"But even if all the other guys are total garbage, isn't this going a bit too fast?"
I found myself muttering as I stared off into the distance. It was nighttime, and as usual, we were soaking in an open-air bath. Yata-chan sat nude on the edge of the stone tub, only her legs in the water. We'd been guided here because it was supposed to be quiet and out of the way—an outdoor rock bath on the outskirts of the inn.
The lighting was dim, probably to preserve the mood, so the pale glow of moonlight made everyone's bodies shimmer faintly in the dark.
When I looked up, the bright moon and a sky full of stars twinkled above.
Behind me, Hachikuma was in full doting mode, loosely hugging me from behind. The soft, warm sensation pressing against the nape of my neck felt surprisingly pleasant.
The entrance was blocked by towering rocks, making it invisible from the sides, but the top was open like a collapsed cave. Apparently, the bath was known for fertility benefits—soaking in its lukewarm 38°C water was said to regulate your nervous and hormonal systems, making it easier to conceive.
Whether that applied to men was anyone's guess. The most crowded bath—said to be good for beauty—was hotter and not recommended if you were feeling worn out.
"There's nothing but trash out there, so what can you do?"
"If that's the case, shouldn't you be more careful?"
If someone got hurt or something went wrong, it could be bad. And I didn't exactly have proof that I wasn't trash myself.
"There are so few men that even garbage has value. If you hesitate for even a second, someone else will swoop in. When a chance comes, you've got to rip it by the forelocks—otherwise, you're out of luck."
Sure, they say to grab opportunity by the forelocks, but still—yikes.
"But polygamy is allowed, right? Doesn't that help a little?"
"The girls here aren't used to it either. It still causes tension. And to be real, most guys can't handle the number or the responsibility. Out of a hundred, maybe one guy can actually manage a hundred wives."
"It's that extreme?"
"Someone like you only shows up once in a hundred years. If we spot a good one, we're not letting them go."
Am I really that valuable?
Back home, no one ever complimented me romantically. If anything, I got told things like "short guys aren't worth it" and got emotionally wrecked with verbal knives. All I remember is getting treated like garbage.
Being a "nice guy" just meant you didn't matter. No one falls for a "good person" act.
So now, even though I feel like I'm constantly getting marriage proposals, I still can't quite believe it.
"And if you do get away, thanks to government policy, girls will just be handed a semen-filled syringe and told to get themselves pregnant at a clinic to fight the declining birthrate. Romance? What's that?"
"…Yeah, that sounds way worse than doing it the normal way."
I sighed. What they were saying made sense, but it still made me feel weird. It wasn't just about the atmosphere—it was about human dignity.
"Given the choice, wouldn't you want to do it the normal way?"
"Yeah… I guess so."
I sighed again. I don't expect someone to fall for me with all their heart, but at the very least, I'd like to think I'm better than a sterile syringe.
"So, why's Suzume-san trembling like that?"
Right now, Suzume-san was in my arms, shivering slightly with a clearly reluctant look. It was kind of surprising—she was the only one here who hadn't approached me romantically, which made this whole situation feel a little odd.
Apparently, she was the type who looked slimmer in clothes. Despite being petite, she was surprisingly well-endowed. That soft, floating sensation resting on my arm as I gently supported her in the water? Honestly, that alone felt like a blessing.
"She's up next after us, so I figured she should get used to things now," Misago said with a strangely smug grin, standing fully naked with her arms folded like a possessive girlfriend.
Next to her, Tsugumi-san wore a peaceful, almost maternal smile. Supposedly Misago's mother, though she looked far too young for the title.
"Forget about me. Misago and Hachikuma-nee should enjoy their three days first," Suzume muttered irritably, her voice a bit high-pitched. She clearly wasn't ready for this yet.
I couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief.
Spending three days with Misago and Hachikuma-san? No problem. What was distracting me was the group of other women giving me hungry stares—especially Kiyora-san, whose eyes looked borderline desperate.
"So anyway," Yata-chan continued, "why not just marry everyone who wants in? Nobody's gonna complain."
She clearly anticipated my thoughts before I even said them.
"Why do you always jump ahead like that?"
"Because you were thinking it."
"I won't deny that…"
I sighed again. Yeah, it's basic male instinct—to want to spread your seed to as many girls as possible.
"You've been here long enough to get used to how things work, right?"
"I'd say so."
"Well, the guests today? Most of them want to marry you. Even the employees. They're all head over heels. So if they ask, just take them all."
"Alright. I accept."
As I resigned myself with a nod—figuring in for a penny, in for a pound—I couldn't help but think, Man, 'head over heels' is such an old-fashioned phrase.
"Wooo!!"
Cheers erupted—louder than I expected. Definitely more people than I originally thought were listening in.