(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 28: The Circumstances of Sayaka Hosho 2

“…That man, Seiichi Kuzuryu, destroyed everything!”

“Seiichi… Kuzuryu.”

So that was the other man.  

The one just a little shorter than me. Though, from a woman’s perspective, he probably seemed big.  

“But what do you mean by ‘destroyed’? Did he just keep badmouthing Hosho-san to Takato or something like that?”  

It didn’t seem like it would be that simple to ruin an engagement.  

It would take something extreme—like outright stealing the bride away.  

That being said, Takato and Kuzuryu did seem very close.  

Would a friend’s words really hold that much weight?  

But Hosho-san also had six months to build a relationship. I mean… well… hmm…  

“No, it wasn’t something so trivial. While I do believe he spoke ill of the young lady, that’s hardly the main issue. It pales in comparison.”  

“…That bad?”  

“Yes. Ironically, it all came to light on the young lady’s big day: her wedding.”  

…What?  

The mention of a wedding at this point sent nothing but bad vibes.  

Still, to get to the point of a wedding meant the marriage preparations must have been quite far along…  

Yeah. That stung, just a little.  

“Does that mean Hosho-san didn’t know about Seiichi Kuzuryu until the wedding?”  

“No, around two to three months before the wedding, Takato mentioned that he had made a close male friend. The young lady was happy for him and congratulated him, saying it was good he had found a friend.”  

“I see. Considering how rare men are these days, it makes sense that Hosho-san genuinely celebrated him finding a male friend.”  

“Indeed. The wedding itself was a small, private event, attended only by family and close friends… Of course, there was going to be another formal public ceremony afterward, followed by the two of them registering their marriage. Everything was planned accordingly—”

“—The wedding might seem a bit outdated nowadays, but it was to be held in a chapel, with a reception afterward… Though, in reality, the reception never took place.”

The reception didn’t happen?  

So something must have occurred during the wedding itself.  

But weddings only lasted about 30 minutes, didn’t they?  

For something to happen in that short a time… wait, no way, right?  

“The young lady was breathtaking that day, dressed in a pure white gown and with her sharp, almond-shaped eyes. Before the ceremony even began, the entire Hosho family was on the verge of tears.”

Well, of course.  

It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, after all.

“Even the master, who never shows emotion, looked like his eyes were welling up.”

For a brief moment, Kurokawa-san softened into a gentle smile as she recalled the memory.

“No one could have imagined that those tears of joy would turn into tears of sorrow…”  

No one would expect something like that to happen at a wedding.  

“…I don’t want to hear this, but I have to ask… what happened?”  

“…That man showed up in the middle of the wedding. During the priest’s vows, Kuzuryu appeared, and then… he took Takato away.”  

…Huh?

…Wait, what?… He took Takato away?  

“…Hold on, are you saying he took Takato away?! Not Hosho-san?! The groom?!”  

“Yes, Takato.”  

Wow. So, the groom getting taken away was a thing, huh…  

But I guess in a world with such imbalanced gender ratios, maybe that was a possibility?

“Just as the priest began the vows, the chapel doors creaked open, and without any regard for the solemnity of the moment, that man shouted, ‘The groom is mine!’ Can you believe it?”  

“Uh… no, not really.”  

“And there’s more to it! Do you know what else he said? ‘Sayaka Hosho could never make Koichi happy. Only I can! So come to me, Koichi!’ How revolting, isn’t it? Truly disgusting!”  

Kurokawa-san looked completely enraged as she sought my agreement.  

Honestly, Kurokawa-san was a little terrifying in her anger… but I could understand how she felt.  

“That Kuzuryu guy… he’s insane.”  

Hearing this felt like something straight out of a drama. I couldn’t believe people like that existed in real life.    

“And Takato—oh, Takato—looked at him with teary eyes and replied, ‘…Yes, Seiichi-kun!’ and then ran straight to him. Both of their heads are completely messed up.”  

“Wait, he actually answered and ran to him…? Is he stupid?”  

“Not just stupid—he’s an idiotic bastard.”  

“…So are they… homosexuals?”  

“Who knows? Takato seemed to have romantic feelings for the young lady at times, so at the very least, he’s probably bisexual. Oh, Kuzuryu also blabbered on about how ‘Love between men is the most platonic, the most sincere form of love there is.'”  

“…Uh, yeah.”  

I guess there might be relationships like that, sure.  

But in a society like this one, where men were so scarce, I doubted such ideas would be widely accepted.  

Even in the past, such relationships faced harsh criticism from the public.  

“I apologize for my harsh tone, but after that, the two of them jumped into a taxi and vanished somewhere. The young lady, left behind, apologized to everyone present and somehow managed the situation. But watching her try to handle it… it was heartbreaking. Yet, she remained strong and composed. I believe that’s when most of the Hosho family members vowed to stand by her for life.”

Just imagining that was painful. Yet Hosho-san carried herself with such grace.  

Despite everything, she was still participating in this harem system.  

She could have chosen to withdraw, and no one would have blamed her.

She really was incredible. Her strength and dignity were truly something else.