Kouji nervously waited for everyone to arrive. Telling everyone the truth was the only thing on his mind since last night with Yuma. Images continued to flash in his head on how they'd take it. A couple of those thought involved him being beaten, another where he was tarred and feathered.
"I'm sure they wouldn't do that." He tried to convince himself as the boy took another sip of tea. That was the only thing keeping him calm during a time like this.
The meeting place was simple at his own home. Luckily, his uncle was gone for work and wouldn't be back until evening. So, Kouji figured they'd have proper privacy for lunchtime. He also took the precaution of messaging Moku to not pay him a surprise visit this time. The only response he got back for that was a winking face, and he realized that he should've been less vague about things with him. Because chances were, that this was not going to be enjoyable for him.
He was smart about when to expect each girl to arrive. The first three were to be Himawari, Teru, and Waa. Because he wanted Yuma there last to make sure the surprise was not to be given up before he had the chance to explain himself.
Soon enough, each one arrive at his house. The way he had messaged them gave them an indicator that this wasn't some simple hang out time.
"What's so important that you had to interrupt one of our precious days off?" Waa asked him impatiently as she sat on the couch with the rest of the girls. "I got some real nice manga to catch up on."
"Yeah, if you don't wanna do anything special. I don't see a point in missing out on some skating." Teru shared the same sentiment.
"Can't you two have a mature bone in your body for once." Said Himawari. "Maybe if you controlled your hormonal minds, then you could stand a chance against me."
"Y-yeah…" Kouji was mentally preparing himself for what was to come. "Anyway, I asked all of you here because I had something very important to tell you. I just want to ask that you all at least try not to get mad at me."
"Why would we get mad at you?" Teru didn't like the sound of that. Right on cue, there was a knock on the door.
"Darn it, we really gotta be interrupted right now?" Waa complained as she watched Kouji walked across them to answer it.
"Actually." He spoke up as he opened the door. "This is what I wanted to tell you all about." As expected, Yuma stood at the front door.
"Ah, Yuma." Himawari didn't understand initially what this all meant. "We were all here about to get some... Study time. It just didn't seem like you or Anastasia needed any help, that's all." She quickly came up with an excuse.
"…" All Yuma did at first was stare at all of them. Even though it was known to her for a while, it still was strange to look at them and know their true feelings for Kouji. "I... already know the truth."
Everyone's heart sank when they heard her declaration.
"What do you mean you already know the truth?" That got Waa energized as she sat straight up. "You mean that you know that... We're all in love with Kouji!?"
"Put simply… Yes."
"That's not the only thing either." Kouji told them all about the offer that Yuma's parents gave him. He told them the entire details of it, the reasoning, everything.
"Wait, what?" Teru was in disbelief. "Then, are you really getting married?"
"You really don't seem the type to jump into something like that so fast." Waa commented. She had known him long enough to figure out what his decision ended up being.
"No." He answer. "I'm not planning on marrying her." Instead, it was a decision that they all knew too well.
"I… Did confess though." Yuma informed them. That was another huge surprise to them all. This entire time, they never would've figured that she held any feelings for him. Honestly, none of them believed that she could even have romantic feelings for anyone at all.
"She already knew about you guys. So I wanted to ask you all, if it'd be okay if Yuma became a part of this too?"
"I never would've thought you'd want to ask permission from us." Said Waa.
"Yeah, at some point, we all figured that you'd just make up your mind and pick by now." Said Teru. At this point, Himawari had grown a bit silent. She had no response to this question. Not right now at least.
"I mean, I figured that none of you would be happy to hear about this. And if she joined, it meant a higher chance of losing out." Kouji was right. All three of them weren't pleased to hear this. Who would anyway? Another girl just meant now there was another option for the boy to go with that wasn't them.
"I guess it's kind of my fault for suggesting this whole harem idea." After some thinking, Waa spoke up to give her opinion. "You're already one of those indecisive types, but to be fair. I get not wanting to outright reject someone now. Especially since you've already decided to give us all a chance now."
"So, you're okay with this?"
"Eh, I'll live." She replied. While it wasn't the best thing for her to hear today. That still didn't kill her confidence on being the girl to win his heart in the end.
"Can't say I like the idea." Now it was Teru's turn. "But, I think Yuma's cool. And I'd hate for her to get left out just because we were here first." So she could live with allowing this. After all, why should she be the one to reject it anyway? Personally, she felt that this was Kouji's choice anyway, even if she may not like the end result.
"Himawari, what do you think?" He asked the girl. She hadn't uttered a word after he told them about Yuma. At this point, she was the one he was most worried about. "I hope you aren't too mad about this."
"Mad?" She finally spoke up. "Mad? Oh, I'm not mad. I'm absolutely filled with rage right now." The girl got up from her seat. He felt dread filling his body with the way her eyes looked at him. "I can't believe you did this."
"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and it's not easy to just reject someone I'm already close with."
"…" Himawari got right up to him, her breaths were short and a hand of hers was balled up into a fist. "Yuma, I can't get mad at you. And I know that this isn't easy." Her words seemed to be understanding, but her tone revealed the conflict within. "But, why did it have to happen like this? After what happened last night?"
She was referring to the time he went and stood her up. The girl had already gone to the agreed upon location when she received the message. It crushed her, especially with how excited she was about it. Kouji figured she was upset based on the response she had for him when he asked. He didn't realize just how hurt she was though.
"If I had known this would happen, then there's no way I could've just have allowed it and went home." Her voice was breaking, the more she talked. "...If you had seen my face… Would you still have went with her?" A tear dropped down her cheek. "Because… I cried because of you." The waterworks were underway now. "There, are you all happy? The so-called prim and proper Himawari cried because of a boy." She couldn't take it anymore. At a brisk pace, the girl walked past him and headed for the door.
"Himwari, wait." His attempt at consoling her was futile.
"Forget it." She said back to him. "If you want to give her a chance, then it's fine with me. But I just don't think I can handle this anymore." With that, she was out the door. And in Kouji's mind, potentially out of his life.