39 Chapter 39

At one of the dining tables at Cafe Stile. 

Eriri couldn't shake the strange look she had been giving Oreki. As they settled in to order lunch, her gaze remained fixed on him, a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment evident in her expression. She could not removed from her mind the harem conversation between Kaho, Maika and Oreki. She look at menu and Oreki back and forth.

Oreki, engrossed in perusing the menu, finally couldn't resist the urge to address Eriri's curious gaze. Setting the menu aside, he leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table and propping up his chin with his hand. With a smile playing on his lips, he met Eriri's eyes directly, prompting her with a straightforward question. "What do you want, Eriri-chan?" he inquired, his tone light and casual as he sought to alleviate the tension that lingered between them.

Eriri's gaze flickered slightly as Oreki addressed her, caught off guard by his sudden attention. Despite her initial surprise, she took a moment to compose herself before addressing him in a serious tone. "Are you really building a harem for yourself?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity and disbelief as she sought clarification on the matter. The question hung in the air, Eriri couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension. She awaited Oreki's response with bated breath, her mind swirling with what ifs scenarios.

"Yes" Oreki replied without hesitation, meeting Eriri's gaze with unwavering resolve. His straightforward manner left no room for doubt as he affirmed his intentions without beating around the bush. By addressing her question head-on, Oreki sought to dispel any uncertainty that lingered in Eriri's mind, conveying a sense of conviction in his decision to pursue a harem.

"He is serious about building a harem for himself" Eriri thought to herself, her expression reflecting a mixture of shock and disbelief as she glanced at Oreki. Despite her initial surprise, she quickly composed herself, her curiosity piqued by Oreki's unexpected revelation. With a furrowed brow, she couldn't help but wonder about the motivations behind his decision, prompting her to seek clarification from Oreki directly. Shaking off her disbelief, Eriri turned to Oreki and posed her question with a curious tone. "Why make a harem then?" she inquired.

"Why not?" Oreki shrugged in response to Eriri's serious question, his tone nonchalant as he offered a simple explanation for his decision. His casual demeanor belied the weight of the topic at hand, leaving Eriri momentarily taken aback by his seemingly flippant response.

Eriri furrowed her brow, her surprise turning into frustration as Oreki offered a dismissive response to her inquiry. Despite his casual tone, she couldn't help but feel a sense of irritation at his lack of explanation. Gritting her teeth, she felt the urge to press him further, her annoyance evident in her voice as she demanded a more serious response." Answer the damn question seriously" Eriri insisted, her frustration palpable as she urged Oreki to provide a clearer explanation for his decision to pursue a harem.

Observing Eriri's expression, Oreki couldn't help but sigh, leaning back in his seat in response to her question. "If you expect me to provide a long and serious explanation, you'll be clearly disappointed" he admitted, his tone tinged with a hint of resignation. Despite her insistence, Oreki seemed reluctant to delve into a detailed discourse on the topic at hand. However, he met Eriri's gaze with a small smile, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes. "But nonetheless, I will answer your demand" he assured her, his voice carrying a sense of sincerity. Leaning forward at the table, he raised his two fingers, signaling his intent to provide a succinct response. "I will only give you two short and 'dumb' reasons, then I hope this will satisfy you" he declared, emphasizing the word 'dumb' to underscore the simplicity of his explanation. With a small smile playing on his lips, he continued, "One, because I want to, and two, because I can, courtesy of the Japanese Government legalizing harem."

As he spoke, Oreki couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement at the absurdity of the situation. Despite the gravity of Eriri's question, he couldn't resist injecting a touch of levity into his response. With a nod of acknowledgment, he concluded his explanation, inwardly expressing gratitude for the societal factors that had paved the way for his unconventional lifestyle. "Declining birth rate, thank you for your assistance" he thought wryly, reflecting on the broader implications of Japan's demographic trends. 

Upon hearing Oreki's simple reasoning, Eriri couldn't help but be taken aback. "That's such a dumb reason to form a harem" she exclaimed, holding her forehead in disbelief at the straightforwardness of it all. Her reaction spoke volumes about her incredulity towards Oreki's nonchalant approach to the situation. She processed his rationale, she couldn't shake off her sense of disbelief. "Like seriously, it's that simple?" she thought to herself, shaking her head at the apparent lack of complexity in his decision-making process. 

"I told you it's dumb" Oreki retorted at Eriri with a playful smile, acknowledging her disbelief with a hint of amusement. Despite her incredulity, Oreki remained unfazed by Eriri's reaction, confident in his own perspective. "But it's a good enough reason to do a harem" he added with a casual shrug, emphasizing the simplicity of his approach.

Eriri shook her head in resignation, a sigh escaping her lips as she conceded defeat. "You're gonna get stabbed in the back just like that guy from..." she trailed off, trying to recall the origin of the story she wanted to reference, but her memory failed her. However, before she could finish her thought, the quietly listening Ryo interjected, her voice calm as she flipped through the menu. "Haramihama City" she supplied, completing Eriri's train of thought. 

"Thank you" Eriri said gratefully to Ryo, who was mumbling to herself, acknowledging her contribution to the conversation. Turning her attention back to Oreki, Eriri's expression grew serious as she addressed him directly. "Yeah, you're gonna get stabbed if not you," she warned him, her tone conveying a sense of urgency. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Eriri continued, "The girls in your harem are going to stab and kill each other." Her words carried a weight of caution, emphasizing the potential dangers inherent in forming a harem. Eriri's warning served as a sobering reminder of the complexities and conflicts that could arise from such relationships. Despite Oreki's seemingly lighthearted approach, Eriri sought to impress upon him the gravity of the situation, urging him to consider the potential consequences of his actions.

"Oi! Don't compare me to that guy" Oreki protested vehemently, his tone defensive as Eriri drew parallels between him and Makoto. He recalled the character from a visual novel, infamous for his indecisiveness and inability to choose among the girls he encountered. Makoto's reluctance to hurt anyone's feelings often led to him stringing multiple girls along, unable to break things off with any of them. Additionally, Oreki remembered Makoto's weak-willed nature, easily manipulated by others, including Kotonoha, and his tendency to act slowly, especially when confronted with confessions from girls.

As Oreki reflected on the comparison, he acknowledged the differences between their worlds. In their society, harems were legal, offering a unique perspective on relationships. In this context, he believed that Makoto, like himself, could simply express his feelings openly to all the girls he cared for, hoping they would accept or decline his affections gracefully. Despite the complexities of their situations, He saw a potential solution in embracing honesty and transparency, even in the face of multiple romantic interests. 'Though if they accept or decline in bad terms just like Eriri said you are gonna stabbed or the girls are going to murder and kill each other ala battle royale style until one is left for the 'chicken' dinner heh' He mused to himself as he laugh at his own joke emphasizing the word chicken. 'Ok maybe I'm being hard on Makoto on this. I'm sorry Makoto may your soul rest in piece' He added to himself as he apologize to Makoto in his heart,

"Though if they accept or decline in bad terms, just like Eriri said, you're gonna be stabbed, or the girls are going to murder and kill each other, ala battle royale style until one is left for the 'chicken' dinner" Oreki mused to himself, a wry chuckle escaping his lips as he emphasized the word 'chicken'. Despite the humor in his jest, there was an underlying acknowledgment of the potential chaos that could ensue from his unconventional approach to relationships.

"Okay, maybe I'm being hard on Makoto on this one. I'm sorry, Makoto, may your soul rest in peace wherever your soul is" he added quietly to himself, offering a silent apology to the boy he had compared himself to. In that moment of reflection, Oreki recognized the complexities of navigating romantic entanglements, even within this world. His words carried a sense of remorse, acknowledging the unfairness of his initial judgment towards Makoto and expressing a genuine sense of empathy.

Oreki's musings were abruptly interrupted by Eriri, her mocking tone and smirk casting a shadow over his thoughts. "Don't compare to him?" she questioned, her voice laced with skepticism as she challenged Oreki's assertion. Pausing for a moment, she continued to press him with another probing inquiry, "How are you different from him and any other guy?"

Oreki sat up straight, a determined look in his eyes as he asserted himself in response to Eriri's questioning. "He is him and I am me, we are not the same" he declared with a confident tone, his words carrying a sense of conviction. As he spoke, Oreki straightened an imaginary necktie, symbolizing his resolve to differentiate himself from the comparisons drawn to other male protagonists.

Eriri made a sound of disbelief "HUH???"