The Fate of the Protagonist Who Chose the Harem Ending - Episode 17

Couple

In the athletic events, there were individual competitions. 

Among the participants, there was always someone from Class 2-A: 

Ichijou Makoto. 

A man who had built a harem. But it was now teetering on the verge of collapse. 

This guy, as if to say, “I’m in a different league from you all,” had taken first place in every event he participated in. 

“Haru, where should we eat lunch?” 

“It doesn’t matter today. How about we eat over there, in the shade of that tree?” 

Not interested in Ichijou’s efforts, Shizuku asked me where to eat. And we decided on the spot. 

“Got it. Look forward to the lunch, okay?” 

“If it’s something you made, I’m definitely looking forward to it.” 

“Higashitani… Please… Let me join you…” 

Yuusuke was barely alive. He muttered weakly, pleading for help. 

Lack of sleep and physical inactivity over the past few days had clearly taken its toll. It left him unable to move properly. 

“Haru, are you going to leave him like that?” 

“He brought this on himself. Can you guys handle him?” 

“Leave it to us!” 

“You traitor! You’d choose your girlfriend over friendship?” 

“Obviously. What are you even talking about?” 

“Alright, we’ve got the perfect event for idiots who try to come between couples—individual battles!” 

“Nooo! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die! Higashitani, save meee!” 

Yuusuke let out an exaggerated scream as he was dragged to the entry gate by classmates determined to make him participate. 

The result? He was dead last, trailing behind the first-place finisher by nearly a full lap. 

—

With the morning events over, lunchtime began. We settled down under the shade of the tree to eat. 

“Itadakimasu.” “Itadakimasu.” 

“Since it’s Sports Day, I made it a bit meat-heavy. And the flavors are slightly stronger.” 

“You always put so much thought into the meals. It makes me really happy.” 

With that, I opened my bento box. 

It contained sausages, tamagoyaki, ginger pork, spinach with sesame dressing, cherry tomatoes, and rice topped with salmon. 

“Here, Haru. Say ‘ahhh’.” 

“Ahhh…” 

Shizuku fed me a piece of tamagoyaki from her bento. 

“Is it good?” 

“If it’s something you made, of course it is.” 

Hearing that, Shizuku beamed with joy. 

Half-teasing, I decided to return the favor. 

“Then, here, your turn. Say ‘ahhh’.” 

“Eh? Ah… Ahhh…” 

Caught off guard, Shizuku turned red as she accepted the tamagoyaki. 

“Uh, asking if it’s good would sound weird, huh?” 

“Y-Yeah, but it felt a bit sweeter than usual. I liked it…” 

She fiddled with her hair nervously as we continued eating together. 

“Oh.” 

“Ah, looks like someone else wanted this spot.” 

“Hm?” 

“Ah, Fujimoto-san. Don’t worry, we can scoot over. Right, Haru?” 

“Yeah, it’s fine. This spot’s big enough.” 

“Thank you, Amamiya-senpai. Sorry for the trouble.” 

“Thanks, seniors!” 

The pair who had done the three-legged race earlier—Fujimoto Tsukasa and her partner—had come to eat lunch here too. 

Since they seemed to be getting along well, I didn’t want to create any awkwardness. So we welcomed them. 

—

“Wow, you two were amazing in the three-legged race!” 

“Really?” 

“Absolutely! You were practically sprinting while others were just trying to keep in sync!” 

The boy enthusiastically praised us. His name was Shirogane Naoto—a genuinely good-natured kid. 

Compliments are always nice, so I returned the favor. 

“You were great too, running in sync with Fujimoto-san’s strides like that.” 

Before I could elaborate on their height difference, Naoto hurriedly covered my mouth. 

“Huh? What’s wrong?” 

“It’s just… Please avoid mentioning her height. It’s a sensitive issue for her.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, she hates being treated like a little sister or not being seen as a woman. It’s kind of humiliating for her.” 

“Oh, I see. Sorry, I didn’t realize.” 

“It’s fine. As long as you’re aware now, I’d appreciate your consideration.” 

Naoto suddenly realized his own boldness. He looked panicked and apologized profusely. 

“No worries. You were just looking out for her.” 

I couldn’t help but ask, though. 

“So, is she your girlfriend?” 

“Not yet, but I’m working on it.” 

“Well, good luck. I’m rooting for you.” 

They were already close enough to share lunch and understood each other’s insecurities. It was only a matter of time. 

—

After lunch, the afternoon events began. Ichijou once again swept first place in every individual and team competition he participated in. 

At the end of Sports Day, Team A emerged victorious.