*Note: today's chapter is shorter than usually. Why? I don't remember, I write this chapter 3 weeks ago or even more.
One thing, for those who don't know, I was uploading a Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children fic but I stopped to publish it due to certain circunstances, however, I am writing it for me yet. Do you want me to upload again?
It's difficult to do a picture for this chapter, so... I'll give you a slice of life one.
Have a good day :)
...
"Well, now that we all know each other… how about you tell us how you two met?" – asked Sachie.
"Didn't Mikan tell you?" – I asked curiously.
"I just gave them a quick summary. We were in class, after all," – said Mikan.
"That's right, but it was a very brief summary. We want to hear the full story," – Mami nodded.
"We're curious to know how Mikan ended up with an older boyfriend," – added Kari.
She was still a bit embarrassed, so she didn't look Akira directly in the eyes but spoke while looking at Sachie sitting in front of her.
"All right. Where do you want me to start?" – I asked.
"From your first meeting," – said Sachie.
"Okay. It went like this…" – I began.
Then I started to tell them the story of how we met: our first encounter, how I helped her clean her house, how we became friends, and so on. Of course, I skipped the part where an alien assassin almost killed her trying to take my life, and instead said that I protected her from a deranged man who pulled out a knife and nearly attacked her. In short, I replaced all the alien-related parts with something more believable to normal humans.
"So, he actually protected you from that killer and you didn't tell us?" – said Sachie, a little dissatisfied.
"That's right. As your friends, I think you should've told us about something so serious," – agreed Mami.
Kari nodded in agreement with both of them.
"Ehem. It might sound like an excuse, but I simply forgot. The lunatic was captured by the police after Akira restrained him, and I didn't get a single scratch. Besides, at that time I was still trying to sort out my feelings for Akira and forgot to mention it," – Mikan apologized.
To be honest, that was more or less true… more or less.
"We forgive you, but next time something like that happens, you need to tell us," – said Sachie.
The other girls nodded, and after clearing up that little incident, we moved on to a topic that seemed to interest them far more than the killer story.
"Changing the subject—Is it true your brother asked you to do that for him?" – Mami asked.
Mami and the others thought it was impossible, just an exaggeration. How could her brother bother his sister to help him with his love life? This was real life, not a manga!
"Ehem. It wasn't an exaggeration. Rito really did ask me to talk to Akira about Haruna. Apparently, Akira wanted Haruna to be his girlfriend, but my idiot brother liked her too. However, unlike my cowardly brother, Akira is much more direct, and in just one week he managed to get closer to Haruna-san than my brother did in all these years. That alarmed him and made him ask for my help," – explained Mikan.
Pathetic but true.
"When you said that, I thought you were lying…" – said Kari, surprised.
Even she couldn't help but be shocked by Mikan's brother's cowardice. Clearly, Mikan hadn't inherited that trait; otherwise, she wouldn't be Akira's girlfriend right now.
"Actually, maybe I was the one who misinterpreted things. He thought I threatened him, but I only wanted to express my wish to make Haruna my girlfriend. Maybe it's my fault—I should've phrased it better," – I said.
"Don't be silly. I don't think you said it in a threatening tone. It was probably my brother who misunderstood you," – said Mikan.
"From what you've told us, I don't think it was your fault either," – said Kari.
Mami and Sachie agreed and quickly voiced their opinions as well.
"That's right. Besides, if he wasn't such a coward to begin with, you wouldn't have had to tell him anything," – nodded Sachie.
"I think he's the one who threatened you. Calling you to the school rooftop just to tell you to stay away from the girl he likes out of jealousy? I'm sorry, Mikan, but I think your brother's at fault here," – said Mami.
Mami was a calm and rather shy girl, but if there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was injustice—and this was one of those times. Was Akira to blame? No. It was Rito's fault for calling Akira just to say something so stupid in the first place. And honestly, who does he think he is to decide who Haruna should or shouldn't get close to?
"Don't apologize. I also think my brother was in the wrong," – admitted Mikan.
Even his own sister was upset. Mami's words were true, and as soon as she laid out the facts, all the girls got even more indignant. Was Akira to blame? Of course not—it was entirely Rito's fault! In fact, even if Akira *had* threatened Rito (which he didn't), it would've been understandable. After all, who likes being told to stay away from the person they love?
"I'm glad you all feel that way, but let's not make a big deal of it. Rito and I made peace, and everything's been settled. We're just having a friendly rivalry now," – I said.
Though, I didn't really see it as a rivalry. Rito as a romantic rival? Ren would've made a better one—and even Ren no longer had a chance to win over Lala.
I was getting closer to Haruna every day, while Rito didn't even try to take a single step. Can you even call that competition? It felt more like Rito was letting me win her over on purpose.
The girls softened up a little after hearing Akira's words, impressed that he didn't hold a grudge against Rito, even though Rito was the one who should've apologized. In fact, if any of them had been in Akira's position, they probably would've reacted far worse.
"What I'm more curious about is why none of you seem surprised that I have a harem. I'm sure Mikan must've mentioned my other girls. Why aren't you the least bit upset?" – I asked curiously.
Honestly, I expected cold stares, death glares, awkward silences, and uncomfortable questions about my relationships with multiple women. What I didn't expect at all was for them not to even bring it up.
"Well, historically speaking, there were kings who had multiple wives and concubines—not only in Japan but in many other countries too. And even today, there are some places where polygamy isn't unusual," – said Kari quickly.
"Ehem. But we're talking about modern times," – I replied.
As for those countries… I'd rather not talk about them. Honestly, I had no plans to visit the country I originally came from before dying—and yes, it exists in this version of Earth too. Why? Because the story of *To Love-Ru* takes place in Japan, and all the heroines live there. Why would I go anywhere else? In my previous life, I'd already seen most of what the world had to offer. Now, I just want to explore the universe while building my harem of beautiful women along the way. I no longer want to wander alone, but surrounded by the ones I love. And besides, as someone who reincarnated into *To Love-Ru*, forming a harem is just the norm.
"There are even people who still practice polygamy today. While they're rare, it doesn't mean they don't exist," – said Kari.
"Eh? You really don't mind?" – I asked, skeptical.
"As long as Mikan's happy, I don't care whether you have a harem or not. Besides, it doesn't bother me," – said Sachie.
"I don't really mind either. That's your choice—and the choice of the girls you're with. Even if I disliked it, there's nothing I could do about it. Making sure Mikan's happy is enough for me," – said Mami.
"I don't mind either," – added Kari.
The truth was that for some reason, she didn't dislike the idea at all. In fact, even when it was mentioned in class, Kari didn't feel any disgust toward Akira. Normally...