Anime: I Want Harem

Chapter 30 - 30

Sosuke stopped paying attention to Kasumigaoka Utaha. Although he had liked her character in his previous life, the annoyance brewing in him at this moment made him unwilling to engage further with these people. He had no interest in continuing the argument.

From the very beginning, Sosuke had never intended to use the power of words to defeat Tomoya and easily subdue the enlightened Utaha and Eriri. As he had mentioned earlier, his identity was just that of a stranger, and they weren't even friends.

Simply showing up and disrupting someone's romance was already a feat; he was lucky enough not to have earned their hatred. Why would he still aim to win their favor? It was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Before delving into the complex emotions of these individuals, there was one thing he needed to understand clearly. The cliché of Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata mirrored White Album in a way—Toma and Setsuna understood Haruki intimately. Despite knowing the flaws of the man they loved, they couldn't help but throw themselves at him, accepting the inevitable pain that came with it.

That was the type of person they liked.

Sosuke's goal now was simple: expose Tomoya Aki's true colors in front of the two women. But would this revelation make them abandon him? Sosuke didn't think so. The possibility was slim.

Tomoya Aki was fully aware of their feelings but neither rejected nor accepted them, instead stringing them along and manipulating their emotions for his own benefit. To the audience, especially the male viewers, Tomoya Aki seemed like the quintessential manipulative character, making everyone angry. However, this anger didn't matter in the grand scheme.

Sosuke didn't believe that after learning the so-called truth, the girls would suddenly experience an epiphany and leave Tomoya Aki. They had already made their choice. Tomoya hadn't paid any price for recruiting Eriri and the upperclassman. Though the process had been persistent, he had never used underhanded tactics to win them over. They had agreed to it themselves.

Later, Tomoya's behavior certainly resembled that of a manipulative "green tea male," but did Eriri and Utaha really not know what was going on? Eriri, though not particularly bright, might have had some inkling, but Utaha—who could maintain top grades even while sleeping in class—was much sharper than Tomoya. She had even planned to trap him in the game, secretly positioning her avatar to become the heroine. Her emotional intelligence was on another level.

To suggest that Utaha couldn't see through Tomoya's game was to seriously underestimate her. It wasn't that she didn't know Tomoya was stringing them along—she simply chose to accept his game.

In the end, both Utaha and Eriri were completely enamored with Tomoya Aki. They were extreme in their devotion, almost to the point of offering everything for him. If Tomoya continued his manipulative game, Utaha might very well end up doing exactly that.

Having reached such an extreme situation, pulling them back would be a near-impossible task through normal means. They were being used by Tomoya, but ultimately, they were complicit in their own suffering. It was a classic case of mutual willingness.

For Kitahara Sosuke, gaining the favor of the two girls had never been his intention. His goal was far simpler: prevent Kato from being deceived by Tomoya into doing free labor, while also dismantling the relationship between the three of them.

That was enough.

However, watching Tomoya Aki lie without hesitation, and seeing Utaha—whom Sosuke had admired in his previous life—pretend not to notice, only made him more irritated. He pushed down the urge to act. There was no point in making a move here. It would only serve to vent his frustrations, and it wouldn't wake the two women up.

Sosuke called for the waiter, preparing to leave.

"Wait!"

It was Kasumigaoka Utaha's voice, filled with dissatisfaction.

"I have nothing more to say to you," Sosuke replied, his back turned to her, his tone cold.

But Utaha wouldn't let it go. Her elegant neck arched, and though her anger simmered beneath the surface, she still managed to maintain a calm tone. "After saying so many inexplicable things and even getting violent with Tomoya-kun, do you think you can just leave without an explanation?"

Sosuke remained silent for a moment before turning around, his expression still icy. He fixed his gaze on Utaha.

"That's the funniest joke I've heard all year."

Kato had quietly approached Sosuke's side, and now, standing beside him, Sosuke maintained his cold expression, making it impossible for Utaha to read his thoughts.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha, you should be different from Sawamura over there."

"Different in what way?!" Eriri snapped, stepping between the two of them.

Sosuke ignored her completely. He focused his attention on Utaha, his voice unwavering as he asked her directly, "Playing dumb—is it really so entertaining for you, Senpai?"

"..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's mind raced as she realized exactly what Sosuke meant. She quickly composed herself, though her face betrayed a momentary unease.

"I'm playing dumb... What do you mean, Kitahara-kun?"

Her voice was now laced with an unnatural calm, her eyes instinctively avoiding Sosuke's gaze. She looked down at the floor but forced herself to meet his eyes once again, countering his question with one of her own.

Sosuke looked at the bill handed to him by the waitress, took out some cash, and sent the flustered girl away. Afterward, he turned back to Utaha, whose face he had admired so much in his previous life.

"Senpai, you're an incredibly talented person. At Toyonosaki High School, and even in university, you'll have no trouble getting recommendations, will you? Wherever you go, you'll be the center of attention."

"But you've degraded yourself to becoming one of the backup options in Tomoya-kun's little game. And you know it. Yet, you willingly allow your feelings to be used, playing along with his game."

Sosuke's gaze softened, but it was still filled with pity. "I find that both sad and pathetic."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's fists clenched in anger, her face flushing with emotion. She had never felt so furious before. Yet, after the anger passed, a cold calm settled over her, and she seemed to pale slightly.

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