Is It Wrong To Have A Harem In Daily Life?

The next day's lunch break.

"What's wrong? You look listless."

Iizuka Takeya sat down beside Murakami Yuu with bread and milk.

"Huh, do I?"

Murakami Yuu yawned and took out a bento box from under his desk.

"That's the third yawn I've seen from you today."

"That many? But I really didn't sleep well last night..."

Murakami Yuu opened the bento box, which contained cut sandwiches, and handed one to Iizuka Takeya.

Iizuka Takeya shook his head, took a bite of the bread in his hand, indicating that this was enough for him.

Murakami Yuu withdrew his hand and took a sandwich for himself. While eating, his thoughts drifted back to last night.

Following Tachibana Rui's plan to get closer to Tachibana Haruna had gone smoothly. The two had chatted intermittently through messages for a while, but for some reason, Murakami Yuu always felt something was strange. The reason was that the impression she gave him didn't match the character description Tachibana Rui had provided—there was a sense of disconnection.

The messages she sent all indicated that this was a positive, independent woman with autonomous characteristics, not the type who would be sweet-talked by men into becoming a mistress.

Of course, these were just guesses based on phone messages. It was possible his feelings were wrong. He wouldn't rush to tell Tachibana Rui about these findings yet—he'd see how things developed.

Ending his recollections of last night, Murakami Yuu asked:

"How come I don't see Reita?"

"I saw him when I came to find you. He went to the art club with Uchimaki Subaru from his class, who he gets along well with."

"He's actually interested in art?"

"You're giving him too much credit. He's only interested in the 2D beautiful girls that Uchimaki Subaru draws."

"I see."

Murakami Yuu picked up a second sandwich.

He also had an impression of Uchimaki Subaru that Iizuka Takeya mentioned—someone with considerable artistic talent who had won gold prizes in multiple painting competitions and was a somewhat well-known figure at school.

"I want to catch up on some sleep."

After finishing his lunch, Murakami Yuu clapped his hands.

"Then I won't disturb you. I'll head back first."

Iizuka Takeya had already walked out of the classroom's back door but returned.

"I almost forgot the main thing. There's a mixer this Saturday—do you want to come, Yuu?"

"How do you have mixers every week..."

"Haha, that's youth for you! Are you coming or not?"

"I'll pass. I have things to do."

Murakami Yuu declined.

...

Sawamura Spencer Eriri, hidden otaku and super popular 18+ doujin creator, was well-known in doujin creation circles under her pen name "Kashiwagi Eri." Though she hadn't graduated yet, she had already stepped halfway into society, receiving many paid illustration commissions.

Logically speaking, such a professional artist should be able to quickly readjust even when encountering something that upset her mood and throw herself back into work. But her current situation was that she felt listless after seeing Murakami Yuu walking alongside Ogiso Setsuna. Her thoughts were tangled like knotted yarn, and she couldn't calm down enough to draw even the slightest thing.

She was now in the temporary base of the game doujin club—that multimedia classroom.

"Eriri, how is it? Have you thought of any good ideas for the heroine character design?"

"Not at all. My brain is as dry as chewed sugarcane pulp—not a trace of inspiration. Just kill me."

Eriri looked at Aki Tomoya's hopeful eyes and gave this cold response.

"Uh..."

Aki Tomoya, who had been snapped at for no reason, looked at the obviously upset Eriri, mechanically turned his head, and cast a pleading look at the other two people present, hoping to learn what had happened from them.

Kasumigaoka Utaha shrugged, and Kato Megumi shook her head—both indicating they didn't know.

"Eriri, it's okay. No one in the club will rush you, so don't put so much pressure on yourself. We can slow down the progress and wait for your artwork."

After thinking for a moment, Aki Tomoya offered these comforting words.

But these words had a completely different meaning in Eriri's ears:

No one will rush me... don't pressure myself... slow down progress and wait for my artwork?

If you hadn't unreasonably rejected my artwork last time, would I be in this disheveled and anxious state now?! Do you think whose fault it is that we're in this situation?!

"Bang!"

Eriri glared with wide eyes and angrily slammed the table as she stood up. After seeing Aki Tomoya take three steps back, she chose not to voice her thoughts but forcibly swallowed her anger.

After glaring fiercely at Aki Tomoya, she crossed her arms, slowly sat down, and turned her head to look out the window.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at Eriri, who was obviously not right and would explode at the slightest provocation, frowning thoughtfully.

As a novelist, she naturally understood the irritation during the creative process, so she empathized with Eriri, though she usually didn't show it obviously.

But Eriri's current emotion could no longer be explained by simple irritation. Thinking of yesterday's encounter with Eriri in the hallway, she couldn't help but have suspicions.

So it really is because of that guy...

"Ethics-kun."

Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke, drawing everyone's attention in the club to herself.

"Setting aside the artwork issue, I sent the game draft to your email before—did you read it?"

"Ethics-kun?"

"Ah, ah..."

Aki Tomoya obviously hadn't recovered from Eriri's earlier outburst. When Kasumigaoka Utaha called him again, he frantically responded:

"I read it, I read it, of course I read it."

"I see. How was it? Are there any parts that need revision?"

"The plot that Kasumi Shiko-sensei wrote is as interesting as always. It's just... it doesn't feel like what I was hoping for."

Aki Tomoya gave his thoughts.

Kasumigaoka Utaha lowered her eyes and remained silent, not asking him specifically what was wrong with the plot.

After hearing this, Eriri's gaze, which had been directed out the window, returned to Aki Tomoya, who was giving his serious evaluation.

Again, that familiar phrase—not what he was hoping for.

Eriri felt like laughing, for herself and for Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Perhaps feeling that his vague answer wasn't convincing, Aki Tomoya scratched his head and walked over to Kato Megumi, who maintained her unchanging expression, and made a shocking statement:

"Actually, I've been spending time with Kato after school these past few days."

This statement successfully made both Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri's spirits jolt.

Aki Tomoya adjusted his black-framed glasses with his index finger:

"Because I wanted to find direction for the game project and recapture the emotion I felt when I first met Kato that day, I invited Kato to my house to play games together, and after that we went to Rokumaba Shopping Center."

"A date?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at the two standing together with unfriendly eyes.

"No, it was club activity for research purposes."

Aki Tomoya corrected her statement.

"Research with just two people?"

Eriri's tone was much warmer than before, but still had an edge.

"Eriri, you were designing artwork, and Kasumigaoka-senpai was rushing to finish the game text draft. Considering that you were both busy, I didn't notify you."

Aki Tomoya said seriously.

"Fine, continue."

Kasumigaoka Utaha expressionlessly indicated for Aki Tomoya to continue.

"After that, to simulate scenes that would appear in the game, I treated Kato as the game's heroine—we went shopping, held hands, exchanged gifts, ate sweets. I showed my unseemly side when I got heat stroke, but even then, even facing such an embarrassing me, Kato didn't show the slightest bit of impatience. Instead, she was very ordinary, very gently concerned about me...

And it was during this process that I gradually realized some things."

Aki Tomoya gradually became excited, clenching his fists and continuing with the attitude that he understood everything and was absolutely correct:

"Interesting and ordinary aren't contradictory things! What I want is the mutual affection between the male and female protagonists in everyday life that can be seen anywhere—just feeling happy that the other person is by your side, like my and Kato's dat... research, that kind of plainness.

Presenting such commonplace scenes through text and beautiful artwork—a game made this way would definitely be a great work that resonates with players!"

After the passionate speech ended, Kato Megumi, standing beside Aki Tomoya, obviously didn't understand what he was expressing and showed a somewhat confused expression as she walked two steps aside to find a chair and sit down.

Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha's gazes followed her movement. Seeing that she had simply sat down to rest because she was tired of standing, they turned their attention back to Aki Tomoya.

"According to what you're saying, Rinri-kun, would simple, ordinary romantic interactions like normal people be interesting?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha asked.

"Yes!"

Aki Tomoya nodded firmly.

"If it's the bestselling novelist Kasumi Shiko, you can definitely write vivid, lively characters and wonderfully interesting stories! I believe in you!"

Faced with Aki Tomoya's expectations, Kasumigaoka Utaha closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and quietly thought about something, not giving an immediate answer.

Eriri looked at the scene before her with a strong sense of déjà vu.

It was an ordinary afternoon before this club was established when Aki Tomoya appeared before her without warning:

"Come make a game with me, Eriri! If it's you, you can definitely draw the most exciting artwork! You're the best artist I know! I believe you have the ability!"

Making decisions on his own, getting excited on his own, gathering people, giving encouragement with full enthusiasm, claiming to believe while barely showing his presence during their joint progress.

I believe in you... I believe in you...

Are you a cheerleader or a game producer...

Why did she agree to help him make a game in the first place?

Eriri couldn't help but think about this question.

What kind of feeling was that initial motivation when she first joined the club?

Satisfaction from being needed by Aki Tomoya? Pride from having her talent recognized? Or a sense of responsibility from being needed?

It seemed like none of those...

She seemed to have only been moved by her childhood friend's affection and his seemingly passionate eyes.

Murakami Yuu's words on the rooftop involuntarily surfaced in her mind:

"Why should you deny your own efforts and force yourself to accommodate such a worthless person who only talks nonsense?"

Yes, why indeed?

In the end, did he really want to make a "great game," or "a game he thought was great"? Or more directly, "a game modeled after Aki Tomoya and Kato Megumi"?

After all, the fundamental source of all his actions—the reason that could make a lifelong otaku take action—was his chance encounter with Kato Megumi on that slope.

And everything he had just explained about game requirements after reading the draft clearly showed he wanted Kasumigaoka Utaha to write a story modeled after Aki Tomoya and Kato Megumi.

Thinking that she had once said to Murakami Yuu: "Tomoya isn't that bad. At least he's still responsible for game planning and plot design..."

Eriri suddenly felt so stupid. He had already found his life's heroine and, using the excuse of making games and going out for research, had already started holding hands and dating.

And she had actually defended him in front of Murakami Yuu, who had already seen through all of this.

There had been many, many times before when she felt negative emotions from seeing Aki Tomoya interact with Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kato Megumi.

Time and again, she had come to Murakami Yuu with these feelings to complain, taking for granted his comforting words.

Eriri laughed, laughed until tears came.

In Yuu's eyes, she must be nothing but a complete clown.

"Eriri! You—why are you crying?!"

Aki Tomoya noticed her abnormality.

"It's nothing... haha... I just thought of something funny..."

Eriri took out a tissue to wipe away her tears and walked over to Kato Megumi.

Waking up from a dream only takes an instant, and learning the truth about something also only takes an instant.

"Sorry, Kato. I might need to waste some of your time afterward. I think if you model for me, I should be able to draw a game heroine that satisfies Tomoya."

Having already agreed to help, even if any unexpected situations arose—even very unpleasant ones—she would properly fulfill his requirements. This was Eriri's persistence.

"Mm, though I don't know why Sawamura-san suddenly has this idea... but that's fine."

Kato Megumi nodded.

"Kato, Eriri..."

Aki Tomoya's eyes showed joy.

Kasumigaoka Utaha opened her eyes, having witnessed Eriri's entire reaction from beginning to end.

Her struggling, weary eyes closed, and after a gentle sigh, when they reopened, they held determination:

"Rinri-kun, I understand. I'll gradually revise according to the direction you requested."

"Yes! Please do, senpai!"

"I'll think carefully over the next few days and contact you for discussion before I start writing."

"Yes!"

Aki Tomoya's mood became increasingly elevated.

"Eriri."

Kasumigaoka Utaha called softly:

"Let's work hard together to make a game that most satisfies Ethics-kun."

"Yes, let's work hard together."

Eriri smiled faintly.

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