The Fate of the Protagonist Who Chose the Harem Ending - Episode 33

The World Beyond the Harem Ending 

“There’s something I don’t understand.” 

“What’s this about all of a sudden?” 

I must’ve voiced my thoughts out loud because Shizuku reacted. 

Since I’d already started, I decided to keep going. 

“It’s about Ichijou’s harem. Even though the girls left, he just acts concerned but doesn’t do anything. It’s got me wondering—what’s going on?” 

“Now that you mention it, yeah, that’s strange.” 

Exactly. Even though the girls have left him, Ichijou doesn’t act. 

This got me thinking about something else—I never asked Shizuku what first made her fall for Ichijou. 

Now’s a good time to ask. 

“Hey, Shizuku, what was Ichijou like when you fell for him?” 

“Hmm… how should I put this? Let me make a list.” 

She began jotting things down in an unused section of her notebook. 

As I watched her list what Ichijou did back then, I realized just how impressive he was. 

His perceptiveness was almost supernatural—he noticed everything. 

On top of that, he was considerate and kind. 

But somehow, none of this translated into romance? 

“Oh, but you know what I just realized while writing this?” 

“What did you notice?” 

“Ever since we confessed to him, Ichijou hasn’t done *any* of the things I listed here.” 

Shizuku’s words were a bombshell. 

“…Wait, seriously?” 

“Yeah.” 

“…Shizuku, let’s ask the other girls who left the harem about this.” 

I’d been so focused on Shizuku that I hadn’t thought about the other girls. 

There might be a pattern. 

I went to visit Fujimoto Tsukasa and Shirogane Naoto. 

“Hello, senpai. What brings you here?” 

“Hey, senpai!” 

“Hello, Fujimoto-san, Shirogane-kun.” 

“Hi there. I actually came to ask you two something.” 

“Ask us something?” 

“If it’s something I can answer, I will!” 

I asked Fujimoto-san to describe what Ichijou was like when she fell for him. 

Like Shizuku, she began listing things on a notebook. 

Her memories and feelings from back then surfaced as she wrote. 

Before summer break, Ichijou’s actions were everything she found appealing. 

But she revealed that after the break, all those appealing qualities vanished. 

The only difference from Shizuku’s case was that Fujimoto-san wasn’t part of the “little sister” archetype. 

Shirogane-kun, on the other hand, found the situation eerie. 

He described how, despite being wary of Ichijou and staying nearby to guard against potential retaliation, Ichijou never made any moves. 

The same was true for the other girls I asked—they all shared similar stories. 

“All of them said Ichijou acted favorably before summer break.” 

“And then after the break, it all disappeared.”

What is this? 

It’s hard to put into words, and Shizuku and I looked at each other, bewildered. 

Then, as I watched her, I remembered something—mirage. 

(Note: C18 if you’re wondering)

It was a word she used during the sports festival, and it fit perfectly here. 

“You two are talking about something interesting.” 

Suddenly, Adachi Yuusuke entered the conversation. 

“Hello, Adachi-san.” 

“Yo, Yuusuke. You think this is interesting?” 

“Yeah, totally. It’s like someone’s been following a strategy guide.” 

“What?” 

“Think of this world as a dating sim,

If you pick the right choices, you raise your affection points. 

But on your first playthrough, you don’t know which choices are correct. 

And the right answers vary—some girls like sweet things, others prefer spicy. 

But Ichijou? He *never* picked a wrong choice. 

That’s why it feels like he’s been following a guidebook.” 

Yuusuke continued, offering his take on the mass confession event. 

His explanation was unsettling, something I didn’t want to accept. 

But the truth was, if Shirogane-kun, Oumi-kun, Satsuki-san, and I hadn’t acted, things could’ve gotten dangerous. 

“Didn’t that guy choose the harem ending? In dating sims, the harem ending is only unlocked if you max out everyone’s affection points.” 

“If we follow that analogy, are you saying Shizuku was just one of the targets?!” 

The idea that Ichijou treated romance like a game and toyed with the girls—including Shizuku—infuriated me. 

“Well, his harem collapsed under the weight of its own problems.” 

“Yeah, Ichijou-kun’s harem is gone now.” 

“I can explain that too. 

Harem endings rarely explain what happens afterward. 

They’re often called ‘throwaway endings’ because they leave everything unresolved. 

There are no clear options for what to do next. 

So Ichijou probably couldn’t act anymore because there was no guide for what comes after the harem ending.” 

Listening to Yuusuke’s theory, I couldn’t help but agree. 

“Thanks, Yuusuke. That cleared things up for me.” 

“You’re welcome. Well, I’m heading back to my game.” 

With that, Yuusuke pulled out his handheld console and resumed playing. 

Don’t bring that to school…… 

“This feels a bit complicated for me…” 

“Well, if someone says it’s all about aiming for the harem ending with the targets, yeah…” 

Shizuku voiced her feelings, and even I had to admit it made sense. 

Still, the thought left me seething with anger. 

If Ichijou’s aim was the harem ending, then he assumed no one would leave and he could act however he wanted. 

He essentially treated the girls like caught fish—no need to feed them anymore. 

As I fumed over the idea, Shizuku suddenly hugged me from behind. 

“Wha—Shizuku?! What’s this about all of a sudden?” 

“You seemed so angry, so I’m calming you down.” 

She clung to me tightly, refusing to let go. 

H-Hey, we’re in the classroom! This is embarrassing! 

“Haru, you have a habit of clenching your fists tightly when you’re mad.” 

“Wait, really?” 

“Yeah. But you’re angry for my sake, right?” 

“…….Yeah, I am.” 

“Thank you. But remember, Haru—it was just a hypothetical example, okay? Don’t take it too seriously.” 

“I know, but… I just couldn’t help agreeing with it, and, well…” 

“Even so.” 

The classroom erupted in playful teasing. 

“Wow, they’re so lovey-dovey!” 

“Childhood friends turned lovers—how sweet!” 

Feeling utterly embarrassed, I resolved myself. 

No matter what happens, I won’t let *him* have Shizuku—my childhood friend and my girlfriend. 

Someone like Ichijou, who can’t interact without knowing the “correct answers”, doesn’t deserve her. 

With that determination, I continued to keep a close watch on Ichijou. 

—

Then one day, Shizuku and I were forcibly taken by Kanefune-senpai and brought to her room. 

“Higashitani Haru, stay away from Makoto Ichijou. Do not get involved with him any further.” 

She wasn’t her usual playful self. 

Instead, the dignified presence of a scion of a prestigious zaibatsu filled the room. 

Kanefune Maho, one of the remaining members of the harem who had yet to leave. She was staring me down. 

And she demanded I back off from Ichijou.