It could be considered a success, right… Ginko didn't reject Hakuto, nor did she walk away immediately. It seemed she had accepted the outcome.
Hakuto, in truth, had not yet pierced the veil with Nao or the others.
But he knew—it was only a matter of time. He wasn't sure what the others would choose, but he had to give Ginko a heads-up.
Doing things behind someone's back was never a good idea. If he did that, how would he be any different from a coercive scumbag?
Even though Hakuto had always behaved quite aloof in such matters, that didn't mean he wasn't serious or responsible about them.
As a lover, Ginko had the right to know. That was certain…
"Sigh…" Hakuto let out a breath.
"A harem isn't as easy to manage as it sounds…"
No wonder those slice-of-life anime always ended up with a fake harem—turns out it's just that troublesome.
Under normal circumstances, trying to have multiple wives is nearly impossible.
"Speaking of which… I wonder if Shunsuke can help me get a marriage certificate… He has some authority in that area, right? Maybe I can ask for a favor?"
Hakuto said lightly.
But that was for later. He still hadn't resolved the current matters, so there was no need to overthink.
...
The next day, Hakuto specifically took a day off to stay home with Ginko.
In the early morning, after preparing breakfast, he tiptoed into the room and gently woke the sleeping Ginko.
"Ginko… Ginko…"
"Mm…"
In response to Hakuto's call, Ginko slowly opened her eyes. Looking at him with sleepy eyes, she mumbled,
"Hakuto…"
"Time to get up and eat."
"Wait…" Ginko grabbed Hakuto's hand. "If there's time, let me meet that girl named Tomori Nao…"
"Alright."
A look of relief appeared on Hakuto's face. Whatever else might happen, at least things with Ginko were now settled.
What Ginko didn't say was that she had a dream yesterday—a very long dream...
In that dream, she had refused to share Hakuto, and the end result was...
She could only watch Hakuto slowly drift away, farther and farther...
Even if it was just a dream, the content mirrored real life to a large extent.
Ginko didn't want things to turn out like that. If she couldn't have him to herself, sharing would be better than having nothing at all.
And she was also quite curious about Nao, who had accompanied Hakuto through those toughest months.
If their personalities matched, maybe they could get along well in the future…
"By the way, Ginko, the president might not necessarily approve of me having a harem."
"You haven't told her yet?"
"Of course I told you first, Ginko."
Seeing the sincerity on Hakuto's face, Ginko's cheeks flushed red, but she didn't say anything.
Still, in her heart, she felt a hint of joy from Hakuto's actions…
As for why Hakuto chose to tell Ginko first—it was simply because Ginko was the hardest to handle.
If Nao really had feelings for Hakuto, then what she said yesterday had already made that clear.
"If you bring a girl home, I can just make myself scarce~"
It might have been a joke, or maybe it implied something more…
Nao knew almost everything about Hakuto. There were no information gaps between them.
Knowing all that yet still choosing to stay by his side already said a lot...
At the dining table, Ginko suddenly asked,
"Hakuto… What exactly is our relationship now?"
"Boyfriend and girlfriend, of course. What else could it be?"
Ginko nodded. She didn't show much reaction on the surface, but inside, a storm was raging.
All this time, she had been pursuing only two things—
Becoming a professional shogi player, and Hakuto!
Although it was different from how she imagined it, this could still be considered as accomplishing one of them!
Now, the only step left was becoming a professional shogi player!
Originally, Ginko thought that as long as she became a pro, everything else would follow.
But now, it seemed that even without achieving that, some things had already come early…
"Ginko, I'm planning to go register my information at the Shogi Association in a few days."
"Hm?"
"As your boyfriend, I can't let you struggle in there alone."
Ginko smiled. "Want to make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Let's see who becomes a professional shogi player first. Whoever loses has to grant any one wish of the winner!"
"Eh? Ginko, you're already third dan, and I haven't even registered my information yet. Isn't that a bit harsh…"
"But well, since you're interested, I'll accept the bet."
Hakuto didn't reject Ginko's suggestion. To him, this wager had no downside—whether he won or lost.
Or rather, he'd be glad to lose…
"Can I ask what kind of request you'd make, Ginko? But just to be clear—nothing like that, alright?"
Hakuto made sure to set boundaries in advance.
"Are you really that disinterested in sex?" Ginko frowned slightly, her tone cool.
She truly couldn't understand why, as a guy, Hakuto seemed completely indifferent to that kind of thing.
"Later is fine. But not now. At least wait until you're old enough to legally marry…"
In the Land of Japan, the legal marriage age wasn't strict—18 for men, 16 for women.
They were both almost there, it wouldn't be long now.
And Hakuto had always been rather indifferent in this regard anyway. The adult manga he had was just something he bought to understand Eriri better…
After breakfast, Ginko declined Hakuto's offer to go with her.
"Hakuto has more important things to do—and so do I…"
Hakuto knew what Ginko meant by more important.
Yes, he had important matters too…
Over the next few days, Ginko didn't come back to Hakuto's place, as if she had really taken the bet to heart.
And Hakuto registered his information at a nearby Shogi Association branch. It probably wouldn't be long before the name Shiratori Hakuto was known in the world of shogi.
And during these days, Nao actually did as she said—she stayed at Hakuto's house.
However, Hakuto still hadn't pierced that final layer between them. Perhaps because his dynamic with Nao had always been a bit unusual…
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