As I woke up in my bed, I was immediately greeted by a pounding headache. I struggled to recall what had happened the previous night at the school festival, but my memory seemed to fail me. All I could recollect was being in an unfamiliar room, and then... nothing. Every time I attempted to concentrate and recall the events, my headache only seemed to intensify.
Suddenly, Elizabeth, my acquaintance, burst into my room with a smile on her face. Although I couldn't deny that she looked pretty, I was taken aback when she addressed me as "Darling." It was an unusual term of endearment for someone who was not my significant other.
As I looked at her with a confused expression, Elizabeth's smile turned into a mocking sneer. "You don't remember what you did at the festival, do you? You're such a pervert," she taunted me.
"What happened?" I immediately asked, my heart racing with anticipation.
"I proposed to you and..." she paused, pulling me into her arms. "You said yes!"
"What?!" I exclaimed, trying to make sense of the situation.
But before I could even process what was happening, the door swung open and Elora and Seda burst into the room.
"And not just her," Elora added with a wink, "Us too!"
My jaw dropped as I tried to wrap my head around what had just transpired. Did I really agree to go out with not only my best friend, but also my teacher and childhood friend? Was this some sort of twisted dream?
Suddenly, it hit me - this was my time to shine. After years of trying to fit in, I was finally going to become popular! Sure, it might be unconventional, but who cares? I had four amazing dates to look forward to!
As I stood in my room, lost in thought, Emma stormed in, giving me a fierce look as if she already knew what was going through my mind.
"Don't even think about it," she warned me sternly. "Don't you dare try anything stupid again."
But before I could respond, Emily and Nuile barged in with a sly grin on their faces, teasing me.
"Oh, come on Emma, give the guy a break," Emily said playfully. "He's got a lot on his plate."
"Yeah, he's got all of us to take care of," Nuile chimed in with a giggle.
My mind was still trying to process what was happening, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
"I... also accepted your declaration of love?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yes, you did!" they all replied in unison.
Oh, dear god. What had I done? Not only had I accepted the love declarations from four girls, but also from my adopted sister and the neighboring twins. I was in way over my head, and I had no idea how to get out of this mess.
As I stood by the window, ready to take the plunge and end it all, the girls suddenly burst into the room, stopping me in my tracks.
"Why on earth are you trying to jump out of the window?" Elora demanded to know.
"I have sinned beyond redemption," I muttered, my eyes fixed on the ground below. "Let me end my life in peace."
But the girls weren't having any of it. Nuile and Emily giggled mischievously, egging me on.
"Oh, come on now," they chanted in unison. "Let him jump! This house only has one floor, anyway."
I couldn't help but feel embarrassed at their teasing. I had completely forgotten about that tiny detail. Sheepishly, I made my way back to the bed, feeling like a complete fool. Grandfather would not have been proud of me, that was for sure.
"So, how is this going to work?" I finally asked, trying to make sense of the madness.
"Don't worry, I've already prepared a spreadsheet for us all," Emma replied, pulling out a detailed schedule with dates for all of us.
I could feel my face turning red with embarrassment as Elizabeth struggled to even look at me.
"Uh, yeah...we all agreed on this, right?" she mumbled, looking like she was about to faint.
"Come on, Lizzy, don't be like that," Nuile chimed in, clearly enjoying the situation. "You got what you wanted, didn't you?"
As I examined the spreadsheet, my heart began to sink. The schedule seemed daunting, but manageable. However, as I scrolled down, I noticed more and more girls marked on the list.
"Don't tell me..." I asked, feeling a sense of dread creeping up on me.
"Yes," they replied in unison.
I couldn't believe it. How could I have been so reckless?
Suddenly, the door swung open and a group of girls barged in. My jaw dropped as I realized the gravity of my situation.
"Dear grandfather," I muttered under my breath. "Please welcome your sinful grandson with open arms."
It was going to be a long year.
━─━────༺༻────━─━
After breaking the news to Adriel, Elizabeth immediately retreated to her dark and eerie hiding place. The dolls she used to represent the girls around Adriel were all broken, their limbs twisted and heads cracked open.
"Damn it!" Elizabeth screamed, her voice echoing through the empty room. "Out of all the possible outcomes, this was the worst!"
Her rage consumed her as she began to smash anything that wasn't yet broken. Her once innocent demeanor was now twisted with malice and insanity.
"Who would've thought that his power would get out of control like this? That he would take on that casanova persona?" Elizabeth cursed again, her eyes filled with a dangerous gleam.
"The only good thing about this is that we're finally together. And soon, it will be just the two of us," she said with a wicked smile, glancing at her phone.
"It's time to visit an old friend."