The Fate of the Protagonist Who Chose the Harem Ending - Episode 26

The Heiress of the Kanefune Conglomerate: Kanefune Mahou

Usually a carefree, unpredictable personality with a friendly and bright demeanor, Kanefune Mahou’s entire presence transformed.  

Her sharp gaze exuded intensity, and her tone became firm and measured.  

Standing before us was not the eccentric “black sheep”. But a refined heiress of the Kanefune conglomerate, brimming with grace.  

At this moment, Kanefune-senpai had a coldness about her that was strikingly convincing.  

Still, I couldn’t help but recall that day in the cafeteria. When Shizuku was furious, and Kanefune-senpai muttered to herself.  

“Gotcha, Ichijou…”  

Kanefune-senpai doesn’t act like someone in a harem.  

Would anyone else harshly critique the work of someone they admire?  

But what made Ichijou’s painting so dull to her?  

“The most boring one?”

“It’s harsh to expect a high school student to understand this,” 

She began, her tone unyielding as she continued.  

Her manner suggested she could separate personal bias from fair critique when it came to evaluation.  

“Ichijou’s work lacks soul. It’s technically proficient, but that’s all.”  

“Soul?”  

“To put it simply, it lacks a sense of passion or dedication. For instance, look at that piece over there. You can tell it was created with exceptional care.”  

Kanefune-senpai directed our attention to a certain painting.  

It depicted a female figure, emphasizing the chest and thighs in a way that clearly targeted a male audience.  

“This was probably drawn by a guy, don’t you think?”  

“…………..Haru, is this your type of thing?” 

Shizuku asked with a slight edge in her voice.  

“Not really, since I have you.” 

“…♪”  

Shizuku was satisfied with my response. She seemed pleased.  

“Why do you think a guy painted it, Higashiya?” 

“Uh…” 

The question caught me off guard, and I hesitated.  

I couldn’t explain it well, but it just didn’t feel like something a girl would paint.  

“You’re right; it was painted by a guy. Ichijou told me. But even without knowing that, the content clearly conveys it. You picked up on that.”  

So this is what it means to express passion or commitment in art?  

“If you evaluate it as art, it’s essentially a manifestation of male desire—the ideal woman as imagined by a man.”  

And yes, when framed like that, it seemed obvious.  

“As for my personal favorite, it’s this one.” 

She pointed to the ruined landscape painting.  

“I felt like it was ruined.” 

“I thought it looked like bullying… Was I wrong?”   

“The interpretation is up to the viewer. Your impressions are valid,” 

Kanefune-senpai replied with an air of authority.  

Her demeanor suggested that if she always carried herself like this, she’d undoubtedly be revered as a true lady.  

“My impression is that the piece conveys despair.”  

She pointed out how the landscape itself was meticulously rendered. But the areas that were defaced were done so violently.  

Looking closely, I saw signs of aggressive strokes, splattered ink near decisive pauses, damaged paper likely from water, and claw-like scratches running downward.  

“This sort of work is rare. That’s why I love this piece the most. And Ichijou’s? As I said before, it lacks soul.”  

According to her, Ichijou’s work had no unshakable dedication or underlying emotions. It was merely skillful, devoid of depth.  

“If the theme were ‘soulless art’, it would be a masterpiece. Well, ultimately, it’s up to the viewers here to decide. I can’t dictate the results myself!”  

With that, her demeanor shifted back to the carefree Kanefune-senpai we knew.  

To be honest, the poised, heiress-like Kanefune-senpai was intimidating. Her usual unruly self might be a deliberate act to avoid projecting that aura of pressure.  

Watching her critique as Kanefune the heiress, I began to understand.  

“Alright, I’m off to the next stop. See you two later!”  

With that, Kanefune-senpai left with her guards.  

—

“…Haru, about that ruined landscape painting…”  

“Yeah, I noticed too.”  

“Do you think they submitted it as is because they were okay with it?”  

“Probably…”  

The ruined landscape painting was created by Nanase-san.  

“I want to draw something I can be satisfied with.*  

The landscape paintings she worked on after school…  

Were they not what Nanase-san truly wanted to draw?