Clicking noises fill the room while I left myself in disappointment again in my team.
"You suck...!"
CLICK CLICK CLICK
"No one loves you!"
"You could have joined the Stormtroopers with that fucking aim...."
"What the fuck is that? Oh my god... These people, he's just right there!"
"They probably left you in the ditch. That's why you fucking suck. No wonder you can't use that hero properly,"
I trash-talked one of my teammates on an FPS game I casually play. The annoying part is that playing the same game in an alternate world makes no difference, after all. The only change here is whatever universe I am at.
Sighing in disappointment, I powered off my computer. Observing at the reflection of the dark screen, I saw a figure of myself right behind me with a face that looked more sinister. Turning around with a glance, no one was there.
"Oh god... What the hell was that?" I thought.
Looking back to my screen, that exact figure of myself wasn't there.
That was strange. It must have been the computer's weird double reflection or something, or I must have been playing for way too long.
I readied my bed as I turned off the lights and hoped that nothing much would change by tomorrow.
In an eerie yet, empty school, the tall boy with brown hair gazed through the setting sun as it sat on top of the school's rooftop. Cars whoosh through the road, and the strange, but familiar people walk across the streets outside the vicinity of the school grounds.
The tall teenager grabbed something from his breast pocket, rummaged through the fabric of his uniform using the tips of his fingers. He grabbed the smooth, thick-framed glasses.
He puts it on as he looks at the whole surrounding in a clearer view.
"Haruto-san..." A familiar voice called him out.
The boy looked behind as he saw the girl in black, straight hair. The wind breezes through her hair on the right.
"H-Hinagi-san?" The boy responded.
The innocent girl with an unmatched beauty gave him a warm smile.
A rapidly fast-tapping noise comes from behind as another person has arrived.
"H-Haruto-saaan...!" This time it's a higher-pitched cheerful familiar voice.
He looked behind and saw the pink short-haired, waving at him.
"A-Aika..." The boy thought.
The two girls wrapped their arms to the boy. They smiled and chuckled as they gripped his arm tight.
"So... Where are you taking us... Ha - Ru - To - Saaaaan....." Hinagi asked.
"U-uhhh, well..."
"Come on! Harutoooo... I'm growing impatient," The short-haired sporty girl insisted.
"U-Ummm.. We'll be going to the movies..." He said as he looked away from the both of them.
The two pressed their chests on his arms, feeling the springy, bounciness of their breasts as the boy smiled like a pervert.
"Come on... Harutoooo~"
Their voices distort.
"Haruto-kuun,"
It starts to become a bit too distorted.
"Let's go somewhere else~."
The boy blinked, and his thick-framed glasses fell, breaking the hinges and cracked one of the glass as the scenery suddenly changed.
There he saw the two girls ogling and grabbing the arms of another guy. The seemingly familiar person with dark, medium-length hair.
"Y-Yoichi..."
"Come on, Yoichi-kuun~, let's go somewhere,"
The streets become empty. No cars in sight, and the people walking across the road disappear.
The only ones left in this eerie, empty side of the street is the brown-haired boy, a dark-haired boy sandwiched by the two girls with their skins rubbing on their arms.
The two girls' tongue kisses the guy's mouth while the teenager fondles their breasts.
He watched the three doing such an obscene scene in front of them.
One that cannot be foreseen in his own thoughts.
Uncomfortable by the scenario, he picked the thick-framed glasses dropped, and ran away from the three as they continued doing their strange business.
He ran towards the school grounds and dashed through the stairs leading to the school rooftop.
The sun setting on the rooftop's size is larger than he thought. It looked tiny in comparison to where he previously stood.
The hinges of his glasses broke, and the left side of its temple bent.
Fidgeting with the glasses, he tried various ways to bend the temple to its original position and place the hinges back to its former place.
With a smile on his face, he looked at the temporarily fixed glasses.
Shatter!
The entire glasses shattered, disintegrated into a fine dust. The wind blows its remains as the boy looks behind the rooftop's doorway leading to the stairs as a giant shadowy figure shape of a fist gets bigger and bigger.
WHAP!
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The alarm clock I set on my phone blasted on my ears. Irritated by the sound, I immediately looked at my phone as the time checked:
6:13 am
"What a strange dream," I thought as I grasped the side of my head.
Looking at my current surroundings and the strange phenomenon, I thought of everything yesterday as a dream that might be combined with the peculiar visuals and uncanny familiar faces of a manga I recently dropped.
"Didn't I drop that franchise a long time ago?" I thought.
Limping to the bathroom, I soon become aware of the sudden pain and inflammation from the injuries by two people.
"Ryuujin, and Okinashi..." I thought.
Those guys, and them...
It wasn't a dream after all.
I inhaled the air and gave a big sigh.
That means I can see those girls again another day. I will have my revenge, and I will have my harem. Just you wait, the dense and average protagonist, Yoichi! I will surpass you!
I happily skipped through the showers, twisted open the blue-colored tip faucet as the water flowed from the showerhead, blasting its high-pressured water on my delicate skin.
...
"AAAAAAAAAHHH!"
The sound of a high-pitched screaming girl echoed in the early morning as the whole front of my house was displayed like a comedy TV show.
...
"Cold! Too cold!" I screamed like an actual anime girl as I shivered to the bone from the sudden drop of temperature.
I did not expect the water to be so cold in the morning as I hesitantly reached my arm out to the red-tipped faucet to mix the temperature. I turned off the blue-tipped tap as I felt the warm water with a relaxed look on my face.
As I left the water showering on my face, the temperature rose over the second. Each second, the steam arose, filling the bathroom with a foggy atmosphere.
"This is fine," I thought.
The water touching my skin starts to feel like it's scorching.
The definition of warm gets lost as it starts getting hotter and hotter.
It's like someone poured the boiling hot water from a kettle but replaced that of a shower.
....
....
...
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
My house is displayed again from outside, but the screech of a manly voice echoed through the sky while the surrounding birds fly away from the house as far as possible.
It's like the sound of a giant humanoid ready to pounce on another incoming titan and bash their faces.
This is another day in the manga, "I found you at Last: Let's enjoy High School Together." Although I'm just a mob, I will tell you that the harem protagonist does not need to be the only one. It will be me as well, you know?
After taking a bath, I did my usual morning routine and readied my stuff.
My uniform, my bag, everything.
Grabbing my keys and headed out of my house. I locked it and went on my way.
In one of the neighborhoods leading to my school, I observed a distinguishable house that I knew of. It's the house of the Shimizu family. Yoichi locked the gate as well and went on his way.
He glanced in my direction and waved at me with a smile, like your typical, kind MC.
"Tsk," I looked away with an irritated face.
I ignored him and walked forward to the route ahead of them. There I saw another recognizable home that seemed to be a few blocks away from that bastard's home.
It's Aika, his childhood friend. She's jogging in the direction of Yoichi's house. She had a toast in her mouth and casually ran, passing over me as I walked to my school.
A few meters away from them, I heard an echoing voice of Aika.
"Yoichi-kuun~!"
"Oi, Aika-chan...!" The MC of the story responded.
Being further from them, I could not eavesdrop on their discernible voice as I had my head down with my lips tightened.
With the saliva gathering at the back of my throat, I spit them out on the street side. I continued strolling through the neighborhood.
I headed to the route to my school. The roads are so uncomfortably similar that I still can't seem to get used to them. It's like playing the same map of the game in HD graphics and different styles.
As I entered class, I sat on my desk as I watched my entire surroundings, filled with the sounds of my classmates chattering.
"Oi, the new Shounen Jump had just come out last night,"
"The new basketball player is debuted tomorrow!"
"I watched that new series in Notflex. That Korean show is so good,"
"Have you heard about my new boyfriend?"
All those things. I don't have anyone to talk to, not because I'm edgy, but because I really don't have anyone to talk to. Yes, I'm just a mob. An extra in this story. Not going to further details, but if this is just what I've been thrown into, that means there is at least a chance, right?
But because this is based on a manga about a slice of life, bland, typical harem story, I would pretty much think that this can be done easily!
These girls are one-dimensional. So I have a new plan. I'll try to make as much contact with them for today, and I'll see how it goes!
I'll begin with the first main lead right beside me.
Looking to my left, she seems to be writing something off in her notebook. I don't care what the hell she's drawing, but this is a chance to talk to her when Yoichi is not here.
Her appearance is like an artist trying to draw her sketch of someone. Though I would think that what she has drawn is usually the everyday things, this might be the first opportunity for me to talk to her about whatever she's drawing. I glanced at the drawing a bit closer and tried to take on the idea of what the hell she was trying to sketch.
I looked closer as I tried to make up the lines, and it looked like a drawing of a vase. I see... a vase. I tried to recall why the hell did she draw that.
I gulped and gathered the courage to speak out. I inhaled and took in as much air as I could as I was about to talk to one of the main leads of the manga I read.
"Umm-"
"Yoichi-kun!" She looked at the classroom door, and she stood up as she approached that one person I hate the most.
This guy came at the worst freaking time. I swear that this was the only best time I could talk to her. If I can make contact with her, the luck of the harem will go to me.
Just like every visual novel, contact with any girl would immediately mean a love interest. It's going to be like that. If I establish at least a connection, this will work.
One way to steal a harem. The successor of the next harem king will be mine!
"Goddammit," I thought as this face of a bland guy was in my way.
The two went back to their seat, and I heard their conversations. Literally blabbering something about the homework. I swear that homework was just a breeze to me. I really wanted to just bash his face and say that homework is freaking easy.
No... That won't work either. I'll just kill him, and then they're all mine. They will be falling for me, hahahahahaha...
That's completely illogical. I'd be on a death sentence if that happened. This freaking world has the same rules as the other ones, except that I'm in a different place. I must keep my cool.
The teacher has arrived, and the class session has started. Another boring lecture, I suppose.
"Mr. Haruto and Ms. Misaki, can you two pick up these piles of your classmate's homework?" My teacher requested as she left the classroom.
Did I just hear that? Sounds like I have a chance right here. I can finally talk to her, even for a bit. Oh, I guess this is the time, right?
Picking up the piles of schoolwork, I waited until Hinagi picked a small load of it. Though I wanted to get all, she might feel like a burden. So I'll let her handle a few papers.
Heading out of class, we both walked to the hallway to the teacher's office.
Even holding the homework, she still looks delicate and attractive when standing beside me. The morning petals fall under the tree as the scenery displays the school ground reflected behind her as I walk with her. An astonishing but breathtaking scene I have seen.
I have never seen this scenery in those pages, but this is one thing I can cherish even we haven't talked for the past few minutes.
This time, I'll gather the courage to talk to her. Swallowing my anxieties, I opened my mouth this time.
"Umm... Y-you're Hinagi, right?"
No, wait... That's not how you say it. I should have practiced my way of talking at home. This is all improv! Why did I blurt that out? I should have planned this carefully.
"Y-yes..."
"Is the load a bit too heavy? Maybe I can take off a few from yours?"
"I-it's fine..."
"I see..."
The conversation ended quickly.
...
Awkward...
Just walking with her at this point, it's getting too embarrassing to talk to her in this situation. It's so tense that I can't even think straight.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
"I saw you once in front of us yesterday after lunch. You look hurt,"
Great recovery. Oh, wait, no, I should be the one initiating the talk when breaking the awkward phase.
"Ohh hahaha... I just fell down the stairs, that's it," I smiled while making an awkward laugh.
She squinted her eyes with a keen expression, checking if I was really telling the truth.
Stare...
...
Gaze...
I look at her with a bit of smug, trying to keep that lie to myself. I don't want to make myself look in pain in front of her. She's the main lead, after all.
"Hmm... I see, please be careful next time,"
Yatta! I mean, Yes! She's convinced.
"But how come you look like you had a terrible fall? You were limping like your leg is broken,"
"Broken?"
I keep my walking pace steady, being wary of my own pose. There's no way she would notice it.
"Nope, I would have sent myself to the clinic if I did,"
"Then you should look at yourself... and where you're walking,"
When your legs don't work like they used to before...
Shut the fuck up, inner conscience!
"Looks like we're here," I said as we have reached the destination.
Entering the teacher's office, I place the pile of worksheets beside the teacher.
"Thank you, Itachi-san and Misaki-san. Just tell your next teacher that you were helping me. They'll forgive you right away," My teacher bowed as she went back to typing her keyboard on the school computer.
Upon exiting the office, I heard loud taps across the hallway as Hinagi, and I walked together.
"So, I heard that you're Yoichi's girlfriend?"
"G-girlfriend?" She blushed as her face reddened.
I knew it. I mean, that's a given, though, you idiot. I mashed my head from my stupidity. Of course, I know.
"N-no, we're not like that! I'm just someone who just passed by on him, but we had a promise," She smiled as she said that last sentence.
I looked away as I did remember the backstory from the start. A childhood promise.
Footsteps got louder and louder by the second, and a girl bumped my right shoulder where I had my previous bruise. Her pressing on that made it hurt a lot.
"Ff~ Ouch," I held the pain, trying not to swear in front of these two lovely ladies.
"Ah~ Sumimasen," She bowed then ran to the teacher's office.
That was Aika again. She must have forgotten something. Just like a typical airhead. How is she this clumsy and still joins those sports events?
"It's not like you are better than her anyway," My conscious mind thought out loud.
This is a one-dimensional mind! A fucking story. This is fiction... I think.
Heading back to class, she joyfully swayed her hair, headed back to her seat, and approached Yoichi with her hands behind her back.
"Yoichi-kun~! I'm back," She smiled with a slight tilt on her head as she went up front to the main protagonist.
"That was faster than I thought," Yoichi responded.
Right... Almost forgot I wasn't the only one getting this treatment.
Ring...
Lunch period is up.
As much as I don't want to encounter those guys, I have to leave the classroom as quick as possible.
My classmates leave their classroom, and there's one way to ensure I won't get spotted by those two bullies. I'll just have to blend in with these guys. I observed the groups of friends leaving the classroom. The typical sporty-ish guys, the gal types, the nerds are talking about what cram school they're taking, and so on. So the best way for me to blend in is to follow those otakus grouping up.
I walked behind them as swiftly as possible as I left the classroom.
I looked to my left, hoping they would miss me. Ryuujin, the blonde-haired grumpy-looking guy, ignored me as he left the classroom but went to his left as if he was going to his big friend, Okanashi.
I'm glad he didn't notice me, so I ran to the hallway, following the route to the tennis court, where I think that she's usually there.
Entering the tennis court, I took out my lunch box, which consists of a typical lunch meal that includes a portion of rice, a pork cutlet, and a small piece of various vegetables on the side, with a bit of soy sauce on the corner.
Eating my lunch, I watch as she warms herself up. She stretches her whole body to relax and remove discomfort from her body. She practices her swings with her tennis racket as she grabs a tennis ball with her left hand.
Facing against the wall, she readies herself as she keeps her first move by striking the ball towards the wall. At first, the ball bouncing back to the wall looks tame as she tries to get herself the feel of it.
After a minute, she upped her game by increasing the power of her strikes. With a sequence of backhand and forehand, the ball's speed increases, and she backs herself away from the wall.
She's consistent when striking the ball. It's impressive even from afar.
With her skill, I'm pretty sure she would have been breezing through the interschool tournaments.
Speaking of the tournament, did she win yesterday? It was never mentioned in the manga that she won or lost. I should have checked the score before I left.
After a few minutes of training, she picks up a basket of tennis balls from the side and brings it up behind the serving line.
She picked up one ball then strolled to the right side of the service line. With her leg forward, she takes her breath, tosses the ball up high, and places her racket in a serving position. As the ball reaches its maximum point, she waits until it drops to a certain height.
With one swipe, a mighty striking sweep echoed across the tennis court. It was so powerful that I could feel the impact of it from where I was sitting. Which is just a few meters beside her.
She casually repeats her serving training until the basket is emptied.
She left a sigh as she nonchalantly picked up the balls scattered in the court.
Watching her do it alone is giving me the urge to assist her. I stood up and picked up the other balls and placed them in the basket.
She glanced at me with a confused expression as if embarrassed that I was helping her.
"Eh~? You don't need to help me. I was just practicing myself alone,"
"Well, I've been sitting here for quite a while, so why should I not help you?"
"No, I mean you really don't need to help me. I'm good on my own,"
"You looked stressed when you picked them up. Helping a little would be fine,"
"Mmm...." She turned her head away in embarrassment.
"Cat got your tongue?"
She shakes her head with hesitation.
"Just let me help you for a while, alright?"
I just don't want to see her suffering all alone. That's it.
It's pretty normal to get the urge to help someone if they're struggling.
Picking up the last few balls and throwing them to the basket, I picked them and placed them on the side where they will be used later for the tennis club.
"T-thank you... Say, haven't I seen you before?"
"Umm... Yeah... I think?" I replied.
"Ohhh, so that was you in the middle of class. You're Yoichi's classmate, right?"
I scratched my head and inhaled, then let out a big sigh.
"Yes..."
"Well, actually we've been searching for new members in our tennis club. Maybe you should come to our club soon? That idiot Yoichi kept saying that he's 'busy,' but he's talking to this new girl in class..."
She lifts her fist as if getting the urge to punch someone in the air.
"That stupid idiot already has a cute Osananajimi with him this whole time, but he talks to her? I will get him for sure," She swings her fist in the air with fury.
I'm sorry to say this, Aika, but you're just a childhood friend. A losing heroine... I think?
In the later chapters, you'll just be there in the corner acting all cutesy while that bastard drowns himself in pussy.
"It can't be helped. But I'll try out if I can. Apparently, not today, though."
"Ehh~? Why not today?"
"I didn't bring a proper outfit for club,"
"Hey. That's fine. You can just wear your PE uniform when you go to our club,"
"I didn't bring my PE uniform either,"
"What~?"
"We're from different classes, you know? Your PE classes may be scheduled differently to mine. That's why I just said that I didn't bring my uniform,"
"Ohh... Right, silly me hee hee," She placed a fist on her head while sticking her tongue out on the side, like the dumb gesture used if one realizes they're stupid, which she kind of is.
"Welp. I'll be going then," I said as I exited the tennis court.
"Anooo~ You haven't introduced your name yet," she called.
I turned around for a bit.
"It's Haruto Itachi,"
I made the coolest exit I could think of as I waited for her to probably ogle at my seemingly cool guy pose, turning away from her lover leaving the door just like those edgy romantic stories that would leave the room after a lovey-dovey moment.
I turned around for a bit to check on her. As I glanced in her direction, she just packed her stuff nonchalantly like my existence did not even get through her. So much effort was wasted on that exit.
I went to the cafeteria to get a drink after a bit.
"Holy shit. This is getting good!" I thought as I sipped my drink from the straw.
I am pretty sure that this will increase my status from mob to the main character. Once that guy starts having to introduce those girls, he'll start thinking of choosing one. And just like every story I know, he has no choice but to choose one.
Establishing a relationship with those two will work. When the time comes, they'll pick me soon. Or maybe it's possible to pick one out of his harem, and I can take them all one by one.
Revenge will be mine!
Among the crowds' noise echoing across the cafeteria, I heard a distinctive chuckle ahead of the table, and I glanced at the corner of my eye.
Right by the window, I observed Hinagi and Yoichi laughing in joy while enjoying their school meal.
—Soon.