I guess you could say I was tempted by Momoko…
To be honest, this isn’t the first time I’ve had an experience like this since coming to this desert island.
But that doesn’t mean I’m used to it. My heart still races.
I try to keep my composure as I gently peel her away from me.
“Um, well… I think I understand what Momoko’s proposing.”
I’ll do my best to help her enjoy her time on this desert island.
And in return, she’ll do her best to help me enjoy my time here.
Even though she may have taken an interest in me because of my abilities, I’m grateful that she’s not just relying on me but is proposing a give-and-take arrangement.
My friends are naturally like that, but even the members of the Seiou party don’t try to take advantage of anyone unilaterally, so it’s been surprisingly easy to get along with them.
In stories, people who have useful abilities often have others trying to take advantage of their power or using them without a second thought, but the reality has been surprisingly peaceful.
Or perhaps Seiou is guiding his friends to act this way.
”…Then why are you pulling away? You don’t like me?” Momoko pouts. “It’s not that…”
How should I explain it? Momoko gives me a suspicious look.
“Of course. You love girls, right, Souzou-kun?” “Ugh.”
A harem builder like me couldn’t deny it here.
“Why am I the only one you don’t like? Don’t I have any charm?”
Momoko’s face immediately turns anxious.
“It’s not that. I’ll talk to the others about your proposal. It wouldn’t be bad for us if everyone’s lives got easier.”
Now that the reward of “ability awakening” had been confirmed, those without abilities could potentially become ability users in the future.
If an original ability user obtained it, their power would be enhanced, but no new abilities would be created.
While enhancing existing abilities was nice, it would be even better if a trustworthy person could gain a new ability.
If the girls in the Seiou Party agreed to stay, the ability users would remain on the desert island.
Of course, even without such selfish thoughts, I genuinely wanted my classmates to be happy.
“Talking to the others, does that mean you’re asking if Momoko can join the harem too?”
「Even if we put aside the whole harem thing… I guess I’ll have to talk about it, huh?」 「Oh, really?」 Momoka raised her eyes in surprise. 「What’s wrong?」
「I was thinking about the guy who kept his relationship with her a secret and tried to be friends with you, Momoka. You know, he was being honest.」
Even though they were supposedly friends, from what I heard earlier, Momoka had only wanted to receive the guy’s affections and hadn’t even considered a relationship with him.
The guy who continued the relationship with her while trying to be friends with Momoka was being dishonest.
Whether or not I, who has multiple girlfriends, am honest is a different matter.
「Since you’re already dating multiple girls, there’s no point in hiding your relationship with her now.」
Someone had joined our conversation.
It was a girl with blue hair and a mature aura.
Her hair was bob cut and her bangs were parted in the middle. And she had big breasts.
Maybe it wasn’t necessary to point it out since all the girls in our class had large breasts, but as a guy, I couldn’t ignore it.
She was carrying an unbelievable amount of adult allure despite being the same age. Inugai Reirei.
She was the mysterious girl who had the ability to control monsters.
I had no contact with her, but from what I could see in class, she always had a warm smile on her face, friendly to everyone, yet somehow distant. She was a mysterious person.
“Hey, Nene! Don’t butt in like that!”
Momoe made a clearly displeased face.
“Oh, that’s a mean way to talk to your childhood friend.”
Nene, however, continued to smile. “Childhood friend?”
I couldn’t help but react to that phrase.
「Oh, didn’t you hear? Unlike Kouno-kun and Iseyan-san, we’ve only been together since elementary school.」
I wonder where Ushikai got the information that I and Senyuu had been together since kindergarten.
Before I could ask, Momo let out a loud voice.
「It’s fate, isn’t it! Momo is really in a bad mood!」 「Why is that?」
「I’m saying it on purpose! When Nene is around, Momo doesn’t get the attention she deserves!」
「That’s not true. All the boys who like cute girls are smitten with you, aren’t they?」
「If Nene wasn’t here, I’d have Momo all to myself!」
「Hehe. If it was before middle school, that would have been true.」
「Grrr… You’re right, our school, especially our class, is really weird…」
There were many who were attracted to the mysterious girls like Inugai.
If Shion was a pure beauty who captured the hearts of those her age, Inugai was more like the type who would steal a younger boy’s first love.
And yet, she had an air about her that suggested she was dating an older man.
“Though people often tell me this, I’ve never actually had an adult relationship.”
She spoke as if reading my mind, making me flinch.
“Be careful, Sohjiro-kun. Nene is a psychic.”
“It’s just that there are a lot of people in the world whose thoughts show on their faces. You’re especially expressive, so it’s nice to talk to you.”
“Ugh, forget it! Sohjiro-kun, tell Momo when you’re done talking to Chiayu-chan and the others!”
Momo stuck out her tongue at Inugai and left, apparently not liking being in the same space as her.
「I’m sorry, that girl isn’t a bad kid.」
She apologized as if she were a guardian. “Yeah, I understand.” I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I didn’t hate Momoko, even though I knew that the guys who had fallen for her didn’t understand her.
Her balance of devilish charm and innocent childishness was even endearing.
「After being thrown into a completely different environment, it takes everyone different amounts of time to adapt, right? That girl hasn’t adapted yet.」
「If I didn’t have the ‘Craft Ability’, I might not have been able to adapt either.」
When I said that, Inugai smiled.
「We should be grateful that this power went to a person who could think like that right away.」
I didn’t like being seen only for my abilities, but I also got embarrassed when people praised me for them. “I don’t know.”
「If everyone could adapt as quickly as you did, things would be easier, but it’s not that simple. Still, I think this is a good opportunity for Momoko.」
「A good opportunity?」
「Yes. Momoko’s previous way of being wasn’t healthy, so I hope things will improve for her here.」
「Ah… Well, there are probably some guys who would feel like their innocence was toyed with.」
As someone who had been talking to Momo until just now, I agreed with that.
「That’s true. There’s no need to make unnecessary enemies, right? Momo is currently maintaining her self-esteem through the kindness of others, but shouldn’t she be able to do it on her own?」
It’s only natural to feel happy when someone praises you.
But if you go so far as to feel worthless without praise from others, that’s unhealthy.
It’s better to be able to live even without the approval of others while still being happy about it.
I understood what Inugari was trying to say.
But it’s probably quite difficult.
Those who struggle with their social standing at school probably do so because they value how others see them.
As someone who maintains a distance from such things and is just an ordinary otaku, I might not fully understand Momo’s pain.
「Still, it’s hard to live ignoring others’ evaluations. So, at the very least, it would be nice to meet someone who’s unique and irreplaceable.」
Her expression turned worried, as if she were concerned about someone important to her. As if she were a sister or a mother. 「Unique and irreplaceable?」
「This is someone who will always be on my side, someone whose approval alone makes me strong enough to live.」 「…I see.」
To me, that would be Senyuu.
It would make Senyuu happy if I were that person.
Thinking about it that way, Mom now feels like me without Senyuu.
She must be feeling pretty lonely.
「It seems I can’t do it, so I hope someone good comes along.」
She said that and looked at my face.
If she were to find someone, would Momotaro be able to live happily without relying on countless others’ approval?
That’s what I thought during my conversation with Inugami.
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