I Was Not Popular With Girls in My Previous Life, but I Was Reincarnated Into a World Where Harems Are the Norm, and a Mentally Unstable Elf Beauty Follows Me Around - Chapter 11 & 12

There Are Always Girls Nearby

“So, is it okay if we all live together in the party house?”

Meg’s sudden proposal made me mull over various thoughts.

In essence, it meant cohabitation. Honestly, I had no experience with it. That was fair enough; if you discovered intolerable aspects of your partner after marriage, it would not be easy to turn back.

That said, cohabitation might also cool feelings toward your partner. In that case, you would have to start searching for someone else again, which would delay marriage.

Were there not both advantages and disadvantages?

One advantage unique to this other world might be eliminating inn expenses. Moreover, returning to an inn after a dungeon felt different from coming home; the sense of security varied.

“I am in favor. It has to be better for Kaito too, right? After all, there are always girls nearby, so you would not be caught off guard if the mood struck.”

“Do not decide my opinion for me. Besides, I do not see girls as convenient for my whims.”

Of course, I wanted a relationship like that with a girl too. But it should be something healthier, not decided on a whim.

“I agree as well. In fact, please let me share a room with Kaito. Yes, the narrower the room, the better. To the point of constant closeness. Let us start by physically closing the distance.”

“Did you have to make our home somewhere we could not relax?”

“So everyone except Kaito agrees!”

Meg looked at me as she said that. It was as if she were saying, “You get the flow, right?”

“If we were to set up a house, what would the process be like?”

“You would buy land and then buy or rent a house, I suppose. But we would probably start by renting.”

That made sense. Even Airi and I, who had known each other the longest, had only been together for a month. Renting a shared house was one thing, but buying a home to live in with mostly strangers seemed insane.

“With that settled, let us go look right away.”

For some reason, the succubus tried to take the lead. Come to think of it, I did not know her name.

“By the way, I do not know your name.”

“Huh, me? …Call me whatever you like.”

The succubus seemed somewhat awkward about it. But if I actually called her something random, she would probably get furious.

“You cannot just say that. We are at the same party at least, so I would like to know your name.”

“…You will not laugh?”

“I would not laugh at someone’s name.”

At that, the succubus paused thoughtfully for a moment, then spoke in a tiny voice that belied her earlier bravado.

“…Sakura.”

“Sakura?”

“Saku-ra… That is my name.”

“Sakura, huh. It is a nice name. What were you worried about?”

“B-But! A succubus named Sakura is just too straightforward!”

“Is it? I do not think it is strange at all.”

“Yeah, I thought it was a cute name too.”

“It is a very memorable name.”

Somehow Airi’s praise felt a bit off, but when I looked at Sakura, she seemed delighted. Perhaps she appeared bold but was surprisingly sensitive. …No, probably not.

After that discussion, we ultimately decided to set up the party house. I was not just going along with it.

Upon reflection, renting four rooms at an inn every day cost more than paying monthly rent. Thinking about money was necessary for a stable life.

Besides, it felt more relaxing than an inn, and it would make adventuring activities easier.

The location was a ten-minute walk from the adventurer’s guild. In this world, distances were measured not by time to a station but by time to the guild. It was a party house, after all.

Though it was only one story, the layout was spacious overall, with individual rooms, a bath, kitchen, and living room—fully equipped. The interior and exterior had a stylish Western-style architecture feel, something you could not experience in Japan.

Twist the faucet, and water comes out. Flip the switch, and lights turned on. Use the stove-like device, and fire appeared. It had all those everyday functions, yet there were spaces for weapons and armor, giving it an otherworldly touch.

The livability exceeded my expectations; it felt like heaven. And with three cute girls around, I felt happy, nervous, and a mix of other sensations.

For room assignments, Airi and Meg were on either side of me, with Sakura across. Even my private room was surrounded by girls.

But even this paradise-like party house had one concern.

Some individual rooms remained empty. It was true that we might need spares if the party grew.

“Hey, Kaito, since this is part of marriage hunting too, let us use it as a chance to get to know each other better.”

Meg said that, and I agreed it made sense, but at the same time, I thought one misstep could turn it into hell.

**

If Your Stomach Is Full, That’s All That Matters, Right?

Cohabitation with three girls began in the party house, which would qualify as a full-fledged mansion if it were in Japan.

If this were just a choice as an adventurer, simply getting by day to day would have been fine.

But this was also part of marriage hunting. So I decided to focus on learning each of their personalities, values, and compatibility with me.

“We found a great house, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, it’s a ten-minute walk from the adventurer’s guild, and there’s a shopping district nearby. Pretty prime location, right? Plus, it’s cheaper than the inn.”

“Yes. And it’s quiet here. For me, raised in the forest, this level of peace is just right.”

“Huh, so everyone likes this vibe? I prefer something a bit more shady myself.”

“By the way, where did you live before, Sakura? I can’t even imagine what a succubus’s daily life is like.”

“At a friend’s place. I lived there and commuted from it.”

“So, like a share house.”

That made sense, but a succubus “commuting” felt so mismatched that I almost laughed. Wait… was she actually the only one among us with a steady job and stable income?

“Well, my friend kept bringing guys over frequently, so I often stepped out at night to give her space.”

She had been dealing with more hassle than I expected. If I were in her shoes, I might have grumbled something like “Again?”

“Kaito, should we start with some cleaning? It seems they cleaned it before putting it on the market, so it’s decently tidy, but the finer details look overlooked.”

“Does it? It looks plenty clean to me.”

“I agree with Airi, but I don’t think we need to rush it right now. Can we put it off for later?”

“It’ll just get dirty again soon anyway, and no one else will see it, so we can leave it be.”

Right away, their approaches differed completely. Maybe these little differences in opinion could build up and lead to discord.

We decided to skip it for today, when suddenly a growl echoed. It was my stomach.

“Oh, right, it’s already noon. What about food? Is anyone here good at cooking?”

Airi and Meg raised their hands. Sakura’s did not even twitch. I could manage curry, at least.

“I do think food adds color to life. Back in my elf village, I started cooking as a child and often got compliments.”

“I got into it as part of bride training. So it’s been about ten years now. But since I started living alone, there’s no one to share with, so I always eat by myself… Heh… It’s so delicious, though…!”

(Why does she flip the switch here…!)

Um, ten years means she started at twelve if she’s twenty-two now… She must really aspire to marriage.

“Why bother cooking? We can just buy something nearby. That would probably taste better, and if your stomach is full, that’s all that matters, right?”

Out of the question. That was what I wanted to say, but she had a point, and it did not seem like a bad thing. What would it mean for marriage, though?

We ate out for lunch that day. And then, in the evening.

“How should we handle the bath order?”

It might seem trivial, but it was a delicate issue for me. If I went first, the girls might not like it, and if I went last, they might worry I was thinking something weird.

“I do not mind. I will prepare for it.”

“I might want to go in with everyone. Oh, but Kaito, you go alone, of course.”

“I would prefer to go right after Kaito every day.”

(Sakura is not planning something weird after me, is she…?)

See? That was why going last required caution too, to avoid making the girls think that.

In the end, all the girls urged me, so I went first.

Night fell, and it was time for bed, so everyone returned to their rooms. I lay on my bed and reflected on what I had learned about the three today.

First, Airi. She was neat and skilled at cooking. She noticed all sorts of things and took the initiative on housework. Wait… was she actually ideal for marriage? She also preferred quiet surroundings, just like me.

Next, Meg. Maybe because she was human, her sensibilities matched mine the closest. We could probably manage daily life cooperatively. Her brightness helped me a lot. It did not seem like we would fall out over lack of communication. Except for her sudden dark switches.

Finally, Sakura. She did absolutely nothing. And she was pretty sloppy. But depending on how you look at it, she might forgive minor things and avoid fights.

She had been working at the marriage agency for five years now. Five years was pretty impressive, honestly. By the way, Sakura was twenty-five.

The three had distinct personalities, but fortunately, they all seemed to like me.

In this world, you could marry as many people as you wanted, as long as everyone agreed.

So maybe marrying all of them really was an option…?