The Fate of the Protagonist Who Chose the Harem Ending - Episode 2

A Harem Cannot Exist Without Everyone’s Consent  

“A harem” —  

It refers to a situation where one man is surrounded by multiple women,  

and often, these women have feelings for him.  

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it one of the states many men dream of.  

“Hey, Haru.”  

“What’s up, Shizuku?”  

It was the peak of autumn, with the leaves turning deep red and school events like sports and culture festivals in full swing.  

During lunch break in the 2-B classroom, I had just finished eating my bento. I was pondering how to spend the rest of my time when Amamiya Shizuku, my classmate and childhood friend, approached me.  

She was holding two bento boxes and looked apologetic.  

“Um… can you still eat?”  

“I can, but… did he refuse again?”  

“Yeah……”  

After that incident, everyone had poured out their feelings. They confessed to Ichijou who they wanted to be chosen by, hoping he would pick one of them.  

But the words Ichijou responded with were absurdly indecisive:  

“I love all of you!”  

A harem.  

It might be every man’s fantasy, but witnessing it unfold in front of you leaves only one thought:  

“Pick someone already, you indecisive idiot!  

Initially, Shizuku stayed close to Ichijou.  

But dissatisfaction gradually built up. Eventually, Shizuku told him she wanted him to treasure one person above all others.  

Shizuku had asked me to help her win Ichijou’s affection and become his girlfriend.  

So I continued to support her.  

I helped create opportunities for Shizuku to be alone with Ichijou, researched his preferences, and even engaged him in conversation to gather information—all within reasonable limits.  

But halfway through, I stopped helping.  

It wasn’t because of jealousy. It was because I lost all faith in Ichijou’s insincere behavior.  

—

This happened one lunchtime.  

Ichijou was eating in the cafeteria, surrounded by a group of girls. Frustrated, I called him out.  

“Ichijou, just pick someone already!”  

Looking back, I might as well have been asking him to publicly confess in the cafeteria. It was an unreasonable demand.  

But back then, I was so frustrated that I didn’t care.  

People in the cafeteria were shocked, calling me a “brave soul”. 

Some were curious to know who Ichijou would choose, while others shot jealous glances at him, irritated by his harem.  

Ichijou’s group of girls blushed but didn’t seem entirely displeased. They were all hoping to be chosen.  

Shizuku was among them, looking both nervous and expectant.  

“What do you mean, ‘pick’?”   

“Who you’ll make your girlfriend.”  

“But I love all of them. If I love everyone, there’s no need to choose, right?”  

“…Sigh. The girls around you want you to choose one of them to be in a proper relationship.”  

“Huh? Sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”  

(Is this guy serious?)  

Ichijou acted oblivious and dodged the conversation, as if he didn’t want to answer.  

The girls sighed in disappointment at his response.  

Meanwhile, those uninvolved muttered things like,  

“He’s going to get dumped eventually.”  

“Why is a guy like that so popular?”  

More important than anything else, I called out something specific.  

“What’s this about refusing Amamiya’s bento? She told you yesterday she was bringing it.”  

“I just suddenly felt like eating cafeteria udon. Not my fault.”  

Shizuku stared at the untouched bento.  

I began doubting whether she could ever truly be happy in a relationship with someone like him.  

Even so, I continued to deceive myself. I thought I was supporting her for her sake.  

But when Ichijou disregarded her efforts and feelings, my facade cracked.  

“If you want it to be eaten that much, why don’t *you* eat it yourself?”  

I started to dislike Ichijou for his comment dismissing Shizuku’s heartfelt gesture.  

Ichijou wouldn’t choose.  

Sure, the girls around him were all great, and I admit I’d be torn too if I were in his shoes.  

But the least he could do was have the resolve to make a decision.  

Otherwise, it’s unfair to the girls who gathered the courage to confess their feelings.  

A harem can only work if everyone involved is genuinely okay with it.  

The moment someone like Shizuku starts feeling dissatisfied, the harem falls apart.  

That dissatisfaction builds up, crushing affection until nothing is left but indifference—or even hatred.  

“…I’m done eating. I’ll head back first.”  

I watched Shizuku hold back tears as she returned to her classroom, and I followed her.  

After that day, I stopped associating with Ichijou, and Shizuku began spending less time with him too.  

Even so, Shizuku kept making bento for him, hoping he’d notice her.  

You might wonder, “After all that?”  

But I told her not to be afraid and to keep trying. If it didn’t work out, she could always eat it herself.  

Knowing she had a fallback seemed to give her strength.  

“Thanks for always being there, Haru. Can you still eat?”  

“Yeah, I won’t let it go to waste.”  

“Thanks…”  

Shizuku was a hard-working, earnest person.  

Even though she was inexperienced, she learned to make bento for Ichijou,  

and she tried her best to like the things he liked.  

She failed sometimes. But instead of giving up, she kept trying.  

Her determination was admirable.  

With her kind heart and beautiful appearance, she deserved better.  

With straight, semi-long hair that has no waves, shining like the color of wet feathers,  

a carefully maintained, well-proportioned face,  

a slender body that maintains the ideal shape,  

and above all, when she’s happy, she shows a smile as if a flower has fully bloomed.  

That is the Amamiya Shizuku I know.  

But now, even that is fading. She has started to wear a fragile, wilted smile that seems like it could wither at any moment.  

And the confident expression she once had has disappeared, replaced by a tendency to quickly look down.  

I can’t stand seeing Shizuku like this, and it makes me anxious.  

I keep thinking about how I can make Shizuku smile again, like a blooming flower.