Anime: I Want Harem-Chapter 49

"Crap, I'm going to get hit."

Although Aki Tomoya wanted to resist, he quickly hugged his head with both hands, leaning against the wall behind him and slightly crouching to protect his vital points. He knew very well that he absolutely couldn't beat the three people in front of him alone. Or to put it more clearly, he couldn't even beat any one member of the baseball team in a one-on-one fight. Fighting all three? He was practically asking to die.

His escape route was blocked, and he was cornered. Aki Tomoya wisely chose the only option left to him—he prepared to take the beating.

"Hmm?"

However, after waiting for a long time, the expected punch never came. The strong baseball team member, Shiraishi Kiyosawa, was pulled back by his captain, sparing Aki Tomoya from the beating he had anticipated.

"Calm down, how many times have I told you this?" The captain scolded Shiraishi Kiyosawa, his voice firm.

"Sorry, Captain..." Shiraishi quickly apologized, nodding repeatedly as he lowered his head. It was clear he trusted his captain more than he did anyone else.

Aki Tomoya lowered his hands from his head, relieved, and slowly stood up. He couldn't help but feel confused. "Why are you helping me? Shouldn't I be your enemy because of my ties to senpai and Eriri?"

He couldn't make sense of it. This guy clearly disliked him, so why did he step in?

"Aki-kun, I apologize for the shock you experienced due to my poor supervision," Hanagasa Mamoru said with a smile, his tone overly polite.

"It's fine, then can I go?" Aki Tomoya asked cautiously, still wary.

He couldn't shake the feeling that this guy wasn't as friendly as he appeared. There was something fake about it.

Unaware that Aki Tomoya was already growing suspicious, Hanagasa Mamoru continued to smile and nodded, "You can... but you need to agree to one thing first."

"No."

Aki Tomoya refused immediately, not even pausing to think. He knew exactly what Hanagasa Mamoru was going to ask for, and there was no way he was going to agree to it. Aki Tomoya was a stubborn person, after all.

"You refused without even listening..." Hanagasa Mamoru's voice was laced with mock surprise.

"Captain, we really should just beat this brat up!" The two baseball team members, looking at their leader with different expressions, made their thoughts clear. They knew Hanagasa Mamoru wasn't as easygoing as he seemed.

"Shut up." Hanagasa Mamoru snapped at his subordinates, his tone sharp, though it was clear his frustration was directed at something else entirely.

"Aki-kun, do you understand your current situation?" Hanagasa Mamoru asked, his voice now softer, almost considerate.

Aki Tomoya pretended not to understand. "What do you mean?"

Hanagasa Mamoru, not fooled, continued, "Kasumigaoka-san is the top student in the grade. A talented person who will go on to Todai, Waseda, or universities like that."

"And Sawamura-san's family is prestigious. She's also a painting prodigy, having won an award at an exhibition in her first year."

Aki Tomoya knew all of this better than anyone. But it only made him feel more inferior. He hated how much he cared about not being good enough for them.

But Hanagasa Mamoru was not done. "Compared to Kasumigaoka-san and Sawamura-san, what about you, Aki?"

"Your family is probably just an ordinary working-class family, right? Have you finished paying off the mortgage? Or do you think you can get into a famous university and change your social class?"

The tone in Hanagasa Mamoru's voice became more arrogant with each word. Though his own family was also ordinary, he considered himself very talented, with a bright future ahead in professional baseball. This gave him a sense of superiority as he looked at Aki Tomoya.

"That has nothing to do with this!" Aki Tomoya shouted in frustration.

"Yes, it does." Hanagasa Mamoru's smile grew wider.

"Your family probably still hasn't paid off the mortgage. And do you really think you can get into a prestigious university while clinging to your otaku hobbies? You might be managing to support it with part-time jobs now, but what about in the future? Being an otaku in high school might be fine, but it won't help you in the long run."

Aki Tomoya knew it was true. He understood the gap between himself and the two girls, and it made his heart ache. He tried to ignore it, but it was always there.

Hanagasa Mamoru's voice softened as he leaned in, "Please, let Kasumigaoka-san and Sawamura-san go."

The words made Aki Tomoya's heart tremble, but he stayed silent.

Hanagasa Mamoru wasn't finished. "If you agree, I'll make sure those girls won't bother you anymore. How about it?"

His words, though enticing, only made Aki Tomoya think even harder. Was he really holding those two girls back?

But in the end, Aki Tomoya refused. "What I do is my own business. You don't need to interfere."

He was fully aware that he couldn't compare to Kasumigaoka and Sawamura, but he still didn't want them to leave him, even if his indecision might hurt them.

"You little—" The strong baseball team member moved forward to retaliate, but he was stopped by Hanagasa Mamoru's firm gesture.

"Is that so... Let's go." Hanagasa Mamoru said calmly, turning and leading his two subordinates away without another word.

"Captain, you're really not going to teach him a lesson?" one of his followers asked.

"What nonsense are you thinking? We're not delinquents. If the official baseball team gets involved in a violent incident, it would be disastrous."

Hanagasa Mamoru explained, his frustration apparent.

"Then what about that second-year? He messed with both Kasumigaoka and Sawamura. Captain, you like Kasumigaoka-senpai, don't you?"

Oga Taiyo smirked, trying to provoke his captain.

"Of course, we won't just let him go. But we can't take action ourselves." Hanagasa Mamoru's cheerful façade disappeared as he looked deadly serious.

"I see... So what should we do?"

Shiraishi Kiyosawa was curious, his face filled with intrigue. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Hanagasa Mamoru turned to Oga Taiyo. "Taiyo-kun, I remember you're friends with that second-year whose hair is... well, it's quite ugly."

"Taisuke, his name is Zawaei Taisuke."

Taiyo quickly answered, seemingly unfazed by the mention of his friend's terrible appearance.

"I remember he was just released from the police station after writing a letter of apology. He has quite a few connections, right? Can I ask you to take care of this?"

Hanagasa Mamoru smiled again, his tone cheerful, as though the conversation had never turned serious.

"Of course, I don't like him either," Taiyo replied with a smile, matching the captain's tone.

The two shared an understanding smile, their bond clear as they discussed their next move. They both had something dark in common.

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Need More Chapters

Every 300 Power Stones

2 Bonus Chapter

Every 500 Power Stones

4 Bonus Chapter.

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