Inside the staff locker room currently, two individuals could be seen. One was a handsome young man with long dark blue hair and wearing a seductive smile, while the other one with crimson eyes seemed reluctant and annoyed to be here.
"What confession? Are you here to confess your sins and want me to forgive you?"
"Oh, you have forgiven me already. I know that." Hearing his confident response, Minoru grumbled.
'This guy is irritating at so many degrees.' He inwardly muttered and tried to push him away.
However, Naoko held his hand and pressed it against the door—rendering him motionless.
Minoru glared at the guy but it didn't scare Naoko off. Rather it seemed adorable in his eyes.
"You know I broke up with Koori?" The sudden shift in conversation surprised Minoru but he held his stance and spat in a mocking tone,
"Just be honest and say that she dumped you."
Naoko smirked, "And does that make you happy? Don't you like her, Minoru?"
Minoru was momentarily startled hearing that as he failed to respond immediately.
Naoko's heart turned heavy but he didn't let it show on his face and asked Minoru, "If you get the chance would you date her?"
"Ah, no." Minoru's response was quick this time. Although he had a crush on her, he knows Koori's taste as such he would rather have his different personality be in a relationship with the girl rather than get involved with her while being Minoru.
Unbeknownst to Minoru, his response brought a sudden rush of elation within Naoko as he suddenly dropped his head on Minoru's neck.
"H-Hey, what are you doing?"
Naoko slightly tilted his head to look at his side profile before whispering, "You don't know how much you have troubled me recently."
"Troubled? I rescued you from trouble!" Minoru exclaimed.
Naoko chuckled as with a soft smile he said, "And that's what made me feel troubled."
Minoru didn't face many situations where he couldn't discern the meaning behind one's words and actions. But currently, he was really confused.
Naoko knew that he wasn't being honest and direct however the fear of rejection was too great and that fear leveled up his patience.
He separated himself from him and opened the door for Minoru wordlessly.
Minoru stared at Naoko weirdly like he was looking at some rare species.
Regardless, he didn't wait there for long and walked out of the staff room.
Naoko watched his back....and involuntarily his eyes landed on the bubbly butt of Minoru.
'Tch...I need to control myself.' Shaking his head with slight redness on his cheeks he decided to have a coffee to clear his head.
Back on the table, the food was already served and everyone was waiting for Minoru to return.
He acquired his seat beside his mum and the family began to eat.
While they were eating and chatting, Mira suddenly asked,
"By the way Minoru, are you interested in Naoko...like a potential love interest?"
Call it mother's institution, Mira already knew that her son was bi and considering the scene she saw a few minutes ago when she went to bring some tissue papers, she was now curious to know her son's relationship with Naoko.
Surprisingly, the question aroused a more profound reaction from Shiori and Kosuke than the person being asked himself.
Minoru was nonchalant when he was asked and he didn't contemplate much to answer either, "No, Mom. I don't."
Kosuke and Shiori both secretly smiled and their shoulders relaxed. Meanwhile, Mira didn't have much of a reaction as she continued to eat.
However, as much as unfocused she looked, she didn't miss the reaction of her husband and daughter...
Returning home, Minoru lay down on the bed and decided to relax for some time.
He had his stomach full of food and if not for the walk they had from the restaurant to here, he might have to take medicine.
'Damn...my belly is flat as ever....' He was not having any body enhancement but he was in perfect shape. Maybe, one of the passive benefits of being an Enchantress?
'System...can you tell me something which you are not supposed to?'
[....I would like to hear the question first.]
Minoru grinned before asking, "Once I level up, would there be some kind of body duplication artefact in the shop?"
Recently, he has begun to worry. Things between his family members would become a stressful matter in no time. He couldn't just get up and tell them that he was no longer a human and would love them all.
This was not a world of some novel. Harem here is still considered cheating. And Minoru didn't want to hurt his family members. The way they would break after hearing that Minoru is having a secret affair with all of them....he couldn't even think about it.
The system took some time before responding,
[There could be. However, are you sure that it is the answer to your problems?]
Minoru sighed, "There are no other options. I couldn't be there for everyone at the time they needed me. I can tell them my secret but when it comes to sharing time with them, no one would compromise."
In this world, he had friends and family members with whom he could share his grief and happiness, but things related to his other side were something he could only rely on the System.
There was a long pause, to the point Minoru thought that the System wouldn't respond at all. However, just as he was about to get up and change clothes, the system sent another message,
[Host, once you ascend, an ability you would obtain that would allow the people deeply connected to you, to become completely attached to you. It is a passive skill so you won't be manipulating them.]
Reading the texts, Minoru frowned, "Are you saying, they would just eventually accept my reality since they can't live without me?"
[Something like that.]
Minoru's frown grew deeper. Wasn't it just pure manipulation? He knows that his family loves him but accepting being a part of his harem is a little too difficult.
[Host, you cannot change your fate. The people related to you cannot escape you any longer. But if you still don't want their thought process to shift, there is only one method.]
Minoru remained silent and just some seconds later, the system fed the answer,
[Do not ascend and live the rest of your life as an Enchantress.]
********** New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI★Fire.net
A/N:- Hmm~the real problem starts now. Well, I won't make it too dramatic. The people in his harem would be decided by you people. I would be taking Kosuke, Mira, Shiori, Koori and Naoko for sure. Now it's your time to tell, who else deserves to be his lover.