"So... we're in luck," Mom remarked, gesturing toward the container. "We actually have a cup to boil water in now."
After finishing my morning chores, a sudden realization hit me. My face flushed. This was the first time I had ever used a toothbrush that had been used by a girl.
The thought alone was enough to send my blood pressure soaring. My nose began to bleed again! Before I could succumb to the embarrassment, Kagatari stepped in and gently wiped the blood away.
"Wait, what?" Sensei interjected, looking at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "You're really a 'mad maid,' aren't you? Tell me, have you even brushed your own teeth yet?"
"No," she answered simply, her expression blank.
"Well then," Miss Yurin chimed in with a shrug. "You can just use mine or Akiro's brush."
The girl turned toward me, her eyes searching mine. "Do I have your permission, Akiro-sama...?"
"Uh, sure... okay," I stammered.
Once her work was finished, we sat down together. We shared the boiled water, carefully sipping from the cup while making sure our lips never actually touched the rim.
"...because it was getting too close, but me and my teacher had no shame at all..."
Everyone was silent for a few moments. Meanwhile, I was staring at Rin. She really was beautiful. She had elite, long black hair, rosy lips, and such clear skin. Her eyes were a deep, light-blue combination that drew you in.
"Guys, my, Ahiro's, and Kagatari's branch's name is K.Y.A.," said Sensei.
"Huh? Weren't we thinking about making a shelter?" Rin asked, pulling everyone back to the task at hand.
"Oh? Yes."
Suddenly, Kagatari spoke up. "Ahiro-sama, I've seen a cave over this mountain... because I had been spawned there.""What? Really? That's actually good news."
Sensei leaned forward, a look of relief crossing his face. "A cave is far better than a makeshift wooden shelter. Lead us there, Kagatari-san."
"No!" Kagatari interjected sharply.
"Why not?"
"I can only follow my Lord's rule," she replied, her voice firm, leaving no room for argument.
I shrugged, trying to ease the tension. "Huh? Okay. Well, let's go then, Kagatari-chan."
"'Chan'?" Rin chimed in, eyebrow raised. "She's clearly older than both of us, Ahiro."
Kagatari didn't miss a beat. "Hey! That is my Lord's matter, not yours."
"Okay, okay, whatever," I said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let's just move."
A collective cheer broke out. Sensei, Kagatari, and I shouted with a sudden burst of joy, "Let's gooooo!"
We followed her trail, trekking through the dense terrain until we reached the safety of the mountain. From this height, the world below looked deceptively plain—a flat canvas of green and blue.
"Come over," Kagatari called out, gesturing toward the sound of rushing water. "Near this waterfall river."
We followed her voice and found it: a magnificent cave nestled near the riverbank. It was massive—the kind of space that felt like it could hold a thousand people within its stone ribs.
"It's a perfect location," Sensei remarked, looking around at the surrounding trees. "We have water, shelter, and a clear view of the perimeter."
"Woah," Rin breathed, her eyes wide as she stepped into the cool dark of the cavern. "Nice. It'll be our domain."
"But what is its name, then?" Mom asked.
I took a breath, looking at the vast stone ceiling, and felt the weight of the moment.
"Mmm... [ THE HAREM DOMAIN ]," I declared.
Rin let out a sharp, frustrated sigh. "Guh! Harem again? Okay... what's next? Godzilla Tummy?"
A stunned silence followed my announcement. We all stood there, the name echoing off the cave walls. But then, Miss Yurin and Kagatari stepped forward, nodding in agreement. With their support, the name was finalized.
Our new home had a name.
"So... we have to decorate it," Miss Yurin suggested, her eyes scanning the cold stone interior. "We need to give it a proper home vibe."
"Nice thought," Rin added, crossing her arms as she began to mentally check off a list. "But let me decide what we actually need. We need beds, torches, food, and clothes."
I nodded. "Right. Then let's head out for wood and leaves."
The whole team set off on a collection run. For over an hour, we scavenged the surrounding forest, eventually returning to the [ HAREM DOMAIN ] with our arms full. Rin and I had managed to gather a decent supply of timber, while Sensei and Kagatari—acting on my orders—brought back heaps of broad, sturdy leaves.
"Okay," Sensei said, wiping sweat from her brow. "Let's start building!"
But before we could begin, Kagatari stepped forward, her eyes fixed on me.
"Ahiro-sama... can I have your permission to make everything by myself?"
A wave of surprise hit the group. We all stared at her, caught off guard by the request. I took a moment to think, then gave a slow nod.
"Okay. As you wish, Kagatari-san."
A faint blush crept onto Kagatari's cheeks. She began to bite the nail of her right hand nervously, her other hand reaching down to stretch her black, maid-style skirt—a pose that felt straight out of a classic harem narrative.
"OK!! Do it!" Rin cut in, sounding skeptical. "But how? You really think you can do all this alone?"
"Yes!" Kagatari's shyness vanished, replaced by a sudden spark of confidence. "I have mastered these works. Just stay back and watch."
"But—"
"Don't think," she interrupted, already moving.
Suddenly, she became a blur of focused energy. She began to assemble the materials with a precision that didn't seem human. She laid out the leaves in perfect rectangular shapes to form beds, then began shaping the sticks into torches. With practiced ease, she bound the edges using dry roots and began digging them into the wall line by line.
[ CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS: 4+4 = 8 PIECES INSTALLED ]
The cave was transforming before our eyes.
After that, she assembled four more sticks, digging them firmly into the ground. On top, she placed a set of smoothly joined sticks to form a rustic table, lashing them together with ropes made of tree roots. Finally, she carved a square socket into the cave wall and slotted the remaining timber into place.
The entire transformation happened in just half an hour. We stood there, absolutely astonished, staring at the finished work.
"Ahiro-sama, it is ready."
"Whoa! You're brilliant, Kagatari! Thank you so much," I said, genuinely impressed.
"Uh? O-M-G?" Rin muttered, her eyes wide as she scanned the room.
Miss Yurin chuckled softly. "It's oh-my-harem, actually. It's definitely his style."
Kagatari turned toward me, her expression softening. "Lord Ahiro, can I say something?"
"Okay. What is it?"
"We need to bathe," she stated matter-of-factly. "Because we only have these clothes, right?"
"Absolutely! I was just thinking about that," Rin jumped in.
We stepped out of the cave toward the river. The water was crystalline—so clear you could see the rocky bed, though the fish were sparse.
"But," Rin asked, glancing at her tattered outfit, "if we wash our clothes now... what are we supposed to wear in the meantime? Leaves?"
"Absolutely! Leaves!" Miss Yurin laughed. "We can even make a temporary cloth set for ourselves!"
While the girls prepared to bathe, I retreated into the thicket to craft some temporary garments for everyone. Kagatari had offered to help me, but I insisted she join the others.
"Ahiro-san... have you really got it done?" Miss Yurin's voice called out from the water.
"Yes, Sensei!"
I emerged from the bushes and stepped forward. The girls immediately flushed a deep crimson, their eyes darting away.
"You! Brat! Leave those clothes and get out of here!"
"Okay! I'm going!" I shouted, retreating as fast as I could.
A few minutes later, I called out from behind the tree line. "Have you two finished?"
"Yes! Come and take your bath," Rin replied.
I stepped out and saw them wearing the leaf-garments they had woven. Simple leaf skirts and chest wraps—it was a primitive look, but the visual impact was undeniable. They looked... striking. The leaf coverings were barely sufficient, and they seemed to be constantly adjusting them with their hands just to stay covered.
As they headed off to construct a hanger for our wet clothes, I descended into the river. The water was cool, rising just to my hips. But before I could even start, I froze.
Kagatari was right there. And she was undoing her clothes.
A surge of panic hit me. She's going to bathe with me?!
"Wha—! What are you doing!?" I stammered.
"Ah? I'm going to bathe with you, sama."
"But... you're a girl! And I haven't bathed with anyone since I was a kid! You can go after me!"
"Uh?" She tilted her head, her expression completely innocent. "But I'm your maid, after all. It's my duty to wash your clothes... and your body."
My breath hitched in my throat. As she spoke, she didn't hesitate—she was already exposed.
[ COGNITIVE OVERLOAD: TALKING ABILITY LOST ]
I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. In the close quarters of the river, I was seeing everything—every detail of a girl's body from inches away. And then, she touched me. My heart hammered against my ribs; it was my first experience like this. The reality of her presence—the sheer physicality of her—was more than I could process.
After we finally finished and made our way back toward the [ HAREM DOMAIN ], I saw that Yurin and Rin had been busy. They had constructed a sturdy cloth hanger outside the cave using wooden sticks. Already, their undergarments, my coat, and Miss Yurin's clothes were hanging there, swaying slightly in the island breeze.
Miss Yurin waved her hand as she saw us approaching. After hanging the rest of our clothes to dry, we retreated into the shadows of the cave and gathered around the makeshift table.
Suddenly, Miss Yurin leaned in, her eyes narrowing. "Ahiro... why do you look so pale?"
"Don't tell me..." Rin's voice trailed off, her gaze darting between us. "Don't tell me Kagatari actually bathed with you."
"Yes," Kagatari answered simply, her expression unbothered. "He and I shared a bath."
The cave erupted. "WHAT!!?!!" they wailed in unison.
"You're a massive pervert, Kagatari!" Rin shouted, pointing a finger.
"Yes," Kagatari replied with a calm, tilting head. "I am his maid."
Time began to blur. Since that day, I hadn't eaten a single scrap of food. Every time the group went out to scavenge, they failed to find anything strictly vegetarian. We had stumbled across some oranges once, but even those didn't sit right with me.
[ STATUS: 48 HOURS WITHOUT SUSTENANCE ]
One evening, deep within the [ HAREM DOMAIN ], a fire crackled at the center of our circle. Rin, Sensei, and Kagatari sat around me on the leaf beds, their faces etched with worry.
"Ahiro... we've failed again to find food you can eat," they pleaded. "Please, just eat a piece of fish. If you don't, you're going to starve to death. Please..."
"N-No..." I moaned, the weakness in my limbs making it hard to even sit upright.
I can't, I thought bitterly. I'm an uppermost-level vegetarian. I don't even like most fruits. My body just won't accept it.
Suddenly, a strange 'mur-mur' sound echoed from the mouth of the cave. The girls snapped their heads toward the entrance. A small rabbit was hopping past the threshold, its nose twitching in the firelight.
"Oh... it's just a rabbit," Kagatari said, her tension easing slightly.
"N-No," Miss Yurin whispered, her voice trembling with genuine fear. "There's someone else... someone is coming here!"
Two shadows stretched across the cave floor, slowly advancing toward us. My girls tensed, fear radiating through the small space. But as the figures stepped into the orange glow of the firelight, the threat vanished—replaced by confusion.
Standing there were two girls, both with striking, peach-colored hair.
"Who are you?" My group and the newcomers asked the question simultaneously.
After a tense round of introductions, the more mature-looking woman spoke. "I'm Tsukiko Kageyoni. This is my daughter, Yuzuki. We were... just watching a horror movie when we suddenly found ourselves here, heading toward this cave."
She paused, her gaze falling on me. "And what happened with the boy, Ahiro? He looks dangerously weak."
"Uh, he hasn't eaten anything for two days," Miss Yurin explained, her voice heavy with worry. "Because he's a strict vegetarian."
Suddenly, Kagatari lunged forward, catching Tsukiko's hand. Her eyes were welling up with tears. "Oh! Ma'am... please help us if you have any vegetarian food! My Ahiro-sama is starving to death. He hasn't even been able to bathe with me these past few days!"
"Uh?! Bathe with him?" Yuzuki's eyes went wide. "What a pervert."
Tsukiko looked at me thoughtfully, a strange expression crossing her face. "Um... I have milk. Can he drink that?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course! ...Maybe..." The girls shouted with a sudden burst of frantic happiness.
"Okay," Tsukiko said, her voice dropping to a softer tone. "But everyone else has to leave the cave for a minute. Can you do that?"
"OF COURSE!" Kagatari and Miss Yurin shouted together, not wasting a second.
Everyone scrambled out of the cave, leaving only me and the woman behind. I sat there in the sudden silence, my head spinning from hunger. I didn't understand what was about to happen.
I watched as Tsukiko smiled, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. She moved closer, her hand reaching out to guide me until I was sitting right beside her.
Then, with a calm deliberation that left me frozen, she began to undo the buttons of her shirt. I couldn't move; my limbs felt like lead as I caught a glimpse of her pink lace bra. A heat that had nothing to do with the cave's fire rushed to my face.
She didn't stop. She adjusted the garment, exposing herself, and gently but firmly pushed my head forward toward her.
What is... My thoughts trailed off as the world narrowed down to that single, overwhelming moment.
A few minutes later, Tsukiko's voice echoed out toward the entrance, calling the others back in. Rin, Kagatari, and Miss Yurin hurried into the firelight, stopping dead in their tracks when they saw me sitting calmly beside her.
"Uh! How!?" the girls gasped in unison, looking at my suddenly revitalized expression.
"He drank the liquid food of mine," Tsukiko said, her voice steady and her expression serene.
"Huh? Milk?" Rin looked around the sparse cave, her eyes searching the shadows. "So... where is the milk bottle or whatever?"
Tsukiko didn't answer with words. She simply raised a finger and pointed directly to her chest.
The silence that followed was heavy, before every girl in the room screamed with absolute surprise.
"Whaaat!!??!!" Rin shouted, her face turning a bright shade of crimson. "You gave him your breast milk! MILF!"
END