(Chastity Reversed) The Legitimate Wife War: How I, a Harem-Hater, Ended Up Creating an Ultra-Eccentric Harem with a Villainess, a Sadistic Beauty Teacher, a Scheming Classmate... etc. - Chapter 11: Fiancée Family Meeting

“I LOVE GIRLS!!! I REALLY LOVE THEM!!!”

Just to make it clear.  

These days, there were many cases where guys preferred other guys. It was apparently a thing.  

I couldn’t begin to understand it, but I supposed it was due to women holding more authority in society and men finding solace in smaller, like-minded groups.  

That’s why I felt the need to make a statement. For the record, my romantic preference truly was girls.  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

When I opened my eyes slightly, everyone was left speechless.  

Well, except for Kazari-san, who was quietly shaking with laughter in the background.  

“W-well, what I wanted to say was… Even though we’re connected through this system, I genuinely want to face each of you sincerely. So, I hope we can get along.”  

It sounded more like a speech by the end, but I think I managed to convey my intentions.  

Even though this was partially for my sister’s sake, it didn’t mean I’d refuse to properly face these people.  

If possible, I’d like to build a meaningful relationship with them.  

“…Pfft. You’re weird.”  

Tachibana-san burst into a fit of laughter.  

It wasn’t a mocking laugh, but rather the kind that escaped when you couldn’t hold it back any longer.  

“…You’re so full of youthful energy.”  

“Sensei, you’re still young yourself, you know?”  

“Hearing that from a younger student is complicated, though. Should I tell your homeroom teacher about you sleeping in class?”  

“?! N-no, please don’t do that!”  

Wait, were these two—? Oh, right, since they were a student and teacher at the same high school, it made sense that they knew each other.  

“…We might as well talk. Even if it’s just for a month, we’ll be living together, after all.”  

“Yeah, if we’re stuck together, we should at least make it a pleasant month.”  

“If it’s only one month, I suppose I can make it work.”  

Somehow, all three agreed.  

But still… did they have to keep bringing up ‘one month’ over and over?  

At this point, I was starting to feel an overwhelming determination to make this Fiancée System a success.  

“Well then, to help us get through this month smoothly, how about we decide on some basic house rules?”  

“Sounds like school. Sayaka-chan feels like a class president or something!”  

“…Yes, but having some ground rules is important. Complete freedom tends to lead to chaos.”  

“At the same time, we don’t want to get too bogged down, so let’s keep it minimal. Right, Takeda-san?”  

Hosho-san actually checked with me.  

She wasn’t ignoring me. That alone nearly brought me to tears.  

Wait, were my standards for gratitude this low now?  

“I think that’s a good idea.”  

There was something almost…  

“Well then, let’s each share something we absolutely can’t compromise on. Or anything we think might help. Kurokawa will write it all down, and we’ll review and finalize it later. How does that sound?”  

“That works for me. You’re quite the planner. No wonder—you do run a company, after all.”  

Hosho-san exuded competence. You could almost see the ‘capable president’ aura radiating off her.  

“Not just class president—she’s a full-fledged CEO!”  

“Well, it’s just a subsidiary of my mother’s company, so it’s not that impressive. Think of me as just another college student.”  

Her words were modest, but her expression carried a hint of shadow.  

Perhaps realizing the slight shift in the atmosphere, she quickly corrected herself.  

“Ah, sorry for bringing things down. Let’s move on. First, we should address the bathroom arrangement. Each floor will use its own, is that okay? What about the maid, though…?”  

“She can use the second-floor bathroom too, right? She’s his maid and her room is on the third floor, but it’d be weird to restrict her from the second floor.”  

“Thank you for your consideration.”  

Kazari-san offered a polite bow. At moments like this, she actually looked like a proper maid.  

Oh, wait—she was flashing a peace sign behind her back.  

“So, the first floor is shared, the second is for the women, and the third for the men. Sound good?”  

“That sounds fine. As for…”  

Hosho-san continued to outline the living arrangements efficiently.  

The bathrooms would follow the same rules as the toilets.  

For meals, Kazari-san and Kurokawa-san would handle the cooking, but only for breakfast and dinner.  

For government appearances, we’d eat together on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  

This was apparently to have something on record in case the government decided to intervene.  

Her risk management was on point.  

Tachibana-san and I, as clueless high schoolers, could only stare blankly.  

Trash duty would rotate daily.  

Room cleaning would be handled by Kurokawa-san and Kazari-san on weekdays, while weekends would be a group effort.  

A ‘work-life balance’ approach, or so they called it.  

Everything was thoroughly organized.  

“Well, that about sums it up, don’t you think?”  

“Yeah. If anything comes up, we can decide together as we go.”  

“Shall we call the ‘First Fiancée Family Meeting’ adjourned, then?”  

“What’s with that name? It’s hilarious!”

Tachibana-san burst out laughing at Akitsuki-san’s sudden-made-up term.  

“Isn’t it fine? It’s straightforward and easy to understand.”  

“Better than trying to use complicated English like ‘In-laws Families Meeting Part 1’, right?”

“Oh my, even for a man, you’ve got some sense.”  

“Haha, well, thank you.”  

“I feel like it’s a bit odd… but it’ll do.”  

“It’s kind of annoying, but… should we make a group chat just in case something comes up?”  

“Let’s make one! Wait… uh, how do we do it again? Oh, first, we need IDs, right? Or was it by ‘Shake’? Let’s do that!”  

Shake?  

Wow, that brought back memories.  

“Oh yeah, Shake for connecting! That was popular for a while, wasn’t it?”  

“It was, but that was when I was in college. You sure can say some amusing things, huh?”  

Yeah, it definitely took me back to when LINE had first come out. People used Shake a lot back then. Now it was all QR codes. Still, it might be a fun way to break the ice.  

“Haha, right? Let’s do it! You know, something like ‘revisiting the old to discover the new’, right?”  

“Ah, so that’s a thing! Let’s give it a try.”  

It seemed Hosho-san wasn’t familiar with it.  

Well, she didn’t exactly seem like someone who’d use LINE. Just a feeling, though.  

We all used Shake to add each other, following Akitsuki-san’s lead to create the group.  

The group now had six members.  

Its name? [Fiancée Alliance].

“…It’s getting late. Should we wrap things up?”  

Outside, the sky had already gone dark.  

Apparently, more time had passed than I thought.  

“…You’re right. I’ll get dinner started.”  

With that, Kurokawa-san headed to the kitchen.  

“Not helping out, Kazari-san?”  

“When it comes to things like this, first come, first served! I’ll let Kurokawa-san take it this time. I’ll try harder next time!”  

This person… Was she just naturally lazy? Did she even cook?  

Catching my skeptical look, Kazari-san quickly spoke up in her defense.  

“I mean it, really!”  

“…I’m not doubting you.”  

“Are you really not doubting me?”  

Actually, I was doubting her a lot.  

For the record, Kurokawa-san’s cooking, as expected, was delicious.  

****

The Next Day

“Ah, running feels so refreshing after so long.”  

I jogged under the morning sun, exploring the area around the house.  

Even though solo walks for men weren’t exactly encouraged these days…  

The chill of early March lingered, but the exertion warmed me up.  

I’d even broken a sweat by the time I was done.  

It was 7 a.m.—a little early.  

I hesitated at the entrance, deciding whether to head up to my third-floor room or not.  

“Eh, it’s fine. No one’s up yet, and I don’t hear any noise.”  

I opted for the first-floor bathroom instead, eager to shower off the sweat.  

That eagerness, as it turned out, was a mistake.  

I opened the bathroom door, started peeling off my sweat-soaked shirt, and—  

“…Ah.”  

I saw something.  

Or more specifically, someone’s body.  

A woman’s body.  

“…Huh?”  

For a moment, I froze in shock.  

“…Kyaaaaaaaaah!!!!”  

The high-pitched scream pierced the air.  

“Waaaaah!!!”  

I yelled too, slamming the door shut in a panic.  

“S-sorry!”  

“…Did you see?”  

“…W-what do you mean by ‘see’?”  

“My body. Did you see it?”  

“I-I only caught a brief glimpse of your back! But I turned away immediately!”  

“…I see.”  

Judging by the voice, it was Tachibana-san.  

“What’s going on?”  

“What’s with all the yelling?”  

Still groggy, everyone gathered around, their footsteps loud and heavy.  

“Sorry for waking you all. Uh, there was a bit of an accident in the bathroom…”  

Flustered, I tried to explain the situation, but my face was surely bright red by now.  

Akitsuki-san grinned mischievously before commenting, “Ugh, boys are the worst.”  

Her cold gaze was piercing.  

Hosho-san only added calmly, “Is this a continuation of the ‘First Fiancée Family Meeting’?”  

Great. It looked like we’d entered the extended version.