Ichinose Honami pouted, "Of course you're human! You have body warmth, and I can touch you!"
She felt Kaoruwas teasing her, though she had indeed thought about it.
"Actually, I'm a superhuman."
Kaorusaid seriously, "The reason I hanged myself and became this young is because my superpower has limitations - I need to reset my body periodically."
Ichinose Honami was stunned for a long moment, unable to tell if he was lying or not.
"What... what is your superpower?"
The girl asked timidly.
Kaoruextended his empty hands toward her, formed one into a fist, and placed it before her, saying, "Open it and see."
With anxious anticipation, Ichinose Honami slowly opened Kaoru Tōru's fist, immediately spotting a piece of candy inside.
"I can materialize things that shouldn't exist."
Actually, Kaoruhad just exchanged for a [Recharge Candy] - he had saved up over a hundred rewards by now.
Ichinose Honami picked up the [Recharge Candy], trying to see what made it special.
"So, the shares in the Shijin Group - did you materialize those too?"
"Correct."
"And the songs you wrote before - were those materialized too?"
"No, those were my original creations, but the ability to write songs was something I materialized."
"This superpower is so convenient!"
Ichinose Honami's eyes sparkled, "Can you materialize anything you want!?"
Kaorutested her, "Don't you find this strange?"
"Eh, strange?"
Ichinose Honami seemed not to understand what he meant.
"I have superpowers."
Kaorureminded her, "I might even pull out a Hypnosis App next."
The girl had accepted the superpower premise too quickly, as if she wouldn't doubt him at all.
"Even with superpowers, you're still my boyfriend!"
Ichinose Honami emphasized this point strongly, "Even if you want to use a Hypnosis App, you can only use it on me!"
Kaoru Tōru's expression became complicated. This unquestioning attitude caused subtle changes in his state of mind.
"Wait! Am I the only person you've told?"
Ichinose Honami suddenly realized something.
"You're the only one who knows. Even my former idols don't know."Kaoru began to feel more at ease. Perhaps it was precisely because of her attitude that he decided to tell her.
"Ehehe, so I'm the only one who knows."
Ichinose Honami was very happy. She held the [Recharge Candy] in her hand, refusing to let go as if it were a treasure. It was obvious how much she liked it.
Seeing her accept it so quickly, Kaoru didn't know what to say.
"Are you recovering now, Kaoru?"
Ichinose Honami asked.
Kaoru was stunned for a long time. "Recovery" probably referred to the excuse he had just made up about needing to reset periodically.
"I'm fine now."
"Will it always be like this in the future?"
"I don't know, but I won't hang myself anymore."
Hearing this, Ichinose Honami visibly relaxed. She had been particularly concerned about Kaoru's suicidal tendencies.
"I'm sorry for keeping it from you all this time."
Kaoru felt somewhat heavy-hearted. His situation was too complicated, and if he wanted to continue being with them, he couldn't keep hiding it.
Ichinose Honami fell silent. Her boyfriend claimed to be a superhuman and was suspected to be an older man—what kind of expression was she supposed to have?
"What happened just now could be considered the reason why you kept it from us. But, Kaoru, you didn't have to tell me. Why did you suddenly decide to share all this?"
Kaoru swallowed nervously. The part about the system could be brushed off as superpowers, but the matter of the agency wasn't so easy to explain.
...
"I spent two years at the agency. My relationships with them, especially with some people, have already crossed the final line."
Kaoru met Ichinose Honami's gaze and sighed. "Now, because of my sudden departure, they've tracked me here and could show up at any time."
Yes, that was the information Tsukishiro Kazunari had given him.
Next month, people from the 283 Agency would come in person to verify whether Kaoru was their producer.
Ichinose Honami's body trembled slightly. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to know about Kaoru's past—it felt like she was about to lose him.
"I won't leave."
Kaoru's eyes were firm. "I won't let go of any of you."
This was how selfish people were—even if he ended up battered and bruised, he wouldn't let a single one of them go.
"Being a producer is in the past. Now, I'm just an ordinary high school student."
Kaoru held her in his arms. "I'll handle things with them. Even if it makes me seem like a scumbag, I don't care anymore."
Ichinose Honami gripped his clothes tightly. Even though she had already made a decision, her heart still ached, making it hard to breathe and bringing her to the verge of tears.
"What if... what if they really take you away?"
This was Ichinose Honami's greatest fear. She couldn't bear to face such a reality. Could her relationship with Kaoru compare to his bonds with the idols at the agency?
"They won't. They were the main characters in the last story, but you're the main character in this one."
Kaoru comforted her. "I'll explain things clearly to them. Actually, Kaoru and Hana are quite easy to talk to."
It felt like telling his current girlfriend that his ex-girlfriends were nice and that they should all get along. Kaoru felt like he was becoming more and more of a scumbag.
"Will there be another story after this?"
However, Ichinose Honami had latched onto another key point.
"P-probably not, right?"Kaoru felt quite guilty, as he was struggling to manage even his current Harem.
"Mmm!"
Ichinose Honami seemed to regret her decision, "I shouldn't have let you have a Harem in the first place. Everyone is fighting over you."
Kaoru could only pretend not to hear.
"Actually, I was mentally prepared for this," Ichinose Honami whispered. "From the moment I found out about your identity, I knew there would be trouble. You definitely wouldn't let us go, and you wouldn't let go of your former idols either. Everyone is part of your Harem, everyone is your cup."
By the end, her tone had taken on a sulky edge.
"I know, and I'm grateful that Honami isn't holding it against me," Kaoru said, patting her head. "That's why I hope all of you can get along and be my cups together."
Ichinose Honami's ears turned bright red. She hadn't expected him to take her sulky words seriously and quickly protested, "Don't make fun of me!"
Kaoru smiled. "Not angry anymore?"
Ichinose Honami bumped her head against him several times, clearly still upset.
"Fine, for your sake, let them come over!"
After a moment, Ichinose Honami lifted her pretty face, having shed her earlier timidity and insecurity. She was determined to see what these little idols were made of.
What was there to be afraid of?
She trusted her boyfriend. At worst, it would just mean a few more members in the Harem!
Seeing this, Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief while also feeling fortunate.
Having such an understanding girlfriend who could even comfort herself was a blessing. She wasn't like some other girls who would sneak away or outright refuse to be part of a Harem.
Though, refusing to be in a Harem was actually the normal reaction.
A girlfriend like Ichinose Honami was an extreme exception and couldn't be taken as a reference.
As Kaoru reminisced about the past, he wondered who would be joining them next month.
"Don't think about anyone but me," Ichinose Honami said, forcibly turning his face toward her so he could see only her. "Right now, I'm your girlfriend. You're not even allowed to think about Kei!"
Before Kaoru could respond, she leaned in and kissed him.
Her lips were soft and tender, and Kaoru instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender waist. They lay on the bed, with her on top of him.
"You have to do to me what you did to Sakayanagi earlier," Ichinose Honami murmured, biting her lip with a seductive gaze. "And... no protection..."
Kaoru didn't reply, simply continuing to kiss her.