7:59 AM – Rooftop, Class 2-B Building
Ren rubbed his eyes. He thought he'd sneak in a quiet moment before homeroom.
He was wrong.
A table stood in the center of the rooftop, surrounded by five chairs.
And five very determined girls.
Haruka, Yui, Emi, Rika, and Mei.
"Welcome, Ren-kun," Emi said with a totally serious expression. "You are now in the presence of the—"
"Harem Council," they all said in unison.
Ren nearly tripped backwards. "THE WHAT?!"
Rule 1: No Girl Left Behind
Haruka spoke first, slamming her hand on the table.
"Each girl gets equal time with you. No favoritism. No secret dates. No skipping turns!"
"Even if I'm the childhood friend," she added, glaring at Rika.
"Even if I'm cuter," Mei whispered smugly.
"Even if I have the best exam scores," Emi added flatly.
"Even if I'm… just me," Yui said softly.
Rule 2: No Kissing (Yet)
Rika: "It's not fair if one girl steals the lead with lip DLC."
Mei: "No fair unless we all get a shot—"
Everyone: "NO."
Ren turned bright red. "W-Why is this a council rule?!"
Rule 3: Date Rotation System
Emi pulled out a neatly typed schedule, complete with time slots and activity zones.
"This week is:
Monday: Haruka – Shopping trip
Tuesday: Yui – Library + tea
Wednesday: Mei – Game center
Thursday: Rika – Night co-op session
Friday: Emi – Study date"
Ren just blinked. "Wait—I never agreed to any of this!"
Yui looked down, then up at him shyly. "But… you didn't say no either."
He froze.
Touché.
Rule 4: No Forcing Feelings
Yui took a deep breath.
"Let Ren decide… when he's ready."
That quiet line made the others pause.
Even Emi didn't object.
Haruka sighed. "Fine."
Rika mumbled, "Yeah yeah, I guess."
Mei pouted but nodded. "I'll still win, though."
Final Rule: We're All In This Together
The girls glanced at each other. There was tension, sure. But deep down… a weird kind of mutual respect.
They weren't friends. Not yet.
But they were all drawn to the same boy for different reasons.
And none of them wanted to hate each other over it.
So the council existed.
To keep it fair.
To keep it fun.
To give love… a chance.
Ren's Internal Monologue
What even is my life?Who else gets forced into a "Harem Council" without doing anything?!But… they're all amazing in their own way.And somehow… they all like me.
He sighed.
"This is going to be… a long semester."