She was serious.
Yuutenji Nyamu had sensed it long ago. Even though she had always found Haru's infuriating personality somewhat annoying, she could never ignore the charm he carried. Whether it was his ability or his looks, he perfectly matched what she sought.
Now that she suddenly realized her feelings for him, she immediately became aware of the tangled, chaotic relationships around him. Even if she did not want to admit it, every member of Ave Mujica was an exceptional girl.
None of them hid their feelings for Haru. If Nyamu herself were in his place, she was confident she could never withstand the confessions of so many beautiful girls.
So, Haru having a girlfriend was only natural.
But so what?
Who had ever said it was forbidden to fall for someone who already had a girlfriend?
Even if his girlfriend was the fierce demon queen, Lady Togawa, Nyamu was resolved to fight to the end. She would use the lowest tricks to make him waver if she had to, because her feelings were no less real than anyone else's.
"…I'm a little shocked."
Haru's voice carried a trace of surprise. His complicated gaze made Nyamu's ears redden under his stare. She bit her lip and stepped closer, clutching at the corner of his clothes as if afraid he might escape.
Her unique pink eyes widened, her expression more serious than ever before.
"Is it really so strange that I would fall for you?"
"…No, actually, I had some idea."
Haru rubbed his temples in mild exasperation. He was no longer the naive boy he once had been. Over the past days, his interactions with Nyamu had made him aware of many things, and the distance between them had slowly narrowed.
He understood well the need to keep a boundary.
Yet whether as her friend or as the band's manager, whenever he noticed something was wrong with her, Haru had always tried to help Nyamu as much as he could, while keeping his distance.
He thought she would notice that, but he never expected her to confess so boldly.
The moment Nyamu spoke those four words, "I like you," the thin veil between them was torn apart. There was no way he could continue keeping that so-called distance.
Now, he had to face her feelings seriously.
"…In that case, there's nothing more to say, is there? Whether you have one girlfriend or ten, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I like you very much!"
"So even if you shamelessly want to start a harem, I won't resist it!"
Nyamu accepted the idea of a harem in an instant. As she had just said, it didn't matter how many girlfriends Haru had. She was only a latecomer, after all.
But this was the first boy she had ever truly liked in her entire life. She had no intention of letting go, unless the situation was utterly hopeless.
And in truth?
Haru wasn't devoted to a single girl. If he had been, Nyamu would have had no way in. But since he was already the type to build a harem, it gave her an opening instead.
Even if he had many girlfriends, it didn't mean there wasn't room for one more.
"I've said all I needed to say."
"So, Haru, what's your answer?"
Nyamu lifted her chin with a self-assured smile, hands on her hips as though victory were already in her grasp. She had laid everything bare. Surely even Haru couldn't find an excuse now.
Her steps pressed forward like an advancing army, her confident grin already anticipating triumph.
If this had been a manga panel, she would have sprouted fluffy cat ears, with a long tail swishing wildly behind her, eyes locked onto him like a predator that had found its prey.
"Do you even need to ask? My answer is, of course—"
Haru took a deep breath.
"No."
"Ha, now you're being sensible… wait, what?! Haru, what did you just say?"
Nyamu's diamond-pink eyes went wide in shock, as if she could not believe her ears. Her emotions surging, she rushed forward and stared hard into his face.
He rejected her?!
He actually rejected her confession?!
A wave of grievance and frustration crashed over her. Completely unwilling to accept his answer, Nyamu grabbed his wrist like a child throwing a tantrum, brows furrowed, refusing to let go.
Clearly, unless Haru gave her a reasonable explanation for his response, she was not about to let him off so easily.
"Why?"
"Is it because my face isn't pretty enough? Or because my figure doesn't compare to Sakiko and the others? You can date several girls at once, but now you want to reject me when I'm confessing to you with all my heart?!"
Nyamu still couldn't calm down.
But Haru slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze was calm, and his voice gentler as he explained, unhurriedly.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Your looks and figure are both outstanding, that's true. But I'm not someone who judges only by appearances. Besides, even if I am unfaithful enough to date multiple girls, I have to take responsibility for Sakiko and the others."
He had said before that he intended to marry all his girlfriends and be responsible to them. Coming from someone already considered a harem-loving scoundrel, those words should have sounded laughable.
But the way he said it now, it seemed he meant it.
"I rejected your confession for this very reason. I'm not alone anymore, and I have more to consider. Naturally, when it comes to feelings, I need to be more cautious."
Nyamu felt a little better at that, but still couldn't hold back her impatience. "If Sakiko and the others agreed, would you agree to date me too?"
Haru lifted his eyes, answering with the same calm tone.
"Of course… not."
"Why not?!"
Nyamu was on the verge of tears. She wanted nothing more than to squeeze his handsome face until it swelled. Anyone would feel awful after being rejected again and again, and her pride made it sting all the more.
How could there be someone like him, who refused the meat placed right in front of his mouth?
"…It's obvious."
"I've known you for quite some time, Nyamu, but until today's confession, I've always seen you as a friend. I'm still not sure if I have that kind of feeling for you, let alone suddenly shifting into being a couple."
The pace was simply too fast, like a rushed novel forcing its plot forward.
Naturally, Haru couldn't just accept a confession so easily. He had to take responsibility for the girl who had confessed to him with such sincerity, and he had to take responsibility for himself too. That was why he gave this answer.
"…So you're saying you don't like me?"
Her voice grew quiet, her lowered lashes shimmering faintly with tears. Haru had never seen Nyamu so dejected and unexpectedly adorable. For a moment, he was stunned.
If this had been him six months ago, he might have wavered instantly.
"I never said I dislike you."
"Then do you have feelings for me? Even if it's just a little?"
Nyamu rose on her toes, gazing up at him with tearful eyes. Her pouty expression was so far removed from the impression she normally gave. Haru never imagined that this tall, mature girl could act this spoiled, almost childishly cute.
Under her expectant gaze, Haru finally let out the breath he had been holding.
"…Of course I do. Or rather, it's hard not to."
"Eh?"
She froze in place.
"Like you always brag, you claim you can't be beaten when it comes to looks or figure. But only after spending time up close with you recently did I realize that the real Nyamu is actually quite cute."
"Who's bragging…"
Her lips jutted into a pout, but she couldn't stop playing with a strand of her lilac-purple hair. The gloom and hurt in her heart were swept away almost instantly.
The heavy air seemed to burst into tiny cheers, her pale pink pupils lighting up.
Hmph, now he realized she was cute?
Although Nyamu liked to think of herself as a mature big sister, only she and Haru knew the truth as her nature was childish, no different from an ordinary high school girl her age.
When the person she liked said she was cute, she felt just as happy.
"…Fine, I get it now."
Nyamu sighed as if giving up. She picked up the camera Haru had left on the table, adjusted it a little, then turned back to lock eyes with him.
"Haru, listen to me carefully!"
"From today on, I'm going to turn the tables and win you over. Until you say it yourself, that you like me so much you can't help it, that you'll never be able to leave me!"
With a triumphant smile, she declared her vow. Confidence overflowed from her expression. Haru could only remain silent for a moment before shaking his head gently in resignation.
He wasn't so easy to conquer.
Even if he did feel something beyond friendship for Nyamu, feelings needed time to develop. How could he possibly fall in love with this cat after just a few days?
Absolutely impossible.
"Haru, let's start filming already!"
"Nyamu is about to make her return!"
Her sparkling eyes narrowed playfully as she grabbed his arm without hesitation. He felt his arm pressed tightly between the soft warmth of her body, and his calm expression stiffened.
"…What are you doing holding onto me like this? You're the one who's going to be on camera."
"Hmph, but you still have to teach me how to cook step by step. If anything shows up on film, we'll just edit it out."
Her mischievous smile widened as she leaned closer, deliberately brushing against him, her perfume lingering on his skin like a mark.
She was like a little dog marking her territory with scent, as if doing so would make Haru belong to her. And seeing his reaction only made her more excited.
"Besides, even if the audience notices, who cares?"
"Last time, when we filmed the restaurant video, some people already guessed. If they find out… then I'll just admit it openly! That it's always been my boyfriend Haru behind the camera."
At her bold stance, Haru's expression turned a little strained. "Aren't you afraid of getting flamed for that?"
"So what? Uika and Mana are still active idols. Who said beauty vloggers can't date? I won't just date, I'll post our cute couple photos on SNS every single day!"
Her eyes sparkled with pride, still clinging to him even while recording, until Haru tapped her forehead lightly with a karate chop. Only then did the overexcited Geijutsu cat reluctantly calm down.
…
Late December.
On the day before Christmas Eve, Ave Mujica held their third live tour performance. To everyone's surprise, the much-anticipated puppet "Lucis" did not appear on stage.
After all, the second tour had been nothing short of perfect.
Lucis, both drummer and guitarist, had risen in popularity to the very top. The band's management had even secretly revealed that Lucis was also their composer. With such extraordinary talent, his popularity had soared to unprecedented heights.
From the perspective of the media and fans alike, if Lucis kept appearing on stage, his fame and value would only skyrocket, potentially sweeping the entire nation.
But instead...
The one absent from the second tour, "Amoris,"(Nyamu) appeared once again. With a breathtaking display of drumming skill, her performance matched the previous tour in impact, keeping Ave Mujica's momentum strong.
Their third tour steadily raised the band's popularity to rival that of veteran professional bands, perhaps even surpass them. Excitement was already building for the fourth tour after New Year's.
"Now then!"
"Mr. Lucis, shining brighter than ever, what are your hobbies~?"
Nyamu narrowed her pink eyes, holding a microphone with a teasing smile as she looked at the black-haired boy before her. Dressed in a dark red tailcoat, Lucis twitched at the corners of his lips and adjusted the black-patterned mask covering his face.
"There's a segment like this too?"
"Of course! A lot of fans were disappointed you didn't appear in the last performance. Without an exclusive interview, we might get flamed online. If Mujica gets disbanded over it, it'll be your fault."
Nyamu spread her hands as if she couldn't care less. Haru could only sigh in defeat and shrug.
"You're right, Miss Aminos."
"Amoris!"
Her cheeks puffed in annoyance. Haru had deliberately called her by the wrong name too many times to count. Normally, she had no way to fight back, but today, she was different.
"This interview is my responsibility, and Sakiko herself gave me the right to conduct it. So you'd better cooperate, Haru. I won't treat you badly."
Bring Lady Togawa here instead, and we'll see if she doesn't end up crying first.
Smug, Nyamu patted the camera. In recent days, she had started joining Haru for meals regularly, attacking him with relentless little traps that caught him off guard.
Haru had to admit, she really was charming.
If they had met earlier, maybe by now he really would have been conquered by her.
Her constant pursuit had even made the confession known to the others. But Mujica's girlfriends showed no particular reaction. Even the usually jealous Lady Togawa only sipped her tea calmly.
Their expressions made it clear, they had already expected this to happen.
"Well then, Mr. Lucis, what are your hobbies?"
As Nyamu shifted into professional mode, Haru adjusted himself too, deliberately imitating a certain lady's tone. "I like to read novels in the afternoon, sipping warm tea or coffee."
Pfft.
A laugh slipped out beside him. When Haru turned, Nyamu still wore her bright smile, pretending nothing had happened, her brows raised in amusement.
"Well then, next question. Do you have someone you like, Mr. Lucis? What kind of girl do you like?"
Haru's mouth twitched.
"This is part of the interview too?"
"Ka-ka-ka! Haru, don't ruin Ave Mujica's worldbuilding! These are all fan-submitted questions, just answer honestly."
Her eyes gleamed with mischief, clearly having made that up on the spot. Haru let out a slow sigh, his lips curving into a faint smile.
"That's a secret."