Chapter 83: The Round of Childhood Sweethearts
On the last weekend of May, Ren found himself with free time as both his official girlfriends were busy with their own affairs.
Hitori was working on lyrics while Karen was practicing her singing. Though these activities could have been done together at his place, teenage couples in private spaces inevitably ended up hugging and kissing. So for efficiency's sake—and to allow the other girls time to bond with Ren—both had chosen not to visit him this weekend.
"Ren~ take me out to play!"
Anon, no longer occupied with band matters, had learned early about the two girls' absence. Leveraging her advantage of living next door, she rushed over to Ren's place first thing in the morning. Previously, she would have been preoccupied with MyGO during this time, but now she believed she should focus on her own happiness rather than spending time with problematic girls who all had their quirks in a band.
She hadn't actively sent any messages in the band group chat this week, and the chat had fallen silent as if muted entirely. MyGO hadn't disbanded—it just felt like no one was around.
"Where do you want to go?"
Ren had been wondering whom to spend time with. With too many girlfriends, he was still learning time management, striving to become a master of it.
"Let's go see the ocean! Before, we only had time during long holidays or New Year's, and even then, we might not go for a year or two. And every time we went, it was overcrowded. Now you have a car, and we have time—shouldn't we go whenever we want?"
Anon had already decided on the destination before coming. As summer approached, she thought it better to visit the beach before it got crowded, avoiding the usual hustle and bustle.
"Okay."
The ocean reminded Ren of a certain iconic scene from a popular anime. In reality, he had never been to a real beach—he never had the time or money before.
After settling on their destination, Ren and Anon packed up and headed out together.
"By the way, Ren, why don't you live in Ikebukuro? Wouldn't the apartments there be much more comfortable than here?"
On the way to Shizuoka Prefecture, Anon couldn't help but bring up the spacious apartment she had been dreaming about. Recently, she had gained thousands of followers by posting photos of it—far surpassing the growth rate of MyGO's official account. If she could become the lady of that house, she imagined showcasing state banquet-level dinners one day, an '82 Lafite the next, and accidentally capturing a Maybach key in a photo another day.
Just thinking about it excited her immensely; she couldn't even imagine how much attention she would attract.
"It is comfortable, but it'd be too lonely alone. Anon, do you want to move in with me? Then we could live there together."
The reason he hadn't moved into the spacious apartment was precisely the loneliness. Although he now had five girlfriends, none had moved in with him yet. Facing an 850-square-meter home alone would be far too isolating.
"Live together?! That's way too soon, but..."
The concept of cohabitation felt somewhat distant to Anon, yet it stirred a deep longing within her. After learning about Ren's substantial financial resources, she had already envisioned her post-band career: creating lavish exploration videos covering everything from gourmet food and skincare products to jewelry and luxury items, occasionally interspersed with daily vlog content.
A million followers seemed within reach, and Anon adored the prospect of such a lifestyle.
"Tempting, isn't it? But your parents would never stop lecturing me if we did that." Ren's laughter shattered Anon's daydream. High school cohabitation either implied complete parental neglect or impossibly progressive families.
Even Hitori wasn't allowed to stay overnight elsewhere every weekend. "If someone accidentally got pregnant, the consequences would be severe," Ren continued. "With the band just starting out, if Hitori were carrying a child, the group would be finished."
Anon's situation went without saying. Though her parents trusted Ren, they distrusted teenagers in this phase of life. While they might approve of dating, cohabitation would undoubtedly be forbidden.
"You're right..." Anon sighed in resignation. Until university, it remained merely a fantasy, though frequent weekend visits would still be possible.
Then Anon shared her future aspirations—all predicated on Ren's support. As she spoke, she felt anxious and tense. Even asking her own parents for money made her uncomfortable, let alone making requests of Ren, her childhood friend.
Naturally, Ren supported her wholeheartedly. Becoming an exploration blogger? She could dine at Michelin-starred restaurants daily without issue. The annual harem fund of five hundred billion yen could purchase a small island after several years of accumulation—supporting Anon would be effortless.
But Ren didn't stop at words. After confirming Anon's intentions, he immediately transferred ten million yen to her account. "If you want to start now, why wait for the future?"
"Ah~ Ren~ What's happening? I feel like you've hypnotized me. Suddenly, even you having a harem doesn't seem like such a big problem anymore."
Watching her account balance increase by ten million yen, Anon's hands trembled as she gripped her phone. Previously, just seeing the billion yen in Ren's account had made her dizzy. Now that the money was hers, she started believing hypnosis apps might be real.
However much she dared request, Ren dared provide. This trust and indulgence were enough to make Anon completely captivated. A wealthy boyfriend who willingly spent money was truly the best.
"Little money enthusiast."
"This is ten million yen we're talking about! Except for rich kids, any ordinary high school girl like me would have weak knees receiving this!" Anon clutched her phone tightly, as if dropping it might make the money vanish.
"How about ten million yen monthly allowance then?" Ren smiled gently. He remembered his own excitement receiving one million yen daily, when his idea of "retaliatory spending" meant treating himself to KFC. He understood Anon's feelings completely.
But now things were different. Money had truly become just a number to Ren, who spent it without any particular feeling. It wasn't just Anon—Hitori and the others actually had pocket money too, except Ren always gave it to them in the form of holiday red envelopes. Otherwise, they might not have accepted it.
"Isn't this too much?"
Anon swallowed hard, finally understanding why some high school girls went astray. The money came so fast and easily. Just by having her relationship with Ren progress somewhat, she could become a carefree housewife even before graduating high school.
"It's not too much. Considering the equipment you need to purchase and various advance booking fees, one million yen won't actually last you very long."
"But I don't have anything I can give you in return, Ren..."
Anon felt that even offering herself would be taking advantage of Ren, yet she genuinely had little else to give.
"No, haven't you already given me enough care and companionship over these years? Now it's my turn to repay you, Anon."
During their casual conversation, they arrived in Shizuoka Prefecture. Ren parked the car and looked softly at Anon. They were childhood friends—his parents had passed away early, and during those childhood years, it was always Anon who kept him company. The most important emotional and spiritual comfort, Anon had already given all of it to him.