Maybe both was possible?

[Chapter Cover : IMG]

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"How's your hand?" Marin asked me as we walked together, hand in hand while making our way to her house.

School was over now and there was nothing extraordinary that happened. We studied and I hang around with Marin and Komi.

Though the thing noteworthy would be the fact that Komi was a bit reserved and was guilty for some reason. Other than that it was a normal day.

Which meant it was a good day.

Now Marin and I were walking home together, to her house to be exact. Komi had separated with us not too long ago as her house was in another direction.

"It's fine." I said, showing off my hand which was still wrapped in a bandage, "In a week or two, I will heal completely."

Marin nodded with a happy smile. We continued walking together while having a small conversation. 

There was one interesting and wholesome thing I noticed as we walked together.

We were walking extremely slowly. It seems that both of us did not want to separate soon. It warmed my heart and made my steps even slower.

There was this old man with a hunched back walking pass us while shaking his head. That should hint on how slow we were actually walking.

Our conversation went on, even if the topic was not interesting, we were content and satisfied with hearing each other's voice.

But as the conversation go on, it eventually led on the topic which we had oddly avoided. Or rather Marin had avoided.

"So..." I trailed off "What are we now?" I said, looking at our hands which were intertwined together.

Marin flinched at my question. She seemed hesitant about the topic and from her body language I could tell that she was unsure.

'Why is she unsure?' I wondered, 'Hmm....Is she not ready to be in a relationship?'

As she did not instantly answer my question, I also began pondering about my own question. What are we now actually?

I was hoping that we were a couple for now but I don't know if I deserve that considering Marin was not the only woman I love.

Sucmmy of me, I know but I also love Sumire and the thing I wanted was to have them both. 

It was truly mind numbing thinking about how I would deal with her. Sumire was fine with me having another girl but Marin was the main issue.

"Marin?" I called out again, expecting an answer.

I felt Marin's hand beginning to sweat and now I was truly confused at what was happening. Why was she so nervous?

"F-Friends with benefits?" she whispered very very softly, "Maybe?" Her voice was so small that even though I heard it I acted like I didn't.

I don't think she even wanted to say it out loud.

But the words had great effect on me. Was she really that opposed to the idea of being in a normal relationship with me?

As my mind was abuzz with such negative thoughts, Marin finally spoke up.

She stopped walking and so did I. Her face was flushed red and she seemed thoroughly embarrassed and fearful.

"Ummm...Yuito." She gulped, "Do you have a girlfriend?" her voice was but a whisper by the end.

Now I was stumped, I was confused as fuck.

Was that a trick question? Am I suppose to say 'Yes, you.'?

"Sorry, I don't quite get what you mean." I chuckled nervously and Marin became even more nervous. She would not look at my eyes.

"D-Do you have like a girlfriend? You know, someone who is abroad or something?" She asked normally at first but by the end she was just mumbling.

Now I was REALLY confused. Are we even having the same conversation?"

"Marin." I called out and pulled her closer, "Please can you just talk to me normally?" She froze and then hesitantly looked at my eyes.

She gulped nervously, "Yuito. Are you single?"

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Okay I was getting more and more lost. 

"Single?" I asked, she nodded rapidly.

"If you don't want to be in a relationship just say it?" I told her, my voice heavy.

Now it was her turn to be baffled. "What?" She asked dumbly.

Okay. Our thoughts are light years apart aren't they. 

I sighed, her house was still far away so we had a lot of time to talk and explain I guess.

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"What? You thought I was still in a relationship with Chifuyu." I asked in surprise.

"That's what they said okay!!" Marin yelled in embarrassment.

"Who's they?"

"Your fan club."

"I have a fan club!!" I said in surprised. A few minutes later I seem to have grasp the situation a little bit.

Apparently Marin thought that I was in a long distance relationship and have a girlfriend. No, she said she was not sure that I have a girlfriend.

But she said there was someone else that I care about. I didn't know how she knew but I think she was referring to Sumire.

It was because of this that she was avoiding the topic. She thought I would be uncomfortable with it and I would even cut our current relationship if I knew that she knew I have someone else besides her.

That was truly a shock for me and I immediately told her that I didn't have a girlfriend and that I broke up with her even before I met her.

Though the question remained, "What would you have done if I really had a girlfriend?"

Marin shrugged, "I mean, I would be sad."

I deadpanned, "That's it?"

"Won't you be like super mad or something?" 

"Huh?" She laughed, " No way. I knew the risk when I confessed to you. I was fully prepared to be the side chick you have while your girlfriend was away."

'What!!!' I screamed in my mind while my mouth forgot to move.

Does this girl not have any self respect or something? So she didn't mind that she was just another girl?

"Hey! Don't look at me like that!!" Marin lightly punched my chest. 

"I love you and I would've been happy to have even a small part of you. I was desperate for anything I can get okay." She told me.

"Besides." She gave me a small peck on my lips. She had an arrogant smirk when she pulled back.

"I was confident in stealing your heart from anyone if given the time."

I was still shell shocked. What kind of crazy mentality was that?

"Oh don't look so surprised." she told me, " I may say all these things but at the end of the day I was not really risking anything."

She laid her head on my chest while she softly sighed, "Because I know you would never hurt me. It doesn't matter if you love another girl. I know you will also take care of me."

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Okay. Maybe the whole Sumire situation will not be complicated at all. With both of their thinking it will not be difficult at all to have both of them.

Maybe both was possible.

"Though I wonder why you are so shocked. I was wrong to assume it was Chifuyu but there is indeed another girl right?" Marin asked me in confusion.

I paused.

"I can tell that there is surely someone else." She repeated.

I sighed, "Indeed there is someone else."

I wonder how she knew. Is it a crazy girl's thing to be observant?

"I knew it." She said, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"No..It's complicated." I told her.

"So I am the only girlfriend?" She asked, her voice was happy.

"Yeah."

She pumped her fist in the air.

Truly. What a strange girl.

Soon enough, as we continued to talk to each other, sharing our thoughts, before we know it we have reached Marin's apartment building.

We stood silently near the building.

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"Hey, would you mind coming in for..." She trailed off, unsure as she tucked her golden hair behind her ear.

"..tea? Coffee?"

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Author : Tell me what you think. I have foreshadowed in the chapter titled 'Marin : I just love him' that Marin didn't mind if he had 66×99 Girlfriend because she knew he would not hurt her and take care of her.

That's the conclusion right now, Marin loved him so much that she couldn't care less if he fucked other girls as long as she had him. But she is also not exactly convinced to share and she could tolorate other girls for now because she is determined to steal his heart and make him her's alone eventually.

Please if this feel unnatural, tell me and the reason.

Pulling off a harem in a normal world setting is quite hard and I am doing this step by step to ease the harem in.

MC acceptance of his hypocrisy, Sumirey crying, Marin not being sure if he was in a relationship when she first went to visit him in his house. All of these were used to slowly integrate the harem.

Anyways, thanks for reading.