"May I join you?"
An elegant woman's voice interrupted the conversation between Ren and Masachika.
Both turned towards the source of the voice, finding a beautiful girl standing gracefully.
She had a captivating figure, reflecting soft beauty with a touch of classy elegance. Her long, shiny black hair cascaded gracefully down to her waist. Her petite yet proportional body, though lacking the sensual allure of Alya or Masha, exuded elegance in her firm posture and graceful movements—a subtle indication of her noble heritage.
Suou Yuki.
The student council's public relations officer, renowned for her refined social skills and dignified demeanor. Nicknamed the Noble Princess by her peers, she was one of the most respected girls at Ohananomitsu High School.
Beside her, Masha smiled softly.
Seeing this, Masachika sighed quietly. His younger sister was putting on her perfect girl persona again.
He glanced at Ren, subtly seeking his opinion. Of course, the fact that he and Yuki were siblings remained a secret.
Shrugging, Ren didn't mind. "The cafeteria is a public space. I have no right to stop anyone."
"Thank you, Masachika-kun, Rokuhara-kun."
After saying this, Yuki sat down next to her brother, while Masha took a seat beside Ren.
The presence of two beautiful girls at the same table naturally drew attention. Not just because of their looks, but also due to their status as student council members.
Several male students who had once confessed their feelings to Masha and been rejected now looked at Ren with envy.
Noticing that Ren's plate only had meat, Masha let out a small sigh before taking some vegetables from her own plate and placing them on Ren's.
"You shouldn't be picky about food, Rokuhara-kun. You need vitamins too."
"Ugh..."
Ren stared at the green vegetables on his plate with a displeased expression.
"I'm not a kid." He grumbled, but still picked up his chopsticks and reluctantly started eating the vegetables.
Yuki, sitting across from him, watched the interaction with an amused gaze.
"Maria-san, you really are like a mother to Rokuhara-kun."
"Is that so?"
Masha simply smiled in response. She couldn't tell Yuki that she would soon become a mother, could she?
Meanwhile, beside Yuki, Masachika suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. A strange feeling emerged within him, as if something precious had been taken away.
He brushed off the feeling with a slight shake of his head and returned his focus to his meal.
'How strange... why do I feel this way?' He thought to himself.
As the lunch atmosphere remained relaxed, Yuki set down her chopsticks and smiled slightly before starting a conversation.
"By the way, there's a transfer student in Rokuhara-kun and Maria-san's class, right? I've seen her photo. She looks a lot like Miyamae-san."
"If you compare the two, Hayasaka-san does resemble Miyamae." Masachika said after a moment of thought.
Masha turned to Masachika, showing a bit of interest. "Miyamae-san?"
"Miyamae Nonoa. She was quite famous in middle school, especially during the student council elections. Back then, I was the vice president, and Yuki was the president. One of the candidates running against us was Miyamae-san as vice president, alongside Taniyama Sayaka, who ran for president." Masachika briefly explained.
Yuki nodded slightly, reminiscing about those times. However, her attention soon shifted to Ren, who seemed uninterested in the topic. With a hint of curiosity, she asked, "Rokuhara-kun, I want to ask you something. Is the rumor on the school forum true?"
"..."
Ren raised an eyebrow slightly but continued eating calmly.
Seeing his silence, Yuki continued in a soft yet serious tone, "I just want to remind you that a student's duty is to study. You should maintain healthy relationships. Don't let anything interfere with your future."
Masachika, sitting beside her, stifled a small laugh, while Masha simply smiled faintly, waiting for Ren's reaction.
Instead of being bothered, Ren just let out a soft snort. In a relaxed tone, he replied, "Unless the rumor is exaggerated, my relationship with Ai isn't something that outsiders can understand. So rather than advising me, it'd be better to advise that student before one day he gets stabbed with a kitchen knife by one of his women."
Ren gestured with his chin towards another table in the cafeteria.
Following his direction, Masachika, Yuki, and Masha saw a man sitting surrounded by three beautiful women. The three girls seemed to be vying for his attention, while the man casually accepted all their affection without showing any intention of choosing one.
"Itou Makoto, huh... His reputation isn't great. I heard he likes to switch women often." Masachika frowned.
Yuki sighed and nodded in agreement. "I've also seen him with different women every time I meet him. If he keeps this up, something bad will happen to him sooner or later."
"Itou-kun once confessed to me, but I turned him down." Masha revealed surprising news.
"Seriously? When did that happen?" Masachika asked, concerned.
"A few months ago. My instincts immediately told me he wasn't a good guy, so I didn't hesitate to reject him."
Of course, Masha would have rejected Makoto's confession anyway, as she already had the man she liked.
"Honestly, it's fine if a man wants to form a harem. After all, polygamy is legal in Japan now. But if he really wants it, he should be honest from the start."
Pausing for a moment, Ren glanced briefly at Makoto, who was still surrounded by the three girls.
"Instead of openly saying he wants a harem, he's secretly cheating with multiple women. If a woman doesn't want to accept the concept of a harem, just find another woman who does. Unfortunately, he's not doing that. Sooner or later, he'll face karma for playing with women's feelings."
Masachika nodded in agreement. "You're right, Ren. If you want to live like that, at least do it honestly. Speaking of harems, do you know who the most respected alumnus of this school is in that regard?"
"Of course I know, everyone knows that legendary figure. Aijou Rentarou, right?" There was a tone of respect in his voice. Ren had to admit Rentarou was a role model for men.
Hearing the name, Yuki immediately smiled. "Ah... the man who had a hundred girlfriends during his school days and then married all of them after graduation?"
With enthusiastic fervor, Masachika leaned forward.
"Aijou-senpai was no ordinary man! He had every type of woman in his harem—classmates, tsunderes, kuuderes, shy girls, maids, MILFs, foodies, ojou-samas, and more!"
"I'm just curious... By marrying a hundred women at once, did Aijou-senpai's kidneys really not fail?" Masha asked curiously.
"Actually, I'm curious too. With a hundred wives, how does he still survive?" Yuki chuckled at the question.
"Among the women in Aijou-senpai's harem, there was a genius scientist. It's no problem to make kidney-enhancing medicine."
"That makes sense."
Masachika agreed with Ren.
The absurd conversation continued with jokes and small laughs among them. The four of them enjoyed their lunch in a harmonious atmosphere.
However, behind the warmth, Masachika was completely unaware of one thing—the woman sitting across from him wasn't just an ordinary classmate. She was his childhood friend, someone he had once liked.
Even worse, the man sitting beside her, who was now casually enjoying his meal, was the one who had "cuckolded" him without him realizing it.