“The trigger was Minami, but…”
Katsu honestly confessed, blushing, which made me realize a slight stain on my heart.
What should I say? Perhaps that he was purely enjoying his happiness? The way his joy mixed with his embarrassment made me feel like he was truly experiencing his youth.
This is strange. I’m drinking whiskey, yet it tastes sweet.
“Mina and I… we kept our relationship a secret at first, but it was difficult to hide it from the people in the same party, and I felt guilty about keeping it hidden.”
Katsu mumbled, scratching his cheek.
Unlike me, who was once a corporate slave chased by work and found solace in brief moments with my family, Katsu was purely enjoying his youth.
While I envied him, I also became curious about how Minami, behind Katsu’s pure facade, managed to orchestrate this “youthful” atmosphere.
What I say wouldn’t have any persuasive power, but in Japan, dating multiple people overtly is frowned upon unless you’re in a very unusual situation.
A harem protagonist in a light novel would definitely be ostracized at school if they appeared there.
The only reason Kaido and I can manage it is because the common sense of our previous world, unlike this one, is tolerant of polygyny.
It’s probably a result of the instinct to pass on the genes of capable individuals, a primal drive that has been passed down through generations in a world plagued by frequent wars and where death is a daily reality, ultimately shaping the culture of harems.
I built my position through talent and skill, while Kaido achieved his through luck and his personality.
However, the relationship between Katsu, Minami, and Kitamiya is far removed from that cultural context, existing within the framework of modern common sense.
Normally, one would dislike seeing their romantic interest with someone else, and might even be disappointed.
This could lead to a cooling of emotions, or conversely, it could ignite a fierce rivalry to win them over.
But Katsu doesn’t seem to be experiencing any of that now.
I had enough information to suspect that Minami had something to do with it.
However, I was curious about how she managed to sway Kitamiya’s conventional thinking.
“When I consulted Minami about it, she told me to wait a little because she had something to do.”
“Ah, just as we thought,” Kaido and I exchanged a knowing glance.
If they had honestly confessed their relationship, Kitamiya would probably have gracefully stepped aside.
He would have suppressed his own feelings and focused on maintaining a platonic distance as a friend.
But that’s not what happened.
Looking at the dynamic between Minami and Kitamiya, and Katsu’s embarrassed expression, I could tell.
“After that, Minami asked me what I thought of Karen-san, and from there…”
“It felt like she was digging for information, right?”
“Yes.”
“Childhood friends are formidable in these situations. Because they’ve known each other for so long, they can easily spot the tells when someone is lying or trying to deceive.”
“…Yes, that’s exactly right.”
And then, I began to grasp what Minami had done.
First, she investigated Katsu’s feelings towards Kitamiya.
I knew he didn’t harbor any negative feelings, but I wondered about the specifics of his emotions.
“I want to be friends with her,” that’s likely the basic sentiment.
However, that alone wouldn’t be enough to establish a romantic relationship.
“Then, Karen-san told me she liked me, and I was confused at first. I had just started dating Minami, and suddenly being introduced to another woman was bewildering. I thought, ‘What is she thinking?'”
“That’s understandable.”
“It’s just our situation that’s strange; Katsu-kun isn’t strange at all.”
Even if both parties had feelings for each other based on the initial conditions, such a relationship wouldn’t work unless those feelings leaned towards romance.
From my perspective, I could see Kitamiya had romantic feelings for Katsu, but I wasn’t sure if Katsu reciprocated those feelings.
So, Minami orchestrated a plan to advance their relationship to the next stage.
It seems she started by changing perceptions.
The whiskey’s taste hadn’t changed, yet I perceived it as slightly sweet, such was the bittersweetness of youth conveyed in Katsu’s story.
In a way, it was more of a potent anecdote than the snacks left on the table.
Kaido, too, switched from beer to a stronger drink and listened intently.
“But Minami said, ‘I admit what I’m doing is strange, but Karen-san’s feelings are also genuine.'”
“Ah, so that’s how it went.”
“As a man, I couldn’t just dismiss that.”
Minami, did you confront him head-on?
No, it’s good that it didn’t turn into a complicated rom-com with an indirect approach, but wasn’t this too direct, Minami-san?
“Personally, I like Minami… so I wasn’t sure if I could see another woman in that way.”
“You didn’t think you were in your prime?”
“Stop joking, Kaido. Well, I was surprised by Memoria too. Logically, pursuing another woman while you have a girlfriend would be disloyal. You’re a serious guy, so you probably considered that too.”
The fact that other women, specifically Kitamiya who was a friend, liked him would undoubtedly make Katsu hesitate if confronted directly.
Minami had thrown a bomb that could have easily led to the dissolution of their party.
“Yes.”
If Katsu had the personality to rejoice, thinking, “I’m so popular!” he probably wouldn’t have struggled so much. But for better or worse, Katsu is a man of common sense.
When introduced to another woman so soon after starting to date Minami, his natural reaction would be confusion.
Even with the real-life examples of Kaido and me, Katsu would have responded individually, thinking, “That’s for me, this is for Kaido.”
It’s the “other people are other people, I am myself” kind of thinking.
“But I also thought that what Minami said made sense. Minami doesn’t lie about things like this, so if that’s the case, I have to take Karen-san’s feelings seriously, and I thought about it earnestly.”
“Hmm, and then what?”
Why is listening to other people’s romance stories so interesting?
The drinks were flowing at a good pace. The positive outlook on my chances of getting a promotion, fueled by Minami’s unexpected motivation, was also helping.
I watched Kaido urge him to continue while taking sips of my drink.
“So, we started by going out, the three of us: Minami, Karen-san, and me. It was quite difficult to go out, but there wasn’t any particular way to prevent it, so we disguised ourselves secretly with magic tools. It was kind of fun, like being a celebrity.”
He then recounted events involving Katsu, Kitamiya, and Minami, a peculiar combination.
“There, I consciously started to see Karen-san as a woman.”
This is where Katsu’s earnestness shone through. It could be said that he displayed this because his childhood friend told him to, and under the condition that the other party was serious.
Or perhaps, knowing the precedence of me and Kaido, he gained the knowledge that dating multiple women could be successful?
Either way, it was a tailwind for Kitamiya, and for us, it brought a slight sense of guilt for having swayed Katsu’s common sense behavior.
And when one tries to earnestly respond to someone’s feelings…
“Then, the more we spent time together, the more my eyes started following Karen-san…”
“Ah, so you fell in love with her.”
“Yes, that’s right. I was quite depressed when I realized that.”
“Ah, that’s…”
“Kaido, we’re in no position to judge. Don’t worry, Katsu, that’s a path we’ve also walked.”
One naturally develops feelings for someone they spend time with.
If one could brazenly declare themselves a man of ample love, they wouldn’t agonize over it, but Katsu, unfortunately, isn’t that kind of man.
He was tormented by the guilt of having two-timed someone.
There wasn’t much advice we could offer.
Telling him to be honest with his feelings would be pointless if the other party didn’t forgive him. In this case, it was an extreme exception due to Minami’s elaborate scheme.
Kaido and I felt a mixture of deep emotion and emptiness as Katsu finally stepped onto this path.
As Japanese people, it’s hard to celebrate, but as comrades in the same situation, we could welcome him.
“We’re getting along well like this. Isn’t that good enough?”
And it would be vulgar to ask for more.
The details of how Katsu and Kitamiya came together, and how Minami, Katsu, and Kitamiya proceeded with their relationship, were not things to inquire about.
“Yes.”
Kaido nodded in agreement.
“Ah, but I have something to consult with Jiro-san about.”
Katsu seemed relieved that the conversation was shifting away from topics that might be rated R. However, he seemed to reconsider and, lowering his voice, spoke to me conspiratorially.
“Consultation?”
“Yes. Um, I think you’re the only one who can advise me, Jiro-san, since you’re engaged to so many women.”
“Oh, I am too, aren’t I?”
Kaido pointed at himself, hearing the question, but I decided to ignore it for now.
“Um, what should I do when a woman shows me two outfits and asks which one I prefer?”
And Katsu’s question was the kind that could be called a happy burden for a man.
“Ah, that.”
I too had experienced that.
When you’re dating women like Suella, Memoria, Himik, Evia, and Keiri, you inevitably go shopping together.
Lately, merchants tend to bring the goods to us, where we look at various items, but going to stores is also a common date activity.
This is where Katsu’s consultation comes in, but frankly, there’s no foolproof method.
When a woman shows you her choices, she’s not asking for your preference; she simply wants you to nudge her in a direction.
She’s already decided in her heart which one she prefers, but she still has lingering doubts about the other. That’s why she makes that wish for you to push her.
However, for the man, it’s an ultimate choice with a 50% chance of pleasing her and a 50% chance of disappointing her.
Whether you can read the mind of the woman you like becomes the dividing line.
“I’m not much of a reference, you know?”
“It’s okay even if you’re not.”
Although I’ve failed a few times, there’s a method that boasts a certain success rate.
However, I’m not sure if Katsu can do it.
It’s free to say, after all.
Thinking it’s fine to just say it.
“Frankly, it’s a brute force approach using physical abilities. While shopping, you must constantly observe the other person and gather information that makes it easier to predict their thoughts. Don’t stare intently, but use a bird’s-eye view, gathering information through casual glances. Also, memorize every word of the conversation. When they talk about magazines or such, you can glean their preferences at that time.”
Honestly, the only way to counter this is with a “brainless tactic” that involves using your magically enhanced body to gather information at full force.
If you want to be smarter, you just need to improve your conversational skills to cover up your own slips of the tongue.
“That’s a wild technique you can pull off, Senpai. I don’t think I can do that with Amili-chan, Shiik-chan, or Miik-chan.”
“I wonder if I can do it too.”
“See? I told you, I’m not a good reference.”
As we talked like this, time passed.
Word of the Day
I never thought I’d live to see the day when listening to other people’s romance stories would be so heartening.
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I am currently serializing another work: “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” The Pandora’s Box has been opened again, but we’re fighting back with various activities in our secret base!! Please check that out as well!!
