I, Who Acquired the Ability to Read Memories, Am Being Swallowed by Darkness - While I Should Be Protecting Beautiful Girls, I Am Being Drawn into Darkness Each Time I Use My Power, Yet for Some Reason, My Harem of Beautiful Girls Keeps Growing - Chapter 44: Taking the Three to The Hayami House

Chapter 44: Taking the Three to The Hayami House

At the Hayami residence during sunset, I rang the doorbell, and Hinata-chan answered.

She hesitated for a moment when she saw the three girls standing behind me.

“Um… Hinata-chan…”

Aira stepped forward.

“I’m really sorry.”

Mao and Erica also bowed deeply.

All three were in tears.

“We deleted all the videos.”

Erica said, her voice trembling.

“We did terrible things…”

I had read their pasts from their smartphones.

The videos were indeed completely deleted, with no backups.

…Except for the evidence I kept on my phone.

“Are you… really sorry?”

Hinata-chan’s voice was soft.

“Yes!”

The three answered in unison.

“Can we be friends again?”

Mao asked, crying.

Hinata-chan thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“Yeah… I want to be friends with you all too.”

At that moment, the expressions of the four girls brightened.

“Then…”

Aira began shyly.

“To celebrate our reconciliation…”

“Let’s go to the aquarium!”

Erica continued.

“With Ryuujii-onii-chan too!”

Hinata-chan looked up at me.

“Huh?”

“Because if it weren’t for Ryuuji-onii-chan, we wouldn’t have made up.”

The other three also chimed in.

“Please!”

The situation was taking an unexpected turn.

They didn’t seem to care about my 195 cm height.

Instead, the four girls looked at me like I was a giant teddy bear.

“But…”

“Absolutely!”

Hinata-chan tugged at my shirt.

“You don’t have to tell my sister!”

…So, it’s a secret from Ryoko-san.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Alright. How about this Sunday?”

“Yay!”

The four girls jumped with joy.

Watching them, I felt this was the right thing to do.

As the sun set, their smiles were dazzling.

From the darkness of bullying to the light of new friendship.

I felt secretly proud.

Even if I couldn’t tell Ryoko-san, I had protected her sister’s smile.

…But handling four elementary school girls at the aquarium would be quite a challenge.

I had a feeling I’d be treated like a teddy bear.

But somehow, that didn’t seem so bad.

Sunday

At the aquarium entrance. Despite it being a holiday morning, the four girls were already there, 30 minutes early.

“Ryuuji-onii-chaaan!”

Hinata-chan waved with both hands.

Beside her, Aira, Mao, and Erica waved happily too.

They were all in cute casual clothes.

On the far right stood Aira-chan.

Her long black hair shimmered in the evening sun, like a high-end shampoo commercial.

Her large, intelligent eyes and model-like figure in casual clothes were perfect, like a magazine cover.

Next to her, Erica-chan’s blonde twin tails swayed in the wind, radiating the mystical beauty of her Russian-Japanese heritage.

Her blue eyes sparkled, and even her gal fashion exuded a unique elegance.

Leaning on Erica was Mao-chan, small but lively, her brown ponytail swinging energetically. Her flexible movements, typical of an athletic girl, gave her a strong presence. Her sharp gaze added a cool charm.

Holding Aira’s hand was Hinata-chan, with features resembling Ryoko’s, and neat black twin tails.

Her pianist-like posture and adorable smile created a fairy-like aura.

The four of them together looked like an idol group.

Each had a distinct personality, yet they created a strange harmony.

Aira’s elegance, Erica’s vibrancy, Mao’s coolness, and Hinata’s innocence.

…We’re really standing out.

A 195 cm, 120 kg high schooler walking with four elementary school girls.

“Hey, I want to see the penguin show!”

“And the dolphins!”

“I love garden eels!”

“Let’s go to the jellyfish tank too!”

As soon as we entered, I was pulled in every direction.

“Wait, let’s hold hands.”

I suggested.

We wouldn’t want to get separated.

“Come on, we’re in fifth grade already!”

They said, but the four quickly held hands.

In front of the giant tank, they cheered at the huge whale shark. In the jellyfish dome, they were mesmerized by the ethereal sight. At the penguin show, they were overjoyed in the front row.

At lunchtime, in the food court, the four chatted.

“Hey, about Maeda-kun…”

Aira said to Hinata-chan.

“Sorry, I was jealous.”

“It’s okay. I only see Maeda-kun as a friend.”

“Oh…”

Aira’s expression brightened.

“Speaking of which,”

Erica interjected.

“Why did you help Hinata?”

“Well, that’s…”

I panicked.

“It’s a secret!”

Hinata-chan came to my rescue.

“Ryuuji-onii-chan is a superhero!”

The other three laughed, “Really?!”

On our way out, at the souvenir shop.

“Here, a gift for everyone.”

I bought penguin straps for the four of them.

“Wow! Thank you!”

“I’ll treasure it!”

At dusk, we left the aquarium.

The four were still full of energy, showing no signs of fatigue.

“Let’s come again!”

“Yeah! Let’s go to a different aquarium next time!”

…So, they want me to take them again?

But seeing their smiles, I didn’t mind.

Glancing back, the evening sun illuminated the large tank.

The fish swam gracefully in the light.

I hoped this day would become a new memory for them.

On the way home, listening to their cheerful voices, I thought secretly.

Ryoko-san doesn’t know.

But I’ve protected her sister’s smile.

That’s enough.

…But where will they want to go next?

I had a feeling it would be just as challenging.