I was just a virgin reincarnated into the world of my favorite harem game "Orenaji" (capitalized).
After reincarnating, I wholeheartedly helped the protagonist in his personal life by taking on the role of his best friend "Charao Shibuya".
The Orenaji game begins with the protagonist entering high school as a freshman. Over the course of the year, you become close friends with the heroines, and by the end of the third semester, you reach finals with the character you have the most affinity with.
So, here I am going into my sophomore year of high school. Honestly, there is no script for what comes next. What the future holds for me is unknown. I am uneasy, but there is hope.
On the first morning of the new school year, I woke up in my room. It's a 1K apartment. Yes, astute readers may immediately sense something amiss.
"Where are the family heroines (my stepsisters)?"
Let me explain.
I provided emotional support for the heroines who lost out on love. As a result, all the losing heroines began to fight for me.
The heroines of "Orenadji" are not exactly ordinary characters, they are quite fickle. What they have in common is that they are a bit "broken". In other words, they are very dependent.
In the main game, this addiction was directed at the protagonist. But now he's in love with another woman. Where does all that extra dependency go? It finds another place to attach to. That's me.
Why? I just talked to them, drank tea, watched movies, ate delicious dinners - all to help my beloved characters recover.
My actions were driven purely by my love for the characters, there was absolutely no ulterior motive. I didn't so much want a relationship as I wanted to see them smile. Even though my actions were motivated by such pure intentions, they somehow turned into a conflict that looked like a bloody battle.
This led to discord in my family (some of the characters are my stepsisters and stepmother). As I pondered what I should do, I came to a conclusion.
"I should step back."
If my presence causes quarrels, my absence will prevent them. This is a revolutionary idea that would have amazed even Copernicus*. It would not be strange to call me the Genius of Charao. However, I will have to politely decline such a title, as it apparently drastically lowers my IQ.
In any case, since my presence leads my stepsisters to endless Battle Royale, I suggested the idea of living alone.
"Sure, I think living alone is a good idea," I said
"Yes, it would be more comfortable."
"I think it's a very good idea. It would create less interference."
Approval from the family came surprisingly easily and effortlessly.
And so it was - starting in the spring of my sophomore year of high school, I began living on my own. What captivating words - school life and living alone. I can't help but feel excited about the days of youth ahead.
After all, the main story has already concluded. The protagonist has met his childhood friend. So my role as Charao Shibuya has come to an end. From now on, I'm free to do whatever I want.
Just when I was feeling excited, I suddenly noticed a notification on my smartphone.
Picking up my phone, I saw that the message was from Najimi Ota.
Najimi Ota is the main character of "Orenaji." In the main storyline, she acts as a childhood friend common to me and the protagonist.
In elementary school, the protagonist of the game was forced to move due to circumstances related to his parents, but after entering high school, he returned to this town. There he met the matured Najimi, and his heart began to pound. From that moment on, their love was born..... This is the main storyline, commonly referred to as "Najimi's route".
...I still think that the choice of name for the main character is too conventional. Najimi is not a name that is usually given to a girl. I haven't been satisfied with that for a long time. I mean, there have to be prettier names, right? But apparently the developers favored simplicity, as they noted on their blog, so I won't say anything more about it.
Anyway, this message came from Najimi:
"Minato is acting weird."
By "Minato" is meant the main character, Minato Minato. At the beginning of the game, you can enter any name you like. This is done by the developers to help players immerse themselves in the world of dating simulation. And the default name is Minato.
"Minato seems to have... changed."
Changed? What could that mean? The message from Najimi came in the middle of the night.
"Anyway, he's suddenly become a completely different person... I'm scared. I don't know what to do... I realize it's probably unpleasant since I chose Minato over you, but... could you give me some advice? You're the only one I can turn to."
I don't know what's going on, but I sensed her worry over her message.
So what am I supposed to do? Of course I'm going to listen to her concerns. I love the characters of Orenaji. I want them all to be happy. Even if she chose someone else and her heart isn't set on me, I still want my favorite characters to smile.
Having decided this, I quickly set about drafting a reply. I aimed to send the message as gently and sincerely as possible so as not to upset her emotionally fragile state.
Swoosh
"Hi there, my favorite girl Najimi! Still love you today! Fu〜!"
Swoosh
"Let's meet today and talk★★★★ I want to look at your adorable face while we chat about love!"
Swoosh
"After school, let's meet at a cafe filled with our memories! I'll rush after my beloved Najimi!"
Swoosh
"See you later. Love you (^z^)-☆"
Phew... That should be enough. All that's left is to meet Najimi after school and listen to her. Even if she has a boyfriend, my favorite heroine's happiness is my own happiness. And it's only natural to help her.
And now.
Today is the start of a new semester. I changed into my new uniform and stood in front of the bathroom mirror. It reflected a tall, handsome guy with bright facial features. If I were back in the past, I would have the urge to spit on such an impressive face.
In the original story, Charao, my character, had long blond hair. But now I cut my hair short and dyed it black.
In the original story, I had to keep my long blonde hair because of game mechanics, which honestly was quite inconvenient. But now the original story is over. There's no need to keep that hairstyle anymore. Even if I wanted to change it while going through the story, the "forced restriction" would not allow me to change the hairstyle.
I'll talk about this "forced restriction" another time. Given the messages I received earlier, I imagine readers should be quite surprised, so I'll leave it at that.
Anyway, having changed my hair, I felt refreshed. With an uplifted mood, anticipating a new life, I left the house.
However.
When I opened the door, my younger half-sister (the heroine) stood on the doorstep with a large Boston bag in her hands.
"Good morning, Onii-sama."
When our eyes met, my sister knelt down without hesitation. Leaning her upper torso forward, she bowed in a deep bow. Before I could even realize what was happening, she exclaimed:
"Could you please allow me to stay in this house? I don't mind being your maid or even your sex slave. If you allow me to stay, I will do whatever you say. I will follow your orders, whatever they may be. Please."
This is where I had to pause.
My younger half-sister...
What is she doing?