Chapter 76: Shaking
Ren didn't return home yesterday. Hitori confirmed he wasn't with her either, and today he didn't attend school. So where had he gone?
Anon couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she thought. The moment she received Ren's message confirming he was home, she immediately went to find him.
"Ren, where were you last night? And why did you skip school?"
Whether she needed car service to maintain her rich girl facade no longer mattered. Just two days ago Ren had declared he wanted to start a harem, and now he'd stayed out all night. Could it be...?
"I was with my girlfriend. What, checking up on me?" Ren spun his chair and glided across his room.
"Girlfriend? But Bocchi-chan clearly went to school today..." Anon said with a confused expression, one hand secretly twisting her clothes. Could there be a traitor among them?
"Like I said before, Bocchi-chan agreed to me having a harem, but you refused. So I found someone else who agreed, and I was with her last night." Ren told the truth while observing Anon's reaction. Since starting his harem, his perspective on relationships had completely transformed—having only two girlfriends in a harem would be laughable if people found out.
But one problem remained: even if someone could accept his harem lifestyle, would Anon and the others ever change their minds?
Whether treating it like collecting stamps or simply wanting to indulge his desire to possess every beautiful girl he liked now that he had the chance, Ren's mindset had shifted to "if possible, I'll try to win them over."
His new house could accommodate four more people besides the master bedroom. With only two now, shouldn't he at least fill the household?
"What?! Someone actually agreed to you having a harem? How is that possible?!" Though she'd suspected this, Anon still couldn't believe it upon confirmation. How could anyone in modern society accept such a thing?
"You just haven't met her yet. You'll see her tomorrow. So Anon, won't you really consider it? Though you have an average figure and are vain, you're still quite cute."
"Those are all my flaws, you jerk! I hate you the most, Ren!" Anon's face flushed red with anger. What did he mean by average figure and vanity? How could someone be so superficial—she had a gentle and kind soul too!
"See, we've already accepted each other's flaws over all these years. Even when I'm with Bocchi-chan, I sometimes find her personality off-putting, but I never feel that way about you because I'm already used to and accept everything about you. Isn't this exactly like an old married couple?"
Ren glanced at Anon's status and confirmed she wasn't truly angry when he saw the affection level had returned to 89.
[Anon Chihaya Emotional State: Disbelief that someone accepted host's harem, anger, shame, inexplicably tempted but unwilling to agree easily due to pride and reserve.]
[Recommended Action: Make your move. As childhood friends with sufficiently intimate relationship, you can have deep interactions even without being lovers.]
"Who wants to be an old married couple with you? Seriously, Ren, how did you become like this? And to have the nerve to ask me to join your harem? Don't even think about it!"
The redness on Anon's face deepened, looking as if it might drip blood. She glared at Ren, gritted her teeth, then ran away.
Yet after returning home, she tossed and turned with a complicated expression, unable to understand how anyone could accept the idea of maintaining a harem.
And if others could accept it, wouldn't it be less strange if she accepted it too?
But why should she? Wasn't Ren supposed to be her childhood friend? How could those outside adulteresses be so detestable!
Not knowing what to do, a fuming Anon started scrolling through videos to distract herself. There was plenty of time—she wanted to see who else could accept Ren having a harem.
Would it be another naive pushover like Hitori?
The next day, when Anon saw Ren, she glared at him. Though she still hadn't accepted his harem proposal or his invitation to join, she maintained their usual relationship.
In a past life, Ren would have thought Anon was leading him on, giving him false hope of tacit approval. But now, he believed she might genuinely be giving silent consent.
Ren wasn't in a hurry to make a move, even though he could resolve things directly. For Anon, rushing might leave regrets—it was better to address the root cause carefully.
Anon's only flaws were her love for the spotlight and a slight vanity. Understanding this, Ren knew exactly what to do.
By setting up the right scenario, he could ensure Anon's unwavering devotion. That's why he hadn't chased after her hastily yesterday but planned to prepare properly.
After all, if he was going to maintain a harem, even if Anon accepted it, he had to consider the opinions and feelings of Hitori and Karen. If anyone among them was unhappy, arguments could easily break out, turning the harem into a chaotic mess.
A significant drop in hostility didn't mean it was completely gone. Jealousy, sarcasm, and rivalry over favor would be headache-inducing enough.
So, to build a harmonious harem, Ren needed to proceed with caution.
Karen's home wasn't far from Ren's. After picking her up with Anon, Karen didn't immediately get in the back seat. Instead, she asked Ren to roll down the window, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and then happily got into the car.
Adulteress.
Anon glanced back, thinking Karen was asserting dominance, and her mood instantly soured.
"Hello, I'm Himemiya Karen. We met once before—do you remember?"
After briefly affectionate with Ren, Karen smiled gently and waved at Anon.
She had seen Anon before—on the night of Kessoku Band's first official performance. Anon attended as Hitori's friend, while Karen went as Ikuyo's friend. They had seen each other but hadn't spoken.
"It's you?"
Only then did Anon realize why Karen looked somewhat familiar when she saw her.
Looking at Karen's pink long hair, delicate features, and her figure that seemed particularly tight under the struggling coverage of the school uniform, Anon's expression grew even more unpleasant.
Damn Ren, so he's a breast connoisseur! Hitori could still be considered a coincidence, but how to explain Karen? Not even pretending anymore?
"Mhm, nice to meet you. What's your relationship with Ren?"
Seeing that Anon had remembered her, Karen smiled even more happily, then asked curiously about Anon's relationship with Ren. Being able to ride in Ren's car while not attending the same school suggested their relationship was anything but ordinary.
"Anon Chihaya, Ren's childhood friend."
Speaking of this, Anon finally gained some confidence. No matter how many adulteresses appeared outside, she was the only childhood friend.
"Childhood friends? That's wonderful. Thank you for taking care of Ren all this time."
Surprised by their intimate relationship, Karen showed astonishment and some envy, eventually expressing her gratitude to Anon.
However, to Anon, these words felt no different from provocation—"thank you for taking care of him before," implying he wouldn't need her care anymore, right?
An adulteress was indeed an adulteress, full of petty tricks.
Anon sneered coldly, deciding to ignore this scheming bitch.
But she had truly misunderstood Karen, who hadn't thought that much about it. Even when Anon fell silent, Karen continued gently making conversation, constantly asking about Ren's childhood stories with an envious expression, happy to learn more about Ren's past.
As time passed, Anon realized she had misunderstood—Karen was indeed the naive, sweet girl she initially thought.
Finally, as they approached the school, Anon couldn't help but ask Karen why she could accept Ren having a harem, to which Karen replied:
"Because I like him. It's only because Ren is willing to have a harem that I got my chance. So I can accept it. Most importantly, I'm happy after accepting it—there's nothing to worry or be angry about. Isn't that enough?"
Though somewhat different from what she told Ren, this undoubtedly conveyed her true feelings, leaving Anon speechless.
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