Chapter 122: Mai's Recruitment Didn't Go as Planned
Rebellion plus running away from home, Ren brought Mai back to his house.
Renée didn't stop them, only adding Ren's contact information before reminding him to pay attention to safety measures. Though seemingly strict, she was actually quite open-minded.
"Still angry?"
After informing Renée that they were safe, Ren put away his phone and looked at the still pouting Mai beside him.
"A little. Senpai, you don't need to pay attention to that old woman. She doesn't lack you as a spokesperson, and you don't need this endorsement fee either. Let's just live our lives well. There's no need to do whatever she opposes or demands."
Mai's perspective hadn't changed much. She was just feeling indignant, to the point where she didn't even want to continue her modeling work.
The pressure she felt stemmed from having been a model since childhood. She was practically a half-celebrity, called a star by her classmates, needing to be careful with every action to avoid damaging her public image. She had to exercise considerable restraint in many matters.
So it was fine to quit this job anyway. She didn't particularly enjoy the sense of achievement modeling brought her. Now she even felt those jobs made her life less free.
"I'm fine either way, but what about you?"
Ren was very laid-back about this. Since Mai cared so much about his feelings and defied her mother for him, he naturally sided with her.
"Same here. Otherwise I wouldn't have burned my bridges and left tonight. Some things are more important than work."
Mai felt much clearer in her thoughts. Modeling work had taken up much of her free time.
Now that she decided to quit, she felt greatly relieved. Not only could she indulge her appetite a bit more, but her after-school schedule also became much more natural and varied.
As for her mother Renée's opinion, it might as well not exist since she wouldn't listen to it anyway.
Moreover, keeping up with the times, she had practiced guitar for a while as a hobby and was actually quite good at it. Since Ren happened to be in music, wouldn't it be perfect for her to become his guitarist after quitting modeling?
Mai naively shared her thoughts with Ren: rather than becoming a minor celebrity with Ren through modeling and having to constantly watch her words and actions, it would be better to keep a low profile and become musicians together.
Ren had said before that he supported everyone's dreams, including Hitori and the others, and naturally this included Mai too. She didn't only have modeling as her path.
Even if Renée worried that without following her arrangements, the family fortune would have no one to inherit it, that wasn't really a problem either. Because the money Ren had on hand could actually buy her company outright, so there was no need to worry about losing too much money or being unable to survive without hundreds of millions in family assets.
Teenage girls have high motivation levels. Once determined, Mai directly contacted Renée. Though they had argued earlier, neither was truly angry—it was more like bickering. Once the anger subsided, they could communicate directly.
Faced with Mai's desire for a quick resolution, Renée neither agreed nor refused, only saying they'd talk about it later. She wouldn't discuss things with Mai when her emotions were running high.
Discussing such matters.
In Mai's eyes, this was no different from stalling for time. A victor's smile graced her lips before she dismissed the thought entirely, turning instead to savor her time with Ren.
Faced with Ren's luxurious mansion, she showed little astonishment. Material comforts were never something she lacked—what she yearned for was spiritual companionship.
"Lord Ren, would you like to take a bath? The hot water is ready."
Upon returning home, Rem, who had also taken leave after learning of Ren's absence, was waiting. Hearing the door open, she immediately stepped forward to inquire about Ren's plans.
"Yes. Please prepare a new set of pajamas for Mai—you can choose one from Karen's wardrobe."
Between meeting the in-laws and the unfamiliar female housekeeper last night, Ren hadn't had a proper bath, and neither had Mai.
"Oh~ A beautiful maid, I see."
Mai wasn't surprised. She had known about Ren having a maid since their school days, but upon realizing that Ren was truly maintaining a Harem, her gaze toward Rem shifted subtly.
Could someone hire such a stunning maid merely for household chores? That seemed unlikely. The relationship between Rem and Ren was undoubtedly more than it appeared.
Yet, Mai held no objections or particular thoughts about it. As long as it didn't interfere with her bond with Ren, she saw no reason to fuss or blame him. Doing so would only tarnish his affection for her.
Ren's ability to sustain such a large Harem wasn't solely due to his exceptional qualities—it also hinged on the agreeable personalities of Hitori and the others. Otherwise, conflicts would have long since arisen.
But since no one had caused any trouble so far, it meant they had all accepted the situation and coexisted harmoniously. Naturally, Mai had no intention of falling behind in this regard.
"Indeed, she is a beautiful maid."
Ren smiled faintly. Rem was simply his maid, with no other role—yet the duties of a maid could encompass so much more.
For instance, assistance during baths. Mai, true to her character, embodied perfection in every way, including her demeanor. Even with Rem attending to her, she could confidently expose her body without shame.
She had once been a girl constrained by societal norms, but love had freed her from such biases and even reshaped her sexual orientation.
Now that she belonged to Ren, she harbored no special feelings toward Rem, who was also a girl. Wasn't the point of having a maid to relish the experience of being served?
She could even act intimately with Ren as if Rem weren't there, all while comfortably accepting Rem's ministrations.
However, one thing she couldn't escape was the blush that spread across her cheeks when baring herself before Ren.
This was inevitable for every girl—it was proof of affection and fondness. Even Yuno and the others, who had been together for what felt like ages, would still wear a soft flush when bathing together.
Only Ram managed to maintain her composure and sharp tongue at first, but even she would eventually blush when pulled into an embrace.
Though her face was flushed, Mai showed no trace of timidity. She settled into Ren's lap, took out her phone to snap a photo of them together, and sent it to Renako.
It was currently lunch break. Ren wasn't around, and neither was Mai. Renako, who had assumed they'd gone to settle their differences in a dramatic showdown at Tokyo Bay, felt inexplicably anxious. She went to Ren's clubroom to spend lunch break with Hitori and the others, asking about Ren's whereabouts along the way.
Ren had already checked in with Hitori and the group to confirm he was fine, but Renako still felt something was off. Then her phone chimed.
She pulled it out and saw a photo sent by Mai. In the picture, Mai and Ren were leaning against a bathtub together. Mai had one arm wrapped around Ren's neck and was looking up to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"?!"
Didn't Senpai say he was going to resolve things with Mai? How did "resolving things" end up with them bathing together?!
Renako clearly remembered Ren telling her he would definitively settle matters with Mai so they wouldn't have to worry about her anymore.
But this outcome seemed... unusual.
Could it be an AI-generated image?!
Renako's brain short-circuited, unable to process the information overload.
After seeing the read receipt, Mai withdrew the photo a moment later.
After finishing his bath, Ren sent a follow-up message asking Renako to meet him after school so he could explain everything.
After school, Renako arrived as agreed, accompanied by Ram and Yuno who had returned with her.
"Senpai! Mai! What on earth is going on?!"
Back at home, Renako rushed up to Ren and Mai with an uneasy expression. Her eyes flickered with anxiety when she saw Mai lazily clinging to Ren.
"The situation is somewhat complicated, yet not really," Ren explained while scratching Mai's chin. Mai's coquettish behavior resembled less of a proud Persian cat and more of an obedient, goofy Golden Retriever. "I helped Mai untangle her emotional knots, made her realize what she truly lacked and desired, and ultimately we ended up together."
"Anyway Renako, you don't need to worry about Mai harassing you anymore. You're not just friends now—you're like sisters."
"Huh?!"
Renako felt dizzy hearing this. So the solution to stopping that girl's harassment was... to make her straight?
While it seemed technically effective, was this really appropriate?
"Surprised, Renako?" Mai smiled gently. "I admit I developed feelings for you initially, but that was actually friendship misinterpreted as romance by my inexperienced self."
"Now that I'm with Senpai, my feelings toward you haven't changed. You're still a friend worth confiding in and showing my true self to."
"If anything, this is what real friendship should be. After all, life would be exhausting if we had to maintain act even around friends."
Is this Ren's harem?
"Really?"
Renako showed a conflicted expression of half-belief, feeling no less than when two people who liked her got together and she became the outsider. Would Ren abandon her because of this?
This was precisely why she felt uneasy and anxious.
"Of course it's true. It might take some time to adjust to the changing relationships, but our feelings will never change. Come sit here."
Ren patted the spot beside him, inviting the somewhat disillusioned Renako to sit next to him.
"It feels strange. Is this how Gotou-senpai and the others felt when they saw you building your harem?"
If they were strangers, Renako might have been able to accept it more easily, but that person was Mai—her friend, with whom she'd had misunderstandings before.
Now they shared the additional identity of being part of Ren's harem, which left her momentarily unable to process it.
Actually, Mai felt somewhat similar. After all, she was the newcomer and wasn't familiar with Yuno and the others. So when Yuno and the others returned home, she became somewhat reserved.
No matter how perfect she might seem, she was still just a high school girl. Facing seniors like Yuno and Satou came with its own pressure.
As for Mai, Yuno was still in the observation phase. While Ren might feel at ease, Yuno would instinctively remain guarded, wanting to eliminate any potential threats that might affect Ren in advance.
Mai had previously shown signs of having a lolita complex—who knew if she had truly changed?
So Yuno merely nodded at Mai without showing any particular displeasure, but didn't offer any warmth either.
Satou was the same. She and Yuno were responsible for evaluating and observing new members, and Mai was currently on their list as untrustworthy.
As for how to gain their trust, it was actually quite simple—by observing her actions. If she had ulterior motives, she would eventually reveal them.
Creating such an opportunity was also simple. Tonight was just about meeting and getting to know each other. After staying for a while, Renako went home, while Mai, still in her rebellious phase, decided to stay overnight at Ren's place.
When it came time to cook dinner, Ren originally planned to personally cook to impress Mai, but Yuno stopped him, saying she wanted to cook dinner with everyone.
Actually, she only invited Satou and Mai.
This wasn't particularly strange, as even with Ram and Rem around, Yuno and the others often cooked.
So Ren returned to his room to play games with Renako to soothe her still complicated emotions, while Yuno and the others remained in the kitchen to cook.
"Dit, dit, dit."
For a while, the only sounds in the kitchen were the crisp noise of knives cutting ingredients against the cutting board and the swishing sound of washing vegetables. Neither Yuno nor Satou spoke, leaving Mai, who was assisting, feeling inexplicably pressured.
Although Yuno and Satou appeared gentle and lovely, merely standing beside them inexplicably brought a chill and mental pressure. Was she too nervous, or was their aura truly terrifying?
"May I call you Mai?"
Only after a considerable pause, when her peripheral vision noticed Mai's face had stiffened, did Yuno finally initiate conversation.
"Yes, Gasai-senpai, feel free."
Mai nodded nervously, secretly watching the ingredients Yuno had sliced with masterful knife skills, feeling an inexplicable chill down her spine.
"You can call me Yuno. Renako actually confided in us about you. It seems you used to like girls, right?"
Yuno wore a gentle smile, but while asking this, she held a kitchen knife—seemingly unaware her grip was improper—pointing directly at Mai's abdomen. This gave Mai the impression that if she answered wrong, the knife would instantly plunge into her flesh.
"That was just a misunderstanding. I mistook friendship for love. I don't actually like girls—I just hadn't found someone worthy of my dependence and affection."
Mai knew this was her dark history. Ren, who had resolved her inner conflicts, believed her, but Yuno and the others might not.
Putting herself in their shoes, Mai clearly understood: if a girl who might like women entered Ren's Harem, situations where Yuno and others could be taken advantage of without realizing might occur.
This would undoubtedly constitute betrayal toward Ren—something that must not happen, and wouldn't happen, because she genuinely didn't like girls.
Feeling her explanation wasn't firm enough, Mai added with blushing cheeks:
"Even if I did like girls, I'd probably fall for Senpai after meeting him. You understand this too, right, Yuno-senpai?"
"Hmm~ You've even considered that aspect. Well, I'll tentatively believe you then."
After observing Mai for a while and finding only nervousness and unease without any panic, Yuno temporarily accepted Mai's explanation.
Because she had been speaking with lethal intent—she cared about this matter more deeply than Mai realized. Had Mai shown even the slightest inclination toward girls, the knife would have truly struck. Death wouldn't occur, but she certainly wouldn't have let Mai off easily.
Fortunately, Mai's response passed the test. She herself recognized this was suspicious dark history and hadn't attempted concealment.
However, continued observation was still necessary—this was a burden she ought to share for Ren's sake.