tell Watanabe that as long as he gives me ten million yen per month, I'll be his mistress."
Ryo, chewing on a wild grass she'd picked up from somewhere, wasn't as shocked as Nijika. Instead, she raised an eyebrow with slight interest.
"Don't mess around at a time like this, you idiot!"
Nijika, flushed with embarrassment and irritation, smacked Ryo's head hard, causing her to crouch down while clutching the sore spot.
"Bocchi-chan, what do you mean by 'if any of you have feelings for him'?"
Ikuyo's cheeks turned slightly red as she pressed Hitori, who sounded uncertain.
"It means exactly that. If you like Ren, I don't mind, as long as you don't kick me out."
Hitori felt somewhat ashamed saying this, but if Ren didn't start a harem, she would remain anxious. She could sense the relationship crisis. As long as Ren had a harem, she wouldn't have to worry about him choosing between her and someone else.
Maybe she could win a few times, but what about later?
For peace of mind, Hitori genuinely hoped Ren would start a harem.
"There's no way we'd do that, Bocchi-chan, stop talking about it."
Nijika said exasperatedly. Though they played in a band and hung out together, they were really good kids. How could they possibly steal a friend's lover? Joining a harem was even more unthinkable.
"I actually..."
"Don't cause more trouble!"
Before Ryo could finish, Nijika cut her off. Ikuyo looked puzzled, but none of them took Hitori's words seriously. They were a wholesome rock band—they shouldn't mess around with relationships, right?
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ren paid a rare visit to Anon's house. Usually, it was Anon who went to his place, but this time, since he had something to discuss and wanted to show sincerity, Ren came to Anon's room.
"Oh~ What brings the busy man here instead of going on a date?"
Anon was holding her tablet when she spotted Ren, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she spoke.
"Aren't you going to band practice today?"
Ren acted as if he were right at home, moving Anon's feet aside and settling onto the sofa.
"Everyone's busy today, so we've got the day off. By the way, Anon, I've got a live show next weekend—clear your schedule and come watch."
Anon pursed her lips, not bothering to sit up, and instead draped her legs over Ren's thighs.
"Fine."
Ren nodded, his gaze lingering on Anon as he recalled the phrase he'd once heard: "Just confess, and she'll be part of your harem." He thought about telling her what Hitori had said—the chances of success were probably pretty high, right?
"What happened this morning? Why were they leaving your place?"
Before Ren could even open his mouth, Anon, who had been bothered by this since morning, set her tablet down. She adjusted her glasses, pushing the frames up her nose. Her eyesight wasn't great, so she often wore glasses at home, which gave her a somewhat studious air—though the style of her frames was inexplicably old-fashioned.
"Some things came up last night, and it got too late, so I let them stay over. Anon, there's something I need to discuss with you. Brace yourself a little."
After offering a brief explanation, Ren took hold of Anon's ankle and began gently massaging it. Her feet, perhaps freshly washed, felt slightly damp to the touch, incredibly smooth and soft.
"Just say what you have to say—stop touching me~"
Anon squirmed lightly but soon gave in to Ren's ministrations, her expression turning curious as she waited to hear why he had sought her out.
"Here's the thing. You know how good-looking I am—it's easy for other girls to fall for me. Bocchi-chan's been really stressed about it, worried I might give in to temptation and leave her. So, she suggested I start a harem. That way, she wouldn't have to worry about being abandoned. But so far, no one's been willing to accept the idea. If it were you... would you be willing?"
"Huh!?"
"Drop dead, you scumbag!"
Anon's expression froze for a moment before she gritted her teeth, baring her fangs. She pulled her foot free from Ren's grasp and delivered a solid kick to his leg.
"Couldn't you at least consider that I might be joking?"
The kick didn't hurt Ren; if anything, it felt more like playful banter.
"You came to me in person, and it's not April Fool's Day—how could I not know whether you're joking or not?!"
"Even if Bocchi-chan's timid and socially anxious enough to spout nonsense, how could you go along with it? Can you really not resist temptation?"
Still fuming, Anon pressed her foot against Ren's body and kept pushing him. The fact that Ren had come to her in person instead of texting meant this was definitely serious.
But asking her to join his harem? As if she'd ever agree!
Why doesn't he go ask other girls and see if any of them would say yes?!
Rather than joining his harem, she'd rather convince him to resist temptation. Is it really that hard to resist?
Ren averted his gaze with a subtle expression, remaining silent. Whether he could resist or not—he wasn't so sure himself.
Hitori is indeed beautiful, but her personality flaws are equally significant. Even before she supported him in building a Harem, he already felt somewhat exhausted from dating Hitori due to Yuno's influence.
So Ren was well aware of his ability to resist temptation. In the end, he estimated he would quickly succumb to unhealthy temptations.
"?"
Noticing his silence, Anon grew puzzled, then angrily chased Ren away.
"No way, absolutely not! There's no chance I would ever agree to something like this!"
See, Bocchi-chan, how could anyone possibly accept the idea of a Harem?
Maybe it's better to just focus on how to resist temptation.
Originally, Ren thought Anon, with her high affection level, might accept such a thing, but her refusal was so resolute. Before being driven away, he glanced at her.
[Anon Chihaya: Affection toward the host is 88. Can accept most actions from the host.]
[Emotional state: Humiliated and angry, greatly displeased with the host's Harem-building behavior, believes she will never agree to such a thing.]
[Recommended action: Send Hitori as a mediator to clarify that it was Hitori who proposed this, not the host. High probability she will change her mind.]
Ren was somewhat surprised that her affection only dropped by one point. Bringing up the topic of a Harem should have caused a significant drop in affection, but if it only decreased by one, did that mean it wasn't completely hopeless?
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