CHAPTER 41: THE KISS THAT SPARKED A HAREM WAR

I woke up to the distinct sensation of something nibbling my chin.

Not a squirrel, thank the gods.

Just Ayame.

More specifically—Ayame’s hair, which had somehow unbraided itself during the night and now lay tangled across my face like a silky trap. Her arm was slung over my chest, her leg still firmly entwined with mine, and her face was buried so deep into my neck it looked like she was trying to phase through me.

I could barely move.

"Morning," I croaked.

She groaned, curling in tighter. "No it isn’t. I declare rebellion against sunlight."

"You smell like sleepy vengeance."

"You smell like man-flavored comfort. Don’t move."

"Wasn’t planning to."

I lay there for a while, listening to the steady rhythm of her breath, the occasional twitch of her foot as dreams tried to reclaim her.

Then she stirred.

Cracked one eye open.

Squinted at me.

"...Did we kiss last night or did I dream that?"

"We kissed."

She blinked. "Did I look cool?"

"You looked like you were about to combust."

Ayame groaned and flopped onto her back, eyes wide and horrified. "Ugh, that was a real kiss, wasn’t it? Like lips and emotions and stuff?"

"Yup."

"Regret. Panic. Mild arson."

I laughed. "You said you wanted to know."

"I also said ninja squirrels were real. I was sleep-deprived."

"You were very awake."

She rolled back toward me, cheeks pink, fingers absentmindedly playing with the hem of my shirt—which she was still wearing, by the way.

"...Was it bad?" she asked softly.

I met her gaze. "Ayame. It was perfect."

She blinked again, this time slower, like she was filing the words away in a place she didn’t let many things live. Then—of course—she ruined it.

"So... you wanna make out again or do I need to trip down the stairs first to build dramatic tension?"

"...Breakfast."

"Fine," she sighed. "But I’m stealing more of your clothes after."

She rolled off the pillow pile with a flourish, dragging the blanket behind her like a cape. As she padded toward the door, she turned back and added with a grin, "By the way... that braid? Totally ruined."

I reached up to check—my hair was a disaster.

"Sabotage?"

She winked. "Foreshadowing."

And then she was gone, off to cause chaos somewhere else in the manor.

I stared at the ceiling for a beat longer.

Smiled.

Then groaned when I heard a familiar royal voice echo down the hallway:

"Ren~! We need to talk before nightfall."

Oh no.

Elira was awake.

And she’d just remembered it was her turn.

---

The sunlight had finally taken full command of the estate, pouring in through the massive glass windows that overlooked the garden. The dining room gleamed—polished wood, crisp linen, and the not-so-subtle tension of multiple beautiful women pretending not to hate each other before 9 a.m.

Ayame and I entered the dining room fashionably late, which was only fair since she spent an extra ten minutes styling her "morning messy look" to perfection. I wasn’t allowed to comment.

"Morning," I greeted, cautiously.

Sora, seated nearest the head of the table, didn’t even glance at us. She sipped her tea in silence, pinky raised like a passive-aggressive queen.

Elira shot me a smile—tight, diplomatic. "Sleep well?"

Before I could answer, Ayame leaned in and whispered, "Say ’like a baby’ and I’ll shiv you with a butter knife."

"...Like a soldier between wars," I amended.

Mei cleared her throat from across the table, eyes focused on the perfect flower arrangement she was crafting on her plate out of fruit slices. Akane was already eating, sleeves rolled up, and definitely not watching me.

Definitely.

I sat beside Ayame. A plate of tamagoyaki and grilled fish appeared in front of me—Mei’s doing, no doubt. A bowl of steaming miso soup followed. Someone had definitely gone all out.

"This looks amazing," I said genuinely.

"It should," Mei muttered without looking up. "I woke up two hours before dawn to prepare everything."

Ayame whistled. "Damn. Overachiever much?"

"It’s called respect," Mei replied, finally meeting her eyes. "Something I wouldn’t expect a pillow thief to understand."

"You literally stole my man’s time slot three nights from now with a card game," Ayame shot back.

"I won that card game."

"Elira cheated!"

Elira smiled sweetly. "I merely redefined the rules mid-hand. It’s called strategy."

"Oh my god," I muttered, shoving a bite of rice in my mouth before it turned into an actual food fight.

Tension simmered just beneath the surface like a pot on the edge of boiling. They were all dressed differently—cute casuals, oversized sleeves, some still in loungewear—but their moods were unified:

Possessive. Competitive. Dangerously pretty.

Ayame kept nudging me under the table.

"Eat the pickled daikon."

"Why?"

"It’s good for stamina."

"...That a threat?"

"Not yet."

Suddenly, Rin’s voice cut through the low chaos.

"Ren. Kitchen. Now."

All eyes snapped to her as she stood near the doorway, arms crossed.

She wasn’t smiling.

"Uh... sure?"

I stood, glanced nervously at Ayame, who was busy biting her toast just a bit too hard.

"May God be with you," Elira said, totally deadpan.

---

The Kitchen

Rin was standing near the island counter. Her expression unreadable. There was no breakfast tray, no food surprise—nothing elaborate.

"Hey," I said cautiously, stepping inside.

"Hey," she echoed, glancing at me.

A beat passed. The silence stretched like taffy.

Then, without another word, she took two quick steps forward, grabbed my shirt—and kissed me.

Firm. Certain.

Her lips were soft but urgent, the kind of kiss that carried meaning she couldn’t say out loud. Her hand clenched lightly in my shirt. Her eyes fluttered closed. And mine widened.

For a moment, the world stopped.

Then she broke away, gaze cast down as if embarrassed by her own boldness.

"I just... wanted to do that before someone else did," she whispered.

---

⚠️ SYSTEM ALERT

💬 Sudden affection detected. Witnessed by multiple parties.

📉 Jealousy metrics rising rapidly.

🔁 Action required to prevent miscommunication fallout.

✅ RECOMMENDED RESPONSE: Kiss her back. Passionately.

🎁 Reward: Affection Boost (Rin), Public Trust Stabilization

❌ Failure Penalty: Jealousy Fracture Event | Affection Drain - Mei, Sora

🔒 Hidden Bonus Possible...

---

I took a breath.

Stepped forward.

Slid my hand behind her neck—and kissed her back.

No hesitation.

This one wasn’t soft. It wasn’t cautious. It was declaration.

My lips met hers with purpose, and she melted into me like it was all she’d wanted since the start. Her fingers gripped my sleeves. I felt her smile into the kiss—then shudder just slightly as I deepened it.

When we pulled apart, she was breathless, cheeks flushed, lips parted slightly in surprise and... something softer.

"W-Wow," she breathed.

And then—

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

We both jumped.

I turned.

Sora was standing in the hallway, teacup in hand, eyes wide.

Mei was behind her, mouth open, hands on her hips like a disappointed teacher.

Ayame was halfway into the kitchen already.

Elira strolled in last, dragging a chair with a smug smile. "Don’t mind us. Just here to witness the downfall."

"...This isn’t what it looks like," I started.

"Oh no, it’s exactly what it looks like," Mei snapped. "You kissed her!"

"She kissed me first!" I protested.

"Which would’ve been forgivable," Ayame said coldly, "if you didn’t kiss her back like you were writing a damn love letter with your mouth!"

Rin stepped forward, for once not blushing. "I don’t regret it."

Mei gasped. "You brat—"

"Enough." Sora’s voice cut like frost. "If we’re doing this, let’s do it the smart way. He kissed her. Big deal. We all know how this ends."

"Do we?" Elira asked sweetly. "Because right now, it looks like Rin just leapfrogged the emotional rankings."

"Rankings?" I echoed weakly, brain buffering.

"Oh, absolutely," she said, crossing her legs like she was holding court. "Sora had early advantage. Mei has the domestic point lead. Ayame just claimed the bed event, but now Rin’s gunning for emotional intimacy. That was a power move."

"Power move?" Rin echoed, arms crossed but cheeks still a little pink. "I was just honest. Maybe the rest of you should try it."

Sora scoffed, her voice sharp as a knife’s edge. "Honesty? Or opportunism?"

"I didn’t see you making a move," Rin shot back.

"That’s because I’m not trying to win a race. I’m trying to build something that lasts," Sora replied coolly.

"Cute," Elira purred, "but this isn’t just a romance, darling. This is a war of presence."

"Then I vote we take turns," Mei snapped, stepping between them. "Equal affection rotation. If Rin gets to kiss him, I get to bathe him."

"Bathe—?!" I choked.

"Fair is fair," Mei said primly, already rolling up her sleeves.

"I second that," Akane muttered from the doorway. "He smells like Ayame and kitchen smoke. Unacceptable."

"Why is bathing me suddenly on the table?!" I demanded, backing away.

"Because it’s intimate without being indecent," Mei replied. "And I want to test his reaction to temperature contrast—emotionally, of course."

"You just want to pour cold water on me," I accused.

"No comment."

"I still vote kisses," Rin said, stepping up again. "And since I went first, I should get one more before it resets."

"Oh, hell no," Ayame growled. "If anyone’s kissing him again today, it’s me. In fact—no, I’m calling it. I’m invoking First Claim Clause."

"There’s no such thing," Elira said with a grin.

"There is now."

"Can I opt out?" I muttered, looking at the ceiling.

"No," four girls said at once.

"Elira," Sora added coldly, "if you suggest a ’kissing rotation,’ I will throw your fan in the fire."

"Fine," Elira sighed. "But can I at least nominate myself for post-breakfast lap rights?"

"LAP RIGHTS?!" I was rapidly losing control of my life.

"Ugh, forget this," Ayame snapped.

She grabbed my arm with the force of a woman done with democracy and pointed toward the nearest hallway.

"You, me, kitchen exit. Now."

"I’m already in the kitchen—"

"I said now, Ren."

Rin smirked. "That’s fine. He knows where my lips are when he wants another taste."

Ayame growled.

Mei looked ready to throw the nearest bowl.

Elira clapped once. "And the harem war intensifies."

---

🎉 SYSTEM LOG:

✅ Mission Success: Clarify Affection | Rin

❤️ Rin Affection +40

🔓 Hidden Bonus Unlocked: Kitchen Heat

🔥 Side Effect: Rival Tension Intensified

⚠️ Emotional sync with Sora, Mei, and Ayame slightly destabilized

Recommend: Strategic one-on-one bonding. Soon.

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